_Derivation of the word "Avon."_--Among the many proofs of the
prevalence of the Gaelic roots in existing names at both ends of the
island, it may be mentioned that there are ten rivers named _Avon_ in
Britain, and _Avon_ is simply the Gaelic word for a river.
J.U.G. Gutch.
_Warton and Heinsius._--A late critic thinks he has discovered that Mr.
Thomas Warton, a contemporary of Mr. Wise, and fellow of the same
college, an antiquary and scholar of whom England may be proud, knew
little of Latin, and less of Greek, because, forsooth, he did not notice
Milton's false quantities, which Heinsius did! As well might it be
argued, that the critic is an immoral man, because he did not notice the
delinquencies of Heinsius in a moral point of view; the said Heinsius
being obliged to resign his secretaryship to the city of Amsterdam in
consequence of a prosecution by a young woman for breach of promise of
marriage, under the faith of which she had lived with him, and borne him
two children. The sentence of _misdaadigheyd_ was pronounced against
him, and confirmed, on appeal, by the supreme court of Holland, in 1662.
So much for the unpatriotic puff of the learned foreigner, to {286} the
disparagement of one of the greatest ornaments of English literature. As
one "note" naturally produces another, I hope your sense of justice, Mr.
Editor, will admit this, in order to counter-balance the effect of the
former one; appearing, as it did, in a periodical of considerable
circulation, which, I am glad to hear, is soon to be very much improved.