1805.) 
A TURKISH HYPERBOLE. 
Perfons in warm countries certainly pof- 
fefs powers of imagination fuperior to 
perfons in colder climates. The follow- 
ing defcription of a {mall room will ap- 
pear very poetic to an Englifh reader. ‘I 
am now,” fays a Turkith {py (writing to 
his employers), ‘‘in anapartment fo little, 
that the lealt fufpicion cannot enter it.” 
Original Letters from Sir Andrew Foun- 
taine, and Mr. Carte, the Hiftorian, 
to Mr. Thomas Hearne. 
Be. SS Tiles 
€©T received, laft week, your Life of King 
Alfred, for which I return you many 
thanks: I have read it with great plea- 
fure. As for the coin of King Alfred 
you mention, it may, for ought I know, 
be of the Great Alfred; though Mr. 
Walker, in his Life, not only from the 
cypher, but, as he fays, aliis conjeciuris 
motus, believes it to be of the Northum- 
brian Kihg. I drew it from ‘his book, 
and quote him for it; but, till I fee the 
coin itfelt, fhall never believe there is fuch 
a one in being, at leaft Iam fure there 
never was any fo large among the Saxon 
money as Mr. Walker has drawn that and 
fome others. The beft way I can find of 
judging to what Kings feveral coins be- 
long, is from their make\and workman- 
fhip, when the names are the fame; fo 
that if you take this from my Northum 
brian Alfred, I thall take fome others from 
your Great one. Pray, give my humble 
service to Dr. Hudfon and Mr. Thwaites. 
‘<s Tam, Sir, ' 
¢ Your affeStionate humble fervant, 
«© ANDREW FOUNTAINE.” 
“<< Prince's Court, Weflminfter, 
SCI. 2b) 0728. 
BEUSTRs 
_* As I know nobody can refolve me in 
an enquiry or two that I have to make, 1} 
hope you will excule the trouble of this 
application to you. 
‘© TheMarguis d?Aubaife, a gentleman 
of a noble family near Nifmes, in Lan- 
guedoc, and a very valuable ard learned 
man, is drawing up an account of the 
learned men of that province. Among 
the reft, he finds that P. Bernard André, 
of Tholoufe, was Poet Laureat to Henry 
VII. and that he died in England. He 
Extraéts from the Port-falio of a Man of Letters. 249 
afks me particularly after memoirs cf his 
life, and the time of his death, and defires 
to know what works he publifhed‘or left 
in M.S. and the particular editions of 
the former. I find, by a penfion cranted 
to him in2z. Henry VIT. that be had lived 
and read leétures in the univerfity of Ox- 
ford, for fome years, with great fuecefs ; 
and there‘ore, probably, fomething may 
be found of him in the old eccounts and 
bocks of the univerfty. As Tam per-. 
fuaded nothing there efcapes your fearch, 
T would beg the favour of you to acquaint 
me with what you know of this author, as 
well as of his works, of which, indeed, 
I know nothing, except it be the two 
M. S. hifforical poems on the aétions of 
Henry VII. in the Cotton library. 
‘< Having, upon this occafion, taken 
the liberty of writing to you, pardon me 
J mention likewife the requeft. of an old 
Eneglith friend of mine, Mr. Roberthaw, 
rector of Amerfham, Bucks. Thereis a- 
manor annexed to the rectory of the church, 
and courts u‘ed to be held there; but Mr. 
Drake and Dr. Brydges, his pred«ceflors, 
had no court-rolls, and could hold no 
court. He thinks thatone Phillips, who 
enjoyed it in Oliver's time, kept meft of 
them in his hands after he was deprived 
for fimony; but he is affured, by fome 
old parifhioners, that Mr. Smith (who 
was predecefior to Mr. Drake) held fome 
courts; and as his brother, Dr. Smith, 
of Magdalen college, had all his papers, 
and ({ think) the Doctor left all his to 
you, he would fain hope that you may 
have found fome court-roils of the faid 
manor among them. It would be an in- 
finite pleafure to him, if you could affure 
him that any of thefe rolls are fill in | 
being. 
‘¢ Tam told you are publifhing the Red 
Book of the Exchequer if you do it by 
fubfcription, I fhould take it as a favour 
if you will admit me one of your fub- 
fcribers, and let me know when I may pay 
in the money. hike 
‘© My tate has kept me abroad for ma- 
ny years, and out of the way of having 
the honour of your acquaintance, but no- 
body has more value tor your perfonal 
merit, or is more truly your molt humble: 
66 Obedient fervant, 
“Tuomas Carte.” 
= 
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