H.J.M.

Dec. 27.  Ambleside.

Erasmus’ Paraphrase on the Gospels.—­I have in my charge the mutilated remains of an old black-letter copy of Erasmus’ Paraphrase on the Gospels, not of any great value perhaps, but interesting to me from its having been chained from time immemorial (so to speak) to one of the stalls in our parish church; it is only perfect from Mark, fol. lxiiii. to John fol. cxiii., but I should be glad to know the date, &c. of its publication.  Presuming, therefore, that one of the objects of your interesting publication is to aid in solving the minor difficulties of persons like myself, who have no means of consulting any large collection of books, I have the less scruple in forwarding the accompanying “Notes” from my copy, for the guidance of any one who will be at the trouble of comparing them with any copy to which he may have access.

The spelling of the word “gospel” varies throughout; thus, in Mark, fols. lxiiii-lxxii., xci., xciv., xcv., xcvii., and xcviii. it is “ghospel;” on lxxiii-lxxvi., lxxviii., it is “gospell;” on the rest “gospel.”  So also throughout St. Luke, which occupies cc. foll., it varies in like manner, “ghospell” being there the more common form.  The initial letter to St. Luke represents Jacob’s dream; on the first page of fol. vi. of St. Luke the translator’s preface ends, “Geven at London the last day of Septembre, in the yere of our Lorde M.D.XLV.”  On fol. xiii. of the same, Erasmus’ own preface ends, “Geven at Basill the xxii. dai of August ye yere of our Lord, M.D.” (the rest effaced).  On the first page of fol. viii. of St. John’s Gospel the preface ends, “Geven at Basile the yere of our Lord, M.D.XXIII. the v daye of Januarye.”  If these notes are sufficient to identify my copy with any particular edition, it will afford a real pleasure to

A YORKSHIRE SUBSCRIBER.

Iland Chest.—­In some wills of Bristol merchants of the latter part of the 16th century, I have met with the bequest of a chattel called an "Iland Chest:" thus, ex.g.  “Item:  to Edmond Poyley I give the Iland chest in the great chamber wherein his linen was.”  Mention is made of the like article in two or three other instances.  An explanation of the word and an account of the kind of chest will much oblige.

B.W.G.

D’Israeli on the Court of Wards.—­D’Israeli, in his article upon “Usurers of the Seventeenth Century” (Curios. of Lit. iii. 89. old ed.), which is chiefly upon Hugh Audley, a master of the Court of Wards and Liveries, speaks of that court as “a remarkable institution, on which I purpose to make some researches.”  Can any of your readers inform me if D’Israeli acted upon this resolve, and, if so, where the results of labours are to be found?

J.B.

Ancient Tiles.—­Two birds, back to back, with heads turned to each other, were common on ancient tiles.  What are they intended to represent or to emblemise?