—I forget where it is, but remember something about a place held by the tenure of presenting the king with
"———— a Broad-Arrow,
When he comes to hunt upon Yarrow."
I would however suggest, that the use of an arrow-head as a government mark may have a Celtic origin; and that the so-called arrow may be the ↑ or â, the broad a of the Druids. This letter was typical of superiority either in rank and authority, intellect or holiness; and I believe stood also for king or prince.
A. C. M.
Exeter, Nov. 4. 1851.
Consecration of Bishops in Sweden (Vol. iv., p. 345.).
—E. H. A. asks whether any record exists of the consecration of Bethvid, Bishop of Strengnäs in the time of Gustavus I., King of Sweden? I cannot reply from this place with the certainty I might be able to do, if I had access to my books and papers. But I may venture to state, that the "consecration" (if by that term be meant the canonical and apostolical ordination) of Bethvidus Sermonis, in common with that of all the Lutheran Bishops of Sweden, is involved in much doubt and obscurity; the fact being, that they all derive their orders from Petrus Magni, Bishop of Westeras, who is said to have been "consecrated" bishop of that see at Rome by a cardinal in A.D. 1524, the then Pontiff having acceded to the request of Gustavus Vasa to this effect. It is, however, uncertain whether Petrus Magni ever received proper episcopal consecration, although it appears probable he did. I endeavoured at one time to ascertain the fact by reference to Rome; but though promised by my correspondent (a British Romanist resident there) that he would procure the examination of the Roll of Bishops in communion with the Holy See, and consecrated by Papal license, for the purpose of discovering whether Bishop Petrus Magni's name occurred therein or not, I never heard more of the subject. I could not help judging, that this silence on the part of my correspondent (to whom I was personally unknown), after his having replied immediately and most civilly to my first communication, was very eloquent and significant. But still the doubt remains uncleared, as to whether the Swedish episcopacy possess or not, as they maintain they do, the blessing of an apostolical and canonical succession.
G. J. R. G.
Pen-y-lau, Ruabon.