there, for personating and pretending himself to be the late Duke of Monmouth, and by that means drawing considerable sums of money out of the zealots of that country. It appeared that he lodged at the house of one Widow Wickard (tho' with seeming privacy) where his true friends visited him and were admitted to kiss his hand upon their knees, he said he was the true legitimate son of K. Charles the 2d. and that his Unkle K. James had that honor for him as to execute a common criminal in his stead to satisfy the Priests and to send him out of the way. And that the Prince of Orange was a very honest Gent. and his deputy, and would surrender the crown to him when things were ripe, &c. Happy was he that could by any interest be introduced to his Highness to have the honor of his hand. It happened that one of his trusty friends one morning coming to pay him a visit with a stranger with him, found him in bed, at the sight of the stranger he seemed much surprized and offended, and turning himself quick to the wall, sighing, said, Oh my friends will undo me, at which the Gent. assured his Highness that the person he had brought with him was life and fortune in his interest, upon which he returned about and gave him his hand to kiss. Presently after came into his lodgings a wench with a basket of chickens as a present from her mistress, and another with

a letter to him, at the reading of which he seemed a little discontented, upon which they desired to know if his Highness had received any bad news. He answered No, 'twas indifferent, 'twas from Lord Russel to acquaint him that he was come with his fleet to Torbay and wanted some further directions, and that which troubled him was, that he wanted a horse and money to carry him thither, at which they bid him not trouble his Highness, for that he should be supplied immediately with both, which accordingly he was, and was away a fortnight, till he had spent both money and horse, and then returned: 'tis said he has received above 5001. thus, and lain with at least 50 of their wives. Upon his trial he declared himself to be the son of him that keeps the Swan Inn in Leicester, adding that he could not help it if the people would call him the Duke of Monmouth, he never bid them do so, but told 2 Justices of the Peace before, who had sent for him, his true name and made so cunning a defence, and none of his zealots coming in against him (being prosecuted only by Major Brewer) that he was cleared of the indictment, only the Lord Chief Justice afterwards bound him to good behaviour, for which he soon found bail, amongst his party, who maintained him like a prince in prison, and 3 or 4 of the chief of them attended him to the Bar at his Trial and believe him still to be the true

D. of Monmouth. The Goaler got the first day he was committed 40s. of people that came to see this impostor at 2d. a piece.

LETTER XXXIX.

Mr. WANLEY to Dr. CHARLETT.

Curious Alteration in an English Bible.

Cambridge, Sept. 17, 1699.

You may remember, Sir, the talk you was pleased to have with me, about Mr. Hartley's late Catalogue of books, wherein he puts down an English Bible of 1520 and that in Romans I. i. there are these words Paul a knave of Jesus Christ. When I was at London, I saw the very book he meant (which was formerly the Duke of Lauderdale's) and any body may easily see, that it was first printed Paul an apostle; but now we read there Paul an kneave of Jesus Christ, these letters apostl being scratched out, and kneav being pasted in the book in the place of them. Besides, the English never wrote kneave for knave, and supposing that they had, they would not have said an kneave, as they did properly say an apostle. The book itself was printed since 1520, but some of the numeral letters are scratched out, to make it seem the older; as supposing it was MDXXXVII. by rasing

the four last letters out, it becomes MDXX. but I have taken such notice of the book, that I shall easily find one of the same impression in the Bodleian Library. I persuade myself, Sir, that that place in Fuller's Church History of Brittain, where he (untruly) saies that such words may be seen in 2 MSS. in the Bodleian Library, was the occasion of corrupting this printed book. The place in Fuller, may be found by searching the references to Wicliff and his books from the Index.*

I thought I should have left Cambridge in a fortnight's time, but tho' I employ myself here 12 hours every day amongst their MSS. I have not done half my business and at my return, I hope to give you, Sir, a very satisfactory account of my spending my time, this journey.

**This volume was afterwards purchased by Lord Oxford, and stands No. 154, in the first volume of the Harleian Catalogue, 8vo. 1743, page 9, where it is thus described: "The Bible, with marginal notes, black letter, with cuts, 1520. This is the Bible, in which, by an artful counterfeit, described by Mr. Wanley, St. Paul is called the knave, &c. the rasure of the true word Servant, and the insertion of the false reading, though discoverable by an exact observer, are so well executed, that the Bible was sold to the Duke of Lauderdale for seventeen guineas, by one THORNTON, who, indeed first effaced Matthew's preface, all the dates, except one, of which he erased XVII. and added a note that this Bible, which was the edition of 1537, was printed in 1520, a date earlier than that of any English Bible. It does not appear that this reading was ever really printed."

Here was a great preparation for observing the Eclipse, a room darkened, telescopes fixed, and every thing put in order on purpose; and happy that man that could be admitted; but after some hours waiting for black Wednesday, parturiunt montes, the gentlemen having dined with Duke Humfrey, came out very gravely into the warm sun, cursing their tables, &c. and were as well laughed at as the Sons of Art in London, who hired the Monument for the same purpose.

LETTER XL.

Dr. WALLIS to Dr. POINTER, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

On the Limits of the University.

Feb. 17, 1699-700.

SIR,

I HAVE made search (as you desired) for papers relating to the admeasurement of the five miles from Oxford, whose inhabitants are (by Act of Parliament) obliged to contribute to the repairing of the high ways within a mile of Oxford, but can find none such. And I do believe, I have none such, nor ever had, in my custody. I do not remember that I ever saw such; but heard by word of mouth, from Dr.