TRANSLATION " HOWLERS."
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] Sin,— send three " translation howlers " as pendants to those of you orrespondent "J." in the Spectator of March 16th. An Item once appeared on the menu of a regimental mess : " Imbecile roil." The worthy Mess-Sergeant, no French scholar himself, relied upon a dictionary for his culinary titles, and made an un- fortunate selection. The dish (which had caused much speculation amongst the diners) proved to be merely roast goose. A brother- officer, discussing the death of a distinguished soldier from angina pectoris, was thus delivered : "Poor fellow; a dreadful complaint! I know what it means : snake in the bosom." A friend, travelling in New Zealand, was invited to inspect a school. Finding a ciass reading an ode of Horace, he -listened to the youth- ful translator, who arrived at "Post equitem sedet atra Cura." The rendering was certainly ingenious: " After horse-exercise, the black lady sits down with care." I can vouch for the truth of
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