Dr. Rimbault's note contains a good epitome of the most obvious English notices respecting the Tradescants; but while correcting the errors of others, he has himself fallen into one important mistake, in stating that "Old John Tradescant died in 1652;" for that is the date of the death of his grandson, John, who died young. Old John died in 1638, leaving a son, also named John, who was born in 1608, and died in 1662, having survived his only son ten years; and, having no heir to his treasures, he had previously conveyed them, by deed of gift, to Elias Ashmole, who seems to have contrived to make himself agreeable to him by his pursuits as a virtuoso, and by his alchemical and astrological fancies. When Dr. Hamel was in England, I had the pleasure of indicating to him the site of "Tradescant's Ark" in South Lambeth. It was situate on the east side of the road leading from Vauxhall to Stockwell, nearly opposite to what was formerly called Spring Lane. Ashmole built a large brick house near that which had been Tradescant's, out of the back of part of which he made offices. The front part of it became the habitation of the well-known antiquary, Dr. Ducarel. It still remains as two dwellings; the one, known as "Turret House," is occupied by John Miles Thorn, Esq., and the other, called "Stamford House," is the dwelling of J. A. Fulton, Esq.

In his indefatigable researches to elucidate the early intercourse between England and Russia, Dr. Hamel's attention was accidentally called to the Tradescants and their Museum; and the following passage in Parkinson's Paradisus Terrestris, p. 345. (Art. "Neesewort," then called Elleborus albus), led to the discovery of a relation of Old John's voyage to Russia:—

"This (says Parkinson) grows in many places in Germany, and likewise in certain places in Russia, in such abundance, that, according to the relation of that worthy, curious, and diligent searcher and preserver of all nature's rarities and varieties, my very good friend John Tradescante, of whom I have many times before spoken, a moderately large ship (as he says) might be laden with the roots thereof, which he there saw on a certain island."

The same notice, in other words, also occurs in Parkinson's Theatrum, p. 218.

In searching among the MSS. in the Ashmolean Museum, Dr. Hamel bore this passage in memory, and one MS., thus described in Mr. Black's excellent catalogue, No. 824., xvi., contained confirmatory matter:

"A Voiag of Ambassad undertaken by the Right Honnorabl Sr Dudlie Diggs, in the year 1618."

"This curious narrative of the voyage round the North Cape to Archangel, begins with a list of the chief persons employed in the embassy, and contains observations of the weather, and on the commercial, agricultural, and domestic state of Russia at that time. It is written in a rude hand, and by a person unskilled in composition. The last half page contains some chronological notes and other stuff, perhaps written by the same hand."

Thus far Mr. Black. The full title of the MS. is,—

"A Viag of Ambassad undertaken by the Right Honnorabl Sr Dudlie Diggs in the year 1618, being atended on withe 6 Gentillmen, whiche beare the nam of the king's Gentillmen, whose names be heere notted. On M. Nowell, brother to the Lord Nowell, M. Thomas Finche, M. Woodward, M. Cooke, M. Fante, and M. Henry Wyeld, withe every on of them ther man. Other folloers, on Brigges, Interpreter, M. Jams, an Oxford man, his Chaplin, on M. Leake his Secretary, withe 3 Scots; on Captain Gilbert and his Son, withe on Car, also M. Mathew De Quester's Son, of Filpot Lane, in London, the rest his own retenant, some 13 whearof (Note on Jonne an Coplie wustersher men) M. Swanli of Limhouse, master of the good Ship called the Dianna of Newcastell, M. Nelson, part owner of Newe Castell."

Dr. Hamel says:

"What the words in Italics may signify is not quite clear, but that 'on Jonne' must relate to Tradescante himself. Perhaps this passage may lead to the discovery that Tradescant did not, as it has been conjectured, come from Holland, but that he was a native of Worcestershire. The name Tradescant might be an assumed one (it was also written Tradeskin, which might be interpreted Fellmonger)."