what care is taken of the interstinctive points, ,;. and in what kind of hand it is written. I know you are curious in these things, which makes me give you this trouble, from, Sir,

Your friend and servant,

JOHN WALLIS

LETTER XXXIII.

Dr. SMITH's Answer.

I HAVE, according to your desire, consulted the MS. in the Cottonian Library, Caligula A. xv. in which is contained the Expositio Bissexti, (unjustly attributed to St. Cyprian) for the publication of which, as for many other pieces of profound, exquisite, and useful learning, the world is beholden to you. It is a venerable book for its antiquity, which the character fully shews, being exactly of the same make with others in the same library, written, as may be made out by good and just proofs, about a thousand years ago. You may be sure therefore, that there are none of the present numeral figures to be found in it, as the transcriber of your copy has, it seems, perversely mistaken. There are in it, indeed, several abbreviations, such as I found in Beza's Greek and Latin Gospels and Acts, now at Cambridge, as xpm, Christum;

Ihm, Jesum; dnm, dominum; scm, sanctum; Kl, Kalend; and the like: and ae is always written apart for the diphthong. There are other abbreviations, which may perchance be of the same antiquity tho' at present I have not leisure to examine it, by looking into old MSS.

as & for et; ix for rum; by for bus; and the like. There are no other interstinctive points, but full points (.) and commas (,) some of which latter I am apt to imagine have been made by a late hand: nor is there any kind of Parenthesis as I could observe

in

my deliberate turning over the several leaves. If you design to give us another edition of this curious and ancient computus de Pascha, as the Rheims copy entitles it, in the third volume of your Mathematical Works, I will carefully compare it for you; for I am not always satisfied with what Dr. Gale pretends to do himself, when things are done by his Amanuenses, upon whom he has relied too much, and of which he has the sole honour.

Lond. 12 Sept. [16]96.

LETTER XXXIV.

Mr. WANLEY to Dr. SMITH.

Saxon Charters.

Univ. Coll. June 20, 1697.

REVEREND SIR,

I AM very sorry I should mention the borrowing that book of the Saxon Charters to you, seeing it cannot be lent out, and humbly crave your pardon for my rashness; and tho' there are many other books in that noble library which would be useful to me in my present design, (which is more relating to the nature of Letters, than to the Diplomata or Charters themselves,) yet I shall not for the future, make use [of] any of my friends to get them hither, but content myself till I can go to London. To unfold my meaning a little further, my intent is to trace the Greek and Latin letters from the oldest. monuments of antiquity now extant, as the marbles and medals, to the MSS. and so down to the present age. When any other language derives its character from these as the Coptic or Russian from the Greek; the Francic, Irish, Saxon, &c. from the Latin; I shall consider them in their several times, but the Saxon I would especially bring down from the oldest Charters to the present English hands. The Charters I believe may

be older than the books; and may determine the age of all the Saxon MSS. with the assistance of some other remarks, but one cannot rely upon them, till we know for certain which be genuine and which not; and to find this a man had need of the help of altogether, this made me so bold as to desire the book. I am not in haste with my design, which I know will cost many years time, and the trouble of a personal view of every book in capital letters in Europe, &c. yet after all, if nobody shall in that time have prevented me, I may have a second vol. de re Anglorum diplomatica,* which I pray God grant you health and opportunity to give the world, since undoubtedly you are the most capable of any man now living to do.

As to our public Library we have not many curious dates, those we have are mostly within 500 years, one or two we have in Greek and Latin of 700 and 800 years apiece, but Sir J. Cotton has great store of noble ones, much older, as appears by your excellent Catalogue, which often sets my mouth watering, tho' I know not when I shall be so happy as to see the books, having no prospect of a journey upwards. However, Sir, I give you again my humble and sin

*

Wanley intended to publish a Treatise on the Various Characters of MSS. which, it is to be lamented, he never lived to complete.

cere thanks for all your favours to me, and shall whenever it is in my power endeavour to shew you that I am,

Reverend Sir,

Your most faithful and obedient Servt.

HUMFREY WANLEY.*

* Humphrey Wanley, son of the Rev. Nathaniel Wanley, vicar of Trinity Church, Coventry, author of the Wonders of the Little World, and some other books, was born at Coventry, March 21, 1671. He was first placed as an apprentice to a limner in Coventry, and afterwards to some other trade; but his natural inclination leading him to study ancient manuscripts, and mark their peculiarities, he soon became eminent in the place of his nativity for his uncommon readiness at distinguishing their age and value. This coming to the knowledge of Dr. William Lloyd, then Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, he sent for young Wanley, and, upon examination, finding him well versed in matters of antiquity, and an excellent writer, he prevailed on his father to take him from his trade, and then sent him to his friend Dr. John Mill, Principal of Edmund Hall, who entered him as a batler of that society. Hearne relates, that during his stay in this Hall, he went to but one lecture, which was in Logic, "which he swore he could not comprehend, saying, By God, Mr. Milles, (for he was then Vice Principal under Dr. Mill,) I do not, nor cannot understand it." MSS. DIARIES, 1726, p. 120.

Dr. Charlett, Master of University, understanding young Wanley's knowledge in antiquarian affairs, induced him to remove to his own college, which he soon did, residing at the Master's lodgings, who, says Hearne, "employed him in writing trial things, so that he got no true learning." By