_droning_ flight,
And drowsy _tinklings_ lull the distant folds."

Johnson's second quotation from Dryden may be worth repeating, as
showing that Gray's language is not wholly different from his
predecessor's:--

"Melfoil and honeysuckles pound,
With these alluring savours strew the ground,
And mix with _tinkling_ brass the cymbal's _droning_ sound."

It is perhaps hardly worth noticing, that there is not uniformity even
in the title. Johnson calls it, _Elegy in the Church-yard_; Dodsley
(1753) styles it, _Elegy written in a Country Church-yard_.

A HERMIT AT HAMPSTEAD.

_Gray's Elegy_ (Vol. ii., p. 264.).--The HERMIT OF HOLYPORT is referred
to the 4to. edit. of the _Works of Gray_, by Thos. Jas. Mathias, in
which, vol. i. at the end of the Elegy, in print, he will find "From the
original in the handwriting of Thos. Gray:

"'Save where the beetle wheels his _droning_ flight.'"

From the autograph the Elegy appears to have been written in 1750; and
the margin states, published in Feb. 1751, by Dodsley, and went through
four editions in two months; and afterwards a fifth, sixth, seventh and
eighth, ninth and tenth, and eleventh; printed also in 1753, with Mr.
Bentley's designs, of which there is a second edition; and again by
Dodsley in his _Miscellany_, vol. iv.; and in a Scotch collection,
called the _Union_. Translated into Latin by Chr. Anstey, Esq., and the
Rev. Mr. Roberts, and published in 1762; and again in the same year by
Rob. Lloyd, M.A. The original MS. of the above will be found among the
MSS. of Thos. Gray, in the possession of the Masters and Fellows of
Pembroke House, Cambridge.

W.S.

Richmond, Sept 21. 1850

* * * * *

BISHOPS AND THEIR PRECEDENCE.
(Vol. ii., p. 254.)

Arun is not right, in reference to this Query, in saying that the
precedence of bishops over the temporal barons is regulated by the
statute of 31 Hen. VIII. The precedence of bishops over the temporal
lords is not regulated by the Act of 31 Hen. VIII. for placing the
lords. They may have originally been summoned to sit in parliament in
right of their succession to certain baronial lands annexed to, or
supposed to be annexed to their episcopal sees; but as some of the
temporal peers were also summoned in right of lands held of the king
_per baroniam_, that is not a satisfactory reason why they should take
precedence of temporal barons.

The precedency must have been reg