88 A LOST PAPER ON HUGH PETER. 



have been to me a source of much pleasure to find myself able to sat- 

 isfy the laudable desire of the Essex Institute to secure the publication 

 of so interesting a bit of History* 



/ I am, Sir, 



Your faithful servant, 



ROWTON- 

 To H. M. BROOKS, Esq. 



36 JAMES STREET, BUCKINGHAM GATE. 



LONDON, S. W., 11 Sept., 1889. 

 DEAR SIR : 



Your letter of 28 Aug. to my brother the Rev. C. W. Boase of Ex- 

 eter College, Oxford, has been handed to me as one of the authors of 

 the Bibliotheca CoWnubiensis. I perfectly remember the circumstances 

 connected with the Hugh Peters episode to which you refer. In 1874 

 having become aware that Isaac Disraeli had written a vindication of 

 Hugh Peters, although that vindication did not appear in his collected 

 works, I wrote Benjamin Disraeli enquiring what had become of it. 

 In course of time I had a reply from Mr. Disraeli's secretary, stating 

 that it was quite true that his father bad written such an article, which 

 article was to have been given in the collected edition of his writings. 

 By some unaccountable oversight it was however omitted, and now, 

 1874, although Mr. Disraeli had caused a search to be made for the 

 MS. it could not be found, and he could not say what had become of 

 it, but if it ever turned up he would let me know. I did not feel jus- 

 tified in pressing him further on the matter and I never heard anything 

 more about it. I understand that all Lord Beaconsfleld's papers were 

 left unreservedly to Lord Rowton and if that gentleman has not come 

 across the vindication in his researches I am much afraid that we must 

 consider it to have been destroyed or at some time abstracted from its 

 owner's possession. I agree with you entirely that it would be a, 

 most interesting document to print, and can but regret that it is not 

 in my power to help you further in the matter. 



I am 



Yours very truly, 



GEORGE C. BOASK. 

 ROBERT S. RANTOUL, Esq. 



Salem. 



