1621.

37. Dr. John Dee, the celebrated philosopher of Mortlake, died in 1608.

38. — Heneage. Query, Sir Thomas Heneage, Knight?

39. Richard Scarlet, citizen and painter stainer, of London, temp. Eliz., took some good notes of Christ Church, Canterbury (Gough), and was the author of some heraldical collections now in the British Museum. (MSS. Harl. 2021.)

40. — Woodhall.

41. — Dent de Banco Regis.

42. William Bowyer, author of A perfecte Kellender of all the Recordes remayninge in the office of Recordes at the Towere of Londone. (MS. Harl. 94. 4.)

43. Robert Hare, son of Sir Nicholas Hare, Master of the Rolls, 1553, of Caius College, Cambridge, collected the charters and privileges of the University in three volumes, with a fourth of those relating to the town only. (Gough.)

44. — Harrison, schoolmaster. John Harrison, physician, and Vicar of Grantchester, about the middle of the sixteenth century, was a great historian; many of his MS. collections relative to the University of Cambridge still remain. (Gough.)

45. — Harrison, minister. William Harrison, author of "Historical Description of the Island of Britain," prefixed to Holinshed's Chronicles, living in 1587, is, I suppose, intended.

SPES.

THE TREDESCANTS AND ELIAS ASHMOLE.

Dr. Hamel, of whose memoir of the elder Tredescant and his voyage to Russia I gave some account in Vol. iii., p. 391., being again in England last year, pursued with unremitting zeal his researches into the history of the Tredescants, and has given the results in a short Memoir read before the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Petersburg on the 5th of December last. Having been favoured with a copy of the memoir, and a flattering letter from the writer, I think it incumbent upon me to add to my former communication a brief abstract of this interesting paper.

Dr. Hamel first directed his researches toward an endeavour to develope the means by which Elias Ashmole became the possessor of the Tredescant collection; and naturally expected that he should be able to trace the document of 1659, upon which Ashmole rested his claim to the ownership; but he could not find any such deed.

He was, however, fortunate enough to trace out the original Will of John Tredescant the younger, bearing his seal and signature, made at a subsequent date, and formally proved, after his death in 1662, by his widow Hester. This important document throws much light upon the transaction respecting the Museum, and its destination. Dr. Hamel was naturally much pleased with this discovery, and rejoiced to see for the first time the autograph of a man about whom he had so much interested himself, but was somewhat surprised to find that the name which has been usually written Tradescant was uniformly spelt Tredescant in the body of the Will, as well as in the signature; the seal, bearing the same coat of arms given on a plate in the Catalogue of the Museum, being placed between the syllable Tre and descant. This document runs thus:

"THE LAST WILL AND TESTMANENT OF ME JOHN TREDESCANT.

"In the name of God, Amen.

"The fourth day of April in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixtie-one, I, John Tredescant of South Lambeth in the Countie of Surrey, Gardiner, being at this present of perfect health, minde, and memorie, thanks be therefore given to Almightie God, and calling to minde the uncertaintie of death, and being desirous whilst I am in a Capacity to settle and dispose of such things as God of his goodnesse hath bestowed upon me, doe make and declare this my last Will and Testament as followeth. First and principally I commend and yield my soule into the hands of Almighty God my Creator, and my bodie to the Earth to be decently (according to the quality wherein I have liued) interred as neere as can be to my late deceased Father John Tredescant, and my sonne who lye buried in the parish Churchyard of Lambeth aforesaid, at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named; hopeing by and through the merits, death, and passion of my onely Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ to have full remission of all my Sinnes, and to see my God in the Land of the Living; and for my temporall Estate I doe will, bequeath, and dispose thereof as followeth. That is to saie, I will that all such debts as shall be by me justly due and owing to anie person or persons whatsoever at the time of my decease (if anie such be) shall be truly paid and satisfied, and after my Funeral charges shall be defrayed, for the doeing whereof I appoint the summe of twenty pounds or thereabouts shall be expended by my Executrix but not more. Item, I giue and bequeath upon the condition hereafter mentioned to my daughter Frances Norman the summe of ten pounds of Lawfull money of England, which I will shall be paid unto her within six moneths after my decease, and likewise I doe forgive her the summe of fourscore pounds or thereabouts, Principall Money, besides the Interest thereof which I long since lent her late deceased husband Alexander Norman. Provided that shee and her husband, if she shall be then againe married, give my Executrix a generall release for the same. Item, I give and bequeath to my two namesakes Robert Tredescant and Thomas Tredescant, of Walberswick in the Countie of Suffolk, to eache of them the summe of five shillings apiece in remembrance of my loue, and to every childe or children of them the [said] Robert and Thomas that shall be liuing at the time of my decease the summe of two shillings and sixpence apiece. Item, I giue to Mris. Marie Edmonds, the daughter of my louing Friend Edward Harper, the summe of one hundred pounds, to be paid unto her after my wife's decease; and in case she die before my said wife, my will is and I doe hereby giue and bequeath the said summe of one hundred pounds, after my wife's decease, to my Foure God-children, vizt. Hester, John, Leonard, and Elizabeth Edmonds, sonnes and daughters of the said Mris. Mary Edmonds Equally to be diuided amongst them, share and share alike; and if either of them die before he, her, or they receiue their share or portion so to be diuided, then the said share or portion of him, her, or them so dying to goe and be giuen to the survivor and survivors of them, share and share alike. Item, I doe hereby giue, will, devise and bequeath to my Cosin Katharine King, widdow, after the decease of my wife, the Little House commonly called the Welshmans house situate in South Lambeth aforesaid, together with that Little Piece of Ground now enclosed thereunto adjoyning; and to her heirs and assignes for euer. Item, I giue, devize, and bequeath my Closet of Rarities to my dearly beloued wife Hester Tredescant during her naturall Life, and after her decease I giue and bequeath the same to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, to which of them shee shall think fitt at her decease. As for such other of my friends and kindred as I should nominate for Rings and small tokens of my Loue, I leaue that to the Care of my said wife to bestow how manie and to whome shee shall think deseruing. The rest and Residue of all my Estate Reall and personall whatsoeuer, I wholly giue, devize, and bequeath to my deare and louing wife Hester Tredescant, and to her heires and assignes for euer. And I doe hereby nominate, ordaine, constitute, and appoint my said Louing Wife Hester Tredescant full and sole Executrix of this my last will and Testament; and I doe desire Dr. Nurse and Mr. Mark Cottle to be Ouerseers of this my last Will and Testament, and I giue to each of them fortie shillings apiece. Lastly, I doe hereby revoke all Wills by me formerly made, and will that this onely shall stand and be my last