"I have only one frank to you left, and our members and acquaintance are all above; so, if I should, after the next, have occasion to write before I can get a farther supply, pray how can I direct to go to you under a frank cover?

"Thank God, I am something stronger than I was, and hope the summer will at least make my time passable; if not, to contribute towards a recovery at least.

"I have thoughts of trying what the Bath will do for me; in that case I shall either go or return by London, for the pleasure of being one day with you and other friends.

"Hoping to hear you are in health, I remain, dear Sir, "Your most obliged humble servant, J. BURTON." "DEAR SIR, York, June 19, 1769. "The favour of yours I received, and am heartily sorry for the disorder of your eyes, but I hope they are perfectly recovered; and have only been a little epidemical, as we have had such complaints almost general in and near York this spring.

"I am obliged to you for letting me know the Author of the British Topography, to whom I have taken the liberty to write, and correct some errors, as far as relates to Yorkshire; and to add an account of some MSS. I have lately met with: but, not knowing how to direct to him, I have taken the liberty to inclose it with a Catalogue of my MSS. to which I have added another volume, as you may see in the list.

"In my late tour into the West Riding, in search of Antiquities, I was at Mr. Stanhope's house, when part of our conversation was about my MSS. The next morning he told me he had been considering of every method to be attempted, and had reduced them to the three following; viz. First, to get a pension from above, to enable me to go on with and publish the work secondly, to sell the MSS. for an annuity, for the same purpose: or, thirdly, to publish by subscription.

:

To the first my objection was, the not having acquaintance with the great in power, who could obtain such a favour; although granted to others less useful to the public.

"The second I should like very well; and then I could still be daily adding to the MSS. as far as life and health would permit, for if I could have sufficient support, and follow my profession, as I could with safety to my constitution, I should be happy; for now, being obliged to go out too soon after a fit of the gout, I am subject to frequent relapses.

"To the third I objected; that to publish by subscription would be a work of some time, and I, being sixty years of age, with my disorder, there would be no probablity of my living (especially if I followed the business of my profession) to see my second volume of the Monasticon Eboracense published, which will make a volume, with the Appendix, above double the bulk of the first.

"My best method would be, to sell the copy to a Bookseller; and dispose of the rest of my MSS. in the best manner I could.

I was mentioning this to a Bookseller in York; who made an offer to be at the whole expence of printing, &c. and to give me a third of the neat profit in the sale of the books; but to that I objected, as not a sufficient requital for my expence and trouble: and I am not acquainted with any Bookseller in London likely to purchase the copy, which, as I said above, will be more than double the bulk of the first, if not too big for one volume with the Appendix, containing such a number of charters never yet published, especially as I am daily picking up materials to add to it. "I have with pleasure perused that part of Mr. Gough's Topography relating to Yorkshire, and some of the other Counties and have taken the liberty to write the inclosed, that if you know his address you will be so good as to send him. I am obliged to you for acquainting me with his name.

;

Pray what Bookseller in London do you think the properest to apply to, if you approve of my selling the copy; which will undoubtedly lessen the value of the remainder of the MSS.

"It is now time to make an apology for writing so long a letter, and for giving you so much trouble on my own affairs. Wishing you a perfect recovery, I remain, dear Sir,

"Your most obliged humble servant, JOHN BURTON." "DEAR SIR, York, March 4, 1770.

My long silence may seem as if I was dead; but, indeed, I have been plagued with two fits of my old complaint, in both which every person thought I should have died;-yet I got abroad again, and was soon employed in our own way, in Antiquities, as you will find by the inclosed, with the drawings, the first of which represents the appearance of the Roman Sepulchre, and the urns found therein, &c. last year, all which were found as mentioned; but as the same ground was to be dug over again about Martinmas, Mr. Francis Smith, who is very studious about Antiquities, went himself, and examined every piece, and was lucky in getting so much more of it as almost to complete it, as the drawing of it will show by taking a side view, and one end open to show how the urns were placed therein, which stood in the centre of each pair of tiles upon an elevated floor about two inches above the level. To prevent rain or wet from falling into the Sepulchre upon the urns, they had wisely put ridge-tiles along the roof; and the same method was taken in respect of the descent of the edges of each side-tiles, where they were set close to each other, and had likewise ridge-tiles of a narrower size than the tops; and all these are made of a fine red clay. I have mentioned my thoughts about the antiquity of the Ninth and Sixth Legion in Britain. I have sent two copies, one for the Antiquarian, and the other for the Royal Society, but have not the opportunity of sending two sets of drawings, Mr. Drake being so bad as to be obliged to go to Bath; but I hope they are sufficient for the purpose, and will be agreeable to our learned brethren. I cannot say I can remember to have ever seen any Sepulchre like what I now send to you.

"I have

"I have met with two other opportunities of sending an account of what was some time ago found in what we call the Mount, just before the entrance into our City from Tadcaster,— a bad and false account of which was given in the Newspaper; and, three days ago, I heard that a Roman Pottery was found about a mile and a half South of York, near Middlethorpe. I yesterday went with a friend to examine the premises; and found as follows; viz. the soil, at and near the surface, a good rich brown corn-mould soil, about two feet deep; upon a hillock, under that, appear many fragments of Roman urns, and other earthen ware of a large size; under this stratum is a bed of fine gravel for a turnpike-road, above a foot thick in general. Digging for this gravel made the discovery of the fragments of urns, some of which are of as fine red clay, and as beautiful as I ever saw. As I am intimately acquainted with the Lord of the Manor, I intend to ask the favour for liberty to dig there, and see that the workmen do not break any whole urns, if any such should be found; for my own part I am really at a loss to know what the place has been for, because no whole urn has yet been found. I have all the previous symptoms of a severe fit of the gout upon me; but yet Mr. Smith, with pleasure, will attend the diggers if I should not be able, for he is very eager after these researches, and spares no expence to obtain knowledge of any thing relating to Antiquities,-which is a spirit I rejoice to see in a gentleman of fortune, about 33 years of age, and a close student; and spares no expence in collecting Roman Coins, &c.— one of which was found in digging the foundation of a wall in the rampart of this City, and well preserved, being very fair, and every part very distinct. An account of which was published in the York Weekly Courant; on which some person, in an ill-natured manner, pretended to make remarks, and signed 'A Medallist ;' to which I have made, I hope, a proper reply, which I expect will be published in the next Gentleman's Magazine, with a drawing of the Coin, which yesterday I sent up to London for that purpose. When you see the account I shall be glad of your real sentiments thereon, for I should be sorry to mislead any person, and should always stand corrected when shown to be in an error. "When the inclosed has been shown to the respective Societies, I shall be obliged to you to acquaint me thereof, and if either of them think them worth printing, and to have a copperplate engraven, I should be glad of a copy.

"Pray how does the printing of Domesday Book go on? or when may it be expected any part will be published?

"I fancy, by this time, your patience will be tried; and I assure you, although this letter has been written at different times, I yet am tired and in pain; nevertheless, I remain, dear Sir, "Yours most sincerely, J. BURTON." York, May 16, 1770.

"DEAR SIR,

"It was with the greatest pleasure I received your letter, written by yourself.

"Mr.

"Mr. Smith is with me; and desires me to pay his respects to you, with thanks for the List of the Members of our Antiquarian Society, some of whom he is acquainted with, and will write to two of them. He also is obliged to you for your recommendation to our worthy President, to whom also Mr. Pegge has recommended Mr. Smith,-who desires the favour of you to have his name to be entered as a Subscriber to the late Mr. Russel's 'Anecdotes and Observations on the Antiquities of Rome,' &c. and also my name for the small paper; his name is Francis Smith, jun. esq. of York, and New-building near Thirsk.

"Since my last I have received a letter from a Friend, giving me an account of the Roman Coins found three miles near East of Howden, an extract of which I here inclose, which please to communicate to our President.

"Pray favour me with a line as soon as you can conveniently, and whether Mr. Smith's name be up or not.

"I have nothing else new to add; and being very unfit for writing, must conclude in wishing you a perfect recovery, and assuring you I am, dear Sir, your most obliged humble servant, JOHN BURTON."

Letters between the Rev. GEORGE BURTON
and Dr. DuCAREL.

"SIR,

Elden, near Thetford, April.., 1757. "The above Silver Coin* is undoubtedly Saxon, one of their penigs, or pennies, and the more valuable as it opens to us a field of history all our Historians are silent about. That Girthe, a younger brother of Harold, was designed to succeed him, and actually living after his brother's death, is evident from the Coin itself, though the generality of our Historians assert his fall in the Battle of Hastings, and even peremptorily insist on his being buried in Waltham Abbey, and that the other brothers fell in that fatal battle; which might occasion this tradition, and seems confirmed by Camden, in his Remains, London, 4to. p. 188:

"When the fatal period of the Saxon Empire was now complete, and battels were marshalled betweene William Duke of Normandy, and Harold King of England, Girthe, Harold's younger brother, not holding it best to hazard the Kingdom of England at one cast, signified to the King that the success of the warre was doubtful, that victory was swayed rather by fortune than valour, that advised delay was most important in martial affairs ;—and if so bee, brother, said he, you have plighted your faith to the Duke, retyre yourselfe, for no force can serve against a man's own conscience; God will revenge the violation

The Coin, of which a rude drawing accompanied this Letter, was found at Icklingham, in Suffolk, in 1749. It is inscribed, "SANCTVS NICHOLAVS," round an Archiepiscopal Mitre. Reverse, "REX GERTIS AVE." It proved to be a Danish Coin (see p. 398); but the historical discussion it occasioned is curious, and worth preserving.

of

of an othe: you may reserve yourself to give them a new encounter, which will be more to their terrour: as for me, if you will commit the charge to me, I will performe both the part of a kinde brother, and a couragious leader, for being cleare in conscience, I shall sell my life, or discomfit your enemy with more felicitie.'

"But the Kinge, not liking his speech, answered: I will never turne my backe with dishonour to the Norman, neither can I in any sort digest the reproach of a base minde: well then be it so (said some discontented of the company) let him beare the brunt that hath given the occasion.'

"Camden hath unfortunately related the above without quoting his Author, who most probably would have furnished out some further hints to have elucidated this piece of dark history;-but thus much is evident, as well from Camden's quotation above as the Coin itself, that Harold had a younger brother, Girthe; that he was actually living, both after the death of Harold, and the Battle of Hastings, notwithstanding the peremptory assertions of all our Historians to the contrary; that Girthe was one of great power, and beloved by the army, and to that degree that even Harold himself was become jealous of it, which appears from Harold's answer to him. From these few data, with the assistance of the Coin itself, we may, I think, be able to draw out as connected a piece of history as the distance of time will admit of. All histories agree that Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury, was a great advocate for the continuance of the succession in the line of Harold; and it is natural from thence to imagine that he would support it as long as was consistent with the safety of the kingdom, and his own personal security;-accordingly, though William the Conqueror, through the rapidity of his success, had silenced Stigand for a while, yet upon his expedition into Normandy we find a new diversion made in favour of the line of Harold, anno 1068, when they fled into Scotland to Edgar Atheling (England's Darling, as he was called) ;-before this, therefore, it is plain the Coin could not take place, because that would have been opposing the younger brother to the elder, and dividing the interest of the whole line. The most probable time, therefore, for this Coin to have been struck, and intended to be made public, was when Stigand took part with the Kentish men, and brought the Conqueror to terms by that memorable stratagem of carrying branches of trees in their hands, and thereby concealing their strength, and shewing their intrepidity: in all probability by that time, through various flights and adverse fortune, the line of Harold was extinct all but Girthe-a further recommendation of him to the favour of those sons of liberty:

"Stigand is generally represented to have been as artful as powerful; and, therefore, cannot be supposed to have overlooked so favourable an opportunity of fixing the right of succession in the only son of Harold, and thereby avoiding the determined vengeance of William the Conqueror upon him. He well knew

that