(1850) I find the following
sentence:--"But as pains have been taken to fix the blame _upon any one
except_ the parties culpable;" and in the July number of the same
_Review_ (p. 90.) occurs the sentence, "_any impulse rather than_ that of
patriotism," &c.

Now, a "thing," or "person," or "impulse,"--though it may not be the
"thing," or "person," or "impulse" charged as the agent,--must yet be
some _certain_ and _specific_ thing, or party, or impulse, {295} if
existing as an agent at all in the matter; and cannot be "_any_ thing,"
or "_any_ party," or "_any_ impulse," in the _indefinite_ sense intended
in these phrases. Moreover, there seems no difficulty in expressing, in
a simple and direct manner, that the agent was a very different, or
opposite, or dissimilar "thing," or "person," or "impulse" from that
supposed.

I wish some persons of competent authority in the science of our
language (and many such there are who write in your pages) would take up
this subject, with a view to preserve the purity of it; and would also,
for the future, exercise a watchful vigilance over the use, for the
_first_ time, of any incorrect, or low words or phrases, in composition;
and so endeavour to confine them to the vulgar, or to those who ape the
vulgar in their style.

P.H.F.

_Fastitocalon._--_Fastitocalon. Cod. Exon._ fol. 96. b. p. 360. 18. read
[Greek: Aspido ... chelonae]. Tychsen, _Physiologus Syrus_, cap. xxx.:
did the digamma get to Crediton by way of Cricklade?

F.Q.

* * * * *

QUERIES

BISHOP COSIN'S CONFERENCE.

Basire in his _Dead Man's Real Speech_ (pp. 59, 60.), amongst other
"notable instances" of Bishop Cosin's zeal and constancy in defence of
the Church of England, mentions

"A solemn conference both by word and writing betwixt him and
the Prior of the English Benedictines at Paris, supposed to be
Robinson. The argument was concerning the validity of the
ordination of our priests, &c., in the Church of England. The
issue was, our Doctor had the better so far, that he could never
get from the Prior any reply to his last answer. This conference
was undertaken to fix a person of honour then wavering about
that point; the sum of which conference (as I am informed), was
written by Dr. Cosin to Dr. Morley, the now Right Reverend Lord
Bishop of Winchester, in two letters bearing date June 11, July
11, 1645."

The substance of