[ 12 ] 



thefe volumes, and differ very little (except in the fpelling, 

 which the Bifhop muft have modernifed) from thofe found in 

 the appendix to Hift. of Reform. Vol. II. p. i35- 



It may be further remarked that the manner of forming the 

 letters, the fpelling, and the ftile are (imilar to thofe of authen- 

 tic remains of that age, which may alfo be obferved of the 

 mode of direding and folding the letters, the fize of the feal, 

 and the water-marks of the paper, which latter vary accordmg 

 to the country from which the letters were written. The fig- 

 natures of Archbifhop Cranmer, Bifhop Gardiner, Martin Bucer, 

 John A Lafco and others agree with facfimiles of their hand- 

 writing which have been already publifhed (b). The titles ufed 

 by the King in feveral of the ftate papers are alfo agreeable to 

 the ufagc of that period, as ftated by Bilhop Nicholfon (c). 



To eftablidi however the authenticity of thefe papers as much 

 as poffible, they were fubmitted to the infpeftion of feveral 

 literary gentlemen in this kingdom, and amongft others to that 

 of the prefident and members of the Royal Irifh Academy; and 

 alfo to that of Thomas Aftle, Efq; of the paper-office, Whitehall, 

 a gentleman well known in the literary world as the author of 



a curious 



(b) In the appendix to Dr. Jortin's life of Erafmus. 

 (c) Eng. Hift. Library, Part iii. ch. i. p. I4S- 1"='"° <='""''"• 



