New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-11-19
A Peep at the Past.

A Peep at the Past.
In dingy, muddy, dirty Fetter lane.
that narrow, crooked thoroughfare con-
Meeting Fleet street with Holborn,
stands a building wherein is stored q
wealth and variety of historic docu-
ments, forming collection which is
probably unrivaled by that of any other
country. The average Londoner knows
little about the record Office, and cares
less, and yet the slate shelves in the
iron cages of the severe looking edifice
are heavily laden with state documents
dating as far back as William the Con-
querer. l was fortunate on Saturday
last to be the companion of q gentleman
who had received an invitation to &C.
company Sir Ballot Brett, the master OF
the rolls and customs rotulOrum, on his
first official examination of the record
office.
OF course, this first inspection was
naturally Of a cursory nature, but the
polite and efficient attendants laid be-
fore Sir Ballot and lis party-which,
by the by, included Sc seral of the for.
eign ambassadors -document after doc
ument, and volume after volume, which
could not but gladden. the heart of those
who love TO peruse these records of the
gone past. There was the ..DoOmsday
Book in which may be seen the sur.
yey of England made in the time Of
William the Conqueror. It is in an ex.
cellent state of preservation, and the
vcllum leaves are as clean, the writing
as legible. and the ink as dark and dis.
tinct as though the compilation had
been executed in The last century, in
stead of eight hundred years ago.
We were shown, too. the records OF
the Court of Chancery. which are full
and complete from the time of King
John down to the last decisions rem.
dercd by the present Lord Chancellor,
and complete series of the ledger
books, showing the National expendi
ture from the time of Henry II. down tc
the present day, perfectly arranged and
in excellent condit Oh. Amongst the
most interesting docu .lents that were
displayed ] made note of a treaty be-
tween Henry |. and Robert, Earl Of
Flanders, the privilege granted by Pope
Adrian to Henry H., giving him full
permission to conquer Ireland, the
treaties made win Robert Bruce. and,
'nirabile dsctat, the treaty of the Field Of
the Cloth of Gold, artisticallv illumin.
ated with the portrait of Francis l., and
bearing an impression of the seal chased
by Benvenuto Cellini.
The thousands of volumes of State
papers which lie on the shelves of the
record office are at present being calen-
dared and indexed by the clerks, but
among other interesting historic docu-
ments that were shown was the con-
fession of Guy Fawkes as to the details
of the gnnDOwder plot, extorted from
him by the rack, to which the poor
wretch's signature, faint and nearly
illeg BILE, is affixed. There, too, was
the piteoas, y9t witkal, digRifiad lattaH
of Elizabeth, written to her sister from
the tower, pleading for her release from
durance vile, and among other letters
of interest were several short notes to
foreign ENJOYS of the bloody Queen,
ff:ss;Pssssssa il 2Rtlssiipg1l9g 81 tE2 blth 81
a chile, that never took place, blanks
being left for the date and sex. The
letter of Monteagle in which he gave
full information beforehand of the in
tended gunpowder plot, and numerous
epistles written by James l.. Mary
Queen o. Scots, Catherine de Medicis,
Charles ]. and H., and many others,
from Kings and Queens who succeeded
after the reformation, and from states
men AID mobiles who played SO great a
part in the asst in elevating England to
the high position she occupied among
the Nations of the world.
The sheepskins CT the close rolls are
here from the thirteenth century up to
the present time, and on those are
found numerous entries bearing upon
the rights of the crown, and the extent
of its civil jurisdiction, the authority OF
the church, the powers of the bench,
the privileges of peers, and details of
the measures employed in the past for
raising armies and equipping fleets.
.Provis ons for the observance of
treaties, the fort:fying Of castles, and
other matters of national Importance,
are also fully set out in the close rolls,
SO called because the matter which
they contained was invariably dis
patched closed or sealed up.
The patent rolls. too, are here, and
also run consecutively from the thir-
teenth century up to the present day.
In these are recorded accounts of the
sieges OF castles, the creation Of titles,
the granting of safe conducts, the be-
stowal of land on begging clergy, and
the negotiations with foreigners. We
glanced, too, at the Parliamentary rolls;
the church rolls, in which are to be
found particulars of all grants of priv
ileges to the religious houses; the
financial rolls, running from the time
of King John to Charles l., in which we
have {. complete record of the money
which English Kings received in pay
ment for Licenses they granted to alien
ate lands. for knights services, for par
dOns, and various other schemes and
lodges by which these monarchs in the
good old times were wont to replenish
their exchequers.
The oblata rolls, arefull of interest to
those who are curious to know how in
the brave days Of old great men were
wont to secure the loyal protection of
favor, for therein are set cut particulars
OF all the gifts presented to ROYALTY by
ouoJOSCo haSiAS oil DIX W SEluUs we
were shown the black and red books of
the exchequer, in which it is explained
how the land was held in old times; the
bull of Clement VII, by which Henry
VII, OF infamous memory, was con-
stituted defender of the faith.
Beyond the papers and documents l
have mentioned there are miles and
miles Q! parchment piled up in the
record Office filled with matters preg-
nant with interest not only to the En-
glish people, but to every student Of
historic lore, and an American in Lon
don On his summer vacation may willie
away an afternoon with pleasure and
profit in glancing over some of the
famous documents of the bare existence
of which, I firmly believe, nine-tenths
OF the inhabitants of London are pro-
f0undly ignorant. London Cor. Rhila-
p,pee