_Durham Sword that killed the Dragon._--In the Harleian MS. No. 3783., letter 107., Cosin, in describing to Sancroft some of the ceremonies of his reception at Durham, mentions "_the sword that killed the dragon_," as a relic of antiquity introduced on the occasion. I should feel obliged, if you, or any of your antiquarian readers, could kindly refer me to some tolerably full account of the ceremony alluded to, or throw any light upon the meaning of the custom in question, the origin and history of the sword, and the tradition connected with it. J. SANSOM. Minor Queries Answered. "_At Sixes and Sevens_" (Vol. iii., p. 118.).--May not this expression bear reference to the _points_ in the card-game of piquet? G. F. G. May not this expression have arisen from the passage in Eliphaz's discourse to Job? "He shall deliver thee is _six_ troubles; yea, in _seven_ there shall no evil touch thee."--Job. v. 19. A. M. Mr. Halliwell, in his _Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words_, vol. ii. p. 724., thus explains this phrase: "The Deity is mentioned in the _Towneley Mysteries_, pp. 97. 118., as He that 'sett alle on seven,' _i. e._, set or appointed everything in seven days. A similar phrase at p. 85. is not so evident. It is explained in the Glossary, 'to set things in, to put them in order;' but it evidently implies, in some cases, an exactly opposite meaning, to set in confusion, to rush to battle, as in the following examples. '_To set the steven_, to agree upon the time and place of meeting previous to some expedition,'--_West and Cumb. Dial._ p. 390. These phrases may be connected with each other. Be this as it may, hence is certainly derived the phrase _to be at sixes and sevens_, to be in great confusion. Herod, in his anger at the wise men, says: "'Bot be they past me by, by Mahowne in heven, I shalle, and that in hy, _set alle on sex and seven_; Trow ye a kyng as I wyll suffre thaym to neven Any to have mastry bot myself fulle even.' _Towneley Mysteries_, p. 143. "'Thus he _settez on sevene_ with his sekyre knyghttez.' _Morte Arthure_, MS. Lincoln, f. 76. "'The duk swore by gret God of hevene, Wold my hors so evene, Zet wold I _set all one seven_ Ffor Myldor the swet!' _Degrevant_, 1279. "'Old Odcombs odnesse makes not thee uneven, Nor carelesly set all _at six and seven_.' Taylor's _Workes_, 1630, ii. 71." J. K. R. W. [Six and seven make the proverbially unlucky number _thirteen_, and we are inclined to believe that the allusion in this popular phrase is to this combination.] * * * * *