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or fubftituting the volatile alkali for the fixed. Experiment would moft likely point out many other means of improving the procefs defcribed above; but in its prefent ftate I hope it may be of fome ufe, as it not only brings out a prodigious body of colour upon letters

which were before fo pale as to be almoft invifible, but has the further advantages over the infufion of galls, that it produces its effect immediately, and can be confined to thofe letters only for which such affiftance is wanted.

ANTIQUITIES.

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Y Dear and only wellbeloved Son, I beseech our Lord in Heven ye maker of alle the world Heaven, the Maker of all the World,

Ydere and only welbeloved M's

The following Pedigree of John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, the Son of the Writer of this Letter, is taken from a letter of John Pafton, Efq. to his Coufin, Margaret Pafton, dated Saturday, and written between 1460 and 1466, I and 6 of E. IV. having for the Paper Mark a Bull.

"Item, as for the Pedegre of ye feyd Dewk, he is Sone to Will'm Pool, "Dewk of Suff', Sone to Mychell Pool, Erl of Suff', Sone to Michel Pool, ye first Erl of Suff' of the Poles, mad my Kyng Ric feth (fince) my Fader "was born.

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"And ye feyd furft Mychell was Sone to on (one) Will'm Pool of Hull, "whech was a worfchepfull man grow be furtwne of ye world, and he was "furft a Murchant and aft' a Kenygth and aft' he was mad Baneret."

* William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, fucceeded his Brother Michael, flain at the Battle of Agincourt, in 1415, as Earl of Suffolk; he was Prime Minifter and Favourite of Henry VI, and Queen Margaret; was created in 1443, 23 H. VI. Marquis, and in 1448, 26 H. VI. Duke of Suffolk. He was ba. nifhed by the King, at the instigation of the Commons, &c. and murdered on the Sea, on the 2d of May, 1450, 28 H. VI.

He married Alice, widow of Thomas de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, and Daughter and heir of Thomas Chaucer, Efq. of Ewelme, in Oxfordshire, and Grand-daughter of Geoffrey Chaucer, the celebrated Poet.

+ John de la Pole, (after his Father's Murder,) Duke of Suffolk, &c. He married Elizabeth, Daughter of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, and Sifter of Edward IV. He died in 1491, 7 H. VII. and was buried by his Father at Wingfield in Suffolk.

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to bleffe you and to fende you eu' grace to love hym and to drede hym to ye which as ferre as a Fader may charge his child I both charge you and prei you to fette alle your fpirites and wittes to do and to knowe his holy Lawes and Comaundments by the which ye fhall wt his grete m'cy paffe alle ye grete tempeftes and troubles of yis wrecched world, and ye alfo wetyngly ye do nothyng for love nor drede of any erthely creature yt fhuld difplefe hym. And yre as any Freelte maketh you to falle be fecheth hys m'cy foone to calle you to hym agen wt repentaunce fatisfaccōn and contricon of youre herte never more in will to offende hym.

Secoundly next hym above alle erthely thyng to be trewe Liege man in hert in wille in thought in dede unto ye Kyng oure alder moft high and dredde Sou'eygne Lord, to whom bothe ye and I been fo moche bounde too, Chargyng you as Fader can and may rather to die yan to be ye contrarye or to knowe any thyng y were ayenfte ye welfare or p'fp'ite of his moft riall p'fone but yt as ferre as youre body and lyf may ftrecthe ye lyve and die to defende it. And to lete his Highneffe have knowlache yrof in alle ye hafte ye can.

Thirdly in ye fame wyfe I charge you my Dere Sone alwey as ye be bounden by ye com'aundement of God to do, to love to worshepe youre Lady and Moder, and alfo yt ye obey alwey hyr com'aundements and to beleve hyr councelles and advises in alle youre werks ye to

blefs you, and to fend you ever grace to love him, and to dread him, to the which, as far as a Father may charge his child, I both charge you, and pray you to fet all your fpirits and wits to do, and to know his Holy Laws and Commandments, by the which ye fhall, with his great mercy, pafs all the great tempefts and troubles of this wretch. ed world.

And that, alfo weetingly, ye do nothing for love nor dread of any earthly creature that should difplease him. And there as [whenever] any Frailty maketh you to fall, befeech his mercy foon to call you to him again with repentance, fatisfaction, and contrition of your heart, never more in will to offend him.

Secondly, next him above all earthly things, to be true Liege. man in heart, in will, in thought, in deed, unto the King our alder moft [greatest] high and dread Sovereign Lord, to whom both ye and I be fo much bound to; Charging you as Father can and may, rather to die than to be the contrary, or to know any thing that were against the welfare or profperity of his moft Royal Perfon, but that as far as your body and life may ftretch, ye live and die to defend it, and to let his Highnefs have knowledge thereof in all the hafte ye can.

Thirdly, in the fame wife, I charge you, my dear fon, alway as ye be bounden by the Commandment of God to do, to love, to worship, your Lady and Mother; and alfo that ye obey alway her command. ments, and to believe her counfels

This very particular advice to his son, shows his fears for the king's per. onal fafety at this time.

VOL. XXIX.

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which dredeth not but fhall be beft and trewest to you. And yet any other body wold ftere you to ye contrarie to flee ye councell in any wyfe for ye fhall fynde it nought and evyll.

Forthermore as ferre as Fader may and can I charge you in any wyfe to flee ye copiny and councel of proude men, of coveitowfe men and of flateryng men the more ef. pecially and myghtily to withtonde hem and not to drawe ne to medle wt him wt all your myght and power. And to drawe to you and

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to your company good and v'tuowse men and fuch as ben of good conu'facon and of trouthe and be them fhal ye nev' be defeyved ner pente you off, moreover nev' follow youre owne witte in no wyfe, but in alle youre werkes of fuche Folks as I write of above axeth youre advife and counfel and doyng thus wt ye m'cy of God ye fhall do right well and lyue in right moche worship and grete herts reft and eafe. And I wyil be to you as good Lord and Fader as my hert can thynke. And last of alle as hertily and as lovyngly as ever Fader bleffed his child in erthe I yeve you ye bleffyng of Oure Lord and of me, whiche of his infynite m'cy encrece you in alle vertu and good lyvyng. And ye youre blood may by his grace from kynrede to kynrede multeplye in this erthe to hys f'vife in fuche wyfe as after ye departyng fro this wreched world here ye and thei' may gloretye

and advices in all your works, the which dread not but fhall be best and trueft to you.

And if any other body would fteer you to the contrary, to flee the coun fel in any wife, for ye shall find it nought and evil.

Furthermore, as far as Father may and can, I charge you in any wife to flee the Company and Counfel of proud men, of covet. ous men, and of flattering men, the more especially and mightily to withstand them, and not to draw nor to meddle with them, with all your might and power: and to draw to you and to your company good and virtuous men, and fuch as be of good converfation, and of truth, and by them shall ye never be deceived nor repent you of.

Moreover, never follow your own wit in no wife, but in all your works, of fuch Folks as I write of above, ask your advice and counsel, and doing thus, with the mercy of God, ye fhall do right well, and live in right much worship, and great heart's reft and ease.

And I will be to you as good Lord and Father as my heart can

think.

Ard laft of all, as heartily and his child in earth, I give you the as lovingly as ever Father bleffed Bleffing of our Lord and of me, which of his infinite mercy increase you in all virtue and good living; and that your blood may by his grace from kindred to kindred mul. tiply in this earth to his fervice, in fuch wife as after the departing

N. B. Those words with dots over them are added, as in the copy they were chafed and illegible.

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To the ryght Worchipfull John Paf- To the right Worshipful John Paf

ton at Norwich.-From the fame Work. Giving a particular Account of the Death of the Duke of Suffolk.

RYGHT yow and am YGHT worchipfull Sr. I reright fory of that I fhalle fey and have foo wefshe this litel bille with forwfulle terys that on ethes ye fhalle reede it.

As on monday nexte after may day the come tydyngs to London that on thorfday before the Duke of Saff' come unto the Coftes of Kent full nere Dower with his ij

ton, at Norwich.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, 1 re

commend me to you, and am right forry of that I fhall fay, and have fo wafhed this little bill with forrowful tears, that uneths [Scarcey] ye shall read it.

As on Monday next after May day (4th May) there came tidings to London, that on Thursday before (30th of April), the Duke of Suffolk came unto the Coafts of

The concluding fentences are in rhime. This affectionate Letter, ftrongly inculcating his Son's Duty to God, his Sovereign, and his Parents, gives him good and fatherly counsel, as to his company, his converfation, and transactions in life; tells him, that in following the advice it contains, he will profper in the world; and then folemnly pronouncing a blefling on him, it concludes with a prayer for him and his pofterity.

May not this well-written epiftle alone entitle this duke to a place amongst the noble authors of England?

This advice written so immediately upon his departure, and so short a time before his murder, muft have made a deep impreflion on his fon's mind, and doubtlefs in that age the letter was much adinired, as even at this period of refined literature, it may be called a good and an affecting compofition.

This is the mark on the paper, upon which the copy of this letter is written, and being of the fame kind with that on the paper, which contains the account of the duke's murder, thows that this copy was tranfcribed about the fame time, and in fome measure authenticates the truth of it.

The Apograph is copied from an indenture, dated 13th May, 1436, 14 H. VI. and figned by the Duke when Earl of Suffolk.

Some of our hiftorians fay that he put to fea from the coast of Norfolk.

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