appended. This measures about 24 by 11⁄2 inches, and is of the usual pointed oval style. The abbot is figured standing upon a platform, and holding in the right hand a book, in the left a crooked staff. The legend is :

[] SIGILLVM IOHANNIS ABBATIS DE HID[A].

These seals were figured in the Journal of the British Archæological Association, vol. xlviii, p. 85, and they are reproduced here with permission of that body.

The manuscripts relating to the abbey include:

1. COTTON MS. VESPASIAN A. VIII, in the British Museum, a fine tenth-century MS., unfortunately wanting some leaves, printed in Appendix, see page 232.

2. The HYDE REGISTER, or STOWE MS. 960, which forms the text from which the volume has been printed.

3. HARLEY MS. 1761. A list of its principal contents is given in the new Monasticon, vol. ii, p. 433. It is of the fifteenth century, and somewhat carelessly written. The transcripts of the earlier documents have been made by a scribe who could not read their texts accurately. Edwards describes this MS. at p. lxxxviii.

4. The LIBER MONASTERII DE HYDA, A.D. 455 to 1023, printed by E. Edwards in the Master of the Rolls series, in 1866, from a manuscript in the library of the Earl of Macclesfield, at Shirburn.

5. LANSDOWNE MS. 717. TRANSCRIPT of part of the LIBER DE HYDA, by John Stow, the antiquary, in A.D. 1572. This belonged to Sir Richard St. George, Clarencieux Herald, and afterwards to Sir Henry, his son.

6. COTTON MS. DOMITIAN, A. XIV, a small quarto MS. It is of the fourteenth century, and a list of the

principal contents will be found in the new Monasticon, It is also described by Edwards, pp.

vol. ii, p. 434n. lxxxvii, xcvi.

7, 8. The two little Cotton Manuscripts, TITUS D. XXVI and XXVII, in the British Museum, which belonged to Abbot Elfwine, are fully described in the Appendix, pp. 251 et seq.

According to the Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica (Nichols, 1834), vol. i, p. 206, Cartularies of Hyde abbey were in the possession of Sir Christopher Hatton, and Sir Henry St. George, 1697.

The latest additions to this series, which are now available to public use, were preserved until recently in the library of the late Earl of Ashburnham at Ashburnham Place, near Battle in Sussex. In the year 1883 the greater part of this library (shorn, however, of some of its most valuable MSS.) passed into the possession of the authorities of the British Museum; among the manuscripts are this Hyde Register, and :

STOWE MS. 959. A small folio paper copy, containing TRANSCRIPTS of parts of the LIBER DE HYDA, not always agreeing with the printed edition.

At the beginning is written :

"Liber Abbatiæ de Hyda juxta Winton, formerly belonging to Peter le Neve, Esqre, fell into the Hands of Joseph Edmondson, Esqre, Mowbray Herald, A.D. 1765— from whom I had it July 17, 1716.

ANDREW DUCAREL."

"Purchased at the sale of the MSS. of the late Dr. Ducarel, April, 1786.

T. ASTLE."

"The Book of Hyde in great Parchment is mentioned at folio бob.

"M. to inquire if the Book is not still preserv'd among the Archives of the Church of Winchester."

Le Neve has written at folio 2 the following title :"Exemplar Libri olim pertinentis Abbatiæ Hyde in Com. South'ton juxta Wintoñ.

Liber Petri le Neve al's norroy.

A. Dñi 1704."

This MS. is described in O'Conor's Bibliotheca MS. Stowensis, 1819, 4to, vol. ii, p. 42, but with many errors and omissions. It bears the book plates of I. C[ole] and Andrew Ducarel.