LETTER CCCXLI.

MR. EDWARD WARREN TO THE BISHOP OF MEATH.

REVEREND SIR,

I THANK you for so great pains taken at my request. I guess by the manner of your writing, that you thought it was one of our antipodes whom I conferred withal but the man was indeed Mr. Getting; who after a hot contention with me, at length would needs appeal to the college, and by name to you: yet fell off again afterwards; and what he could not by reason would needs fasten on me by his own authority, concluding peremptorily, upon his word, that the place, Luc. II. ult. is by all the Fathers, and generally by our own best divines, understood of Christ's experimental (or, as you call it, particular) knowledge only; which, though I refused utterly to subscribe to, and at the present held my own opinion as resolutely as he did his, yet remembering myself afterwards, that all the knowledge I had of the question was no more than your lectures of it in the chapel made at one impression, I thought I might be mistaken; and therefore (being destitute of books for the purpose) made bold to require your resolution, thereon to build mine own securely. I have seen here a large, and in my conceit a good, commentary on the Pentateuch, written by one Cornelius Cornelii a lapide, a Jesuit, professor of Scriptures in Doway, set out the last year, and it is all the news I saw. But this also I heard (which came from themselves, and was reported from them by the best in this town) that mass was said in Kilkenny very lately by

one, to an assembly of women (and one boy, that by chance fell in among them, by whom also the matter was discovered), that when it was ended transformed himself into the likeness of a he goat, with some other unmannerly pranks, which I had rather he should do, than I relate. Your map I have here sent you by this bearer; which I was loath to send, lest for want of convenient carrying it might be hurt by the way, but more loath to detain it longer, lest haply you might have occasion to use it in the mean time. So, with my hearty prayers for you, I rest,

Your's at command,

Kilkenny, June 11.

1617.

EDWARD WARREN.

LETTER CCCXLII.

MR. ROBERT RAM TO DR. JAMES USSHER.

REV. SIR,

HAVING now despatched my business, my purpose is very speedily to return for Ireland; but because my purpose depends upon my friends' pleasures, I cannot, with their good liking, as yet depart from them, and therefore must entreat your favour in my absence; that is, in willing forbearance of my not presence. I delivered your letter to Mr. Gattaker, and have here enclosed returned his answer. For your letter to Dr. James, I could not deliver it with mine own hands, but meeting with the chief bedell of Oxford in Essex, I requested him to deliver it, which he promised faithfully to perform, and to procure his answer. Mr. Eyers promiseth to send you the best testimonies from antiquity that hath, de ratione et origine punctorum; I found him very busy in the suit of law about a parsonage near Colchester, two patrons laying claim to the right of presenting, but Mr. Eyers hath within this three days received the overthrow. Both my father and myself have taken great pains to search for that note concerning him that refused to vail bonnet at the elevation of the Host, but we cannot possibly find it, and we fear that some careless body hath torn it out, it being the last leaf of the book, and the book without a cover. I was at Cambridge commencement, where I saw our archbishop of Spalato, who in my conceit much resembleth Dr. Donn, but

that Dr. Donn is not so fat as he; he was very solemnly and royally entertained, with many set speeches and orations. Thus, in haste I humbly rest,

Your worship's to be commanded,

Colchester, this 16th July,

1617.

ROBERT RAM.

LETTER CCCXLIII.

REV. R. CUDWORTH TO DR. JAMES USSHER.

MR. DR. USSHER,

I HAVE long desired to hear from you; and now having so good occasion, I could not but salute you by these few lines, to acquaint you with mine estate, and other occurrences, and to entreat the like from you again. I am beneficed at Auber, in Somerset, where Sir John Davys, the king's attorney for Ireland, is lord of the town, but not patron of the parsonage. This poor man (bearer hereof) is his tenant. I have been here seven years and better, and God hath given me three children, two sons and a daughter. The air is very bad, especially in the spring, so that I have been often in danger of death, by reason of agues, &c., which makes me desirous to remove (I care not how soon) if I might have a good calling to another place. A general collection is made for the king's college at Chelsea, in these west parts, and so through England and Wales; so that there is good hope it will go forward, having long stood at a stay, to the shame of the whole state and land, whilst the Jesuits have erected four or five. I should desire no greater earthly blessing than to live in that or such like society, where I might have the continual company of learned men, to confer together about controversies. and antiquities, and if I might have your good company either there or elsewhere, I should think myself happy. For I am seated in a barren place, where my neighbour ministers either want skill and cannot, or have some skill and will not, confer together about matters of