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"Now published, the new edition of seventeen volumes in folio, of Foedera, Conventiones, Literæ, et cujuscunque generis Acta Publica, inter Reges Angliæ, et alios quosvis Imperatores, Reges, Pontifices, Principes, vel Communitates, ab ineunte Sæculo Duodecimo, viz. ab Anno 1101, ad nostra usque Tempora, habita aut tractata *; ex Autogra

Kingdoms; scarce any of which appear in Rynier."-Many of these desiderata may now be supplied from the LVII volumes of Mr. Rymer's MS Collections, not printed in his Foedera, and containing a series of public acts relating to the History and Government of England, from the year 1115 to 1608 (together with LXIV volumes of Rolls of Parliament), which, by the prudent munificence of the House of Peers, are safely deposited in the British Muscum.

* "The first treaty which was ever published in this Nation by authority was, the treaty with Spain in 1604, which was conducted by Sir Robert Cecil, the first Lord Salisbury, with such wonderful talents and address. No treaty was printed without authority during any preceding period. It had been extremely dangerous for private persons, in the reign of King James, in the former, or in the subsequent reign, to have published treaties with foreign powers; because, to have done this, had been considered as meddling with matters of state, and punished as an infringement of prerogative. The treaties of Charles I. were published by authority. Cromwell made many treaties, because he was anxious, like John IV. of Portugal, to procure the recognition of other Powers; but I doubt whether he lived to publish them. The reign of Charles II. was fruitful in treaties, which were printed by authority, often singly, and sometimes collectively. The four treaties of Breda were published by the King's special command in 1667, by the assigns of J. Bill and C. Barker, the King's printers, 4to, 80 pages. A collection, comprehending seventeen treaties, beginning with the Commercial Treaty with Spain in 1667, and ending with the Algerine Treaty in 1682, was printed by direction of Lord Sunderland, the Secretary of State, in March 1684-5, by the assigns of J. Bill, and H. Hills, and T. Newcomb, the King's printers, London, 1685, 4to, 269 pages. Such had been the smallness of this impression, of such the demand for it, that this useful code was reprinted in 1686. The salutary practice of publishing by authority what was so necessary to be known, which had been begun by King James, was continued by King William, and by his royal successors. It was, however, in King William's councils, that it was first determined, to print authoritatively the Public Conventions of Great Britain with other powers. It was owing to that determination that the reign of Queen Anne saw the publication of Rymer's Fœdera. The first volume, commencing with the documents of the year 1201, was published in 1704; the twentieth volume,

phis infra secretiores Archivorum Regiorum Thesaurarias, per multa Secula reconditis, fideliter exscripta. In lucem missa de Mandato nuperæ Reginæ. Accurante Thomâ Rymer, ejusdem serenissimæ Reginæ Historiographo. Editio Secunda, ad originales Chartas in Turri Londinensi denuo summâ fide collata et emendata, studio Georgii Holmes. Londini, Impensis Jacob Tonson *." Before this republication, a sett of the XVII volumes was sold for 100 guineas.

"Some special Methods of honouring God; an Assize Sermon, preached at Cambridge, by Robert Leeke, B. D. Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and Rector of Great Snoring, Norfolk," Svo. A very beautiful edition of the "Coptic Pentateuch," by Dr. David Wilkins; an impression of only 200 copies.

"The Parish Priest §; a Poem."

Several editions of "Voltaire's Life of Charles the Twelfth, King of Sweden |," both in French and English T.

ending with the papers of 1654, was given to the world in 1735. Mr. G. Chalmers's Collection of Treaties; Gent. Mag. vol. LXI. p. 937.

* Daily Postboy, October 6, 1730.

† See the Preface to the "Acta Regia," 1726, folio.

Of St. John's college, Cambridge; B. A. 1716; M. A. 1720; B.D. 1728; rector of Great Snoring, Norfolk, 1734-1764. He was author also of seven other single Sermons: 1. "The Interpretation of the Law and the Prophets made by Jesus and 2. On St. his Apostles vindicated," 1728, Acts vii. 37. Svo. Thomas's-day; "No Act of Religion acceptable to God without Faith in Jesus Christ," 1729, John xiv. 1. 8vo. 3. "The Necessity of Christ's Satisfaction," 1735, Gal. ii. 21. 8vo. 4. Jan. 30, 1739; Rom. xiii. 1, 2. 4to. 5. Fast Sermon, Feb. 4, 1740; Joel ii. 12, 13. 4to. 6. Thanksgiving Sermon, 1746; Ps. cxxxii. 19. 4to. 7. "A new Cause of Infidelity peculiar to the present Age," 1748; a Visitation Sermon, Acts x. 4—6. 4to.

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§ See Gent. Mag. vol. L. pp. 761, 942, 1262; vol. LI. p. 596. "The Prefatory Discourse was written by John Locker, esq.; the four first books translated by Dr. Jebb; the two next by the Rev. Mr. Wagstaffe; and the two last by John Locker, esq. who was the owner of this volume." MS note in a copy shewn me by Mr. Locker's Son, the late Lieutenant Governor of Greenwich Hospial. An eighth edition," with a complete Index," was printed by Mr. Bowyer in 1755.

" Vera

"Vera Fides; a Poetical Essay, in Three Cantos; by George Adams, M. A."

Mrs. Newcome's "Enquiry into the Evidences of the Christian Religion," 8vo.

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"Sermons on several Occasions, in Three Volumes, 8vo, by the late Reverend Nathanael Marshall, D. D. Canon of Windsor, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty." Printed by Subscription, and dedicated by his Widow (Mrs. Margaret Marshall) to the Queen .

The venerable Dr. Cutler, of New England, in a letter to Dr. Zachary Grey, April 20, 1731, says,

"I have read Woolston with horror; but think the Devil has lent him a great deal of his wickedness, but none of his wit. The Bishop's answer is learned, but seems to me very heavy §. Tindal || (who you say appears again) seems to me a more formidable Atheist by his first note. I wish his power may be weakened in his second. However, through the good Providence of God, the wickedest of books produces us such answers as are noble and lasting monuments of the truth of the Christian Religion. It is said there are some volumes of Dr. Marshall's Sermons printing; I believe I shall not content

* Of whom see before, p. 186. "Dr. Newcome had a print scraped for Mrs. Newcome after her death, which he gave away: it is from a bad picture, and probably never was very like her. The young artist would not put his name to it. She was the very learned lady mentioned by Dr. Grey in his Hudibras, for her note about Penguins in Book I. She published 'An Enquiry into the Evidence of the Christian Religion, Cambridge, 1728,' Svo, in 150 pages; and had the character of being very learned. All that I know of that matter is, that as often as I have been in company with her, and when things were thrown out designedly to tempt her to speak, and discover herself, as the armour produced to Achilles, it never took effect. So that I cannot speak of her learning from my own knowledge; but, if she was not that, she was something better; a very good woman." T. F. A fourth Volume was published in 1750.

Thomas Woolston's "Six Discourses on the Miracles of

Christ."

§ Woolston was answered by several Bishops, and other eminent Divines.

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Dr. Matthew Tindal, author of "The Rights of the Church," Christianity as old as the Creation," &c.

VOL. I.

myself

myself without the works of that excellent Author and Friend. Religion may decay among us here; but we are not like to run into such refined Atheism and Deism as is among you; for our poor starved Colleges will not afford us any thing either for or against Religion; and perhaps the Heads of the Colleges are the weakest tests there."

And in a subsequent letter:

"I am sorry Dr. Marshall's Sermons do not answer the character he bore in his life-time; the reason is, sure, that he has laboured less in these performances; but I should be more sorry if I believed Whiston's suggestions, in his Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Clarke, as if Dr. Marshall were inclinable to Arianism. I am the more easy, because I suppose this man capable of casting a cloud over any person's reputation; but I should be glad to receive from you any farther light upon it."

The fourth and fifth volumes of "The Abridgment of the Philosophical Transactions*, from the

"The Philosophical Transactions were begun March 1665-6, by Oldenburgh, about four years after the Journals and Registers commence. He published as far as No 136. They were discontinued from Feb. 1678-9 to Jan. 1682-3; but supplied in a great measure by Hooke's Philosophical Collections, in seven numbers, of which No I. came out 1679, II. and HI. 1681, IV. V. VI. VII. 1682. Grew, and after him Plot, carried them on from No 136 to No 166, when Dr. Musgrave, and then Dr. Halley, continued them. They were discontinued three years more, from Dec. 1687 to Jan. 1690-1, besides other smaller interruptions of near a year and a half more before October 1695, after which they were regularly carried on till 1751, making 497 numbers, when the method of publication was changed into that of volumes, beginning with vol. XLVII. The LIId volume came out in 1762; vand a volume has been ever since published annually. The Collections and Transactions, from the beginning to 1701, were abridged and disposed under general heads by John Lowthorp, :A. M. F. R. S. in 3 vols. 4to, 1705; 3d edit. 1722; 4th, 1731: from 1700 to 1720 very incorrectly, by Benjamin Motte, a printer, in 3 vols. 4to, 1721; and better by Henry Jones, late fellow of King's college, Cambridge, 1721, 2d edit. 1731, 2 vols. 4to. Motte published" A Reply to Jones's Preface to his abridge-ment. Lond. 1732," 4to.. From 1719 to 1733, by John Eames, F. R. S. and John Martyn, Fellow of the Royal Society, late Professor of Botany at Cambridge, 1734, 2 vols. [vi.vii.] 4to: from 1720 to 1732, by Andrew Reid and John Gray, partner with the late Rev. Dr. Chandler when he was a bookseller, 2 vols. 1733, 4to: from 1732

to

year 1700 to 1720. By Henry Jones, M. A. and

to 1750 by Martyn alone, 4 vols. 4to, [viii. ix. 1747; x. in two parts, 1756.] An Abridgment for 1732, being a supplement to Reid and Gray, came out 1747, 4to. Ageneral index to the seven volumes of Lowthorp, Jones, Eames, and Martyn's Abridgements, 1736, 4to. "Memoirs of the Royal Society; being a new Abridgement of the Philosophical Transactions: giving an account of the undertakings, studies, and labours, of the learned and ingenious in many considerable parts of the world; from the first institution of that illustrious Society in the year 1665, under their Royal Founder King Charles II. to the year 1735 inclusive; disposed under proper general heads, with a translation of the Latin tracts from their originals; the whole regularly abridged, the order of time observed, the theoretical parts applied to practical uses, and an explanation of the terms of art as they occur in the course of the work; being a work of general use to the publick, and worthy the perusal of all mathematicians, artificers, tradesmen, &c. for their improvement in various branches of business. By Mr. [Benjamin] Baddam [a printer.] Illustrated with copper-plates. Lond. 1738," 8 vols. 8vo. But the most complete Abridgment is one within our own times, which cannot but prove highly satisfactory to every lover of science; and, when the names of Dr. Charles Hutton, Dr. George Shaw, and Dr. Richard Pearson, are announced as Editors, the publick have a good pledge for the fidelity of the work; which has the additional recommendation of being handsomely printed, and is intended to be comprized in eighteen volumes. But the publishers shall speak for themselves: "On completing their first volume, the proprietors cannot omit the opportunity of stating to the publick, that this Abridgement of the Philosophical Transactions differs from all others that have preceded it in two very material circumstances: First, in regard to the Explanatory Comments; in which 'errors are corrected, and several deficiencies are supplied, which occur in the early papers of the Transactions; and, whenever the subject is particularly important, an account is subjoined of the modern improvements and discoveries relating to it: Secondly, in regard to the Biographical Notices, which it is intended to continue throughout the remaining volumes, so as to exhibit, when the work is completed, a view of the lives and writings (accompanied with critical remarks on their respective merits) of the most distinguished scientific characters whose works are noticed in the Transactions, continued to the beginning of the present century. The first volume alone comprises notices of about one hundred of the more early authors. The advantages to be derived from this mode of combining anecdotes of the lives of authors with specimens of their labours cannot but he obvious to every reader. In the prosecution of this part of the plan, the proprietors will consider themselves greatly obliged by authentic information, from relatives and friends, concerning deceased members of the Royal Society, who have had papers and communications inserted in the Transactions. Sept. 30, 1803."

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