Booke wch weare delivered to ye Bishop of Bath and Wells, Sir Henry Savill and others

lb 0 12 0

Item for the impression of the King's Booke in 4to., and my continuall attendance all the time it was in hand, and for so manie bookes as weare delivered to ye King's use, and my boatehyre sometimes six times in a day

lb 49 16 11

The Note of the Lesser Vollumes.

Item, To the King's Majesty, 2 bookes gilt

lb 0 6 0

Item, To Mr. Atie Scotsman, by order three dossen, gilt with fillets

lb 3 12 0

Item, To the King's Majestie three dossen in fillets, gilt with silke strings

lb 3 12 0

Item, To Mr. Barclay, 2 dossen and one, in Engl.

lb 1 12 0

Item, To Sir James Murray, 3 dossen, gilt fillets

lb 3 12 0

Item, To Sir Andrew Kith, 3 dossen, gilt fillets

lb 3 12 0

Item, 6 of the Bishop of Lincoln's bookes, per Mr. John Amongly, gilt fillets strings

lb 1 0 0

Item, To the King's Majestie on dussen and a half of Mr. Barclay's bookes, gilt fillets

lb 2 14 0

Item for 2 dossen of Mr. Barclay's bookes per order from Mr. Kircham

lb 3 12 0

———————

lb 98 4 10

———————

Item more delivered to ye King's use per Mr. Kircham:

8 of the Kings bookes in 12o fillets

lb 0 16 0

1 —— in English, sticht

lb 0 2 0

6 Bishop of Chychesters bookes 4to. fillets

lb 1 5 0

———————

lb 2 3 0

lb 98 4 10

———————

lb 100 7 10

———————

The Binder's Note.

Imprimis, For binding 6 of ye King's bookes plaine

lb 0 6 0

Item for bindinge one in Turkie leather wth small tooles

lb 1 0 0

Item for bindinge 6 bookes in vellem fillets gilt

lb 0 12 0

Item for bindinge of 12 bookes for Mr. Thomas Murray, whereof one in velvet

lb 1 10 0

Item for bindinge of 3 dossen vellem fillets

lb 3 12 0

Item for bindinge 31 in velvet, edged with gold lace, and lined wth tafity silk stringes

lb 20 13 4

Item for bindinge 20 of the King's bookes in velvet, silke strings

lb 10 0 0

Item for bindinge one in greene velvet in English and Latten for the Prince

lb 0 10 0

Item for bindinge 4 of the lesser sort in Turky leather, with strings gilt

lb 1 0 0

Item for 12 in vellem and leather with a fillet

lb 1 16 0

———————

lb 40 19 4

———————

For the Velvet.

Imprimis, For 15 yards of crymson velvet at 32s. per yard com̅eth to

lb 24 0 0

Item for 2 yards of purple velvet

lb 2 0 0

Item for 3 eld and a half of Taffity at 15s. per ell com̅eth to

lb 2 12 6

Item for gold lace

lb 3 6 8

Item for greene velvet for the Prince's booke

lb 0 10 0

———————

lb 32 9 2

———————

lb 173 16 4"

———————

SIR RALPH VERNON.

Much has been written in "N. & Q." respecting the "Old Countess of Desmond," who is said to have died at the age of 140; but there is a still more remarkable instance of longevity recorded in the pedigree of the Vernon family, and which seems to be too well authenticated to admit of doubt. Sir Ralph Vernon, of Shipbrooke (Lysonsi styles him Baron of Shipbrooke, a barony founded by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester), who was born some time in the thirteenth century, died at the great age of 150! and is said to have been succeeded by his descendant in the sixth generation. He was called the "Old Sir Ralph," or Sir R. "the long liver." His first wife was a daughter of the Lord Dacre; and in 1325 he made a settlement on the marriage of his grandson (or, as some pedigrees represent, great-grandson,) Sir Ralph with the daughter of Richard Damory, Chief Justice of Chester. This deed was the cause of future litigation; and it is said that the papers respecting this law-suit still exist, to prove the fact of the old knight's patriarchal age. I would refer those who may be curious for further information on the subject to Ormerod's History of Cheshire, where, in the pedigree of "Vernon of Shipbrooke," they will find some account of "Old Sir Ralph."

While on the subject of longevity, I may mention that in 1833, while passing through Savoy on my way from Italy, I saw and conversed with an old woman, who was then in her 119th year. It was at Lanslebourg, on the Mont Cenis. Her name was Elizabeth Durieux, and the date of her birth was the 17th of December, 1714, only four months after the death of Queen Anne, and when Louis XIV. still occupied the throne of France. Her age was well authenticated. In early life she had been in the service of the then reigning family, and a small pension had been settled upon her, which she had been receiving nearly a century; and, until within ten years of the time when I saw her, she had been in the habit of journeying on foot over the mountain annually to receive it. She had all her faculties, with the exception of a slight degree of deafness; and assured me that she could remember everything distinctly for one hundred and twelve years! She was bony, large limbed, and appeared to have been a tall strong woman formerly; excessively wrinkled, and very dirty. How long she may have continued to live after I saw her in 1833, I know not.

W. SNEYD.

Denton.

THE FALLACY OF TRADITIONS.

Several communications to the "N. & Q." have already proved how little reliance is to be placed upon the traditions repeated by vergers and guides to wondering lionizers. A collection of other instances, where the test of science and archæological investigation have exposed their falsity, would be interesting and instructive. In spite of Sir Samuel Meyrick's judicious arrangement of the armour in the tower, the beef-eaters still persist in relating the old stories handed down. At Warwick Castle the rib of the dun cow is ascertained to be a bone of a fossil elephant, and Guy's porridge-pot a military cooking utensil of the time of Charles I. St. Crispin's chair, carefully preserved in Linlithgow Cathedral by insertion in the wall, is of mahogany,—an American wood! The chair of Charles I. at Leicester bears a crown, which, having been the fashionable ornament after the Restoration, together with the form, betrays