THE FIRST WINTER MEETING. xxvu. 



BY THE PRESIDENT : 



A small MS. on vellum, with elaborate full page red and blue initial letters, 

 in the original binding, written about the year 1330, and containing a 

 number of statutes, some in Latin and some in French, mostly of the reign of 

 Edward I. (1272-1307), the earliest being the Statute of Jfcrtoti of 20 Hen. III. 

 (1236), and the latest the Statute of Northampton of 2 Ed. III. (132S). It begins 

 with Magna, Carta as confirmed by Edward I. in 129'. This appears to have 

 been confirmed afresh by successive kings, as Edward here confirms not the 

 original Magna Carta, but that of his father, Henry III., who, I presume, 

 confirmed that of his father, John. There are altogether 21 separate writings 

 in the book, nearly all statutes, mostly named from the place where the 

 Parliament which passed them was held, such as Statutes of Westminster, 

 Gloucester, Wynton, &c. There are also Carta de Foresta, the game laws of 

 that period being of great importance, statutes df rcllgiosis and dc mcrcatonbus, 

 and a few containing directions, such as Modus faclcndi homayiuni ct fdtUtatcm. 

 Two deeds of slightly la.ter date were also exhibited for comparison. 



BY MES. DEAN : 



A number of interesting and valuable Bibles and Prayer Books of the 16th and 

 17th centuries. The principal exhibits were mentioned in the following note 

 read by the PEESIDENT : Archbishop Laud's Prayer Book (1337-6) was forced 

 on Scotch Presbyterians by Charles I. and Laud. To make it more acceptable, 

 the Scotch translation of the Psalins and Epistles and Gospels was inserted, 

 instead of the English. It was read in the Edinburgh churches on Sunday, 

 July 23rd, 1637, under great difficulties caused by the tumult and rioting of the 

 congregations, followed by much greater and more serious disturbances. The 

 book is a rare one, perhaps partly owing to the detestation in which it was held 

 by the Scotch, who must have destroyed many copies. Hebrew Bible, Paris, 

 1546. The first complete Hebrew Bible was printed in 1438 at Soncino, in Italy. 

 No Greek Testament was printed until 1516. I exhibit one of 1524, printed 

 at Strasburg; Biblia Vulgata, Paris, 1523 ; Dutch Bible, 1761 ; and Bible and 

 Prayer Book, 1637. 



A paper was then read by the Rev. W. MILES BARNES. 

 i. Some poems in the Dorset Dialect written by the late 

 Rev. W. Barnes, Rector of Came. (Printed.) 

 After the interval for luncheon : 



EXHIBITS. 



BY DR. G. ABBOTT, F.G.S., Hon. Treasurer of the South-east Union of 

 Scientific Societies : 



A collection of extraordinary specimens of cellular limestone with photographs. 



