POSTSCEIPT. 393 



Assuming the assertions made in these two letters, dated March 21 

 and April 6, 1887, of the Secretary of State for the Home Depart- 

 ment to be correct, it follows, as a matter of course, that the eight 

 specific references submitted by the Compiler in support of his 

 application of March 22, 1887, must have been fictitious. It would 

 therefore ensue that all the references, and the copies and extracts 

 derived fi'om the Home OJfice Records relating to the Eoyal Buck- 

 hounds, and inserted in this volume, must have been not only 

 spurious, they must have been concocted by the Compiler with an 

 intention to deliberately mislead. Fortunately all the documents 

 which purport to have been derived from the series of Home Office 

 Records deposited in the Public Record Office, as quoted in this 

 book, from the time of Wilham III. down to 1760, are open to 

 the inspection of any one, consequently the CompUer can safely 

 I'ely on their verification ; and, notwithstanding the allegations 

 of " the Authoiities of the Public Record Office " to the Secretary 

 of State for the Home Department, the Compiler had recourse 

 to the only means at his disposal to refute, under the hand and 

 seal of the representative of the Master of the Rolls, the gross 

 calumny which had been imposed on him. His vindication was 

 accomplished by means of what is technically known as " an office 

 copy " of the document contained in the " Home Office Records 

 Warrant Book," vol. xi., page 47, as printed in this volume, p. 231. 

 It was transcribed by the officials at the Public Record Office, and 

 certified correct under the hand and seal of Peter Turner, Esq., 

 an Assistant Keeper of that Department, on April 14, 1887, at 

 a cost of 35., as appears by receipt of same date. No. 140.* Apart 

 from independent evidence, it is clear that by virtue of this cei'tified 

 copy there must be documents relating to the Royal Buckhounds in 

 the Home Office Records now deposited in the Public Record Office. 

 It is really beyond dispute and evident to every one down to 1760. 

 And if the index volumes are correct, there are also documents in 

 the Home Office series relating to Lord Bateman as Master of the 

 Buckhounds in 1782 and 1783, the reference thereto being thus 

 indicated: ''Home Office Records: Warrant Book, vol. xxvi.B, 

 page 205; Ihid., vol. xxvii., page 1." The Compiler having applied 



* An office or certified copy of any official document is, under the Judicature 

 Acts, received as irrefutable evidence in the courts of law. If we were obliged to 

 obtain certified copies of all the original records used in this work it would 

 probably entail an expenditure of 6,000Z. or 7,000^. 



