By the help of Horapollo, Chiflet’s gnostic gems, and other repertories of the same class, one might, peradventure, make a tolerable case in favour of the mythological identity of the legend of Ladybird—­that is, the sun-chafer, or barn-bie, the fire-fly, “whose house is burnt, and whose bairns are ten,” of course the first ten days of the Egyptian year[4]—­with the mystical stories of the said black or dark blue lords of radiance, Pan and Papan.

The Egyptians revere the beetle as a living and breathing image of the sun, quoth Porphyry.[5] That will account for this restless delver’s extraordinary talismanic renown.  I think the lady-bird is “the speckled beetle” which was flung in hot water to avert storms.[6] Pignorius gives us the figure of the beetle, crowned with the sun, and encircled with the serpent of eternity; while another, an onyx in the collection of Abraham Gorlaeus, threatens to gnaw at a thunderbolt.[7]

Reuven’s book on the Egyptian Museum, which I have not seen, notices an invocation to “the winged beetle, the monarch ([Greek:  tyrannos]) of mid-heaven,” concluding with a devout wish that some poor creature “may be dashed to pieces.”

Can any of your readers inform me what is meant by “the blood of the Phuon?”

Yours truly,

?

St. Martin’s, Guernsey, Jan. 9. 1850.

* * * * *

EXTRACTS FROM CHURCHWARDENS’ ACCOUNTS OF ST. MARGARET’S,
WESTMINSTER—­WEIGHT OF BELLS IN ANCIENT TIMES—­HISTORY OF A
ROOD-LOFT.

I send you a few Notes, collected out of the Churchwardens’ Accounts of
St. Margaret’s, Westminster.

1stly.  Some regarding the weight of bells in ancient days:—­

“1526.  The first bell weith ccccc lb. 
       The second bell weith ccccccxxj lb. 
       The third bell weith ixCvj lb. 
       The fourthe bell weith M.x lb. 
       The fyfthe belonging to our grete Lady
         Bretherhed MvjCxiiij lb. 
     The sume of all the weight MMMMVIIC Li lb.

“1592.  The broken Tennor waied xvjCxxj lb. 
       The new tennor ys. xiijC di
       The greatest bell ys xxjC and di at lvjs. the C.
       The iiij bell ys xvijC and di and xiiij lb. 
       The xiiij bell taken awaie was xiijC di. 
       The ij bell carried awaie was viijCiij qters. 
       The new bell viijC di. 
      Som totall of the bells, yron, tymber, and
      workmanshipp lxxvl. vs. vd.”

This appears to have been a sorry bargain, for soon after occur sad complaints of these bells, “very falsly and deceytfully made by Valentyne Trever.”  Perhaps your correspondent “CEPHAS” may explain the following entry:—­