One day, however, I happened to meet the _contadina_ coming out of my garden with a basket on her arm; and from her shy, conscious manner, and an evident wish to avoid my seeing the contents, I rather suspected she had been making free with my peaches. To my surprise, however, I found that she was laden with the delicious _frutta-di-terra_ (sometimes so called, as the Echinus, so common along the Italian coast, is called _frutta-di-mare_); and thinking that she had been collecting them simply from regard to my fruit and vegetables, I thanked her for her kind services. But she understood me ironically, and, with a good deal of confusion, offered to carry them to the kitchen, apologising most elaborately, and assuring me that she would on no account have taken them, had not our cook told her that we despised them, and that she would no doubt be welcome. I asked her what in the world she intended to do with them? and, with a look of amazement at my question, even surpassing mine at her reply, she informed me that her brother and his wife had come to pay them a visit, and that, with my kind permission, she would thus treat them to "_una bellissima cena_." She had collected about three quarts, during a search of two hours. The large brown kind only are eaten. Among the poor they are generally esteemed a delicacy, and reputed to be marvellously nutritious. NOCAB. * * * * * SIR JOHN DAVIES, DAVIS, OR DAVYS. (Vol. iii., p. 82.) The following additional particulars of this eminent lawyer and poet may be deemed interesting. In a letter from Mr. Pary to the Rev. Josiah Mead, of the 26th November, 1626, it is stated: "Tomorrow, it is said Sergeant Richardson shall be Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and Sir John Davis nominated to the King's Bench, because he hath written a book in defence of the legality of this new Loan." In another letter of the 9th December, 1626, it is stated: "I heard last night that Sergeant Davis, who it is said looked to be Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, in place of Sir Randal Crew, was found dead in his bed." And, again, in a letter from the Rev. Josiah Mead to Sir Martin Stuteville, of the 16th Dec., 1626: "This of the death of Sir John Davis, for aught I {337} can hear, holds true. It is added, that he was at supper with my Lord Keeper that evening before I was told by him that he should be Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench; but he lived not to see the morning. My Lord of Huntingdon rode up, upon this news, for he is his heir." Ferdinando Lord Hastings, eldest son of Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, married Lucy, daughter and heiress of Sir John Davis, and in 1613 succeeded his father as Earl of Huntingdon.