Bishop of DROMORE to Dr. Henry. "SIR, Dromore, April 6, 1785. "I think myself exceedingly obliged to you for the very kind present of your book, which I have always considered as a most useful and valuable work; nor should I have so long delayed my very sincere acknowledgments for this flattering distinction you are pleased to shew me, but I hoped, before this time, I should have been able to have procured in this country some subscribers, in consequence of the warm recommendations I have thought it to have deserved, and which I have not failed to bestow on a work of so much merit; but though I have not yet met with the success I expected, I am going soon to Dublin, and shall not fail to do it justice on every opportunity there that offers. Another reason for my delay in writing was a desire of sending something more than a mere letter of acknowledgments for so kind a favour, by adding a few observations that occurred to me, but for which, till now, I have scarce had leisure. I have read with attention your historical narrative of the English Reigns contained in the fifth volume, and find it in general more critically exact than any history of the same period I remember to have examined. I see you have adopted Mr. Walpole's idea, that the mention of the Lord Edward's robe, in the accounts of the wardrobe, is to be considered as a proof that Edward V. was intended to walk at his uncle Richard's coronation; but this has been pretty well considered in that volume of the Archæologia which contains Dean Milles's Strictures on Mr. Walpole's Essay, &c. and it is now generally considered as only the taylor's bill for royal robes owing by government (if I may so express myself); and the opportunity of getting all arrears of this sort paid, might make them glad to insert the robe which had been provided for young Edward's own coronation, whom they could now only style 'Lord Edward.'

"As in your next volume you will have occasion to bring again into view the subject of King Richard's supposed murder of his nephews when Perkin Warbeck comes on the stage, I will now let you into a secret, that I can produce an irrefragable proof that Richard Duke of York was believed (I may almost say positively known) to be dead at the time of his uncle's coronation, by a Record that has fallen in my way, and which has escaped all inquirers on this subject, but which shall be much at

your service, when you are come to that part of your history. I am now going to Dublin for two months, and, after my return, shall have a little more leisure to enter into these agreeable discussions. In the mean time believe me to be, Sir,

"Your much obliged servant,

"THO. DROMORE. "P.S. You would not pardon me, I am sure, if I did not endeavour to find some fault in your work; this is not easy to perform.-Perhaps the common story of the murder of King Edward V. and his brother should have been mentioned, and told with the authority that is given for it, (viz. Sir Thomas More,) even if, upon discussion, it should be found problematical. When you examine the Household Book in your next volume, I must enter a caveat against the very unfavourable, I may say uncandid and unjust, account given of the establishment by Hume, in his notes, who has estimated money erroneously below the value, as I have shown in my preface to the Household Book; but I desire I may set all this right in your book."

Dr. HENRY to the Bishop of Dromore. "MY LORD, Edinburgh, September 13, 1785. "You are, no doubt, much surprised, that you have not received an answer, long before this time, to the very friendly letter you did me the honour to write to me, dated at Dublin, 6th May last. This hath been owing to the following circumstance. Before your letter reached Edinburgh, I had set out, May 10th, on a journey for the recovery of my health, and spent the whole summer in England. When I returned to my house in the country, 7th August, I found your letter. I wrote to the Secretaries of both our Societies, to prepare such papers as it would be proper to send you, and procure the permission of the Societies to send them. I came to town yesterday, and saw the Secretary of the Antiquarian Society, who hath prepared several papers, which he will send by the first opportunity. Some of them are curious. The Secretary of the Royal Society is not in town, and I know not what he hath done; but I hope he will do the same.

"I am happy to find that you think so favourably of my work, and thank you most sincerely for your friendly endeavours to promote its success. I have the pleasure

to inform you, that it seems to be rising in reputation, and the sale hath been much brisker in London since the publication of the 5th volume.

"I acknowledge the justice of your remark concerning my omission of stories which I thought improbable, but which some readers might wish to know. When I formed the plan of this work, I foresaw it would be too voluminous, both for the patience and the purses of many readers. To prevent this, I resolved to relate in few words what appeared to me well authenticated or very probable, and to avoid all controversies with or criticisms upon former historians. To this I have adhered perhaps too strictly. If I had noticed and discussed all the mistakes I have discovered in former writers, my work would have swelled to an enormous size.

"I am at this moment engaged and much perplexed with Perkin Warbeck.* If your Lordship will be so good as to furnish me with any information on that subject, I shall esteem it the greatest favour. I wish to discover truth, and have taken some pains to do it, but it is sometimes buried too deep for my researches, in which I have received little or no assistance from the living.

"I had an esteem and friendship for the late Mr. Hume, as a good-natured friendly man, by whom I was much encouraged to proceed in my work, when it was little regarded by the public; but this did not bias me in the least in favour of his opinions in religion, philosophy, and politics, or make me blind to his mistakes in history. In the particular you mention he was evidently mistaken, and should have acknowledged it. If you favour me with a copy of your correspondence with him on that subject, it will oblige me much. ROBERT HENRY."

"MY LORD,

Edinburgh, May 2, 1787.

"I am much ashamed when I look at the date of your last very friendly letter. I could patch up an apology for my long silence, but it is better to trust your goodness, and my frank confession of inattention for forgiveness.

"I have disposed of the property of my five volumes, with the few remaining copies of the quarto edition, to

* In 1837 Sir Frederick Madden made a very valuable communication to the Society of Antiquaries, "Documents relating to Perkin Warbeck, with Remarks on his history;" printed in Archæologia, XXVII. p. 153-210.

Mr. Cadell for 14557. This, with 16007. I had made of it before, and a pension of 100l. a-year, which the King very unexpectedly granted me, is all I have made by these volumes. But when I reflect on my own obscurity, and total want of patronage, when I engaged in that work, I see good reason to be contented and thankful.

"The period on which I am now labouring is from the accession of Henry VII. A.D. 1485, to the accession of Queen Elizabeth, A.D. 1558. But I now find that, as I descend the stream of time, the current swells, and that a history upon my plan is in danger of becoming unwieldy and too voluminous. I dislike digressions and verbosity, but I also dislike abridgments. I wish to satisfy myself, and, if I could, to satisfy my readers, on every part of my plan; but I find I cannot do this, in my present period, in one volume. I am thinking therefore of publishing the first three chapters, viz. the civil and military, the ecclesiastical and constitutional history, with an appendix, in one volume; and afterwards, the other four chapters, viz. the history of learning, arts, commerce, and manners, in another. In this way I do not despair of making it both instructive and entertaining. How the public will relish this I am uncertain.

"My health, for these two years past, hath been precarious; the duties of my office require a portion of my time, and I meet with so many interruptions from business, company, &c. that I do not make such progress as I wish, and as the public expect. I hope, however, that my sixth volume may appear about two years hence.

"I am much obliged to your Lordship for your hint about Perkin Warbeck, and the two leaves from Vincent, which I shall return by some safe hand. The argument from it, that both King Richard and Lord Howard believed the young prince to be dead, is perfectly decisive. It will convince Mr. Walpole. I shall use it, but not without acknowledgment. I have few such acknowledgments to make.

"When you find an opportunity of sending me the Northumberland Family Book, I shall receive it with gratitude. There is a similar book of James V. in the Register Office here. It is in Latin, but much sullied, and hardly legible.

"The first volume of the Transactions of our Royal Society is almost printed off, and will soon be published. I wish it may answer expectation. Few of the people

here who have acquired any literary reputation, have hazarded anything in this volume.

"A rural poet, one Robert Burns, a ploughman in Ayrshire, hath published a volume of poems, which have been so well received that 3500 copies were sold in a few weeks. There are several other works upon the anvil in this writing town.

"I am, with the sincerest respect, and in hopes of your future communications, my Lord,

"Your Lordship's most obedient, humble servant,

1785.

"ROBERT HENRY."

Rev. SAMUEL BURDY* to BISHOP PErcy.

"MY LORD, Corbally, near Downpatrick, July 30th, 1785. "Since I have been excluded for more than this twelvemonths past from the honour of a personal interview with your Lordship, it was after no small doubt and perplexity I could at length prevail on myself to trouble your Lordship with this letter, which will indeed be an unexpected, and, like its author, I am afraid, an unwelcome visitant.

"It is not with an intent to solicit any favour or preferment, which it would be presumption in me to ask, and propriety in you to refuse, that I now take the liberty of writing to your Lordship, but merely with a desire to express my sorrow at my having ever been so unfortunate as to excite in the least your Lordship's displeasure against me. Bound as I am to you in many cases by the ties of gratitude for the kindnesses I have received, I cannot surely be unconcerned with respect to the opinion your Lordship should please to entertain of me. My first introduction into the Church was owing to your Lordship's warm recommendation; it was expressed with the ardour of a friend, and not with the cold indifference of a stranger. Afterwards, too, at my own request, you applied to a certain gentleman in my favour, who was qualified to judge of no other merit or distinction but what fortune can bestow, and to whom I am happy I never was obliged. You then voluntarily ordained me a priest without any solicitations of mine, and on that occasion condescended to stamp with your approbation the sermon I hastily composed in obedience to your Lordship's com

*Rev. Samuel Burdy, A.B. author of the Life of the Rev. Philip Skelton, and editor of Skelton's Sermons. See pp. 219, 236.