442 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 237. 



not having 10/. a year, apt to learning, and to be 

 of the posterity of myself or my brother Robert, 

 Richard, or Arthur Rous, or of my sister Nicholl, 

 or my sister Upton ; and if no such shall be ten- 

 dered, then they are to be chosen out of the two 

 highest forms in Eaton College. I give power to 

 my executor to choose them during his life, and 

 desire him, with the advice of my dear kinsman, 

 Mr. Ambrose Upton, Prebend of Xt Church in 

 Oxford, to settle and order all things for the sure 

 and usefull continuance of their allowances to 

 schollars so qualified as before and of good con- 

 versation, and that they study divinity, and some 

 time before they be Batchelors of Arts, they make 

 good proof of their studying divinity, and that 

 they continued in their several places but seven 

 years, and then others to be chosen in their 

 rooms. What shall be above 40/. per annum 

 arising out of the tythe of Brookham declaro, and 

 above all rates and taxes, I give unto the minister 

 of that parish ; and I give the parsonage to my 

 respected kinsman Samuel Rous, Esq., of that 

 parish, yet so, that if he die before my executor, 

 my executor shall present during his life, and 

 after it shall go to the heirs of the said Samuel 

 Rous, it being to be hoped that their dwelling be 

 there they will be carefull for their own souls? I 

 do make and constitute my dear kinsman Anthony 

 Rous, Esq., of Wootton, in the county of Cornwall, 

 commonly called or known by the name of Colonel 

 Rous, to be my whole and sole executor. And I 

 give and bequeath to him all my lands, tenements, 

 my interest in the parsonage of Great Brookham 

 m Surrey, all my leases, chattels, plate, money, 

 and other goods whatsoever, as also my copyholds, 

 which shall, according to custom, be made over to 

 him in Acton or Branford, hoping that he will 

 faithfully dispose them according to my will and 

 intention made known to him ; and I give him 

 100/., and lend him 200/. more for seven years, 

 which he may bestow in defence of himself as to 

 law suits, if any be brought as concerning my 

 estate, or if there shall be none to bestow, in°some 

 charitable use as he shall think fitfc. I desire my 

 body may be interred and put to rest in the 

 chappie of Eaton College, a place that hath my 

 dear affections and prayers that it may be a 

 flourishing nursery of piety and learning to the 

 end of the world. And for a profession of my 

 faith, I refer myself to the works which I not long 

 since published in one volume, wherein I have 

 professed a right and saving faith, and hope to 

 continue therein until faith shall be swallowed up 

 of sight, laying hold of the free grace of God in 

 his beloved Son as my only title to eternity, 

 being confident that his free grace, which took 

 me up lying in the blood of irregeneration, will 

 wash away the guilt of that estate, and all the 

 cursed fruits of it by the pretious blood of his 

 Son, and will wash away the filth of it by the 



spirit of his Son, and so present me faultless 

 before the presence of God's glory with joy. 



(Signed) Francis Rous. 



The Right Honorable Francis Rous, Esq., ac- 

 knowledged this to be his last will and testament, 

 the 12th day of April, 1 658 *, in the presence of 

 me, Abel Borsett, endorsed, upon a paper wherein 

 the original will was folded and sealed up, thus, 

 viz., " My last will, attested by Mr. Humphreys 

 and Mr. Borsett." 



This will was proved at London the 10th day 

 of February, in the year of our Lord God 1658, 

 before the judges for probate of wills and granting 

 administrations lawfully authorised, by the oath 

 of Coilonell Anthony Rouse, Esq., the sole and 

 only executor named in the said will, to whom 

 administration of all and singular the goods, 

 chattels, and debts of the said deceased was 

 granted and committed. 



ORIGINAL ENGLISH ROYAL LETTERS TO THE GRAND 

 MASTERS OF MALTA. 



(Concluded from Vol. ix., p. 419.) 

 No. XI. 



Charles the Second by the grace of God, of Great 

 Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender 

 of the Faith, &c. 



To the most illustrious and most high Prince, 

 the Lord Nicholas Cotoner, Grand Master of the' 

 Order of Malta, our well-beloved cousin and 

 friend — Greeting : 



It having appeared to us a matter of interest, 

 not only to ourselves, but likewise to the whole 

 Christian world, that we also should keep in the 

 Mediterranean sea a certain number of galleys 

 ready to afford prompt aid to our neighbours and 

 allies against the frequent insults of the barbarians 

 and Turks, we lately caused to be constructed two 

 galleys, one in Genoa, and the other in the port of 

 Leghorn; in order to man these, we directed a 

 person well acquainted with such affairs to be sent, 

 as to other parts, so also to the island of Malta, 

 subject to the rule of your highness, in order to 

 buy slaves and procure other necessaries. He having 

 purchased some slaves, it has been reported to us 

 that your highness' collector of customs demanded 

 five pieces of gold of Malta money per head before 

 they could be permitted to embark, under the 

 title of toll ; at which proceeding we were certainly 

 not a little astonished, it appearing to us a new 

 proceeding, and one contrary to custom, especially 

 it being Avell known to us that our neighbours and 

 allies, the Kings of France and Spain, are never 

 accustomed to pay anything under the title of toll 



* It should doubtless be 1657. 



