I. The highest bidder to be the buyer; and if any dispute arise between two or more bidders; the lot so disputed shall be immediately put up again.

II. No person to advance less than 1s.; above Five Pounds 2s. 6d. ; and so on in proportion.

III. The Purchasers to give in their names and places of abode, and to pay down 5s. in the Pound, if required, in part of payment of the Purchase-money; in default of which, the Lot or Lots purchased to be immediately put up again and re-sold. IV. The Sale of any lot is not to be set aside on account of any error in the enumeration of the numbers stated, or errors of description.

V. The Lots to be taken away at the Buyer's Expence, immediately after the Conclusion of the Sale; in default of which, S. Leigh Sotheby & Co. will not hold themselves responsible if lost, stolen, damaged or otherwise destroyed, but they will be left at the sole risk of the Purchaser. If at the expiration of Two DAYS after the conclusion of the Sale, the Lots are not cleared or paid for, they will then be catalogued for immediate sale, and the expence, the same as if re-sold, will be added to the amount at which they were bought. S. Leigh Sotheby & Co. will have the option of re-selling the Lots uncleared either by public or private sale, without any notice being given to the defaulter.

VI. Upon failure of complying with the above conditions, the money required or deposited in part of payment shall be forfeited; and if any loss is sustained in the re-selling of such lots as are not cleared or paid for, all charges on such re-sale shall be made good by the defaulter at this sale.

Gentlemen who cannot attend the Sale, may have their Commissions faithfully executed by their humble Servants,

S. LEIGH SOTHEBY & JOHN WILKINSON,
Wellington Street, Strand.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13th. Lot 252 to 389. Page 61 to page

FOURTH DAY'S SALE.

98.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14th. Lot 390 to 512. Page 99 to page 124.

Ꭼ Ꭱ Ꭱ Ꭺ Ꭲ Ꭺ .

For Lot 212, page 46, read Lot 211.

Lot 358, for LAURENTI, read LAURENTII.

Lot 362, for DEVEREAUX, read DEVEREUX.

Lot 578 omitted by mistake.

For Lot 843, read Lot 842.

For Lot 843*, read Lot 843.

For Lot 888, page 214, read Lot 880.

PREFACE.

THE formation of the present very interesting and important Collection of Historical Documents was commenced at Stowe in the year 1804.

Mr. Thomas Astle, the well known author of the "Origin and History of Writing," a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London, who died in December 1803, directed by his will that his valuable Library of Manuscripts should be offered on certain terms therein specified, to the Marquess of Buckingham, and he further directed that in the event of such offer being declined, the same opportunity of purchasing it should be given to the Trustees of the British Museum.

The Marquess of Buckingham however accepted the offer, and became the possessor of Mr. Astle's splendid collection.

His Lordship immediately gave instructions to Mr. (afterwards Sir John) Soane, to prepare a suitable apartment for its reception at Stowe, and the result of his labours was the very beautiful Gothic room in which the collection has been up to a recent period, very carefully preserved.

Among the most remarkable treasures in Mr. Astle's Library may be mentioned the matchless volume of Original Anglo-Saxon Charters, (Lot 760) a collection hitherto unrivalled in number, beauty, and preservation.

The Psalter of King Alfred the Great. (Lot 842).

The Original Wardrobe Book of King Edward the Second, a document of great historical interest, and hitherto unpublished. (Lot 130).

a

The Register of Hyde Abbey, near Winchester, written in the reign of King Canute, (Lot 960) and many other Register Books, ancient Deeds, and Chartularies, relating to the History and Possessions of some of the most celebrated Abbies and Monasteries in England.

The Original Inventories of Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe, Plate, and Jewels. (Lots 127, 128 and 129).

The Hanoverian State Papers, (Lot 388) comprising the interesting correspondence of the Electress Sophia, and her son the Elector of Hanover, afterwards King George the First, with the English Ministers and others, during the reigns of King William the Third, and Queen Anne: and several other collections of Original letters, from the reign of Henry the Seventh to that of George the Third.

A volume (Lot 347) containing some Original Accompts in the handwriting of Wolsey, in the early part of his career, with many curious documents relating to the King's private disbursements, and the expenses of the Navy and Ordnance, in the reign of Henry the Eighth.

The Historical and Antiquarian Collections (Lot 56) of Mr. Anstis, Garter King at Arms: his extensive Correspondence, (Lot 232): and his Aspilogia, or Treatise on Ancient Seals, (Lot 289) with very numerous Drawings.

The Correspondence of Lord Chancellor Macclesfield. (Lot 233).

The Correspondence of Charles Lyttelton, Bishop of Carlisle. (Lot 711).

Mr. Secretary Coventry's State Papers in the reign of Charles the Second. (Lot. 710).

Mr. Secretary Stanhope's Dispatches, and Correspondence (Lot 385) with the Ministers of King William the Third, during his residence at the Hague.

The Correspondence of Mr. Richard Phelps, (Lot 386) Under-Secretary of State in the early part of George the Third's reign, and many other very curious books and papers