"that hath no lock, but a crevice through which they cast in the gold that's bequeathed to St. Mark in legacies, whereon is engraven this proud motto: 'Quando questo scrinio S'apria, Tutto 'l Mundo tremera.' 'When this chest is opened, the whole world shall tremble.'" Is there any other account of this chest, or of its having been opened, as it was evidently reserved for some great necessity? Did not the exigencies of the state, during its decline, compel the Venetians to resort to it; if not, such a treasure could hardly escape the lynx-eyed rapacity of some one of the many spoilers to whom the unfortunate city has been subject. At p. 275. he gives an account of having read in _Suidas_, that in his time a record existed at Tiberius which was found in the Temple at Jerusalem when it was destroyed, which affirms that our Saviour was in his lifetime upon earth chosen a priest of the Temple, and registered therein as "Jesus Christ, the Son of God and of the Virgin Mary." Howell requests the opinion of Dr. Usher, Lord Primate of Ireland, on the subject. Is there any corroborative evidence that such a register existed? E. N. W. Southwark. [Footnote 2: "huge" corected from "hugh"--Transcriber.] * * * * * UNICORN. Can any of your correspondents refer me to an account of the supposed habits of this animal, which in these matter-of-fact days we must, I presume, be content to consider as fabulous? I am desirous to know from what source we derive the stories of the animosity between the lion and unicorn, and the curious way of catching the latter, which are referred to in Spenser's _Faerie Queen_, Act II. Sc. 5. 10.: "Like as a lyon, whose imperiall powre, A prowd rebellious unicorn defyes, T'avoide the rash assault and wrathful stowre Of his fiers foe, him a tree applyes, And when him ronning in full course he spyes, He slips aside; the whiles that furious beast His precious horne, sought of his enemyes, Strikes in the stocke, ne thence can be releast, But to the mighty victor yields a bounteous feast." Shakspeare also (_Julius Cæsar_, Act II. Sc. 1.) speaks of the supposed mode of entrapping them: "For he loves to hear, That unicorns may be betrayed with trees, And bears with glasses, elephants with holes, Lions with toils, and men with flatterers." The ancients were most liberal with their descriptions of fabulous animals, and the Monoceros or Unicorn was a favourite subject with them; but I am not aware whether or no the account which Spencer gives has so early an origin.