public at which it has ever since been sold, of two guineas; and we are quite unaware that it has ever fetched a higher sum. We are therefore surprised to find your Correspondent stating that "till lately it was usually sold for twenty pounds!"

All the copies intended for Ireland must in the first instance pass through our hands, and, the booksellers there being supplied on the usual terms as with other record publications, there is certainly no plea or justification for the trade charging other than the price of two guineas, any more than there is any reason in your Correspondent using the term "favoured few," as applied to the possessors of copies of a work so commonly known and so readily obtained at so moderate a price as the Liber Munerum Hiberniæ.

These are matters within our own knowledge and province, and of these alone we would speak. We admit at the same time we have no means of ascertaining what number of editor's copies, if any, perfect

or imperfect, were delivered to the late Mr. Lascelles, the editor of the work; or what number of presentation copies were sent out prior to the period of publication; and how far the probable dispersion of the same at the death of such parties may have influenced the rare prices quoted by "F." in your Correspondence of September. Yours, &c.

BUTTERWORTH & SON,

Publishers to the Public Record Department. Note. We conceive that our former correspondent referred entirely to the prices given for the book at second hand, before the Government were pleased to publish it. On inquiry we find that a copy belonging to the late Mr. William Lynch was sold at an auctioneer's in Angleseystreet, Dublin, for 201.-the exact sum mentioned by F. Mr. Lynch was one of "the favoured few" who had obtained this book, not by purchase, but by donation, or other private arrangement with Mr. Lascelles.-EDIT.

MR. URBAN,-Your Magazine for August contains (among the Minor Correspondence) a letter from Mr. Britton, announcing an intention of producing a series of letters in his possession from Bertram to Dr. Stukeley relating to the nominal work of Richard of Cirencester.

I quite coincide with Mr. Britton's remarks, that it is high time all doubts' as to the origin and authenticity of this work should "be settled; " but I would submit to the consideration of that gentleman whether any number of letters from Bertram himself will "settle" the question. With regard to any evidence, wherewith the world has hitherto, so far as I am informed, been favoured, of the existence of a genuine ancient manuscript of Richard of Cirencester, beyond the unsupported assertion of C. J. Bertram, such a manuscript is as completely apocryphal, as are the fabulous inscribed golden plates, upon the professed authority of which the clever, but unscrupulous American, Joseph Smith, founded his extraordinary, and extraordinarily successful, "Mormon " imposture.

What is desired and demanded by those, who hesitate in giving credit to the history of the so-called Ricardus Corinensis, is, that some satisfactory testimony should be brought forward to corroborate the statements of Bertram. If the existence of an original manuscript and the nature of its contents are not confirmed by other evidence than the declaration of the nominal transcriber, I imagine that such facts would by no means be admitted in a court

of law; and surely we not only may, but ought to, be similarly scrupulous as to the authenticity of our recognised historical documents. At an earlier period antiquaries as a class were ridiculed (not undeservedly, it may be acknowledged) for their credulity; at the present day much has been effected towards wiping off this stigma. Do not let us expose ourselves to the continuance of the reproach by reluctance to test the validity of any pretensions which lie under grave suspicion; and such, in the estimation of many, is decidedly the case with respect to the alleged discovery at Copenhagen of about a century ago.

I have formerly urged, that we must admit either the whole, or none, of the sonamed Richard of Cirencester; but since Mr. Britton speaks of "The Itinerary alone, I will briefly revert to this matter.

Does Mr. Britton then, like Mr. Hatcher, abandon the defence of the History? and if so, by whom does he suppose the forgery (for such it will be) of the latter was perpetrated? And what probable explanation will he offer of the intimate association of the fictitious History with the genuine Itinerary? Moreover, as to the general rule for ascertaining the character of any literary performance, is it admissible to adjudge it to be, like the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel ch. 2.), partly of iron and partly of clay? Must we not rather, all being derived from the same sourse, and it being presented as one entire whole, pronounce that the several portions must stand or fall together?

I trust the assurance will be unneces

MR. URBAN,-In "Notes and Queries" of 18th Sept. 1852, the descent of this family, whereof William Chaderton, Bishop of Chester and afterwards of Lincoln, was a member, is asked for, and a pedigree from Cole's MSS. in the British Museum, vol. xi. p. 223, is there set forth.

It is also stated that Browne Willis gave the Bishop the following arms: Argent, a chevron gules between 3 Z sable, on the chevron a mullet of the 2nd." But Cole says this is a mistake; and that, in a MS. book of heraldry belonging to King's College Library, written by William Smith, Rouge Dragon, in 1604, they are "Gules, a cross bottony nowed or; 2nd and 3rd, A. a chevron gules inter 3 Z sable."

I have been always led to understand that Lawrence Chaderton, the first and famous Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, was of the same family as the Bishop, and was descended from the eldest branch. He died at the age of 104 in 1640, and was one of the translators of the Bible.

In Ayscough's Catalogue of MSS. in the British Museum, No. 4275. 46. amongst the "Letters of Divines," is one from Lawrence Chaderton to Lady Vere, dated Jan. 11, 1618. This letter is sealed with a crest, a demi-griffin rampant; and another addressed to Sir Thomas Hobie is sealed with the arms of Chaderton of Chaderton, quartering with those quartered by Bishop Chaderton of the family of Nuthurst.

In a curious MS. in the handwriting of Abraham Johnson (the son of Archdeacon Robert Johnson, the founder of Oakham and Uppingham Schools) and written in 1638, it is set forth that Abraham Johnson was placed by his father, the archdeacon, at the new College of Emmanuel, Cambridge (founded by his neighbour and friend, Sir Walter Mildmay), whereof Lawrence Chaderton was Master; and that, being a widower when he was 28 years old, he (Abraham) married Elizabeth Chaderton, the sole child and heir of Lawrence Chaderton, by Cicely his wife. The MS. thus proceeds :

"Lawrence Chaderton was then (in 1605) but Bachelor of Divinity, but some foure or five and twenty years since made Doctor, and now living (1638) about o.

years old, ye famous worthy Master of Emmanuel College, (made choice of by ye honourable founder,) who is a Lancashire gentleman of the auncientest or best house of ye Chadertons, of an auncienter house than was Dr. Wm. Chaderton, that was Ld. Bp. of Lincoln.

"His father's name was Thos. Chaderton, Gentleman. And they were first Chadertons of Chaderton, a very faire house, which is in Oldham parish, and had when they were at ye best & highest about some thousand pound a year, and even his father in his time had land at Leeze, & in other parts of Oldham parish, and in Manchester and in Lichfield in Darbyshire to the value of some 3001. or 4007. a year, and he had wood so excellently growne in his lands at Lichfield, as, if he would have sold it, he mought then have had a thousand pound for it, and did intimate his purpose to have settled his lands in Manchester and in Lichfield upon this son Lawrence, though but his third son in birth (but by ye death of the second, about 80 years since childless Lawrence is become the second), but that he was displeased with him for his change of the papish religion into the pure true religion, which after he came to Cambridge God opened his eyes to see and his hart to embrace, whereof he hath since been a most worthy and painful preacher and advancer, therein only (in any thing worth speaking of) having been in all his life disobedient unto him. And God hath so blessed him in that, though his father bequeathed or devized to him but poore 40s. a year during his life, he hath been better able to spare it and hath done so, than his brother that had the lands, or his son since him, hath been able to pay it, and hath not needed or received any helps thence, but hath been both willing and able to do them many curtesies, and so hath done.

"After the impairing of the lands of the Chadertons of Chaderton, the Ashtons having bought the house and the greatest part of the lands as some thousand marks a year there, it hath been ever since and now is called by the gentleman's name that ownes it-Ashton of Chaderton, a good part of which ancient lands of

us.

The literary portion has been executed with exemplary fidelity and diligence and it will be obvious that a complete history of one of the two great churches of Bury is no mean contribution to the general history of the town, not merely as regards the church in its material structure, but also as affecting the history of the inhabitants, whose family memorials are embraced within its walls. Mr. Tymms has systematically discussed the several divisions of his subject under the following arrangement: 1. Churches before the present; 2. the Church before the Reformation; 3. persons buried in the Church; 4. the Church since the Reformation; 5. Ecclesiastical History; 6. description of the Church; and 7. Monumental memorials.

Ascending into the very mists of antiquity, Mr. Tymms devotes his first four pages to show that Mercury was worshipped in Bury under his Celtic name of Teith or Tot; founding the idea upon the fact that Martin of Palgrave in 1720-1 speaks of two hills called Tutles hills, which at that time were removed from the abbey garden. Our author appears to have placed his confidence in the poetical notions broached by the Rev. W. L. Bowles in his Hermes Britannicus; and to imagine that "in almost every part of England the name Tot, in connection with some hill, attests the extent to which the worship of Teutates prevailed in Celtic Britain." The argument would require a much longer discussion than we have room for in this place; and we can only say for the present that we do not believe a word of it.

Neither do we give any credit to the fanciful etymology that has been suggested for Bedericsworth, the Saxon name of the vill in which the abbey of Saint Edmund

was founded, viz. bede-ric-worth," the chief place of public worship;" for it is quite as clear that Beoderic was the personal name after which the worth was called, as that Brighton was the tun of a Saxon proprietor named Brighthelm. It may be generally remarked that the proportion of places which derive their names from early proprietors is not sufficiently estimated in local etymology.

The ecclesiastical history of subsequent times is traced by Mr. Tymms from more authentic evidence, and he has derived much interesting illustration of his subject from the wills preserved in the Court of the Commissary of Bury, a selection of which Mr. Tymms has already edited in a volume printed for the Camden Society. One of these, the singularly minute will of John Baret, made in the year 1463, affords a very remarkable example of the religious devotion of the middle ages, and reflects much interest on some of the most curious relics of those times which now remain in St. Mary's church. We are not directly informed what was the trade or occupation of John Baret; but from certain passages in his will we conclude that he was a dealer in the precious metals or banker, and that he had acquired very great wealth. His ambition appears to have been to devote this to a great variety of religious purposes, and, in the true spirit of the age in such matters, to provide that his wealth should be expended for the benefit of his own soul and the perpetuation of his own name through the period of a long futurity, if not in perpetuity. It seems that he was a principal benefactor to the magnificent timber roof of the nave of the church, at the end of which, over the spot where the Rood then stood, are still to be seen his "resons" or mottoes, "God me gyde," and "Grace me governe." Near this, at the east end of the south aile, was placed an altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was commonly known as "the lesser altar of our Lady," to distinguish it from the high altar, which, in compliance with the rule of dedicating the high altar to the saint in whose honour the church was built, was also dedicated to the Virgin. John Baret desired that this Lady Chapel should be converted into a chantry for his special behoof. He directed that his body should "be beryed by the awter of Seynt Martyn, namyd also our Ladyes awter, in Seynt Marye chirche at Bury, under the parcloos of the retourne of the candilbeeme, before the ymage of oure Savyour, and no stoon to be steryd of my grave, but a pet