We soon came to the king's quarters and saw the royal bed, of red satin set and embroidered with gold, which he had with him at the siege of Boulogne, is likewise very luxurious.

We were also shown many handsome little striking clocks. Henry VIII's hunting-cap, and his silver gilt posthorn, with several silk leashes for the hounds. Likewise many more bugles, horns and pipes.

In a lower drawer of said chest lay also a natural unicorn's horn weighing twenty pounds, and one span taller than I. I could almost compass its circumference with one thumb and forefinger. In the region which seems to have been embedded two spans into the head, it was hollow and contained a nerve. The exterior was very straight and pointed and wonderfully turned. They told us that Henry VIII had received this unicorn from Arabia and had valued it highly. We then saw over the dwellings of the nobility and the royal retinue, in the court where stands the fountain. Having thoroughly inspected the above castle and given gratuities to the overseer's staff, we went down the hill to the university called Eton College, or Aetona, founded by King Henry VI.

12 We went to St. Johns, saw the Library, & the 2 Skeletons, which are finely cleanse’d, & put together: observable are also the store of Mathematical Instruments, all of them chiefly given by the late A: Bishop Lawd, who built here an handsome Quadrangle: Thence we went to New-Coll: where the Chapell was in its antient garb, not withstanding the Scrupulositie of the Times: Thence to Christ-Church, in whose Library was shew'd us an Office of Hen: 8, the writing, Miniature & gilding whereof is equal if not surpassing any curiosity I had ever seene of that kind: It was given, by their founder, the Cardinal Wolsy: The Glasse Windos of the Cathedral (famous in my time) I found much abused: The ample Hall, & Columne that spreads its Capitel to sustaine the roofe as one gos up the Stayres is very remarkable: Next we walked to Magdalen Coll: where we saw the Library & Chapell, which was likewise in pontifical order, the Altar onely I think turn’d Table-wise: & there was still the double Organ, which abominations (as now esteem’d) were almost universaly demolish’d: Mr. Gibbon that famous Musitian, giving us a tast of his skill & Talent on that Instrument: Hence we went to the Physick Garden, where the Sensitive [& Humble] plant was shew’d us for a greate wonder. There Grew Canes, Olive Tres, Rhubarb, but no extraordinary curiosities, besides very good fruit, which when the Ladys had tasted, we return’d in a Coach to our Lodging.

Among the articles in the catalogue is "A shell standing upon three dolphins;” most probably an object of great beauty and taste. The ornaments of dolphins which prevailed about the reign of Henry VIII, and Edward VI. are often very graceful, and are frequently seen in arabesque work.

20. An English Version of Kirkby's Inquest, with other Matters interspers'd; as, An Inquisition taken at Wakefield, 22 Mar. 9 E. 4. before Tho. Brough Knt. &c. for divers Wasts within that Lordship; the Extent of the Soke of Wakefield, An. 1300. the Bondmen, &c. K. Edw. the 2d's Writ and the Return, certifying the Burroughs and Villages in the County of Yorke, and their Lords, 9 E. 2. K. Hen. the 8th's Gift of the Priory of Syningthwaite to Robert Tempest Esq;.

38. Libri Pascales of the Learned Rob. and Alex Cook, and others, Vicars of Leedes in Queen Elizabeth's Time, and since. The First Register of Births, Weddings and Burials. Temp. Hen. 8.

95. His Grace my Lord Archbishop of Yorke's most accurate Treatise, I. Of the Silver Coins of England; wherein, 1. Of the several Pieces; 2. Of the Fineness of our English Coins: 3. Of the different Weight of our Coins of the same Denomination in the several Reigns, arising from the Increase of the Price or Value of Silver. 4. Of the Impresses or Stamps upon our Coins. 5. Of the Inscriptions. 6. How to distinguish the Coins of the several Kings of the same Name (as two Williams, eight Henrys, six Edwards, and three Richards.) II. Observations on the Golden Coins of England; 1. Of their Fineness, which we call the Standard; 2. Of the Proportions between Gold and Silver, with Respect to their Values; 3. Of the several Pieces from the first Coining of Gold to the Reign of K. Henry VIII. 4. Of the Stamps and Inscriptions of the foregoing Pieces. 5. Of the several Pieces from the first of Hen. VIII. to this Time: 6. A farther Account of those Pieces as to the Impresses and Inscriptions. 7. A Table of the present Rates of Gold for the more easily finding the Value of the old Pieces. III. Observations on the Scots Money; 1. Of the Scots Weights and Standards: 2. Of the Scots Sums compared with the English, and the different Proportions they bore to one another in the several Reigns; 3. Of the several Scots Pieces. IIII. Of the Irish Coins, to K. James IId's inclusive. Don. R. R. DD. Archiepiscopi Ebor. To this may be added what I had the Honour to receive from another Noble Lord, the Right Honourable Thomas Earl of Pembroke, viz. An Account of the fourteen distinct Sorts of the Silver Monies of England, from a Farthing to the Twenty Shillings Piece; and who are said by our Historians to coin the first of each Sort; with what particular Exceptions are in his Lordships inestimable Musæum: For Example, whereas K. Edw. Ist. 3d. and 6th. are said to Coin the first Silver Farthings, Groats and Crowns, his Lordship hath a round Farthing (not the 4th Part of a Penny broken, as had been usually currant before) of K. Hen. 3d's. A Groat of Edw. I. and an English Crown of Henry VIII.

It would be too tedious to mention those of the next Century, else there are some very rare to be met with, that were printed both before and after the Reformation, as a Mass-Book with the Word Papa, and the Festival of St. Thomas of Canterbury, expunged upon the memorable Visitation 1548. Portiforium seu Breviarium secundum usum ecclesie Sarisburiensis (Paris 8vo. 1533.) And the Manuale (4to. Lond. 1555). In the Sponsalia the Words to be bonere and burum in bedde, and at the bord, are used in their Primitive Innocency, ab AS, bocrum obediens. Fructus Temporum in English, compiled at St. Albans, An. 1413, and printed in Powlys Chyrche yarde, by Julyan Notary, 1515, Fol. Henricus 8. adversus Lutherum, 8vo. This noted Tract printed 1537, commonly called, The Bishops Booke, being subscribed by two Archbishops, nineteen Bishops; see Mr. Strype's Mem. of Archbishop Cranmer, p. 52. Bishop Bonner's Articles, An. 1554. (of which see Bishop of Sarum's Hist. Reform. 2d Vol. p. 289.) with Bishop Bales's Declaration.

This reminds me of another Branch of the Curiosities that I begun to collect of late Years, viz. Original Letters, and other Matters of the proper Hand Writing of Persons of all Ranks, eminent in their Generations. It begins with the Kings of England, and contains the Signs Manual of K. Hen. 5, Hen. 6, Edw. 4, Rich. 3, and Hen. 7. K. Henry the 8th, Queen Katharine Par's Letter to the Admiral, K. Edw. the 6th's to the said Queen; the entire Letter of his own Writing, so one of his Sister the Lady Elizabeth's, both delicately writ: Qu. Elizabeth's Original Instructions for the Lord Evre, Warden of the middle Marshes. Mary Queen of Scots, when Prisoner in Yorkeshire; K. James the 6th of Scotland, the same when King of England; his Daughter Elizabeth Queen of Bohemia: K. Charles the Ist's Letter to the said Queen; the Commeatus for Sir John Burrough, Garter: K. Charles II. when in Exile (to the Provost of Edinburgh); and after his Restoration: His Order for erecting a Monument in Westminster-Abbey for K. Edw. 5, and his Brother, whose murdered Corps were then discovered at the Tower. Prince Rupert, James Duke of Yorke, the same when King of England; William-Henry Prince of Orange, King Will. 3. Qu. Mary 2. and her present Majesty Qu. Anne, whom God long preserve; Prince George, Duke of Glocester, and Princess Sophia, to the Bishop of Sarum.

Stemma Regalis Augustissimi Monarchæ Jacobi Magn. Brit. Fran. & Hib. Regis, &c. it is curiously delineated upon Parchment from Malcolme, and St. Margaret, to Prince Henry 1604. Don. D. Jo. Boulter Arm. Pedigree of Brooke Baron of Cobham. The Original Subsidy for the Wapentake of Skyrake granted to K. Hen. 8. An. 1549. subscribed by John Gascoigne Esq; &c. Commissioners. Don. D. Cyr. Arthington Arm. The third Subsidy to K. Ja. I. for the said Wapentake, subscribed by Sir Tho. Fairfax, and Sir Hen. Goodricke Knts. 1605. A List of the Lord Mayors of Yorke (and short Historical Notes) from 1488 to 1588; all upon Parchment.

The Original Charters of Edward I. King of England, to William de Vescy; and of John King of Scotland to John de Insula, under the Great Seals of their respective Kingdoms. Letters Patents of K. Rich. 2. K. Henry 8. with this additional Inscription upon the Seal, In terris Supremi Capitis Ecclesie Anglicane; which Title was also recognized by the Clergy, as appeareth by an Indenture of Rob. Prior of Nostell. Queen Elizabth's with the Great Seal of England; and another with that of the Dutchy of Lancaster. K. James I. and his Consort Queen Anne. K. Charles I. and II. Only those of K. Rich. 2. and Jac. I. have lost the Seals. Of the Royal Family, here are Charters of Edm. Earl of Lancaster (second Son of K. Hen. 3.) and John, Constable of England, and Regent of France (third Son of K. Hen. 4.) Of the ancient Nobility, Alice Lascy's (Lacy) Confirmation of Aberford Mills, the Original of that mentioned by Dr. Kennet (Par. Ant. p. 280.) sealed with three Garbs, An. 1274. Johan de Warenne Counte de Surr. a toutes, &c. de la vile de Wakefeud, 7 Ed. I. The Arms Checkie.

A Deed of Gift of Lands to the Church at Haxey. (Don. Jac. Torr Arm.) with all the Essentails of a Deed, in less than eight Lines, and those scarce half as many Inches in Length, and not two in Breadth; Hæc fuit candida illius ætatis fides, & simplicitas, quæ pauculis lineis omnia fidei firmamenta posuerunt. The Date of Deeds Antiquity often omited, faith Sir E. Coke, but they were commonly added in the Reigns of K. Edw. 2. and E. 3. and ever since (Inst. I. p. 6.) But in this Collection are several in the Reign of K. Edw. I. and some in Henry the 3d's, particularly one relating to Kirkstal-Abbey, An. 1239. In all these the Names of the Witnesses are entred in the Continent of the Deed, after the Words Hiis Testibus, writ with the same Hand that the Deed is: Of which here are several Instances in every Reign (except R. 3.) from Edw. I. to Hen. 8. inclusive. When a Deed required a Counter-part, it was engross'd twice in one Parchment, with a Space between, wherein the Word Chirograph, or part of the Alphabet, was writ in Capital Letters, and then either indented or cut directly through the midst of the Letters: Here are Instances of both. In some the Terms Forinseco servitio & fossato, (of which see Dr. Kennet's instructive Glossary) are expresly mentioned: Also the Word Gersuma, Earnest of a Bargain yet called in those Northern Parts Arls, from the Saxon Aꞃ æs, Brass or Copper, given in Hand to confirm the Contract.