Jan. 1. 1853.] 



[N'OTES AND QUEKIES. 



PROCLAMATIONS OF THE SOCIETY Ol" ANTIQUABIES, 

 AND THEIS VALUE AS HISTORICAL EVIDENCES. 



The work that is now going on at the Society of 

 Antiquaries in reference to the collection of royal 

 proclamations in their library, is one in which not 

 merely the Fellows of that Society, but all his- 

 torical students, are deeply interested. The So- 

 ciety possesses one of the three known largest 

 collections of these public documents. They were 

 formerly bound up in volumes of several different 

 sizes, intermixed with a variety of fugitive pub- 

 lications, such as ballads and broadsides, which 

 formed altogether a very incongruous collection. 

 A short time since it was found that the binding 

 of many of the volumes was very much worn, and 

 that some of the documents themselves had been 

 considerably torn and damaged. Under these 

 circumstances, Mr. Lemon, of the State Paper 

 Office, offered his services to the Council to su- 

 perintend an entire new arrangement, mounting, 

 binding, and calendaring, of the whole series of 

 proclamations. His offer was of course gratefully 

 accepted, and the work is now in active progress. 



The collection is certainly the most important 

 that is known, and is especially so in the reign of 

 Elizabeth ; in reference to which there is no col- 

 lection at all approaching to it, either in com- 

 pleteness or value. Still there are many pro- 

 clamations wanting : several of the Fellows of the 

 Society have come forward most liberally to fill 

 up gaps. Mb. Payne Collier led the way in a 

 contribution of great value ; Mb. Salt followed 

 Mr. Collier with a munificent donation of a whole 

 collection relating to Charles II. and James II. ; 

 and upon Mr. Lemon's suggestion, and with the 

 joint concurrence of Mr. Secretary Walpole and 

 the Keeper of the State Paper Office, an inter- 

 change of duplicates has been effected between 

 that office and the Society of Antiquaries, which 

 has added forty proclamations to the Society's 

 collection. 



My principal reason for addressing you upon 

 this subject is to ask you to suggest to your 

 readers that a similar interchange of duplicates 

 might be effected between the Society and any 

 persons who chance to have duplicate proclama- 

 tions in their possession. 



It is of the very highest literary and historical 

 importance that we should get together, in some 

 accessible place, a collection of proclamations, 

 which if not actually complete (a consummation 

 hardly to be expected), shall yet approach to 

 completeness. The collection at Somerset House 

 offers the best opportunity for forming such a 

 collection. It is by far the most nearly complete 

 in existence, and is strong in that particular part 

 of the series in which other collections are most 

 defective, and in which missing proclamations are 



the most difficult to be supplied. At the Society 

 of Antiquaries the collection will be accessible to 

 all literary inquirers, and no doubt the Society 

 will publish a proper catalogue, which is already 

 in preparation by Mr. Lemon. 



It is obvious that any person who chooses to 

 contribute such stray proclamations, or copies of 

 proclamations, as he may chance to have in his 

 possession, will be helping forward a really good 

 work, and the possessor of duplicates may not only 

 do the same, but may benefit his own collection 

 by an interchange. 



The value of proclamations as historical autho- 

 rities, and especially as authorities for the history 

 of manners, and of our national progress, is indis- 

 putable. As I write, I have before me the Boohe 

 of Proclamations of James I. from 1603 to 1609; 

 and the page lying open affords a striking illustra- 

 tion of what I assert. It gives us A chapter in 



THE HISTORY OF OUR POST-OFFICE. 



Immediately on the accession of James I., the 

 high north road from London to Edinburgh was 

 thronged with multitudes of pilgrims hastening to 

 the worship of the newly risen sun. Robert Carey 

 became, in the words of Cowper's enigma, " the 

 parent of numbers that cannot be told." Scotland 

 has never poured into the south more active or 

 more anxious suppliants than then traversed the 

 northward road through Berwick. All ordinary ac- 

 commodation soon fell short of the demand. Mes- 

 sengers riding post from the council to the king 

 were stayed on the road for want of the ordinary 

 supply of post-horses, all which were taken up by 

 lords and gentry — rushing northward in the fury 

 of their new-born loyalty. As a remedy for these 

 inconveniences, the lords of the council issued 

 a proclamation, calling upon all magistrates to aid 

 the postmasters " in this time so full of business," 

 by seeing that they are supplied with " fresh and 

 able horses as necessitie shall require." Of course 

 the supply was merely of horses. Travellers oould 

 not in those days obtain carriages of any kind. 

 The horses were directed to be " able and suffi- 

 cient horses, and well furnished of saddles, bridles, 

 girts and stirropes, with good guides to looke to 

 them ; who for their said horses shall demand and 

 receive of such as shall ride on them, the prices 

 accustomed." 



The new state of things became permanent. 

 London, after James's removal from Edinburgh, 

 being really the seat of government for the whole 

 island, the intercourse both ways was continuous, 

 and further general orders for its management 

 were published by proclamation. There were 

 at that time, on all the high roads through the 

 country, two sorts of posts: — 1. Special messen- 

 gers or couriers who rode "thorough post," that is, 

 themselves rode through the whole distance, " with 

 horn and guide." Such persons carried with them 

 an authentication of their employment in the 



