"A sort of marble is got at Holkes. Various petrafacta and impressions are found near Chippon, in limestone rocks; in rocks at Ormskirk; and in rocks at Latham, near Ormskirk; and at Heseham near Lancaster. "These above specified are those Fossils more particularly desired, but shall be obliged to you for specimens of all the different kinds of metallic Ores, of minerals, marcasites, salts, sulphurs, spars, earths, ochres, marbles, &c.; and all sorts of impressions of vegetables and animals, as well as petrifications of them you can possibly procure me. "Of whatever is collected, let each specimen be carefully wrapped up and numbered, and a Catalogue made with answerable numbers to each specimen, wherein specify what it is, what it is vulgarly called, where found, whether in plenty or rare, at what depths, among what other fossil bodies, and all the other curious particulars you can be informed of to elucidate the natural history of them. "DEAR SIR, "I beg pardon for troubling you thus, but I am greatly obliged to you for this great piece of friendship; and am, with great esteem, Sir, your obliged humble servant, E. M. DA COSTA." Bearbinder Lane, June 4, 1759. "The bearer hereof is my esteemed friend Mr. Isaac Mendes Belisario, the gentleman whom I intimated to you was greatly desirous of perusing the Hebrew, Chaldaic, and Rabbinical MSS. in the British Museum. Mr. Belisario will have the honour to inform you more fully of his design, therefore I shall only add, in justice to his character, that I assure you his learning and judgment in these studies deserve esteem. I am, with great respect, dear Sir, your very humble servant, E. M. DA COSTA." "MR. DA COSTA, Jan. 20, 1764. "I have perused your papers, and now return them, that you may complete the matter ordered by the Council, which relates only to the copies of the Journals, not the original minutes, which is quite another consideration, and which I shall examine myself. Upon the face of your account, the deficiency stands thus (vol. 19. (2) being restored to its place): copies of the Journals deficient from Nov. 30, 1748, exclusive, to Dec. 5, 1751, also exclusive, being three years, or one volume. Also from June 5, 1760, exclusive, to Nov. 30, 1763, exclusive, being three years, and four or five days, or one other volume. "You see then, that upon a supposition the 20th volume, or from Nov. 30, 1748, to Dec. 25, being lost, or not copied; and that none of those subsequent to June 5, 1760, are copied, there are only six, not twelve years deficient, on the face of your account. I believe therefore it will be best for me to come to the Society and examine myself, which I will do on Monday next, at twelve o'clock; and you will be so good as to engage Mr. Peter Curson to meet me at that time. "I should be glad of a fair copy of all the original papers, books, and minutes of the closet. I have inclosed the minutes of the Council, to be entered fair. Yours, &c. C. MORTON." Mr. Mr. CHARLES MORRIS* to Mr. DA COSTA. "SIR, Lime Street, Jan. 25, 1763 "Whilst I was at your house in the morning my partner went in search of, and got some chrystal, which enables me to return the inclosed piece with hearty thanks for so genteel an offering to a distressed patient. He thinks himself greatly obliged to you as well as I do. As there is not now a necessity to trouble Mr. Levi, I have also taken the liberty to return your kind recommendation, but will certainly apply to him on any future occasion; and am, Sir, your obedient humble servant, CHARLES MORRIS." Letters to and from Dr. F. NICHOLLS †. To Dr. FRANCIS NICHOLLS, at Epsom in Surrey. "SIR, State House, King's Bench, Jan. 3, 1770. "In its due time I received your much-esteemed letter, which honors me with an invitation to your house at Epsom, to review some fine minerals you have lately collected in Cornwall. "The being known to Dr. Nicholls is an honour I shall always esteem, but I am so unfortunate at present as not to be able to embrace the much-desired and respected offer you make me; as I am under confinement in this King's Bench, which really is the reason I did not anwer your kind letter before. However, the Almighty who has afflicted me with the confinement, has through his mercies granted me the call of my reason, and I apply myself as much as ever, and assiduously to my studies. "With this recollection I am capacitated to wear away the hours of affliction and idleness usually attendant on such places, and by the patronage of several eminent physicians and other gentlemen, as Dr. Mackenzie, Dr. Hunter, Dr. Fothergill, Mr. Foster, &c. I have read some Lectures on the Fossil Kingdom with applause and success, the plan of which I presume herein to transmit you. "Therefore, Sir, though I cannot have the honour of paying my respects personally to you, yet I will strive to demonstrate how ready I am to obey any of your commands by presuming to propose to you, that if you will send to me any part or the whole of the Minerals you mention (for I have a very handsome and commodious apartment in the State House, with a small Library, my papers, and some collection of natural history), I will arrange them, and give you all the information I am capable of in writing. Your specimens shall be kept with all care, and returned you with all honour. This way is the only one at present by which I can shew the respect I acknowledge to Dr. Nicholls, to whom I with pleasure subscribe myself "Your very obliged servant, *Au Apothecary of eminence. E. M. DA COSTA." + Of whom see the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VII. p. 288. To To Mr. DA COSTA. "MR. DA COSTA, Epsom, Dec. 27, 1774. "It is with pleasure I hear you are restored to liberty and philosophy; and, as my son tells me, that you should like to see my Collection of Cornish Fossils, I am to assure you of a sincere welcome and a warm bed whenever you shall think proper to indulge your curiosity. 66 My son will come down again next Sunday morning; so, if you will be at his house in Lincoln's Inn-fields by nine, he will bring you down, and render your journey less tedious. If you have an hydrostatical balance, I wish you to bring it in your pocket. I am your humble servant, FRAN. NICHOLLS." Mr. DA COSTA to Dr. JAMES PARSONS *. "DEAR DOCTOR, Breda, in Dutch Flanders, April 14, 1748. "You very well know the day of the month, and in what year I set out from London for the service of my country. One Mr. J. Sherwood of Devonshire-street accompanied me to Harwich. The day (Tuesday) was fine; and our carriages were postchaises, for in curious and learned travels the most minute particular should not be omitted. We went merrily on till Mr. J. Sherwood, who proved qu'il y a des Gascons par tout, upbraided me with not having seen the world, and recited with much emphasis his travels from Ilford to London, and vice vers; that a knot of gossips, praising the great wit of their first-born boobies, was not half so intolerable. We arrived safe at Rumford; took a fellow who had never drove before, and were overturned, in terrorem, eight miles above Ingatestone; shaved and dined at Ingatestone; got there a post-boy, that, without any hyperbola, I may assert, that were the chariot of the Sun drove by him, he would ride round the world in two hours instead of 24. Nothing more remarkable till we arrived at Colchester, when it was quite dark, till we got to the inn, where the sparkling eyes of pretty Hannah proved the succedaneum of the Sun. Sherwood kissed her heartily for old acquaintance sake, while poor I sat in a corner, and muttered over a bumper Church and Constitution.' "Wednesday morning hired a chaise, saluted Hannah, and then drove to Harwich. We went immediately to the cliff; found fine specimens of all the three kingdoms of nature, but more especially myriads of dottles, et Zoophyta colligimus. "Sherwood, while at Harwich, troiled and also searched the shore, cliff, &c. where we found several curious fossil shells, and a fine vein of Beroat mineral, several pieces of petrified wood, and noble Ludus's helmontii; but, as I desired the box to be sent up the moment I sailed, I hope young Sherwood has received it, and shewn you its contents. After his departure I also collected a fine parcel of specimens of all the varieties of petrified wood, which, with several other odd things, I sent in a box to my wife. In the said box I also inclosed a set of specimens of varieties of Of whom see the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VII. pp. 310 645. Harwich Harwich petrified wood, as a present to the Royal Society, and desired it might be delivered to Mr. Folkes. I hope it is done, but should it not, I beg you or young Sherwood would make her a visit, and speak to her about it. I wrote young Sherwood a letter the very moment I set sail, acquainting him of my present to the Society, and the management of it. I should be glad to know if he has received it; and I want to hear from him, and to know what passes among you. Pray write to Jacobs of Faversham, in doing which you will greatly oblige me. Tell him where I am, and that I give my compliments to him, and only beg to inform him that we have a proverb in Spanish which says, that if any one has a glass head, they ought not to fling stones; for he complained of my delaying my present a fortnight, and I do not hear he has made me any returns to this very moment. "I intend very soon to write to Dr. Mortimer (to whom pray my humble service), in which I shall give him a full account of my transactions at Leyden, where I passed several days. I do not doubt he will communicate it to our Club. My humble service attend Dr. Mead and Dr. Stack: pray tell the latter I went to Mr. Edwards, of Rotterdam, who had not time to let me know what the postages were, but he is to let me know, and I shall pay him. He says he never received that letter wherein that from Dr. Mead to Mr. De Boze was; and as for the letter for France, I took care to put it in the post-house myself. "My compliments attend Mr. Sherwood, sen. J. Hill, Mr. Catesby, Dr. Mitchell, Mr. H. Baker, Mr. Hanbury, and other friends. My humble respects to my patron and patroness, Martin Folkes, Esq. and Miss Folkes.-I hope your dear family enjoy all health and happiness. My best wishes and services attend Mrs. Parsons, Miss Molly, and Master Jemmy, also Mrs. Black- · well; and with the sincerest esteem I am, &c. E. M. DA COSTA. "I am just now come from seeing the chief church of this place, and cannot forbear to let you know there is a noble monument of Engelbert the 11th of Nassau. He and his Princess are laid their length on the grave-stones, and the upper slab or table which bears the figures of his cuirass, gauntlet, helmet, &c. is sustained by an image at each corner, kneeling, which images represent Julius Cæsar, Marcellus (I think), Alexander the Great, and Hannibal, which, on my enquiry, the woman gravely informed me were very great generals, and cotemporaries with the said Prince. Risum teneatis, Amici." Letters to and from Dr. RALPH SCHOMBERG *. To Mr. DA COSTA. "DEAR SIR, Wells, June 20, 1744. "I received yours, and though I have pretty well taken my leave of the Muses, I could not refuse you the translation of the French distich, which, if you approve, will be sufficient recompence to, dear Sir, yours sincerely, R. SCHOMBERG, Of whom see the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VII. p. 371. 'My 'My honest bosom free and just, Dr. SCHOMBERG to Dr. Ducarel. "DEAR SIR, Yarmouth, Oct. 24, 1753. "I should have wrote to you long ago, but that I imagined you was not returned from your country excursion. As my friend Mr. Martin, of Polgrave, has not yet favoured me with the papers relating to our town, I have not as yet begun upon it. "I have now a very particular request to make you and the rest of my learned and worthy Brethren of the Society of Antiquaries. It is to recommend a most ingenious gentleman who lives at Amsterdam, to be honoured with a place among the Honorary Members. His name is John Stephen Bernard; he is a Doctor of Physic, and editor of several books, viz. Psellus de Lapidum Virtutibus,' Palladius de Febribus,' ' Demetrius Pepagomenus de Podagra, &c.' Synesius de Febribus,' all in Greek and Latin, with his notes and emendations; and he is about a new Edition of Rhazes the Arabian. In short, he is a gentleman of great learning, and well versed in Antiquity, and I dare answer would be a very useful Member. The sooner you I could get this effected the better, for I owe him a letter, and I should be much pleased that I could inform him of (what he so earnestly desires and requested of me) his being chosen into our body. I have made some few additions to my small Collection, and shall be glad to have an opportunity of communicating them to you when you come to Yarmouth. "I read the very learned Bishop Clogher's Journal with great pleasure, but could not help making some few remarks somewhere, with the most humble submission, I thought him in error, and others which might help to illustrate his most elaborate and very curious observations. Such as they are, I give them to you. "P. 56. The word Heva in Hebrew signifying a serpent.' I am of opinion this is a mistake; for wn is the Hebrew word for a serpent-the Chaldæan word is n, Heva. "P. 73.Jupiter was represented, &c. with a ram's head.' The Egyptians did the same; Ægyptii Jovis simulachrum arietina facie confingerent.' And the Libyans, Zac Aißuns Aμμar Κερατηφόρη Κλύθι μαντι. Lucan also calls him cornigerum (see Gyraldus). "P. 79. It is also more than probable, &c. that the Teraphim, &c. were little images,' &c. It is very certain; for D'N and the Chaldæan nun, were the idols of Laban; which is farther corroborated, Gen. xxxi. 30, where Laban says to Jacob, .למה גנבת את אלהי ? Why stole you my Gods • "P. 8o. And with regard to amulets, &c. it seems manifest that those ear-rings, &c. had been dedicated to idolatrous uses,' &c. |