properly belong to the Office of Arms, his Grace was pleased to desire Sir Robert Redding and Mr. Evelyn to peruse the said Catalogue, and to judge what books therein mentioned were proper for their use, and to moderate in this affair.

"The Society did thereupon return his Grace their humble and hearty thanks for this noble present, by the mouth of their President; and did order Mr. Hooke to take care that the determination of this matter might be made with all convenient speed, and that the books should be thereupon forthwith removed to Gresham College. ROBERT HOOKE."

"At a Council at the President's, Sept. 5, 1678; present, the President, Sir Chr. Wren, Mr. Henshaw, Sir J. Louther, Mr. Hill, Dr. Grew, R. Hooke.

Ordered, that an account be drawn up, of the charge and expence that Chelsea College hath cost this Society, and that the same be delivered to the President, in order to shew the same to his Majesty. That the Committee formerly appointed to consider of the present state of Chelsea College be desired to consider of what is reasonable to be given for recompense to the person that hath taken some care for preserving the materials of the same. And that Sir Christopher Wren and Mr. Hooke be desired to view the house of Chelsea College, and consider of what is best to be done to the same."

"Sept. the 11th, 1678. "In regard that there are in the whole Library (if I be rightly informed) about two thousand books: and that I had encouraged for Wm. Dugdale to hope for such as he had already set apart (and possibly some few more), which in his list consisting of three volumes already named, amounted to 75 books: and that of the additional books which Sir H. P. Jorge desired, amounting to 45 (besides some small books not in the catalogue): it was consented, as it seems by the marks, to allow about twenty of them, which would in all make up but about near a hundred.

"I am therefore of opinion, with submission to Sir Joseph Williamson's better judgment, that if Sir H. P. Jorge will put out as many of the first Catalogue, as will in all swell the whole not to exceed one hundred, all which only to be picked out of the two abovesaid Catalogues desired by the Heralds, that this matter may be so concluded, and so all the rest be removed to Gresham College, except those books under the number of one hundred; of which I desire Sir H. P. Jorge immediately to make his choice, and wait upon Sir Joseph for his opinion and approbation, and then send me word of it.

"NORFOLK, and MARSHAL."

"I, Henry Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, and first Earl of England, out of my desire to advance learning, have given, bestowed, and entrusted, and by these presents do give, bestow, and entrust, to and on the President, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society of London, for improving Natural Knowledge, all and every the books, writings, and volumes, in the Catalogue hereunto annexed mentioned and comprised; to have, hold, and use, all and singular the said books and volumes, to the said President, Council, and Fellows, and their Successors, for so long as they are and shall be a Corporation, and are in a capacity and of ability to use and enjoy the same. Provided always, and I do require and expect, that neither the said President, Council, and Fellows, nor any of their Successors, ever alien, sell, or part with the said books, or any of them, unless it be in exchange for others of equal value.

"In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 23d day of January, 1678.

"Sealed and delivered, and one of the said books given to the President of the said Society, in token of possession and seisin of all the rest.

NORFOLK, and MARSHAL."

VOL. IV.

"We, the President, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society of London, for improving natural knowledge, do thankfully accept the gift of the most noble Prince Henry Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, and first Earl of England; who has freely given unto us the books in the Catalogue hereunto annexed mentioned and specified, as by his Grace's deed of equal date with these presents, more fully appeareth; and we do, for ourselves and Successors, hereby covenant, promise, and grant, to and with his said Grace, his Heirs, Executors, and Administrators; that we and our Successors will ever acknowledge his said bounty and noble favour, and will reckon and account him one of our greatest and first Benefactors; and will safely keep the said books and preserve them, and such as we shall receive in exchange for any of them, by and under the name of BIBLIOTHECA NORFOLCIANA; and will never alien or part with them, or any of them, unless it be in exchange for others to be appropriated to the foresaid Library, and marked with his Grace's arms and name, according to the liberty granted us in and by the said deed. In witness whereof, we have caused our common seal to be hereunto affixed, this twenty third day of January, in the 30th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles the Second, King of England, &c. anno Domini 1678."

To Dr. EDMUND HALLEY, from an unknown Correspondent.

"SIR,

"When I peruse the History of the Royal Society, and consider the zeal and vigour that animated the first beginners thereof to advance Experimental Philosophy, and the encouragment it gave others abroad to do the like, to the great advance of experimental learning, and that for some years successive, and the great decay therein of late years; I began in my thoughts to examine what might be the cause thereof, which I judged could not proceed for want of matter, as if Philosophic knowledge, especially Natural, had been so much drained, as little or nothing more remained for inquisitive search and consideration; but

rather

rather that the former zeal and vigour of this Society is decayed, and the cause thereof I guessed to proceed from the absence of some few of those first Members, who, like the spring in a clock or watch, put all the other wheels in motion, and so continued them; who, being taken off by death, public affairs, or private concerns, hath caused this decay, and left the remainder as it were lifeless, and without motion; and the small remainder of life which is yet remaining hath been upheld by our weekly meetings, which also decayeth, so few appearing for want of matter worthy their time there spent, as hath by some been pretended. To supply this defect, and to keep up those weekly meetings, to keep this faint life of the Society yet in being, I could wish some Member of the Society, whose abilities can furnish them with fit matter, would at each meeting furnish us with a lecture on some Philosophical subject of Natural enquiry. This, it is hoped, would, like a ferment or spring, set others thereto able on work to further and prosecute it. I know of none more fit to perform this work than Mr. Robert Hooke, of whose abilities herein there are none of any standing in this Society (witness those many learned lectures by him read to this Society) are ignorant.-The cause of the stop thereof I will not now touch; only I wish the Society would anew desire him again to undertake the same task with the encouragement of renewing that annual allowance formerly given him by the Soeiety, quarterly to be paid him, and to leave him free as to the subject he should read on; this, I suppose, would draw a greater number to meet, when they should be sure not to lose their labour. What I have here proposed concerning Mr. Hooke I do seriously declare to have done it altogether without his knowledge, or any discourse with him or any other Member concerning it; only I hope he may be prevailed with if anew desired, and that such agreement anew made by him and the Society be entered in their Journal.

"Another help to advance the Society's design would be the revival of our former Philosophic Correspondences abroad, which, it is hoped, would procure us more matter for our philosophic entertainment, which you seem willing to give over, and Mr. Hooke willing to undertake on reasonable conditions; viz. that postage of such letters as he should receive from such Correspondents abroad should be paid by the Society, conditionally that Mr. Hooke communicate the contents thereof to the Society; and he, keeping the said letters, do give or admit them the copies of such contents. This, being desired of Mr. Hooke, I hope he would undertake.

"Sir, I have thus communicated to you my thoughts and wellwishes of the Society's prosperity. 1 leave it to your discretion, either to communicate or stifle these proposals, as you shall judge meet. You need not enquire after the Writer; let it suffice that he is "Your cordial Friend, and

"a hearty well-wisher to the prosperity of the Royal Society."

Letters of Sir ROGER L'ESTRANGE.

To the Rev. Dr. NALSON†, Rector of Doddington, in the Isle of Ely. London, Aug. 23, 1677.

"SIR, "Yours to me of the 20th has authorized mine to you of yesterday (though ex post facto); and that itself was encouraged by a former of yours to Mr. Edwyn. You will find my freedom in it greater than my discretion; and in all things else, that I value myself more upon my honesty than upon my understanding. My opinion is the very same to-day that it was yesterday, for the contracting and sweetening of the reflections upon the Romish tyranny, and for one reason more than I gave you, which is, that the topick is worn threadbare already, and there is scarce any thing unsaid upon that subject. Shall I add another, and say, that perhaps the danger of Popery itself is not much greater than the danger of possessing the people with an apprehension that they are in danger of it; for it was under that pretence that they broke in upon the Government in the late Rebellion, and every man that was not a Schismatick was made a Papist.

"What my thoughts were upon the first taste of the style and spirit of this piece of yours, I told Mr. Edwyn; and I shall not need to tell you any more of it, than that you will do the publick and yourself great wrong if you do not accommodate it to the press; and for any service towards it in my power, you are sure of it.

"Upon your two papers of yesterday I am divided, as upon your book. They are judiciously and artificially touched, and I am absolutely for printing the Synopsis of Presbytery immediately upon a broadside, and for inserting it afterward into that book. The other I demur to.

"Your letter, Sir, is so kind and generous, that you have met my earnest wishes in the blessing of it, and improved a civility into a providence. I have nothing to return you but the simplicity of good intentions and grateful thoughts; and so far you shall ever find me, Sir,

"Your most faithful and humble servant, ROGER L'ESTRANGE."

* Sir Roger L'Estrange is well known as a Controversial Writer, and as a Licenser of the Press; but his confidential and familiar Letters, I believe, are not very common; and must be my apology for dwelling a little longer in the Seventeenth Century. I make the same apology for a very few of the subsequent Letters.-Sir Roger L'Estrange died Dec. 14, 1704, in his 88th year. A shrewd and probably a just character of him is given in John Dunton's "Life and Errors," ed. 1818, pp. 247, 265.

+ John Nalson, LL.D. Author of the "Collections" which go under his name, and of several publications in favour of Church and State. He was collated to a Prebend at the Cathedral of Ely in 1684; and died March 24, 1685-6, aged 44. Bentham's Ely, p. 262, where see his epitaph.-The Letter dated in 1688, printed in Gutch's Collectanea, and in Stevenson's Appendix to Bentham, p. 131, was of course neither written by him, nor was it intended for Mrs. Nalson; but for the family of Dr. Francis Turner, Bishop of Ely, then confined in the Tower, whose letters (for the reason mentioned by Mr. Stevenson) were so directed for the sake of secrecy.