(e) "No one stick of ye cottage was pulled down by me."
The passage which concludes the notes on p. 35. is unfortunately maimed by the wearing away of the edges of the leaves; it is as follows:—
... "And as I hope for comfort in my Saviour this is true ... uncharitable conclusion, my life is in ye hands of God ... blessed be His name. But let not Mr. Pryn call for Blood...."
It should be added that the volume has been formerly in the hands of some one who took an interest in the Archbishop's history, as a few notes in a handwriting of the last century are inserted on slips in various parts of the volume, chiefly passages from the Diary "maliciously omitted by Prynne."
The writer of this notice has not the means of identifying the hand by which these more recent notes, or the transcript of those of the Archbishop, were written; but will take this occasion of suggesting what has often appeared to him a great desideratum in literature—that is, a collection of fac-similes of the autographs of distinguished people, whether literary or public characters; not merely their signatures, which are found in existing collections of autography, but passages sufficiently long to aid in identifying their ordinary writing, and, if possible, taken from writing made at different periods of their lives. With the improvements of mechanical skill which we enjoy, such works might be afforded at a much cheaper rate than formerly, and would, it is conceived, command a remunerating sale.
It remains only to add, that information on the points about which inquiry is made may be communicated through the medium of the "N. & Q.," or by letter to the Rev. James Bliss, Ogborne St. Andrew, near Marlborough, who is engaged in editing the works of Archbishop Laud; and who would be glad to receive any information with respect to unpublished letters or papers of the Archbishop.
C. R. O.
[1] [It is clear there have been two editions of Prynne's Breviate, both printed in the year 1644. The copy in the King's Library, at the British Museum, contains the misprinted word city, but is corrected in the Errata, at the bottom of p. 35.; whereas the copy in the Grenville Library has it correctly printed cup, and the list of Errata is omitted.—ED.]
EPITAPH ON VOLTAIRE.
I send you two versions of the epitaph on Voltaire given in Vol. iv., p. 73., not for their intrinsic merit, but as illustrations of a curious physiological trait, as to the nature and power, or powerlessness, of memory: