47 Geo. III. 
quis of Lansdown, chiefly concerning the public 
Writings and Records of this Country, composed 
and collected by William Lord Burghly, Lord 
High Treasurer in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, 
Sir Julius Caesar, Master of the Rolls and Judge 
of the High Court of Admiralty, in the Reigns 
of Queen Elizabeth and King James the First, 
and other learned and eminent Persons ; and that 
there is already in the British Museum a very 
valuable and extensive Collection of Manuscripts, 
important to the Public, for the Purpose of elu- 
cidating the History of this Country, and for fur- 
nishing Evidence of the Rights and Possessions 
of Individuals, to which the Lansdown Collec- 
tion of Manuscripts would be a most valuable 
Addition ; but that the Funds of the Petitioners, 
being insufficient for the common annual Expen- 
diture of the Museum, without the accustomed 
Aid of Parliament, they are unable to provide 
for the Purchase of the said Collection of Manu- 
scripts, and therefore praying the House to take 
the Matter into Consideration, and to adopt such 
Measures as to the House shall seem fit, for as- 
certaining the public Importance of adding the 
Lansdown Collection of Manuscripts to those al- 
ready lodged in the British Museum, and also 
the Value of such Collection, and further to act 
therein as to the House shall seem meet ; 
g c 2 
