ARMS OF JOSUAH BARNES.
Sir,—I send you a description of the armorial plate, dated 1700, of Josuah Barnes, who was appointed Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge in 1695, and of whom Bentley said that he knew as much Greek as an Athenian cobbler. (1) For Greek Professor—Argent and sable, party per chevron: in first, the letters Alpha and Omega sable; in second, a grasshopper argent. On a chief gules a lion passant guardant or, impaling (2) Barnes—Argent, a lion rampant gules, crowned; in dexter chief a mullet; a chief or. The crown and mullet have no tincture marked.
The crest over a healm (an owl argent on a wreath argent and sable) and the mantelling (gules doubled argent) are those of the Greek Professor. Below is the motto—
“Hæc mihi musa dedit
Vix ea nostra voco;”
and under this—
“Josua Barnes, S. T. B. Græc. Ling. Cantab.
Prof. Reg. Eman. Coll. Soc. 1700.”
According to grant of arms to the five Regius Professors, the lion passant guardant is marked in his side with the letter G sable, and the owl has its legs, ears, and beak or.
J. Hamblin Smith.
Woodbridge, Suffolk.
PORTS AND CHESTERS.