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Letters, from the Year 1570, when Elizabeth's Statutes were first given, to the middle of the last Century, made from the Vice-Chancellors' and Proctors' Books, and from the Grace Books, and other Records of the University, and since revised and corrected with some care; signed and written by F. S. Parris, 1735.

This is the valuable MS. already described; and Dr. Parris, the compiler, has already been spoken of as Vice Chancellor, and as best acquainted of any man in his time with the archives of the University. For this knowledge he was indebted to Hare's Collections".

These two volumes I have called an Index, and so they are, in most exact chronological order, containing the heads of every chapter in Hare's Collection; but they contain a vast deal more, viz.: the principal charters at large, of the University, from the time at which they are universally allowed to be authentic. So, that the reader will perceive, I

* See page 10.

b Dr. Francis Sawyer Parris was principal librarian, and chosen master of Sidney College, in 1746. He left at his decease to the College, a very valuable library, together with £.600; and it is not improbable that these volumes have strayed, as valuable books sometimes do, from their proper course. I purchased them of Mr. Barrington, bookseller in the Strand, who informed me, that he purchased them of a bookseller who had left off business.

I suspect, by the mark C. A. subjoined to a short note on the side of the first page, that these volumes afterwards became the property of Dr. Charles Ashton, master of Jesus College. The hand-writing was immediately recognized by a gentleman of that college, well acquainted with it. It is, however, not probable that these books were among the MSS. bequeathed by Dr. Ashton to Jesus College. Had they been so, they must have appeared in some catalogue of MSS. in the library, and must have been known to have been there by the above gentleman, to whom I shewed Dr. Parris's volumes.

At my decease, probably, I shall give them an opportunity of finding, their proper home,

am possessed of some things that might be considered secret, of many that are most valuable, and of all, perhaps, that are worth publicity.

The worth of these volumes is obvious. They are important in themselves; interesting, though it were only from curiosity: but to me, for the purpose of accurate inquiry, they are invaluable; and I have considered them as a balance against many disadvantages, which, in the inquisitiveness and ardour of investigation, I have often seriously experienced, of not being an M. A., and of not being always on the spot to consult archives.

Among my private resources I must now be allowed to reckon my own memoranda, made during my visiting the public libraries in England and Scotland. These are numerous, though discursive, and I often find them of use; and in a work of more scope I should have found them of proportionably greater utility. Accidental occurrences are often replete with the most beneficial information. Conversing with men now no more, (I allude to their writings), and observations made on books during such excursions, in the ardour of inquiry, and novelty of discovery, we are apt to retrace with pleasure. We find, or think we have found, treasures yet unexplored: this too will sometimes unavoidably happen: and no one can be ignorant, though my researches at the time might not have had immediately in view the University of Cambridge, how favourable they might have been to any extended work of bibliographical and biographical inquiry.

Among such resources, too, I must reckon Mr. Robert Smyth's MS. corrections (together with Additions) of Mr.

a

a Mr. Robert Smyth was of St. John's College, took his B. A. degree 1720, his M. A. degree in 1724. He was a most industrious English anti

Carter's History of Cambridge. I have been much assisted by them; and for the loan of them I am indebted to Mr. John Nichols, senior, the indefatigable historian of Leicestershire, editor, and improver, also, of his most ` valuable Literary Anecdotes, published not long since.

I must conceive it some advantage to this work, that I had, some years since, written the CANTABRIGIANA, in a periodical publication. This latter abridged me of my accustomed desultoriness both of reading and writing, by subjecting me to a series of reading, to habits of reflection, and a course of writing, concerning Cambridge. They were composed with the greatest attention; and, during their progress through the press, for three years, I was assiduous in my visits both to Cambridge and the British Museum.

The Cantabrigiana are not, as ANAS commonly are

quary, and left many things in manuscript; of which the principal were Large Collections for a History of Sheriffs throughout England. A list of his other writings and collections may be seen in "Nichols's Literary Anecdotes of XVIII Century," vol. v. p. 48, 49. It is there added, and I doubt not with truth, that whatever is more particularly valuable in Carter's History either of the County or University of Cambridge (for he published the histories of both), is to be attributed to Mr. Robert Smyth; as, indeed, I conjectured myself, before I read the passage in the Literary Anecdotes.

Mr. Smyth was rector of Spalding, in Lincolnshire; for the History of the Sheriffs of which county, as well as of Cambridgeshire, he had made large collections. He lost his life in pursuit of his favourite pleasure, bathing, Sept. 15, 1761.-Nothing of Mr. Smyth's Collections, at least, nothing that I know of, was ever printed; partly, perhaps, on account of the strange hand he wrote, and partly, perhaps, from the narrowness of his circumstances, which did not allow him to encounter the expence of publishing: and, indeed, it is supposed that his History of Sheriffs, with some other of his papers, was destroyed by an ignorant and foolish brother,

VOL. I.

considered, merely extracts from one or more writers: the extracts are very few, correctly distinguished, and always acknowledged. The body of the work consists of my own observations on men, books, MSS. with other articles, deemed interesting respecting Cambridge. There exist reasons for my being thus particular and explicit. It was part of the agreement entered into with the editor, that I should make such use of those papers as I deemed proper, in any future publication of my own: I have accordingly made a little use of them in the present history, though but a little; the principal is, the account given of the MSS. of Mr. Baker and Mr. Cole, and of DISSENTIENTS. Other writers, and I speak with confidence and knowledge', have made a freer use of them than I have myself.

a The extracts made are usually marked Cantab. sometimes M. M. for Monthly Magazine.

b The improved edition of the CAMBRIDGE GUIDE was made from the papers of the late Mr. Ashby; and these it has fallen in my way to peruse: in them are numerous references to the Cantabrigiana, for that future use, which is made of them in the last edition of the Cambridge Guide. But I am far from intimating that Mr. Ashby made any other than a modest use of them; his own correct information and immediate resources did not require more. I have, in return, been indebted to that gentleman's papers for some hints relative to Mr. Brown's proposed Improvements in the public Walks of the University, and I have duly acknowledged them. As what appears in magazines is considered usually public property, other writers whom I have not perused may have made as free a use, perhaps freer, than Mr. Ashby.

c It is prudent for those who have written much in periodical publications (it has been my fortune to do so) to make, on certain occasions, such declarations; otherwise, they may be supposed to borrow from writers what had been previously borrowed from themselves. No parade is intended by the above declaration, nor any illiberal insinuations against others: but it is inconsistent with honest feelings, and ingenuous intentions, to lie under ungracious suspicions and unjust insinuations.

As to Cambridge itself, among my advantages I must always reckon my personal obligations to gentlemen residing in the University; for I have been indebted to Mr. Pearne, Mr. Smyth, and Mr. Hollingworth, of Peter House, for my access to the archives of that College; to Dr. Turner, Master of Pembroke Hall, for my introduction to Mr. Chevalier, Mr. Aspland, and Mr. Wood, to whom I am indebted for similar favours ;-and particularly for the perusal of Bishop Wren's MS. de Custodibus Pembrochianis-to Dr. Torkington, Master of Clare Hall, for an opportunity of inspecting the register of the Fellows of that house: to one of the oldest residing members of the University, and than whom no one is better acquainted with the laws and customs of the University, Mr. Tyrwhitt, of Jesus College, I am indebted for a long acquaintance, which has not only led me to the knowledge of many useful books, but facilitated my access to them; to that, as well as the kindness of Dr. Pearce, the Master of that college, I owe an admission into their library, and the freest use of their college-records. By Mr. Woodhouse, and other gentlemen of Caius College, I have, at various times, been obliged for the liberty of consulting manuscripts in their collections: to Mr. Currey, and Mr. Markby, of Bene't, for my access to Archbishop Parker's; to Mr. C. Farish and Mr. Goseham, for access to Queen's library; and to Dr. Cory, for the use of books and manuscripts in Emmanuel library, (as I had been to Dr. Farmer before) as well as many other civilities, favourable to my designs in the progress of this work.

Thus, as in the common concerns of life, may agreeable and auspicious circumstances, by an opposite and more powerful influence, overrule those which are unpromising and full of discouragement: and methinks I am

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