_Abbott Families._--Samuel Abbott, of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk, gentleman, lived about 1670. Can any of your genealogical contributors inform me if he was in any way connected with the family of Archbishop Abbott, or otherwise elucidate his parentage? It may probably be interesting to persons of the same name to be acquainted that the _pears_ worn by many of the Abbot family are merely a corruption of the ancient inkhorns of the Abbots of Northamptonshire, and impaled in Netherheyford churchyard, same county, on the tomb of Sir Walt. Mauntele, knight, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Abbot, Esq., 1487, viz. a chev. between three inkhorns. The resemblance between pears and inkhorns doubtless occasioned the error. I believe the ancient bottles of Harebottle were similarly corrupted into icicles. J. T. ABBOTT. Darlington. _Authorship of a Ballad._--In the _Manchester Guardian_ of Jan. 7, the author of a stanza, written on the execution of Thos. Syddale, is desired; as also the remainder of the ballad. From what quarter is either of these more likely to be obtained than from "N. & Q.?" P. J. F. GANTILLON. _Elias Petley._--What is known of the life or works of Elias Petley, priest, who dedicated to Archbishop Laud his translation of the English Liturgy into Greek. The book was published at the press of Thomas Cotes, for Richard Whitaker, {106} at the King's Arms, St. Paul's churchyard, in 1638. Is it remarkable for rarity or merit? J. O. B. Wicken. _Canaletto's Views round London._--Antonio Canaletto, the painter of Venice, the destruction of one of whose most powerful works has been of late the subject of so much agitation, was here amongst us in this city one hundred years since; as seen by his proposal in one of the journals of 1752: "Signior Canaletto gives notice that he has painted Chelsea College, Ranelagh House, and the River Thames; which, if any gentleman, or others, are pleased to favour him with seeing the same, he will attend at his lodgings at Mr. Viggans, in Silver Street, Golden Square, from fifteen days from this day, July 31, from 8 to 1, and from 3 to 6 at night, each day." Here is that able artist's offer in his own terms, if, not his own words. I have to inquire, are these pictures left here to the knowledge of your readers? did he, in short, find buyers as well as admirers? or, if not, did he return to Venice with those (no doubt) vividly pictured recollections of our localities under his arm? GONDOLA. _A Monster found at Maidstone._--In Kilburne's _Survey of Kent_, 4to. 1659, under "Maidstone," is the following passage: