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V. 



A CALENDAR OF THE EEGISTEE OF. AECHBISHOP FLEMING. 

 By EEY. H. J. LAWLOR, D.D. 



Read Fehkiaky 26. Publiihed August 3, 1912. 



Introductiox. 



The Eewister of Archbishop Nichola.s Fleming is the second part of the 

 vohime of which the Register of Archbishop Svreteman forms the first part ; 

 but the former is in a much better state of preservation than the latter. This 

 is probably due to the ingenious constiiietion of the volume in which it was 

 orio-inally bound. In it the outer sheet of each gathering was of vellum. By 

 this outer sheet the inner sheets of paper were protected from injury. 



In attempting to ascertain how far the Register remains in its original 

 state, how much of it has been lost, and to what extent leaves have been 

 transferred fi-om their places, we must fix our attention mainly on two 

 features of the manuscript. It happens that in a good many eases a docu- 

 ment beo'ins on one leaf and ends on another. Such leaves must have been 

 consecutive from the first. And again, most of the leaves are still attached 

 to theii- conjugates. Where two leaves were successive it may be assumed 

 that theii- conjugates were likewise successive. We shall also receive 

 assistance from the fact that, in addition to the numbering of the leaves 

 which corresponds with the present state of the Register, and which was 

 added in the seventeenth century, there are considerable remains of an 

 older numeration which apparently belongs to the sixteenth century. 



When we take account of these data we easily reach the conclusion that 

 the first and second gatherings (if. 1-20), each consisting of ten leaves, of 

 which the outer two are of vellum and the rest of paper, are perfect, and that 

 the second oi-iginally followed immediately upon the first. Moreover, it 

 seems that what is now the fii'st gathering had the same place in the original 

 Register, for the third dociunent contained in it iutimates that up to the 

 day on which it was written Fleming had performed no official acts in his 

 diocese.^ 



It is also clear that an unnumbered leaf which now stands between 

 tf. 65, 66, originally had its place between ff. 27, 28. Tmnsferring it to that 



