other Christan prince in all things which can
serve to the advantage and support of the said Order.

From our Palace at Richmond,
Fourth day (month omitted), 1526,
Your good friend,
HENRY REX.

That the subject of the above letters may be better understood, it may be
necessary to state that L'Isle Adam was driven out of Rhodes by the Sultan
Solyman, after a most desperate and sanguinary struggle, which continued
almost without intermission from the 26th of June to the 18th of December,
1523. From this date to the month of October, 1530, nearly seven years, the
Order of St. John of Jerusalem had no fixed residence, and the Grand Master
was a wanderer in Italy, either in Rome, Viterbo, Naples, or Syracuse,
while begging of the Christian Powers to assist him in recovering Rhodes,
or Charles V. to give him Malta as a residence for his convent. It was
during this period that the above letters, and some others which I purpose
sending hereafter, were written.

WILLIAM WINTHROP.

* * * * *

PENNY SIGHTS AND EXHIBITIONS IN THE REIGN OF JAMES I.

The following curious list may amuse some of your readers. I met with it
among the host of panegyrical verses prefixed to Master Tom Coryate's
_Crudities_, published in 1611. Even in those days it will be admitted that
the English were rather fond of such things, and glorious Will himself
bears testimony to the fact. (See _Tempest_, Act II. Sc. 2.) The hexameter
verses are anonymous; perhaps one of your well-read antiquaries may be able
to assign to them the author, and be disposed to annotate them. I would
particularly ask when was Drake's ship broken up, and is there any date on
the chair[1] made from the wood, which is now to be seen at the Bodleian
Library, Oxford?

"Why doe the rude vulgar so hastily post in a madnesse
To gaze at trifles, and toyes not worthy the viewing?
{559}
And thinke them happy, when may be shew'd for a penny
The Fleet-streete Mandrakes, that heavenly motion of Eltham,
Westminster Monuments, and Guildhall huge Corinaeus,
That horne of Windsor (of an Unicorne very likely),
The cave of Merlin, the skirts of Old Tom a Lincolne,
King John's sword at Linne, with the cup the Fraternity drinke in,
The tombe of Beauchampe, and sword of Sir Guy a Warwicke,
The great long Dutchman, and roaring Marget a Barwicke,
The mummied Princes, and Caesar's wine yet i' Dover,