versity in a short time, and till then, and always,

My brother last night informed me of the kind intention you had of doing him and me the honour of prefixing our names to Leland's "Collectanea." I will always own my obligation to you for it. But suffer me to deprecate so much honour as very unfitting me. Fortune has placed me in a very low rank and station in the world; and my inclination leads me to steal as silent and unobserved through the world as I possibly can. If there can be any addition to the pleasure of doing good, it is to do it with secrecy and silence. Besides, a man who is forced to spend his best days and the vigour of his mind inter spinas et senticeta legum, makes an odd figure among the soft Muses. Be

lieve me, Sir, you would injure your selfe in the opinion of those whose esteem you chiefly desire, should you persist in your purposé. And therefore, with the sincerest thanks for your intended honour, I must again most earnestly intreat you not to go on with your purpose. My brother told me that he would write to you this evening, and desire you to lay aside any thoughts of this matter. Least he should forget, or be prevented, I do in both our names assure you, that we shall always remember your very obliging offer; and that the obligation will be lessened by nothing but your persisting in your first purpose, Should you print our names, it would put us under a necessity of disowning our consent; and therefore I am sure, to all your favours you will add this, of not taking any notice of us in so public I shall be very uneasy till I hear you

a manner.

have changed your purpose.

I am, Reverend Sir,

Your very obliged humble Servant,

Lincoln's Inn, 17 Mar. 1714-15,

SAM. MEAD,

LETTER CIX.

Dr. TANNER (afterwards Bishop of St. Asaph) to Dr.

RAWLINSON.

The Learned Tailor.

Norwich, April 30, 1715.

GOOD SIR,

I HAD the favour of your last packet, and shall endeavour to help you to all the institutions you desire relating to those Colleges as fast as my leisure will permit. But I have been much of late abroad and am going for London on Monday, where probably I shall continue for a month. At present I have time only to send you the enclosed and to present to you a poor man from this city who is very extraordinary in his way, and, as I conceive, deserving the notice and encouragement of all lovers of learning and industry. Being taught only English in his childhood, apprenticed to a country taylor, and being forced to work journey work for his bread, and to buy a few books, he has attained to competent knowledge in the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Samaritan, Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic. I don't pretend skill in these latter, but can depend upon the character our

* See Page 271,

Dean, Dr. Prideaux, and Mr. Oakley, the Cambridge Arabic Professor, have given him.

He had a mighty inclination to come to Oxford to see the books and libraries there, and we have some of us furnished him a little out for his journey. He is modest, and not prepared to expect any thing at Oxford but civil treatment, and a sight of Books and MSS. in his way. Tho' I almost promise myself, that such uncommon application will be taken notice of among the many encouragers of letters there. He'll not refuse the meanest employment whereby he may be enabled to improve himself, and be more useful to the world.

I hope he'll appear to deserve your countenance and recommendation, and I shall your pardon for this trouble, being

Sir,

Your very affectionate Friend and Servt.

THOM. TANNER.

LETTER CX.

Dr. TANNER to Mr. T. HEARNÉ.

Barne or Boy-Bishops at Norwich.-St. Nicholas's Clerks.

GOOD MR. HEARNE!

UPON your asking me the last time I was at your chamber, whether we had any remains of the Barne-Bishop upon our books at Norwich, I promised to send you such few Memorandums as I had about that usage here, which I find was chiefly on St. Nicholas' day and night, when the Pueri de Eleemosynaria, whom we now call the Choristers, chose a Bishop and waited on him in procession to several churches and good houses in the city, where the little rogues took great libertyes-hence the proverbial expression of St. Nicholas' Clerks, signifying such as were not of the best character.

In the Almoner's account for A.D. 1521, among other expences, he laid out-" In victualibus emptis, cum aliis expensis pro Epō Puerorum in festo S. Nicholai vi: vIII" and the monks seem to have got some offerings on account of this shew, for the almoner A.D. 1488 accounts "de proventibus in die S. Nicholai 19o et non plus quia vi: viir deducuntur pro victualibus et chirothecis puerorum."-A good woman of a parish called St. Martin's, A.D. 1506. left in her will a