As to Sir Christopher Hatton, I would refer ANTIQUARIUS, and all other whom it may concern, to Sir Harris Nicolas’s ably written Memoirs of the “Dancing Chancellor", published in 1846.  Hatton had amble means for the building of Holdenby, as he was appointed one of the Gentlemen Pensioners in 1564, and between that time and his appointment as Vice-Chamberlain in 1577 (five years prior to the period referred to by ANTIQUARIUS), he received numerous other gifts and offices.

JOSEPH BURTT.

* * * * *

ADVERSARIA

Printers’ Couplets.

It may not perhaps be generally known that the early printers were accustomed to place devices or verses along with their names at the end of the books which they gave to the public.  Vigneul-Marville, in his Melanges d’Histoire et de Litterature, relates that he found the two following lines at the end of the “Decrees of Basle and Bourges,” published under the title of “Pragmatic Sanction,” with a Commentary by Come Guymier,—­Andre Brocard’s Paris edition, 1507:—­

  “Stet liber hic, donec fluctus formica marinos
  Ebibat et totum testudo perambulet orbem.”

The printers, it would appear, not only introduced their own names into these verses, but also the names of the correctors of the press, as may be seen in the work entitled, Commentariis Andreae de Ysernia super constitutionibus Siciliae, printed by Sixtus Riffingerus at Naples in 1472:—­

  “Sixtus hoc impressit:  sed bis tamen ante revisit
    Egregius doctor Petrus Oliverius. 
  At tu quisque emis, lector studiose, libellum
    Laetus emas; mendis nam caret istud opus.”

G.J.K.

Charles Martel

Mr. Editor,—­Perhaps the subjoined note, extracted from M. Collin de Plancy’s Bibliotheque des Legendes, may not be without its value, as tending to correct an error into which, according to his account, modern historians have fallen respecting the origin of the surname “Martel,” borne by the celebrated Charles Martel, son of Peppin of Herstal, Duke of Austrasia, by his Duchess Alpheide[2]:—­

“It is surprising,” he says, “that almost all our modern historians, whose profound researches have been so highly vaunted, have repeated the little tale of the Chronicle of St. Denis, which affirms that the surname of Martel was conferred on Charles for having hammered (martele) the Saracens.  Certain writers of the present day style him, in this sense, Karle-le-Marteau.  The word martel, in the ancient Frank language, never bore such a signification, but was, on the contrary, merely an abbreviation of Martellus, Martin."[3]

From a legend on this subject given by M. de Plancy, it would appear that Charles received the second name, Martel, in honour of his patron saint St. Martin.