lay aside, and destine him for your service, till he get a place -Mr. Brewer's present to me is too valuable to be accepted; so I shall return it him by Dan. I am, worthy Sir, Your obliged and humble servant, THO. SHORT." TO RICHARD RICHARDSON, Esq. North Bierley. "SIR, Sheffield, Jan. 28, 1746. "The late immoderate fondness of Exotics and Chemical Medicines having almost expelled the use of our own Simples in practice, to the great detriment of the health of the poor, and Nature's liberality to us; I have last year, at my spare hours, collected and compiled a Treatise on the Virtues of English Physical Plants, from the best ancient and modern Authors, my own 27 years observations in practice, and the communications of several acquaintances, as an essay toward restoring and recommending the use of Simples, adapted especially to the use of charitably disposed private gentlemen and ladies; of which I have herewith sent you part of a copy, desiring your acceptance of it, and the rest of the copy shall be sent when it comes off the press. And because your late ingenious, generous, and worthy Father and you were the greatest Botanists in the kingdom, I beg you will be so kind as to favour me, by the return of the bearer next Monday, with what errors or mistakes you find in the botanical part, that they may be printed off with the errata of the press, which I have taken up here. There only wants here, Wound Wort. Vulneraria rustica, and Jessmine, that was forgot before, to compleat the printed catalogue. I am, dear Sir, “Your most obedient and humble servant, THO. SHORT." Mr. RALPH THORESBY✶ to Dr RICHARDSON. "HONOURED SIR, Leeds, Jan. 5, 1701-2. "I am very sorry I was so unhappily prevented, that I could enjoy so little of your excellent and instructive converse when you was last at Leeds. I forgot to enquire when you heard from our friend Mr. Sutherland. I have writ twice, and in October sent him an Edward VI. half crown, but never heard from him since. When you seek for a letter of Mr. Vernon's, you may perhaps find some others of your learned Correspondents. If my estate would permit it, I should scarce be able to deny myself the honour and happiness of waiting on you to the two Universities, and London, the next tour you make. I shall in vain wish myself with you at such places, where I know you will have the opportunity of excellent converse, and seeing noble collections of all manner of curiosities: but I must submit to another fate. I have forgot the name of the Sea Fowl and foreign prickly Crab you told me, and the small sort of Lobster in the white shell. Perhaps, in your Treatise of Fishes, you may find the figure of what was sent me under the notion of a Dog-fish. At your leisure, I shall be proud of a line to, Sir, your most obliged, &c. RALPH THORESBY." *The industrious Author of the " Ducatus Leodiensis ;" of whom see the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VIII. p. 464, "HONOURED "HONOURED SIR, Leeds, April 10, 1702. "With thanks for the Phosphorus, you might justly expect letters to the gentleman we were speaking of; but the death of an only brother having kept me up the whole night, I can scarce hold up my head; and now necessary cares about the poor orphans and funeral prevent my enlargement. I shall hope for the favour of an answer to the letter I sent to you a month ago for Mr. Lhwyd, upon your return from Oxford. My service to him and Mr. Nevil, if you know him, of that University-to Dr. Cooke, and our late learned Vicar Mr. Milner of Cambridge, if you make that your way to London. I only beg the favour of a line on Monday, how I shall direct to you at London; and the next week I hope to perform what should have been done now by, Sir, "Your obliged though sorrowful servant, RALPH THORESBY." "HONOURED Sir, Leeds, May 19, 1702. "On Tuesday Mr. Richardson was so kind as to leave your letter at my house. I was so unhappy as to be then abroad, and afterwards missed of him, though I was no less than four times that afternoon at his Inn. I thank you for your very kind Letter, and am heartily glad you are safe returned, This morning I had a letter from Dr. Woodward, who, I perceive, is in a fret ; because, not without difficulty, he had the perusal of the drawings of your Coal Plants for about three hours, because you was going out of town that afternoon, yet the Wednesday after Dr. Sloane produced them at the Meeting of the Society, and said you had given them to him, and would also send him the things themselves. Mr. Nicolson writ me, he was to be peppered at, as well as somebody else, upon whom I dread the storm will fall more heavy, because the Bishoprick of Carlisle will possibly screen your fellow. sufferer; but this only to yourself. The Doctor, you know, is an ingenious person, though he can by no means bear any one's respects to the most obliging Dr. Sloane, who, I am glad to hear, has Mr. Charleton's Collections*. I heard lately from Mr. Sutherland, who is recovered; but I fear Dr. Kaye, of Newcastle, is dead. I fear Mr. Lhwyd took not kindly my Letter of the supposed British Coin, because I have never heard from him. I long for the happiness of enjoying a little of your conversation: writing cannot dispatch what a London journey affords; but must wait the leisure. I am, dear Sir, &c. "HONOURED SIR, RALPH THORESBY." Leeds, July 3, 1702. "I perceive by Dr. Sloane you communicated to him what I writ, which will put Dr. Woodward into a fret ; but it is no great matter, for though very ingenious, yet not the best tempered. I have very lately received two letters from Dr. Sloane, who is proud of your correspondence, whom he found to answer the great cha * William Charleton, Esq. of the Middle Temple, eminently known for his fine collection of Curiosities, viz. Medals, Shells, &c, died at the Gravel Pits at Kensington, March 27, 1702, and left the aforesaid Curio sities to Dr. Sloane.-The real name of this gentleman was Courters. Why he assumed that of Charleton, and many curious particulars of his eventful life, may be seen in the Biographia Britannica, 1789, Vol. IV. racter racter he had of you, being extremely knowing, candid, and ingenious. I have had also the favour of a letter from Mr. Lhwyd of Oxford, and wish I knew how to get one or two of the Adder Beads he has ready for me, safe into Yorkshire; when you know of any opportunity, please to give me notice. And on Saturday last I received a small parcel of Coins from Mr. Sutherland, and a few formed Stones, and one that smells of Violets, found in the North of Scotland; of which he procured four, one of which he sent to the Museum at Oxford, one to Mr. Charleton of the Temple (now Dr. Sloane's), and one he reserves for Dr. Richardson, which I advertise you of, lest his letter to you should miscarry. I should be glad of a catalogue of the Scotch Coins you received of him long ago. The famous old Mr. Evelyn is yet hearty: he has left two odd Coins for me at Gresham College, which I know not now how to get home, since Mr. Kirke is come away. I am, &c. RALPH THORESBY." Dr. RICHARDSON to Mr. THORESBY. July.. 1702. "DEAR SIR, "I had taken care of Mr. Lhwyd's present to you, if I had not received your farther directions. He is now at Cambridge, but his stay there will be short: I heard from him this week. I daily expect Mr. Bobart's orders for a fresh supply of those Plants I sent him in May; the season then being so untoward for planting, that I fear very few of them are now alive. If I hear nothing from him shortly, I shall desire him to send me the formed Stones I had from the Museum, which were left in his hands; and with them to take care of Mr. Lhwyd's kindness to you. I am sorry I should lose the favour of so ingenious a person as Dr.Woodward, especially if the passage in Mr. Lhwyd's Lithophylacii Britannici Iconographia' be the only reason; which, I believe, if fairly represented to any unprejudiced Reader, will not appear so enormous a crime but may justly deserve pardon. Because the book is scarce, I have transcribed you as much as relates to that passage, where you will find, that in express words I do acknowledge that Lime-stone abounds with marine bodies. If, in my search for such, I had met with any Lime-stone there, my inquiry would have been more particular; but the S. W. rocks upon the hill being the only ones that are of that sort, and being very inconsiderable to the rest, at first escaped my observation; but at second search, found it Lime-stone, and in it Pectinites and Entrochi (and as soon realized my mistake) which are in plenty in all the Limestone in Craven; but in any other part of the great Rocks, which consist of Mill-stone grest, fine Sand-stone, not any footsteps of Shells, &c. to be found and in this, I am sure, neither the Doctor nor any of his Missionaries can detect me; neither have I met with any thing of this kind in any quarries of Stone within four miles of this place, though we have plenty of all sorts, une less we may call the Black Scale, which lies above the Coal nigh Birstall, which is wholly composed of shells for several feet toge ther but in the transcript you will trace some account of it. I perhaps might have been as serviceable a person for assisting in : his designed work as most he would have met with here; but I perceive he must be angry with all persons that in the least pretend to his way, lest his honour should be eclipsed by their assistance. But I heartily wish him all the reputation that so great an undertaking deserves, and his health to finish his book; and for what he can say or do to me, I am not in the least concerned. But I am afraid, in the epistle he refers you to, there are greater rubs to be met with than this, which I hope he will account for in his great work; and that, perhaps, may be the reason, though the other bear the show. But, if I be ill used, I am sure to fare no worse than some of my friends, who will be no more concerned than myself. I will very willingly allow his hypothesis to carry the greatest weight of reason along with it of any yet extant; and I am sure, if his humour was as agreeable as his way of writing, he would be the mirror of this age; but his haughty temper will not down with any person that is his equal. He shewed me with all the civility imaginable the finest Collection of Natural Curiosities I ever yet met with, besides other civilities I received from him: but the Designs that I shewed him were disposed of to Dr. Sloane the morning before, and after, by Mr. Buddle's notion (who was with me at Dr. Sloane's) borrowed, to shew Dr. Woodward they were then not my own. And he takes it ill that I should be so backward in lending him them. I had promised to return them to Dr. Sloane when I came back from Dr. Woodward, and I was not willing to disoblige him. If I had met with Dr. Woodward before I had disposed of them, he should with as much frankness have had them as Dr. Sloane, for it was never my thoughts to let them appear in publick. R. RICHARDSON." Leeds, Sept. 17, 1707. "HONOURED SIR, "What I find marked for you in my Catalogue of Mr. Kirk's Books is, No 90 of the folios, A Vindication of Stonehenge restored,' price 2s. 1d.; and amongst the quartos, No 119, Miscellanea Curiosa,' said to be in 7 volumes, a guinea. Sir George Wheler' went at 4s. 7d. to Mr. Arthington. After the bustle about the Miscellanea Curiosa,' there was such confusion that I find no more marked in my Catalogue. I thank you most kindly for your most agreeable present of Mr. Lhwyd's 'Archæologia Britannica. I should be glad if you could send along therewith the transcript of your Pedigree and Arms, as likewise that of the Archbishop, to adorn my MS. As you hunt for Natural Curio sities for Dr. Sloane, you may perhaps find duplicates for dear Sir, "Your obliged humble servant, "HONOURED SIR, RALPH THORESBY." Leeds, Oct. 15, 1707. "I hope this will find you safe returned from my Lord Down's, whither your last Letter acquainted me you was going. Mr. Lhwyd's book (for which I am much your debtor) is a very surprizing as well as diverting Treatise. He is a person of prodigious industry. When you have leisure, pray oblige me with what I requested of your Pedigree; and pray note the years of the the deaths of the heads of the family, that I misapply not the Epitaphs in and near Bradford Church, wherein I expected also to have met with one of Mr. Peter Sunderland, the Benefactor. Pray whether was he buried there or not? and whether did he dispose of any other sums to pious uses than that to the Lecturer? By the assistance of your mother and other relations, you may draw out that of the Archbishop, better than I know how to procure it any other way. Please particularly to mention his Chaplain, Mr. Richardson, iny good friend, and Mr. Wickens, who I think married his sister. As to a transcript of his Grace's MS. of English Coins, you shall not need to be at the charge of an Amanuensis, I will do it for you myself; only you must spare me a little at this juncture, because Dr. Gibson of Lambeth will needs engage me to make Additions and Corrections for the County of York, in order to a new edition of Camden's Britannia; and urges me to haste, there being none to be got at London. Pray hint to me what mistakes or omissions you have noted in the last Edition. When I have done that I will transcribe my Lord's MS. for you; your kind respects to me meriting a greater master than that from dear Sir, &c. RALPH THORESBY." "HONOURED SIR, Leeds, Feb. 23, 1708-9. "Being returned from a London journey, I take myself obliged to give so good a friend as you have always been, a short account of my Tour; and the rather because several eminent Virtuoso's enquired particularly of you at Gresham College*, where one of your Letters was read with great satisfaction. The most obliging Dr. Sloane is especially your servant. The Venetian Ambassador (who was lately admitted) was twice there, with the Dutch Envoy, and other curious Foreigners, who were pleased with some experiments made by the Air-pump.-I saw there some valuable MSS. taken by Gustavus Adolphus. I need not tell you what valuable ones I met with in the Cottonian Library; but I was surprized to find so prodigious a number of original Charters, Bulls, MSS. as are of late collected and purchased at vast rates daily by Mr. Harley, the late Secretary. I was especially pleased with some of the excellent Bp. Stillingfleet's, that relate to Yorkshire. I had also the perusal of the famous Record in the Exchequer, Domesday-book, with liberty to transcribe what was for my purpose, by the favour of Norroy, our King at Arms, who, with Mr. Dale, allowed me the like favour at the Heralds' Office, where I took particular notice of your Pedigree. I was pleased to see them in their formalities (the Union Arms being richly embroidered) upon the Queen's birth-day at St. James's, where was a vast concourse of the first-rate Nobility, by many of whom I had been kindly received, and shewed variety of Curiosities (as their several Genii inclined them) at their respective houses; but by none more than the Lord High Admiral §, who has Editor of Camden's Britannia, and afterwards Bishop of London. made |