s of Records, parchment, consisting of Charters from
Sovereigns and Princes, Grants of Land, and other documents connected
with the Order of St. John from its establishment by Pope Pascal II.,
whose original bull is perfect.

Two volumes of Papers connected with the Island of Malta before it came
into the possession of the Knights, from year 1397 to beginning of
sixteenth century.

A book of Privileges of the Maltese, compiled about 200 years ago.

Several volumes of original letters from men of note: among whom we may
mention, Viceroys of Sicily, Sovereigns of England. One from the
Pretender, dated 1725, from Rome; three from Charles II., and one from
his admiral, John Narbrough. Numerous Processes of Nobility, containing
much of value to many noble families; of these last, Mr. Vella has
taken the trouble of separating, all those referring to any English
families.

Also a volume of fifteenth century, containing the accounts of the
commanderies. This is a continuation of an older and still more
interesting volume, which is now in the Public Library.

For further particulars, see _Archaelogical Journal_, December, 1850, p.
369.

* * * * *

ON AN ANCIENT MS. OF "BEDAE HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA."

Some gentleman connected with the cathedral library of Lincoln may possibly
be able to give me some information respecting a MS. copy of the _Historia
Ecclesiastica_ of Beda in my possession, and of which the following
circumstances are therein apparent:--It is plainly a MS. of great
antiquity, on paper, and in folio. On a fly-leaf it has an inscription,
apparently of contemporaneous date, and which is repeated in a more modern
hand on the next page with additions, as follows:

"Hunc librum legavit Will[=m]s Dadyngton qu^odam Vicarius de Barton sup
humbre ecclie Lincoln ut e[=e]t sub custodia Vicecancellarii."

Then follows:--

"Script[=u] p manus Nic[=o]i Belytt Vicecancellarii iiii^{to} die
m[=e]sis Octob^r Anno Dni milles[=i]mo q[=u]icentessimo decimoqu[=i]to
et Lr[=a] dnicalius G et Anno pp henrici octavi sexto."

In the hand of John, father of the more celebrated Ralph Thoresby, is
added:

"Nunc e Libris Jo[/h]is Thoresby de Leedes emp. Executor^{bus} Tho. Dni
Fairfax, 1673."

Through what hands it may have passed since, I have no means of knowing;
but it came into mine from Mr. J. Wils