was before the
12th century, viz., surmounted by "a head curled round something in the
manner of a shepherd's crook;" and the difference in regard to their
use, that the crozier pertains to the archbishops, and the pastoral
staff to the bishops.

R.W. ELLIOT

Cheltenham, Sept. 16. 1850.

* * * * *

PARSONS, THE STAFFORDSHIRE GIANT.

(Vol. ii., p. 135.)

Harwood's note in Erdeswick's _Staffordshire_, quoted by your
correspondent C.H.B., is incorrect, inasmuch as the writer has confused
the biographies of two distinct "giants"--WALTER PARSONS, porter to King
James I., and WILLIAM EVANS, who filled the same office in the
succeeding reign.

The best account of these two "worthies" is that found in Fuller, and
which I extract from the original edition now before me:--

WALTER PARSONS, born in this county [Staffordshire], was first
apprenticed to a smith, when he grew so tall in stature, that a
hole was made for him in the ground to stand therein up to the
knees, so to make him adequate with his fellow-workmen. He
afterwards was porter to King _James_; seeing as gates generally
are higher than the rest of the building, so it was sightly that
the porter should be taller than other persons. He was
proportionable in all parts, and had strength equal to height,
valour to his strength, temper to his valour, so that he
disdained to do an injury to any single person. He would make
nothing to take two of the tallest _yeomen_ of the _guard_ (like
the _Gizard_ and _Liver_) under his arms at once, and order them
as he pleased.

"Yet were his parents (for aught I do understand to the
contrary) but of an ordinary stature, whereat none will wonder
who have read what _St. Augustine_ (_De Civitate Dei_, lib. xv.
cap. 23.) reports of a woman which came to _Rome_ (a little
before the sacking thereof by the _Goths_), of so giant-like a
height, that she was far above all who saw her, though infinite
troopes came to behold the spectacle. And yet he addeth, _Et hoc
erat maximae admirationis, quod ambo parentes ejus, &c_. This
made men most admire, that both her parents were but of ordinary
stature. This _Parsons_ is produced for proof, that all ages
afford some of extraordinary height, and that there is no
general decay of mankind in their _dimensions_, which, if there
were, we had ere this time shrun