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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[9* S. III. FEB. 4, '99.

one of his galloglasses might help to its identification. RICHARD LINN.

229, Hereford Street, Christchurch, N.Z.

ROMAN NUMERALS. Next year we shall change the figures 1899 to 1900. How are the Roman numerals to be written? Are we to add another c to the three now used, or write MCM., following the example of xix. 1 I sug- gest that MCM. is not only more correct than MDCCCC., but will save the use of three letters for the entire century. H. B. HYDE.

Baling, W.

[The Alduses used MUD. for 1498 in the first edition of Aristophanes, now before us.]

MINIATURE BY PETER OLIVER. Is there any chance of identifying this miniature 1 A man about thirty-five, black hair, moustache, and thin close-cut beard, black eyes and pale complexion, rather a foreign appearance, possibly a Spaniard or Frenchman, dressed in a grey doublet embroidered with black, falling ruff, and wearing the wide pink or light red ribbon of an order (the jewel is not visible) round his neck. The miniature is a very beautiful one, and signed. In the back- ground is inscribed in gold letters "ter & amplius." The t might perhaps be some other letter. C. L. LINDSAY.

97, Cadogan Gardens, S.W.

SURNAMES IN -SON. Can any expert in names give information as to the earliest occurrence of th ese patronymics 1 References would be particularly valuable if the same per- son could be shown to occur as, e.g., both filius Johannis and Johnson or Jackson. In regard to my own name, I believe the majority of those who spell it with one I pronounce the G hard those who spell it with two, soft. Are both or either of these traceable to the common mediaeval filius Gillse ? Is the Ice- landic form Gilsson a patronymic or metro- nymic? J. R GILSON.

38, Great Ormond Street, W.C.

"JOHN- A -DUCK'S MARE." In 'Ivanhoe, chap, xxvi., Wamba says to Cedric and Athel- stane in Front-de-Boeuf's castle : " I am like John-a-Duck's mare that will let no man mount her but John-a-Duck." Does this refer to some old story, or is the saying a passing invention of Scott's own ?

JONATHAN BOUCHIER.

PLOUGH, CLEUGH, OR CLIFFE. How should this well-known word be pronounced ? Near Keighley it is Cliff e ; near Clitheroe I founc two pronunciations (with the one spelling Clough\ Kloo and Kluff. What is the reason of this? Are there any well-defined bound

aries between districts where the various Denunciations prevail ? If my memory erves me, the sound Kloo is used on the north-west side of the Ribble valley, and Kluff on the south-east side ; but this may not be invariable. Cliffe gives place to Plough on the west side of Keighley before rou reach Skipton. FRED G. ACKERLEY. Keighley Rectory.

ENTRY IN REGISTER. "1578. Secundo die mensis Junii 'the cutted owen' de Brocton
 * git suprema et sepultus fuit." Can any one

suggest the meaning of this strange entry, which occurs in the parish register of Ship-
 * on in this county ?

GILBERT H. F. VANE. The Rectory, Wem, Salop.

PLAYING CARDS ON A CHURCH TOWER. I shall be glad to have particulars of the repre- sentation of playing cards carved on the bower of Little Wittenham Church. I pre- sume some legends are told respecting the carvings. WILLIAM ANDREWS.

Hull Press, Hull.

SIR AMBROSE CROWLEY. I should be glad if some one would furnish me with details of the pedigree of the above named, who is described as " Knight of Greenwich." I can- not find any. Will some one also tell me whether there is any property existing now under the name of " Axford Manor," and to whom it belongs. T. A. J. PILE.

Fletching, Sussex.

THE ROMAN GHETTO.

(9 th S. ii. 463.)

IF the Ghetto moved PROF. BUTLER "to wide-eyed wonder" in 1843, it should do so even more effectually to-day. The body of it is clean swept away, and the site still unbuilt upon, except that the riverine boundary is now embanked and planted with trees. The Cenci palace, with its Medusa head over the entrance, yet remains, newly restored and resided in, and a fringe of Hebrew slum ex- tends from it round to the Porticus of Octavia, wherein stands S. Angelo in Pescheria, one of the churches wherein Gregory XIII. and later Popes compelled Jews to listen to a sermon. It is the same church also whence Rienzi issued with his colleagues in 1347 in order to upset the aristocratic tyranny in Rome and rashly make himself "Dictator." Thence the ragged fringe continues for a couple of hundred yards towards the Ponte Quattro Capi, leading to the Tiber island. Just at this