Facts and Sottings.

A DISCOVERY has been made, in the library of the National Museum at Naples, of a treatise on illumination, including the preparation of colours, laying on of gold, and other technical matters. It is believed that this treatise, which dates from the fourth century, has never been printed, and is not to be found in any catalogue.

OLD FOUNDATIONS. - Workmen while excavating at Mountsouris, near Paris, and Bicêtre, for a reservoir to receive the Vanne waters, recently discovered antique foundations, deemed to have been part of a temple erected during the early period of the Roman-Gaulish occupation.

M. P. L.-We cannot attend to communications unauthenticated by the signature of the sender. We regret that a communication of yours,' that appeared in No. 41 of the Antiquary, under the signature X.," and which we had rejected as unfit for publication, was, through misconception on the part of our compositor, introduced into our columns. We will not allow the pages of the Antiquary to be the true relation of fact all that has been handed down to us from our made a vehicle for conveying personal abuse. If we must accept as ancestors, there is no reason why we should cease to believe that there are fairies who hold their gambols at midnight, or that the stars influence the destinies of men.

H. C.-The execution of Earl Ferrers is an indelible stain on the

administration of justice. This unhappy nobleman was simply a lunatic, and as such wholly irresponsible for his acts. It is impos sible to read the account of his trial and condemnation, and of the circumstances attendant upon his execution, without strong feelings of pity for the man, and of indignation towards the memory of those in authority, who permitted such an outrage,

number.

THE church of Sawbridgeworth, Essex, has been reopened after restoration. Among other improvements, the 7. Simpson.-We hardly know to what communication you refer font, which is supposed to date from the time of Edward There is a reference by another correspondent to a communication of III, and which was a heap of fragments, has been restored. yours on the subject of "Tradesmen's Tokens," in our present EXETER CATHEDRAL.-A stained glass window, mutilated, has been discovered amongst old glass, in the Min-legal title to the designation of Esquire, neither is a naval officer, of Inquirer.-Mere possession of landed estate does not confer a strels' Gallery, which belonged to a clerestory window, of a whatever rank, in virtue of his commission so entitled. The reason light and delicate grisaille, different from the decorations in is, that the commissions of officers in the navy are signed by the first modern and restored church windows. It is similar to the Lord of the Admiralty. Commissions in the army are signed with the Queen's sign-manual; and any one whom the Sovereign sees fit to clerestory windows opposite the bishop's throne, in the choir describe as an Esquire, becomes in law so entitled. Persons in the of the cathedral. Commission of the Peace are legal Esquires only while they conANCIENT DOCUMENTS.-Some deeds and records relative tinue in office; but one who has once filled the office of Sheriff of a to Walworth-common have been discovered, with reference county (on account of the dignity), in or out of office, remains an Esquire for life. The eldest sons of knights, as stated in a recent to parochial charities, and some silver coins of the date of number of the Antiquary, are legal Esquires, so are the eldest sons Charles II. A drawing of the Elephant and Castle, ad- of the younger sons of peers, and their eldest sons in perpetuity. jacent to the dwelling of Joanna Southcote, and other tenure of office, would suffer no man exercising the functions of an Attorneys-at-law are not legal Esquires. Lord Mansfield, during his attorney to be designated Esquire, even if he were otherwise entitled, Here, however, his lordship, as we think, was plainly in error. No one with a legal right to any title of honour, great or small, can be arbitrarily dispossessed.

curiosities have also been found.

AMY ROBSART.-The vicar having discovered the exact spot in the church of St. Mary, Oxford, which contains the remains of Amy Robsart has caused this inscription to be placed, viz.: "In a vault of brick at the upper end of this quire was buried Amy Robsart, wife of Lord Robert Dudley, K.G. Sunday, 22nd Sept. A.D. 1560."

Proceedings of Societies.

SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY, 9, Conduit-street, W., Tuesday, 3rd December, 1872, at 8.30 p.m., special, when the following paper will be read: "On a Cuneiform Inscription containing the Chaldean Account of the Deluge," by George Smith, Esq. Sir Henry Rawlinson will take the chair, and deliver an address upon this occasion. The following gentlemen will be balloted for :-Sir William Tite, C.B., M.P., F.R.S., F.R.I.B.A., Lowndes Square; M. le Baron de Cosson, Indre et Loire; W. H. Morris, Esq., Brentford.—W. R. Cooper, Secretary.

Obituary.

IN our last issue, adopting the common newspaper account, we mentioned the late Dr. F. C. Husenbeth as having attained the age of eighty-six. It would appear that his real age was seventy-six.

Notices to Correspondents.

Correspondents who reply to queries would oblige by referring to the volume and page where such queries are to be found. To omit this gives us very unhecessary trouble.

X. M.-"Dirge," a funeral service, is supposed by some to be Latin dirige, which begins the psalm sung at funerals. The Icelandic and Swedish dyrga, dyrka, however, signified to hold dear, to extol, to honour, to celebrate.

Kentish Man.-The Norwegians call "sour milk" suur melk, which is pure Scotch.

Highland Scot.-Every implement and article of dress used by the Scotch mountaineer is of Scandinavian origin. The "dirk" is the Gothic dorg, Swedish dork, a dagger.

C. F. C.-Your communication is inserted. The publisher is the proper person to apply to for copies of the Antiquary.

F. 4. Cossins. Your communication and pen-and-ink sketch have been received, and shall not be lost sight of.

J. P. Emslie.-Your suggestion is excellent, but for reasons that we cannot here explain, impracticable as regards the volume now about completed.

G. F. Coriass.-You will see that by a kind of intuition we have anticipated Mr. Walton's discovery. We never thought it was the sword of the Black Prince. Mr. Walton says the "sword claims (sic) to be much older," and is, he believes, the sword of Edward of Carnarvon, the first Prince of Wales. Here again, however, we confess to some scepticism. The evidence, as we read, seems to be this, namely, that Mr. Harrison, who catalogued Mr. Wallis's collection of arms and antiquities, "never ticketed any specimen without some good evidence of its origin; " that Mr. Harrison identifies the sword as the weapon No. 260 in the catalogue, and that the weapon there described, is "a plain basket-hilted sword, that belonged to Edward 1, when he was Prince of Wales. It was left," we are told, "by him in Cumberland, when he accompanied his father against the Scots, A.D. 1260." We humbly submit that this is not evidence. H. Gorton.-Your letter is not suited for publication in our columns. You should address your communication to the rector. C. B. E.-Cardinal Wolsey is generally supposed to have been the son of a butcher, but there is no positive authority for the statement. He was born at Ipswich, in 1471. It has been ascertained that the Cardinal's father possessed some property in land in two parishes of Ipswich. He bequeathed to his son Thomas ten marks to sing a mass for his soul. The will of Robert Wolsey, the father, will be found in Fiddes's “Life of Wolsey."

T. B.-Lord Bacon rejected the system of Copernicus. Galileo, on the other hand, fortified it with new proofs. Galileo's personal exertions changed the character of philosophy in Italy.

Wilfrid of Galway.-In sending replies, you would very much oblige by setting down at the top of your paper the volume and page of the Antiquary to which your communication has reference.

A. B.-All Presbyterians are not Dissenters. The Church of Scotland as by law established is Presbyterian.

T. J. (Glasgow).-Your communications have been received,