histories of the Old and New Testament, &c.with a multitude of theological treatises, many of which are highly worthy to be consulted.

Liturgies and Liturgical books; as the liturgies of SS. Chrysostom, Basil, and Nazianzen, of which there are in this collection two very fair copies in Greek, one with the prayers and evangelical and epistolical lessons, written in the 11th century, and the other written in the 14th century. The liturgy of the church of Syria. Two fair volumes, containing the Samaritan liturgy. The Russian liturgy. The liturgies of the Roman and Greek churches; particularly a most valuable exemplar of that of the latter; wherein the several offices, chants, hymns, and antiphones, are marked with Greek musical notes, according to the present usage of that church. A curious liturgy, adorned with beautiful paintings and illuminations; which, from the calendar of German saints inserted in it, is supposed to have formerly belonged to some church in Germany.

Missals, Breviaries, and Hours of the Holy Virgin, according to the use of the Roman, English, and Gallician churches; rituals, ordinals, books of offices, processionals, and graduals; many of them curiously illuminated, and richly adorned with fine historical paintings; among these is, the missal of the church of Toul, in Lorrain, which, besides its exquisite paintings, is remarkable for having in the litany of saints, after the three holy archangels, one to the angel Uriel; notwithstanding several councils had strictly forbidden the invocation of more than the three first. A missal adorned with exquisite paintings, wherein the figures are represented of a larger size than usual; and to which is added a calendar, ornamented with several curious miniatures, wherein the several labours of the farm and vineyard throughout the year are curiously delineated. Two breviaries, painted in a most exquisite manner; to each of which is prefixed a calendar finely decorated with miniatures of saints, country sports, and employments, &c. As also many others.

Ancient Evangelisteria and Lectionaries; amongst which are, an evangelisterium, written in Greek capitals in the 9th century. An evangelisterium, in Greek capitals, written in the year 995, by Constantine, Presbyter: the first page thereof, and the references to the chapters, are in letters of gold. Another evangelisterium, adorned with pictures of the four evangelists finely painted, and the rubric written in letters of gold. At the end is a certificate, signed on the 10th of March 1699, by Laurence Alexander Zacagnius,

principal librarian of the Vatican, testifying that this MS. was then upwards of 700 years old. Three evangelisteria, written in the 11th century; one of which is remarkable for being written on parchment, from whence the words of some other book have been erased. Also an elegant illuminated transcript of "Wickliff's Gospelis and Epistolis of all the festis in the yeer by ordre as thei ben red in the messe book after the use of Salisbery."

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Store of Menologies, Martyrologies, and Lives of Saints; which, though they are to be read with great caution, yet furnish genuine matter of good note, and not readily to be met with elsewhere.

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A variety of other books of Religion and Devotion; particularly a very fine copy of the Passio Christi secundum Evangelistas, with prayers to God and several saints, neatly written in Saxon characters, and in the 8th century. A book prayers, benedictions, and exorcisms, in Latin, written in the 10th century. Wickliff's summary of the books of the Old and New Testament, with their authority and use to Christian men. His postils; and his notes on the Pater Noster, with sundry other discourses. A book in the Armenian tongue, containing the Apostles' Creed, a history of the Bible, and a form of proper confession to be used before taking the holy sacrament. A translation into Persic of the history of our Saviour; written originally in the Portuguese tongue by Father Jerome Xaver. Ethiopic prayers. Several transcripts of the Alcoran, in Arabic, Persic, and other languages; and commentaries thereon. A collection of Mohammedan prayers, written in the Persic and Turkish tongues. The Nadham, or collection of sentences contained in the Alcoran; with the apophthegms of Mohammed. Three books of prayers in Arabic, two of them written in the African character. Together with other tracts on the Mohammedan religion.

An amazing number of curious and authentic manuscripts, relative as well to the Topographical Description and Antiquities of Britain, as to the Civil and Ecclesiastical History of the Kingdom; its laws, constitution, and government: this mine appears inexhaustible, and every vein full of the richest stores.

First, For the Topographical part; histories and surveys of several counties, and the customs of their inhabitants; memorials of the founding and incorporation of cities, towns, boroughs, and villages, with the most remarkable events that have happened to each; their antiquities, and other curiosities. Accounts of the erections of temples, castles, and

other buildings; and of the remains (if any) of such as have been destroyed. The establishment and endowment of parishes, foundations of religious houses, books of ancient tenures, inquisitions post mortem, escheats, customaries, terriers of manors, perambulations of forests, accounts of ancient coin, monumental inscriptions, forts, camps, roads, military ways, and other antiquities, which have been. casually discovered in particular places. Notes concerning the most remarkable rivers, mountains, mines, minerals, and other curiosities. A variety of tracts, and memoranda, relating to particular parts of England, as well in its pristine state, when separated into petty kingdoms, provinces, and principalities, during the times of the Britains, Romans, and Saxons, as subsequently, when under the dominion of one monarch, divided into counties, ridings, rapes, wapentakes, &c. As also the laborious collections made by Sir Simonds D'Ewes, John Fox, the martyrologist, Mr. Erdeswick, honest John Stow, Mr. Charles, Lancaster herald, and others.

Secondly, For the Civil and Ecclesiastical History; valuable copies of our ancient historians and chroniclers, as Gildas, Nennius, Asserius Menevensis, Ælfred of Beverly, Abbot Benedict, Castoreus or John Beaver, J. Brompton, Raulf Boun, Douglass, Monk of Glastonbury, Edmerus, Florence of Worcester, Robert of Gloucester, William Giseburn, R. Hoveden, Henry Huntingdon, Peter de Ickham, John Joselyne, R. Higden, Peter Langtoft, J. Lewis, Adam Murimuth, Geoffery of Monmouth, Robertus Montensis, John Pyke, Sir Walter Raleigh, Robert de Reading, Thomas Rudburne, Simeon of Durham, Richard Sporte, Nicholas Trivett, John Wallingford, Thomas Walsingham, Walter of Coventry, Gotselinus de Sancto Bertino, and sundry anonymous authors of good value. A finely illuminated copy of John Harding's chronicle, much more perfect than the edition published by Grafton, and containing the letter of defiance sent to King Henry the IV. by the old Earl of Northumberland, Henry Hotspur, his son, and the Earl of Worcester, his brother, before the battle of Shrewsbury; some discourses of the same old Earl, touching John of Gaunt; a map of Scotland, from Carlisle to the water of Tay; and another, from thence to Sutherland and Cathness; with sundry other matters omitted likewise by Grafton. A transcript of John de Trevisa's translation of Higden's Polychronicon, differing from the account given of that work by Bale and Pitts; together with several other translations and compositions of Trevisa, not to be met with in any other

book. No less than four ancient copies of the Polycratica Temporum of Roger Cestrensis; from whence R. Higden stole his Polychronicon. The famous and very ancient copy of William Malmsbury's elaborate treatise de Gestis Regum Anglorum, which was formerly preserved with great religious care at Rochester. An exemplar of his four books, de Gestis Pontificum, written in the 12th century: and several transcripts of the Dunstable Chronicle, one whereof is most beautifully illuminated; and another adorned with the blazon of the arms of divers emperors and kings.

Chronicles and histories of abbies, and other religious houses; as those of Abingdon, St. Alban's, Alnewick, Bermondsey, St. Edmond's Bury, St. David's, Hales, Litchfield, Ely, St. Paul's, London, and Peterborough.

III. Lives of particular kings, and histories of their reigns, As of Edward the Confessor; king Harold, of whose life and miracles here is a very fair copy, written in the 12th century, Henry I. Richard I. Henry III. Edward I. Edward II. and Edward III. The History of Richard II, written by Fran. de Marque, a French gentleman, attendant on the court in the queen's service; adorned with sixteen admirable paint◄ ings, wherein the principal persons and habits of those times are most accurately represented. As also those of Henry IV. Henry V. Henry VI. and Edward IV.

Many original instructions to ambassadors, and letters which passed between them and the chief ministers of their courts; together with authentic copies of an immense num▾ ber of others.

Letters to and from foreign princes and states, negotia tions, alliances, leagues, truces, and treaties of peace, com merce, and navigation,

Summons to parliament from the 49th of Henry III. to the 21st year of the reign of King Henry VIII. in many places larger and more correct than the work published under that title, by Sir William Dugdale. Transcripts of the rolls, journals and memoranda of parliament; particularly a copy of the parliament rolls, beginning at the 4th year of King Edward II. and continued to the end of the last parliament of King Henry VIII. in thirty volumes; amongst which are the parliament rolls of the 5th, 8th, and 9th years of King Edward II. which are, with others, omitted by Sir Robert Cotton, in his abridgment of the Tower records, and by him supposed to have been lost. Journals of the House of Lords, from the first year of Henry VIII. to the end of the year 1740, 69 volumes. As also 111 other volumes, containing the Journals of the House of Commons, from the

first year (inclusive) of King Edw, VI. to the 8th day of March, 1701. A numerous collection of privileges and orders of parliament, and sundry papers relative to parliamentary affairs, Proclamations, original letters, journals, and other books of the privy council,

Books of aids, subsidies, reliefs, taxes, granted to sundry particular kings of England; and accompt books of the product and disposal of the ancient demesne lands of the

crown.

Letters, papers, books of docquets, &c, relative to the offi ces of the privy seal, signet, ordnance, admiralty, navy, victualling, customs, and excise. Three volumes of very in teresting original papers and letters, which belonged to John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, as Lord Privy Seal to Queen Anne; giving a better insight into the transactions of those times, and the immense sums issued on account of the forces employed under the Duke of Marlborough, than can easily be met with elsewhere,

Accounts of the public revenue, and national expences. Books and papers of the household, and treasurer of the chamber. Inventories and indentures of the jewel office and wardrobe. Orders, proceedings, and accounts of the office of works. Laws and ordinances for management of the mint.

IV. Several large collections of letters and speeches of our kings, their chief ministers, and other persons of eminence; particularly four volumes, containing original letters by the royal family of England, from Henry VIII, to the end of King Charles I. Eighteen volumes of original letters of divers considerable persons, relating to public affairs, from the year 1307 to 1716. And two volumes, containing letters written to Henry, prince of Wales; together with original draughts of his own letters. The above volumes afford interesting anecdotes, particularly relative to Queen Elizabeth, James I. Charles I. and Charles II. unnoticed by the most elaborate writers of the English history; and may be justly deemed inestimable remains of the times to which they relate.

V. Histories of the first planting and propagating of Christianity in Britain, and its growth and increase under the British and Saxon prelates.

The lives and successions of English archbishops and bishops; particularly a most noble illuminated copy of the lives of the seven first archbishops of Canterbury, by Gotselinus de Sancto Bertino, monk of St. Augustine's at Canterbury, in the time of St. Anselm; and of which the first