" ENGLAND " INSTEAD OF " BRITAIN."
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.'-]
Sra,—A subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland can no more speak of "Britain" without arrogance to Ireland than he Can of " England " without arrogance to Scotland and Ireland. Lord Balfour of Burleigh seems to be rather particularly guilty of this—whatever it may be—as his protest reads as if it were made in the interests of Scotland and not of Scotland and Ireland. I may say that I wrote three times to the Scotsman, to ask for an address in Edinburgh where I could get a Scotch Royal Standard, and so small is the demand that the Scotsman found it not worth while to put in my letter. You cannot expect an American to talk of the United States, nor do we speak of their citizens as anything but Americans. Nor can you expect to bear invariably of Great Britain and Ireland. What is important to remember is that "Britain" and "Great Britain" are not accurate any more than "England" ; also that every descendant of Agincourt and the Armada is English.
live he where he may.-1 am, Sir, &c., A. F. P.
[We do not think that our correspondent is right in believing that "Britain" does not include Ireland. Under the mediaeval Latin nomenclature the island of Great Britain was Magna Britannia, while Ireland was termed Parva Britannia. "Britannia" included both islands, as does also, of course, the term "the British Isles." "Britain" and "the British nation" are therefore the correct expressions, and include the whole United Kingdom.—ED. Spectator.]
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