Page:The forme of cury (1780).djvu/25

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is here given to the public, and the methods which the Editor has pursued in bringing it to light.

This vellum Roll contains 196 formulæ, or recipes, and belonged once to the earl of Oxford.[1] The late James West esquire bought it at the Earl's sale, when a part of his MSS were disposed of; and on the death of the gentleman last mentioned it came into the hands of my highly-esteemed friend, the present liberal and most communicative possessor. It is presumed to be one of the most communicative possessor. It is presumed to be one of the most ancient remains of the kind now in being, rising as high as the reign of king Richard II.[2] However, it is far the largest and most copious collection of any we have; I speak as to those times. To establish its authenticity, and even to stamp an additional value upon it, it is the identical Roll which was presented to queen Elizabeth, in the 28th year of her reign, by lord Stafford's heir, as appears from the following address, or inscription, a the end of it, in his own hand-writing: 'Antiquum hoc monumentum oblatum et missum est majestati vestræ vicesimo septimo die mensis Julij, anno regni vestri fælicissimi vicesimo viiij ab

  1. ↑ I presume it may be the same Roll which Mr. Hearne mentions in his Lib. Nig. Scaccarii, I. p. 346. See also three different letters of is to the earl of Oxford, in the Brit. Mus. in the second of which he stiles the Roll a piece of antiquity, and a very great rarity indeed, Harl. MSS. Nº 7523.
  2. ↑ See the Proem.

humi-

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