wonderfull partes, and the fair promises that were made him by the prime nobilitie of the kingdome; without all which, to any ones thinking, his own merits would undoubtedly have been a patron good enough to have presented him to some noble benefit. But, to the great scandal of the English nation, he was neglected, and necessitated to the last extremity, being forced oftentimes (saith Lilly in his Life and Times,) to sell one book or other to buy himself a meal of victuals; one of which (that perhaps was parted with in that way), I have seen; it was a very fine copy of John Harding's Chronicle, having his name (wrote with his own hand) upon the top of the title.

My brother presents his humble service, and begs pardon for not calling upon you according to his word, being forced unexpectedly to go out of Oxford, on the morrow morning, upon a very urgent occasion; which, with my most kind respects, is all, in great haste, from

Sir,

Your most devoted humble Servant,

GEORGE BALLARD.*

Campden, Nov. ye 15th, 1732.

* Mr. Ballard was born at Campden, in Gloucestershire, and being of a weakly constitution was placed with a habitmaker; in this situation, impelled by the strongest love for literature, and antiquities in particular, he acquired the

LETTER CXLVI.

Mr. T. HEARNE to Dr. R. RAWLINSON.

Ludus Carparum.

DEAR SIR,

On the 5th I received yours of the 3d, together with your present of little books, for both which I thank you. Among these things is part of your catalogue of my late friend your brother Thomas's MSS. I shall be glad to have the remaining sheets to complete it.* I am well

Saxon language, which he mastered by stealing a few hours from sleep, after the business of the day was over. Lord Chedworth, and the gentlemen of his hunt, who spent annually a month of the season at Campden, hearing of his fame, generously offered him an annuity of one hundred pounds; but he modestly told them that sixty pounds were fully sufficient to satisfy his wants and wishes. Upon this he retired to Oxford, for the benefit of the Bodleian Library, where Dr. Jenner, president of Magdalen, made him one of the clerks of that college. He afterwards became one of the university bedels, but died young in 1755, owing, as was supposed, to too intense application to literary pursuits. His only publication was "Memoirs of learned British Ladies," 4to. 1752, a work of much merit, and containing a variety of curious and interesting information.

* For an account of the numerous Catalogues of Mr. T. Rawlinson's very extensive Library, "which continued, for nine succeeding years, to meet the public eye," see Dibdin's Bibliomania, p. 455, edit. 1811. A complete collection of

pleased with the drawing it. Pag. 56, numb. 482, is mention of Ludus Scaccarum, as one of the MSS. Pray does it contain an account of any other games or plays, besides that of Chess? I ask, because I am inquiring what sort of a play Ludus Carparum* was. 'Tis prohibited in some Statutes, and is joined with cards, and reckoned as a kind of alea, but the word is so very uncommon, that I am at present uncertain what game or play it really was. Nor can I find, that Dr. Thomas Hyde (who hath been particular, and hath divers curious observations on the Oriental Games, from whence our Western ones generally came) hath said any thing about it. The word, as I remember, is mentioned by Dr. Nathaniel Johnston (who, I believe, I cannot be positive, was a Non-Juror) in his book about the King's Visitatorial Power, which, I think, is scarce (I am sure I have it not); but then he was altogether in the dark about it. 'Twas, without doubt, call'd carps in English, and perhaps, might be a sort of Back-Gammon. The

these Catalogues with the prices, is among Mr. Crynes's books in the Bodleian.

*Mr. Baker, in a letter to T. Hearne, dated Cambridge, Jan. 3th, 1733, says" the word carparum I do not remember to have met with in any of our old statutes, or in Merton or Lincoln College statutes with you, nor do I know its meaning, unless it be another word for cartarum, explaining it."

play was used in Oxford much; but being not mentioned in New College Statutes, I take it to have been brought up here since the foundation of that College, as I believe cards were also ; cards being not begun to be printed till Hen. VIth's time, unless I am mistaken.

Jan. 7, 1733.

LETTER CXLVII.

Mr. BROME to Mr. RAWLINS.

Urry's Chaucer.-Christ Church New Quadrangle.

June 23, 1733.

I FIND you a very curious person (inter alia) about books, for I see your name among Mr. Hearne's subscribers; and if your acquaintance be much among the Litterati, as I suppose it is, you may do me a kindOne Mr. Urry, student of Christ Church, was engaged to put out a new edition of Chaucer with a Glossary, &c.* Before he had finished it, he dies, and leaves me executor with an in

ness.

* The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.-By John Urry, student of Christ Church, Oxon, deceased. London, 1721, fol.

tention that some of the profits arising from the impression, should go towards building the new Quadrangle. The College, myself, and Mr. Lintot, the bookseller, enter into a tripartite agreement upon these terms. The College and myself to get the copy of Chaucer, with Prefaces, Indexes, Glossary, &c. for Mr. Lintot.* Mr. Lintot to be at the expense of printing and paper: and the copies were to be equally divided in three parts between us. The College oblige scholars upon their entrance to take off a copy; and by their acquaintance dispose of their share. Mr.

Mr. Tyrwhitt informs us that the charge of publishing Chaucer devolved, or rather was imposed, after Mr. Urry's death, on Mr. Timothy Thomas. "I learn this," says he, " from a MS. note in an interleaved copy of Urry's Chaucer, presented to the British Museum by Mr. William Thomas, a brother, as I apprehend, of Mr. T. Thomas. T. Thomas was of Christ Church, Oxford, and died in 1751, aged lix. In another note, Mr. W. Thomas informs us, that the Life of Chaucer, in that edition, was very uncorrectly drawn up by Mr. Dart, and corrected and enlarged by W. T. (i.e. himself.)" Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, edited by Tyrwhitt, Oxford, 1798, 4to. Appendix to the Preface, p. xiii. Mr. Tyrwhitt's opinion of Urry's Chaucer should be added: "The strange licence, in which Mr. Urry appears to have indulged himself, of lengthening and shortening Chaucer's words according to his own fancy, and of even adding words of his own, without giving his readers the least notice, has made the text of Chaucer in his edition, by far the worst that was ever published." Ibid.