SOUTHWELL (SIR ROBERT), 1635-1702. P.R.S. Diplomatist and Author. IMPORTANT ORIGINAL EARLY AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT unsigned, 2 pp. folio, No: 7. 1664, when a clerk to the Privy Council, written across third blank sheet "My Lrd Cheife Baron's Advice" & endorsed on verso in Southwell's Autograph "London. 7 Nobr. 1664 Rcd. yt wouhly upon my Lrd. Cheife Baron Hale, he advised me as within": Southwell writes "My Lord Cheife Baron advised me to read the English History from Hen. 7 downewards. yt peace be comended and ye Annalls of Q. El: more then my Lrd Herbert. To read the Please of ye Crowne, and the Jurisdiction of Courts, the Statute of Prerogativa Regis, and Stanford's Comentary thereon. That the K's Prerogative is noe where entirely handled, and yt. with wise designe ... that Smith's Common wealth be read to know ye Generall Constitution of ye Kingdome wch. it does well enough ... Then I should know ye Revenue of ye King and what parts of it are more in name than in fact, ... from Estimates, Auditts etc: to be had from ye Treasurer etc: That I make a Common Place booke alphabetically as Ab. AC. AD

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etc. ... And then reduce all things to heads, ... and although you refer things ill at first, yett frequent recourse makes you acquainted with what you have done ... Be sure your Study answer ye time you spend in it, wch by this exact writing you will doe ..., Index your Councill bookes and alsoe write the little extract of ye business ... Read Bodin and Tacitus but be not tyed to his wisdome of it, as fitt for these times".

(Sir Matthew Hale created Chief Justice of the King's Bench 1671 left many manuscript treatises, part to Lincoln's Inn, unpublished. A copy of the treatise on the "Secondary Origination of Mankind" was made for Sir Robert Southwell in 1681 (Addit Ms. 9001) "On the Law of Nature" (Hargrave Ms 485 Addit Ms. 18235) was also copied for Southwell in 1693. "Placita Coronae" (History of the Pleas of the Crown) 1736 "De Prerogativa Regis" etc. etc. with good note of provenance on verso "An orig. Ms of Sir Robt. Southwell's. given to me by E.H. Barker Esq of Thetford Dec. 1834. signed J.B. Williams. John (after Sir) Bickerton Williams wrote Hale's Life in 1835. E.H. Barker Dr. Parr's amanuensis & author of "Parriana". edited Hales Judgement 1832)