last I came to one quite full, which, with the others, contained an additional parcel of Sir Ralph Sadler's Papers, and all the "State Papers and Letters of Sir Walter Aston," carefully tied up in small bundles; and, in short, in the same state exactly, in which, some years before, I had received the manuscripts of Sir Ralph Sadler. My satisfaction was now complete, and I hardly thought of searching, or enquiring any further. However, having communicated my discoveries to the old housekeeper, she informed me, that, if I considered the papers I had found to be of any value, and was fond of such things, she had a large trunk, and some boxes, quite full of old papers. The reader will readily believe, that I lost no time in desiring them to be brought to me; and, in fact, in about an hour afterwards, I beheld two men arrive, bending under the weight of an immense travelling trunk, and a third behind, with two small wooden boxes. These I examined first, and found them to contain chiefly, some books of travelling, and household expences, of my grandmother Lady Clifford, while she was in France, and at Paris, about the year 1740.[1] Along with these, were some French almanacks, passports, play-bills, army lists, and other papers and letters, both printed and manuscript; some of which, though interesting enough as family papers, were possessed of no further value. These, therefore, I soon dispatched; but when I came to open the great trunk,
Visions of glory, spare my aching sight![2]
