"_Vert Vert_" (No. 23. p. 366.)--It may be of some assistance to your Querist "ROBERT SNOW," in his endeavour to trace illustrations from Gresset's "Vert Vert," to know that the mark of RAUX, who is said to have painted these subjects, was composed of ten small ciphers; seven of which were placed in a circle: the other three formed a tail, o o o o thus, o o something like the Roman capital Q. This artist, o o o o between the years 1750 and 1800, was employed in the decoration of the Sevres porcelain: his usual subjects were bouquets or groups of flowers; and his mark will be found underneath the double L, interlaced, inclosing some capital letter or letters denoting the year such ware was manufactured. W.C. Jun. * * * * * "_Esquire_" _and_ "_Gentleman_."--The amusing article in No. 27., on the title of "Esquire," recalled to my memory the resolution passed by the corporation of Stratford-on-Avon, when they presented the freedom of that town to Garrick. It runs something like this:-- "Through love and regard to the memory of the immortal _Mr._ William Shakspeare, and being fully sensible of the extraordinary merits of his most judicious representative, David Garrick, _Esquire_." Had David a better right to the title than the great poet? Shakespeare, in the latter part of his life, was no doubt _Master Shakspeare_, a title so common as even to be bestowed upon the geometer of Alexandria. In Bayford's collection is preserved a Catalogue advertising "_Master_ Euclid's Elements of Plain Geometry." J.O. HALLIWELL. * * * * * _Pope Felix and Pope Gregory_.--"E.M.B." (No. 26. p. 415.) inquires who was "Pope Felix," whom AElfric called the "fifth father" of S. Gregory the Great? This is a much disputed question, and a great deal depends upon the meaning to be attached to the unsatisfactory expression "atavus," used by Pope Gregory himself, in _Evangel. Hom._ xxxviii. Sec. 15., and found also in the dialogues commonly attributed to him. (Lib. iv. cap. xvi.) Your correspondent may consult Beda, _Hist. Eccl. Gen. Anglor._, lib. ii. cap. 1., with the note by Mr. Stevenson, who supposes that Pope Felix _III._ was alluded to by his "venerable" author: This is the opinion of Bollandus (ad 25 Feb.), as well as of Cardinal Baronius; (_Annall._ ad an. 581; _et Martyrol. Rom._ die Feb. 25. Conf. De Aste, in _Martyrolog. Disceptat._, p. 96.; Beneventi, 1716); but Joannes Diaconus (_S. Greg. Vit._ lib. i. cap. i.) employs these decisive terms, "_quartus_ Felix, sedis Apostolicae Pontifex." It is of course possible to translate "atavus meus" merely "my ancestor;" and this will leave the relationship sufficiently undefined. R.G. * * * * *