In his Historiarum sui temporis libri decem (Venice, 1572), Natale Conti attempted with varying success to provide accurate renderings of English aristocratic names and titles. `Somersetus', `Nortumbrensis' and `Pembruchius' present no problems, whereas it is only by process of elimination that `Norantius Marchio' can be identified as the marquess of Northampton and a `comes Nutentonius' as the earl of Huntingdon. At a slightly lower social level, the forms `Io. atque Arris Gattes' barely disguise Sir John and Sir Henry Gates, whereas Sir Thomas Wyatt makes an unexpected appearance as `Thomas Huuiettus'.