Knowsley, May 9, 1735. "MY GOOD DOCTOR, "I send you inclosed some of the Red Sorrel seed, which they make use of in the West Indies to make tarts of when the fruit is green; but it must be kept in an hot bed constantly till the fruit is set. It will grow three feet high. I should be glad to know at what time the Tuberose flowers, and when any of yours blow. If I had any thing else to send you worth acceptance, you should have it, from, Sir, your hearty friend, DERBY." Dr. FRANCIS DRAKE* to Dr. RICHARDSON. "SIR, York, Aug. 22, 1729. I some time since wrote to Dr. Stanhope, about the loan of some books; or, if he had them not, to desire you would be so good as to spare them me. He sent me word that you was out of the country, or that he had not those books in possession. The books I want are 'Leland's Itinerary,' and seeing your name as subscriber to Mr. Hearne for his 'Collectanea,' I imagined you would not miss the first. "I am about a design to publish the Antiquities of this City, being invited thereto by a very valuable MS. I have in my possession, wrote by Sir Thomas Widdrington, sometime Recorder of this place. I know there are several collections in the books I mention which would help my undertaking; and as you have been always an encourager of works of this nature, I doubt not but you will lend me them, or any else you think may advantage me. They shall be carefully look'd to, and as faithfully return'd by, Sir, your most humble servant, FR. DRAKE." York, Oct. 18, 1729. "SIR, "I am sorry that neither the cause of Antiquity, my own acquaintance with you, nor Sir John Kaye's mediation in this affair, can gain the favour of the perusal of Leland for a fortnight only; in which time I will certainly return it. But, to stimulate more, I have here enclosed you a scheme of my whole design, and do assure you that I am thoroughly bent (gratia Dei) to pursue it; as I am inform'd there is not much to my purpose to be met with in the Itinerary, and I can go on without it: but it would be ill-judged in a General to leave the smallest fortress unsubdued in the course of his conquests, when it may prove a thorn in the end. I know the value of the books, and that if lost they are irretrievable; but, if you please, I will send a servant over on purpose and give you any security for their safe return. Hearne of Oxford has been moved in this behalf, and a letter from you would certainly make him warm in it. If you would further oblige me in this, I shall ever own myself, Sir, your most devoted, humble servant, F. DRAKE." Mr. + The very worthy and intelligent Historian of York; of whem see the "Literary Anecdotes, vol. VII, p. 115. Dr. DRAKE to RICHARD RICHARDSON, Esq. "DEAR SIR, York, April 26, 1738. "I return you the same instrument you sent me, which is much better than any he has by him; and he also says that there is now no fault in it, the screw not being designed to come any closer. I return you thanks for Lhwyd, which at my leisure I shall dip into. I am sorry my ignorance of the antient British, or modern Welsh, will hinder me from taking that pleasure in it which a right Taffy must do. I long to be poring, you must know, over your Saxon gentry; and if your father would be so good as to spare them me for some time, I would take a little pains to unriddle these dark emblems of Royalty. By the desertion of most of our Gentry, and a whole Regiment of Dragoons from this place, we are become exceeding bare and lonesome. The weather is not yet warm enough to encourage J. Turner to set his face towards Dewsbury. To-morrow that family, Counsellor Slingsby, and myself, design for Wheldrake, to survey a bed of tulips, which they say cost the proprietor, Mr. Scawen, 400l. If it be so, yet the ill-natured cannot say but he has some colour for what he did. " My best respects to the old gentleman, &c. who am also, Sir, "DEAR SIR, According to my promise, I send this to give you notice, that I intend to be in Craven on Friday next; and, according to your promise, I expect you to meet me there; else I shall not be able to find my way to Bierley in my return. I purpose a great deal of pleasure in surveying your curiosities of all sorts; and should be glad to see your nephew there, the young genius you told me of; who seems already to think, you say, that there are other amusements proper for a gentleman to employ his time in, besides leaping over five-bar'd gates, and cock-fighting. Do not fail your appointment, as you will answer the contrary at your peril, to yours most truly, F. DRAKE." York, December 19, 1761. "DEAR SIR, "I have a favour to beg of you, which I make no doubt, if it is in your power, you will do for me, and therefore I shall make no further apology for the freedom of asking it. I have an estate in the parish of Halifax, which, I believe you know, was left me by my kinsman of Craven, but which I never was fully instructed in, either in nature or value. About four years ago I carried over a surveyor with me from hence; but, as it was in Summer, and the hedges full of leaves, he could not see to make a proper judgment of the number of acres, for he did not measure; and, being a stranger also to the country, was so to their value. Now what I have to desire of you is, to recoinmend to me a person so qualified as to overlook and take a survey, if needful, of the whole estate; and herein you may, if you please, consult my friend Seedes, who knows the premises, and may better assist in the affair. If such a person can be met 2 with in your neighbourhood, please to inform me, and I will give him further instructions; but you may take your own time in all this, I am in no hurry about it. "I have set your kinsman Marmaduke so much agog by my description of your Druidical works, that he seems determined to come next summer to see them; and especially as I have assured him there is a turnpike up to your door. He has read Borlase, and therefore is a better judge of such matters. My best respects to your lady, who am, Sir, FR. DRAKE." Mr. THOMAS HEARNE* to Dr. RICHARDSON. Oxon. February 18, 1711-2. "HONOURED SIR, "Four or five days since I received your letter from Mr. Nevil, in which you have been pleased to communicate to me an account of several Antiquities discovered in Yorkshire. The observations and remarks you have made upon each particular are undeniable proofs of your excellent judgment and learning, and I think myself extremely obliged to you upon this account. I shall have a proper occasion of making use of them in my Review, and then I will not forget publicly to acknowledge, how much not only myself, but all such as are studious of our English Antiquities, are indebted to you. What I said at the end of the first volume concerning Mr. Thoresby's brass instruments was proposed only as conjecture; and I leave the whole entirely to you and others, who are much better judges of these things than I am. I cannot however but acquaint you that Begerus assigns these instruments to the same use I have done, and makes them Roman. This I have learned since I writ and published my Discourse. The Roman Celts were used chiefly in cutting letters upon Sepulchral monuments. Such monuments were always looked upon amongst the Romans as sacred, and great penalties were ordered to be inflicted upon such as should violate them. These penalties are sometimes expressed in the inscriptions. We have instances in our Theatre collection. And the punishment extended itself beyond the stone; even to some yards of ground on each side of it. Hence in fronte and in agro on several of them. Since therefore these monuments were esteemed to be so holy, and they were so rigorous and severe in inflicting punishments upon those that abused them, we need not at all wonder that brass instruments (which they judged to be sacred) should be employed in cutting their monumental inscriptions, and in other cases of the same nature. Your other observations I shall consider at leisure; and in the mean time I subscribe myself, Sir, your most obliged humble servant, THO. HEARNE." * Of Edmund Hall, Oxford; the well-known industrious Antiquary. "HONOURED SIR, Oxon, Aug. 12, 1712. "I received your letter with the inscription, for which I am much obliged to you. I am very well pleased with your interpretation of it, and agree with you as to the time of the letters ;' though I wish that there had been some date on the monument, at least that we had some account of the true antiquity of the Priory in the Monasticon.' You will find my opinion about the Stunsfield tesselated pavement at large in my Discourse. I might have confirmed what I have said about Apollo Sagittarius from other monuments, had it been necessary. The figure of the animal will agree well enough with the poetical accounts of the Python, as it will with other stories that are related of Apollo. I am now printing the IXth and last volume of the Itinerary. This will contain the Cygnea Cantio' and the excellent commentary upon it, together with my Review of the whole work. When this s done, I shall be at liberty to print the Collectanea;' but this must be done by contributions, and part of the money must be paid before-hand as you will see by my Proposals. I hope I shall meet with due encouragement; that will induce me to do other things of the same nature. I do not doubt of your assistance; and it is possible otber gentlemen in your parts may be ready to promote such designs. "I send half a dozen cuts of the Stunsfield pavement, which I desire you to accept; and I send as many to Mr. Nevile.” "I am, with great esteem, &c. "HONOURED SIR, THO, HEARNE." Oxon, Feb. 8, 1712-13. "Your note of subscribers, sent with your last letter of the 23d of last month, is a new testimony of your kindness to me, and of your readiness to promote our English Antiquities. Indeed it far exceeds my expectation. I knew that you would be a subscriber yourself; but I could not imagine that you would at the same time send me so many additional ones. As I shall always have a just regard for your excellent learning, so I shall withall retain a very grateful sense of your favours; and I desire that you would now accept of my thanks, and be pleased, if you think it proper, to tender my humble service and thanks also (as opportunity offers) to those gentlemen that have thought fit, by your interest, to promote this undertaking. I am likewise extremely obliged to you for the inscription, which, though pretty modern, is yet very remarkable, and what will deserve at some time or other to be made public in other curious papers of the same nature. I shall be wholly at liberty to put the 'Collectanea' to the press at the time I proposed; and, if I live to finish that work, I design to publish another greater work, in which I have taken some pains, and which, I hope, may be for the common good of Learning. What that work is, I forbear at present to mention; because I would not seem too forward in discoursing about any of my own affairs; and it will be time enough to make it more publicly known, when all things are ripe for putting the design into execution. If you light upon any remarks in old old English prose or verse relating to our English monasteries, churches, chapels, libraries, &c. (which you think something singular, and are withal useful,) if you communicate them, they will be very acceptable; and, if published, a due acknowledgment shall be made of the hand that sent them. I will send you receipts for the subscriptions when the money is paid; and am, honoured Sir, your ever obliged, &c. THO. HEARNE." Oxon. March 1, 1712-13. "HONOURED SIR, "Last night I received from you, by the hands of Mr. Jackson of University College, five pounds, being the first payment for the ten subscriptions you sent me in your former letter. I have sent distinct receipts for the money on one side of this letter, and I renew my thanks for this and all other favours. The book will go to the press precisely at Lady-day, according to my Proposals. I have not been of late at Stunsfield; neither do I hear any thing of the condition of the Pavement. The last time I saw it 'twas much damaged; and yet this was before Winter; so that I fear it hath since suffered much more. I design, when I have a little leisure, to walk over again. I am, &c. THO, HEARNE.". "HONOURED SIR, Oxon. July 1, 1715. "I lately writ you a letter, to signify that the Lelands you generously subscribed for are ready to be delivered to any one you shall appoint to call and pay the second payment for them. You are to have ten setts, and you ordered them to be all bound. The binding comes to 21. 19s. 2d. and the books (the second payment being 40s. a sett) to twenty pounds; in all, 221. 19s. 2d. I am afraid my former letter miscarried, by reason of a mistake in the direction; otherwise I had not given you this trouble. I thank you for accepting (for so I suppose you did, though I have had no notice) of the copy I left for you of my book' De Parmâ Equestri;' and am, honoured Sir, your most obliged humble servant, THO. HEARNE." July.. 1715. "HONOURED Sir, "I thank you for the money you have sent in full for nine setts of 'Leland's Collectanea,' which hath been faithfully paid me, by Mr. Ferrand, to whom I have given not only a general receipt, but particular receipts, which, when shewed to each subscriber, will be sufficient satisfaction, and will (I believe) induce them to pay the second payment immediately. I have already disposed of Mr. Anby's copy. I am sorry for his death.-You mention a bead; but I suppose you forgot to deliver it to the bearer, who knows nothing of it. I do not remember to have seen any of the same kind, which makes me the more desirous of seeing this. When it comes to hand, perhaps I may spend some time about it. I am, with all imaginable respect, honoured Sir, your most obliged humble servant, THO. HEARNE." July.. 1715. HONOURED SIR, "I received your kind letter; and, according to your request, have paid Mr. Hearne your monies, and sent you one sett down by James; the other setts I'll send by the next opportunity. I will take all |