Notes and Queries | Page 8

valuable collection of manuscripts contains (as described in Smith's table of contents):--
1. "Papers of Bp. Cosins in defence of the Ordination of the Church of England against father Prior.
"The first of these is Bp. Cosin's Review of the Father's Letter, &c. [the title-page is placed at p. 77.]
"Then follows a letter (which is indeed the Bishop's first paper, and should be put first) from Bishop Cosin to the Father.
"After that the Father's Answer to Bishop Cosin's Review at p. 81.
"Then come two other papers about the validity of our Ordination, with a preface concerning the occasion, p. 89."
2. "Then, p. 101., A Letter from a _Rom. Cath._ to a Lady about communicating in one kind,--with Bishop Cosin's Answer."
3. "Lastly, in p. 123., is A Letter of Bp. Cosin's to Dr. Collins concerning the Sabbath."
The order in which the papers under the first head, about our English ordination, should fall, appears to be as follows:--
1. There is a note attached to p. 65., evidently written by Dr. Tho. Smith himself in the following words:
"Transcript of several papers of Bishop Cosin's sent to me by Dr. J. Smith, Prebendary of Durham.--T.S."
2. At p. 77. the title-page is given thus:
"A Review of a Letter sent from F.P.R. to a Lady (whom he would have persuaded to the Rom. party) in Opposition to a former paper given him for the defence of the Church of England in the Ordination of Priests."
To this are appended the respective forms of ordering priests used in the Church of England and in the Roman Church.
3. Then, at p. 89., we have the "occasion of this ... Discourse concerning the Ordination of Priests," &c. This is a kind of preface, which contains the first paper that was given to the Prior, dated June 14, 1645; also another paper, bearing date July 11, 1645, but ending abruptly in the middle of a sentence, and having written below it (probably in Dr. J. Smith's hand) the following note:
"The rest of this is not yet found, and that which is written thus far is not in the Bishop's own hand, but the copy is very fair."
However, this second paper (ending thus abruptly) appears to be no more than the first draft of a long letter from Cosin to the Prior, which commences at p. 65. of this MS., and which is dated "from the Court of S. Germains, July 11, 1645;" for not only does this letter bear the same date as the before-mentioned fragment, but it begins by complaining of the tone of expression in a letter evidently received from the Prior after the draft had been prepared, but before it was sent off; and it concludes with the following note appended as a postscript:
"Sir,
"The enclosed (most of it) was prepared for you a fortnight since; but now (upon the occasion given by your letter) you have it with some advantage from
"Your servt., J.C.
"I desire the fav"
"S. Germ. July 12."
4. The most important part of this MS., however, is contained in the long letter or treatise {296} placed first in the volume, and bearing for its title, "A View of F.P.'s Answer to the First Paper."
This is dated from S. Germains, July 25, 1645 and would appear to be Cosin's last letter. But, if it be really so, Basire must, I think, be in error, when he says, "Our Doctor ... could never get from the Prior any reply to his last answer." For at p. 81. of the MS. there is a reply to the above "Review of a Letter sent by F.R. to a Lady," &c. which, though copied without either date or signature, was evidently written by the Prior, whilst it professes to be a reply to a treatise closely answering to Cosin's letter of July 25, but which letter the writer did not receive (as he states) before the 26th of September.
I wish yet further to take notice, that Dr. Tho. Smith, in His _Vit?_ (Lond. 1707, pr?f. pp. vii, viii.), refers to these manuscripts in the following satisfactory manner:--
"Cum, post mortem D. Cosini, de pretio et valore schedarum, quas reliquit, h?redibus non satis constaret, ... auspieatò tandem devenit, ut favore, beneficio, et perquam insigni humanitate reverendi et doctissimi viri, D. Joannis Smith, Sacr? Theologi? Professoris Ecclesi? Dunelmensis Pr?bendarii, quorum frequens hac de re commercium literarum, occasione data, (opportunè intercedente pr?nobili et reverendo, D. Georgio Whelero, equite aurato, et Ecclesi? Anglican? Presbytero, ejusdem quoque Ecclesi? Cathedralis Prebendario), habui, duos libellos (tanquam pr?tiosas tabulas ab isthoc infami naufragio servatas) a D. Cosino, dum in Gallia exularet, Anglieè conscriptos jam possidieam: quarum unus _Vindicias Ordinatianum Ecclesie? Anglican?_ contra exceptiones et cavillationes cujusdem Pontificii sacerdotis e gente nostra, alter Responsionem ad Epistolam nobili f?min? Angl? ab alio saccrdote _pro defensione communionis sub unica specie administrand?_ inscriptam, complectitur," &c.
I should still