252 THE president's address. 



minded of tlie name of another, and an older Cornish author, 

 Borlase, whose writings and character (so well-known to Cornish- 

 men) have lately been brought before the public in a charming 

 and able article in a recent number of the Quarterly Review.*' 

 We may congratulate ourselves that the original MSS. of Bor- 

 lase, which contain a mass of unpublished notes and drawings, 

 many of which are of the greatest interest to our county, are 

 possessed by his descendant, who knows how to ajipreciate such 

 a treasure, and is willing to gratify others by an acquaintance 

 with them. 



By the kindness of Mr. William Copeland Borlase you will 

 hear read this afternoon an extract from a MS. of Tonkin which 

 he possesses, in which that writer expresses his contempt for Hals' 

 abilities as an historian, an opinion, however, which may, per- 

 haps, have been embittered by a family dispute about property, 

 to which Tonkin alludes. 



Never were Cornish histories and Cornish works so much in 

 demand as at the present time. The Royal Institution of Corn- 

 wall may, I think, fairly claim a large share in having stimulated 

 the taste for this demand. I had hoped that during my Presi- 

 dency a scheme which I had in contemplation for some time 

 might have been carried out, by which the MS. of the curious 

 literary work on the Parochial History of Cornwall, by Hals, 

 might have been secured to this county, and have been placed on 

 the shelves of the library of our Institution, or of one of our county 

 public libraries. But it has been otherwise arranged : and we must 

 at least be glad that, if we are not to have the charge of it, such a 

 treasure has passed into oiu' National Library at the British 

 Museum, where it will be taken care of, and be accessible to all. 



I have placed on the table for inspection this day a MS. which 



I am fortiinate to possess, relating to the ancient Benedictine 



Priory of Tywardreath, and supposed to be written about the 



end of the 14th or beginning of the 15th eentiuy. It is in good 



condition, occupies 129 folios, and is divided into five parts. 



1. The calendar, containing the deaths and anniversaries of 



'' Professores" or religious men, on one page; and ''Famil- 



iores " or lay benefactors, on the opposite page. This part 



is written on 36 folios. 



* No. 278, Oct. 1875. 



