The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-04
A Peep at the Past.

tbo+ - ~ uiIty Fetter lane.
mat narrow, crooked thorouchfare con-.
necnng Fleet street with Holborn
stanus building wherein is stored y
wealth. and variety of historic docn-
lhenls' forming q collection which is
PROBABLY nnrlValed by that of anv other
country The average Londoner knows
ilttle about the record Office and coros
less, and yet the slate shelves in The
non cages OF the severe looking ediGce
are heavily laden with state documents
uallh9 as lar back as William the Con.
Yuerer. was fortunate on Saturday
last 10 DE the companion of a gentleman
VINO had received an invitation to no.
company Sir Ballot Brett, the master Of
the rolls and customs rotulorum. on his
Ilrst Official examination of the record
office. i''o'''
vi course, this first inspection was
naturally OF a cursory nature, but tho
pollte ana efficient attendants laid his.
iore olr Ballot and his party-which
ny the by, included several Of the for,
elgn Observation-Disclosures after doc.
ument' aud volume after volume, which
could not but gladden. the heart of thosn
VINO love TO peruse these records of thr
gone past. There was the .Doomsda,
Book, in which may be seen the sur.
Vey OF England made in the time Of
"iililhi the Conqueror. 1t is in an ex-
ceiieht state of preservation, and the
Neiltim leaves are as clean. the wrjtino
as iegible, and the ink as dark and dis
tlnct as though the compilation had
peeh executed in the last century, in.
stead OF eight hundred years ago.
we were shown, too, the records o
the Court of Chancery, which are full
and complete from the time of Kinc
John down to the last decisions rem
dered by the present Lord Chancellor
and complete series of the Iedrer
BOOKS, showing the National expendi
lure from the time of Henry II. down t,
the present day, perfectly ARRANGED an,
IN excellent condition. AmonDst th,
most interesting documents that wer
displayed l made note of treaty be
tween Henry |. and Robert, Earl o
Flanders, the privilege granted by Pop
ADRIAN to Henry H., giving him full
| permission to conquer Ireland, tn
treaties made with Robert Bruce, and
D't'G6tIe dtcta, the treaty of the Field O
the Cloth OF Gold, artiStically illumin
ated with the portrait of Francis l., an,
bearing an impression of the seal chase,
by Benycnuto Cellini.
The thousands of volumes of Stat
papers which lie on the shelves of tn
record Office arc Mt present being calen
dared and lndeXed by the clerks, bu
among other interesting historic docu
mentS that were shown was the con
teSsion of Guy Fawkcs as to the detail
OF the gunpowder plot, eXtortcd iron
HIM by the rack, 20 which the poo
wretch IS signature, faint and nearl
llleglble, is affixed. There, too, wa
the plteous, yet withal, dignifcd Ictte
OF Elizabeth, written to her sister fror
the tower, pleading for her release fror
durance vile, and among other letter
of interest were several short notes t
foreign enjoys of the bloody Queen
prepared in anticipation of the birth c
child, that never took place, blank
being left for the date and sex. Tn
letter of Monteagle in which he gay
full information beforehand of the in
tended gunpowder plot, and numerou
epistles written by James l.. Mar
Queen of Scots, Catherine dc MediCis
Charles !, and H., and many Others
from Kings and Queens who succeede
after the reformation, and from states
men and mobiles who played so great
part in the past in elevating England t
the high position she occupied anon
the Nations of the world.
The sheepskins CT the close rolls n
here from the thirteenth century up I
, the present time, and on those al
found numerous entries bearing upo
the rights of the crown, and the eXter
: of its civil jurisdiction, the authority {
n the church, the powers of the benCl
the privileges of peers, and details {
the measures employed in the past il
raising armies and equipping fleet
Provisions for the Observance
treaties, the terrifying of castles, ar
other matters of national importanc,
. are also fully sci out in the close roll
n so called because the matter whic
thcy contained was invariably di
patched closed or sealed up.
The patent rolls. too, are here, an
also run crlsecutiveIy from the thi
tcenth century up TO the present da,
In these are recorded accounts of Il
sicges of castles, the creation of title
the granting of safe conducts. the b
stowal of land on begging clergy, al
n the negotiations with foreigners. u
o glanced. too, nj the Parliamentary roll
l. the church rolls, in which are to
found particulars Of all grants of pri
ileges to the religious houses; Il
financial rolls, running from the tin
of King John to Charles l., in which v
have complete record of the none
wlich English Kings received in pa
ment for licenses they granted to allie
3. ate lands. for knights services, for pa
dons. and various other schemes al
lodges by which these monarchs in Il
good old times were wont to replenl
their exchequcrs.
g The oblata rolls, are full of interest
u those who are curious to know how
q the brave days of old great men we
= wont to secure the loyal protection
Il favor, for therein are set cut particula
., OF all the gifts presented to ROYALTY
nd subjects having IN aX to grind. v
as were shown the black ard red books
the exchequcr, in which it is eNplain'
how the land was held in old times; t
bull of Clement VII, by which Hen
{ VII, of infapouS memory, was co
" stitufpd defender of the faith.
- Beyond the papers and documents
have mentioned there are miles a
miles of parchment piled up in t
record Office fllcd with matters pre-
nant with interest not only to the /
glish people, but to every student
ls historic lore, and an american in Lc
don on his summer vacation may vii
=, away an afternoon with pleasure a
!, profit in gIanciag over some OF l
E . 1, 81 n y