hitherto unnoticed except by Leland, who in his Itinerary mentions Maister Waterton, of Walton, as an antient gentleman of fair lands, or the like. His house is built on a rock in a large lake, near a mile over, and of considerable depth, to which you have admittance over a draw-bridge, leading into an exceedingly antient postern. Having passed this gate, you enter a court, one square of which is a modern house, elegantly fitted up, where the family reside, another the offices, and a third is open to the lake, and beautifully laid out in walks, the whole surface of the rock having been levelled for the convenience of the house. The lake is surrounded with hills, laid out in pasture and woods, the whole forming a view most agreeably striking. Such objects we often see in Italian and Dutch pictures, but are rarely met with in this country. Mr. Waterton is a Catholic, of antient family and good estate. "I mention this visit to you, secondly, to inform you that the owner is one of the heirs-general of the Burghs, of Burghgreen in Cambridgeshire, a family you are well acquainted with; and the contemplation of whose effigies in the church of that place, I think I have heard you say, gave you the first gust for the ravishing delights of antiquity. The Burghs had large possessions in this county by marriage with an heiress of the Nevills, and some time resided at Walton-hall, in the parish church of which village, Sandal Magna, some of them were buried, and their arms still remain in the windows. The family expired in co-heiresses, one of which married Assenhull, and the heiress of Assenhull married Waterton, temp. Henry VI. who on the division of the Burgh property had the manor of Walton, where they have ever since continued. You may see much concerning these Burghs in Philpot's Cambridgeshire in Coll. Armor. and drawings of their tombs at Burgh-green in the last Visitation of that county, but they are poorly done. "I have collected for you since my arrival some beautiful crosses from tomb-stones with inscriptions and dates, and for people of note, of whom I can furnish some little history, which will render them more interesting than mere blanks, if hereafter you choose to send them forth into the world. "Yours sincerely, J. C. BROOKE." 76. Mr. GOUGH to Mr. Brooke. "DEAR SIR, Enfield, Dec. 10, 1780. "I was glad to hear of your arrival in the capital, which ought to have been announced by the discharge of all the cannon on the College ramparts. "I have made my selection from your book of Crosses to the amount of forty; and shall, with your leave, shew them to an engraver when I come next to town. If he and I can agree 2 D VOL. VI. I shall then ask your further permission to let him copy them, either by intrusting the book in his hands, or tracing them here or at your room. Yours truly, R. GOUGH." 77. Mr. BROOKE to Mr. GoUGH. "DEAR SIR, Heralds -college, Dec. 14, 1780. "You may make what use you please of my Crosses so you return them to me safe. If the engraving from my drawings will save you any expense, and can be done without materially injuring them, you may so copy them. I must inform you that none of my three last years' collection of Crosses are entered in the book you have got, and some of them, with dates, arms, and inscriptions, are more curious than any of those in the book. "On Tuesday last I dined at the Duke of Norfolk's; and your Topographical Anecdotes made a part of the conversation. Lord Surrey had seen it; and pronounces it one of the most laborious, curious, and useful works the English press has produced of late years. He recommended it to the Duke, who sent for it while I was there from Payne, and is now busy going through it. Lord Surrey has given ine an invitation to spend a few days with him these Christmas holidays at Arundel Castle, which I probably may accept; and in that case shall also see Cowdray, Lord Montagu having given me a like invitation. I expect much pleasure from visiting those two Peers in the houses which have so long been the seats of their noble families. "Mr. Bowle called this morning; and writes the title of a book on the other side, which he recommends to you as containing much local history *. He has brought up a beautiful antique ivory chest, richly carved with deeds of chivalry, which he proposes producing at the Society of Antiquaries this evening. He wrote to me in Yorkshire concerning some arms upon it; and I have given him all the information in my power. "Mr. Watson has put into my hands his History of the Warren Family, which is now finished; but is to go through another edition previous to its being ushered to the public. Would you wish to see it? From yours sincerely, J. C. BROOKE." 78. Mr. GOUGH to Mr. BROOKE. "DEAR SIR, Enfield, Dec. 19, 1780. "I shall make use of your Crosses; and undertake to return them to you safe and unsullied. I shall unglue them, and sort them into plates; and shall be glad to add any more to them as fast as you have leisure to draw them. I divide them into six classes-plain, ornamented, with a sword, with arms, with arms and sword, en dos d'ane. * Joannes Capgrave, Nova legenda Angliæ. Lond. 1516, fol. "I envy you the invitations to Arundel and Cowdray. I never saw the inside of the first, but the latter often. Can you contrive to take in Petworth, and to sketch an old knight in its church? My compliments to Mr. Bowle; ask him about the Hungerford bodies found when the tomb was removed at Salisbury. He does well to furnish matter to the Society, who are very hungry; and will meet in their new room next month with gaping mouths if some one does not feed them. It would be an ill omen to have Mr. Gale's, and other discoveries sixty years ago, chewed and re-chewed for want of fresher meat. I long to see the Warren book; pray send it to Nichols's care. Cannot one make a copy of the first edition one's own? "Yours truly, 79. Mr. BROOKE to Mr. GOUGH. R. GOUGH." "DEAR SIR, Heralds'-college, Dec. 21, 1780. "I herewith send you Watson's History of the Warrens; but you must not keep it long, as he wants it to be sent down to him in order to begin printing the last edition. I wish when you read it over you can make any notes in it, as it would thereby intitle you to expect a copy; even literary corrections will do better than nothing, and I will magnify your labour and pains in my next letter to him. Yours, J. C. BROOKE." 80. Mr. GOUGH to Mr. BROOKE. "DEAR SIR, Enfield, Dec. 27, 1780. "I have gone through Mr. Watson's splendid book with as much attention as the Christmas week and visitors allowed; and with a cautious hand have hazarded a few notes and corrections which I wish may be of use. I am concerned to see Monast. Collect. Antiq. and such half words in so well printed and so well written a work. Yours truly, R. GOUGH." 81. Mr. BROOKE to Mr. GOUGH. "DEAR SIR, Heralds'-college, June 16, 1781. Having a little leisure, I sit me down to inform you of Thursday evening's transactions. The reading of Essex on Round Churches in England was finished. There was produced a ring, which the family to whom it belongs have always understood was the identical one which Queen Elizabeth gave to the Earl of Essex, and he to the Countess of Nottingham*; it was brought in a crimson velvet bag, ornamented with gold lace and bugles. Many of the members, who doubt its authenticity, were for publicly declaring the same, lest it should be thought * Related in Sir Robert Carey's "Memoirs," published by Lord Corke. the Society gave a sanction to it, by tacitly receiving it as such. There was also produced a good drawing of a corpse in a stone coffin, found in Lincoln Cathedral in April last, when repairing the pavement, together with some part of the shroud, which appeared of diapered linen of a coffee colour. "Colonel Twisleton's claim to the Barony of Say and Sele was put off till Thursday next; a great hardship upon him, as every meeting in the House on the occasion costs him .100. I hope he will succeed. I have got his two cases for you. "I have in my possession a beautiful pedigree of Lord Teynham's family, compiled in James the First's time, which is to be continued to the present; in it are some curious paintings of effigies in windows and antient tombs. Remember that you ask to see it the next time you call upon me. "Sir Richard Worsley sent his "Isle of Wight" on Thursday to the Society, and me a copy yesterday. How do you like it? "From yours sincerely, J. C. BROOKE." 82. Mr. GoUGH to Mr. BROOKE. "DEAR SIR, Enfield, June 20, 1781. "It is nearly four years ago since I was introduced to the ring you mention at a mercer's in King-street, Covent-garden, whom I then solicited to let it be shewn to the Society; but he seemed very shy of making it public. If I have time on Friday, I will pay my respects to the Teynham pedigree without fear of Jack Roper; but I doubt the Council and the Dean together will take up my time. Yours, &c. R. GOUGH." 83. Mr. BROOKE to Mr. GOUGH, "DEAR SIR, Heralds'-college, July 18, 1781. "I have had a long letter from reverend mother Mary-Austin at Bruges, full of news, together with a postscript from my cousin, sister Louisa the choir nun. They give me a particular account of the Emperor's reception at Bruges, and the affectionate meeting between him and the Duke of Gloucester; the latter was twice at their Convent, and had a permission from the Bishop to go within the inclosure, who accompanied him. The Duke was with them near two hours, and examined every part of the Convent minutely; they say he was quite charmed with the order and regularity within their house, and hinted to the Bishop that it was to be lamented such excellent institutions for piety and chastity were not established in this kingdom. "I am this month engaged in the office; the beginning of the next am going to Nottingham to attend the assizes, with some of our books to prove pedigrees in a great cause, to prove the heirs-at-law to a gentleman, who died not long ago, and so devised an estate of near £3000 per annum, when such heirs could be found; but this jaunt will not take up much time. In August I may probably be in Herefordshire with Lord Surrey. "I have received a very polite invitation to Christchurch along with Topham, and propose accepting it the beginning of September; and upon my return from thence shall immediately go into Yorkshire. "Garter King of Arms and Norroy King of Arms *, in consequence of invitations which they say you have often given them, propose, in the course of the summer, spending a day with you; and I shall attend them as their Marshal and Deputy. We shall come in a chaise, and partake of your family dinner; so when it will be agreeable to you to receive so much royalty let me know. Norroy is at present in Wiltshire. "When you next write to Mr. Cole, of Milton, I wish you would ask him if he can give me any account of the family of Walsingham, of Chesterford in Cambridgeshire. "By letter from young Mr. Turnor, of Lincolnshire (the editor of the Lincolnshire Sheriffs, &c.)† he desires to know if your Camden for Lincolnshire is printed, as he will add to it. He tells me he hears Sir William Musgrave intends printing a Catalogue of English Portraits; do you know anything of such a work? Mr. Turnor is just returned from his travels. "I shall see old Pegge at Nottingham; he is a witness for one of the claimants, who is his relation. 84. "DEAR SIR, "Yours sincerely, J. C. BROOKE." Heralds'-college, July 23, 1781. "By letter from Lord de Ferrars, he informs us that Chartley Castle was an extremely old wooden building, much decayed and rotten, and hardly habitable. There was a good deal of paintedglass in the windows of the alliances and badges of the Lord Ferrars of Chartley, which Earl Ferrars, the proprietor, had promised to him (Lord de Ferrars), but which is all destroyed, as are all the antient Ferrars' and Devereux writings down to the marriage of Lady Dorothy Devereux with Sir Henry Shirley, which were kept there. His lordship laments the loss of these exceedingly, as they would have been of much use in a History of the Ferrars Family, which he is now compiling. He says Earl Ferrars has little to lament at its destruction, as his seat at Staunton in Leicestershire is already much too large for his estate. "I lately did the business respecting Lord Teynham's proving his pedigree previously to his taking his seat in the House of Peers, * Ralph Bigland, Esq. and Peter Dore, Esq. Edmund Turnor, of Stoke Rochford, Esq. F. R. S. and F. S. A. author of the History of Grantham. |