of Bitton, which died in Portingale."

In a pedigree (Harl. MSS. 1982. p. 102.) which shows the descendants of Furneaux, the match between "Sir Math. Bitton" and C. Kingston is laid down, and her arms are marked sab. a lion ramp. or.

With regard to Mathew de Bitton, he was son and heir of John de Bitton and Havisia Furneaux. The residence of the family was at Hanham, in the parish of Bitton, Gloucestershire, at a place afterwards called "Barre's Court," from Sir John Barre, who married Joan, the great-granddaughter of the said Mathew. The house abutted on the Chace of Kingswood.

In the 48th of Edward III. a writ was issued, to inquire who were the destroyers of the deer and game in his Majesty's Chace, when it was found that Mathew de Bitton was "Communis malefactor de venasione Dom. Regis in Chacia predicta." It was proved that he had killed thirty-seven deer! After much difficulty, he was brought before the justiciaries, when he acknowledged all his transgressions, and placed himself at the mercy of the king. He was committed "prisonæ Dom. Regis, quousque Justiciarii habeant locutionem cum consilio Dom. Regis."

Any further information respecting him also would be very acceptable. A very detailed account of the inquiry is at the Chapter House, among the Forest Proceedings.

H.T. ELLACOMBE.

Clyst St. George, June 24. 1851.

Possession nine Points of the Law.

—What is the origin of the expression "Possession is nine points of the law?" The explanation I wish for is, not as to possession conferring a strong title to property, which is self-evident, but as to the number of points involved in the proposition, which I take to mean nine points out of ten. Has the phrase any reference to the ten commandments or points of law promulgated by Moses? I should add that three things are said to be necessary to confer a perfect title to land, namely, possession, right of possession, and right of property.

C.N.S.

Rev. Henry Bourne, A.M.

—Could any of your numerous readers furnish me with any information respecting Bourne, whose history of Newcastle-on-Tyne was published in 1736, after the author's decease? I know, I believe, all that is to be gathered from local sources, but should be greatly obliged by any references to printed or MS. works which contain allusions to him or his writings. One of his college friends was the Reverend Granville Wheler, Esq., of Otterden, Kent, who, though in holy orders, chose to be so described, being the eldest son of a knight, the amiable Sir George Wheler, Prebendary of Durham, and Rector of Houghton-le-Spring.

E.H.A.

Prior Lachteim—Robert Douglas.

—In Bishop Keith's Affairs of Church and State of Scotland, Vol. ii. p. 809., Prior Lachteim is mentioned: will any of your readers inform me who this person was? It is not explained in the note; but it is suggested that by Lachteim Loch Tay is meant. Is this correct?

Query 2. Is there any truth in the report that Mary, queen of Scotland, had a son by George Douglas, who was the father of Robert Douglas, a celebrated Presbyterian preacher during the Covenanting reign of terror in Scotland, after the Glasgow General Assembly in 1638? If, as I suppose, there is no truth in this, what was the parentage and early history of Mr. Robert Douglas? Wodrow notices this report, and says that he was born in England. See Wodrow's Analecta, 4to., 1842, vol. ii. p. 166.: printed for the Bannatyne Club.

A.C.W.

Brompton.

Jacobus de Voragine.

—Can any friend give any information respecting an edition of the above author printed at Venice, A.D. 1482? The following is the colophon:—

"Reverendi Fratris Jacobi de Voragine de Sancto cum legendis opus perutile hic finem habet; Venetiis per Andream Jacobi de Catthara impressum: Impensis Octaviani scoti Modoetrensis sub inclyto duce Johanne Moçenico. Anno ab incarnatione domini 1482, die 17 Mensis Maii."

I can find no mention of it either in Panzer or Brunet or Ebert.

BNE.

Brasenose.

Peace Illumination, 1802.

—Miss Martineau, in her Introduction to the History of the Peace, p. 56., repeats the story told in a foot-note on p. 181. of the Annual Register for 1802, of M. Otto, the French ambassador, being compelled to substitute the word "amity" for the word "concord" suspended in coloured lamps, in consequence of the irritated mob's determination to assault his house, unless the offensive word "concord" were removed, the said mob reading it as though it were spelled "conquered," and inferring thence that M. Otto intended to insinuate that John Bull was conquered by France. The story, moreover, goes on to relate that the mob also insisted that the blazing initials G.R. should be surmounted by an illuminated crown. This anecdote, notwithstanding its embalmment in the Annual Register, has always borne in my eyes an apocryphal air. It assumes that the mob was ignorant and intellectual at the same moment; that whilst it was in a riotous mood it was yet in a temper to be reasoned with, and able to comprehend the reasons addressed to it. But one cannot help fancying that the mental calibre which understood "concord" to mean "conquered," would just as readily believe that "amity" meant "enmity," to say nought of its remarkable patience in waiting to see the changes dictated by itself carried out. This circumstance occurred, if at all, within the memory of many subscribers to "NOTES AND QUERIES." Is there one amongst them whose personal recollection will enable him to endorse the word Truth upon this curious story?

HENRY CAMPKIN.

Planets of the Months.

—Can any of your numerous correspondents give me the names of the planets for the months, and the names of the precious stones which symbolize those planets?

T.B.

Wimpole Street.

Family of Kyme.

—Sir John Kyme is said to have married a daughter of Edward IV. Can any of your correspondents inform me where I can find an account of this Sir John Kyme, his descendants, &c.? I should be glad of information respecting the family of Kyme generally, their pedigree, &c. &c. I may say that I am aware that the original stock of his family had possessions in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, and that there were members of it of considerable importance during the reigns of the earlier monarchs succeeding William I. I am also acquainted with some old pedigrees found in certain visitation books. But none of the pedigrees I have seen appear to come down later than the fourteenth, or quite the beginning of the fifteenth, century. I should be glad to know of any pedigree coming down through the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, and to have any account of the later history of the family.

BOLD.

West of England Proverb.

—Can any of your correspondents explain the saying, used when a person undertakes what is beyond his ability,—"He must go to Tiverton, and ask Mr. Able?"