_Stoup._--There is a holy-water stoup, in good preservation, on the _exterior_ of the north wall (by the nave door) of the church of Houghton-le-Spring, Durham. What other examples are there of _exterior_ stoups? Their usual situation was _within_ either the porch or the church. CUTHBERT BEDE. _Casper Ziegler and the Diaconate._--There is a book in Latin with the following title:--_Casparis Ziegleri de Diaconis et Diaconissis Veteris Ecclesiæ Liber Commentarius._ Wittebergæ: Sumptibus Hæredum Jobi Wilhelmi Fingelii. Anno 1678. What copies of this book are known to be extant? Would a translation of the whole, or selected parts, be useful at the present time, when attention is being called to the subject? What particulars are known about the life, religion, &c. of the author? At the foot of the frontispiece are the following lines:-- "Omnis in hoc vultu vasti compendia juris, Cæsarii, sacri, Saxonicique vides. Non Divæ unius tam multum crede laborem, Cujus vix umbram pingere possit homo." Can any one give me the meaning of the last two lines? or information as to what other authors have treated on the subject of the Diaconate? W. H. _Inscription at Persepolis._--The following curious inscription I some years ago made a note of by copying it, but neglected to mark whence I obtained it. My extract stands thus-- _Arabic Inscription._ +----------+-----------+----------+------------+---------+--------------+ | dicas | scis | dicit | scit | audit | expedit | +----------+-----------+----------+------------+---------+--------------+ | facias | potes | facit | potest | facit | credit | +----------+-----------+----------+------------+---------+--------------+ | credas | audis | credit | audit | credit | fieri potest | +----------+-----------+----------+------------+---------+--------------+ | expendas | habes | expendit | habet | petit | habet | +----------+-----------+----------+------------+---------+--------------+ | judices | vides | judicat | videt | judicat | est | +----------+-----------+----------+------------+---------+--------------+ | non | quodamque | nam qui | quodcunque | sæpe | quod non | +----------+-----------+----------+------------+---------+--------------+ It is said this was found by Captain Barth, engraven on marble, among the ruins of Persepolis, and by him translated from the Arabic into Latin and English. Query, What does it all mean? THOMAS LAWRENCE. Ashby-de-la-Zouch. "_I do not know what the truth may be._"--Will some one tell me whence the lines-- "I do not know how the truth may be; I tell the tale as told to me"? W. T. M. Hong Kong. _Twittens._--Are not the narrow passages in Brighton so called? and what is the meaning? A. C. _Clapper Gate._--Steps, with a gate above, into Bushy Park are so called; what is the meaning? A. C.