"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 irresistible, and that no doubts could exist in the minds of reasonable {503} men upon it. His majesty was, in fact, indifferent whether they found for him or no. 'And there I left them,' says Strafford, '_to chant_ together, as they call it, over their evidence.' The counties of Roscommon, Sligo, and Mayo instantly found a title for the king." This extract is from a very eloquent article on Lord Strafford in the _British Critic_, No. LXVI. p. 485. W. FRASER. Tor-Mohun. _Aldress_ (Vol. v., p. 582.).--Your correspondent COWGILL gives an instance of the use of this obsolete word in an epitaph in St. Stephen's, Norwich, and asks where else it may be met with. I have just found it in a manuscript diary, under date 1561, and also as used in the same city: "A Speech made after Mr. Mayor Mingay's Dinner. "Master Mayor of Norwich; an it please your worship you have feasted us like a kinge. God bless the Queen's grace. We have fed plentifully, and now whilom I can speak plain English, I heartily thank you Master Mayor, and so do we all. Answer, boys, answer! Your beere is pleasant and potent, and soon catches us by the caput and stops our manners, and so Huzza for the Queen's Majesty's Grace, and all her bonny brow'd dames of honour! Huzza for Master Mayor and our good dame Mayoress, the Alderman and his faire _Aldress_; there they are, God save them and all this jolly company. To all our friends round country who have a penny in their purse, and an English heart in their bodies, to keep out Spanish Dons and Papists with their faggots to burn our whiskers. Shove it about. Twirl your cup-cases, handle your jugs, and huzza for Master Mayor and his good dame!" How long is it since the ladies of our civic dignitaries relinquished the distinction here given to one of their order? What was the cup-case? CHARLES REID. Paternoster Row.