"Le Roy a tous ceux as queux cestes Lettres viendrount. Sachez qe come un Chivalier Fraunceys, a ceo qe nous Soums enformez, ad chalenge un nostre Liege, Johan de Kyngeston, a faire certeinez faitz et pointz darmes oveske le dit Chivalier. Nous a fyn qe le dit nostre liege soit le multz honerablement resceuz a faire puisse et perfourmir les ditz faitz et pointz d'armes _luy avons resceux en lestat de Gentile homme, et luy fait Esquier_. Et volons, qil soit conuz par armes, et porte desore enavant, Cestassavoir d'argent ove une, chapewe Dazure ovesque une plume Dostrich de goules. Et ceo a tous yeaux as queux y appertient nous notifions pu ycelles. En tesmoignance de quelle chose nous avons fait faire cestes noz lettres patentes. Done souz nostre grant Seal a nostre Paleys de Westm. le primer jour de Juyll. "Par brief de Prive Seal." H. WITHAM. _Plafery_.--In Carew's masque of _Coelum Britannicum_, acted before the court at Whitehall, the 18th of February, 1633; Momus, arriving from Olympus immediately after Mercury, says to him-- "The hosts upon the highway cry out with open mouth upon you, for supporting _plafery_ in your train; which, though, as you are the god of petty larceny, you might protect, yet you know it is directly _against the new orders_, and oppose the reformation in diameter." What is _plafery_? It is evident that the joking allusion to it was rather bold, for Mercury exclaims,-- "Peace, railer, bridle your licentious tongue, And let this presence teach you modesty." B. R. I. _St. John's Bridge Fair._--In what county in England was St. John's Bridge Fair held in the year 1614, and in what town in the county? JOSEPHUS. _Queries on Costume._--In Wilson's _Life of De Foe_ there is an anecdote of Charles II. concealing himself, when a fugitive from Worcester, beneath a lady's hoop, while his pursuers searched the house in which he had taken refuge. Were hoops worn so early as the year 1651? In the _Book of Costume_ I find no mention of them before the beginning of the eighteenth century; but I do not think this circumstance conclusive, as the "Lady of Rank" is not always very accurate. Writing in the reign of Anne, she says, "Fans were now very much used," but omits to mention that they were in fashion long before, having been indispensable to Catherine of Braganza and her ladies at home and abroad, in the church and the theatre. "Long gloves," says the Lady of Rank, "began to be worn by the ladies in this reign." (Queen Anne's). "Twelve dozen Martial,[2] whole and half," says Evelyn:--were not _whole_ Martial gloves, long? WEDSECNARF. [Footnote 2: "_Martial._--The name of a famous French perfumer, emulating the Frangipani of Rome."--_Miscellaneous Writings of John Evelyn_, pp. 705. 711. 4to. edit. 1825.]