The last court was held in 1756.

As the early Vagrant Acts included "minstrels" in their definition of
rogues and vagabonds, it is evident that the suitors of the Minstrelsy
Court would have run the risk of commitment to the House of Correction and
a whipping, if the acts had not specially excepted the franchise of the
Dutton family from their operation. The earliest statutes are 14 Eliz. c.
5.; 39 Eliz. c. 4.; and 43 Eliz. c. 9. Section 27. of the last Act clearly
shows that it was the power of licensing minstrels which the proviso of the
acts was intended to save. The pedigree of the Dutton family will be found
in the volume of Ormerod already cited.

E. S.

June 5. 1850.

"_Laus tua, non tua fraus_," &c. (Vol. i., p. 416.).--The lines were
written by Philelphus on Pope Pius II., as is stated in the book called
_Les Bigarrures du Seigneur des Accords_, p. 173. of the edit. 1662.

C. B.

In a small work, entitled _Specimens of Macaronic Poetry_, 8vo., 1831, the
verses quoted by "O." are stated to have been written by some poet (not
named) in praise of Pope Clement VI. or Pius II., but of which learned
authorities do not agree. It seems the poet was afraid he might not receive
such a reward as, according to his own estimate, he deserved, and therefore
retained the power of converting his flattery into abuse, by simply giving
{78} his friends the cue to commence from the last word, and begin
backwards. The following are other verses of the same sort:--

AD JULIUM III. PONTIFICEM MAXIMUM.
"Pontifici sua sint Divino Numine tuto
Culmina, nec montes hos petat omnipotens."

AD CAROLUM V. CAESAREM.
"Caesareum tibi sit felici sidere nomen,
Carole, nec fatum sit tibi Caesareum."

W. G. S.

"O." is referred to a low and scurrilous translation, or rather imitation
of the epigrams of Martial and others, purporting to be "by the Rev. Mr.
Scott, M.A.," and published in London in 1773.

Therein the lines quoted by "O." are given, accompanied by a sorry attempt
at translation; and the epigram is attributed to

"One Cianconius, a Dominican Friar, in honour of Pope Clement the
Fourth."

A. E. B.

Leeds.

_Mother of Thomas a Becket_ (Vol. i., pp. 415. 490.).--Thierry, in the 8th
vol. of his _Histoire de la Conquete de l'Angleterre par les Normands_,
quotes as an authority for the account of the Eastern origin of the mother
of Thomas a Becket, _Vita et Processus S. Thomae Cantuariensis, seu
Quadrip