[Footnote 1: Query, what is the date of the _first_ edition of Welwood's work? The earliest in the Museum library is the _third_ edition, printed in 1700.]
It is remarkable that the "pocket-book" mentioned by Welwood is not here specified, but it is possible that the entries quoted by him may have been written on the pages of one of the other books. Two of the above only are noticed by Mr. Macaulay, namely, "a small treatise on fortification," and "an album filled with songs, receipts, prayers, and charms"; and there can be no reasonable doubt that the latter, which is mentioned by the author of the tract in the _Harleian Miscellany_, as well as by Reresby and Barillon, is the identical manuscript which forms the subject of Dr. Anster's remarks.
Within a few weeks this singular volume has been added by purchase to the National Collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum, previous to which I ascertained, by a careful comparison of its pages with several undoubted letters of the Duke of Monmouth (an advantage Dr. Anster did not possess), that the whole of the volume (or nearly so) is certainly in the Duke's handwriting. This evidence might of itself be deemed sufficient; but some lines written on the fly-leaf of the volume (which are passed over by Dr. Anster as of no moment) confirm the fact beyond all cavil, since, on seeing them, I immediately recognised them as the autograph of King James himself. They are as follows:
"This book was found in the Duke of Monmouth's pocket when he was taken, and is most of his owne handwriting."
Although the contents of this volume have been already described in general terms by Dr. Anster, yet it may not perhaps be uninteresting to give a more detailed list of what is written in it:--
1. Receipts "for the stone"; "to know the sum of numbers before they be writ doun"; "pour nettoyer l'ovrages de cuyvre argenté;" "for to make Bouts and Choos [Boots and Shoes] hold out water;" and "to keep the goms well."--pp. 1-4. 8.
2. Magical receipts and charms in French, written partly in an abbreviated form, accompanied by cabalistic figures. Two of these are to deliver a person out of prison, and are no doubt the same which Sir John Reresby refers to.--pp. 5. 7. 9. 11-17.
