ments in the churches and chapels of Oxford.

4. In 1603, was published at Francfort, his volume of "English Historians." The Latin title of this book is-Anglica, Normanica, Hibernica, Cambrica, a veteribus Descripta: ex quibus Asser Menevensis, Anonymus de ·Vitâ Gulielmi Conquest oris, Thomas Walsingham, Thomas de la More, Gulielmus Genuticensis, Giraldus Cambrensis; plerique nunc in lucem editi ex bibliothecâ Gulielmi Camdeni. Francofurti, folio, 1603. This collection has been of great utility for it has served as the common source of documents for all our modern histories.

5. The following year he published his "Remains," which he dedicated to his friend sir Robert Cotton. The title complete is"Remains of a Greater Work concerning Britain, the Inhabitants thereof, their Languages, Names, Surnames, Impresses, Wise Speeches, Poesies, and Epitaphs;" London, 1605, 4to. The design of this work was, to preserve to posterity a great variety of curious things communicated to him, while making collections for his Britannia, and which he probably thought did not exactly accord

with the main object of that more finished work.

6. On the discovery of the gun-powder plot, Camden was pitched upon by James, to draw up in Latin a statement of the whole affair, with a view to justify the king's proceedings against the conspirators, and to give timely notice to the reformed churches of Europe, of the inveterate animosity of the Catholics. This production was also published in 1607, and was among the books expressly prohibited by the church of Rome.

7. His last work was the "Annals of Queen Elizabeth," begun in the year 1597, but not published till 1615. It came no lower down than 1589. At the instance of his friends, he was induced to continue it; but his second volume did not appear till after his death, in 1625.

8. From the death of queen Elizabeth to his own, he kept a diary of all the remarkable transactions in the reign of her successor, James. This was afterwards published, together with his Letters.

9. Being a member of the society of antiquaries, he wrote also many learned and curious essays on British Antiquities. The pre

servation of a few of these we owe to the industry of Thomas Hearne. I shall select one of them as forming a complete, if not the best extract which might have been found.

Of the Antiquity, Office, and Privilege of Heralds in England.

Among all civil nations, since civility first entered the world, there have been officers of arms as mediators to negociate peace and war between princes and countries. The ancient Greeks called them Kigux≤6, by whose mediation solemn covenants with their enemies were made. They were men of especial reputation, and carried for their ensign a Caduceus, whereupon they were also called Caduceatores, which was a white staff, whereunto were fixed two serpents, male and female, whereunto was added afterwards Copia-cornu. The staff was white, in token of simple truth; the serpents betokened wisdom; both sexes, as also the Copia-cornu, betokened fruitful increase and plenty, the companions of peace. They were sent to redeem captives, to treat of peace, to procure safe conducts for ambassadors, to require the dead bodies to be buried. Inviolable they were in the greatest rage of war, and reputed men of a divine original, as first descended from Kńguxos, the son of Mercury, of whom they were named Kúgures,

and hereupon Homer calleth Eumedes 0 Kúguna. It were needless here to mention their rites in making peace, how they brought two lambs fruits in a bottle of goat-skin, golden chargers, and other vessels, &c. as it is noted by Homer.

The Romans likewise had their Faciales, so called à fide et fœdere faciendo, first instituted in Italy by Hessus, and brought to Rome first by Ancus Martius: their college consisted of twenty. The principal was called Pater Patratus, because it was requisite that he should be Patrimus, that is, have his father alive, and he himself have children. The second was called Verbenaceus, because when the Faciales were sent clarigatum, that is, to challenge goods taken away clara voce, he carried the herb verbena with flint stones et vivax è cespite gramen, as Ovid calleth it, which he received of the Prætor.

Se

Dionysius Halicarnass. 1ecordeth, that six especial points were incident to their office. First, that they should have a care, lest the people of Rome should wage war against any of their confederates. condly, that they should challenge and require again goods injuriously taken away by enemies. Thirdly, that they should proclaim war against such as refused to make restitution. Fourthly, that they should take notice of injuries done contrary to covenants. Fifthly, that they should carefully provide that conditions should be faithfully observed. Sixth

ly, that they should treat and compound peace, and take notice what generals and commanders had done contrary to their oath. When they required restitution, they wore on their head a hood of yarn, and used these words: Audi Jupiter, audite Fines, auditat Fas, ego sum publicus nuncius populi Romani, juste pieque legatus venio, verbisque meis fides sit, &c. Likes wise, when they proclaimed war, they did cast into the enemies' country a bloody spear burned at the upper end, uttering these words, as Au. Gellius reporteth: Quod populus Hermundulus, hominesque populi Hermunduli adversus populum Romanum bellum fecere. deliquereque; Quodque populus Romanus cum populo Hermundulo hominibusque Hermundulis bellum jussit, ob cam rem ego populusque Romanus populo Hermundulo populisque Hermundulis bellum indico facioque. But this was stante republicá. Under the emperors, as I find no mention of the Faciales, yet it seemed they continued: for when Ammianus Marcellinus maketh mention of the siege of Amidas under Julian, he reported that a Persian did cast into the town a bloody lance, ut moris est nostri. After the decay of the Roman empire, and erection of kingdoms, the heralds of the old Franks carried virgas consecratas, when they were employed in messages, that they might not be touched or troubled by any : and this was juxta ritum Francorum, as Gregorius Turonensis writeth, libro 7, capite 32.