with some Irish ladies. He goes under the name of _Smith_."

I like the following outburst on the value of books:--

2_nd Nov._ 1705.--"Narcissus March, Archbishop of Armagh, gave 2500 libs
for Bishop Stillingfleet's library which, like that of Dr Isaac Vossius,
was suffered to go out of the nation to the eternal scandal and reproach
of it. The said archbishop has built a noble repository for them."

6_th Nov._ 1705.--"Mr Pullen, of Magd. hall, last night told me that
there was once a very remarkable stone in Magd. hall library, which was
afterwards lent to Dr Plot, who never returned it, replying, when he was
asked for it, that _'twas a rule amongst antiquaries to receive_, _and
never restore_."

This was the more reprehensible in Dr Plot (1640-1696) inasmuch as he had
been bred at Magdalen Hall. He was the author of _A Natural History of
Oxfordshire_, and also of Staffordshire. The latter is apparently the
better of the two, but it does not speak well for his sources of
information that it should have been "a boast among the Staffordshire
squires, to whom he addressed his enquiries, how readily they had
'humbugged old Plot.'" He was appointed Secretary to the Royal Society
in 1682. He was also the first custos of Ashmole's Museum, which could
not have been an easy office since "twelve cartloads of Trades cant's
rarities" arrived in Oxford to form its nucleus. (_Dict. Nat. Biog._).

18_th Nov._ 1705.--"When sir Godfrey Kneller (as Dr Hudson informs me)
came to Oxon, by Mr Pepys's order, to draw Dr Wallis's picture, he, at
dinner with Dr Wallis, was pleased to say, upon the Dr's questioning the
_legitimacy of the prince of Wales_, that he did not in the least doubt
but he was the son of King James and queen Mary; and to evince this he
added, that upon the sight of the picture of the prince of Wales, sent
from Paris into England, he was fully satisfied of what others seemed to
doubt so much. For, as he further said, he had manifest lines and
features of both in their faces, which he knew very well, having drawn
them both several times."

18_th Nov._ 1705.--"After Mr Walker was turned out of University coll.
for being a papist, he lived obscurely in London, his chief maintenance
being from the contributions of some of his old friends and acquaintance;
amongst whom was Dr Radcliff, who (out of a grateful remembrance of
favours received from him in the college) sent him once a year a new suit
of cloaths, with