Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/293

(J^rfginal documents. LETTER FROM QUEEN ELIZABETH TO THE DEAN OE WESTMINSTER, IN BEHALF OF CAMDEN. COMMUNICATED BY MR. JOSEPH BURTT. The following draft of a letter, or mandate, from Queen Elizabeth, has recently been discovered amongst documents preserved in the Chapter House, Westminster, and is communicated by Mr. Burtt. It cannot fail to be acceptable to our readers, on account of the interest which it possesses as coimected with the father of British topography, and a name which every archaeologist in our country must reverence. Tiiis letter, and the circum- stances relating to the precise period or emergency in Camden's life, which called forth such a requisition in his favour from the Crown, appear to have escaped the researches of his biographers. We must leave the illustration of these particulars to the future investigation of those who are conversant with the history of the times of Elizabeth, and of their learned annalist, whose welfare appears in this curious document to have been a matter of such concern to his royal mistress. The tone in which the following letter is expi'essed will strike the reader as a singular mixture of the request and the command. It must, however, be borne in mind that the dignitary to whom this injunction was addressed was the warm friend and patron of Camden ; as also, that, at the date of this letter, Camden had recently succeeded to the honourable post of Head Master of Westminster School, having previously, by the interest of his friend, Dr. Goodman, the Dean of Westminster, been preferred to that of Second Master in the same establishment. That kind patron might, doubt- less, have freely conceded to him the hospitalities required by the Crown on his behalf ; but some special service rendered by Camden seems to have moved Elizabeth to require that the grant should appear to proceed directly from herself. We have yet to learn what was the precise nature of the good service in which the labours and study of Camden had proved useful to Elizabeth. His health had greatly suffered from a tedious ague, by which he had been attacked, two years previously. In the year when this document is dated, he was enabled to produce an enlarged edition, the fourth, df his " Britannia." Possibly, it might be through researches for this important undertaking, patronised by Burleigh, that he had found occa- sion to gratify the Queen ; or, the future services which Elizabeth had in view, requiring liberty and freedom of mind, might perhaps conceni an intention of assigning to his care the annals of her reign, to which, not many years subsequently, he addressed himself in eai'nest, at Burleigh's instance and command. Whatever were the cause, there can be little doubt that to the influence of his noble patron, the Lord Treasurer, was due the favour herein intended towards Camden by Elizabeth. The practice of granting corrodies had become vei*y prevalent in monastic establishments prior to the Refox*mation, and frequently caused a heavy VOL. VI. A A