wards the end of the
year, but I cannot find any allusion to it, in connexion with the
Christian festival, before the time of Herrick. You are of course aware,
that there are still in existence some five or six very curious old
carols, of as early, or even an earlier date than the fifteenth century,
in praise of the holly or the ivy, which said carols used to be sung
during the Christmas {268} festivities held by our forefathers but I can
discover no allusion even to the mistletoe for two centuries later. If
any of your readers should be familiar with any earlier allusion in
prose, but still more particularly in verse, printed or in manuscript, I
shall feel obliged by their pointing it out.

V.

_Poor Robin's Almanacks._--I am anxious to ascertain in which public or
private library is to be found the most complete collection of Poor
Robin's _Almanacks_: through the medium of your columns, I may, perhaps,
glean the desired information.

V.

_Sirloin._--When on a visit, a day or two since, to the very interesting
_ruin_ (for so it must be called) of Haughton Castle, near Blackburn,
Lancashire, I heard that the origin of this word was the following freak
of James I. in his visit to the castle; a visit, by the way, which is
said to have ruined the host, and to have been not very profitable even
to all his descendants. A magnificent loin of meat being placed on the
table before his Majesty, the King was so struck with its size and
excellence, that he drew his sword, and cried out, "By my troth, I'll
knight thee, Sir Loin!" and then and there the title was given; a title
which has been honoured, unlike other knighthoods, by a goodly
succession of illustrious heirs. Can any of your correspondents vouch
for the truth of this?

H.C.
Bowden, Manchester.

_Thomson of Esholt._--In the reign of Henry VIII. arms were granted to
Henry Thomson, of Esholt, co. York, one of that monarch's
gentlemen-at-arms at Boulogne. The grant was made by Laurence Dalton,
Norroy. The shield was--Per fesse embattled, ar. and sa., three falcons,
belted, countercharged--a _bend_ sinister. Crest: An armed arm, embowed,
holding a lance, erect. Families of the name of Thompson, bearing the
same shield, have been seated at Kilham, Scarborough, Escrick, and other
places in Yorkshire. My inquiries are,--

1. Will any of your readers by kind enough to inform me where any
mention is made of this grant, and the circumstances under which it was
mad