90 PAPERS, ETC. 



however, will hardly be expected of me, I will, never- 

 theless, solicit the reader's attention for a few nioments 

 longer — first, to illustrate the subject by a very interesting 

 cominentary which I have unexpectedly met with among the 

 MSS. treasures of the British Museum, and quote entire; 

 and, secondly, to offer some remarks on, and, I hope, to 

 afford some insight into, the System of Monastic Visitation, 

 of which this Abbey seenis to have been the not unusual 

 scene. Towards the elucidation of this last point also, I 

 am happy to be able to offer some new and unpublished 

 materials, derived from the same vast depository to which 

 I have just referred. 



On Friday, the 25th of November, 1725, the learned 

 antiquary, Thomas Hearne, wrote as follows to his friend 

 James West, " at No. 7, in Fig-tree Court, in the Inner 

 Temple, London " : — 

 « Dear Sir, 



" I shall be glad to peruse your Extracts from the Leiger 

 Book of Christ's Hospital in Abbington, tho' I suppose 

 they might be taken from the same Leiger Book that I 

 have quoted pag. 198 of the ix th Vol. of Leland's Itin. 

 in which Vol. I have also printed the Table, you mention, 

 at large, Mr. Leland himself having taken some Notes 

 from it. 



"You judge rightly, tbat Robert Halstead's Book is a 

 very great Curiosity. I do not remember any thing dis- 

 tinctly about it ; but I think I have seen it. I would fain 

 have some short account of this Halstead, who and what 

 he was, and whether he was a Man of Learning. 



" I suppose the Catalogue, you speak of, contains Sir 

 Thomas Sebright's MSS. as well as printed Books. Any 

 note you shall take from it will be acceptable, especially 



