122 APPENDIX. 



my house, and burnt a certain sheet of paper all written with Sir 

 H. Vane's own hand (which was a draught of a model of a new 

 government with severe reflections on monarchy), as also several 

 other papers, which would have been great evidence against him. 



Extract from another letter of Sir Samuel Morland to Archbishop 

 Tenison, dated July 20th, 1688. 



In the interim I began to consider that perhaps I might 



do the public some kind of service, during this my retired life, by 

 explayning in a new manner and method, the first six books of 

 Euclid, and reducing them to common use and practice, and making 

 all things plain and easy to the meanest capacity ; which is a thing 

 that in my opinion would bee of excellent and singular use, as 

 well for all publick schools as for all young students in the uni- 

 versities ; but as yet has not been performed to purpose by any 

 author that I have seen whatever. 



The following paper is taken from the same manuscript. 



The proposalls Sir Samuel Morland gave unto Major Wildman for 

 the King's secret service were as followes. 



1 . To open any letter though written and seald up with all the 

 care and nicety that is practicable ; and having coppied out the 

 contents, to seal the same up again, with as many as shall be 

 desired ; provided he have the same paper, wax and ink, that the 

 party that wrot and seald it shall be so far from discerning his 

 letter to be opend or disfigured, that he shall not know his own 

 letter from the other counterfeits. 



2. To wash a written paper as white as before it was written. 



3. To counterfeit all handwriting so dexterously, that, upon oc- 

 casion of state, the king may send the coppies and keep the ori- 

 ginalls of any letters, dispatches or other papers, till any designes 

 be ripe for conviction. 



4. To coppy any number of whole sheets of paper close written 

 on both sides in as many minutes time, with this advantage, that it 

 will be impossible for the coppies to be erronious (a). 



III. A Maynetical Problem by Thomas Lydyat, from the Bodleian 

 MS. No. 313. 



First, Considering the declination of the needle touched with the 



(a) This document has been copied " in a minute " on the paper immediately 

 following it, and can be distinctly read by holding it to the light. Next follows 

 "An old writing pale, and almost worn out, copyed in a minute from both sides," 

 which is, however, rather indistinct. 



