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believe, has never yet been observed; and some, perhaps, may think the foregoing expressions unexceptionable. I shall not dispute with critics who are so easily satisfied.

1797, July.

EUSEBIUS.

CXI. Addison's Observation on Virgil's ACHATES.

MR. URBAN,

Sunderland, July 17.

IN an Essay on Friendship, No. 385 of the Spectator, the good Mr. Addison says, "I do not remember that Achates, who is represented as the first favourite, either gives his advice, or strikes a blow, through the whole Æneid."

The learned Dr. Joseph Warton quotes this passage in his second volume of Virgil, p. 74*, but says nothing thereon. In the 12th book of the Eneid, I find, in line 459,

"Epulonem obtruncat Achates."

To the character of the faithful Achates, as a soldier, I offer this tribute of acknowledgment, not having noticed it elsewhere in the course of my reading.

1798, July.

C. A.

CXII. Latin Preface intended by Burton for his History of

MR. URBAN,

Leicestershire.

Hartshorn, Dec. 21.

THE following unpublished original, which I promised you in my last, being doubtless intended by the author as a Preface to his Leicestershire, which he afterwards changed into the published English one, I hope you will think worthy preservation in your Magazine.

"Will'mus Burton, Lindliacus, Leicestrensis, amico lectori salutem.

"Cum in omni genere cognitionis, scientia antiquitatum

In the third edition, p. 117. E

rerumque veterum et præteritarum sit dignissima et maxime laudabilis, tum, ut mihi videtur, earum conservatio, et ab ima oblivione sive interitu vindicatio æquam meretur laudem. Quum enim ego non ita pridem in libellum incidi qui antiquitates, monumenta, et multa alia notatu digna commitatus Leicestrensis, tum etiam paucorum circumjacentium comitatuum, illustravit, hoc animo animadvertens meo, nil gratius quam prodesse multis, ejiciens omnem laboris metum, aggrediendum duxi, quem rudi penna et pennicillo (ut aiunt) indocto hic depinxi, et ut nemini ingratus viderer, narrabo breviter, per quos profeci et quorum labore congestus hic liber sit. Will'mus Wyrley, patria Leicestrensis, natus, ut ipse refert, apud Seale, com. Leic. 4 Eliz. e gentilitiis Staff. oriundus, et per matrem e familia de Charnels, de Snareston, com. Leic. homo sedulus et honestus, et studio heraldico multum addictus, circa annum 1588, hunc laborem suscepit, nimirum perambulandi et colligendi antiquitates, arina gentilitia, cæteraque notatu digna, quæ in quavis ecclesia, locove celebriori infra comitatum Leicestrensem, et alibi forent spectanda, non sine impensis et labore gravi: sæpeque mihi retulit (familiariter enim cum eo egi) se totum comitatum Leicestrensem, topographica, historica, et heraldica narratione, descriptum velle. Quantum hac in re progressus est pro certo non habeo; vereor enim ne impeditus negotiis, vel aliis coactus causis, propositum intermiserit: circa annum 1599 profectus est in Scotiam ad regem Jacobum, et, quantum nunc audio, circa palatium regis moratur: sed amplius de instituto suo hac in re pro comperto non teneo. Quocirca quum tam commoda et necessaria sit hæc descriptio et unicuique perutilis, ego tametsi ex minimis infimus, ex indoctis indoctissimus, exemplo inductus doctissimi et reverendissimi viri Gul. Camdeni, cui Britannia tantum debet quantum orbis Ortelio, exemplo etiam Joh'is Nordeni et Ricardi Carewe, quorum hic Cornubiam, ille Middlesexiam et Hertfordiam descripsit, tum etiam exemplo amici mei singularis et unice colendi viri literatissimi et ornatissimi Samsonis Erdeswick, de Sandon, Staffordiensis, qui accuratissime,quantum unquam aliquis, comitatus Stafford. et Cestriæ descripsit, opus grande, doctissimum, laboratissimeque navatum: sed, heu dolendum! immatura præreptus morte, in lucem non edidit sicut in animo esset suo, cujus consilii ego testis etiam esse possim ; quod opus in cujus nunc latet manibus incertum est; audivi nuper, quod penes esset Tho. Gerrard, militem, utinam in lucem propediem prodiret in perpetuam reipublicæ utilitatem. His ego, inquam, instigatus exemplis, et his de causis permotus,

provinciam Leicestrensem illustrandam suscepi; collegi quæ dam laceris chartis, et, quantum pro tam brevi temporis spatio licuit, antiquitates quasdam enodavi, insignia gentilitia et stemmata genealogica comparavi; sed vereor ne quod mihi proposueram assequi non possim; duobus enim fere abhinc annis incidi in morbum dictum phthisim sive tabem, quo nunc afficior, cujus diuturnitate continua, vires corporis ita fracta et labefactatæ sunt, ut nec mihi facultas studendi, nec potestas investigandi aut scribendi, data sit: interim tamen quibus possim viribus operam intendo, ut hic comitatus, qui a nobilibus præclarissimis, si quis in Anglia alter, et multis antiquitatibus refertur, inter reliquos emicet, caputque elevet suum, quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi,' Faxit Deus, ut in studiosorum et candidatorum gratiam, hanc descriptionem, usque ad summum desiderium, quod avide cupio et aveo, perficiam et perfectis partibus absolvam. Interea temporis (amice lector) hoc opus æque accipito, quod non sine magno labore et sumptu collectum fuit, et quantum ego pro virili comprehendere possim, mei incuria vel negligentia omissum non erit. Vale.

"Lindley, 7 Apr. 1604.”

On the opposite page is the following

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"Collectio armorum, insignium gentilitiorum, tumulorum, et eorum inscriptionum, monumentorum, et cæterarum antiquitatum, in singula fere ecclesia, templo, monasterio, aliove loco memorabili, in comitatu Leicestrensi, quas ætas et tempus ad nos devenire permiserunt, hic descripta, labore et studio plerumque Will'mi Wyrley Leicestrensis.

"Accessit etiam collectio antiquitatum in quibusdam ecclesiis in comitatibus circumjacentibus, cæterisque ubicunque labore prædicti W. Wyrley*.

"Nomina eorum, qui huic cumulo aliquid adjecerunt. "S. E. Sampson Erdeswick, de Sandon, Staff. “H. P. Humfredus Purefoy, de Barwell, Leic. "W. B. Will'mus Burton, de Lindley, Leic.

* Wyrley began his Survey in 1569. His original MS. containing also many churches in Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, York, Rutland, and Warwickshire, is now in the library of the Heralds college; bearing the mark V, 197. It appears also that he afterwards accompanied Burton in his Survey of the Churches there in the years 1603, 1608, &c. In V. No. 127, in the same library, is a fair and beautiful copy of both their labours in this way, with the arms, monuments, and antiquities, well drawn. EDIT.

"H. A. Hieronimus Aston, de Leicester.

Thomas Purefoy, de Barwell, Leic.
Will'mus Smith, Londinensis.

"T. P.

"W. S.

"N. C.

Nicholaus Charles, Londinensis.

"R. C.

Robertus Cooke, Clarentius Rex Armorum,

"N. D. Nicolaus Dethick, Windsor Heraldus.

"Edmundus Gunter, Edis Christi in Oxon. scholaris. "T. I. Thomas Ingram, de Hinkley, Leic.

"W. Bel. Will'mus Belcher, de Gildesburg, Northampt." Yours, &c.

S. SHAW, jun.

P. S. The following original letter (found amongst the. same MSS.) may likewise merit perpetuity.

To his worthy friend, WM. BURTON, Esq. at Lindley, these.

Aug. 5, 1639.

"WORTHY SIR, "I have herewithall safely returned your deedes, which. I borrowed, with many thankes; but I hope you have yet a second course for me of choiser stuffe; for I assure you, most of these are not worthye the custodye you bestow on them. I was lately at Grendon, where I had sight of some evidences of Mr. Chetwynd's; and amongst them I find the covenants betwixt Aliva, the widow of Sir Wm. Chetwynd, of Ingestre, knt. and Wm. Purefoy; viz. that William, the sonne and heire of the said Wm. Purefoy, shall marry Margaret, the daughter of the said Aliva, before the feast of the exaltation of the holy crosse next. Dat. at Churchwaven, on the feast of Bartholomew, 21 R. II. And in the church of Grendon, in a south window, there are two pictures; the one of a man in armour, the other of a woman, each havinge upon their surcotes these armes, Quarterly, i and 4, Gu. a chevron Erm. between 3 leopards' faces Or. 2d and 3d, Sa. on a fess Ar. (should be Gu. I thinke) 3 leopards' faces Or. between 3 saltires Ar. Under the man the same in a shield; the scutcheon under the woman is broken. I find likewise amongst his evidences a very fayre deede, the seale perfect in greene wax, whereby Wm. Basset grants to Robert Grendon, in frank marriage with Emma his daughter, totam terram de feodo suo in villa de Houdeby, cum homagio et servicio d'ni Steph, de Seagrave. Amongst others, Tho. de Esteley is a witnesse. I take it to be in the beginning of H. III. tyme. The armes in the seale are these, 6 piles a canron varie. I am this morninge goinge to my honoured friend

Sir Chr. Hatton, with whom I thinke I shall stay a monthe. I intreate you to see for what more deedes or other things of consequence you have to fitt me with; and after my returne I shall be bold to see you. Thus, wishing you all health and prosperitye, doe with my best respects remembered, rest, at your service,

"WM. DUGDALE, Blanch Lyon."

This great Antiquary was also visiting his said friend in May preceding, as appears by his neat copy of a curious deed before me, thus inscribed: "Ex autographo, penes Chr. Hatton, miln. baln. Maij. 3°, 1639." It is Robert Earl of Leicester's grant to the monastery of Alcester, in Warwickshire, as printed in the Monasticon, tom. I. p. 471. This copy contains several explanatory notes, by Burton, of places in Leicestershire, &c.

1798, Dec.

S. S.

CXIII. On the Authenticity of the Arabian Tales, by Dr. Russell,

MR. URBAN,

HAVING remarked that several of your correspondents have solicited information concerning the Arabic MSS. of the Arabian Nights Entertainments now in England, and finding my name occasionally introduced with that of Mr. Professor White, I sit down to communicate what I know of the matter, in hopes that the learned Professor, as well as others who have it in their power, may be induced to answer the queries of your correspondent in a manner much more satisfactory.

In a note, in the last edition of the Natural History of Aleppo, I have asserted, "that the Arabian Tales, a Thousand and One Nights, is a scarce book at Aleppo; that, after much inquiry, I found only two volumes, containing 280 Nights, and with difficulty obtained leave to have a copy taken. I was shewn (1771) more than one complete copy in the Vatican library; and one at Paris in the King's library, said also to be complete." It may be proper to add here, that what is said of the Vatican and Parisian MSS. of which I had only a transient view, rests on the authority of the librarians.

The first three volumes of M. Galland's translation contains 238 Nights; in the succeeding three volumes, each

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