It is not so easy to account for the animals on the other cover. My conjecture is, that at least the four lower ones are meant for the emblematic figures of the four evangelists. The bird may be the eagle, the monkey the man; the dog may, on closer scrutiny, be found to look something like the ox or calf; and the lion speaks for itself. But I can attempt no explanation of the upper figures, which MR. PEACOCK says "may be horses." I should much like to see drawings of the whole, both human and animal, having a great predilection for studying such puzzles. But if the above hints prove of any service, it will gratify F. C. HUSENBETH, D.D., Compiler of the _Emblems of Saints_. _Blackguard_ (Vol. vii., p. 77. Vol. viii., p. 414.).--Many contributions towards the history of this word have appeared in the pages of "N. & Q." May I forward another instance of its being in early use, although not altogether in its modern acceptation? A copy of a medical work in my possession (a 12mo., printed in 1622, and in the original binding) has fly-leaves from some _printed_ book, as is often the case in volumes of that date. These fly-leaves seem to be part of some descriptive sketches of different classes of society, published towards the early part of the seventeenth century; and some of your readers may be able to identify the work from my description of these of sheets. No. 14. is headed "An unworthy Judge;" 16. "An unworthy Knight and Souldier;" 17. "A worthy Gentleman;" 18. "An unworthy Gentleman," &c. At p 13., No. 27., occurs "A Bawde of the Blacke Guard," with her description in about sixteen lines. She is said to be "well verst in the black art, to accommodate them of the black guard: a weesel-look't gossip she is in all places, where herr mirth is a bawdy tale," and so on. Judging from these fly-leaves, the work from which they have been taken appears to have been an octavo or small quarto. "Finis" stands on the reverse of the leaf whence my extract is copied. JAYDEE. Another instance of the use of the word _black-guard_, in the sense given to it in "N. & Q." (Vol. ii., pp. 170. 285.), is to be found in Burton's _Anatomy of Melancholy_, part i. sect. 2., "A Digression of the Nature of Spirits, bad Angels, or Devils, &c.," in a passage, part of which is given as a quotation. "Generally they far excel men in worth, as a man the meanest worme;" though some of then are "inferior to those of their own rank in worth, as the _black-guard_ of a prince's court, and to men again, as some degenerate, base, rational creatures are excelled of brute beasts." The edition of Burton I quote from is 1652. C. DE D.