sayd, Numidus ad viam muniendam per vices admovet vixque tertio demum die elephantos trajecit, which cannot well be understood by raysing any banks and walls, butt by removing the snowe, planing the wayes, and making it passable for them.

Which exposition is received by Godelevæus upon Livie, and also the learned Turnebus, Adversariorum, lib. xiii. “Interpretor autem munire, per rupem viam aperire eamque in ea munire et tanquam struere, eam cædere et opere laboreque militari complanare, et æquare iter aut deorsum deprimere et declive reddere quodam anfractu molli. Itaque qui aggerem jaciunt, fossas aperiunt, vias muniunt, militiæ munitores vocantur." And therefore when Dr. Holland translated this passage in Cambden out of Tacitus, by cleering of woods and paving the fennes, hee may be made out by this acception of munire, extending unto fennes and woods, and comprehending all pyoners work about them. As likewise Sir Henry Savile, when hee rendreth it by paving of bogges and woods; and as viam munire is also taken in Livie, that is, lapidibus sternere.

And your owne acception may also bee admitted, of walling and banking the fennes, which the word will also well beare in relation to paludibus, beside the other signification of causies, wayes, and passages, common unto woods and fennes; nor only the clearing of woods and making of passages, butt all kind of pyoning and slavish labour might bee understood in this speech of Galgacus which with stripes and indignities was imposed upon the Britans in workes about woods, bogges, and fennes; and soe comprehend the laborious aggers, banks, and workes of securement against floods and inundations, wherein they were imployed by the Romans, a careful and provident people, omitting noe waye to secure or improve their dominions and lands, lost by carelesse ignorance in the disadvantages of sea and waters, and which they were first to effect, before they could well establish their causies over the marshes.

And so the translation in two words may be tolerably made by one. By clearing the woods and fennes, that is, the woods by making them passible, by rendring them open and lesse fit for retreat or concealment of the Britans; and by clearing

the fennes either for passage or improvement, and soe comprehending cawsing, paving, drayning, trenching, fencing, and embanking agaynst thieves or sea-floods.

Yours of the 10th instant came safe to my hands, with that learned discourse inclosed, concerning the word emunire, wherein I perceive your sense is the same with my good friends Mr. Bishe and Mr. Junius, (with both whome I have also consulted about it.) I have herewithall sent you one of the bones of that fish, which was taken up by Sir Robert Cotton, in digging a pond at the skirt of Conington Downe, desiring your opinion thereof and of what magnitude you think it was.

Mr. Ashmole presents his best service and thanks to you, for your kinde intention to send him a list of those books you have, which may be for his use.

That which you were told of my writing any thing of Norfolke was a meere story; for I never had any such thing in my thoughts, nor can I expect a life to accomplish it, if I should; or any encouragement considerable to the chardge and paynes of such an undertaking. This I mean as to the county, and not my Fenne History, which will extend thereinto. And as for Mr. Bishe, who is a greate admirer and honourer of you, and desires me to present his hearty service and thanks to you for that mention you have made of him in your learned discourse of Urnes." He says he hath no such

5 It is not in the Hydriotaphia, but the Garden of Cyrus, that Browne mentions Upton de Studio Militari, et Johannes de Bado Aureo, cum Comm. Cl. et Doct. Bissæi."-Hamper.

VOL I.

2 C

purpose at all, nor ever had; but that his brother-in-law Mr. Godard (the recorder of Lynne) intends something of that towne, but whether or when to make it publique he knows not.

And now, sir, that you have been pleas'd to give me leave to be thus bold with you in interrupting your better studies, I shall crave leave to make a request or two more to you. First, that you will let me know where in Leland you finde that expression concerning such buriall of the Saxons, as you mention in your former discourse concerning those raysed heaps of earth, which you lately sent me; for all that I have seene extant of his in manuscript, is those volumes of his Collectanea and Itineraryes, now in the Bodleyan Library at Oxford, of which I have exact copies in the country.

The next is, to entreat you to speake with one Mr. Haward' (heir and executor to Mr. Haward lately deceased, who was an executor to Mr. Selden) who now lives in Norwich, as I am told, and was a sheriffe of that city the last yeare: and to desire a letter from him to Sir John Trevor, speedily to joyne with Justice Hales and the rest of Mr. Selden's executors, in opening the library in White Friars', for the sight of a manuscript of Landaffe, which may be usefull to me in those additions I intend to the second volume of the Monasticon, now in the presse; for Sir John Trevor tells me, that he cannot without expresse order from him, do it: the rest of the executors of Mr. Selden being very desirous to pleasure me therein. If you can get such a letter from him for Sir John Trevor, I pray you enclose it to me, and I will deliver it, for their are 3 keys besides.

And lastly, if at your leisure, through your vast reading, you can point me out what authors do speake of those improvements which have been made by banking and drayning in Italy, France, or any part of the Netherlands, you will do me a very high favour.

From Strabo and Herodotus I have what they say of Ægypt, and so likewise what is sayd by Natalis Comes of

6 Which discourse is No. 9, of the Miscellany Tracts published by Dr. Tenison, Ann. 1684, but mistakenly superscribed to E. D. instead of W. D. for William Dugdale, page 151.-Note in the Posthumous Works.

7 William Heyward, or Howard.—Blomfield.

Acarnania: but take your owne time for it, if at all

attend it, whereby you will more oblige

Your most humble servant and honourer,

you can

WILLIAM DUGDALE.

For my much honoured friend, Dr. Browne, &c.

Dr. Browne to Mr. Dugdale.R

[FROM THE ORIGINAL IN THE EDITOR'S POSSESSION.]

WORTHY SIR,

Norwich, Dec. 6, 1658.

I make noe doubt you have receaued Mr. Howard's letter unto Sir John Trevor. Hee will be readie to doe you any seruice in that kind. I am glad your second booke of the Monasticon is at last in the presse. Here is in this citty a conuent of Black Friers, which is more entire than any in these parts of England. Mr. King tooke the draught of it when he was in Norwich, and Sir Thomas Pettus, Baronet, desired to have his name sett vnto it. I conceive it were not fitt in so generall a tract to omit it, though little can be sayd of it, only coniectur'd that it was founded by Sir John of Orpingham, or Erpingham, whose coat is all about the church and six-corner'd steeple. I receaued the bone of the fish, and shall give you some account of it when I have compared it with another bone which is not by mee. As for Lelandus, his works are soe rare, that few private hands are masters of them, though hee left not a fewe; and therefore, that quotation of myne was at second hand. You may find it in Mr. Inego Jones' description of Stonehenge, pag. 27; having litle doubt of the truth of his quotation, because in that place hee hath the Latine and English, with a particular commendation of the author and the tract quoted in the margin, and in the same author, quoted p. 16, the page is also mentioned; butt the title is short and obscure, and therefore I omitted it.

8 Not in Hamper's Correspondence of Dugdale. This letter bears the indorse in Dugdale's hand-writing-" Dec. 6, 1658, Dr. Browne's letter (not yet answered.)" 9 Qre to ask the Docter whether ever he saw this draught.-MS. marginal Note by Dugdale in the Original.

Leylande Assert. Art. which being compared with the subiect of page 25, may perhaps bee De Assertione Arthuri, which is not mentioned in the catalogue of his many workes,' except it bee some head or chapter in his Antiq. Britannicis or de Viris illustribus. I am much satisfied in the truth thereof, because Camden hath expressions of the like sense in diuers places; and, as I think in Northamptonshire, and probably from Lelandus: for Lambert in his perambulation of Kent, speakes but some times of Lelandus, and then quoteth not his words, though it is probable hee was much beholden unto him having left a worke of his subject Itinerarium Cantii.

Sir, having some leasure last weeke, which is uncertaine with mee, I intended this day to send you some answer to your last querie of banking and draining by some instances and examples in the four parts of the earth, and some short account of the cawsie, butt diuersions into the country will make me defer it untill Friday next, soe that you may receive it on Mondaye. Sir, I rest

Your very well-wishing friend and servant,

THOMAS BROWNE.

To my worthy friend Mr. Dugdale, at his chamber, in the Herald's Office, London, these.

Mr. Dugdale to Dr. Browne.

[POSTHUMOUS WORKS, AND MS. SLOAN. 3418.]

London, 24 Feb. 1658.

HONOURED SIR,

Being now (through God's goodnesse) so well recovered from my late sicknesse, as that I do looke upon my bookes and papers againe, though I have not as yet adventured abroad, in respect of the cold, I do againe salute you, giving you great thanks for your continued mindfulnesse of me, as appears by that excellent note which I yesterday re

1 Assertio Inclytiss. Arturi, &c. 4to. 1540, 1544. Translated by R. Robinson, 4to. 1582. Published by Hearne, 8vo. Oxford, 1715.