The second Tome of an exact Chronological Vindication and Historical Demonstration of our King's Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, &c. from the First of King John, 1199, to the Death of King Henry III, 1273. By W. PRYNNE, &c. Printed for the Author by Thomas Radcliffe, Fol. 1665, with the same cut as before. This vol. has 1070 pages, (allowing 224 which it begins at, wanting or misprinted) besides an Appendix.

[From Oldys's British Librarian.]

This second volume, which was first printed, is dedicated to Edward, Earl of Clarendon, Lord Chancellor of England, &c. who appears therein to have been a principal encourager of this work.

The author has prefixed to this tome a brief necessary Introduction of 80 pages, to supply the want of his larger introduction comprised in the first book of the first tome, not yet completed, and over large to be annexed to this, as he at first designed.

This tome, as those intended to succeed it, principally consists of memorable records in the Tower of London, not formerly published, intermixed with historical passages out of our most ancient historians of the Romish religion writ ing in or nearest these times. They are printed in their proper dialects, the better to be communicated to foreign countries, and prevent all cavils against their translations, All the said records are carefully compared by the author himself with the originals, which may serve to correct ra tify, and illustrate many obscure passages in our Historians, Chronologers, and King John's printed Charter, and supply many observable defects of Bulls, Patents, Writs, Records, Transactions, relating to the Ecclesiastical Supremacy of our Kings.

In his Preface to his Readers, he speaks of others who

had cursorily handled the subject, as Sir Edward Coke, Sir John Davis, Sir Christopher Sybthorp, and his learned friend Sir Roger Twisden, but never before chronologically and historically vindicated and demonstrated by any lawyers, antiquaries, or divines. Then he gives his reasons for præponing this second volume, in point of publication, before the first. The uses and benefits of it to our kings, and their officers of state, prelates, divines, judges, lawyers, nobility, and gentry in both kingdoms, and all professors of the Protestant faith, or Romish religion.

The brief necessary Introduction sets forth, what Sovereign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is; the claims of Popes and Bishops of Rome; their fictitious titles; their practices and doctrines; the pretended monarchy of St. Peter, and the imaginary succession of the popes, with their claims; and the grounds refuted from their own practices, and assertions of their own writers..

The contents of this second tome, beginning book 3, cap. 1, p. 227, are, many evidences of King John's Ecclesiastical Supremacy, with his strenuous defence of the rights of his crown against papal and prelatical usurpations till 15 years of his reign.

Of his unworthy prostitution of his rights, his crown, and himself, after so many glorious contests, to the usurpations of Pope Innocent, and his own traitorous clergy. Of his resigning his kingdoms by a charter to the pope, with the validity thereof; his oath of homage and fealty to the pope. His opposition of his encroaching bishops and rebellious clergy, who stirred up the barons' wars against him, after they had forced him to resign his crown, and protested against his unkingly actions, though the effect of their procurement.

The succession of King Henry III; his coronation oath, homage, and compliance with the pope, against hiş own will and his nobles. Their complaints against the

'pope's and clergy's exactions, both in England and Ireland, with the chief ecclesiastical transactions therein, during the first twenty years of his reign.

Many records, patents, and historical testimonies of the King's Supreme Jurisdiction in all ecclesiastical affairs in England and Ireland. The intolerable proceedings of popes and their agents to the prejudice of the king and his realms. Encroachments of the English and Irish prelates, upon the king's temporal courts, rights, dignity and liberties; with the principal ecclesiastical affairs of England and Ireland, from the 21st to the end of the 40th of the said King Henry III.

Evidences from law books and records, manifesting this king's ecclesiastical as well as temporal supremacy. The pope's encroachments on his prerogatives and his subjects' properties, with their oppositions; with the illegal usurpations of our popish prelates, and ecclesiastical synods, upon the king's temporal rights, courts, crown, dignity, and people's privileges; with the prohibitions, writs, and mandates, issued to restrain them; and other ecclesiastical transactions between the king, pope, and court of Rome, from the end of the 40th of Henry III, till the expiration of his reign, A. D. 1272.

Then follow several large Indexes; 1. Of authors quoted in this tome. 2. Of the English and other abbies, priories, &c. 3. Of English and Welsh archbishopricks, bishopricks, &c. elections, actions, treasons, and all things relating to them in this tome. 4. Of the Irish. 5. Of foreign archbishopricks, bishopricks, &c. herein mentioned. 6. Of the English, Irish, and other archdeaconries, deanries, archdeacons, deans. 7. Of the English and other earls. 8. Of chief officers of state in England and Ireland. 9. Barons, Knights, and other principal persons. 10. Popes of Rome. 11. Romish cardinals. 12. Legates, nuncios, agents in England and Ireland, or other dominions. 13. Cities,

Account of the Manuscript Library in the Middle Temple, 273

Castles, churches, parishes, &c. 14. Of the principal matters, with the names and actions of our own and other kings, emperors, &c. 15. Of sacred texts occasionally abused by the Pontificans, or used to refute their corruptions.

MANUSCRIPTS.

Account of the Manuscript Library in the Middle Temple.

There are in the custody of the Society of the Middle Temple, the following 37 volumes of manuscripts, all bound, and in a good state of preservation.

A book labelled "Placita coram Rege temp. Edw. I," containing a short state of Records of proceedings and judgments in that king's court, in the several years of his reign.

Rotuli Parliamentorum, Edward II, 1 volume; Edward III, 4 volumes; Richard II, 4 volumes; Henry IV, 3 volumes: Henry V, 2 volumes; Edward IV, 3 volumes; Heury VI, 7 volumes.

Journal of the Commons House of Parliament held at Westminster, May 8th, 1661, and the said Journal continued to December 30th, 1678, in 8 volumes.

Journal of the Lords House of Parliament, from May 1, 1660, to April 15, 1671, in two volumes.

Dockets of all the things that passed the Great Seal by Privy Seal, or by immediate Warrant, from Oct. 20, 1710, to April, 5, 1718, in one volume.

Dockets of all the things that passed the Seal, without Privy Seal Bill, from Oct. 20, 1710, to November 20, 1714, in one volume.

The building in which these manuscripts are lodged is

the library of the Society of the Middle Temple, built in the year 1625. There is a printed Catalogue of most of the books belonging to the Library, in which the 37 volumes above described are included.

An Account of the last Illness of RICHARD PORSON, A. M. Professor of Greek in the University of Cambridge, and principal Librarian of the London Institution.

[With two Plates engraved in Fac Simile, of the Professor's Writing.] [Several erroneous Accounts respecting the last Illness of Professor PORSON, having appeared in various Periodical Publications, the Editor of "The Librarian" is induced to insert the following correct Report of the last six days of the Professor's life; and he does this with confidence, because he speaks only of what came under his own immediate observation, having attended Mr. Porson, from the morning after he was seized with a fit in the street to the time of his death.]

“Sunt adhuc curæ hominibus fides et officium; sunt qui defunctorum quoque amicos agant." PLIN. Ep.

On Tuesday Morning, the 20th of September, 1808, I read a Paragraph in the Newspaper called the British Press, importing that about two o'clock the preceding afternoon,* a gentleman had been found senseless in the street, and conveyed to a place of safety, in Castle Street, St. Martin's Lane. I immediately went to the place mentioned, where I

• Mr. Porson walked from the House of the London Institution, of which he was the Principal Librarian, about one o'clock on Monday afternoon the 19th of September, and about half past one called at Mr. Perry's in the Strand; but that Gentleman not being at home, he proceeded further, and was seized with a fit which led to the melancholy catastrophe related in the sequel. He had complained for several days preceding of not being well, and said he had got the ague, but it appears that the hot and cold fits, which he considered as that complaint, were symptomatic of the disease, which afterwards terminated in his dissolu