Page:Petty 1851 The Down Survey.djvu/13

 probable there may be another transcript among the Petty collections at Bowood. It bears the autograph of Sir Robert Southwell, to whom Petty seems to have communicated, de die in diem, et in extenso, even when in London together, every act of his life; and I am in hopes of discovering the letter from Petty which accompanied the volume in its transmission to Southwell.

"I propose to have a copy of it made, but until I possess such duplicate, I shall be unwilling to risk the loss of it, otherwise I would take it with me to Dublin for your inspection."

Mr. Weale died in 1838, and several of the manuscript and other works in his collection were purchased by the Government, chiefly through the enlightened and liberal intervention of the late Sir Robert Peel; among others, the History of the Down Survey. In the year 1842, the present Earl of St. Germans was Chief Secretary for Ireland, and at his instance and recommendation this curious manuscript was presented to the Library of Trinity College, Dublin.

At that time the Irish Archæological Society had been recently formed, and our invaluable colleague, the Rev. Dr. Todd, as Secretary to the Society, proposed to the Editor the task he is only now performing.

It is hoped that the active duties of official life, and the almost total obstruction such duties present to the prosecution of more congenial pursuits, will be admitted as a sufficient apology for the delay, and those circumstances must be most humbly pleaded in excuse for the imperfect manner in which the work has been even now performed.

It is scarcely necessary to say, that the Notes which have been appended to the narrative, short as they are, are confined to the elucidation of the narrative itself, and do not extend to the more general subject of the distribution of lands. Sir William Petty himself felt