Nicholas at Shrewsbury, which may have been intercepted on its way to the Hague. There are letters from the Earl of Essex, Viscount Mandeville, Sir Hugh Cholmeley, and others acting on behalf of the Parliament. The first of these, being denounced as a traitor, declared to the Committee for the Safety of the Kingdom that he intended to sell his head "at such a rate" that "the buyers should be no great purchasers." A series of letters from Walter Strickland at the Hague give particulars of the warlike preparations made by Queen Henrietta Maria in Holland, and of his own ineffectual attempts to restrain the despatch of soldiers, arms, and ammunition to England. Mr. H. Maxwell Lyte's report contains abstracts of these and other letters of the seventeenth century.

G. F. Luttrell, Esq.-Since the cursory examination of the muniments at Dunster Castle by the late Mr. Horwood, a small roll of parchment has been found there giving a list of the Scottish nobles and knights who were taken or slain at the battle of Homildon Hill. This will be printed at length in a supplementary report, together with abstracts of some early deeds relating to the families of Fitz-Urse and Courtenay and others. Abstracts are also given of some documents relating to the Priory of Bruton and the port of Minehead.

The Rev. T. S. Hill.-A cartulary of Blythburgh and some other documents formerly belonging to that priory are now in the possession of the Rev. T. S. Hill, Rector of Thorington They relate almost exclusively to property in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.

The Borough of Petersfield.-The records of the ancient borough of Petersfield are singularly scanty. Few charters of any importance now remain.

The Marquis of Abergavenny.-The Marquis of Abergavenny has about seven hundred letters and papers forming part of the correspondence of his great-grandfather John Robinson, an active politician who for many years had a considerable share in the management of public affairs, without ever holding any office higher than that of Secretary of the Treasury. During Lord North's administration, John Robinson was entrusted with the conduct of the most delicate negotiations, especially those relating to Parliamentary elections. For some time he was the depositary of the Prime Minister's political correspondence, and many important letters addressed to Lord North still remain among his papers. Few men were more thoroughly trusted by George III., and it was through him that the King used to pay large sums to promote the political interests of Lord North.

It was John Robinson who suggested that the King should pay the private debts of that minister. Some passages in the correspondence of George III. with Lord North, printed by Mr. Donne in 1867, have fostered the belief that the money which passed through John Robinson's hands was expended in the

direct bribery of members of Parliament. (See Sir E. May's "Constitutional History of England," and Wraxall's "Memoirs.") It is clear, however, from this correspondence and from books of accounts at Eridge Castle that the secret fund under the management of John Robinson was devoted to securing the election to Parliament of candidates who were favourable to the policy of the Government. The price of a close borough seems to have ranged between 2,000l. and 3,000l. On one occasion, an arrangement between Lord North and Lord Falmouth concerning seats in Cornwall nearly failed because the latter claimed to be paid in guineas

Throughout his career, John Robinson took an active interest in the affairs of the East India Company, and his correspondence includes long letters on Indian affairs from Warren Hastings, R. Barwell, Sir T. Rumbold, and others. There is a very instructive letter from Lord North in which he attempts to justify his change of policy with regard to the proposed recall of Warren Hastings. The war in America is of course frequently mentioned in the correspondence, and there are some important letters relating to it from General Burgoyne, William Eden, afterwards Lord Auckland, and others. A few letters only deal with the affairs of Ireland.

John Robinson was often consulted as to the appointment of ministers of the Crown. Thus in 1776, the King asked him to suggest to Lord North "any decent peer" to be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in preference to Lord Hillsborough. Several letters of the years 1779 and 1780 give particulars of the abortive negotiations for a coalition between Lord North and a section of his opponents. Others relate to the unexpected dissolution of Parliament in the autumn of the latter year. At this period, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Thurlow, wrote more than once to John Robinson complaining of his own exclusion from " that sacred circle in which the measures of Government are formed." There are many interesting and characteristic letters from the Lord Advocate, Henry Dundas, afterwards Viscount Melville. In March 1782, he wrote at great length suggesting two alternative schemes for the reconstruction of the Ministry. In one of these he inserted the name of William Pitt as a suitable Treasurer of the Navy. This was five days before the remarkable declaration of Pitt that he "never would

accept a subordinate situation." The fall of the Ministry appears to have been partly due to the despondency of Lord North himself.

Soon after Lord Shelburne's accession to office, it was arranged that he, like his predecessor, should have the benefit of John Robinson's unrivalled knowledge of the circumstances, opinions, and aspirations of the different members of Parliament, the King desiring that "every honest man" should exert himself "to counteract the activity of Mr. Fox," and "to keep him out of power." As soon as John Robinson saw that Lord North was inclined to unite with Fox for the overthrow of the Go

vernment, he wrote earnestly to dissuade him from entering into so dishonourable an alliance. The private letters addressed to him in the months of February and March 1783 give particulars of the negotiations for the formation of a new Ministry. One of his correspondents at this juncture pronounces Pitt's "notions of the purity and steadiness of political principle" to be "absolutely incompatible with the morals, manners, and "grounds of attachment of those by whose means alone the "government of this country can be carried on."

The final breach between Lord North and John Robinson did not come until after the defeat of the Coalition Ministry on the East India Bill. By that time the latter was in favour with Pitt, to whom, like the rest of the King's friends in Parliament, he thenceforth attached himself. Pitt was the third Prime Minister who was indebted to John Robinson for elaborate tables showing the state of the House of Commons. He also obtained from him some assistance with regard to a scheme for Parliamentary reform.

It is unfortunate that many of John Robinson's letters have been either destroyed or mislaid. Those that remain at Eridge Castle have been arranged in chronological order by Mr. H. Maxwell Lyte, who has prepared a calendar of them, giving in many cases the exact words of the originals. Notwithstanding its fragmentary character, this correspondence will be found to throw considerable light on many political passages in the earlier part of the reign of George III., the contributors to it being, with few exceptions, thoroughly conversant with the state of public affairs, and, in some cases, themselves the principal actors.

Lord Stafford.-The manuscripts at Cossey Hall, which were examined by the Rev. J. Stevenson at the request of the late Lord Stafford, comprise many early deeds and grants, rentals and receivers' accounts in various counties of great topographical value; some original letters to Sir Henry Jerningham on public business in the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth, with a few of later date; and some curious wills and inventories.

Stonyhurst College. In a supplemental account of the manuscripts at Stonyhurst College, the Rev. J. Stevenson has described an important collection there of original returns of Popish recusants in the county of Oxford in 1705 and 1706, and has given an abstract of the original wills of various priests of the Society of Jesus deposited in the College. These latter are very numerous, and have great biographical interest.

Sir N. W. Throckmorton, Bart.-The papers at Coughton Court, belonging to Sir N. W. Throckmorton, were described some years ago in the Third Report of Your Commissioners. Other family documents preserved at Buckland House have recently been made accessible to Mr. Stevenson. Of public interest among these is a volume of letters and papers dealing

with the plot of Titus Oates; also worthy of notice is a poetical Life of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, and a fifteenth century Missal used in Buckland church.

The Rev. C. R. Manning.-Together with records touching the parish, at whose rectory they are preserved, the manuscripts in the possession of the Reverend C. R. Manning, M.A., rector of Diss, co. Norfolk, are described by Mr. Jeaffreson as comprising (a.) a Book of Extents and Accounts of Sibton Abbey, co. Suffolk, temp. Edward II. and III.; (b.) a collection of writings (including Grants and Yearly Accounts, and Licences and Pardons under the Great Seal), relating to the College and Chantry of St. Mary of Mottingham, co. Suffolk, temp. Edward III. to temp. Henry VIII., and formerly pertaining to the Master and Chaplains of the said College and Chantry; (c.) the Testamentum and Ultima Voluntas, with certificate of Probate dated 19 October 1507, of Richard Brawnche, clk., Master of Mottingham College; and (d.) a noteworthy Register (1549 to 1657) of marriages, christenings, and burials in the parish of the destroyed church of St. Peter of Dunwich, co. Suffolk; the new initial fly-leaf of the volume exhibiting copy of the Memorandum (dated 11 March 1698, by Thomas Leman, esq., Wenhaston) of the several times at which the chancel and steeple "fell downe ye Cliffe, so yt ye sea in "9 yeares space (1688-97) gott that church which was near as long as Blyburgh.”

The Rev. W. H. Sewell.-At the vicarage of Yaxley, Suffolk, Mr. Sewell has a few original deeds of local interest, dated in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Corporation of Eye, Suffolk.-Besides Charters, Court-Books, Assembly-Books, Account-Books, Books and Files of Freemen's Admissions, and other such writings as form the bulk of every collection of municipal archives, the small collection of MSS. in the possession of the Corporation of Eye, co, Suffolk, comprises: (a.) an unusually interesting French Indenture of an agreement, dated at London on 8 February, 2 Henry IV., between Michael de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, of the one part, and Monsr William Berdewell of the other part; setting forth minutely the terms on which the said Monsr William Berdewell undertakes to serve as one of the Earl's retinue, as well in time of war as in time of peace, and as well beyond as within the seas, "ove un Esquier, "deux Vadlettes & un Garcion & cynk chivaux;" and (b.) a Municipal Chartulary (temp. Elizabeth) containing, together with copies of Testaments and Last Wills and other evidences touching the possessions of the Corporation, the transcript of a letter, dated on 11 August 1557, by the Bishop of Norwich to Cardinal Pole. Whilst the evidence, afforded by these archives that from King John's time to the present century the borough has been styled Heye alias Eye, points clearly to the origin and meaning of the term "High Suffolk" (a matter of long-standing dispute with the antiquaries of the county), it shows no less con

clusively that the boundaries of High Suffolk were in former time identical with the boundaries of the Royal Honour of Heye. But though the examination of the Eye records has settled these two questions for East Anglian archæologists, it has failed to come upon any further particulars respecting the long-lost Red Book of Eye, mentioned by Leland in the " Collectanea." Whilst he was at Eye, the inspector, Mr. Jeaffreson, took occasion to examine certain writings, touching the history and ancient usages of the Royal Honour and Borough, that were courteously offered to him for perusal by their possessor, the Reverend Thomas Lee French, M.A., rector of Thrandeston, co. Suffolk, passages from which manuscripts appear in the ensuing account of the Eye manuscripts.

County of Essex.-Though inferior in number and diversity of evidences to the other accumulations of Sessional Muniments that have come under the notice of Your Commissioners the fragmentary collection of records at the Chelmsford Shire Hall-comprising (a.) Bridge and Order Books from 1557 to 1736 A.D., (b.) an imperfect series of Sessions' Bundles from the time of Philip and Mary, (c.)) Enrolments of Deeds 23 Henry VIII. to 21 James I., (d.) Commissions of Peace temp. Charles I. and Charles II., and (e.) Hearth-Money Records 23-4 Charles II.-affords several matters of historical moment, together with a large body of writings that will be perused with interest and advantage by the antiquaries and social historians of the county. Showing that the word "spinster" was used as a designation of gentility and honour in Elizabeth's time, the numerous Elizabethan presentments of persons, for non-attendance at church or any other usual place of Common Prayer, yield testimony that, besides being employed for the description of single-women who had never married, the title was retained as an indication of their parental quality by wives and widows. For instance, "Margaretta Tirrell spinster, alias "dicta Margaretta Tirrell uxor Thome Tirrell armigeri," and "Maria domina Petre de Westhorndon, co. Essex, spinster, alias "dicta Maria domina Petre uxor Johannis Petre de Westhorndon "predict' militis," are amongst the gentlewomen presented for non-attendance at divine service in 23 Elizabeth; and a writ of 7 Elizabeth gives the name and style of "Joan Lambe widow of "London spynster." Affording a large number of particulars, for the information of students desirous of estimating the numerical strength of the Catholic recusants and other non-conformists of Essex in Elizabethan time, the writings that refer to public observance of religion comprise also the "Trewe Certificate," dated by the Bishop of London on 6 April 1605, of persons presented to him "for not cominge to Churche within the county " of Essex,"-a comprehensive and precise return from the clergy, churchwardens, and sidemen of the several parishes of the county, showing conclusively how, during the long reign of James the First's immediate precursor on the throne, the resolute and obsti