Notes and Queries, Number 71, March 8, 1851 | Page 5

from his admiral, John Narbrough. Numerous Processes of Nobility,
containing much of value to many noble families; of these last, Mr.
Vella has taken the trouble of separating, all those referring to any

English families.
Also a volume of fifteenth century, containing the accounts of the
commanderies. This is a continuation of an older and still more
interesting volume, which is now in the Public Library.
For further particulars, see Archælogical Journal, December, 1850, p.
369.
* * * * *
ON AN ANCIENT MS. OF "BEDÆ HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA."
Some gentleman connected with the cathedral library of Lincoln may
possibly be able to give me some information respecting a MS. copy of
the Historia Ecclesiastica of Beda in my possession, and of which the
following circumstances are therein apparent:--It is plainly a MS. of
great antiquity, on paper, and in folio. On a fly-leaf it has an inscription,
apparently of contemporaneous date, and which is repeated in a more
modern hand on the next page with additions, as follows:
"Hunc librum legavit Will[=m]s Dadyngton qu^odam Vicarius de
Barton sup humbre ecclie Lincoln ut e[=e]t sub custodia
Vicecancellarii."
Then follows:--
"Script[=u] p manus Nic[=o]i Belytt Vicecancellarii iiii^{to} die
m[=e]sis Octob^r Anno Dni milles[=i]mo q[=u]icentessimo
decimoqu[=i]to et Lr[=a] dñicalius G et Anno pp henrici octavi sexto."
In the hand of John, father of the more celebrated Ralph Thoresby, is
added:
"Nunc e Libris Jo[/h]is Thoresby de Leedes emp. Executor^{bus} Tho.
Dñi Fairfax, 1673."
Through what hands it may have passed since, I have no means of
knowing; but it came into mine from Mr. J. Wilson, 19. Great May's

Buildings, St. Martin's Lane, London, in whose Catalogue for
December, 1831, it appeared, and was purchased by me for 3l. 3s.
There it is conjectured to be of the twelfth century, and from the
character there is no reason to doubt that antiquity. It is on paper, and
has been ill-used. It proceeds no farther than into lib. v. c. xii.,
otherwise, from the beginning complete. The different public libraries
of the country abound in MSS. of this book. It is probable {181} that,
under the civil commotions in the reign of Charles I. the MS. in my
possession came into the hands of General Fairfax, and thence into
those of John Thoresby: so that no blame can possibly attach to the
present, or even some past, generations, of the curators of any library,
whether cathedral or private. It is, at all events, desirable to trace the
pedigree of existing MSS. of important works, where such information
is attainable.
Perhaps some of your correspondents may be able to inform me what
became of the library of Ralph Thoresby; for into his possession, there
can be little doubt, it came from his father.
J. M.
* * * * *
Minor Notes.
The Potter's and Shepherd's Keepsakes.--In the cabinet of a lover of
Folk-lore are two quaint and humble memorials by which two
"inglorious Miltons" have perpetuated their affection, each in
characteristic sort. The one was a potter; the other, probably, a
shepherd. The "pignus amoris" of the former is a small earthenware
vessel in the shape of a book, intended apparently to hold a "nosegay"
of flowers. The book has yellow clasps, and is authentically inscribed
on its sides, thus:
"The. Love. Is. True. That. I. owe. You. Then. se. you. Bee. The. Like.
To. Mee.

(On the other side.)
"The. Gift. Is. Small. Good. will. Is. all. Jeneuery. y^e 12 day. 1688."
The shepherd's love gift is a wooden implement, very neatly carved,
and intended to hold knitting-needles. On the front it has this couplet:
"WHEN THIS YOV SEE. REMEMBER MEE. MW.
(On one side.)
MW. 1673."
To an uninformed mind these sincere records of honest men seem as
much "signs of the times" as the perfumed sonnets dropped by expiring
swains into the vases of "my lady Betty," and "my lady Bab," with a
view to publication.
H. G. T.
Writing-paper.--I have long been subject to what, in my case, I feel to
be a serious annoyance. For the last twenty years I have been unable to
purchase any letter-paper which I can write upon with comfort and
satisfaction. At first, I was allowed to choose between plain and
hot-pressed; but now I find it impossible to meet with any, which is not
glazed or smeared over with some greasy coating, which renders it very
disagreeable for use with a common quill--and I cannot endure a steel
pen. My style of writing, which is a strong round Roman hand, is only
suited for a quill.
Can any of your correspondents put me in the way of procuring the
good honest letter-paper which I want? I have in vain applied to the
stationers in every town within my reach. Would any of the paper-mills
be