Catharine the Second, Empress of Russia, gave the following order to his Bookseller: "Fit me up", said he, a handsome library, little books above and great ones below." Similar to the above was the answer of the present possessor of a large Library to the demand of the person who was employed to arrange it, as to the manner in which he would have it classed; "Range me," replied he "the grenadiers (folios) at bottom, battalion (octavos) in the middle, and light-bobs, (duodecimos) at top."

FONTENELLE.

The author of the 'Pluralité des Mondes,' lived to be nearly one hundred years old, and even at that age had an extraordinary turn of wit on suitable occasions. A Lady of nearly equal age, said to him one day in a large company"Monsieur, you and I stay here so long I have a notion death has forgotten us!" "Speak as softly as you can, Madam," replied the Veteran, "lest you should remind him of us."

Mr. COLE'S UNPUBLISHED NOTES On the Rev. James Bentham's History and Antiquities of the Cathedral Church of Ely 4to. Cambridge 1771-Second Edition Nor

wich 1812.

Manuscript copies of these notes, the originals of which, are said to be in a copy of Bentham's Ely, formerly belonging to Cole, are in the possession of different persons, and so well known by a number of the collectors of Topographical History, that on referring to the new edition of Bentham's book, it was with infinite surprize I could find no notice taken of them, and yet so much solicitude shewn to defend his right to the authorship of the Essay on Gothic Architecture, which it appears had been falsely attributed to Gray. It is possible the Editor may be ignorant of the existence of these Notes, if so, it is proper he should be no longer withheld from a knowledge of them; and, in my humble opinion, the refutation of the assertion that James Bentham was not the author of the

L

book attributed to him, could not come with a better grace from any other than the Editor who is the author's only son, and whose du ty it should be, to endeavour to remove any unfavourable impressions these notes may have made on the minds of such persons as have seen, or are in posession of copies of them; and it has not been from any wish to disseminate scandal or untruth that they are now published, but from a knowledge of the unworthy use that has frequently been made of documents of a similar description, after the demise of those persons in whose power it was to have refuted them; and a wish that the author of a book which has received praise from so many quarters, should not with impunity be robbed of the reputation his labours have so well merited.

The references are made to the first edition, but they will answer equally well to the second, which on Examination, will be found to be an exact paginal reprint.

REFERENCES.

Vignette Plate to

This plate engraved for the new edition of Bishop Godwin de Præsulibus Angliæ Introduction was lent to Mr. Bentham by his Cousin Dr. Richardson, Master of Emanuel College.

line, relative to an Ancient Stone

After it was conveyed in a cart from Ha- Page 51. bottom denham it laid in Mr. Bentham's yard for several years, and at last was placed in the Cathedral.

I advised him to use a less vulgar expres- Page 103 line 7

sion.

Thurstanus Abbas obit A. D. 1076 Ao. 11 suscepti sui Ordinis Gradus-M. S. Hist. Elien. in Bibl. Cotton. Claudius A. VIII.

Fraternity. In a letter I advised him to call it 'Your Brotherhood,' Fraternity in the English Language means a Community, and is never used in the Sense it is here put to; but to no purpose: to shew that he was right he added the Latin word, which was proving nothing. Indeed Paternity from Paternitas is

from the bottom Skulked out

Page 136 line 7 Fabrick of the Church"

Page 141 Jeprey Ridel

English, but Fraternity has acquired another signification.

In 1111 St. Peter's Tower at the Entrance of the Cathedral Church was fired by lightning. Vide M. S. Coll.

In an ingenious work by M. de St. Palaie in 3 vol. 120. Paris 1774 vol. 1, page 85 &c. intitled Histoire Litteraire des Troubadours," is the Life of one Geoffrey Rudell or Rydell, who is called Prince de Blaye near Bourdeaux. It appears that there were many of the name of Geoffrey Rudell about the 12th and 13th Centuries who were the Lords of Blaye, of the House of Angoulême; and the French Antiquarians are by no means agreed who this famous Troubadour is; no more than the time of his Death, which John Nostradamus fixes to 1162, who adds, that Geoffrey Plantagenet, 4th Son of Henry 2nd, and Brother of Richard 1st, King of England, coming into Provence, found Jeffrey, Rudell there, with the Lord D'Agoult, and that being