By the Rev. Canon J. E. Inchon, F.S.A. 347 



(F Amies } by Christine of Pisa, an Italian Lady of the fifteenth 

 century; and another by the same authoress, called "Hector and 

 Othea," translated into English by Stephen Scrope, of Castle Combe, 

 in Wiltshire, son-in-law of Sir John FalstafF (not the fat knight of 

 Shakespeare). "The Temple of Glasse," a poem commonly said to 

 have been written by Chaucer, and included in his works. But it 



I was not by him. It is now called the "Isle of Ladies/'' The 

 Longleat copy is the only MS. of it known. Also several other 

 MSS. of the poems of Chaucer and Lydgate. In one called "Ipo- 

 medon," by Lydgate, there is the written autograph (of great rarity) 

 of Richard III., when Duke of Gloucester, with a motto " Tant le 

 desiree." I may just mention as a sample of the value of MSS., 



■ especially when, as in this case, they happen to contain any rare 

 autograph, that only a few weeks ago at an auction in London, a 

 little MS. which happened to have this very autograph signature 

 in it was sold for the marvellous sum of £331. 



Besides all the books and MSS. to which I have only very slightly 



, referred there is a vast quantity of original documents at Longleat, 

 which have been all arranged. For easier classification they may be 

 distinguished as 1. Personal, and 2. Topographical. The Personal 

 documents relate to families, and include a great deal that refers to 

 many of the historical houses of the country. I only name, very cur- 

 sorily, a few : Stafford Duke of Buckingham, the Veres, Seymour 

 Duke of Somerset : Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, (among which 

 was found an original letter from Amy Robsart) and the three 

 Earls of Essex of the Devereux family. Also twenty eight volumes 

 of Papers collected by Whitelocke the ambassador to Sweden, and a 

 chest full of documents, State-papers and correspondence of Henry 



(Coventry, Secretary of State in 1672. Likewise a quantity of 

 original letters of celebrated historical characters, among which is 

 the autograph letter of Cardinal Wolsey, written on the day of his 



I degradation, to Gardiner Bishop of Winchester, signed "T. Cardina- 

 lis Ebor miserrimus/'' 



The Topographical department is very large and curious, contain- 

 ing documents relating to ancient estates in a great many counties in 

 England and Wales, especially, of course, Somerset and Wilts. There 



