the family estate at Topping hall, in Hatfield Peverel parish, Essex, where he died Jan. 7, 1752, and has an epitaph. He left an only son, Hans, of Lincoln's-Inn, and of Cawldthorp near Burtonon-Trent*. He drew up an index to Willoughby's Plates of Fishes; and kept a regular correspondence with the Society at Spalding+.

will soon find how much easier all complaints may be removed, if taken at the beginning, than when suffered to increase by delays. Dartmouth-street, C. MORTIMER, M. D. fellow of the Westminster, 1744. Royal College of Physicians, London."

* See Morant's Essex, vol. II. p. 133.

He was furnished by Mr. Johnson, the founder of this Society, with a history of their origin, and many curious particulars of the Society of Antiquaries, which were intended for publication; but which he never used; see vol. VI. pp. 2. 99.

A Letter of his, addressed to Dr. Waller, a member of that Society, and a senior fellow of St. John's 'college, Cambridge, is here subjoined.

"SIR,

July 23, 1729.

"I am almost ashamed to write to you on this subject, your curious leaden bone, which has been the wonder of all I have shewn it to. I am sorry you gave yourself the trouble of sending the carrier to me. I shall keep it as choice as old gold, and return it again to you whenever you order it; but, by several accidents on other bones which I endeavoured to fill with lead, and hoped still of doing it better every time, I deferred shewing yours and my imitations of it to the Royal Society till their last meeting, and then Sir Hans Sloane being taken unluckily ill, and I being obliged to be with him, I could not carry it that day, and did not care to trust it in any body's hands, so have not yet shewn it them. We have adjourned to October next; so I should be glad if you would let me keep it yet some time; nay Sir Hans and some of our anatomists wish you would send the head to town, and let them cut into the Ossa Bragmatis, to see whether the lead is between the tables of the skull, which I think it is. I have been hindered in this affair by removing from Hanover-square to Bloomsbury-square, to be near Sir Hans Sloane; for on Dr. Scheuchzer's death, who lived in the house with him, he desired my coming into his neighbourhood, and so I have the pleasure of being at Sir Hans at all leisure hours in the day, continually entertained with new curiosities in his prodigious collection, and having the opportunity of the use of his library, as well as his ingenious and learned conversation. I must congratulate you and the University on Dr. Woodward's legacy, and am glad you bought the remainder of his collection. I hope this may lay the foundation for enquiries into natural knowledge joined with experiments and observations, and that such studies may be more cultivated daily. We hope, from

Pro

WILLIAM NICHOLAS, esq. the youngest, son of Sir John Nicholas, knight of the Bath (and grandson of Sir Edward Nicholas, secretary of state to to Charles I. and Charles II.) was born at Spring Garden, on Monday April 13, 1668. He was brought up a Turkey merchant. He represented the borough of Wilton in 1705, and was one of the revivers of the Society of Antiquaries in 1717. Having survived his two brothers, John and Edward, their large possessions in London, Surrey, Wiltshire, &c. descended to him. He was the last of his family; and died unmarried, immensely rich, at his seat at West Horsley in Surrey, Dec. 26, 1749, in his 82d year; and was buried in that church.

GEORGE NORTH (son of George North, citizen and pewterer, who resided in or near Aldersgate-street, London, where he acquired a competence by industry) was born in 1710; and received his education at St. Paul's school; from whence, in 1725, he went to Bene't college, Cambridge; where he took his degree of B.A. 1728; and M. A. 1744. In 1729 he was admitted into deacon's orders, and went to officiate as curate at Codicote, a small village near Welwyn in Hertfordshire. He published, without his name, "An Answer to a scandalous Libel, intituled, The Impertinence and Imposture of Modern Antiquaries displayed, 1741;" which recommended him not only to the notice and esteein of Mr. Wise the gentleman whose cause he had so generously espoused (to whom he was at that time a perfect stranger) and so ably defended, but also of several dignified members of the Society of Antiquaries, of which

Professor Boerhaave's having retired from the fatigue to reading lectures, that he will have leisure to communicate to the world many curious things. His Chemistry is in the press, just finished, under his own directions, at Leyden, in Latin and in English. I have never heard from Mr. Halfhead. Pray my service to all friends, and believe me to be your obliged humble servant, CROM. MORTIMER."

he

he was elected a member* early in 1742. He soon distinguished himself as a very useful associate†;

* Soon after his election, he thus apologizes to Mr. Ames: "Codicote, May 6, 1742. My not appearing at the Feast of our Society last Tuesday se'nnight justly claims an apology from me, more particularly as it was the first that happened since I have had the honour (I will call it) to be a member. I fully designed myself the pleasure of being there; but the disorder I complained of at your house increased so much that it confined me all that day; and, finding some relief the Wednesday, I very fortunately made a shift to get hither, where my illness still grew worse, and terminated in a fever; which luckily discharging itself in a rash, by the help of a skilful physician, saved my life. I am not yet got out of his discipline, nor my confinement; but propose going out to-morrow. Nothing but such a misfortune as would not be controuled should have kept me from being with you; for I do, with the greatest sincerity, assure you, that I account it one of the happiest circumstances of my life, that I am a member of so worthy, so improving, so amicable a Society; and am only sorry that it is not more in my power to be useful to the laudable design of its institution. I should take it as a favour if you in a few words would express to Mr. Folkes my concern that I could not wait on him. My most sincere and hearty respects wait on Mr. Holmes, and wishes for the continuance of his health and yours. GEO. NORTH."

† In 1743 he addressed the following letter to Dr. Ducarel : "SIR, Codicote, April 9, 1743. "It is so long since I had the pleasure of a line from you, that, had not the former proofs of your friendship assured me of the contrary, I should almost be tempted to think you could forget me. The sickly state which we hear the City is in would not let me any longer forbear writing to know of your health, and of all friends at the Mitre: what has been done and shewn there. I received Mr. Wise's present, one of each of his pamphlets; and sent him a letter of thanks, the third of last month, in which were some particulars that made me expect an answer from him. But, not having yet received any, permit me to beg it of you as a favour, when you write to him, or have any other opportunity, to enquire if he received mine. Little company and cold piercing weather keep me in a dull state of inactivity, from which I long for a relief by a journey to London; which, if the weather and the health of the town mend, will, I hope, be about or before May-day. I have got Dr. Stukeley's account of Royston Cell; which has convinced me of nothing else but that there is enthusiasm in every thing, as well as in Religion. The Beauchamp's arms, which he discovers, is absolutely imaginary, no ways like the figure on the wall. He had better have made it Dame Rowe's arms, and that would have. served to confirm the whole story. But the misfortune is, it is questionable, or rather plain that there were no such distinctions or coats of arms in being at that time. GEO. NORTH."

and drew up, in 1742, a catalogue of the Earl of Oxford's coins, for the public sale of them.

Codicote, March 21, 1743-4.

"" "SIR, "Some time ago I mentioned my desire of getting a specimen of all the hands from the Conquest, as thinking them no improper part of an Antiquary's collection, and being equally amusing and instructive. I lately procured, all together, fair specimens, beginning with Henry III. to Queen Elizabeth inclusive; as likewise an older, exceeding fair, very near the Conquest. In the same parcels are four great seals; viz. Henry VIII. Edward VI. Q. Elizabeth, and James I. The writing which has Henry's great seal annexed has a particular in it, which possibly may be acceptable to our common worthy friend Mr. Vertue, who is getting all the notitia he can concerning antient London. It is a confirmation of a grant from Henry earl of Northumberland to Lawrence Warren of the custody and keeping of my mansion place or house within Aldersgate in London, with the yearly fee of 31. 6s. 8d. As the place where it stood is to me unknown, who was born in the neighbourhood, it may possibly be new; or else I shall be informed by Mr. Vertue. The instrument to which Edward the Sixth's great seal is affixed is dated the 3d day of March, the 7th year of his reign. It is a commission to several persons (named before in a like former commission) to view all the goods, plate, jewels, bells, and ornaments, belonging to any church, chapel, guild, brotherhood, fraternity, or company, within the county of Hertford, charging them (inter multa alia) to leave in every cathedral or collegiate church one or two chalices only of silver, at their discretion; in every smaller parish but one chalice of silver; and also to sell, to our use, by weight, all parcels or pieces of metal, except the metal of the Great Bell and Saint Bell in the said churches. How scandalously sacrilegious such proceedings were I need not remark, though the commission says it redounds to God's glory, and our (the King's) honour. But I cannot dismiss it without remarking the destructive consequence (though designed I believe) to the knowledge of Antiquity; for, as the clause requiring them to sell all pieces of metal is general and unlimited, it not only took away all the old bells, but occasioned the pulling up and taking away all the monumental brasses; which has been of irreparable loss in the study of Antiquity. This horrid practice, to which the aforesaid commission gave a rise and sanction, continued in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and was so notorious that she issued a proclamation to forbid such slanderous desolations, as she calls them. The whole proclamation may be read in Fuller's Church History, cent. 16, book 9, p. 66. I fear your patience begins to be tired. As but little either for improvement or amusement offers in the country, it makes us more prolix when we write to our learned friends at London. I am so impatient to see Mr. Folkes's Tables, that I intreat the favour of you, if they come out, to get me a copy. G. NORTH."

He

He was presented in 1743 to thevicarage of Welwyn in Hertfordshire; and in 1744 appointed chaplain to Lord Cathcart. In the same year he took his degree of M. A.; and drew up a Catalogue of Mr. West's series of Saxon coins, intending a prefatory account of them; and a Catalogue of Dr. Ducarel's English Coins*.

* On these and other subjects of antiquarian literature he wrote the following letters to Dr. Ducarel:

66 SLR, Codicote, August 5, 1744. "Nothing could be more obliging or more acceptable than your kind letter of Wednesday last. My health you so kindly enquire after is, thank God, good at present. I have taken my master's degree, and got a qualification of chaplain to Lord Cathcart, who went the next day he gave it me to Flanders. I' therefore shall not enter it till he returns, or I should want it in the mean time. I congratulate you on your year of silence being expired, and wish you great plenty of she-lions [shillings]. Your most friendly invitation, because you cannot be a visitor, I intend to pleasure myself in accepting, and waiting on you next week. I cannot forbear informing you that I had very ill luck at Cambridge as an Antiquary; for Dr. Parrist, the public librarian, was at London, and had the key of the cabinet of coins, so that I could not see them. I was not quite idle, for I saw what are in Trinity and St. John's library, and commenced acquaintance with a most valuable man, Mr. Mason of Trinity, the Woodwardian professor, a general good scholar and excellent Antiquary; through whose kindness I not only saw those in Trinity library, but have likewise taken impressions of several. I met there with a groat of Henry VII. with the side-face and numerals VII. which gave me great pleasure, as having the mint-mark, a dog's head, directly the same as in a groat I have of those commonly called Henry VI. with the closed arch crown, and which I always said were truly of Henry VII. of which this is to me a direct proof, especially as a dog was supporter to that King's arms. I have heard the same of Dr. Grey's Hudibras as you mentioned, though he had the assistance of so many gentlemen of learning, among whom, Nic Cholwell informs me, the worthy Dr. Ducarel was one. G. NORTH."

"SIR,

Codicote, Nov. 1, 1744,

"Having finished Mr. West's Catalogue of his Saxon Coins, I have sent it to you to look over. I believe you will perceive it has cost me infinite pains, so that I began to be weary at last, though I had set my heart very much on it to do it as complete as possible. The remarks added you will find to be quite new.

+Francis-Sawyer Parris, of Sidney Sussex college, Cambridge; B. A. 1723; M.A. 1728; B.D. 1735; D. D. 1747. He was Principal Librarian; and in 1746 Master of his College. He died May 1, 1760; and was buried in the College chapel. He bequeathed to the College his large and valuable library, with the sum of 600/.

The