April to the 2nd May (ten days), could not, I imagine, be
wholly used for a sacramental purpose, but on some festive
occasion. Indeed, the parish officers appear to have been
frequently lavish of good cheer.

Eliz. Itm. layed out for wyne for the marriage of
Robert Gryemes.

"Payd this 24th of Aprell, 1661, for 2 barrell of
the best beere and 1b. of tobaco to give the Cap-
taine and his souldgers, on the appointment of
Mr. Homerston and Mr. Lawes

£. S. d.

1 12 6"

In 1627 there is an entry relative to Yarmouth.

"Itm. laid out to Kempe the Constable upon a Warrant that cam from the lefetenant for the making of mounts at Yarmouth

. 1 4 0"

You will know to what this refers. A Copy of the Warrant of the Deputy Lieutenant, dated from the Maid's Head, Norwich, 6th April, 1626, is given in Swinden's History, p. 119, addressed to the Chief Constables of every Hundred in Norfolk, for a "Contribution towards the repairs of the Town of Yarmouth, and the walls, bulwarks, and forts there, in this time of danger, against attempts of the enemy; and it is to be presumed that there is no man that carrieth a true heart to his sovereign and to his country, but for the honor of the one, and the security of the other, he will willingly contribute."

In conclusion of this rambling, and, I fear, already unconscionably long letter, I will venture to subjoin, what I hope may be new to most of our members, as taken from a book of great rarity, (Stevenson's Norfolk Drollery, London, 12mo. 1673), and may be interesting, as illustrative of the character of the man, and of the style of the poetry of the

times, the following "Elegy upon Miles Hobart, Esq., who dy'd the Friday before Good Friday."

"What time we thought our fasting almost done,
Another Lent our mourning has begun.

A Lent two Fridays hath, both dy'd in blood:
Ah me (sweet Miles) the bad forestalls the good.
And yet, please you, we'l both good Fridays call,
His for himself, our Saviour's for us all.
He left no Widow to bedew his Hearse,
With fruitless, if not hypocritick teares.
But, as an Angel of a nobler sphear,
He was in this, as all things, singulear.
Such was his lofty and prodigious wit,
No Jacob's staff could take the height of it.
And such his candour, Titus-like, he sent
None from his presence sad or discontent.
So just, so generous, so gentile was he,
No man can say, h' as lost an Enemy.
Coaches and numerous horsemen have wel prov'd,
How much lamented, and how much belov'd;
Who thought it not enuff at home to mourne,
But many Miles rid weeping to his Urn,
Where neither Brass nor Marble need be spent,
Name but Miles Hobart, 'tis a Monument."

OLIVER NEVE, ESQ. TO SIR HENRY HOBART.

COMMUNICATED

BY THE REV. RICHARD HART,

Honorary Secretary,

IN

A LETTER TO DAWSON TURNER, ESQ., V. P.

MY DEAR SIR,

As I understand that our forthcoming number will contain some extremely valuable documents connected with the Hobart and the Le Neve families, in which* mention is made of the unhappy duel which cost the life of an illustrious member of the former, I venture to hope that a Copy of the Original Challenge may prove generally acceptable to our readers.

That original is now in the possession of my friend and relative, S. H. L. N. Gilman, Esq., the representative of that branch of the Le Neve family from which I am descended. He kindly allowed me to make a transcript, with a view to its publication by our Society.

Original Challenge of Oliver Neve, which led to the fatal
Duel on the Heath at Cawston Woodrow, 20 Aug.

*

1698, in which Sir Henry Hobart lost his life.

Honored Sr,

I am very sorry I was not at Reifham yesterday, when you gave yo'self the trouble of appearing there, that I might not only have further justified the Truth of my not saying what is reported I did, but that I might have told you that I wrote not that Letter to avoid fighting you; but that, if the credit of yo1 author has confirm you in the belief of it, I am ready & desirous to meet you when & where you please to assign. If otherwise, I expect your Author's name in return to this, that I may take my satisfaction

d

"Sir Henry Hobart, who was the fourth baronet, was elected a Burgess for King's Lynn in the Parliament that met at Oxford in 1681, and sat with his father, who served then as Knight of the Shire for Norfolk. He was a very great friend to, and promoter of, the Revolution; and in the Convention Parliament (being then Knight of the Shire for Norfolk) he declared for the vacancy of the throne. Afterwards, he was Gentleman of the Horse to King William, and attended him at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. In 1695 he was again elected to serve in parliament for the county, and always behaved like a man of honour in that post; but, being disappointed of his election in 1698, and resenting some words said to be spoken by Oliver Le Neve, Esq. (which Le Neve denied under his hand), a challenge was given, and a duel ensued, in which Sir Henry passed his sword through Le Neve's arm, and Le Neve ran his into Sir Henry's belly, of which wound he died the next day, being Sunday, 21st August, 1698, and was interred in the vault at Blickling. He married the eldest daughter and coheir of Joseph Maynard, Esq., son and heir of Sir John Maynard, Knight, one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal in the reign of King William. She died his widow 22nd August, 1701, and is in the vault with him: they had three daughters." (Blomefield, History of Norfolk, second edition, VI., p. 402.) A monumental stone, surmounted by a broken urn, still marks the spot on Cawston Heath where Sir Henry fell.

there; or else conclude the Imputacon sprung from Blickling, & send you a time & place; for the matter shall not rest as it is, tho' it cost the life of

Yor Servt,

OLIVER NEVE.

Aug. ye 20th, 98.

Endorsed :-" A letter sent from Oliver Neve, Esqre, to Sr

Henry Hobart, the consequence of which

was a duel upon Cawston Heath, in which
Sir Henry was killed."