your

ticularly about this as soon as you can with thoughts and sentiments, and excuse my hasty scribble, who am, with most sincere affection, gratitude, &c.

Dear and Honored Sir,

Your most devoted, obliged, &c. Fd. and Servt. BROWNE WILLIS.

Whaddon Hall,

April 19, 1716.

And in a Letter from Dr. Tanner to Dr. Charlett, dated Norwich, Aug. 10, 1709, we find the following note:

"On the other side, is a coeval note at the end of an old MS. belonging to our Cathedral, of the odd exit of the great Cardinal Wolsey, not mentioned, I think, in Cavendish, or any of the Historians,-much like Oliver's Wind.

"Ad finem Annalium Bartholomæi Cotton MS. in BibJioth. Eccl. Cath. Norwic, habetur hæc notata.

"Anno Xti 1530 nocte immediate sequente quartum diem Novemb. vehemens ventus quasi per totam Angliam accidebat, et die proximè sequente quinto sc. die ejusdem mensis circa horam primam post meridiem captus erat Dns Thomas Wulsye Cardinalis in ædibus suis de Cahow [Cawood] infra Diocesin suam Eboracensem; et postea in itinere ejus versus Londoniam vigiliâ St. Andreæ prox. sequente apud Leycestriam moriebatur, quo die ventus quasi Gehennalis tunc fere per totam Angliam accidebat, cujus vehementia apud Leystoft infra Dioc. Norwicensem et alibi in diversis locis infra Regnum Angliæ multæ naves perierunt."

LETTER CXVI.

From the same to the same.

Mitred Abbies.-Cardinal Wolsey.

Whaddon Hall, Tuesday, May 15, 1716.

I WAS heartily pleased with Mr.

Rawlinson's good company, and concerned I

had not more of it. with the head ache

I was really greatly troubled one or two evenings he was here, and flattered myself he would stay till Monday or Tuesday: Anthony à Wood's* company was also very acceptable. I thought I should have never seen him here. I am glad he thinks of coming again. He would do me a great kindness if he would stay some time, and help me in the works I am about. I have two now on the stocks, or rather three; some of which you will be greatly pleased with. One is the reprinting my Mitred Abbies, with very large emendations, additions, &c. To which I would subjoin a like series of several other principals of Religious Houses, particularly the Monastic Cathedrals, such as were Canterbury, Rochester, Ely, Winchester, Carlisle, Worcester, Durham, Norwich, &c. which were before the Reforma

* Hearne's. See Note p. 15.

tion governed by Priors and Monks, as were the new founded ones, as Peterborough, Gloucester, Bristol, Chester, by Abbots; the two first of which are in my first work, but Bristol and Chester must be new done, as must St. Frideswide's, Oxford [of] which I have the Priors in all 24 very complete; as I hope I have those of Dover, Southwark, Feversham, Burton-on-Trent, Leicester, &c. Abbots and Priors, with which I would swell a book to a pretty good size, and then, by way of Appendix, I would endeavour to present the reader with the names of each respective Abbot or Prior of all the Religious Houses in general with other curious observations in this respect. I hope, God willing, in about two months to adjust this undertaking, tho' I began it but this day se'nnight, having myself and Sliford collected already in this time above 40 sheets of paper, wrote on two sides, because of additions hereafter from Mr. Wharton's excellent notes lent me by Dean Kennet, which he has wonderfully improved, and I see it is from his MS. that Mr. Le Neve has taken out 11 of his Cathedrals, and the Churches of Westminster, Windsor, Provosts of Eton, &c. I am to return this book again, next week. I should by right do it this, so must work hard, and I keep home pretty close, having made but one visit, viz. to Great Brickhill on May-day last, since Mr. Hearne was here.

"Another of my Works is the Cathedral of St. David's, which I hope soon to dispatch, only waiting for an answer to a letter or two.

The third is my Notitia Parliamentaria, which want of materials keep back, and may perhaps entirely defeat my intentions.

* Pray when does the Bishop of Bristol come to town, I would fain know this, for I should be glad to wait on him, and talk more about our Founder Cardinal Wolsey, which I heartily thank you for communicating to him, and should think myself exceeding fortunate could I make a real discovery of the Cardinal's ashes, of which, &c. more another time, for I believe I have tired you now with my scrall, who

am,

Dear Doctor,

Your most Affte. and Devoted Servt.
to command,

SIR,

BROWNE WILLIS,

LETTER CXVII.

J. SOTHEBY to T. HEARNE.

Mr. Bagford's Death.

I HAVE carefully read over Rouse.

I find many uncommon and valuable notes, and

give you my thanks for your kind mention of me. I understand Livius* is in a manner finished; please to send a line, you will have the receipt and last payment. I now come to lament our common, and a universal, loss; Mr. Bagford is no more; after a gradual decay since he left Oxford, but very visible for a few weeks, this morning a little before six he departed this life at his lodgings at Islington, where he had been five days. I desire our correspondence may not

A LITTLE before his death Mr. Bagford told me he was either 65 or 66, he could not well say which, and I think born in Fetter-lane; was first a shoe-maker at Turnstile, but that

* See p. 25, infra.

+ See vol. i. p. 159.