be no less saleable. I presume that your Grace loves the memory of that good doctor so well, that you will further this business as much as you can. I desire to hear often of your health in this your declining age, and how your Chronology proceeds in the press, and what others do in matter of learning, which with us is in a great declination. I would gladly know when D. Hammon's notes on the New Testament come abroad. I doubt he will be as bold with the text as any man hath been; he hath been so already in some of his books, as I conceive. I desire also to know what Mr. Selden does. I pray you present my service to my lord of Peterborough. And so I will ever remain

Your Grace's most affectionate friend and humble servant,

HE. BATHON.

Taidstock, the 13th of May, 1653. To the Most Reverend Father in God, my very good lord, the Lord Archbishop of Armagh, these.

LETTER CCCCLV.

MR. JEREMY STEPHENS TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF
ARMAGH,

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GRACE,

SINCE my return home I have made a copy

of that preamble of the statute for the dissolution of monasteries, which is omitted in the printed statutes. In the original book, whence I had it in the augmentation office, there are many things here very considerable of king Henry's doings, and exchanges of lands with lordships and abbots, before the dissolution. The book deserves to be well perused by any one that shall meddle with the argument of sacrilege. If I knew Mr. Fuller's intent, and what method he will take, in handling of sacrilege, I would furnish him with the sight of Sir Henry Spelman's history, and more observations of mine own. While I was now last in London, I met with a book printed by some public authority, but no author's name to it, of restitution of the lands of the clergy to their former uses, after an hundred years' spoil and loss, in the Duke of Wirtenburg's estate, and this done by the victories of the Emperors, Ferdinand Second and Third, and the like is done in other countries where the emperor is entire.

There is also a Jesuit, Stengelius, who hath written, as it seems, largely of monasteries, but I could not see it now;

and Sir Jame Ware doth mentiona one Gaspar Bruschius his Chronologia Monasteriorum Germaniæ, but I cannot yet find the book; perhaps Mr. Selden may have it. I wish your Grace would please to certify me of it. Jo. Wolfius, in his books Memorabilia, hath much concerning the monasteries, but, as I remember, he rails and doth not well express the true intent and uses of them, which your Calvin doth well confess, and Perkins in his Demonstration of the problem, and Hyperius in Hebrews, chap. VII. ver. 7. confessing them to be nurseries and seminaries of learning and of the Church, before universities were founded and endowed in that manner as now we have, not many hundred years since.

I have written a discourse which I intend as a preface to my treatise upon the Bohemian covenant, made in these last days, which I once showed your Grace, but this preface I wrote this last winter, and intend to crave your opinion upon it. The purpose of it is to show how the principal and total occasion of the last German wars was about the lands of the bishops and clergy, which the Protestants had invaded since the peace granted by Ferdinand, 1555. as Sleidan showeth it, and Thuanus. If I may not hinder your Grace in your great and serious works, I would send it you shortly to peruse and censure, being not long, and the same cause was of our present wars, besides some pretences of ship-money and forest laws and patents, which were and might easily be relieved without a war, but that the swearing was further to do as they have done in invading all the church revenues that was left remaining after the former spoils, this last century.

But I cease to be farther troublesome to your Grace, praying heartily to God to continue your life and health,

De Scriptor. Hibernicis, lib. pag. 6.

Instit. lib. 4. sec. 8, 9, 10. cap. 13.

с

Pag. 505.

e Tom. 1. anno 1555. pag. 505.

d Lib. 26. pag. 333.

that you may finish your intended works, which are of so great consequence. Thus humbly taking leave,

I rest your Grace's to command,

JEREMY STEPHENS.

16th May, 1653.

Houghton, near Northampton.

If any letter be left for me with my brother, in Paul's Churchyard, at the Golden Lion, it will come to me.

LETTER CCCCLVI.

MR. ROBERT VAUGHAN TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH.

MOST REVEREND FATHER,

I RECEIVED yours of the 10th of May, wherein you desire the loan of Bishop Robinson's Latin translation of Griffith ap Conan's life, the which I sent you herewith, being of his own handwriting; and I desire that, when you have done with it, you will return it me, for I have no other transcript thereof; and as concerning the translating and explicating of the British Triades, to speak the truth, it was the thing I aimed at the last year for you, but after that I had gathered together, out of sundry fragments, some number of them, about Allhallentide last, I applied myself wholly to reading of them and other ancient British antiquities, for my better understanding of them, until after Christmas, at what time I perceived that I could do no good in it, and, therefore, lest I should shame myself and discredit the book, I laid it aside, and took an easier matter in hand, I mean the Chronology I sent you (the which, if it hath given you any satisfaction or content, I am very glad, and I should take it very kindly and lovingly at your hands, if you would, at your best leisure, give notice of my mistakings, superfluities, and wants, that I may endeavour to correct myself hereafter). Truly I am very diffident of my own sufficiency to meddle with the Triades; nevertheless, if you think that I can perform anything to the purpose, I will willingly make a second trial, hoping to prevail more by prayers than skill and knowledge. But I cannot look upon it till the latter end of the year, if it please