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318 be rosemary," said a Hertfordshire cottager, "and they do say that it only grows where the missis is master, and it do grow here like wildfire" (1 Ser. Notes and Queries, ii. 123). Is it possible that the house-master is believed to impart some of his special vital power to the plant ?

With regard to the question of helmets, Canon W. Bazeley writes: "The custom of carrying a knight's or squire's armour on horseback or on the coffin in the funeral procession was well-nigh universal. In most cases, I believe, imitation armour was left in the church. It might have been found a hundred years ago in every church in the land which was attended by persons of rank or position. During the orgies of the Victorian 'restorations' it was in many cases carted away as rubbish." His Honor Judge J. S. Udal writes: "I have never come across any instance, nor have I ever heard of any, of the helmet suspended over, or placed upon, a sepulchral effigy or monumental achievement, whether the original helmet used in tilting or war purposes by the deceased, or a simulacrum, or one larger than life size being carried in front of the corpse at funerals. Of the former, of course, such a thing might be possible, but as regards the simulacra spoken of by your correspondent, they would scarcely be in existence at the time of death, and would hardly be fashioned, one would think, till such time as the monument itself was being erected. In the same way, a hatchment would be put up, not as part of the funeral obsequies, but as a heraldic memorial of the deceased. More modern custom certainly recognised the carrying of some part of the deceased's accoutrements, if a soldier or sailor, on the top of his coffin, as was done in the Duke of Wellington's state funeral. But I can find no reference to any such custom as that Sir James Frazer has forwarded to you from his correspondent in any of the likely antiquarian or heraldic books that I have about me. I shall indeed be glad to know if the above alleged custom can be shown to have existed : but of this I have grave doubts."

It may be noted that Sir David Owen-Knight, in his will, dated 20th February, 1529, directed: "My body to be buried in the Priory of Esseborne, after the degree of a banneret, that is, with helmet and sword, my coat armour, my banner, my