the books at Cambridge by much the honester man. I beg pardon for this, but I have not yet been able to bring myself either to write or speak on this subject with any sort of temper or patience. I believe I never shall.-All my MSS. are in London; as soon as I go to town I will send you the MS. of Benedict the Abbat, and also that other MS, the Annales Dunstapliæ, You shall have them both together, if you do not contradict me in your next.

There are those that set a very great value upon Benedict," and give him the preference to any of his cotemporaries. Of this you will be the best judge when, you come to look into him. This, I know, was Mr. Wanley's opinion, which was one reason of transcribing him for the press.

I have had the pleasure when I went to Cambridge, of waiting upon Mr. Baker of St. John's, that reverend and most worthy man. I saw him about a fortnight since. He told me he had heard from you, and mentioned you as he always does, with great respect. I had the pleasure to see him look very well. He is an example to the whole University, but I fear few will follow him. At his aget he is up by four o'clock in the morn

* "CHRONICON SIVE ANNALES PRIORATUS DE Dunstaple, una cum Excerptis e Chartulario ejusdem Prioratus, e Codicibus MSS. in Bibl. Harleiana descripsit, primusque vulgavit Thomas Hearnius." Oxon. 1733, 8vo.

He was at that time 75; he died in 1740, aged 84,

ing, goes constantly to chapel at five, and this he does without any regard to the season.

I am happy at home with the company of Mr. George Harbin and Dr. Middleton. Both desire you will accept of their hearty service. My Lord Dupplin desires you will not forget him nor think he has forgot you. He is your servant. My Lord has given me all the books printed at Constantinople. Mr. William Thomas desires to be remembered to you.

I have been very busy in furnishing a new room I built last year for books, and it is quite full, it is in length 47 feet, in breadth 21 feet.*

I am now to make my retreat, for it is no reasonable to take up so much of your time, that know so well how to employ it. I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year, and many of them. I am with true respect, Sir, Your most humble Servant,

OXFORD.+

*Of this wonderful private collection of books, government purchased the MSS. for 10,000l. and placed them in the British Museum. The printed books, (on the binding part of which alone, Lord Oxford expended more than 18,0001.) were sold to Osborne, the bookseller, for only 13,000l. For an excellent Analysis of the Harleian Catalogue published in 1743-4, we refer the curious reader to Dibdin's Bibliomania, p. 463. edit. 1811.

In the Collection from which these letters are taken, there are many others from the Earl of Oxford to Hearne,

I am sorry to hear that Dr. Tanner's books and papers have suffered by water.*

LETTER CXLV.

Mr. GEORGE BALLARD to Mr. T. HEARNE.

Dr. John Dee.

SIR,

I HAVE at last sent the fragment of the Manuscript Bible and Testament I promised you, having but lately received it from my friend that gave it me; whose character of it was such that I thought to have had an extraordinary present; but when I received it I found it so strangely imperfect, and of so small value, that I should not have troubled you with it but that I love to be as good as my word; therefore such as it is I would beg your acceptance of. Among other bookes that I lately purchased (as Colvile,

on literary subjects. They all express the greatest kindness, but contain no important anecdotes or information.

* Bishop Tanner's printed books were sunk in the river on their voyage to Oxford, and remained under water for many hours. They are in sad condition from this circumstance, and many have received so much injury as to be perfectly useless, crumbling into pieces on the slightest touch.

or Coldewel's Translation of Boetius de Con. Philo. printed anno 1556, Lanquet and Cooper's Chronicle, printed anno 1560, Bp. Kennet's Parochial Antiq. &c.) I bought Heming's Chart. of the Church of Worcester, Rob. of Gloucester, and John of Glastonbury's Chronicles, in the latter of which I was mightily pleased (though strangely surprised) with the account I met with concerning Dr. John Dee;* from

* John Dee, a most extraordinary character of the six teenth century, was celebrated for his extensive learning, and excessive credulity. He was born at London, in 1527, and after some time spent at school there, and at Chelmsford, in Essex, he was sent to St. John's College, Cambridge, and was afterwards chosen one of the fellows of Trinity College, on its erection by Henry VIII. In 1548 he left England, in consequence, as has been hinted, of some reports prejudicial to his character, but in all probability to increase his mathematical and astronomical knowledge, since we find that he read lectures in Paris, with such applause, that the greatest offers were in vain made to retain him there. At his return to England he was introduced to King Edward, who granted him a pension. In the next reign he was indicted for treason in the star-chamber, but was acquitted, and obtained his liberty, when he presented a memorial to the Queen "for the recovery and preservation of ancient writers and monu, ments," a design, which, had it taken effect, would have been truly beneficial to literature. When Elizabeth came to the throne, Dee was immediately taken into favour, and was even honoured with a visit from his royal scholar (which that Princess had been;) and in 1578

which account may be seen the wonderfull variableness of Fortune, and that no dependency is to be made upon the flattering promises of great ones; nor upon any abilities or deserts of our own, be 'em never so extraordinary. He being a person that had made such surprising acquisitions in several parts of learning, that he was justly accounted one of the greatest learned men of that age; and yet for all his valuable and

was sent to Germany to confer with some physicians of that country upon the Queen's ill-health; an evident proof of the high estimation in which his talents and services were then held. Dee's ambition to surpass all men in knowledge, led him now to a desire of being acquainted with things beyond the bounds of human faculties, as he conceived by certain invocations, an intercourse with spirits could be obtained; this persuasion was his subsequent ruin, for he squandered immense sums in the attempt, and so exasperated the common people, that, at his departure to Poland, with the palatine of Siradia, they destroyed his valuable library, mathematical instruments, and other curiosities at his house at Mortlake. In 1596 he obtained the wardenship of Manchester college, which was his last preferment, and which proved so unpleasant a residence, that he returned in 1604 to Mortlake, very old, infirm, and destitute of friends and patrons. His infatuation, however, continued to his death, which happened in 1608, in the eighty-first year of his age; and to this may be attributed the occasional poverty alluded to by Ballard, although he still appears to have retained his situation at Manchester. He left behind him a numerous family, of whom his eldest son was afterwards physician to Charles the First.