As to the latter part of your letter, I shall only say, I had once some public designs, they were good I think, but I am sure I was in earnest. Whatever they were they are at an end, and I shall never reassume them. However, I shall proceed in my collection and tho' it will not be so large as I at first intended it, I hope to make it as curious as any private one in Europe, particularly in some sort of books which I believe are not known in Oxford. Mr. Cunningham is going into France and from thence into Italy, and will miss nothing that is curious. If ever If ever I return from the Indies I shall make that tour myself and nothing shall escape me.that is valuable in my way, tho' it is possible, considering my circumstances, I may make very little use of them myself, and am not yet resolved what to do with them at my death, tho' I am very fully determined I will not dispose of them as I at first intended. I humbly thank you for your good wishes, and

am,

Revd. Sir,

Your most humble and most obedt. servant,

June 25th, [1702.]

CHR. CODRINGTON.*

Christopher Codrington was born at Barbadoes in the year 1668. When of a sufficient age to bear the hardships of a voyage, he was sent to England for his education, and placed at a private school at Enfield. From this place he

LETTER L.

Mr. LHWYD to Dr. SMITH.

Dr. R. Bathurst's Will. Coins.

Oxford, Aug. 2, 1704.

REVD. SIR,

I LATELY acquainted Mr. James Smith I would trouble you with a letter, the same

was removed to Christ Church, Oxford, of which society he became a gentleman-commoner in 1685. In 1689 he was chosen fellow of All Souls' College, an honour he seems to have been particularly fitted for, from his natura] abilities and acquired accomplishments. In 1694 he became M.A. Being desirous of visiting foreign countries he entered the army, and became a captain in the first regiment, of foot guards. In this situation he conducted himself with great gallantry, and was rewarded, at the conclusion of the peace of Ryswick, with the office of Captain-General and Governor of the Leeward Carribee Islands. As Governor of these Islands, several complaints were made against him, in 1701, to the House of Commons, but the answer he made to the charges, and the concurring testimony of the Lieutenant Governor, the Members of the Council, and the representatives of Nevis, in his favour, leave little room to suppose that these accusations were, in reality, well founded. When he resigned the high situation he had filled, he devoted himself to study and retirement, intending to return to Oxford, and pass the remainder of his life with his old friends and literary associates. But this blessing was denied him, for he died at his seat in Barbadoes on Good Friday, in the year 1710. He left the bulk of his estate to his

time I should send him a paper be had desired hence but not being able to procure a paper I then designed to send you, I take this opportunity by a friend of his. Hearing Dr. Bathurst's Will much commended, I was desirous of a copy of it to be sent you, as supposing it might not

cousin-german, Colonel William Codrington of Barbadoes, which was supposed to be worth 40,000l. and upwards: 20,000l. to the Society for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts and 10,000l. to All Souls' College for a Library, besides his noble collection of books, valued at that time at 6000 pounds more. His body was buried April 8, 1710, in the parish church of St. Michael, Barbadoes, but was afterwards removed to England, and interred in All Souls' College chapel, June 19, 1716. He directed 201. only to be expended for a grave stone. Colonel Codrington was an accomplished gentleman, and an universal scholar. He was the patron of literature, the friend of distress, and ■ public benefactor of the highest class. One of his biographers (William Gordon) says that " he was a great admirer of St. Basil, whom he seems not a little to have resembled in the universality of his genius, the warmth and activity of his temper, and an affection for a monastic life, but chiefly in his eloquent and sublime way of speaking and writing."

None of Codrington's writings appear to have been preserved to us, if we except the following:

1. Observations and Remarks on the Articles exhibited by Mr. Freeman to the House of Commons, against Col. Codring ton, Lond. 1702. 4to.

2. Lines to Sir Samuel Garth on his "Dispensary."

6. Epilogue to Southern's " Fate of Capua," a Tragedy.

be unacceptable, which having at last procured, I now trouble you with; though excepting for the form of the preface, I know it is insignificant ;* but I could not tell what it might be till I had it. We do not yet hear who will most likely succeed Dr. Halton: Dr. Mills and Dr. Lancaster are most talked of; but it will be a long time ere they proceed to election. Dr. Hicks's Thesaurus Linguarum Septentrionalium continuing still in the press, my printer has been necessitated to leave mine, as often as he should receive more copy of that. However there are now 22 sheets finished of my Irish-English Dictionary, which,

*The above-mentioned Will is to be found in T. Warton's "Life and Literary Remains of Ralph Bathurst, M. D. Dean of Wells, and President of Trinity College, Oxford." Dr. Bathurst died in his eighty-fourth year, June 14, 1704, and was buried on the south side of the ante-chapel of Trinity College Chapel. Warton says, (on the information of Lord Bathurst) that "he had been blind for some time, and his death was occasioned by the accident of breaking his thigh while he was walking in the garden, which, on the failure of his eyes, became his favourite and only amusement. Under this malady he languished for several days in acute agonies. It is said that at first, and for some time, he refused to submit to the operations of the surgeon, declaring, in his tortures, that there was no marrow in the bones of an old man."

Timothy Halton, D.D. Provost of Queen's College. He died in 1704, and was succeeded by William Lancaster, D.D.

brings it to the beginning of the letter S, and makes about a fourth part of the book. There was lately a very noble collection of coins presented to the Bodley Library by one Mr. Ray, formerly Consul of Smyrna, which I am told had been collected in those parts by his cook. I have not yet seen them, but am told they are in number about 2000. I am,

Worthy Sir,

Your most obliged humble Servant,

E. LHWYD.*

* Edward Lhwyd, son of Charles Lhwyd of Llanvorda, Salop, was born about 1670, educated at Jesus College, Oxford, where he took his degrees, and afterwards became Keeper of Ashmole's Museum. He was a most industrious antiquary, and an excellent scholar. In search of the early history and languages of Great Britain, he travelled several times through England, Scotland, Ireland, and France, and published the fruit of his labours in 1707, under the title of Archæologia Britannica. He only lived to finish the first volume, but this sufficiently evinces the wonderful application and accurate knowledge of the author. In March, 1709, he was elected esquire-bedell of divinity to the University, and died in June, the same year. He was the intimate friend of Hearne who has left a character of him, in the preface to the second volume of Leland's Itinerary. Dr. Rawlinson, in his MS. additions to Athena Oxonienses says "the untimely death of this most excellent, and I may say without vanity, best antiquary of his age, prevented the completing of many noble designs. His MSS. which were very curious and valuable, are sold to Sir Thomas Sebright, of Beachwood, in Herefordshire." Several of Lhwyd's