"What publications are come abroad? or coming? How goes our Society on? I think I saw some time ago in a newspaper, that poor Norris* was dead; and I was much concerned, a few days since, to see the name of that ingenious artist Schnebbelie† amongst those who had paid their last debt to nature. My own work has stood quite still; the materials for my fifth volume of Letters were in forwardness before I came into office; when that be completed, it will bring down my series of Letters to the end of Henry the VIIth's reign. How have you been employed, you who are never idle? I should have thought that Drs. Kippis and Towers had found sufficient employment from the Biographia Britannica, without engaging in a History of England. "How is your health, and that of Mrs. Gough? In the summer I was far from well, but I feel myself now, thank God, quite recovered. Hurry and bustle do no injury, I believe, to my health of body, but peace and quiet agree much better with my disposition. My seal of office stands before me, tame, and gentle; it has lost its terrors now; last year many an one quaked at the sight of it. In my own hand I hope it will be always a sign of peace and friendship; and I intend it shall announce to you the sincere regard with which I subscribe myself, "Your obliged and sincere friend, JOHN FENN." 19. To the same. "DEAR SIR, East Dereham, March 23, 1792. "I would not delay answering your Letter of yesterday, as it relates to the request of a very respectable gentleman of Yarmouth, relative to your papers respecting Castre Castle. I am both obliged by your offer of the papers some time ago, and by your answer to Mr. Turner's request till you had my determination. Mr. Turner, I suppose, intends to make an immediate use of them. The work wherein I proposed to insert them is still in embrio, whether it will ever be born I know not. I therefore, with the sincerest thanks for your kind offer, will decline them, in consequence of Mr. Turner's application; you will, therefore, use your pleasure in what manner you will offer the use of them to him. "I am sincerely sorry to hear you say that your ardour in Antiquarian pursuits is greatly abated by the loss of Mr. Schnebbelie; I lament his loss, but to lose your pen would be a national misfortune. If I come to town this spring, I shall have great pleasure in being introduced as a visitor at the Crown and Anchor dinner. "The flourishing state of our Society will, I make no doubt, secure a succession of valuable publications. "I have been prevented sitting down to write till the post's hour is arrived. Yours most sincerely, JOHN FENN." * See the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VI. p. 127; vol. VII. pp. 294. 639. +Ibid. vol. IX. pp. 229. 235. Dawson Turner, Esq. an eminent Banker at Yarmouth; and an ornament to Science and Literature. 20. To the same. "MY DEAR FRIEND, Sept. 27, 1793. "At a distance from town, and in a neighbourhood little given to antiquarian research, I am almost a stranger to what passes in that line. I have lately, also, seen few advertisements of publications on subjects of Antiquities. Thus behind hand respecting information, to whom can I so properly apply as to you; you, who, in my opinion, are so justly entitled to take the lead in our walk; as an Antiquary, I always consider myself safe when under your guidance; take some pity on me now, and give me a little information. During the last winter and spring I nearly finished my fifth volume of Paston Letters, which I hope will, by next summer, go to the press, but to whose press I am not yet certain. "I have been rather a truant since I was Sheriff; my usual mode of life was altered, and I have not yet got completely back to my arm chair. I have been a good deal from home during the summer, and Lady Fenn and myself are, only last week, returned from a military expedition, if a tour to camps may be dignified with that appellation; ours were modern, not Roman camps. We did not take General Roy's book with us." That publication, from its appearance, does honour to our Society I think. I have had it too short a time to know much of its contents. I intend it for winter work. "I had projected a tour to the Isle of Wight, but was disappointed. Mr. Frere and his family have been there with the Governor, Mr. Orde, these two months; they are, I believe, now on their return. "I have been lately endeavouring to augment my collection of Autographs, and have been more successful than I expected by the bounty of my friends, who have many of them kindly given me letters, notes, franks, &c. from modern men, both Nobles and Commoners, famous as Statesmen, Authors, Mechanicks, &c. &c. I find this an amusing employment, as I generally endeavour to add some short account of the person to his hand-writing. "How goes our Society on? By the annual lists, I see it progressively increases in number. What publications have lately issued? "Have you seen Craven Ord lately? He has left his house, near Bury, so I heard nothing of him; when I was there in the spring, his brother, Dr. Ord, was also absent. "I hear Mr. King re-visits the Antiquarian Society. I am glad of it. Do his "Antient Castles go on, or has he buried them in their own ruins? I hope not; it was both an instructive and amusing work; I wish much for its continuance. "You, who are constantly employing your abilities for the publick, what are your pursuits now? I am sure the vis inertia will never lay hold of you. "On digging the trench round one of the tents in the camp at Harwich, a medal or ticket was found, having on the obverse the figure of our Lady of Loretto, on the reverse, a view of her temple; it had a hole at the top to pass a ribbon through, and, I suppose, was given to those who paid visits of devotion at her shrine; it has no date, but appears to have lain long in the earth; it is of copper, or some mixed metal of no apparent value, and is in the possession of Captain Novaille, of the West Kent Militia, at whose tent I saw it. Believe me your obliged humble servant, and sincere friend, JOHN FENN." "SIR, 22. To Mr. NICHOLS. East Dereham, Oct. 3, 1793. "" As you wished for a speedy answer, I have stolen an hour this evening from company to look over the Life of Fastolf*,* the remainder of which I received this day. "The Errata in the body of the work, I have noticed on the other side; but the phraseology of the whole Life is, I think, rather defective, and ought to have been re-written and modernized; there are likewise literal, &c. mistakes in the notes, but these I shall leave to your corrector. In the finishing, p. 708, beginning at ***, I have likewise noticed the Errata. "I am sorry to refer to "Fenn's Original Letters" to correct a misrepresentation of an historical fact in this very Life, the uncertainty of which takes up the greatest part of note d, p. 701, as it may seem ostentatious to quote my own work; but as the truth of an anecdote of History is ascertained, I hope your learned and ingenious Editor will pardon me for thinking the Letter (xxviii. vol. I. pp. 120—125) on that account of some consequence. I some years ago gave Anecdotes of the Life of that great Suffolk Antiquary, Thomas Martin, to Dr. Kippis, for the "Biographia Britannica,' and as the letter M will, I suppose, find a place in the next volume, I shall desire to have a proof of the Life sent to me, as I may perhaps be able either to correct or add to some parts of it. "When you see Mr. Gough, pray present my sincere compliments and thanks for his letter full of information. "Oct. 4. I have this morning again read over the text life, and have discovered other literal errors than those I before marked. Your corrector must examine it again. The language, particularly of the first part, wants revision. As you asked it, I think it my duty to give you my opinion. Pray present my best compliments to Dr. Kippis, and be assured that on this, or any other occasion, my assistance shall be at your service, being always a well-wisher to your various and useful undertakings, and your obedient servant, JOHN FENN." *The article Fastolf, in the Biographia Britannica,' which was compiled by Mr. Gough, and of which I had sent a proof sheet to Sir John Fenn. N. 24. JOHN FRERE, Esq. to Mr. GoUGH. "DEAR SIR, "You will, in reading, join in the concern I feel in writing that our friend, Sir John Fenn, is no more. He was struck with a fit of apoplexy on Wednesday, and died at one on Friday morning. He has desired a ring to be sent to you, which I will take care to deliver. Your friendship will lead you to excuse the liberty I take in requesting you to draw up a historiola for the Obituary of the Gentleman's Magazine*, for which I will furnish you with such facts as I know. He was born in Norwich, Nov. 26, 1739; educated, first under the Rev. Mr. Brett, at Scarning, in Norfolk, and afterwards under the Rev. Mr. Christian, at Botesdale in Suffolk, and lastly at Gonvile and Caius College in Cambridge, of which he was an honorary fellow till Jan. Ist 1766, when he married Ellenor, the daughter of Sheppard Frere, of Roydon, in Norfolk, Esq. who survives him s. p. He was buried, by his particular desire, in the family vault of the Freres at Finingham, in Suffolk; his own ancestors (with exception of an aged mother, who survives him,) who lie in a vault at Houghton in the Dale, in Norfolk, having all died in his earliest infancy, he considered himself as engrafted into his wife's family; which, in a man so fond of heraldic and genealogical studies, was the highest compliment to her and them. "Of all this you will take what you think proper, and no more. His literary life you better know how to describe and appreciate than I can tell you; this, however, you may venture to say, that as an active, knowing, and upright Magistrate; a zealous, warm, disinterested friend; in short, in all the duties of social life, he has left few equals, and that his loss is universally deplored, even by those whose conduct the example of his life reproached, and the severity of his virtue awed. He served the office of Sheriff for Norfolk, in 1791, with the same propriety and decorum that distinguished all his actions, and left a history of its duties, which might be serviceable to his successors. Among other things he revived the painful duty of attending in person the execution of criminals, adding to the solemnity and impressive awe of the scene. He has left behind him a collection of Paston Letters for a fifth volume, ready transcribed for the press; I will bring it with me to town, and consult with you whether it shall be printed. "Our friend has left a ring to Mr. Craven Ord, and a sum of money for a memorial of Tom Martin, in the church where he lies. "I am, Sir, your obedient servant, JOHN FRERE." Rev. RICHARD GIFFORD was educated at Baliol College, Oxford; where in 1748, having then recently taken the degree of B. A. he distinguished himself by a masterly pamphlet, intituled, "Remarks on Mr. Kennicot's Dissertation on the Tree of Life in Paradise;" in the preface to which he handsomely apologises for "any expressions that may seem too harsh or severe;' and hopes "they will be thought to arise entirely from a warmth that is natural to the love of Truth, and which it is difficult to lay aside when one is engaged in examining points that seem to make against it." And he thus concludes: "As the love of Truth was the sole motive of my engaging in the cause, I shall, with all the readiness imaginable, acknowledge the many errors I may have run into, upon the least intimation of them: for indeed I should have spared myself the trouble I have taken in the prosecution of this affair, but that I thought Truth a sacrifice too great to be made in compliment to the ingenuity of any man." To the sincerity of this profession the whole tenor of Mr. Gifford's life bore the strongest testimony. He was in principle a sound Whig of the Old School, a zealous friend to the House of Hanover; and the leading members of Baliol College were at that period strenuous Tories. His being placed there (which appears ill-judged) was probably owing to his father being a native of Scotland: its consequence was his not taking any other degree but that of B. A. He also mentioned having met with the Master of Baliol many years afterwards, who asked him if the College could do any thing for him; offering every thing in their power, and wishing him to take a Doctor's degree. He declined such tardy services, saying " Alma Mater had been a step-mother to him, and it was then too late." As he possessed an uncommonly strong mind, highly cultivated by profound learning, it is to be |