Those who wish to read a curious monument of the follies of the alchymists, may consult the diary of Elias Ashmole, who is rather the historian of this vain science, than an adept.

The most respectable characters of the age, Sir William Dugdale, Elias Ashmole, Dr. Grew, and others, were members of the astrological club.

In Ashmole's life an account of these artful impostors may be read.

Horace Walpole (Letters, vii. 346) describes Hollis as 'a most excellent man, a most immaculate Whig, but as simple a poor soul as ever existed, except his editor, who has given extracts from the good creature's diary that are very near as anile as Ashmole's.

The no less exquisite then admirable Work, The atrum chemicum Britannicum; containing several Poetical pieces of our famous English Philosophers, who have written the Hermitique Mysteries in their own antient Language; faithfully collected into one Volumn, with Annotations thereon: by the Indefatigable Industry of Elias Ashmole Esq; illustrated with Figures.

"In this parish (Church Over,") says Dugdale, "upon the old Roman Way, called Watling Strete, is to be seen a very great tumulus, which is of that magnitude, that it puts travellers beside the usual road," and a Letter from Elias Ashmole to Sir Wm.

ASHBY, i. 36, n. 3, 79, n. 2. ASHMOLE, Elias, iii. 172; iv. 97, n. 3.

The specimen, which in part remains at Oxford, was originally in the museum of Tradescant, at Lambeth, which was purchased and removed to Oxford by Dr. Ashmole; the entire bird is proved to have been in the Museum in 1700; and in a catalogue of the collection drawn up since 1755, the disappearance of all but the bill and foot of the Dodo is explained by an order of a meeting of the visitors in the last-named year.

But the diary of that celebrated antiquary, Elias Ashmole, which is admitted to be authentic, describes his admission in the year 1646 into the order, when there is no doubt that the operative character was fast giving way to the speculative.

ASHMOLE, ELIAS.

It is deeply to be regretted that Ashmole did not carry out his projected design of writing a history of Freemasonry, for which it is said that he had collected abundant materials.

This, we say, was the next general assemblage, because the Ashmole manuscript, which was destroyed at the revival of Freemasonry in 1717, is said to have stated that, at that time, the Prince obtained from his brother, the king, a permission for the craft "to hold a yearly communication and a general assembly."

Ashmole 788 is a Latin epistle by Philip Kynder, a miscellaneous writer and court agent under Charles I, born in 1600 at latest, which was 'prefixt before my Silvia, a Latin comedie or pastorall, translated from the Archadia, written at eighteen years of age.'

either to Elias Ashmole or to Evelyn: the illustration on the next page shews all the details of the carving.

to Elias Ashmole, Esq.