think he had true piety enough to suggest to him the many admirable precepts and primitive doc. trine contained in those valuable books. 4thly, that which puts the thing beyond all dispute is, that it fully appears from "The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety," that the Author of "The Whole Duty of Man" was living in the year 1667. Now, as Archbishop Frewen died in the beginning of the year 1664, it is impossible that he should be the author.* I would not have said thus much of this Bishop, had I not been led to it by the subject you have furnished me with, in order to shew you the improbability of his being the author of The Whole Duty of Man. And if the Arguments in favour of his being the author of that book were not already sufficiently confuted by the last article, I could produce others which would very much shake the credit of such an assertion, but I be * It seems pretty clear from Ballard's "Learned Ladies," that Dorothy lady Packington, wife of Sir John Packington, knight and baronet, and daughter of Thomas lord Coventry, was the author of The Whole Duty of Man. For Mr. Ballard's arguments in support of this opinion, we must refer to his work, in which he notices the preceding letter as written by "an ingenious clergyman," but he considers his correspondent's reasons, in support of the Archbishop's claim to the production in question, "not important enough to need a particular refutation." Mem. of Learned Ladies, p. 320, edit. 4to. 1752. lieve you will think enough has been said already upon this subject, by Your most obliged, &c. Oxford, Nov. 15, 1749. GEORGE BALLARD. If what has been offered does not prove satisfactory, be pleased to let me know your objections, for I assure you, Sir, there is not any thing gives me greater pleasure than the discovery of truth. I have not hitherto received from Mr. Owen any reply to Mr. B.'s answer; nor have I any news to impart to you, but that Dr. King has at last published his speech, which he delivered at the opening of Dr. Radcliffe's Library. I am, with respect, Sir, Your obliged humble Servt. W. P.* * Mr. Parry was fellow of Jesus College, and presented by that society to the living of Shipston-upon-Stowre, Warwickshire. He was famous for caligraphy; several specimens of his skill are extant in the Bodleian library. A beautiful transcript which he made of the Statutes of his college, is preserved with care among its Archives. *** On the subject of the above letter, the following is extracted from one of T. Hearne to Dr. Smith. "There is given to the Public Library the Original MS. of the Decay of Christian Piety, written by the excellent author LETTER CLIX. Mr. T. CARTE to Mr. G. BALLARD. On the Death of Henry VI, Dean's Yard, Westminster, SIR, I HAD a letter in the beginning of this week from Mr. Monkhouse, and inclosed in it, a relation of the design of murdering K. James II. at Warminster: it agrees with one of The Whole Duty of Man. Dr. Aldrich has been shewed it, to know whether he could discover the hand. He replied, 'twas not the author's own hand he believed, but copy'd with a disguised hand by Bp. Fell. I saw a paper a week since written by Archbp. Sancroft's own hand. I compared it with this MS. and the hand in divers respects appeared the same, as much as can be supposed, when a hand is disguised. Some of the letters exactly of the same make, the same distance of lines, &c. what confirms it is that some years since Dr. Holbeach, Master of Emanuel College, Cambridge, making a visit to Dr. Sancroft, of the same Coll. he saw certain papers lying on the table, written by the said Dr. Sancroft, which he afterwards told one of his friends he would swear were part of what was printed under the title of The Whole Duty of Man. This was before the Restoration. But I cannot tell how very well to depend upon it, and it may be 'tis not fair to be inquisitive." "Oxon. Aug. 17, 1706." which I had from the late learned Mr. G. Harbin, who had it from Dr. Sheridan, Bp. of Kilmore, who assisted Sir G. Hewet at his death, when he expressed his repentance of having been engaged in that design. Mr. Monkhouse mentioned to me a passage in my History relating to the death of Henry VI. upon consulting which, I find my printer left out the MS. Authority to which I referred, perhaps for want of understanding the reference, or for haste. It was Scala Mund. MS. inter MSS. Norfolc. in Off. Armor. N. S. The late Mr. Anstis paid a great deference to this Author, who lived in the reign of E. IV. and in his Criticisms on Sandford's "General Hist." prefers his accounts of the births, deaths, &c. of our princes to any others: and indeed they are much more exact. His words that I copied are " Post bellum de Tewksburi, Henricus nuper Rex Angliæ repositus in Turri London. in Vigilia Ascensionis Domini ibidem feliciter moriens per Thamesin navicula usque ad Abbatiam de Chertsey deductus, ibi sepultus est." I want to know where the original MS. is, whence the Continuation of the Prior of Croyland was printed; because I am fully persuaded that the words which follow his speaking of Hen. 6, being found dead or dying suddenly in the Tower, were added after Hen. 7. formed the design of getting him canonized. It was proper for this purpose to represent H. 6 as murdered, and I don't believe, that before that time you will find any enemy of R. III. suggesting either that H. 6 was murdered, or murdered by R. III. I wish you could inform me of the original MS, that I might examine it. I am, Sir, Yr. very obliged and obedt. humble Servt. LETTER CLX. From the same to the same. Historical Memoranda. Dean's Yard, Westminster, May 18, 1751. SIR, I RECEIVED the favour of your's in due time, but the hurry I have been in, to prepare for my leaving this place next Tuesday, when I shall set out with Mr. Bertie or Mr. Hill for Yattendun, in Berkshire, hath hindered me from acknowledging it till now. I shall be obliged to you likewise for supplying the deficient reference in the Bodleian copy. I knew the late Mr. Brome very well, and I believe I have the late K. James's dying words among my |