o back to Massachusetts. Nobody knows how it got over here.
Some people think it was carried off by Governor Hutchinson,
the Tory Governor; other people think it was carried off by
British soldiers when Boston was evacuated; but in either
case the property would not have changed. Or, if you treat
it as booty, in which last case, I suppose, by the law of
nations ordinary property does change, no civilized nation
in modern times applies that principle to the property of
libraries and institutions of learning."

The Bishop said: "I did not know you cared anything about
it."

"Why," said I, "if there were in existence in England a history
of King Alfred's reign for thirty years, written by his own
hand, it would not be more precious in the eyes of Englishmen
than this manuscript is to us."

"Well," said he, "I think myself that it ought to go back,
and if it depended on me it would have gone back before this.
But many of the Americans who have been here have been commercial
people, and did not seem to care much about it except as a
curiosity. I suppose I ought not to give it up on my own
authority. It belongs to me in my official capacity, and
not as private or personal property. I think I ought to consult
the Archbishop of Canterbury. And, indeed," he added, "I
think I ought to speak to the Queen about it. We should not
do such a thing behind Her Majesty's back."

I said: "Very well, when I go home I will have a proper
application made from some of our literary societies, and
ask you to give it consideration."

I saw Mr. Bayard again and told him the story. He was at
the train when I left London for the steamer at Southampton.
He entered with great interest into the matter, and told me
again he would do anything in his power to forward it.

When I got home I communicated with Secretary Olney about
it, who took a kindly interest in the matter, and wrote to
Mr. Bayard that the Administration desired he should do everything
in his power to promote the application. The matter was then
brought to the attention of the Council of the American Antiquarian
Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Pilgrim
Society of Plymouth and the New England Society of New York.
These bodies appointed committees to unite in the application.
Governor Wolcott was also consulted, who gave his hearty approbation
to the movement, and a letter was despatched through Mr. Bayard.

Meantime, Bishop Temple, with whom I had