"The Preface you had designed for the Countermine' will be inconvenient, for the supposed author of it is admitted upon the very naming of him, where I have waited now several months, without an opportunity of access. Upon second thoughts, I have adventured so far as only to cast this addition into the title-page, The Author, J. N.' and so to let it pass without any farther trouble, which perhaps may do as well as the formality of a Preface. "Your title of grand interest I should approve, if the King had not declared himself against the word, upon my shewing him a pamphlet called 'The Grand Question.' If you think fit, I do persuade myself that The Common Interest of King and People' may do as well; but as you please*.

"Mr. Edwyn promises to bring me the revises, and I will do my best to serve you in the correction of them. The first sheet I have made bold with in two places. 1st, I have changed was for gave in the contents, it being Hobbes's own word. 2dly, I have struck out of their Es...., p. 2; you will see it in the proof which Mr. Edwyn sends you. If I transgress, it is with good meaning, and you must resolve to pardon greater faults as you have further occasion to communicate with, Sir,

"Your affectionate friend and obedient servant,

ROGER L'ESTRANGE."

Sir WILLIAM TWYSDEN to his Sont.

"ROGER, Sept. 29, 1684. "I am most extremely glad so able and so great a man as the Bishop is, hath in his thoughts the design of printing some more of those manuscripts as are obscurely buried and lost to public use in private libraries. As to those my father had an intent of publishing, before that by an apoplexy he was rendered unfit to pursue any such like undertaking. I send you in this a copy of a title-page containing the names of them, but for the manuscripts

* "The Common Interest of King and People; shewing the Original Antiquity, and Excellency of Monarchy, compared with Aristocracy and Democracy, and particularly of our English Monarchy; and that Absolute, Papal, and Presbyterian Supremacy, are utterly inconsistent with Prerogative, Property, and Liberty, 1678," 8vo.

+ Eldest son of the famous Sir Roger Twysden, who wrote the "Vindication of the Church of England," as separated from the Roman, and, with Archbishop Usher, published the "Decem Scriptores." Sir William Twysden succeeded his father as Baronet in 1672. He was elected one of the Representatives in Parliament for Kent in 1685; and in 1695 was elected both for Appleby and New Romney, but preferred Appleby. Understanding several languages, he employed his vacant hours in the noble library his father and grandfather had furnished. He died in London, Nov. 27, 1697; and was buried at East Peckham with his ancestors.

Roger Twysden, the eldest son, was born in 1666. He was a Student of Christ Church, Oxford; and died in 1686.

§ Dr. John Fell, the very learned Dean of Christ Church, and Bishop of Oxford; well-known by his numerous publications, and by his benefactions to the College over which he presided. He died in 1686.

themselves

themselves, he had no one of them of his own; he borrowed the most of those he used of Sir John Cotton, nor can I certainly tell where they are to be found. The Penitential of Theodore, I remember, my father had a transcript of it; but who lent it him, I protest, I do not know; but it was (to the best of my remembrance), though in Latin, yet written in Saxon characters, as Asserius Menevensis at the end of Walsingham's History in the London edition; but the original of that Penitential is only in Bene't College library in Cambridge. Sir Henry Spelman would, I believe, have printed it in his first tome of Councels, could he have got a copy of it easily. Spelman, Concilia, t. II. p. 154. The Life of Andelmus is, I think, in Sir John Cotton's Library, and, if I mistake not, my cousin Marsham hath one of them. Livy of Henry V. is to be found both in Sir John Cotton's and in the Library belonging to the Heralds' office, where Sir William Dugdale shewed it me, as I think: but I have so ill a memory, that I dare not be positive in any of this, though I think I am right as to the places where these are: but of the rest I can say nothing. I suppose he will hardly think it worth the pains to print Thomas Becket's Epistles (of which there is an excellent copy in the Archbishop's library at Lambeth), since they were printed from the Vatican copy at Brussels the last year.

"I wish you could some time ask my Lord of Oxford whether, besides the Chronicle of Mailrosse,' which he hath lately caused to be printed*, there be not some other History of that name which treats of times nearer us than that doth. There is a pamphlet (said to be written by Mr. Pettyt) against the Bishops' right of voting in capital cases; the title of which is, A Discourse of the Peerage and Jurisdiction of the Lords Spiritual in Parliament,' &c. He doth there, in the 20th page, cite a passage of five or six lines concerning the eleventh of Richard II. from a History of Mailrosse, and saith that it treats largely of the Parliament of that year. Whether there be any such, I a little doubt: I never heard but of this, which, it is evident by the time, is that my father intended. I know not whether you can apprehend all that I have said; for, by reading it over, I find I have not explicated myself very clearly; but you may tell my Lord as much as you can of this, and that I am very sorry I can contribute nothing to the good work he is about; however, give him that paper. I doubt not but you have long before this presented to him my services and thanks for the book he was pleased to give me, though in your letters you have not told me so.

"I am your loving father,

WILLIAM TWYSDEN."

* Pubished, by Dr. Gale, in the Scriptores Hist. Angl. 1684. It differs from the MSS. in Scotland; and is supposed to have been written by an Abbot of Dundrenan. The first part is certainly the work of an Englishman, and a continuation of Bede; the second, of a Scotchman, familiar and contemporary with the Stuarts.

Letters to and from Sir HANS SLOANE, Sir GODFREY COPLEY, Mr. KIRKE, and Sir JOHN WENTWORTH.

To Sir HANS SLOANE.

"HONOURED SIR, Cookridge, Dec. 17, 1694. Upon consideration of the queries you sent me about the nitre spring, I concluded it best to go myself to see it, though it be almost 30 miles distant from me, which I did in company of my Chemist, who is very shy of showing it, or being seen near it (he living above 12 miles from it), having some hopes of making a profit of it. As to the situation of the spring, it is on the South side of a heathy mountain, about a quarter of a mile below the summit of the hill, but no marks of any town standing near it. Indeed there is a small ruinous chapel a little below it, and some poor cottages interspersed about it, but at considerable distance. As to causes, there are none near it that I know of.

"The owners of it have made a wall about it, intending to make a bathing-place of it, supposing it proper for that use, but as to the nitre quality, I believe few know of that in it. My Chemist says, it will not evaporate ad cuticulam, but may be done ad siccitatem. He never made any experiments of it in Winter, supposing it to yield but little then, and therefore thinks it not advisable to send you any now; but he intends to make more perfect experiments of it, and promises me an account of what he does. I took up two bottles of the water (which to the eye or taste is not distinguishable from any other water); and I boiled them almost ad siccitatem, but had no success; so that I know not what to say to my artist, as I remember he said the spring was not unlike one near the head of the Po, mentioned by Du Roche at the end of the 6th volume of the Theatrum Chemicum.' In short, I shall transmit to the Royal Society all such accounts as I shall receive from the Artist, and be ready to observe their further commands as they come to hand; for, through the indisposition of my only sister, I am detained longer in the country than I expected: yet I hope soon after Christmas to have the honour to wait on you myself at Gresham College, which is a happiness very much desired by your much obliged, &c. T. KIRKE.”

TO THOMAS KIRKE, Esq. Cookridge, near Leeds. "SIR, London, Jan. 19, 1694-5. I had yours of the 7th of this month, and was very sorry to see your stay in the country is like to be longer than you expected. I obeyed your commands in acquainting the Society with what you desired; they will very gladly hear any more particulars about the nitrous spring; but very much suspect some trick about it, and therefore pray your vigilance not to suffer any imposition by any whose gain may lead them to it.

"There was last Wednesday a portable weather-glass shown the Society by one Quare, a Watchmaker. It is done in the fashion

of

of a pillar, and may be carried or shaken any way, and yet will immediately on being set perpendicular tell the weight, &c. of the incumbent air. Some discoveries are made by Lewenhoek about the circulation of the blood in cray-fish, and some queries about sturgeon. It were well to enquire in your parts about them, whether or no they are not in your rivers at some seasons. "I am your most obedient servant, HANS SLOANE*."

Sir JOHN WENTWORTH † to Mr. KIRKE.

"SIR, Bond Street, March 4, 1700. "Sir Godfrey Copley sent me yours, for which I return thanks, and have spoke to my Lady Lonsdale‡ about those Letters of Mr. Latton's, about Spirits. She saith that she hath not read any of my Lord's letters, but hath bundled them up all together, so cannot open them until she come into the country, which now will not be long before she doth. I am sure that copy of my Father's letter hath some things that I cannot answer by any shallow reason of mine, or what so thinking a gentleman as Mr. Latton can do to solve those objections; though my father, when he talks of Mahomet's dove, &c. might have found one instance in prophane writ, of the apparition of a spirit to Brutus, before the Battle of Philippi. I shall not detain you any longer, but to assure you that I am, with all imaginable esteem, Sir,

"Yours to command,

J. WENTWORTH."

TO RICHARD TOWNLEY, Esq.

SIR, Cookridge, Sept. 14, 1704. According to my promise, I send you Mr. Sharp's paper concerning Mr. Caswel's new Barroscope, which I find is partly copied from Mr. Caswel's own account of it in Phil. Trans. No. 290, for March and April 1704, in a letter to Mr. Flamstead, where the whole may be found. I desire, when you have perused it at leisure, you will please to return it to me, since Mr. Sharp did only lend me it, and expects it again. This, with my service to your brother Mr. Townley, is all from

"Your most obliged humble servant,

THOMAS KIRKE."

* This Letter, written 52 years later than the preceding one, shews the long continuance of the "ruling passion." Sir Hans Sloane died in 1752. See more of him in vol. I. p. 269; vol. II. p. 783.-In a valuable collection of "The Rawdon Papers," lately published by the Rev. Edward Berwick, are some Letters of Sir Hans Sloane to Sir Arthur Rawdon, one of his early patrons; and by whom, at Sloane's recommendation, many valuable plants were introduced at his country residence, at Moira, in Ireland.

+ Of North Emsoll, Yorkshire, created a Baronet in 1672. His first lady was Mary, eldest daughter of Thomas, the first Viscount Lonsdale. He afterwards married Elizabeth, daughter of the first Duke of Devonshire. This lady, the Dowager of John, the first Viscount Lowther, was Catherine Thynne, sister to Thomas first Viscount Weymouth; and she was the mother of Richard and Henry, the second and third Viscounts Lonsdale.

Letters

"SIR,

Letters of Sir GODFREY COPLEY*.

TO THOMAS KIRKE †, Esq.

Burrowbridge, Thurdsay Morning, July 21, 1698. "I am going now to Thirsk, where we are not without contest. We suppose the precepts will speedily be delivered; but, however, we shall have four or five days' time to turn us in, and to give you notice whose company I must beg as being a boroughman, so that this is chiefly to give you soine warning, and to know where you will be to be found. I am not yet certain till I am sure of the precepts, whether I shall stay at Thirsk or here till the Elections;-which is all at present from

"Your assured friend and servant, GODFREY COPLEY. "Mr.Arthington and Mr. Batty are both here; they give you their service, and would be glad to see you. If you can let Mr. Grover also know, and fix your time together, it may not be amiss." March 2, 1702-3.

"SIR, "I am sensible how much I am in arrear in my correspondence with all my good friends, and particularly yourself, whose favourable interpretation of such a neglect I depend upon. You desire to know what great business our friend here in town hath in hand. He may be in love; for he hath opportunity enough of seeing all the fair ones in town; but yet he intends to come down next week with me, who am to spend five or six days at Sprotborough, and no more at this time. We often remember you at Pontack's. Dr. Hooke is very crazy; much concerned for fear he should outlive his estate. He hath starved one old woman already, and I believe he will endanger himself to save six-pence for any thing he wants. "Dr. Sloane takes abundance of pains for the Society: he hath now one of, if not the finest collection of rarities in any private person's hands in Europe, by the addition of Mr. Charleton's to his own. I have laid out in prints, the best I could send for,

* Sir Godfrey Copley was a Representative in Parliament for Thirske in eight successive Parliaments, from 1695 till his death, April 8, 1709. See the first volume of these "Illustrations," p. 478.

+ This respectable gentleman was elected F. R. S. in 1693; and afterwards communicated to the Royal Society, "An Account of a Lamb being sucked by a Weather Sheep for several months after the death of the Ewe." Phil. Trans. No. XVIII. 263. He died April 24, 1706, æt. 56. His son, Thomas Kirke, gent. died in January 1709.-" Both the Mr. Kirkes were great Virtuosos in all sorts of learning, and had a fine Library, and Museum of Curiosities; all sold by auction in 1710." Thoresby.

Cyril Arthington, Esq. was elected F. R. S. in 1701. He was in the Commission of the Peace for the West Riding of the County of York; and is represented by Thoresby, in 1712, as having then lately "erected a noble hall at Arthington, near Leeds; and furnished it with water, conveyed in pipes of lead from an engine by him contrived at his mill upon the river Wharf; being an ingenious gentleman, and well seen in hydrostatics." He also erected a stately monument in Addle church for his first cousin, Henry Arthington, Esq. who died in 1681, and to whose estates be succeeded as next heir. He died without issue in 1720. From a sister of his, Dr. Cyril Jackson, the celebrated Dean of Christ Church, and Dr. William Jackson, who in 1815 died Bishop of Oxford, were lineally descended.

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