mation to be preserved by families for this purpose), once
in twenty-four hours in summer, and in forty-eight hours in winter. This
royal proclamation was very obnoxious and inconvenient to the good people
of England, increased as it was by the power granted to the saltpetre
makers to dig up the floors of all dove-houses, stables, cellars, &c., for
the purpose of carrying away the earth, the proprietors being at the same
time prohibited from laying such floors with anything but "mellow earth,"
that greater facility might be given them. This power, in the hands of men
likely to be appointed to fulfil such duties, was no doubt subject to much
abuse for the purposes of extortion, making, as Lord Coke states, "simple
people believe that Lee (the salt-peter-man) will, without their leave,
breake up the floore of their dwelling-house, unless they will compound
with him to the contrary." The new and uncertain process for obtaining the
constituents of nitre having failed to answer the purpose for which the
patent was granted, an act was passed in 1656, forbidding the saltpetre
makers to dig in houses or lands without leave of the owner: and this is
the point to which the learned commentator of the law, in his _Discouerie
of the Abuses and Corruption of Officers_, alludes, when "any such fellowe
if you can meete with all, let his misdemenor be presented, that he may be
taught better to understand his office." In England, up to about the period
when these curious acts of parliament were passed, the right of all soil
impregnated with animal matter was claimed by the crown for this peculiar
purpose; and in France the rubbish of old houses, earth from stables,
slaughter-houses, and all refuse places, was considered to belong to the
Government, till 1778, when a similar edict, to relieve the people from the
annoyances of the saltpetre makers, was made.

J. DECK.

Cambridge.

* * * * *

METRICAL PSALMS AND HYMNS.

(Vol. iii., pp. 119. 198.)

In reply to your correspondent ARUN, who inquired about the origin and
authority of metrical psalms and hymns in churches, in addition to an
extract from one of Bishop Cosin's letters on the subject, I referred also
to the treatise commonly known as Watson's _Deduction_, but of which
treatise Heylin was in fact the author. I have recently met with a passage
in Heylin's _History of the Reformation_ (ann. 1552, Lond., 1674, p. 127.)
which seems to contain the r