assist our
inquiries. The authorities of the Prerogative Office in Doctors'
Commons, perhaps, stand alone in their total want of sympathy with
literature, and in their exclusion of literary inquirers by stringent
rules, harshly, and in some instances even offensively, enforced.

"We have the honour to be,
"My Lords and Gentlemen,
"Your most obedient and very humble servants,

(Signed) BRAYBROOKE, President.
JOHN BRUCE, Director.
C. PURTON COOPER.
J. PAYNE COLLIER, Treas.
W. R. DRAKE.
EDWD. FOSS.
PETER LEVESQUE.
STRANGFORD.
W. H. BLAAUW.
W. DURRANT COOPER.
BOLTON CORNEY.
HENRY ELLIS.
LAMBERT B. LARKING.
FREDK. OUVRY.
WM. J. THOMS, Sec.

_25. Parliament Street, Westminster,_
_January, 1853._"

A Report from that Commission has been laid before Parliament; and a Bill
for carrying into effect the recommendations contained in such Report, and
transferring the powers of the Prerogative Court to the Court of Chancery,
has been introduced into the House of Lords. The Bill contains no specific
enactments as to the custody of the Wills.

Now, therefore, is the time for all who are interested in Historical Truth
to use their best endeavours to procure the insertion of such clauses as
shall place the Wills under the same custody as the other Judicial Records
of the country, namely, that of Her Majesty's Keeper of Records.

With Literature represented in the House of Lords by a Brougham and a
Campbell, in the Commons by a Macaulay, a Bulwer, and a D'Israeli, let but
the real state of the case be once made public, and we have no fear but
that the interests of English Historical Literature will be cared for and
maintained.

* * * * *

{217}

Notes.

"J. R. OF CORK."

My gifted and lamented countryman "The Roscoe of Cork"[1] deserves more
notice in these pages, which he has enriched by his contributions, than the
handsome obituary of our Editor (Vol. vii., p. 394.); so a few words is
with reference to him may be acceptable.

MR. JAMES ROCHE was born in Limerick some eighty-three years ago, of an
ancient and wealthy family. At an early period of his life he was sent to
France, and educated in the Catholic College of Saintes. After completing
his studies, and paying a short visit to Ireland, he settled in Bordeaux,
where he became acq