le
Gidding_, says the memoir he published was edited or compiled by him
from "the original MS. still in my possession" (p. xi.); and in the
Appendix adds, that "Mr. John Ferrar," the elder brother of Nicholas,
was the author of it (p. 279.).

How he compiled or edited "the original MS." he states with much candour
in his Preface (p. xv.):

"The editor's intention," in altering the narrative, "was to
give what is not observed in the original, a regular series of
facts; and through the whole a sort of evenness and simplicity
of stile equally free from meanness and affectation. In short,
to make the old and the new, as far as he could, uniform; that
he might not appear to have sewed a piece of new cloth to an old
garment, and made its condition worse by his endeavours to mend
it."

Again, at page 308., he says,

"There is an antient MS. in folio, giving an account of Mr. N.
Ferrar, which at length, from Gidding, came into the hands of
Mr. Ed. Ferrar of Huntingdon, and is now in the possession of
the editor. Mr. Peck had the use of this MS. as appears by
several marginal notes in his handwriting; from this and some
loose and unconnected papers of Mr. Peck.... the editor, as well
as he was able, has made out the foregoing memoirs."

Can any of your numerous correspondents inform me if this "antient MS."
is still in existence, and in whose possession?

Peckard was related to the Ferrars, and was Master of Magdalen Coll.,
Cambridge.

In "A Catalogue of MSS. (once) at Gidding," Peckard, p. 306., the third
article is "Lives, Characters, Histories, and Tales for moral and
religious Instruction, in five volumes folio, neatly bound and gilt, by
Mary Collet." This work, with five others, "undoubtedly were all written
by N. Ferrar, Sen.," says Dr. Peckard; and in the Memoir, at page 191.,
he gives a list of these "short histories," ninety-eight in number,
"which are still remaining in my possession;" and adds further, at p.
194.,

"These lives, characters, and moral essays would, I think, fill
two or three volumes in 8vo., but _they are written in so
minute_ a character, that I cannot form any conjecture to be
depended upon."

I have been thus particular in describing these "histories", because the
subjects of them are identical with those in Fuller's _Holy and Profane
State_, the first edition of which was published at Cambridge, in 1642.
"The