If H. H. H. V. desires to know more of Coverdale, he can find all that late researches have been able to discover in the first volume of Mr C. Anderson's Annals of the English Bible, and in the biographical notice of Coverdale prefixed to the Parker Society's edition of his Remains, by the Rev. G. Pearson. But when that gentleman describes Coverdale's portion of Matthew's Bible, and says that the book of Jonah is of Tyndale's version, he has made a mistake. Perhaps I may be allowed to say, that the question, whether Tyndale put forth any version of Jonah, is adhuc sub judice. At any rate, I can say, from collation, that the Jonah in Matthew's Bible is identical with that which Coverdale put forth in his own version.

The account of our early versions in Macknight's Introduction to the Epistles is very erroneous; and that prefixed to D'Oyley and Mant's Bible, published by the Christian Knowledge Society, is far from being correct.

HENRY WALTER.

SERJEANTS' RINGS AND MOTTOES.
(Vol. v., pp. 59. 92.)

For much curious information upon these subjects, I would refer your correspondents to a rather scarce and privately printed tract or volume, entitled Observations touching the Antiquity and Dignity of Serjeant-at-Law, 1765. I am not sure that it was not subsequently reprinted and published. The author was Mr. Serjeant Wynne. He says:

"The first introduction of rings themselves on this occasion (of making serjeants) is as doubtful as that of mottoes. They are taken notice of by Fortescue in the time of Hen. VI., and in the several regulations for general calls in Hen. VIII. and Queen Elizabeth's time. The antiquity of them, therefore, though not to be strictly ascertained, yet being thus far indisputable, makes Sir H. Spelman's account rather extraordinary (see Gloss. tit. Serv. ad Legem); but whatever is the antiquity of these rings, that of mottoes seems to fall short of them at least a century. That in the 19 & 20 Eliz. (1576-77) may perhaps be the first; because, till that time, they are nowhere mentioned.

"When Dugdale speaks (p. 136.) of the posies 'that were usual,' he must be understood to speak of the usage of his own time."

The motto which Serj. Wynne notices as of the earliest occurrence in 19 & 20 Eliz., was Lex regis præsidium. The earliest of subsequent date appear to be as follow:

13 Car. II. Adest Carolus Magnus.

2 Jac. II. Deus, rex, lex, (at the call of Christopher Milton, the poet's brother, John Powell, and others).