twelvemonths at Henley, on the left hand of the street a few doors above the Red-Lion-Inn, two antient well-plastered houses, I think with bow windows. They were the property of Mr. Blandy, Town-clerk, as I was then informed, who lived in the uppermost; and fell to the Corporation on the tragical death of his daughter. The adjoining house has a large door-way of stone, now white-washed over, of Saxon or early Norman architecture, enriched with zig-zag mouldings and other chimerical ornaments, with a semi-circular arch, like that at the Temple Church. Withinside is a very large room, with clumsy wooden columns at the entrance, and now used as a shop or warehouse, for a smith or ironmonger. I am promised a drawing of the door-way. It must have been an Oratory, or some religious building, and I wonder it has escaped the notice of so many people travelling through that town continually. It is most likely your friend Mr. Stockwood, who is an old inhabitant, can give some account of it from the Town Records, &c. I wish you would write to him while he is in health on that subject. I remain "Your faithful humble servant, "DEAR DOCTOR,

J. THORPE." Bexley, Oct. 17, 1781.

"This is a very barren spot to write from, and nothing stirring this Summer; since the Camp removed to Coxheath, not a red coat to be seen passing through this place, which alteration from the gaieties of the last, makes it appear more dull, especially to the young people.

"I had a letter from Hasted about two months ago, who says that Lord Amherst has given his son Francis an ensigncy in an old regiment now in Minorca; so that his History has produced some good effect; and that he intended to dedicate his second volume to his Lordship. Do you know when it will appear? I am frequently asked that question, which I am not able to

answer.

"I was at Penshurst for a fortnight in August, and had sufficient leisure to examine the pictures in the Great House, Mrs. Perry not being down; I discovered a fine original of Archbishop Abbot, and another of Edw. VI. who granted the honour of Penshurst to his favourite Sir Henry Sydney. Both pictures are in fine preservation. There are many other old portraits hitherto unnoticed. I remain, &c. J. THORPE."

"DEAR SIR,

To Mr. NICHOLS.

Bexley, March 7, 1782. "I have received a letter from Dr. Ducarel to acquaint me, that on Wednesday, Feb. 27th, Mr. Gough purchased all the manuscripts of Sir Joseph Ayloffe, at page 17 in Leigh and Sotheby's Catalogue, except No. 3; among which is No. 8, in 42 volumes in folio. Perhaps my valuable copy, wrote in a fair hand, of the Custumale Roffense,' which I lent him; and likewise Lambarde's Conference with Queen Elizabeth, on his pre

senting

senting to her his Pandecta of all the Rolls in the Tower of London,' may have slipt into the volume which relates to Kent. The Conference is in one sheet of paper in my Father's handwriting. I could wish to have recovered the above MSS. as I would have published them*. I have not the honour of Mr. Gough's acquaintance, therefore shall esteem it a favour, as you frequently see or correspond with him, to ask him that question, or communicate this to him, as you shall judge most proper.

"Sir Joseph had likewise my transcripts of the Epitaphs in the Diocese of Rochester†, and other papers relative to Kent ↑. They certainly must be in some person's possession, for I think he would never destroy them. I remain, &c. J. THORPE." Bexley, Nov. 30, 1785.

"DEAR SIR, "Herewith you receive my account of Eynesford Church and Castle, together with Farningham, Shorne, and Southfleet Fonts, and hope there will be copy sufficient to employ the press at present, for you must give me time t. Please to give it a careful reading, and correct errors and inaccuracies, if you meet with any. You need not send a proof of the Fonts to Mr. Denne, as you will see I have corrected his copy, and mistakes.

"The kneeling figure in the plate with Grovehurst, is Sir Thomas Nevile, in Mereworth Church. The two figures in Hawberk's plate:-the first is, Etclessy's, with the cup, in East Peckham Church; the second is, Wilkinson in Orpington Church+. See Registrum Roffense,' under the respective Churches.

"I wrote to Mr. Cook lately, that there were then moonlight nights, and fine mild weather, to come down for a day or two, to take drawings of Eynesford Chancel-end, and the Castle, to which I refer in my account †. His answer was, that some business would not just at that time permit him, and desired it might be postponed to some future day; so that we must now defer it till the beginning of the Spring, when days are longer, and the weather more temperate. I remain, &c. J. THORPE." "DEAR SIR, Chippenham, Wilts, March 27, 1791. "As Epitaphs in country church-yards are in general but trite and trifling, yet I have met with some in this neighbourhood in pretty verse, and worth preserving, which I have copied, as such memorials, exposed to inclemency of weather, are soon obliterated. When I meet with a convenient conveyance, I will send them, which you may insert occasionally among the poetry in the Gentleman's Magazine, if you shall judge proper, for I observe such are sometimes introduced.

"I have placed your Picture among my old Antiquarian Friends, in the most conspicuous part of my Library; and if you should visit Bath at any time, by way of Chippenham, I shall be happy to see you. I am, my dear Sir, &c. J. THORPE."

This MS. was restored to Mr. Thorpe, and was afterwards printed in the "Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica," No. XLII. which contains also a Life of Mr. Lambarde.

+ All these are preserved in the "Custumale Roffense."

"DEAR

" DEAR SIR, Chippenham, March 10, 1792. "I take this opportunity of sending the inclosed, which may, if you think proper, be inserted in the Magazine, when there is room for their admission*. As the Petition is an original and curious, I think a fac-simile of the whole of Cromwell's Reference should be engraved, and likewise the signatures of the merchants, as it will shew the different hands of those times, and will be the more curious. I think the whole may be very well introduced in a plate of the size of that prefixed to the last month's Magazine. When you have done with the Petition, you may send it to Mrs. Meggison. Please to correct mistakes, if any, as possibly there may be, at my time of life, being now in my 77th year; and will still, while I am able, now and then contribute my mite to the Gentleman's Magazine. I daily see your picture and the Doctor's in my Library; and shall be happy to see you at Chippenham, if at any time you come into this part of Wiltshire t.

"Please to set me down a subscriber to your intended History of Leicestershire. Mr. William Latham, of Eltham, who is a Member of our Society, is a good Herald, and married the daughter of Shukburgh Ashby, esq. Lord of the Manor of Quenby, in Leicestershire. He may give you a fuller pedigree of that family than Burton has done, and I dare say will be a subscriber. I remain, dear Sir, your old friend, J. THORPE."

From Mr. J. TOMPSON, Professor at Gottingen, concerning the Gottingen Library; being part of a Letter to the Rev. Mr. ANDREW HARVEY MILles, one of the Professors in that University.

Gottingen, Aug. 17, 1761. "Our Public Library is, indeed, stored with a very considerable number of the most valuable printed works of the learned, in divers languages, and in all sciences; but with few manuscripts of any kind. And as for Hebrew MSS. there is not so much as a single one to be seen there, which you will be so good as to inform the worthy and learned Dr. Ducarel, not forgetting to make my compliments to him. I am, &c. J. TOMPSON.'

"

Letters of Dr. DUCAREL and Sir JOSHUA VANNECK. "SIR, Sept. 14, 1745. Having sometime since met with an account of the Coats of Arms, &c. remaining at your fine Seat and Church of Heveningham, I hope you will excuse the liberty I take of troubling you with it. I thought it would be the more agreeable to you at this time, as you are now upon the spot, and may thereby have

See Gent. Mag. vol. LXII. p. 689.

+ This benevolent Correspondent died August 2, 1792, in less than five months after the date of this Letter, in bis 78th year.

See the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. IV. p. 722.

an

an opportunity of examining which of these Arms may still be remaining since 1663, when this account was first taken. I beg the favour of you to present my compliments to Mr. Walpole, who I hope will pardon me for making use of his name in order to have this conveyed free to your hands; and to this I beg leave to add my hearty wishes that you may long enjoy this fine estate, and that it may continue in your Family at least as long as it did in that of the former owners, which was near 600 years. I beg leave to subscribe myself with great respect,

"Your most humble servant,

"SIR,

A. C. DUCAREL."

From Sir JOSHUA VANNECK *.

Heveningham Hall, Sept. 19, 1754. "I am much obliged to you for your kind attention in sending me the curious abstract relating to the Seat of Heveningham Hall, which abstract is a proof of your great knowledge in the History of this County. I am no less thankful for your obliging wishes in regard to this possession, which I shall endeavour to make as permanent in my family as human prudence can go, and the rest must be left to Providence.

"The old house built by the family who gave their name to this village, has been pulled down about forty years ago, the present house being built at that time by one Squire Bance, so that nothing mentioned in the abstract remains, but in the old offices, where the name of W. H. and time of building, 1653, are yet to be seen.

"The observations on the Arms and Monuments in the Church I shall have an opportunity of comparing. It would be a desirable thing to have the perpetual advowson; but that belonging to the Crown, is not easily to be come at.

"Mr. Walpole returns his grateful thanks to you for your kind remembrance; and I remain sincerely, &c. J. VANNECK."

"SIR,

To Sir JOSHUA VANNECK.

"I have received the honour of your most obliging letter, and as an Antiquary am very sorry the old manor-house is pulled down. It would certainly be a desirable thing for you to have the perpetual advowson of Heveningham, and I own I am very

* Sir Joshua Vanneck was born at the Hague, where his ancestors appear upon record as magistrates for nearly three centuries. His father, Cornelius Vanneck, was paymaster of the land forces of the United Provinces, and had six sons, of whom he gave a mercantile education to two, Gerard and Joshua, who are said to have been the first of the family bred to Trade. Gerard, the eldest, settled in England in 1718, and Joshua following him, in 1722, they entered into partnership. Gerard died in 1750. Joshua was created a Baronet Dec. 14, 1751, died March 5, 1777, and was considered one of the richest merchants in Europe. Gerard the eldest son became the second Baronet, and dying without issue in 1791, was succeeded by his brother Joshua, who was created an Irish Peer by the title of Lord Huntingfield, of Heveningham, in Suffolk, June 8, 1796.

much

much surprised to find by what you say, that it is in the Crown, especially when I consider that in all probability this Church was built by some of the Heveninghams; this may be supposed from their arms, which appear in several parts of the church and windows; and it is most likely the advowson of the Rectory was once in their possession. If it appears so from the title deeds, and no alienation to the Crown, I should not imagine the advowson is irrecoverable, for it may have happened that in former times the Crown might have presented once, perhaps twice, during a minority, or by lapse, and upon the second presentation the Clerk inserting the words pleno jure, instead of pro hac vice, the Crown may have ever since presented to this Rectory, for want of a claim from the true patron.

"In this case, Sir, I should think an inquiry might be privately made without alarming the Crown, or any body else, by searching into the Registry of the Bishop of Norwich, where it will appear how long, and by what right, the Crown have presented to this Living. I know my friend Mr. Crespigny is very intimate with the Registrer of Norwich. He might from him easily come at the truth, if it could give you the least satisfaction. "I hope, Sir, you will excuse the liberty I take of mentioning my thoughts to you on this subject, which I do as a Lawyer and an Antiquary, having known a similar case determined against the Crown very lately in favour of my Lord Huntingdon.

"If on this or any other occasion I can be any ways serviceable to yourself or any of your family, I shall very gladly embrace any opportunity of doing it, and I beg leave to conclude this by assuring you I have the honour of remaining, with very great esteem and consideration, yours, &c. A. C. DUCAREL."

"Sept. 24, 1754. I have this day taken the liberty of sending two copies of A Tour through Normandy,' to your house in town. One I hope you will please to accept of; the other is for Mr. Walpole, to whom I desire to be remembered. The weight of each being somewhat above two ounces prevented my sending them under franks. A. C. DUCAREL."

The following Letter was sent, in 1755, by Dr. WALKER*, on Dr. DUCAREL'S promotion to the Commissariate of St. Katharine's.

"For the Worshipfull Doctor DUCAREL.

"Worthye Maystere Doctor, Commissarye, and my singular gude Frende;

"After myne hartye comendations to your worshyppe, I desyre to adjoyne myne assuraunces to you, that it giuythe me moche pleashur to haue this oppertunitye of testyfying my sincear

* Dr. Thomas Walker, of Queen's College, Cambridge; B. A. 1721; M. A. 1725; LL.D. admitted at Doctors Commons in 1734; and died in September 1764.

gude