rior, which
commences at p. 65. of this MS., and which is dated "from the Court of
S. Germains, July 11, 1645;" for not only does this letter bear the same
_date_ as the before-mentioned fragment, but it begins by complaining of
the tone of expression in a letter evidently received from the Prior
after the draft had been prepared, but before it was sent off; and it
concludes with the following note appended as a postscript:

"Sir,

"The enclosed (most of it) was prepared for you a fortnight
since; but now (upon the occasion given by your letter) you have
it with some advantage from

"Your servt., J.C.

"I desire the fav"

"S. Germ. July 12."

4. The most important part of this MS., however, is contained in the
long letter or treatise {296} placed first in the volume, and bearing
for its title, "A View of F.P.'s Answer to the First Paper."

This is dated from S. Germains, July 25, 1645 and would appear to be
Cosin's last letter. But, if it be really so, Basire must, I think, be
in error, when he says, "Our Doctor ... could never get from the Prior
any reply to his last answer." For at p. 81. of the MS. there is a reply
to the above "Review of a Letter sent by F.R. to a Lady," &c. which,
though copied without either date or signature, was evidently written by
the Prior, whilst it professes to be a reply to a treatise closely
answering to Cosin's letter of July 25, but which letter the writer did
not receive (as he states) before the 26th of September.

I wish yet further to take notice, that Dr. Tho. Smith, in His _Vitae_
(Lond. 1707, praef. pp. vii, viii.), refers to these manuscripts in the
following satisfactory manner:--

"Cum, post mortem D. Cosini, de pretio et valore schedarum, quas
reliquit, haeredibus non satis constaret, ... auspieato tandem
devenit, ut favore, beneficio, et perquam insigni humanitate
reverendi et doctissimi viri, D. Joannis Smith, Sacrae Theologiae
Professoris Ecclesiae Dunelmensis Praebendarii, quorum frequens
hac de re commercium literarum, occasione data, (opportune
intercedente praenobili et reverendo, D. Georgio Whelero, equite
aurato, et Ecclesiae Anglicanae Presbytero, ejusdem quoque
Ecclesiae Cathedralis Prebendario), habui, duos libellos (tanquam
praetiosas tabulas ab isthoc infami naufragio servatas) a D.
Cosino, dum in Gallia exularet, Angliee conscriptos jam
possidieam: quarum unus _Vindicias Ord