"I have not made any remarks upon this subject; but I take it paper is much antienter than several Writers have esteemed it. I mean paper made of rags, of linen, or silk. Bartolus the lawyer died 1355; and for his tract, De Armis,' printed in the notes to Upton de mil. Officio, f. 8, and again f. 10, where it appears that, quodlibet folium chartæ habet suum signum, per quod significatur cujus ædificii est charta.' I could add probably to any history you may design about paper. "Book-binders? "I know no more of Book-binders than the Statutes mention. There may be some discoveries from the images or impressions on the outside of the covers. "Wood and copper cuts to books, who? and those who made the tools, of which the old bindings on the covers and clasps; cast or engraved? "I never made any observations upon these subjects. "Illuminators, who? &c. "I take it these are named in the Statute of Richard III. In the early printed books the initial letter was generally a small one, with a large room left for the Illuminator to make a larger letter, and to adorn or illuminate it either with colours or metals, and doubtless you have observed several of both sorts. I take it that among those who enjoy the privilege of the Universities, are Illuminators; and, as I remember, there is a report of a wise determination in Westminster Hall, concerning the interpretation of this word, recited by Judge Fortescue in his Edition of Fortescue's Domin. &c. which you will see. The word is used figuratively in our liturgy,illuminate all bishops, priests, and deacons,' though with relation to spiritual gifts. I take it in the History of the University of Paris,' there is some account of illuminators. "Grammars; if any printed by Caxton? "I know nothing of them. "French Grammar; if before John Hawkins, 1530; and the author John Palsgrave; see Antony Wood? "I know not. M 2 PED PEDIGREE of BARKER. Christopher Barker, Printer to Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth, dau. of Robert Barker, the King's Agatha, married to John Legat of London, Susanna, mar. to Clement Harby, of London. Rachel, 2nd daughter, mar. to c. 26, 8. b. 9. b. This entry was made by Christopher Barker, who attested the truth thereof, under his hand. (Signed) CHR. BARKER. c. 24. 446. a. Cage of Alice, dau. of Robert Amerie, of Chester, the relict of Tilney Couchman, of Cranbrook, in Kent. John Barker, aged This entry was made by Mathew Barker, who attested the truth hereof, under his hand. (Signed) MATH. BARKER. *This Anne was rather (as I conceive) daughter of Toby Wood, of the Minories, without Aldgate, London, and relict of Nicholas Cage of London, who died Anno 1607. She died Feb. 7, 1632. † Robert Barker, to whom King James, anno 14, granted it for thirty years, after the estates of his father Robert, and brother to Christopher. It may be probable this is the person who died in the Fleet, January 10, 1645. Letters of Mr. AMES and Mr. LEWIS. Rev. Mr. LEWIS, at Mergate. " Good Sir, Aug. 15, 1737. "I made use of this favour of our Friend, to convey the notice to you of my receiving safe your packet, by a young man, last Sunday evening, and that I have delivered the three letters into the Post office, as I suppose you intended I should, and gave to Mr. Thompson. For mine I return you thanks, and shall note the contents, of which I shall give you further notice. "I have got from the wood-cutters the two octavo pages of Caxton's paper marks, for which he charges me one guinea. I chose rather to have them cut on wood than copper, because when the books shall be printed, the press-work at the same time and place may go on, without hindrance, or further charge than the rest of the book. "My Lady Pomfret and family are out of town now, that I cannot yet have the opportunity to know whether she has any more, or other, than in your list. I shall take the first opportunity at Sir Hans's, for that Prologue you mentioned, and Wynken de Worde's head. "In looking over the priced Catalogue of Richard Smith, I found several of Caxton's books* sold: 1. The Recuyel of the Historyes of Troy 2. Book of Chess 3. History of Jason, &c. 4. Thymage of the World 5. Chronicles of England 6. Godfrey of Bologne, &c. 7. Legend of the Saints and Cathon S. The Book the Knights of the Tour made, &c. 9. Pilgrimage of the Soul 10. Chastising of God's Children sold together for 11. Rule of Saint Bennet 12. Book of Good Manners 13. Virgil Æneidos in prose 14. Vitas Patrum, dated S. d. 10622O 3 7 1474 13 0 5 1480 5 1480 13 6 1481 8 2 2 "There were some good Catalogues in the book, and some though priced, imperfect, and the Bookseller not willing to take under half a guinea for it, so I forbore buying it; but, if it had been to be had at about half a crown, I should have bought it; but the above I copied out. "A Friend lately brought me home a copy of the Sigean inscription, which I have shewn to Mr. Ward, and he to Dr. Mead; so, by comparing, it with Mr. Chishull's Dissertation and papers, they have observed a better reading by it. This list may be curious to the modern purchasers of Caxton's various and scarce publications. Perhaps by mistake for 1495. "t I believe "I believe I might engage for the same number of your Caxton's Life as Mr. Thompson; but I hope to do more, so shall, now I know your mind, endeavour it. "I shall also on the first opportunity mention your favour to Mr. Lye*, of Little Houghton in Northamptonshire; and wish for my own sake the book was wrote in English, also for that I know no man is able to express his mind so clearly as in his mother tongue. "If you have not seen the Debates relating to the Quakers' bill, and some others, I will send you them down by the next, with the box of wood cuts. You have given me a pure opportunity to laugh at Mr. Thompson's Quaker's book he talks so much of. I am, dear Sir, "Your most affectionate friend, Mr. AMEs to the Rev. JOHN LEWIS. J. AMES." "SIR, March 7, 1737. "In this bookt, printed by Caxton, may be observed a new set of types, something larger than his usual, and more upright; none coloured by red, but good initials. The first of them I have imitated for your notice; they are such as Winkyn de Worde used afterwards. You will find Caxton was but five months and a half in translating this book, and but six days in printing it. This also is a thin folio, but something thicker than the last. I had the favour of transcribing these from the very curious collection of my friend Mr. James West, to whom I showed your draft of coins found at Reculvers, and asked his opinion, with Mr. Browne Willis's, who was at his house then, whether they deserved a plate; and they both said, Yes, to be sure; as they were found at the Reculvers; for they are great admirers of English History. Mr. West, among other commendations of that study, says, that if it was but encouraged, as by some countries, that of our own might shine as bright as the Romans ever did. I am obliged to Mr. West for the present of all Mr. Hearne's impres sions of his plates, which were afterwards most of them consumed by the fire, and he had taken but twenty copies from them. There is now printing at Oxford Leland's Itinerary; and one Mr. Morell is about an edition of Chaucer's Tales, who desires of me a sight of his Boethius when you have done with it; I believe for what Caxton says of Chaucer. I should be glad to hear what is observable in Mr. Thompson's Chronicle, printed at St. Alban's; I have one of them, but not quite so perfect. I find, by comparing it with several of Caxton's books, that it is a different type and manner of printing, as you will observe yourself; as also the matter is, from Caxton's Chronicle and Polychronicle, all which I have compared, though mine are imperfect; that of Caxton's, as you had observed to me, is without the foreign affairs, but seems to be printed after that of St. Alban's. *The famous Saxonist, of whom see the Literary Anecdotes, IX. 751. + The Book of Feytes of Armes, and of Chivalrye.' ‡ Afterwards Dr. Thomas Morell the learned Greek scholar, of whom see the Literary Anecdotes, vol. IX. p. 789. "I have I have now sent eight books, five of Mr. Thompson's, and Three of my own. The letters we had sent before gave you some notice of them, but we were disappointed of sending them before, because too late for the hoys. That Prologue or Dedication to the City of London by Caxton to his Caton; if you have received it before, Mr. Thompson would beg you to return it, being mighty fond of it, and I had no time to copy it out. I beg you to excuse the method I have written down these things, being frequently interrupted, and so set them down as I had time. "I am to wait on the Archbishop of Canterbury* with Mr. Maittaire, to present one of my Inscriptions to him. I am told he is the same free gentleman he was when at Oxon, and a great lover of Greek Antiquities. I have sent you three, one of them on the large paper, such as I presented the Society with, from whom I received many thanks, after I read to them my speech by Mr. Gordon, which I will just transcribe for you, because it gives some further account of the stone; and you being so intimate with me: 'GENTLEMEN, March 2, 1737. I have presumed to dedicate the copy of a very ancient Greck Inscription to you. It was erected to the honour of CRATO, a musician, priest, and judge of the games, in the days of Eumenes, King of Pergamos, above 150 years before Christ; and now present to your acceptance a proof, in testimony of the affection I bear to this Society for the honour they did me in admitting me a Member thereof. Some of you, Gentlemen, may expect from me a further account of this marble than that I have given beneath the copy of the inscription. Please, therefore, to know that Captain Thomas Morley, near Colchester, in Essex, in the year 1732, then using the Turkey trade, brought this stone, with some others, from Segegick or Segyceque, his loading-place, between Smyrna and Ephesus, I think the ancient Teos. It was then a support to an ancient out-house belonging to a barber, of whom the captain purchased it, and with timber his man built up the house again to satisfaction. At the Captain's arrival at London, he presented it to his brother-in-law Mr. Timothy Tennant, my friend and neighbour, with whom it still remains. "Being highly pleased with such a large fine ancient inscription, I soon applied myself to draw it out, and presented it to the Honourable Sir Hans Sloane, Baronet, who put it into the hands of Mr. Maittaire, to be published, as an Appendix to the Oxford Marbles; which he did, but yet only in the letter-press; so that several gentlemen have desired me to exhibit the inscription as on the stone itself on a single sheet, that the exact form and shape of the stone and letters might be had at one view, which I have made to a scale of four inches, to twelve on the stone. 'Many observations might be made both on the form and matter; as the manner of writing only with capitals, or what we • Dr. John Potters who had before been Bishop of Oxford, now |