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NOTES AND QUERIES. [128.1. APRIL 22,

BOWING IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. When the Speaker and Chaplain bow three times to the vacant chair on their entrance to the House of Commons, previous to prayers, and when the Chaplain bows three times, walking backwards, on leaving the House, is this the survival of bowing to the Host when Parliament met in St. Stephen's Chapel after the Dissolution ? If so, on whose authority is this statement ?

ST. STEPHEN.

' THE GHENT PATERNOSTER.' In going over some old letters, &c., I have comencross a fragment which is so applicable to the present day that I am anxious, if possible, to obtain the complete text. It is entitled ' The Ghent Paternoster,' and refers to the notorious Duke of Alva. The fragment is in my own handwriting, and has evidently been copied from some semi-illegible original, but as to when, where, or whence I copied it, I have no recollection. It would probably be in the sixties or seventies of last century. I append a copy of it as it stands in my MS. Perhaps some one amongst your readers may be able to fill up the blanks or say where the original is to be found.

Our Devil who dost in Brussels dwell,

Curst be thy name in earth and hell.

Thy kingdom speedily pass away

Which hath blasted and burned us many a day.

Thy will never more

In heaven above nor

Thou takest daily our

Our wives and children

No man's trespasses thou fprgivest ; Revenge is the food on which thou livest. Thou leadest all men into temptation.

Unto

Our Father in heaven

Grant that this hellish

And with him

Who make murder

And all his savage

Oh ! send them back to the Devil their father

Again ! again !

C. S. B.

THE DRAGON-FLY. Can any reader kindly inform me how and when this English word came into existence ? Am I right in pre- suming it to have originated in a fancied resemblance, both in shape and character, of this insect and the dragon ?

That some Chinese of old had somewhat of such an assimilation is palpable from this passage :

" Once upon a time a huge dragon moulted its skin on a bank of the Lake Tai-hu. From the inter- stices of its scales and scutes some peculiar insects issued, which within a while turned to red dragon flies capable of causing their captors to suffer from intermittent fever. Thence people nowadays call

a red dragon-fly Lung-kang (Dragon Scute) or Lung- sun (Dragon's Grandson), and avoid to injure it." An anonymous ' Mau - shin - tsah - chau,' written/ about the fourteenth century.

KUMAGUSU MlNAKATA.

Tanabe, Kii, Japan.

VENETIAN COIN INSCRIPTIONS. I have

been informed that on some of the coinage

minted in the Venetian dominions of the-

fifteenth century there are mottoes such as

' Fides Incorrupta," &c. As I am not able

to consult any numismatic authorities just

at present, perhaps some reader of ' N. & Q.*

would kindly oblige with a reference to any

examples. G. J., F.S.A.

Cyprus.

DRAWING OF FORT JEROME AND H.M.S. ARGO AND SPARROW. I have an old water- colour drawing of ' Fort Jerome, St. Do- mingo ' : in the background are H.M.S. Argo, 44 guns, and Sparrow, 16 guns. I am. anxious to know the probable date, and the connexion between the place and these two ships. A. J. FISHER.

Royal Societies Club.

COVERLO. (See ' Contributions to the History of European Travel : Richard Chiswell,' ante, p. 263.) Where was this place, at which " was a small but strong fort built across the narrow valley, dividing the Bishopric from Venetian territory " I Modern maps do not show it.

Which bishopric is meant, that of Trento or that of Brixen ?

JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT,

ST. BRIDE'S CHURCH, FLEET STREET. In ' Old and New London,' vol. i. p. 60, there appears a view of the above after the fire in. 1824. Can any reader inform me from what picture or print it was copied ?

WALTER H. WHITE AR.

Cfaiswick.

COLOUR-PRINTING MID-NINETEENTH CEN- TURY. I have a small cardboard box, which apparently originally contained needles, the cover of which bears a coloured scene which appears to represent the Prince Consort on a black charger. The background is a park or gardens, with a gay crowd, the ladies in crinolines, the men in frock coats, waving their hats in salutation. In the box is a packet of needles inscribed : " H. Walker's .Ridged Eyed Needles, Patent dated May 19th,. 1858." I do not know if this is contem- porary with the box itself, the decoration of which is very similar to Baxter's colour- j printing process. Any information will be welcome. P. D. M.