Ayles, _his_ iiii Daughters, _whose soule_
restethe with God."

I give the epitaph _verbatim_, with its true orthography. There are some
curious points in this epitaph. First, the date of the death of the
clergyman only is given; second, the children are called _hers_, while the
four daughters are _his_; and two of the sons bear the same Christian name,
whilst only one _soul_ is said to rest with God. The family is represented
kneeling. Above the inscription, and between the clergyman and his lady, is
a desk, on which is represented two books lying open before them.

J. B. WHITBORNE.

[Vossioner seems to be corruption of the Italian _vossignor_, your
lord, or the lord, _i.e._ owner or proprietor. Many similar words were
introduced by the Italian ecclesiastics inducted into Church livings
during the sixteenth century. The inscription is given in Dugdale's
_Warwickshire_, vol. i. p. 358.]

_The Game of Chess._--At what period was the noble game of chess introduced
into the British Isles; and to whom are we indebted for its introduction
among us?

B. ASHTON.

[The precise date of the introduction of this game into Britain is
uncertain. What has been collected respecting it will be found in the
Hon. Daines Barrington's paper in _Archaeologia_, vol. ix. p. 28.; and
in Hyde's treatise, _Mandragorias, seu Historia Shahiludii_. Oxoniae,
1694.]

_A Juniper Letter._--Fuller, in describing a letter written by Bishop
Grosthead to Pope Innocent IV., makes use of a curious epithet, of which I
should be glad to meet with another instance, if it be not simply a
"Fullerism":

"Bishop Grouthead offended thereat, wrote Pope Innocent IV. such a
_juniper letter_, taxing him with extortion and other vicious
practices."--_Church History_, book III., A.D. 1254.

J. M. B.

["A juniper lecture," meaning a round scolding bout, is still in use
among the canting gentry.]

* * * * *

Replies.

CLARENCE.

(Vol. ix., p. 85.)

Clarence is beyond all doubt the district comprehending and lying around
the town and castle of Clare in Suffolk, and not, as some have fancifully
supposed, the town of Chiarenza in the Morea. Some of the crusaders did,
indeed, acquire titles of honour derived from places in eastern lands, but
certainly no such place ever gave its name to an honorary feud held of the
crown of England, nor, indeed, has _ever_ any E