the Bishops of Lincoln have a convenient old house for their summer residence. It is about 16 miles nearer London than Peterborough, where the old man holds out obstinately, and seems in no disposition to yield; and if our friend desire a Bishoprick (which a friend of yours and his was very far from desiring), it is a misfortune upon him, as Dean † of that Church, to t be, in effect and in common opinion, nailed down to that Bishoprick, so as not to be thought of for any other.

"I hope you live there as much to your own satisfaction as I hear from all hands that your being there is to the satisfaction of all our merchants. But I confess I should be greatly pleased if some more desirable views might call you back hither for the service of your country at home, without detriment to your own affairs; finding it more and more certain, as years grow upon me, that old friendships are by far the most agreeable to old age. "The Whigs here are now confessedly divided, as your Excellency will conclude from our public news, which of late have been full of removes; and, indeed, all things considered, I cannot see how the King could avoid it, when so many about him had taken it in their heads to act upon this principle-that, unless he would keep two or three men whom they liked and he disliked, they could not serve him. If Princes once yield to that way of thinking and acting, they lay a foundation of uneasiness during life; and the King has probably laid a good foundation to himself of ease and quiet, by showing that he will not be so used; that is, that he will be King.

"While the Parliament was sitting, it was generally supposed that the present Ministry would strengthen themselves by inviting some of the more moderate Tories to join them; but there is as yet no appearance of any measures but what are nearly Whig; and it is to be hoped that many of the disgusted Whigs, when they see the King's steadiness and resolution, will come in again, and enable his Majesty to go on in the way he desires, without driving him to the necessity of a mixture, which, according to my poor skill in politicks, can end in nothing but confusion, while one part of the Ministry is daily labouring to undermine the other, and both equally neglect the business of the Nation. But I ask your pardon for sallying into these subjects, which are so much better understood by your Excellency, than, Sir,

"Your most affectionate servant,

EDM. LINCOLN."

George I. by whom he was made Plenipotentiary at the same Court; and was appointed Governor of Barbadoes in 1721. He served in several Parliaments for the Borough of Newton in the Isle of Wight; and died unmarried, in March 1739-40.

* Dr. Richard Cumberland obtained the Bishoprick of Peterborough in 1691; and died Oct. 9, 1718, in his 85th year.

+ Dr. White Kennett, at that time Dean of Peterborough and Archdeacon of Huntingdon, succeeded Dr. Cumberland as Bishop of Peterborough in 1718; and held that See till 1728.

DR.

Rev. JOHN LAUGHTON* to the Rev. Dr. NALSON.

"HONOURED SIR,

Cambridge, August 2, 1681.

"I must confess that, at the sight of your last kind and most obliging Letter, I could not but blush, and be heartily ashamed having so long ago raised your expectations by promising to give assistance to your work, so beneficial to the publick, which you have so generously undertaken. I am extremely sensible that all that I could contribute towards it is so little, that it ought to have been done sooner, or more fully performed; for I find after all (to my great trouble and regret) that I must of necessity have recourse to that shift of making apologies, or begging of your pardon, since what I now send you (so late) will, I fear, amount to little less than a disappointment. It would be too tedious, and (if it were not now very necessary to excuse such negligence as well as I can) it would be also impertinent, to tell you how often, whilst I was at work, I have been unseasonably diverted from it, partly by some unhappy private affairs, which concern me together with my relations, which are yet depending; partly by exercise, and the duty of the place I hold in the College, the labour whereof is hugely increased upon me of late, having had our whole Library to set in order, and to make new Catalogues for it, since the vast addition of books that hath been made to it by receiving Dr. Duport's great Library into it, which put all into such confusion, that I was daily called upon by our Master and Fellows to get this work dispatched, which hath taken me up more time than it is possible for you to imagine : neither can I yet get rid of it, nor of a multiplicity of other business which at the same time presses me, whereby my thoughts at present are very much encumbered and oppressed. However, in the mean time, I did well remember my promise to you, and was very solicitous how I might (at least in part) discharge it. I have several times to the end read over Mr. Rushworth's one volume, and thereupon had resolved to proceed in this method to detect the malice and partiality of his Collections.

"Considering with myself what the whole draft and design of his writing might be, it seemed very plain and apparent to me, that it was no other in general than to vindicate the Rebel Long Parliament; but more particularly to gather up such materials as might somewhat justify, or give some colour to, all the lies and calumnies contained in that accursed Declaration of Feb. 11, 1647, wherein they express their grounds and reasons of their resolutions to make no further address to the King. His Master, Fairfax, by bringing up his Army to London to terrify both City and Parliament, had the greatest hand in contriving those traiterous votes, and getting them to pass the house, which was the first more immediate step towards the murder of the King. I doubt not but Rushworth's intention was, to palliate that hor

Fellow and Librarian of Trinity College, Cambridge; where he took the degree of B. A. in 1668; and proceeded M. A. in 1672. + Of whom see before, p. 68. VOL. IV.

G

rid

rid villainy, so far as he himself and his Master were concerned in it, by falsely representing, and endeavouring to blacken him. That Declaration contains all the venom that was in Bradshaw's speech at his trial, and in all the pestilent libels after his martyrdom. In the relating of all these matters and transactions which are the subject of that Declaration and charge against his Majesty, it was my design to shew Rushworth's fraud in perverting and concealing the truth, to which end I have transcribed what several have writ in defence of his Majesty as to those particulars, and in confutation to the Declaration. There are several Apologies for his Majesty, printed 1648; and a book, said to be written by Bishop Bramhall, intituled, Elxan axxasos,' in answer to Milton's Elxovoλasns;' out of which, if Rushworth had been an honest man, he might have given a more true and advantageous account of the treaty with Spain, and the business of Rochelle, and the death of King James, the designs of the German horse, loans, &c.; it being not the part of a faithful Historian merely to record such matters of fact as may admit of a sinister interpretation, without relating all the circumstances, which might easily vindicate the persons therein concerned from being misunderstood or calumniated; but, on the other side, how industriously doth he conceal many things ill said or done by the Republicans! He gives not the least intimation how King Charles the Martyr was deserted and betrayed by the first Parliament he called; he being engaged in a war with Spain, instead of assisting him therein, and for the recovery of the Palatinate, they will do nothing till all such things as they then accounted grievances were redressed. The persons who had then a design to perplex him, and disappoint his Majesty's affairs, are well decyphered by Dr. Heylin in his Life of Bishop Laud, and others; also the private cabals that were held by the factious party, concerning which you may find a letter of Sir Anthony Ashley's in the Cabala of Letters,' edit. folio, p. 2. In the same Cabala, printed in folio, p. 277, there is a large letter to the King ab Ignoto, giving a true character of the malcontents of several sorts and parties; which letter Mr. Rushworth, as his manner is, corrupts by giving only an epitome of it, quite disguising the sense, and leaving out the names of those persons therein justly censured; and this he doth generally in his Parliamentary debates, as it will appear by comparing the imperfect copy which I have herewith sent you (hoping it may be of some use to you) with his relation and account of the transactions of that Parliament which was assembled March 17, 1627. You may observe that all those speeches which express any loyalty, and do but acknowledge his Majesty's power and prerogative, &c. are most of them condemned and suppressed by him, as impertinent indeed to his design; he curtails some of them, and contracts others, the reason whereof may soon be discerned upon perusal; as for instance, pp. 68, 69, 71 of the MSS. there are several speeches of the King's Solicitor, and Sir Edward Cook's answer to them, omitted; they should

be

be inserted in Rushworth p. 509. It is evident why they are left out; he would not let such a blur remain upon the name of Cook, as to have been of one opinion when he was a Judge and in favour at Court, and of another when a Patriot and disgusted. Cook's true character you may read in the before-mentioned Cabala, writ to himself by the Lord Bacon, p. 88. But that letter which I before-mentioned, Cabala, p. 277, gives so true a representation of the state of affairs at that time, that methinks it would not be amiss to re-print it with some comment and annotations upon it, towards which a book intituled 'Dulces Coquinariæ, or an Answer to the virulent slanders of Weldon, called, The Court and Character of King James,' together with Dr. Heylin's remarks upon Fuller's, Saunderson's, and Hamond L'Estrange's Histories, would sufficiently furnish out materials; but, above all, I cannot but recommend Salmonet's Histoire des troubles de la Grand Bretagne,' who, above all that I have yet read, gives the clearest and most exact account of our affairs from the year 1633, to the end of the Rebellion, till 1649; à Paris, 1661, folio.

Amongst other libels, which, after the dissolution of the Parliament, March 10, 1629, were both contrived and dispersed by the Republicans, there was one called, A Proposition for his Majesty's service, to bridle the impertinency of Parliaments,' &c.; which Mr. Rushworth publishes in the Appendix, p. 12, to have it believed a real design, then formed, and to be put in practice; otherwise, why did he not print it together with the Attorney's information, as it is in the pamphlet I have sent you. I had intended to add some few remarks upon certain passages where Mr. Rushworth uses his common artifice of concealment; but really, Sir, I am just now called upon, and interrupted by some that have business with me, in like manner as I was the last Friday by some strangers that came to town; otherwise I had not failed of my word to our common good friend Dr. Watson, to whom I made a promise, and had resolved to send to you then; for which, and all other defailance, I most earnestly and passionately beg your pardon, giving you, with all possible assurance, that I am, and ever shall be hereafter when I shall have time at my disposal, your most affectionate and obliged friend to serve you, JOHN LAUGHTON."

« SIR,

Sir ROGER L'ESTRANGE to

Feb. 8, 1692-3. "In pursuance of your order, I waited upon Dr. Nalson, shewed him your letter, and discoursed him upon it. He seems not willing to advise upon any such form of retractation as you propounded, or to receive any directions in what manner or form to insert it; but he does at the same time declare, that he will do what may become a gentleman and an honest man, and more, perhaps, than you expect from him. I reasoned the matter with him as far as became me; and, according to my duty, take the freedom to render you this account of the business. Sir, I am "Your most faithful and obedient servant, ROGER L'ESTRANGE."

Rev. WHITE KENNETT * to Mr. ANDREW ALLAM †, Vice Provost of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. "WORTHY SIR, School, Bicester, Feb. 28, 169.. "I humbly thank you for this day's letter. I intend to visit you on Thursday next afternoon, and stay with you one night. Nic. Cose sent me over a letter to-day from Mr. Innes, a London Divine, who gave my Ordination title, wherein he proposes to me a school within four miles of London, at 40l. per annum; but the circumstances are a little obscurely delivered. My mention of this to Mr. Blackwell has occasioned a discourse, which I shall mention to none but you, and that not by letter. I am again for Stratton Audly on Sunday. Mr. Osborn is very fair toward recovery. Mr. Woodward of that town is dangerously sick. WHITE KENNETT."

In haste, your humble servant,

T. WRIGHT, Esq. to "his Friend Mr. [PETER] Le Neve, at his Chambers, in the Heralds' Office, London. "SIR, Ewston Hall, Sept. 29, 1696. "I have herewith sent you a Catalogue of Sir Simon D'Ewes's MSS. with free liberty for you to insert as many of them in the Catalogue that is to be published as you please (which it may be will not be above a third, or possibly a fourth part thereof); and if you will befriend Sir Simon so far as to help him to complete his copy of Domesday for his own county (upon reasonable terms), I do not question but I shall prevail with him to lend you any books he has that will be serviceable to your undertaking; it may be will contribute more to your design than any one Library in England can do, because Norfolk is one of the Counties old Sir Simon designed to give an account of the Antiquities of, and made his observations accordingly. I should have been very glad to have seen your designed method, if it could easily have been communicated to, Sir, "Your very affectionate humble servant,

T. WRIGHT."

SIR HANS SLOANE‡ to Mr. EMANUEL MENDEZ DACOSTA.

May 21, 1747.

"SIR, "I was much obliged to you yesterday for the sight of those very curious Fossils that came from Derbyshire, which you left here, and which I now send you back by a trusty servant of my own. I at the same time let you know that on Wednesday next, at ten o'clock in the morning, I shall be glad to see you with your friend; and the fossil resembling a vertebra; and to entertain you without interruption with the sight of any thing in the power of your very humble servant, HANS SLOANE."

Afterwards Bishop of Peterborough. See before, p. 80.

+ M. A. 1677. He had been Kennett's College Tutor. This Letter, intended to have been inserted in p. 73, is of little consequence, except to exemplify the remark in the first note in that page.

Dr.