.. if you go to the age of the world in
general, and to the true length and longevity of things, we are
properly the older cosmopolites. In this respect the cadet may be
termed more ancient than his elder brother, because the world was older
when he entered into it. Nov. 2, 1647."--Howell's _Letters_, 11th
edit.: London, 1754, p.426.

Butler, in his _character_ of "An Antiquary," observes:

"He values things wrongfully upon their antiquity, forgetting that the
most modern are really the most ancient of all things in the world;
like those that reckon their pounds before their shillings and pence,
of which they are made up."--Thyer's edit., vol.ii. p. 97.

JARLTZBERG.

_Napoleon's Spelling_ (Vol. viii., p. 386).--The fact inquired after by
HENRY H. BREEN is proved by the following extract from the _Memoires_ of
Bourrienne, Napoleon's private secretary for many years:

"Je previens une fois pour toutes que dans les copies que je donnerai
des ecrits de Bonaparte, je retablirai l'orthographe, qui est en
general _si extraordinairement estropiee_ qu'il serait ridicule de les
copier exactement."--_Mem._ i. 73.

C.

_Black as a mourning Colour_ (Vol. viii., p. 411.).--Mourning habits are
said first to appear in England in the time of Edward III. Chaucer and
Froissart are the first who mention them. The former, in _Troylus and
Creseyde_, says:

"Creseyde was in widowe's habit _black_."

Again:

"My clothes everichone
Shall _blacke_ ben, in tolequyn, herte swete,
That I am as out of this world gone."

Again, in the _Knights Tale_, Palamon appeared at a funeral

"In clothes _black_ dropped all with tears."

Froissart says, the Earl of Foix clothed himself and household in _black_
on the death of his son. At the funeral of the Earl of Flanders black gowns
were worn. On the death of King John of France, the King of Cyprus wore
black. The very mention of these facts would suggest that black was not
then universally worn, but being gradually adopted for mourning.

B. H. C.

_Chanting of Jurors_ (Vol. vi., p. 315.).--No answer has yet been given to
J. F. F.'s Query on this, yet the expression "to chant" was not an unusual
one, if we may believe Lord Stratford:

"They collected a grand jury in each county, and proceeded to claim a
ratification of the rights of the crown. The gentlemen on being
empanelled informed that the case before them was irre