Martha Blount.—Is there any engraved portrait of this lady? and can any of your numerous correspondents give me reasonable hope of finding portraits of Mrs. Rackett and other connexions of Pope? I would suggest, that when we are favoured with a new edition of the little great man's works, each volume should contain a portrait, if procurable, of those who catch a reflected ray of greatness from association with the poet.

A. F. Westmacott.

Feltham House, Middlesex.

Degree of B.C.L.—In Vol. vi., p. 534., an Oxford B.C.L. asked the privileges to which a gentleman having taken this degree was entitled. Perhaps your correspondent will inform me what is the least time of actual residence required at the university, and the kind of examination a candidate for the honour has to be subjected to, before he becomes a B.C.L.? also the way for a stranger to go about it, who wants to spend as little money and time in the matter as is possible?

J. F.

Halifax.

The Word "anywhen."—Why should not this adverb, which exists as a provincialism in some parts of England, be legitimatised, and made as generally useful as anywhere, or anyhow, or anyone? If there be no classical precedent for it, will not some of the many authors who contribute to your pages take pity upon anywhen, and venture to introduce him to good society, where I am sure he would be appreciated?

W. Fraser.

Shoreditch Cross, &c.—Can any of your readers inform me where a model or picture of the Cross which formerly stood near the church of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, can be seen? Also, where a copy of any description can be seen of the painted window in the said church?

Sir Henry Ellis, in his History of the Parish, gives us no illustration of the above.

J. W. B.

Winchester and Huntingdon.—I would with your permission ask, whether Winchester and Huntingdon have at any time been more populous than they are at present, and what may have been the largest number of inhabitants they are supposed to have contained?

G. H.

La BruyÈre.—What is known concerning the family of Jean de la BruyÈre, author of Les CaractÈres? Did he belong to the great French house of that name? One of the biographical dictionaries states that he was grandson of a Lieutenant Civil, engaged in the Fronde; but M. Suard, in his "Notice" prefixed to Les CaractÈres, says that nothing is known of the author except his birth, death, and office. His grand-daughter, Magdalen Rachel de la BruyÈre, married an officer of the name of Shrom, and died in 1780, at Morden in Surrey, where there is a handsome monument to her memory. Being one of her descendants in the female line, I should feel much obliged by any information respecting her father, the son of Jean de la BruyÈre; or tending to connect that writer with the family founded by Thibault de la BruyÈre, the Crusader.

Ursula.

Sir John Davys or Davies.—I am very anxious to get any information that can be procured about Sir John Davys or Davies, Knight Marshal of Connaught, temp. Elizabeth. What were his arms? Any portions of his pedigree would be most desirable; also any notices of the various grants of land given by him, particularly to members of his own family. I would also give any reasonable price for John Davies' Display of Heraldry of six Counties of North Wales, published 1716: or, if any of the readers of "N. & Q." have the book, and would favour me with a loan of it, I would return it carefully as soon as I had made some extracts from it.

Seivad.

Fleshier of Otley.—What are the arms of Fleshier of Otley, Yorkshire? They existed, not many years ago, in a window of a house built by one of the above-named family, in Otley.

B. M. A.

Bingley, Yorkshire.

Letters U, V, W.—Could any correspondent of the "N. & Q." give us any clear idea of the manner in which we ought to judge of those letters as they are printed from old MSS. or in old books. Is there any rule known by which their pronunciation can be determined? For instance, how was the name of Wales supposed to have been pronounced four hundred years ago, or the name Walter? How could two such different sounds as U and V now represent, come by the old printers both to be denoted by V? And is it supposed that our present mode of pronouncing some words is taken from their spelling in books? We see this done in foreign names every day by persons who have no means of ascertaining the correct pronunciation. Can it have been done extensively in the ordinary words of the language? Or can it be possible, that the confusion between the printed V and W and U has produced the confusion in pronouncing such words now beginning with W, which some classes of her Majesty's subjects are said to pronounce as if they commenced with V? I ask for information: and to know if the question has anywhere been discussed, in which case perhaps some one can refer me to it.

A. F. H.

Heraldic Query.—I should be greatly indebted to any of your correspondents who will assist me in tracing the family to which the following arms belong. Last century they were borne by a gentleman of the name of Oakes: but I find no grant in the college, nor, in fact, can I discover any British arms like them. Argent, a pale per pale or, and gules: between two limbs of an oak fructed proper. On a chief barry of six of the second and third; a rose between two leopards faces all of the last.

C. Mansfield Ingleby.

"Drengage" and "Berewich."—In Domesday certain tenants are described as drenches or drengs, holding by drengage; and some distinction is made between the drengs and another class of tenants, who are named berewites; as, for instance, in Newstone,—

"Huj' manerium abbrev. alia t'ra xv hoes quos Drenchs vocabant pro xv manerium abbrev. tenet sed huj' manerium abbrev. berewich erant."

I shall be glad if any information as to these tenures, and also as to the derivation of the words "drengage" and "berewich," or berewite, both of which may be traced, I believe, to a Danish origin.

James Crosby.

Streatham.

Sidney as a Female Name.—In several families of our city the Christian name of Sidney is borne by females, and it is derived, directly or indirectly, from a traceable source.

The object of the present inquiry is to ascertain whether the same name, and thus spelled, is similarly applied in any families of Great Britain? If at all, it should be found in the north of Ireland. But your correspondent would be pleased to learn, from any quarter, of such use of the name, together with the tradition of the reason for its adoption.

R. D. B.

Baltimore.

"The Brazen Head."—Will any reader of "N. & Q." be good enough to inform the undersigned where he can obtain, by purchase or by loan, the perusal of any part or parts of the above-mentioned work? It was published as a serial in 1828 or 1829.

A. F. A. W.

Swillington.

Portrait of Baron Lechmere.—Can any of your correspondents inform me if there is any engraved portrait in existence of the celebrated Whig, Lord Lechmere, Baron of Evesham, who died at Camden House, London, in the year 1727, and lies buried in the church of Hanley Castle, near Upton-on-Severn, co. Worcester?

While on the subject of portraits, some of your correspondents may be glad to learn that an excellent catalogue of engraved portraits is now passing through the press, by Messrs. Evans and Sons, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, of which forty-six numbers are issued.

J. B. Whitborne.

"Essay for a New Translation of the Bible," and "Letters on Prejudice."—A friend of mine has requested me to inquire through "N. & Q." who are the authors of the undermentioned books, in his possession?

An Essay for a New Translation of the Bible, one volume 8vo.: "printed for R. Gosling, 1727." Dedicated to the Bishops: the dedication signed "H. R."—Letters on Prejudice, two volumes 8vo.: "in which the nature, causes, and consequences of prejudice in religion are considered, with an application to the present times:" printed for Cadell in the Strand; and Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1822.

W. W. T.

David Garrick.—In the sale catalogue of Isaac Reed's books is a lot described as "Letter of David Garrick against Mr. Stevens, with Observations by Mr. Reed, MS. and printed." Can any of your correspondents inform me in whose possession is this letter with Reed's observations; whether Garrick's letter was published; and, if so, what public library contains a copy?

G. D.

Aldiborontophoskophornio.—Will you or some of your readers inform me in what play, poem, or tale this hero, with so formidable a name, is to be found?

F. R. S.

Quotations wanted.—Will you or some of your correspondents tell where this sentence occurs: "It requireth great cunning for a man to seem to know that which he knoweth not?" Miss Edgeworth gives it as from Lord Bacon. I cannot find it. Also, where this very superior line: "Life is like a game of tables, the chances are not in our power, but the playing is?" This I have seen quoted as from Jeremy Taylor, but where? I have looked his works carefully through: it is so clever that it must be from a superior mind. And where, in Campbell, is "A world without a sun?" This, I believe, is in Gertrude of Wyoming.

Excuse this trouble, Mr. Editor; but you are now become the general referee in puzzles of this kind.

A. B.

Arago on the Weather.—I saw some of Arago's meteorological observations in an English magazine some time ago, taken, I believe, from the Annuaire. Can any one give me a reference to them?

Elsno.

"Les Veus du Hairon," or "Le Voeu du HÉron."—Is any more known of this curious historical romance than Sainte Palaye tells us in the third volume of his MÉmoires sur l'Ancienne Chevalerie? He gives the original text (I suspect not very correctly) from, he says, a MS. in the public library at Berne. It is a poem in old French verse (something like Chaucer's English), of about 500 lines, descriptive of a series of vows, by which Robert Comte d'Artois, then an exile in England, engaged Edward III., his queen and court, to the invasion of France:

"Dont maint bon chevalier fu jÉtÉ fort souvin;

Mainte dame fu vesve, et maint povre orfelin;

Et maint bon maronier accourchit son termin;

Et mainte preude femme mise À divers destin;

Et encore sera, si Jhesus n'i met fin."