"My Lord of Norwich, & his New Archdeacon (of Suffolk) are subjects of much discourse. Do you preach stoutly against Popery, as is the way now, everywhere? I think to claw off the dogs till Lady Day. Praying God to you, your wife, & child, & me without wife or child, in His good keeping,

(Addressed)

"I rest, y" Cordially,

To the Rev. Dr. Kerrich.

"E. PYLE."

The learned Dr. Rutherford, Regius Professor of Divinity in Cambridge, published "A Vindication of the Right of Protestant Churches to subscribe to an Established Confession of Faith and Doctrines," in 1766.

The Dean referred to was Thomas Bullock, Dean of Norwich and Rector of North Creake. Judging from the remains of baths and other structures, and from the evidence of a milestone inscribed (TR) IB. POT. COS. I (I) IP. P. A NAVIONE. MP. X-, it is certain that the mineral springs of Buxton were known to the Romans, who worked lead mines extensively in the Peak. Thompson Watkin identified Buxton with Aquæ, the station on the Limes being the castrum of Dictum. The baths of Buxton. were a favourite resort in the period before the Reformation, when the patients were in the habit of offering their crutches to the image of St. Anne, the tutelar saint, in token of gratitude for benefits derived from the springs. At the Reformation Sir William Basset, of the ancient family of Basset of Blore, destroyed the "tabernacle" and prohibited the pious though foolish practice. The baths were extolled in 1572 by John Jones, "Phisition at the King's Mede near Derby," in "The Benefits of the Ancient Baths of Buckstones," and at a later date they were celebrated by Hobbes and Cotton and Sir William Browne of Lynn, through whose influence many sufferers from East Anglia journeyed to the Peak,

The immediate predecessor of Kerrich in the livings. of Dersingham and West Newton was Mr. Gill, "very aged & infirm, & Bed-ridden." He had a curate at £15 a year, who lived with him, Frank Seward by name. August 16, 1728, Andrew Rogers, Rector of Sandringham, wrote the following letter to Kerrich :

"DEAR SR,

"Sandringham, Augt 16, 1728.

On

"There has lately been a Wedding in our Neighbourhood of a very uncommon uncommon and surprizing Nature; & because it may possibly affect your Affairs in its Consequences, I therefore thought it wou'd be the part of a Friend in me to acquaint you with it at large.

"Mr Gill has a Daughter, of about 50 Years of Age, who has been a Widow about 20 Years, & has for many Years last past kept a Boarding-House at Yarmouth, Her Name Clarges. She has been a merry Wife, & a merry Widow. She has 2 Daughters, Women grown. The Younger of these Lasses (Penelope by Name) has kept Mr Gill's House ever since he has been a Widower, & is a cheerful, sprightly little Tit Mr Gill has had a Curate in his House about Half a Year, one Mr Seward, whose true Character I am a Stranger to; but it is possible you may know something of it, he being that Senior Westminster-Lad that miss'd of a Fellowship at Trinity. Ever since he has been at Mr Gill's, he has behav'd with so much Gallantry towards Penelope as to raise very tender Emotions in her Breast; & their mutual Fondness soon became apparent, not only to their own Family, but likewise to the whole Neighbourhood; in so much that every body concluded it would be a Match, especially Mr Gill seeming to acquiesce in it.

"Penelope's Mother hearing something of the Matter, hastens over from Yarmouth to make her Father Gill a Visit at Darsingham, & brings her eldest Daughter (Suky)

along with her. And perceiving that her Daughter Pene & Seward were like to make a Match (to which she seem'd averse), she takes away Pene home with her to Yarmouth, & leaves Suky to keep Mr Gill's House; & the given Reason for this, was, that poor Suky in her Turn, might have an Opportunity of obliging the old Gentleman, as well as Pene, & so become a Sharer of his Favours. It was natural enough for Seward (taking it for granted that his Passion was honourable) to pursue his Nymph Pene to Yarmouth. He did so. But when the Widow got him there, she was so frank in her Declarations to Seward, as to let him know that She (the Widow) had conceived such an ardent Passion for him, that either Death or Enjoyment must be the Result of it. The noble Doctor took pity on the languishing Widow, married her before he returned to Darsingham, & has left poor Pene to weep and call him Father.

"Mr Seward has no Preferm', but Mr Gill's Curacy (£15 p' Ann: & Board). And I am well assur'd that he designs to push for Darsingham & Newton upon Mr Gill's Demise. Nay, it is not improbable that he may work up the old Gentleman to resign Darsingham at least, if he can but secure a Presentation. And he is well acquainted with Ld Chancellor's Son. He is a Man of fine parts & Learning, & has gain'd the Esteem of the Col. & Major, by his Preaching & Conversation; & I don't know how far his artful Address may be conducive to the Attainment of his Ends. Do you put all these Circumstances together, & judge whether it may not be for your Interest to take an Opportunity of waiting on the Col. I'm sure you ought not to neglect writing to him: but take no notice of what I have wrote to you. Assure your self, I have, & shall take every Opportunity of managing for y' Interest, to the best of my Judgement. Mr Gill has been very ill of late, and seems to decline apace. I was desirous of giving you full Information of these Matters, which must be the Apology for the Length of this Scribble.

' 1 receiv 1 vor

Erhood deal of concern.

I was tens to vo i bene..ovas: report'i here that Kebk WE EXDE A very tay. I wish'd

i thougt: bernas ou might be safer here v. bay- but fe house cereaours o what you have hunarir that s possibe: ter may scape 15. I Dok FBI T h a' togethe-soui nease God to Shala treadi' thun. 1 napee u tome God w.. defend an i keep ss, or pretensions and bow prove greater than or sees'

Thistlethway.. sister of Inomas Goo.. Bishop an stepmothe o: barbar and Bizzierit, Bena: Ha Mrs. Kerric january 4. abrics the wishes of many many 20. wi. prove so the at present the mue think the coming time is to ed depend on. Providence for security. mar e alarms of the French coming or this rote me work i: they du. I must take Poto Londal. I told him. he might th: Rebels. 10: I was almost as was rescived to stand the hurry & fright would I remaid, for I grow

intelligence that most of them "talked a language called Earsh or Wild Irish." Ashbourne had been visited on the way to Derby, and was the first halting-place of the Highlanders retreating in anger and with curses by the way that they came, and now changed into a plundering, dispirited, and disorderly rabble. This soon induced reprisals, and a legend still darkly exists that a Highlander who had strayed away from romantic Ashbourne into the Peak was caught, killed, and flayed.

The "bout" mentioned by Pyle was the skirmish on Clifton Moor, near Penrith, the last engagement ever fought in England, in which the attack was directed by the Highlanders on the Duke of Cumberland's Dragoons. This had the effect of checking the pursuit, and enabled the rebels to continue their march by night, and the van to reach Carlisle the next day, December 20, there then being a distance of eight miles from the van to the rear. Leaving a garrison, the Young Pretender and his forces. quitted Carlisle on the 21st, and the turbulent Esk was crossed by the men by hundreds abreast, and breast deep in the water. On reaching the opposite wooded bank the pipes struck up and the drenched rebels danced reels till they were dry-changing the gender, from naiads they turned to dryads! The unfortunate garrison of Carlisle capitulated to the Duke of Cumberland, December 30, many eventually to fall victims to inhuman retribution, and to suffer the ferocious death for high treason, in exact accordance with the ancient Statute of four centuries before. It is recorded that one intrepid spirit of these victims struggled for a few moments with William Stout of Hexham the fiend who, for twenty guineas and the clothes, did the bloody business-when his bosom was opened and his heart plucked out.

Seasonably on the very day that Pyle indited this letter peace was concluded at Dresden. Frederick the Great had already in September, after the defeat of Maria