530] 
duGory Records, Illustrations, Ge. 
and the Early History of the Town 
of Leicester: 
Vol. 2. Parti. Containing Framland 
Hundred, 
Common Paper; 5. 5s. Royal Paper, 
ql. 78. boards. Nichols. 1796. 
WE cannot sufficiently admire 
or applaud the extraordinary per- 
severance and assiduity of research 
which our estimable author must 
have bestowed on so dry but useful 
@ publication as the one now before 
us. 
We have no hesitation in placing 
the history of Leicestershire at the 
head of all the county histories 
which have yet appeared, for extent 
of information and minuteness of 
investigation, and though from its 
-bulk and locality, its merit is not 
likely to be sufficiently appreciated 
by the present generation, yet pos- 
terity will consider it as an inva- 
duable legacy, and be grateful to 
its disinterested author for so com- 
plete a collection of ancient records, 
authentic documents, and original 
information. 
The introductory volume begins 
with an account of Leicestershire 
extracted from Domesday book, 
with a translation. It is succeed- 
ed by a curious and valuable dis- 
sertation on Domesday book, closed 
by a tabulary description of Leices- 
tershire as it was in the time of 
William the Conqueror. Then fol- 
Jows an essay on the Mint ar Lei. 
cestershire, with views of coins, 
The names and arms of knights of 
the county of Leicester who served 
ynder Edward I, are next given, 
with other lists of persons who bore 
honours, &c. Acopy of the Testa 
de Neville, as far as it reiates to 
this county, a matriculus of the 
churches of the archdeaconry of 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1706. 
Leicester in 1220, a rotula of the 
churches of Leicestershire in 1344, 
and other tables relating to eccle- 
siastical matters, come next. These 
are followed by a variety of papers, 
containing taxations, lists of free. 
holders, knight’s fees, tenants iz 
capite, &c. &c. Mr. Leman’s trea. 
tise on the Roman roads and sta- 
tions in Leicestershire, with addi. 
ticnal observations by the bishop 
of Cork, and remarks on Roman 
roads by other writers, together 
with a learued essay on a Roman 
milliary found near Leicester, by 
the Rev. George Ashby, form the 
succeeding set of papers. The ri- 
vers and navigations of Leicester- 
shire are the subject of the nexe 
article, chiefly consisting of copies 
of the acts obtained for the purposes. 
of navigation, mostly of very late- 
date. Dr. Pulteney then contri. 
butes a catalogue of rarer plants 
found in the neighbourhood of 
Leicester, Loughborough, and ia 
Charley forest, drawn up with the 
judgment and accuracy that might 
be expected from so able a botanist.. 
The returns made to parliament of 
charitable donations within the 
county, fill a large number of suce 
ceeding pages, All the remaindes 
of the volume is composed of the 
history and antiquities of the town 
of Leicester, with a series of its 
bishops, of the kings, dukes, ang 
earis of Mercia, and their successors, 
earls of Leicester, A great pore 
tion of this trenches deeply on 
the general history of England, in 
which the Monttort family, with 
others who bore the Leicester title, 
made so conspicuous a figure, 
The writer (an anonymous at 
of Mr. Wichols) has also contrive 
to bring in the whole story of 
Thomas 4 Becket, who seems 10 
be 
a“ 
oe Ao 
