@@ -192,9 +192,13 @@ def draw_text(self, gc, x, y, s, prop, angle, ismath):
 
         font = self._get_agg_font(prop)
         if font is None: return None
-        font.set_text(s, angle)
+        if len(s)==1 and ord(s)>127:
+
+            font.load_char(ord(s))
+        else:
+            font.set_text(s, angle)
         font.draw_glyphs_to_bitmap()
-                
+
         self._renderer.draw_text(font, int(x), int(y), gc)
 
 
 
@@ -107,6 +107,16 @@ def draw_text(self, gc, x, y, s, prop, angle, ismath=False):
         """
         Render the matplotlib.text.Text instance at x, y in window
         coords using GraphicsContext gc
+
+        **backend implementers note** When you are trying to determine
+          if you have gotten your bounding box right (which is what
+          enables the text layout/alignment to work properly), it helps to change the line in text.py
+
+                  if 0: bbox_artist(self, renderer)
+
+          to if 1, and then the actual bounding box will be blotted
+          along with your text.
+        
         """
         pass
 
 
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@ def __init__(self,
                  weight = None,
                  stretch= None,
                  size   = None,
+                 fname = None, # if this is set, it's a hardcoded filename to use
                  ):
 
 
@@ -567,12 +568,13 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.__stretch = stretch
         self.__size    = size
         self.__parent_size = fontManager.get_default_size()
-
+        self.fname = fname
+        
     def __hash__(self):
         return hash( (
             tuple(self.__family), self.__style, self.__variant,
             self.__weight, self.__stretch, self.__size,
-            self.__parent_size))
+            self.__parent_size, self.fname))
 
     def __str__(self):
         return str((self.__family, self.__style, self.__variant,
@@ -844,7 +846,11 @@ def findfont(self, prop, fontext='ttf'):
 Delete this file to have matplotlib rebuild the cache."""
 
         debug = False
-
+        if prop.fname is not None:
+            fname = prop.fname
+            verbose.report('findfont returning %s'%fname, 'debug')
+            return fname
+        
         if   fontext == 'ttf':
             fontdict = self.ttfdict
         elif fontext == 'afm':
 
@@ -98,15 +98,15 @@ def draw(self, renderer):
         Rectangle.draw(self, renderer)
 
         # position the text
-        self._set_text_position()
+        self._set_text_position(renderer)
         self._text.draw(renderer)
 
-    def _set_text_position(self):
+    def _set_text_position(self, renderer):
         """ Set text up so it draws in the right place.
 
         Currently support 'left', 'center' and 'right'
         """
-        bbox = self.get_window_extent()
+        bbox = self.get_window_extent(renderer)
         l, b, w, h = bbox.get_bounds()
 
         # draw in center vertically
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ def get_required_width(self, renderer):
         return w * (1.0 + (2.0 * self.PAD))
 
 
+    def set_text_props(self, **kwargs):
+        'update the text properties with kwargs'
+        self._text.update_properties(kwargs)
 
 class Table(Artist):
     """
@@ -239,7 +242,7 @@ def get_child_artists(self):
 
         return self._cells.values()
 
-    def get_window_extent(self, renderer=None):
+    def get_window_extent(self, renderer):
 
         boxes = [c.get_window_extent(renderer) for c in self._cells]
         return bbox_all(boxes)
@@ -396,3 +399,7 @@ def _update_positions(self, renderer):
         self._offset(ox, oy)
 
 
+    def get_celld(self):
+        'return a dict of cells in the table'
+        return self._cells
+
@@ -52,10 +52,7 @@ def __init__(self,
         self._text = text
         self._verticalalignment = verticalalignment
         self._horizontalalignment = horizontalalignment
-        self._multialignment = multialignment
-
-        
-        
+        self._multialignment = multialignment        
         self._rotation = rotation
         self._fontproperties = fontproperties
 
@@ -469,6 +466,7 @@ def update_properties(self, d):
 
     def is_math_text(self):
         if not matplotlib._havemath: return False
+        if len(self._text)<2: return False
         return ( self._text.startswith('$') and
                  self._text.endswith('$') )
 
 
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ FT2Font::clear(const Py::Tuple & args) {
   image.height  = 0;
   image.offsetx = 0;
   image.offsety = 0;
-  
+
   text  = "";
   angle = 0.0;
 
@@ -277,12 +277,16 @@ FT2Font::clear(const Py::Tuple & args) {
   for (size_t i=0; i<gms.size(); i++) {
     Py_DECREF(gms[i]);
   }
+
   glyphs.resize(0);
   gms.resize(0);
 
   return Py::Object();
 }
 
+
+
+
 char FT2Font::set_size__doc__[] = 
 "set_size(ptsize, dpi)\n"
 "\n"
@@ -516,6 +520,7 @@ FT2Font::draw_bitmap( FT_Bitmap*  bitmap,
 	  if ( i >= width || j >= height )
 	    continue;
 	  image.buffer[i + j*width] |= bitmap->buffer[q*bitmap->width + p];
+
 	}
     }
 }
@@ -614,9 +619,10 @@ char FT2Font::draw_glyphs_to_bitmap__doc__[] =
 ;
 Py::Object
 FT2Font::draw_glyphs_to_bitmap(const Py::Tuple & args) {
+
   _VERBOSE("FT2Font::draw_glyphs_to_bitmap");
   args.verify_length(0);
-  
+
   FT_BBox string_bbox = compute_string_bbox();
 
   image.width   = (string_bbox.xMax-string_bbox.xMin) / 64+2;
@@ -627,17 +633,19 @@ FT2Font::draw_glyphs_to_bitmap(const Py::Tuple & args) {
     image.offsety = -image.height;
   else
     image.offsety = (int)(-string_bbox.yMax/64.0);
-  
+
+
   size_t numBytes = image.width*image.height;
   delete [] image.buffer;
   image.buffer = new unsigned char [numBytes];
   for (size_t n=0; n<numBytes; n++) 
     image.buffer[n] = 0;
+
+
 
   for ( size_t n = 0; n < glyphs.size(); n++ )
     {
       FT_BBox bbox;
-      
       FT_Glyph_Get_CBox(glyphs[n], ft_glyph_bbox_pixels, &bbox);
 
       error = FT_Glyph_To_Bitmap(&glyphs[n],
@@ -648,17 +656,20 @@ FT2Font::draw_glyphs_to_bitmap(const Py::Tuple & args) {
 				 );
       if (error)
 	throw Py::RuntimeError("Could not convert glyph to bitmap");
-      
+
       FT_BitmapGlyph bitmap = (FT_BitmapGlyph)glyphs[n];
-      /* now, draw to our target surface (convert position) */
+      // now, draw to our target surface (convert position)
 
       //bitmap left and top in pixel, string bbox in subpixel
-      
-      draw_bitmap( &bitmap->bitmap, 
-		   bitmap->left-string_bbox.xMin/64,
-		   string_bbox.yMax/64-bitmap->top+1
-		   );
+      FT_Int x = (FT_Int)(bitmap->left-string_bbox.xMin/64.);
+      FT_Int y = (FT_Int)(string_bbox.yMax/64.-bitmap->top+1);
+      //make sure the index is non-neg
+      x = x<0?0:x;
+      y = y<0?0:y;
+
+      draw_bitmap( &bitmap->bitmap, x, y);
     }
+
   return Py::Object();
 }
 
@@ -744,8 +755,7 @@ FT2Font::get_charmap(const Py::Tuple & args) {
   Py::Dict charmap;
 
   FT_ULong code = FT_Get_First_Char(face, &index);
-  while (code != 0) {
-    //charmap[Py::Long((long) code)] = Py::Int((int) index);
+  while (index != 0) {
     charmap[Py::Int((int) index)] = Py::Long((long) code);
     code = FT_Get_Next_Char(face, code, &index);
   }