E. D.
Esquires of the Martyred King.
—In the Smith MSS. in the Bodleian Library, there are copies of certain petitions addressed to King Charles II., relating to a proposed Order of Esquires of the Martyred King. These forms of petition appear to have been derived ex MSS. Asm. 837.
Where is a full account of these proceedings to be found in print?
J. SANSOM.
Braem's "Mémoires touchant le Commerce."
—Having lately seen a MS., of which I subjoin the title, and not being able to discover any further account of the writer of it than what is briefly given in the volume itself, I submit my wish to know something more about the author, and his, perhaps, still inedited work, to you and to your numerous readers, both in England and in Holland (where you have an able imitator), in the hope of gaining some further information about him. The MS. is a foolscap folio, containing about 340 pages, written in a bold, open hand, and bears the following title: Mémoires touchant le Commerce que les Provinces Unies des Pays-Bas font dans les divers Endroits du Monde. At page 306. this part of the MS. ends, and is signed by "Daniel Braems," who says of himself, that he left the Dutch possessions in the East Indies in 1686, and made his Report to the States-General of what he had seen, and delivered in a written copy. Mr. Braems says farther, that he was "dernièrement Teneur-Général des Livres à Batavie, et a ramené en qualité de Commandeur la dernière Flotte des Indes en ce pays;" and that his Report, as regards East India affairs, was made "touchant la constitution des affaires dans les Indes Orientales, ainsi qu'elle estoit lorsque la ditte flotte est partie de Batavie," and was delivered in May 26, 1688. The remaining pages of the MS. are taken up with a detailed account of the ecclesiastical and civil revenues of France for 1692, and also the "estat des affaires extraordinaires" for the years 1689, 1690, 1691, 1692.
J. M.
Newspapers.
—Can any of your readers obligingly inform me when The Suffolk Mercury or St. Edmund's Bury Post commenced? The earliest number I have seen is that of "Monday, Feb. 3, 1717, to be continued weekly, No. 43. Price Three Half-pence." The next is that of "Monday, May 2, 1726, Vol. xvi., No. 52." And the latest that of "Monday, October 4, 1731, Vol. xxii., No. 40." When did it cease? Were there any other papers before 1782 printed in Bury; or including the name of that town in its title?