on a Jftinnte gook belonging to the 

 Corporation ot Dorchester. 



By H. J. MOULB, M.A. 



ITHOUT any saying of mine it is, doubtless, well 

 known to all here that there is curious reading in 

 most old minute books. From incidents that may 

 aspire to be called touches in the historical picture 

 of old England down to the former prices of petty 

 wares, our gatherings from these records have a 

 strange interest. It is always so, I think, when AVC get at facts 

 sideways from documents indited with no shadow of a thought of 

 history Avriting. But it is not easy to import the said interest into 

 a paper, for the points which arrest attention are mostly microscopic, 

 catching our notice by number rather than individual importance. 

 However, I must do my best. The minute book in question, C8 in 

 the catalogue, is a small unbound paper folio. In dignity of 

 appearance this and our other 17th century minute books are 

 altogether put into the shade by two grand ones which they have 

 at "Weymouth. But our shabby little volume is good reading in 

 some parts. It begins with July 15th, 1629, and ends with October 

 6th, 1637. I have culled bits under several heads : 



1. A few Christian names have been noted as somewhat odd 

 e.g., of men, Patroclus, Troilus, [SJcipio, Angell, Allainort, Pasque, 



