that, I am bewildered in fixing on a motive that could possibly determine him to commit the action. Oh! my dear Ducarel ! you cannot imagine how my spirits are sunk with melancholy for the loss of a companion, whose conversation was ever entertaining and improving. I loved him like a brother, and lament him as such. Pray let me hear from you by the first post, and tell me how you are, for the news of your health will greatly ease the burthen of my mind. When you see Younker, remember me affectionately to him. I sent your impression to Vere and Carters, and hope you have received it. Heavens preserve you! Direct to me at Stockport, and tell me whether you have received the impression. I am, with the highest sense of friendship, yours most affectionately, GEO. CLARKE." From JOSIAH COLEBROOKE *, Esq. “ Goop DocTOR, Budge Row, May 17, 1763. "This waits on you with many thanks for my agreeable entertainment at Lambeth. As I mentioned a doubt about the picture in the Gallery which you call Katherine, wife of Henry V. I believe if you will examine Houbraken and Vertue's Heads of Illustrious Persons,' which were published some years since by Knapton, and of whose lives our friend Dr. Birch gave an historical account, you will find that the picture in dispute is Lady Jane Seymour, wife of Henry VIII. and mother of Edward the Sixth. The dress and face seem to agree (as near as my memory will serve to retain objects remote from each other) with my print of her picture; but as you have the book in the Library, I wish you would compare this print of Lady Jane with the picture, and see if Vertue did not copy that for his print. You will excuse my being so particular on this account, as the peculiar dress of Henry the the Fifth's time would hardly be revived so soon as Henry the Eighth's; and a second print from the same picture, though under another name, would not be satisfactory to the curious; neither will it diminish the value of the picture to have it an original of that Lady, which must have been painted by Holbein, the only painter of note at that time; but as I have referred you to the authority on which I founded my objection, shall only desire you will compare the print with the picture before you have it engraved. "As to the copy of Domesday, my memorandum runs in these words: Copy of Domesday book, the gift of the Duke of Norfolk to the Society, delivered by Dr. Gale, June 8, 1681, which was given to the Library Keeper, to be safely kept and registered.' Birch's History of the Royal Society,' Pt. IV. p. 90. I am, with great respect, your humble servant, "JOSIAH COLEBROOKE." He was elected F.S. A. in 1748; and Treasurer of the Society in 1761; He was also elected F. R. S. in 1755; and died Aug. 18, 1776. See the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. II. p. 585; vol. V. p. 514. From From PHILIP CRESPIGNY*, Esq. "DEAR SIR, Southampton, Aug. 25, 1753.. "I am greatly obliged to you for your kind letter of the 21st instant. The account of the Rape we had seen in the papers, but not with those particular circumstances you mentioned. As we have been daily taken up in one party or another, I have not yet had leisure to visit Malwood Castle, nor the monument erected by Lord Delawar, in New Forest, in the place where stood the famous oak, on which glanced the arrow which killed William Rufus, nor consequently the oak which buds and withers in the same day. This party I hope I shall make before the next week is out, and I will endeavour to get you a bit of the root of that famous old oak which was a secondary cause of Rufus's death, having seen two or three pieces of it made into tobacco-stoppers. As this is of some (though of no great) antiquity, you may be pleased with it. I suppose you will find no difference in the oak of those times, and that of the present. I will take off the inscription of the monument, and design it in the best manner I can, and get all the information I can of this very memorable oak. I can (I think with good authority) inform you that near this oak, when Rufus was killed, lived a poor man with his family in a small hut, who maintained himself and family by making of charcoal. This man, when Kufus was killed, was applied to for his horse and cart, which he lent, and in which he carried Rufus's body to Winchester; and as a reward for this, he had some rods of land (to the amount of an acre or two, which lay about his hut) given to him; and what is most remarkable is, that the immediate descendant in the male line, of this charcoal man, bearing the same name, does now live in the hut, and in possession of land, and is himself a charcoal man, and that every descendant from the first of this family, to the present man, have lived in and possessed this hut and land, and they have been one and all charcoal men, have as such maintained their family, and never been richer nor poorer the one than the other. This is the certain tradition of this country, and this family is deemed the most ancient in the county; but when I am upon the spot I will make more full enquiry into this story, which I believe is true in the manner I tell it you. "As for the other budding oak, the accounts which we have had in the newspapers a little after Christinas were not (as I am informed) true. That a multitude of people went there on Christmas day is certain, but that this tree buds on that day (only) in the morning, and withers at night, is not so. This particular oak, and many others in the forest, do on Christmas day (and for a month before and after) bud in the morning, and the buds This gentleman, who died Feb. 11, 1765, was of considerable eminence in Doctors Commons, where he was King's Proctor; as was also his son, Philip Champion Crespiguy, Esq. (who resigned the office in 1783). He was M. P. for Aldborough and Sudbury in Suffolk, and died Jan. 1, 1803. See Gent. Mag. vol. LXXIII. p. 89. shut shut up in the evening; and if the bough is cut off, the buds, instead of shutting up in the evening, will wither and die. But that Christmas day is the only day that this happens is laughed at by people of sense hereabouts; but as it is credited by the low and ignorant vulgar who never go there but on Christmas day, and who see the buds in the morning, and the withering of their bough in the evening, give way to that idle superstition, as they never think of enquiring into the truth of the story, or the cause of the withering; and never think of it but on Christmas eve, and Christmas day. "We propose going on Tuesday next about three or four miles off, to visit some very fine old ruins of Netley Castle, and of an antient religious house near it, which are near this shore East of this town. I am told they are very remarkable and extensive ruins, which would afford much satisfaction, and matter of enquiry and observation to those who are judges in these sort of Antiquities. I will also make what enquiries I can about them. I was going to wish I was an antiquary, as there are in this country many curiosities to entertain one that is; but these things are quite lost upon the people here, who prefer the present times to the enquiries of what was done in the days of old: -De Gustibus non disputandum est ! "I am got undesignedly upon a subject which is out of my sphere, and on which I cannot write with that propriety which it requires; therefore will conclude with our best compliments to you and all friends at the Commons; and am, dear Sir, "Your most faithful humble servant, P. CRESPIGNY. "We all bathe in the sea daily, and drink the salt-water, which agrees exceedingly with us.' Dr. DUCAREL'S Letter of thanks to the Society of Antiquaries at Cortona, on being elected a Member thereof, 29th of August 1760. "ILLUSTRISSIMI DOMINI, "Diploma, quo me in venerabilem Societatem vestram Cortonensem cooptare dignati estis, magno cum gaudio, necnon gratissimo animo, a Dno Wilcoxo accepi. Eoque gratior quo insperatior erat Honor ille quem in me contulistis, quod benigni Consilii vestri omnino ignarus eram, donec Diploma vestrum nuperrime ad manus meas venerit. Beneficii vestri me haud indignum præstarea udebo: et venerandæ Societatis vestræ nec iners nec inutile Membrum esse conabor. Quam cito sese occasio obtulerit, per Dominum Venuti Livorniæ Præpositum Libros nonnullos vobis mittam, in Bibliotheca vestra locandos ; quod Munusculum acceptum fore Societati vestræ spero; Societati inquam Cortonensi, quæ ut in æternum vigeat floreatque ex animo vovet et exoptat "Humillimus et obsequentissimus From From Mr. DA COSTA. "SIR, Adams Court, in Broad Street, July 22, 1751. "I received the favour of your letter, and with pleasure I obey your summons. I shall therefore honour myself with waiting on you next Wednesday, about four o'clock in the afternoon, and enjoy the pleasure of your conversation, which I have always greatly esteemed. I am, &c. E. M. DA COSTA." To Mr. DA COSTA. "SIR, Doctors' Commons, Aug. 7, 1751. "I beg the favour to see you, or to have a line from you as soon as possible after the receipt of this. If you call upon me, let it be as early as you can in the morning. I have received a letter from Shrewsbury, and if you will draw up an exact Catalogue of the Fossils you want from Messina, and give it to me, you will receive it from Messina; but you must be very exact in your Catalogue. I will shew you the letter I have received when I see you, which I hope will be very soon. AND. DUCArel." "SIR, To Dr. DUCAREL. London, Aug. 9, 1751. According to the permission you gave me, I here have noted the various Fossils found at Messina, in Sicily, in order to desire you to procure them for me, from the Rev. Fryar of that place, whom your friend is settling a correspondence with; and in order to demonstrate to you that if you can acquire me the Fossils of Sicily, by the means of the said correspondence, I will on my side further it to the utmost of my power by reciprocally sending him the various English Fossils I can collect, herewith I present you a packet of English Fossils to send to the said Rev. Father, to augment his Collection. "Instructions for collecting the Fossils and other natural productions of Sicily. "In the hills, and on the beach or shore about the city of Messina, and especially at a place called La Madonna delle Gravitelle, immense numbers of Fossil Shells and curious Petrifactions of various kinds are found; also, Vertebra Glossopetræ Bufonita, &c. Fossil Echine, or Riccii Marini in pietriti, and their spines, Fossil Corals, and Coralloids very elegant, and of many kinds. These curious Fossils are found in such great abundance in the rocks, stones, &c. thereabouts, as is almost incredible, according to Agostino Scilla, a native of the place, in his work entitled, La Vana Speculazione disingannata dal Senzo.' "To get me the different kinds and varieties of the Bezoar Mingale di Sicilia, a large quantity of it will be very agreeable. This is described by Paolo Boccone, a Sicilian author, in his 'Recherches et Obs. Nats.' and in his Museo di Fisica et Esp.' "Some specimens of the different sorts of the Petroleums, or rock oils, as also of the Pece Minerale, or fossil pitch of Sicily. "A pretty large quantity of the Terra di Biara, near Palermo, in its native state, or as it is dug up out of the earth, as also of of its medical preparation called Polvere de Chiaramonte, and Polvere di Fondacaro. This is given gratis to people by the Cordeliers, called Zuccolanti, at Palermo. See Boccone, ibid. "Some of the Sul Ammoniacum croceum, found on the metallic substances thrown forth out of Mount Etna. See Boccone, ibid. And also specimens of the different metallic and mineral substances, cinders, &c. thrown from the said Volcano, and which are vulgarly called Sciare. "The Pietra Stellaria di Sicilia is mentioned by many authors, and many sorts of them are found in Sicily. I should be glad to have some specimens of the different kinds. "I should also be glad of the jaws and teeth of the following fishes, which are natives of the Sicilian sea, viz. of the fish called by the Sicilians the Pesce Vacca, the Pesce Canicola, the Pesce Stampella, and the fishes called Sarco Orata, and Dentato, all which are figured in Scilla. "A very curious kind of Echinus Ovarius with long spines, (figured by Scilla, tab. 22), is fished, though rarely, in the Sicilian sea, of which I desire a specimen. "A kind of Echinus Cordutus (figured by Scilla) is fished in immense quantities in the port of Messina, of which I desire five or six specimens. Echini of several kinds are fished at Zacca and Messina, of which I desire specimens. "Various fine shells, jaspers, and other curious stones, fuci, and other marine plants, and various curious marine productions are found on the beach at Messina. Specimens of them will be very acceptable to me. "Vermi Marini are found in great abundance on the rocks in the sea, especially at the place called II Secco del Porto de la Citta di Messina, and by the vulgar are called Vetri di Mare. "And whatever Minerals, Earths, Stones, and other Fossils of Sicily they please to send will be very acceptable. "I beg they may pack them up in the same manner I do those which I send to them, marking them No. 1, 2, 3, &c. and making a Catalogue answering to the Numbers on the specimens, in which I beg they will note where each specimen is found, what is the vulgar name given it by the inhabitants, whether it is in quantity, or scarce, and all other particulars of their Natural History they can come to the knowledge of. I am, with all esteem, Sir, your obliged humble servant, E. M. DA COSTA." London, Aug. 12, 1751. "SIR, "I wish you could recommend to your Brother, and to your Friend at Shrewsbury to collect me what Fossils they can in that neighbourhood, and in Shropshire, such as Earths, and Clays, Stones, Marbles, Minerals, Metals, &c.; also any curious figured Stones, resembling plants, shells, and other parts of animals and vegetables; and should they be able to collect any, desire them to wrap up each sample or piece in paper, and number them 1, 2, 3, &c. and to draw up a Catalogue or List numbered, answerable to the papers in which I beg they would note what it |