on, 19. Great May's Buildings, St.
Martin's Lane, London, in whose Catalogue for December, 1831, it appeared,
and was purchased by me for 3l. 3s.

There it is conjectured to be of the twelfth century, and from the
character there is no reason to doubt that antiquity. It is on paper, and
has been ill-used. It proceeds no farther than into lib. v. c. xii.,
otherwise, from the beginning complete. The different public libraries of
the country abound in MSS. of this book. It is probable {181} that, under
the civil commotions in the reign of Charles I. the MS. in my possession
came into the hands of General Fairfax, and thence into those of John
Thoresby: so that no blame can possibly attach to the present, or even some
past, generations, of the curators of any library, whether cathedral or
private. It is, at all events, desirable to trace the pedigree of existing
MSS. of important works, where such information is attainable.

Perhaps some of your correspondents may be able to inform me what became of
the library of Ralph Thoresby; for into his possession, there can be little
doubt, it came from his father.

J. M.

* * * * *

Minor Notes.

_The Potter's and Shepherd's Keepsakes._--In the cabinet of a lover of
_Folk-lore_ are two quaint and humble memorials by which two "inglorious
Miltons" have perpetuated their affection, each in characteristic sort. The
one was a potter; the other, probably, a shepherd. The "pignus amoris" of
the former is a small earthenware vessel in the shape of a book, intended
apparently to hold a "nosegay" of flowers. The book has yellow clasps, and
is authentically inscribed on its sides, thus:

"The. Love. Is. True.
That. I. owe. You.
Then. se. you. Bee.
The. Like. To. Mee.

(_On the other side._)

"The. Gift. Is. Small.
Good. will. Is. all.
Jeneuery. y^e 12 day.
1688."

The shepherd's love gift is a wooden implement, very neatly carved, and
intended to hold knitting-needles. On the front it has this couplet:

"WHEN THIS YOV SEE.
REMEMBER MEE. MW.

(_On one side._)

MW. 1673."

To an uninformed mind these sincere records of honest men seem as much
"signs of the times" as the perfumed sonnets dropped by expiring swains
into the vases of "my lady Betty," and "my lady Bab," with a view to
publication.

H. G. T.

_Writing-paper._--I have long been subject to what, in my case, I feel to
be a serious annoyance