The letter, of which the above is a transcript, may be interesting to
some of your readers; I therefore send it you for publication; the name
of the person to whom it was addressed, and the date, have been torn
off.
(p).
[Thomas Browne, the writer of the foregoing letter, was a fellow
of St. John's College, Cambridge; but subsequently, with his
friend Mr. Baker, became a Nonjuror. The letter appears to have
been written to the Rev. Hilkiah Bedford, a Nonjuring clergyman,
who was at this time preparing his masterly reply to Anthony
Collins' work, _Priestcraft in Perfection_, which was published in
1709. Mr. Bedford's work was published anonymously, and is
entitled, _A Vindication of the Church of England from the
Aspersions of a late Libel entituled "Priestcraft in Perfection,"
&c._ By a Priest of the Church of England: London, 1710. The
preface has been attributed to Dr. Joseph Trapp. Mr. Bedford has
availed himself of the information conveyed to him in the letter
given above, especially in pages 32. 35. 42. 78. 84. At page 101.
he says, "I shall set down what farther account concerning this
ancient MS. I have received in several letters from two persons of
great learning and integrity at Cambridge, who have consulted
these MSS. of Corpus Christi formerly, and been so obliging to
examine them again now for my satisfaction, with all the care and
exactness due to a matter of such moment." The _minium_ mentioned
by the writer of the letter is the red lead pencil commonly used
by Archbishop Parker, for noting particular passages in the
documents he perused.]