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II. Mr. Pope to Sir Hans Sloane. SIR, Twickenham, March 30, 1742. I AM extremely obliged to you for your intended kindnefs of furnishing my grotto with that furprizing natural curiofity, which indeed I have ardently fought fome' time. But I would much rather part with every thing of this fort which I have collected, than deprive your most copious collection of one thing that may be wanting to it. If you ean fpare it, I fhall be doubly pleafed in baving it, and in owing it to you.

The further favour vou offer me, of a review of your curiofities, deferves my acknowledgement. Could I hope that among the minerals and foffils which I have gathered, there was any thing you could like, it would be esteemed an obligation (if you have time, as the season improves) to look upon them, and to command any. I thall take the first favourable opportunity to enquire when it may be least inconvenient to wait on you, which will be a true fatisfaction to, Sir, your most obliged, and most humble fervant, A. POPE.

III. Mr. Pope to Sir Hans Sloane.

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I HAVE many true thanks to pay you for the two joints of the giant's caufeway, which 1 found yesterday at my return to Twitnam, perfectly fafe and entire. They will be a great ornament to my grotto, which confits holly of natural productions, owing nothing to the 'chiffel or polish; and which it would be much my ambition to entice you one day to look upon. I will firft wait on you at Chelfea, and embrace with great pleasure the fatisfaction, you can better than any man afford me, of fo extenfive a view of Nature, in her most curious works. I am, with all refpect, Sir, your moft obliged and moft humble fervant,

A. POPE.

IV. Mr. Anftis to Sir Hans Sloane. SIR, Herald's Office, Feb. 22, 1720-1. You will very much oblige me by the Jean of the phyfical collection of MSS. of William Wyrcefter, alias Botaner; for I fuppofe he may mention fomething of his pation Sir John Faftolf. I will fafely return the book in a few days, with many thanks. The Knights of the Garter having enjoined Te to lay before them fome notices of the yes of their predeceffors (whereof Sir John I aftolf was one whofe memory ought to be indicated from that inimitable fcoundrel's character given him by Shaktpeare),'is probable this book of Wircetire may give fome hints; for this perfon lived with that knight for forty-three years, and wrote a particular treatie, Aria Doxini Jabarats areif, which Bale tells us he had read, but I am afraid there is no copy now remaining. Rope you

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SIR, Herald's Office, Feb. 15, 1721-2. Dr. TANNER, who informed me that in one of your MSS. of phyfic there is contained fomewhat relating to the famous Sir John Fattolf, hath communicated to me fome extracts from it, by which I hope this volume may be difcovered.

De virtute olci, oliva, &c. &c. Bc. If by these notes you could readily put your hand upon this book, you would very much oblige me in a defign I am engaged in of retrieving the memoirs of the ancient Knights of the Garter, and none hath been fo much injured as that of Sir John Falftaff. I beg your pardon for this presumption, and am, with the greatest refpect, your most obedient fervant,

JOHN ANSTIS.

VI. Mr. Anftis to Sir Hans Sloane.
SIR, Herald's Office, Feb. 15, 1721-2.

I RETURN your book with many thanks. In p. 73 is the account of the fever and afthma whereof Sir John Faftolf died, after 148 days illness, at the age of eighty years. The year is omitted, but his death certainly happened on St. Leonard's day 1459, which, if you pleafe, you may add in the bottom of that page. In p. 115 is a verfe in fome glafsir window,

Virgo dicus mandi Faftolf miferere Jobanni.

I do not in the leaft doubt but the greateft part of this MS. was compiled by William of Wircettre, or Botaner, who lived with our Sir John as his fecretary, fome fay his officer of arms, for feveral years, and our writers tell us this Wirceftre was a great physician, astronomer, and antiquary. I am, with the greatest refpect, your most humble fervant,

MR. URBAN,

JOHN ANSTIS.

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A dies infolvent and inteftate, and leaves B a widow with fix children, who carries on her late husband's bufinefs for the fupport of herfelf and family, as well as for liquidating the bufband's debts. At the end of ten years, B (fill a widow) had paid off the whole of A (her late husband's) debts, and had befides realifed or faved five hundred pounds. At this time B dies, and bequeathes the whole of the five hundred pounds to F, G, and H, the

Mr Capell, the editor of Shakspeare, has promifed the public fome "Awecdotes of Sir John Faßolfe, of Cadie in Norfolk," by Lord Dacre. Thefe Letters from Mr. Anftis on that fubject may perhaps forget new fources of information to his lordship.

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Law Cafe.-Curious Notices from L'Etrange's Obfervator.

female children, to the total exclufion of the male children C, D, and E, from which cafe - rife the following queries.

Qu. 1. Had B (the widow) an abfolute right to make a will, having never adminiftered to her hufband's effects?

2. Suppofing B to have adminiftered to her husband's effects, feeing that he died inteftate and infolvent, and that the widow's fortune arole from continuing her late husband's trade on the effects left behind him, is her will good in law?

3. B, neglecting the adminiftration, is fhe not confidered in the light of a truffee, and bught not her effects to be equitably divided among the fix furviving children?

4. What fleps fhould the male branch of he family take to fet afide B's will, (already proved by the female branch)?

MR. URBAN,

TH

07. 10.

HE very agreeable author of Love "and Madness," in inveftigating the fources of Chatterton's attonithing productions, obferves, that in the Town and Country Magazine for 1769, p. 370, is a paper (which, he might have added, was fiolen literally from Dr. Goldfmith's EEE), wherein we read of Orway, that

"when he died (which he did in an ebfcure houfe near the Minories), he had about him the copy of a Tragedy, which it frems he had fold for a trifle to Bentley the kfeller. I have feen, fays the author of this article, an advertisement at the end of one of L'Eftrange's political papers, offering a reward to any one who thould bring it to his shop. What an invaluable treasure was ere irretrievably loft, by the ignorance and neglect of the age he lived in !"

As I had never before heard this anecdote of Otway, curiofity induced me to turn over the neglected leaves of L'Eftrange's 'Obfervator,' in hopes of verifying or confuting the fact; and on the 27th of November 1686, I met with the following advertisement, which was repeated on the 4th of December:

"Whereas Mr. THOMAS OTWAY, fome time before his death, made Four Acts of a Play; whoever can give notice in whofe hands the copy lies, either to Mr. Thomas Betterton, or to Mr. William Smith, at the Theatre Royal, fhall be well rewarded for his pains."

In fearching for this paragraph, Mr. Urban, I had the whimfical curiofity to minute down fuch advertisements as occurred in the whole of this eccentric publication of L'Eftrange; and your recording them (for they are not numerous, though the period of time extends from April 13, 1681, to March 9, 1686-7), may be at least an amufement, if it is of no ufe, to your many intelligent readers.

461

"April 24, 1682. Strayed or ftolen out of a Silver Antipendium of her Majesties at Somerfet-Houfe, 36 Silver Screws, and, by ArtMagique, as many Brafs Screws put in their Places. Strayed or stolen out of another Silver-Piece of Altar-work, (no Mortal knows When or Where) a great number of Bris Screws, and, by Art-Magique affo, Silver ones conveyed into their places Whoever thall give notice of the fame (in fuch manner that they may be re-converted) to R. J. in Queens-Head-Alley, R. B. or H. C. in the Old-Bayly, L. C. at the Godfreys-Head, F.S. at the Elephant and Caftle, or J. S. within a ftride of the Devil, fhall have Country-Appeals, Vox-Patrie's, Kingdoms' Right, Jett and Modeft Vindications, Black-Box Letters, Replys upon Second Returns, Bacons, Dolemans, Popith Succeffors, Sacrament Proteftations Pacquets, Courants, Impartials, Mercuries, Narratives, innumerable, for his pains."

66

April 14, 1683. Bishop Walton's famous Library will be expos'd to Sale by Auction upon the 30th day of this prefent Aprill. By Samuel Carr, at his Houfe at the King'sHead in St. Paul's Church-yard. Where Catalogues of it will be diftributed, Gratis."

"Nov. 17, 1683. The Library of Mr. John L'Loyd, together with the Hiftorical Library of Sir Thomas Raymond deceas'd, late one of the Justices of the Kings-bench, Munday the 3d of December, 1683, at the will be expos'd to Sale by way of Auction, Auction-Houfe in Ave-Mary-lane near Ludgate-street. Catalogues are given Gratis at Mr. Notts in the Pall-Mall, &c."

"Dec. 17, 1683. On Munday 1aft, his Majefty and his Royal Highnefs were pleafed to do Sir William fennens the honour to fee his new-erected Baguio in Long Acre, and very well to approve thereof."

Jan. 16, 1683-4. Whereas in a book by Me lately publifhed (called the pleasant art of Money-catching), the Author, amongst other Collections (to make his book fell the better), indifcreetly ventured to fet forth the Methods of the Penny-Poft, as it is now managed; without the Confent or Leave of the Comptroller of that Office, or confulting any of the Offices thereunto belonging. These are therefore to defire all perfons that have bought the faid Book, to look upon that part as falfe and erroneous: And for Satifaction of the Injury done to the Office, I have taken it out of all thofa that are unfold, and look upon my felf obliged by this Publick Confeffion to own my JOHN DUNTON."

Error.

"Jan. 6, 1685-6. Mr. Michael Wright, for Italy, intends to difpofe of his Collections Picture-Drawer, being upon his Departure of Paintings and Pictures, both ancient and modern. With feveral Drawings, or Designs of the most famous Italian Masters; Prints, Plaifters, and Wax-Figures; Books of Painting, Architecture, Perspective, Opticks, &c. Antick Seals, and choice Colours, as Ultra

marine,

is able. Sometimes too, with a coward's fpirit, he will attempt a joke while yet the rod is in his hand. Much indulgence, however, is due to the plea of ne

marine, Lake, &c. All which will be expos'd to Sale by Outery, or Auction, upon Munday next by Ten in the Morning, at the Houte of the late Sir Peter Lely, in the Great-Piazza, Covent-Garden: and continued every day, forenoon and afternoon, till the whole be difceflity. But for this borrow'd fting, our

pos'd of."

"Jan. 30, 1685-6. Paradifus Amissa, Poema Heroicum, quod a Joanne Miltono Anglo Anglice Scriptum in Decem Libros Digellum eft: Nunc autem a Viris quibufdam Natione eadem oriundis in Linguam Romanam tranffertur Liber Primus. Londini: Impenfis Thome Dring, ad Infigne Occe in Vico Fleetfreet dicto. 1686."

"Sept. 18, 1686. The Library of the Right Honourable Arthur Earl of Anglefey deceas'd, containing Variety of Bibles in the Oriental Languages; Fathers, Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, &c. with a large Collection of Hiltorians of all Ages and Nations; as alto Books of Coins, Defcriptions of great Houtes; and in Phyfic, Philofophy, Mathematicks, Civil, Canon, and Common Law, &c. will be expefed to Sale by Auction, the 25th day of October next, at the Black Swan over-against the South-gate of the Cathedral of St. Pauls in Pauls Church-yard. Catalogues will be diftributed at Mr. Notts in the Pall-Mall."

If you think, Mr. Urban, I have not mifapplied my leifure in thefe tranfcripts, you fhall hear further on this fubject from AN OLD CORRESPONDENT.

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IT is well underfood that fome characters are favage and tyrannical by profeflion. Shaktpeare, the unerring judge of nature, has obferved how feldom the feeled gaoler is the friend of man. Perhaps, had our great dramatic poet been educated at a public feminary, it might have fuggefted to him a remark as little flattering to another profellion, I mean that of a Schoolmafter. Long accuftomed to abfolute power, thefe birchen-fcepter'd monarchs are prompt to exercife it not only on their pupils, but on every trembling object within their reach. The ear of the priest of Moloch was not more deaf to the fhrieks of infancy; the eye of the Roman Lictor was as little offended by the bloody furrows of the Jafh. The law has providently excluded butchers from juries; and yet the occupation of our Fleet-market heroes is lefs ifgufting and cruel than that of the Bulby tribe. The butcher placidly difpatches the ox and the fheep, without an effort to give either of them pain; but it is often the ftudy of the vindictive pedagogue to inflict as fevere a torment as he

pedant's witticifm drone-like, would have been born without one.

Being lately on a vifit to an underftrapper in a collegiate fchool, I could not help obferving the grofs and arbitrary manner in which he treated even the fe makes of his own family. To one, with joco-ferious vulgarity, he would throw out hints about fix cuts and bitterly. Another he would regale with a circumftantial narrative how one of her little favourites had recently fuffered under his

morning flagellation. This account is not exaggerated. Technical allufions are current among artists of every class. Even Jack Ketch has his profeflional pleafantries. The rod and the rope are alike fertile of merriment among thofe to whom the delicacy that diftinguishes the converfation of gentlemen is unknown. We may hope indeed that a fuperior agency at fome future period will difarm thefe cloiftered Dionyfii, and compel them to feek a mode by which puerile laziness or frolick may be lefs offensively corrected. An infurreétion in one of our publick fchools is known to have happened about a year ago; and though the particulars of it were carefully concealed, it is fuppofed to have originated from a juft abhorrence of this fevere, fhameful, and indelicate punishment; a punishment too often entrusted to the moft capricious and paffionate of mankind, or to fuchs, being compounds of avarice and barbarity, occationally revenge the length of a baker's bill upon the next unlucky culprit who falls under their cenfure. - Befides, boys in the prefent age afpire early to the rights of manhood, and will no longer endure with tamenefs this humiliating treatment. The indecency of whipping youths who have reached seventeen or eighteen years of age, is too notorious to need reprefentation. Formerly indeed (as a late excellent writer of Milton's Life informs us) the brutal custom was tranfplanted from fchools to univerfities. Some of us alfo can well remember a certain divine, who afterwards becoming head of a college, was defirous that this his favourite privilege and amufement should accompany his change of fituation, that as he flogged the fcholar, he might be permitted to continue the fame operation on the junior fellow. In all probability, however, the obfcene cuftom I complain

of

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