Queen of Hearts.—­Permit me to request some explanation of a passage in Miss Strickland’s Life of Queen Elizabeth (vol. vii. p. 292.), where we are told that—­

“Lady Southwell affirms that the two ladies in waiting discovered the Queen of Hearts, with a nail of Iron knocked through the forehead, and thus fastened to the bottom of the chair:  they durst not pull it out, remembering that her like thing was used to the old Countess of Sussex, and afterwards proved a witchcraft, for which certain persons were hanged.”

The author moralises upon this, but does not refer us to any authority, or tell where the affirmation of Lady Southwell is to be found, or where the account of the old countess is given; defects which I hope some of your correspondents will be good enough to supply.

F.R.A.

Guildhalls.—­There are in most villages in this neighbourhood houses which from time immemorial have been called Guildhalls.  These are situate among such small populations that they are manifestly unconnected with trade.  Will any of your correspondents tell me—­

1st.  Why are they called Guildhalls?

2nd.  For what purpose were they anciently used? {321}

3rd.  Are they common in other counties besides Suffolk?

Also:  What is the origin of the Friday Streets so common in most villages in this neighbourhood?

A SUBSCRIBER AB INITIO.

Guildhall, Framlingham, Suffolk, Feb. 6. 1850.

Vox Populi—­Monody on Sir John Moore.—­Can any reader give me the origin of the saying “Vox Populi, Vox Dei?”—­and has any one of your correspondents ever heard of any doubts being raised as to the original author of the Monody upon Sir John Moore, which is now always assigned to the Rev. Dr. Wolfe?  I saw it stated in an English paper, published in France some few years back, that Wolfe had taken them from a poem at the end of the Memoirs of Lally Tottendal, the French governor of Pondicherry, in 1756, and subsequently executed in 1766.  In the Paper I refer to, the French poem was given; and certainly one of the two must be a translation of the other.  I have not been able to get a copy of Tottendal’s Memoirs, or of the Paper I refer to, or I would not trouble you with this Query; but perhaps some one can inform me which is the Merchant here, and which the Jew.

QUAESITOR.

Reg.  Coll.  London.

Use of Coffins.—­How long has it been the custom to inter the dead in coffins?  “In a table of Dutyes” dated 11th Dec. 1664, and preserved at Shoreditch Church, it is mentioned:—­

     “For a buryall in the New Church Yard without a coffin, 00 00 08.

     “For a buryall in ye Old Church Yard without a coffin seauen pence
     00 00 07.

     “For the grave marking and attendance of ye Vicar and Clarke on
     ye enterment of a corps uncoffined the churchwardens to pay the
     ordinary duteys (and no more) of this table.”