is, however, given in the Memoir of James the Second published by Dr. Clarke: 'It seems, upon 'the King's withdrawing from London, the lords 'about town met at Guildhall to consult what was 'fit to be done. They looked upon the present 'state of affairs as an interregnum, that the govern'ment was in a manner devolved upon them, and 'were in great haste to make a present of it to 'the Prince of Orange.'* Other acts of this Assembly are then mentioned; and its proceedings are among the most interesting and important events in English history, not only from their forming a precedent in a conjuncture of affairs for which no express provision is to be found in the constitution, but from the first regular offer of the throne to the Prince of Orange having emanated from this Convention. No Record of its proceedings has, it is presumed, been hitherto known to exist; and the fact that so valuable a Document is extant, cannot be too generally stated, for it is obvious that it has high claims to the attention of historians. "Sir Thomas Miller possesses the original Minutes of this Assembly of the Peers in the handwriting of a Mr. Glyn, who acted as secretary. His appointment to that situation is also preserved; and, as it is signed by all the Lords who were present, it affords evidence of the names of the Peers who took part in the business of the Assembly, and contains a very interesting collection of autographs. "The MS. itself is a small folio, but not above fifty pages are filled. It comprises the period between the 11th and the 28th December, 1688, both days inclusive, and appears to be a perfect Record of every Act of that memorable Assembly. The indorsement on the cover merits notice: it states with singular minuteness the precise hour of James's abdication, namely, at one in the morning of the 11th of December, 1688." Sir Thomas Miller also possessed a manuscript, containing an "Account of the Earl of Rochester, Captain Kendall, and the Narrator's Journey to Salisbury with King James, Monday, Nov. 19. to Friday, Nov. 23. 1688, inclusive." In connection with this subject, it may be mob, and the arrest of Judge Jefferies, Bishop Burnet says: "The Lord Mayor was so struck with the terror of this rude populace, and with the disgrace of a man who had made all people tremble before him, that he fell into fits upon it, of which he died soon after. "To prevent the further growth of such disasters, he called a Meeting of the Privy Councillors and Peers, who met at Guildball," &c. The pronoun he must relate to the Lord Mayor, but the sentence is obscurely expressed. * Vol. ii. pp. 259, 260. ΟΡΙΝΙΟΝS OF WRITERS ON ENGLISH HISTORY, NO. 1. "Oh, do not read history, for that I know must be false." SIR ROBERT WALPOLE. Sir, I have from time to time made a few notes on our historical writers - rather I should say the conflicting opinions of critical writers on their relative value, and the dependence to be placed on them as historical guides. They are so opposite, as would in a great measure confirm the opinion of the celebrated statesman above quoted. I send, as a specimen, the opinions upon Burnet, and, should its insertion in your "NOTES AND QUERIES" be deemed advisable, I will from time to time send others which I have in my note-book. Μ. Burnet, "A good historian and an honest man."Lord Brougham. "The History of his Own Times, which Burnet left behind him, is a work of great instruction and amuse. ment..... His ignorance of parliamentary forms has led him into some errors, it would be absurd to deny, but these faults do not detract from the general usefulness of his work."- Lord John Russell. "The most partial, malicious heap of scandal and misrepresentation, that was ever collected for the laudable design of giving a false impression of persons and things to all future ages." - Lord Dartmouth: note in Dr. Routh's edition. "A rash and partial writer." *- Macaulay. "It is a piece of justice I owe to historical truth to say, that I have never tried Burnet's facts by the tests of dates and of original papers, without finding them wrong."- Sir J. Dalrymple. "Burnet had all the merits and all the faults of an ardent, impetuous, headstrong man, whose mind was honest, and whose objects were noble. Whatever he reports himself to have heard or seen, the reader may be assured he really did hear and see. But he must * [Our correspondent should have added exact references to the places where these passages are to be found. Mr. Macaulay may have written these words quoted by our correspondent, in some hasty moment, but his summary of the character of Burnet in his History of England, ii. 175. 2nd edition a very noble and well considered passage - gives a very different and far juster estimate of Burnet's character.] i 1 receive his representations and conclusions with that caution which must ever be observed when we listen to the relation of a warm and busy partizan, whatever be his natural integrity and good sense.". Smyth's Lectures on Modern History. "His history is one which the present editor (Dr. Routh) truly says will never lose its importance, but will continue to furnish materials for other historians, and to be read by those who wish to derive their knowledge of facts from the first sources of information. The accuracy of his narrative has often been attacked with vehemence, and often, it must be confessed, with success, but not so often as to overthrow the general credit of his work." - Quarterly Review. " Rarely polished, I never read so ill a style."-Swift. QUEEN ELIZABETH'S DOMESTIC ESTABLISH MENT. Your readers may be curious to see a list of the persons composing the domestic establishment (as it may be called) of Queen Elizabeth in the middle of her reign, and an account of the sums of money severally allowed to them out of the privy purse of the sovereign. The payments will seem remarkably small, even allowing for the great difference in the value of money then and now. What that difference may be, I am not prepared to say; and I will venture here to put it as a "Query," to be answered by some competent person who may read this "Note." I have seen it stated, by more than one writer, that the difference in the value of money at the end of Elizabeth's reign was at least five times, i. e. that one pound then would go as far as five pounds now; but I am not aware of the data upon which the calculation was made. I apprehend, besides, that the difference was greater in 1582, to which what follows applies, than afterwards, and I should be glad to have the matter cleared up. The subsequent account is endorsed in the handwriting of Lord Burghley, Lord Treasurer, in these words:- "1582. The payment of the Ladies of the Privy Chamber;" but it applies also to the gentlemen. Wages paid to the Privy Chamber by the Year. The Lady Cobham, by the year Mrs. Blanch Apprye* Gentlewomen of the Privy Chamber: Bridget Cave £ s. d. 2000 33 6 8 33 6 8 The above 673l. 6s. 8d. was the whole sum borne in mind that these persons were allowed paid out of the privy purse; but it is to be diet and lodging in Court, so that, after all, the payments were not quite as insignificant may have been the case with the ladies, it as they may at first seem. Whatever, also, is certain that the gentlemen had other sources of emolument derived from the Crown, such as monopolies, valuable grants of royal domains, leases of customs, &c., which altogether made up an ample income. Sir Christopher Hatton, for instance, could not have built Holdenby out of his 50l. a year as Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. ANTIQUARIUS. EXTRACTS FROM PARISH REGISTERS OF EAST Sir,-In my commonplace book I find the following notes, being extracts from the ancient Registers of East Peckham Church, Kent, which have never (I believe) been published, and which may perhaps be of service to the historian or antiquary. * The names are spelt precisely as they stand in the 1637. This yeare was the Communion-table rayled in document itself. by the appointment of Dr Ryves, Dean of Shor ham Deanery, and Chancellor to the most Reverend Father in God, William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, who commanded this uniformity to be general throughout the kingdom. 1638. This time of Lent being to be kept holy by fasting and abstinence from flesh, notwithstanding Sir Roger Twisden, Knt and Baronett and Dame Isabella his wife, being both very sick and weake, in my judgement and opinion [are] to be tolerated for the eating of flesh. FRANCISC. WORRALL, Vicar. A similar entry occurs for the three following years. 1648. Upon the third of June the following Infants all born in the parish of Brenchley were tized in this parish Church, by an order granted from Sir John Sedley, Knight and Baronett, Sir John Rayney, and Sir Isaac Sedley, Knights: "Whereas complaints have often been made unto us by many of the principal inhabitants of the Parish of Brenchley, that they having desired Mr. Gilbert, minister of the said Parish, to baptize their children, and according to the Directorie offered to present them before the Congregation, he hath neglected or refused so to do; whereby divers infants remain unbaptized, some of them above a year old, expressly contrary to the said Directorie. "We do therefore order that the parents of such children do bring them unto the Parish Church of East Peckham, where we desire that Mr Topping, minister of the said Parish, would baptize them according to the sayd Directorie, they acquainting him with the day they intend to bring them beforehand. "Dated ye 25th of May 1648. of the Medici of Florence. They bore pills on their shield, (and those pills, as usual then, were gilded,) in allusion to the professional origin from whence they had derived the name of Medici; and their agents in England and other countries put that armorial bearing over their doors as their sign, and the reputation of that house induced others to put up the same sign. H. W. THE LIONS IN THE TOWER. Mr. Editor, Some one of your readers may be interested in knowing that there was a royal menagerie in the Tower of London in the reign of Edward III. In the Issue Roll of the forty-fourth year of his reign, 1370, there are five entries of payments made to "William de Garderobe, keeper of the king's lions and leopards" there, at the rate of 6d. a day for his wages, and 6d. a day for each beast. pp. 25. 216. 298. 388. 429. The number of "beasts" varied from four to seven. Two young lions are specially mentioned; and "a lion lately sent by the Lord the Prince from Gascony to England to the Lord the King." Φ. [Our correspondent's NOTE is an addition to what Bayley has given us on this subject; who tells us, however, that as early as 1252, Henry III. sent to the Tower a white bear, which had been brought to him as a present from Norway, when the Sheriffs of London were commanded to pay four pence every day for its maintenance.] NOTES ON AUTHORS AND BOOKS, NO. 1. A lover of literature, and aspiring to promote its extension and improvement, I sometimes form projects for the adoption of others sensible, be it also said, of the extent of my own engagements with certain learned societies. One of these projects has been a tabular view of the literary biography of the British Islands. In the midst of my reflections on | the plans of Blair, Priestley, Playfair, Oberlin, Tytler, Jarry de Mancy, &c. I received a specimen of a Bibliographie biographique, by Edouard-Marie Oettinger, now in the press at Leipzic. As books multiply, the inexpediency of attempting general bibliography becomes more and more apparent. Meritorious as are the works of Brunet and Ebert, and useful as they may be to collectors, they are inadequate to the wants of men of letters. Henceforth, formerly in Westminster Hall, and engraved the bibliographer who aims at completeness by Peter Mazell for Pennant's London, in and accuracy must restrict himself to one class of books. BUSTS OF CHARLES I. AND JAMES I. ANCIENT TAPESTRY. 1. Where is now the bust of Charles I., which engraving the bust is attributed to Bernini, though Vertue thought differently? (See Dallaway's Walpole, 1826, ii. 109.) ! E P Mr. Editor, - I congratulate you on your happy motto, but will you give your readers the results of your own experience and practice, and tell them the simplest mode of making Notes, and, when made, how to arrange them so as to find them when required? I have been in the habit of using slips of paper the blank turn-overs of old-fashioned letters before note paper came into fashion and arranging in subjects as well as I could; but many a note so made has often caused me a long hour's looking after: this ought not so to be; pigeon-holes or portfolios, numbered or lettered, seem to be indispensable. Has any reader a Note whereby to tell who are the present representatives of Greenes of "Green's Norton?" or who was "Richard Greene, Apothecary," who was living 1770, and bore the arms of that family? H. T. E. [Our answer to our correspondent's first Query is, send your Notes to us, who will print and index them. - ED.] 2. Also, where is the correspondent bust of James L., formerly at Whitehall, of which there is an engraving by N. Smith? 3. What has become of the tapestry of the reign of Henry VI. which formerly adorned the Painted Chamber in the ancient Palace of Westminster? It appears that it remained in one of the lower apartments from the time when it was taken down in 1800 until the year 1810; that it was then sold to Charles Yarnold, Esq., of Great Helen's, Bishopsgate Street, for 10l. After his death in 1825, in the auction of his collection at Southgate's (June 11. that year, lot 238), it was sold as "Seven Pieces representing the siege of Troy," for 71. to Mr. Matheman. Who was Mr. Matheman? and what has now become of his acquisition? Another piece of tapestry in Mr. Yarnold's possession, but it may be presumed in far better condition, was bought by Mr. Teschmaker, his executor, for 63l. This was described as "The Plantagenet Tapestry, in fine preservation, containing 23 full-sized portraits of the different branches of the Houses of York and Lancaster: among the most prominent are Margaret of Anjou; Cicely Duchess of York; the Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard III.; Edward of Lancaster; Henry VI.; Earl of March, son of Richard (Duke of York and) afterwards Edward IV.; Henry VII.; Clarence [?] Duke of York," &c. This description raises one's curiosity greatly, and query, has this tapestry been elsewhere described? At the meeting of the Archæological Association at Warwick in 1847, it was supposed to have come from St. Mary's Hall, Coventry; but that idea seems to have arisen merely from its similarity of design to the tapestry which is now there. ORIGIN OF EPITHET "FACTOTUM," Ν. Sir, - The following expression in Cavendish's Life of Wolsey, p. 42. — "He was of information worth preserving), the late The following Lots are among the specimens of the rarities contained in this portion of Mr. Rodd's curious stock : 189 ACTS OF PARLIAMENT, Orders, Declarations, Pro- Mr. Editor, In the parish church in which I officiate are preserved four ancient and curious alms-basins, of latten; they appear to be of Flemish workmanship, and, from inventories of the church goods, made at different times, we may gather that they were given for their present use during the seventeenth century. They represent: - 1. The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian; 2. The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin; 3. The Tempt- 194. ation in Eden; and 4. The Spies bearing the grapes. Around each of these subjects is a legend in foreign characters, "DER. INFRID. GEHWART." I have submitted this inscription to antiquaries and German scholars in vain; it still remains a puzzle. It has been suggested that it may have been only an arbitrary mark of the maker. Is this probable? If not, will you, or one of your readers, give the interpretation to CLERICUS? Nov. 8. 1849. [We have much pleasure in inserting the foregoing QUERY, and trust that many of our correspondents will follow the example of Clericus, by furnishing us with copies of the inscriptions on any ancient church plate in their possession, or which may come under their notice. A comparison of examples will often serve to remove such difficulties as the present, which perhaps may be read DERIN FRID GEHWART, "Therein Peace approved;" Gewâren being used in the sense of Bewähren, authority for which may be found in Wackernagel.] NOTES OF BOOK SALES- CATALOGUES, ETC. It is our purpose from time to time to call the attention of our book-buying friends to the approaching sales of any collections which may seem to us to deserve their attention : and to any catalogues which may reach us containing books of great rarity or curiosity. Had we entertained no such intention we should have shown our respect for the memory of that intelligent, obliging, and honourable member of the bookselling profession (to whom a literary man rarely addressed a QUERY, without receiving in reply a NOTE 380 BY WILLIAM CAXTON, curious wood engravings black letter, VERY RARE, imperfect, old russia EMPRYNTED BY RICHARD PYNSON (NO DATE) This edition is altogether unknown and undescribed. The present copy commences with signature C 1, and extends to sig. S (v) in sixes, on the reverse of which is the above colophon, with Pynson's device underneath. It wants sheets A and B, and E (iiii). Cellii (E.) Eques Auratus Anglo-Wirtembergi- 475 CHRISTINE OF PISA. THE FAYT OF ARMES AND OF black letter, one leaf inlaid and three or four beautifully fac-similed, otherwise a fine and perfect copy, russia extra, gilt leaves, by C. Lewis WESTMESTRE, PER CAXTON, MCCCCLXXXIX This work consists of 139 leaves, exclusive of the table, occupying two leaves. The colophon of the Printer is one of great interest, filling the two last pages. It thus commences: -"Thur "endeth this boke, whiche xpyne of pyse made "and drewe out of the boke named Vegecius de "re militari and out of tharbre of bataylles, "wyth many other thynges sett in to the same requisite to werre and batailles, which boke beyng in Frenshe was delyvered to me Willm "Caxton by the most crysten kinge and se"doubted prynce, my naturel and souvrayn J |