Nov. 18. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



409 



ducinw the case of Egra, in Wallenstein's Death, 

 Act III. Sc. 3., as a parallel. The word untre, 

 which he cites in the German text, seems to 

 mean that the lower half of the eagle divided 

 horizontally was the part wanting in that es- 

 cutcheon, i. e., to speak heraldically, that (not the 

 eagle dimidiated, or divided perpendicularly, but) 

 an eagle double-headed, displayed, issuant, was 

 borne on a chief (probably or) ; the chief being 

 an augmentation of the original bearing. In the 

 case of Geneva, the double-eagle is divided per- 

 pendicularly, and the left-hand half of it is affixed 

 on the right-hand side to the half of a red shield, 

 which half bears upon it a silver key. Schiller's 

 explanation is altogether jocose, and, however 

 well-befitting the drama, has nothing to do with 

 heraldry. In reality, the unmistakeable meaning 

 of the Genevese shield is that the bearer of the 

 right-hand half of the whole escutcheon is under 

 the special patronage of the German empire, 

 whose emblem, perpendicularly halved, occupies 

 the left-hand half of the whole shield. Mr. Ger- 

 TAis's communication is very valuable, as verifying 

 from actual history the evident symbolism of the 

 heraldry, viz. the original clientship of the city of 

 Geneva towards the great German empire. 



Again, the subsequent alliance, as late as 1526, 

 of Geneva with Berne and Fribourg, which he 

 mentions, explains the heraldic fact that the arms 

 of Geneva are not found quartered in the same 

 shield with those of the original Swiss Cantons, 

 but always stand separate ; which they would not 

 have done, had the state which bears them been a 

 member of the primitive confederation. 



Moreover, the destruction which Mr. Gervais 

 points out between the state (civitas or repub- 

 lique) of Geneva and the earldom of Genevois, 

 explains the real relation of the dimidiated coat of 

 arms to the gold and blue checquy one ; and his 

 statement of the merging of the last-named dig- 

 nity and territory in the earldom or dukedom of 

 Savoy, A.D. 1402, accounts for the appearance of 

 this last coat among the bearings of the modern 

 Sardinian kingdom. 



As to the treaty of 1754, let me assure Mr. 

 Geevais that I had no access to any historical 

 authority whatever on the subject, not even such 

 an elementary one as Zschokke, Histoire de la 

 Suisse. But the friend alluded to in my former 

 article, himself by descent and existing relation- 

 ship connected with Genevese families, assured me 

 expressly that the present King of Sardinia, far 

 from considering the town of Geneva as " finally 

 delivered" from his claims as Duke of Savoy, 

 makes no secret of his intention to enforce them 

 whenever actual might shall second his assumed 

 right. 



I am Mr. Gervais's debtor for the tincture 

 of the field on the dexter side of the impalement, 

 which proves to be the same as I had expected. 



Let him also permit me to draw his attention 

 to the striking illustration which this correspon- 

 dence affords of the extent to which heraldry la 

 capable of being made a guide to history. The 

 brilliant and expressive series of historical hiero- 

 glyphics which any roll of " Arms of Dominion '* 

 exhibits, well deserves the attention of those who, 

 like himself, are competent to reconcile its obvious 

 significance with the actual course of events. 



L. C. D. 



CORNISH DESCENDANTS OF THE EMPEROR OF 

 GREECE. 



(Vol. X., p. 351.) 



I perceive that some of the correspondents of 

 " N. & Q." have felt an interest in the de- 

 scendants of that illustrious family which once 

 occupied the throne of empire at Constan- 

 tinople, and which has been traced into Corn- 

 wall ; but It appears that some doubts are felt, 

 whether they are at this time to be found or not. 

 I believe I am able to throw some farther light on 

 this inquiry, and I will endeavour to do it by a 

 simple relation of facts ; but as those facts require 

 to be authenticated by a name, I will add, that 

 the name of the writer is known to the Editor, and, 

 by his usual signature in " N. & Q.," to the reader 

 also. 



It is more than thirty years ago that I chanced 

 to be a creditor to an old man for a sum which 

 amounted to more than I felt altogether willing 

 to lose ; and this circumstance brought me into 

 frequent communication with him, as well as into 

 a knowledge of his worldly circumstances and 

 claims. His name was John Cossentlne : he had 

 been a farmer, but was at this time reduced in 

 circumstances, and was no better acquainted with 

 history or literature than a very ordinary farmer 

 of small means usually is. But poor as he was, he 

 Informed me that he was the high lord of a very 

 considerable estate in his own neighbourhood, 

 which was in the parish of St. Veep ; that the 

 immediate proprietor of a wood on the estate (a 

 gentleman of extensive property) was at this time 

 engaged In cutting down the trees; that, when sold, 

 he would be entitled to a share of the money 

 which the timber might fetch; and when this 

 was the case, I should receive what was due to me. 

 On inquiry how this could possibly be, he went on 

 to Inform me, that his family, from which he was 

 lineally descended, were formerly Emperors of 

 Constantinople ; that their name was Constantine, 

 and that It had been softened into Cossentlne by 

 vulgar pronunciation. When the Turks took the 

 city, his family made their escape, and came to 

 England, bringing with them great wealth, with 

 a portion of which they bought the property of 

 which he was still the high lord ; and a large sum 



