Gervase Wilcox, citizen of London and fishmonger, gave the Museum a so-called protestant flail, a weapon with which certain unlawful zealots attempted unsuccessfully, thank God, to subvert the Monarchy, the Church and the Universities. From their ranks Stephen College was hanged at Oxford. Gervase Wilcox added it to the Museum's collection as a perpetual cause of shame and a reproach to men of that kind.

The very Reverend Father in Christ, John [Fell], by the Grace of God Bishop of Oxford and Dean of Christ Church, gave the collection, as a token of his good will to the Ashmolean Museum, two original medals, one of them gold and the other silver, struck to commemorate the coronation of their Royal Highnesses King James II and Queen Mary Beatrice of England on 23 April 1685; also an outline map of Africa and two ancient maps of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. (One hopes that there may be more.)

John Gosch, the Dutch consul in Turkey, gave a brass seal belonging to Makanios, the Patriarch of Antioch, recently discovered by a peasant in the Taurus mountains near Antioch. It's inscription runs: 'Makarios by the mercy of God patriarch of the great city Antioch and of all Anatolia'. See the Vice-Chancellor's Catalogue, no. 894b.

(60). The picture in little of Shaban Agaà il Grand d' Algeers, or the King of Argeers, to whom I delivered his Maties (Charles II.) credential letter, and with whom I had chiefly to do in points of difficulty, though I bought slave by slave from each particular Turkish patron, as one buyeth horses in Smithfield. A poor painter, an Italian slave, stood privately to draw me this picture at several times when I had audience of Shaban Agaà. It is ill work, but the clothes and mode is like him, as he (and as all the country doeth,) sat cross-legged on a Turkey carpet on a bench, I sitting at the turning of the bench by him, with my hat on, in my clerical habit; I finding him mostly very courteous. But in a 500lb business, that he would have had me pay for slaves that had made their escape, we were both very hot, and had like to have broken the peace, but at lenght length my reasons prevailed. But at the end of all, when all the slaves were redeemed and sent on board his Maties man-of-war that attended us, it was a thousand to one but that the peace between us had binn broken, and I and my fellow commissioner, Dr. Selleck, had bin made slaves. It was but a greine in a pair of golden scales, whether aye or no—they having that night brought in an Englishman as a prize; but by God’s blessing, and much difficulty, I played my part so well with threatening, that we got off. But poor consul Browne paid for it; for we were no sooner gone from their coasts but they broke the peace, and took all the English as formerly.

The BIRD of PARADISE. By the Natives of the Molucca Islands (where they breed, and by whom they are worshipped,) called MANUCODIATA, i. e. The Bird of God. Because they know not from whence they come; and for their beauty. From his swift flight to and again, the Indians, in their Language, call him a Swallow. Marggravius reckons up several sorts of them, and describes them all. The least kind, Clusius calls the King. Because (as he saith, from the report of the Dutch Mariners) as they fly together, about 30 or 40 in a flock, he always keeps higher than the rest.) Besides the smallness of his Body, in respect to what his copious Plumes shew him; the long Feathers which grow upon his sides under his Wings, and are extended thence a great way beyond his Tail; and the two long Strings or Quills which grow upon his Rump, do most remarkably distinguish him from all other Birds. He is elegantly figur'd in Calceolarius's Musæum, with the Title of Chamæleon Æreus.

THEThe Bird of Paradise, call'd Manucodiata, or the Bird of God, by the Natives of the Molucca Islands, who worship them. It was not long since generally believed, not by the Vulgar only, but the greatest Naturalists themselves, that they wanted Feet; and I lately saw one, that, to countenance this Error, was mutilated; but all Persons are now sufficiently convinced that this is false, both by the Testimony of Eye-Witnesses, and the Birds themselves brought over entire, as this was from Java, by Dr. Midgley, who presented it to me.

A Surprizing Representation of the Trinity, wherein the first Person is drawn as an Old Man with a triple Crown; the second with the Cross, and the third as a Dove, with Rays of Glory about each, and these Words inscribed, "In this Picture is represented, that of the Apostle St. Paul, Rom. 16. v. 27. saying, To God the only wife, through Jesus Christ to whom, together with the Holy Ghost, be Honour, Glory for ever and ever Amen. In the old Edition of the Horæ Beatis: Mariæ (a rare Book in this Musæum), the blessed Trinity is represented by three Heads. Upon one Neck of a humane Body, pag. xx, b. and pag. xlii, a. is that of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary described by Bishop Burnet in his Excellent History of the Reformation (Vol. II. p. 60.) as that of the Trinity, but is strictly that of the Assumption of the Virgin, who is represented between the Father (with Triple Crown, &c.) and the Son. Of the Medals relating to her Immaculate Conception, and to other Saints, to the Jubilees, &c. see before. What appertains to this Place are certain Superstitious Pictures, and pretended Relicks: As a Picture of the Virgin Mary surrounded with a Glory, the Moon under her Feet, treading upon the Old Dragon; over her Head the Trinity, as in the first Picture, and below all Marie conceived without Original Sin. Two different Accounts of the Original of this Feast may be seen in the Legenda Aurea Sanctorum of Jac. De Varagine; of which I have a rare Edition printed at Paris, An. 1475. The Picture of our Lady of Loretto, and her Son, painted and gilt upon red Silk, brought for me from Spain, by Mr. Chr. Wilkinson of Armley, Chaplain in a Man of War. The Darkness of her Face, (painted as a Black-moor) and Brightness of her Garments glittering with Gold are both unaccountable. The Figure of the Sole of her Shoe, upon which is written, ┼ This is the just Mea sure of the Foot of the blessed Virgin Mary, cut out by the Shoe which is kept in a Monastery of Monks in Spain. ┼ Pope John the 22d hath granted 700 Years of Indulgence to all those who will kiss the Measure three Times a Day, saying three Ave's ┼. This is just 7 Inches in Length, wanting a Quarter of an Inch of the Spanish Original, as printed by Rivet, and set forth with Licence.

A Penitentiary Discipline from Vigo, An. 1702. It is of Hair with Knots six or eight Inches distant from each other. Don. D. Jo. Cookson Lond. Incence from the same Place. Don. D. E. Aldburgh. A Picture of God the Father, as an old Man in the Clouds, with Justinian Patriarch of Venice, and other Saints below, brought me from Spain by the Reverend Mr. Chr. Wilkinson. The Invention and Exaltation of the Cross, curiously represented in various Figures in Silver upon transparent Horn; upon a Cross surrounded with Cherubs is Hallelujah in large Capitals; upon each of which are Inscriptions in lesser Letters, as Crux æterna Dei, &c. Upon the Head of the Cross Benedictum Lignum.