LETTER CXXXVI.

Mr. PECK to T. HEARNE.

William of Wykeham.-Medals.-Collectanea Antiqua.

Cliffe, April 28, 1721.

WORTHY SIR,

I HAD yours of the 24th instant last night, and though it will be of no service, cannot but thank you for the hint you are pleased to give of getting a sight of Sir Edm. Warcup's papers, by means of my friend the Bp. of Peterborough. The truth is, I dare not ask him to use his interest upon such an occasion; neither does he know that I was the author of that Poem, or the Advertisement at the end of it. You need not fear my telling him that you and I have had any talk about him. I know how matters stand between you, have read wherein you have rebuked him, and (to tell you my opinion among ourselves) cannot but acknowledge that what you have said in the case of William Wickham was just, and give you my thanks for doing justice to the birth of that munificent prelate.

As to the medals I gave you; I am glad they

* King's Cliff, in Northamptonshire, of which parish he

was curate.

+ Probably his "Sighs on the Death of Queen Anne," which were not printed till 1719.

are like to be of some service to you. I thought that present would be the best testimony of my respect for Mr. Hearne, and the honour he hath done our church and nation in setting forth the antiquities of them both.

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As to your query, I am a zealous lover of truth, and would by no means lead you into an error. cannot say that any one of those medals, though they were most of them purchased in this neighbourhood, were dug up in it. I heard many people talk of such thing's being found here; but I never traced up any intelligence of this kind without a disappointment. 001

I was about writing to you just as I received yours. lee jong bonding and

'I desire you would send me one of the Textus Roffensis, a copy of Avesbury, and so many vo lumes of Fordun as you have published, and direct them to Mr. Richard King, bookseller, at the Prince's Arms, in St. Paul's Church-yard, whom I will order to pay you for them.

I have been long labouring to get matters together, and am now going to set up for an editor of Antiquities, in the same manner with yourself. My Proposals are now gone to the Press at Cambridge for printing by Subscription,

Collectanea Antiqua,

A Collection of Antiquities, chiefly Monastic and Monumental, setting forth the antient estate of several Parochial, Conventual, and Cathedral

Churches of this Kingdom; and interspersed with divers other curious particulars relating to the English Story, in 6 vols. 8vo.*

Vol. 1. Academia tertia Anglicana, or the 3d University of England, at Stamford, in Lincolnshire, enquired into; with an Appendix relating to Peterborough, Burghley, Wilthorpe, and some other places in Northamptonshire, &c.

The whole collected chiefly from MSS. and Records, illustrated with copper plates, &c. at the rate of 2s. 6d. a volume the small, 5s. the large paper.

I would print 400 small, and 100 large, if I can raise so many subscriptions. I intend to trouble you with some printed proposals in a short time, and beg your assistance to promote a subscription at Oxford. I intend each volume shall consist of twelve sheets.

I beg the favour of you to give me a line what you pay for half a sheet printing at Oxon, of the letter with your Curious Discourses, and what you pay a ream for fine Genoa demy.

I hope you will not be angry with me if I should insert your name in my Proposals, and

* This work never appeared, at least not in the form above-mentioned, his "Academia Tertia Anglicana," was published in 1727, fol. and the first volume of "Desiderata Curiosa," in 1732, which was followed by a second volume in 1735.

desire such gentlemen as live at Oxford, and will their money to you; for, in truth, I have no acquaintance there to do such a good office for me, except you accept of the trouble, and oblige, Sir,

please to subscribe, to pay their

Your sincere Friend and Servant,

FR. PECK.

LETTER CXXXVII.

Dr. CHANDLER, Bishop of Lincoln, to the Rev. MAT, THEW TATE, Vicar of Burnham.

The Earl of Nottingham's Book against Whiston.-
Ecclesiastical Discipline.

Duke Street, May 11, 1721.

REVD. SIR,

I FIND by the newspapers this morning that Dr. Wild and you are deputed by the Clergy assembled at the late visitation at Beaconsfield to wait upon my Lord Nottingham* with their thanks for his book against Mr. Whiston; which book I doe also much approve and accordingly did return my own thanks to his

Daniel Finch, son of Heneage, Earl of Nottingham. The work here commended was his "Answer to Mr. Whis ton's Letter concerning the Eternity of the Son of God, and of the Holy Ghost." Printed in 1721.

:

Lordship in the House of Lords as soon as it was published. But I think it convenient to apprise you by the first opportunity, as well of the irregularity which you and the Clergy are committing, as of the danger in which you are involving yourselves by making a public declaration of your opinion in a matter of doctrine, which as it is a matter wholly foreign to the work of visitations, so I conceive as the law now stands it cannot be done without danger of a præmunire by any assembly of the Clergy whatsoever, except by a convocation of Bishops and Clergy legally assembled by the King's writ and the mandate of the Metropolitan. I must also add on this occasion, that tho' such a proceeding could be warranted by law, as you will find it cannot, yet I think it a great indignity to myself, and inconsistent with the oath of canonical duty, which every Incumbent takes to his Bishop, that a matter of this importance should be attempted and carried on without my privity and direction, and accordingly it is a matter which several of the Bishops have now under their consideration, as well to warn the Clergy of the danger to which they expose themselves by such illegal and unprecedented proceedings, as to put a stop to a practice which is not only a breach upon the episcopal authority, but if a timely stop be not put to it, will prove highly prejudicial to the order and government of the church. These

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