tic history.

As stated on a previous page, it was at the King's urgent request that
this was put in hand, and, after twelve months' hard work, was safely
delivered to his Majesty, who declared it to be a "rich and rare jewel,
and that there was no defect in the skill, care, and cost used in it, but
a superlative diligence in all about it."

This fine volume is now in the British Museum, having been sent there
from Windsor by George II. It is a large square folio, measuring 1 foot
7 inches by I foot 2 inches, and has 287 pages, bound in leather, with a
great deal of gilding on the sides; the date on the title-page is 1635.

The Concordance described on pp. 36-47, and from which the extracts were
taken, has the same date on the title-page, and the words "done at Little
Gidding" added also. It is much smaller than the Royal copy, with less
than half the number of pages. Its history is not quite so clear, but on
the inside of the cover appear the arms of Sir R. Cotton, who commenced
the library given by his grandson to the nation. The Cottons were near
neighbours of the Ferrars, and nothing is more likely than that a lover
of books should have procured one of the earliest of the works which were
rapidly becoming famous. From the Cottons it passed to the family of
Bowdlers, one of whom married a daughter of the last baronet; and the
grandson of this Mr. Bowdler left the book to the father of the writer of
this sketch, now living in Dorchester, who still makes use of the book in
the religious instruction of his children.

The next volume made was a Harmony of the Kings and Chronicles, the idea
being originated by Charles himself. He is reported to have asked for it
at the very time he received his first Harmony, saying, "I would gladly
have these skilful persons to make me another book that might be so
ordered, that I might read these stories of Kings and Chronicles, so
interwoven by them, as if one pen had written the whole book, and to make
it a complete history; yet so ordering the matter that I may also read
them severally and apart."

This was faithfully carried out. The date on the title-page is 1637, and
the book is now at the British Museum. It is bound in leather, curiously
gilt, rather smaller than the first volume, and without any
illustrations; but a great deal of care was taken in its compilation,
especially in the construction of three tables relating to the contents
and to the various passages rela