2»<J S. No 52., Dec. 27. '56.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



505 



The coincidence in argument is at any rate sin- 

 gularly stronjr, and may be wortliy of record in 

 " N. & Q." among the minor " Curiosities of Li- 

 terature." R. Slocombe. 



MILTON S PROSE WORKS BT STMM0N8. 



In 1806 appeared tlie following : 



" The Prose Works of John Milton, with a Life of the 

 Author, interspersed with Translatioua and Critical Re- 

 marks by Cliarles Symmons, D.D., of Jesus College, Ox- 

 ford. In Seven Volumes." 



A^ copy of the work in the Cambridge Uni- 

 versity Library (Nn. 4. 54 — 60.) contains the 

 following notes in the handwriting of Dr. Sym- 

 mons : 



'.' As from the arrangement of this title-page the Reader 

 may be led into an error respecting the person who edited 

 this edition of Milton's P. VV., I think it right to declare 

 that I had no concern whatever in the management of tlie 

 publication, and never saw one of its sheets till the work 

 finally issued from the press. 



" Charles Symmons. 



"N.B. — The seventh volume was constituted by my 

 Life of the Author, which is now in a separate state. 



» 0. S." 



Dr. Symmons was originally of Clare Hall, 

 Cambridge, and is mentioned in the late Mr. Gun- 

 ning's Reminiscences, i. 31 L 



Thompsoh Cooper. 



Cambridge. 



CORPORATE AND PAROCHIAL RECORDS. 



There can be but little doubt as to the proba- 

 bility of what is stated in the two last paragraphs 

 of Ina's communication (2"'' S. ii. 185, 186.), that 

 much correct and valuable historical information 

 might be brought to light by a careful examination 

 and perusal of old Corporate and Parochial Re- 

 cords, as Ina has found from his own experience. 

 I also can speak from experience, and confirm 

 what he says ; for shortly after the Municipal 

 Corporations Reform Act passed, I had to arrange, 

 examine, and catalogue tlie whole of the records 

 and other documents belonging to the corporation 

 of Andover, Hants,— one of the most ancient cor- 

 poratiims in the kingdom. Their existing.,(gharters 

 extend back to 2nd John [1201] ; tiieir council 

 books in an unbroken series from 2 Edw. IIL 

 [1327] to the present time, and many of their deeds, 

 court books, and other documents, are equally an- 

 cient. And here I may perhaps be permitted to 

 correct an error that generally exists in works 

 which mention the town of Andover, viz. that the 

 corporation is supposed to be as ancient as the ticne 

 of King John. Now there is no need of any sup- 

 position at all in the case, as the corporation has 

 two of the charters granted to it by King John. 

 I have seen them ; and more, in one of them is a 



confirmation of charters granted to the town by 

 Henry IL and Richard I.T 



Most people will agree with Ina, that more care 

 should be taken of corporate and parochial re- 

 cords. I would suggest that the authorities of 

 the different cities, towns, and parishes should 

 have their records thoroughly examined and ar- 

 ranged, and proper catalogues made of them. 



The following is an exact oopy of an original 

 letter I found in Andover town chest, written by 

 the Earl of Leicester (Elizabeth's favourite), who 

 was then High Steward of the Borougii, to the 

 corporation of that town : — 



" After my hartie commendacons. Whereas it hath 

 pleased her Ma«'» to appointe a Parliament to be pre- 

 sentlie called: being Steward of yo'' Towne, I maka 

 bould harlilie to pra3'e you that you will give me the 

 nomination of one of yo"" Burgesses for the same. And yf 

 mynding to avoyde the chardges of allowance for the 

 other Burgesse, j'ou meane to name anie that is not of 

 yo"" towne, j'f you will bestowe the nomination of the 

 otiier Burgesse also upon me, I will thank you for it; and 

 will both appointe a suffii'ient man, and see j'OU dis- 

 charged of all chardges in that behaulfe ; and so praying 

 yo'' speadie answere herein, I thus bid j-ou riglit hartelie 

 farewell, from the Courte the xij"» of October, 1584. 

 " YC Loving Frende 

 " R. Leycester. 

 " If you will send me yo' election 

 w"> a blanck, I will putt in 

 the names. 



" To mj' very loving frends the Bayliefes, Aldermen, 

 and the rest of the Town of Andover." 



This letter needs no comment. 



In the 41 St Elizabeth [1599], the last and 

 governing charter was granted to Andover. After 

 confirming previous charters, it proceeds to con- 

 fer many great and ample privileges on the town, 

 and, amongst others, a weekly Court of Record 

 for the recovery of debt and damage to the 

 amount of forti/ pounds ! This, at a time when 

 the highest sum recoverable in local courts was 

 generally /br^y shillings. W. H. W. T. 



Somerset House. 



Curious Misprint in Sparrow^s " Collection of 

 the Articles," ^c. — In reading, a few days since, 

 the Deidson Judgment, I was led to refer to 

 Sparrow's Collection of the Articles, Canons, Or-- 

 dinances, Sfc, of the Church of England, 



Mine is " 4th edition, a.d. 1684," and contains 

 perhaps as perverse and curious a misprint in 

 one of the Articles bearing on this case as could 

 well be devised. The apropos blunders of prin- 

 ters are sometimes amusing. The blunder of the 

 printer in 1684 might have been supposed a pro- 

 vidential slip to give the defendant in 1856 a peg 

 whereon to hang a defensive plea. 



The 28 th Article in English contains a declara- 



