been pleased to doom it when it shall have reached an era beyond the present, and found its way to nations not our own, "And for self have retained what was meant for mankind." King Solomon was pleased to send the sluggard to take a lesson of instruction from the ant. Encouraged by the royal precedent, I shall with great humility contrast the want on this medallion with the fulness of information afforded by a jetton rather less in size than the florin of 1852, which was sold for two pence in the streets of London on the opening of the New London Bridge by King William the Fourth and Queen Adelaide. On the obverse is this inscription "New London Bridge. The first stone was laid by the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, John Garratt Esq., and the bridge opened by their MAJESTIES the 1st of August 1831. Cost £506,000." On the reverse is a full view of the bridge, with sailing and rowing craft on the water; inscription, "Length 928 feet, width 56 feet, carriage-way 36 feet, water-way 692 feet., centre arch 152, side arches 140, extreme 130, height 55." Of the two, the jetton may have the chance of a longer existence, as there will be less temptation to melt it for other purposes. Grant them a contemporary longevity, and, as records of the past, which will best fulfil its mission? Cork, 12 July, 1853. A SLIGHT TRIBUTARY NOTICE TO THE MEMORY OF SAMUEL S. SKILLIN. DIED on Wednesday the 27th January, 1847, in Patrick-street, Cork, Samuel S Skillin, sincerely regretted by many friends. Had health and length of days been allowed him, this amiable and very talented young gentleman promised to have added his name to the list of superior artistic talent, of which Cork has so much reason to be proud. To great natural ability, he added an extensive acquaintance with the English, French, Greek, and Roman Classics; a memory apt, ready, and always serviceable at the right moment; a boundless and sparkling wit and fancy, that illuminated and embellished any and every subject that might arise, either in conversation or correspondence; imagination varied and extensive; and a creative power, of seizing circumstances and materials, however trifling and unpromising, and working out the most unlikely results. (Of this latter capability, witness his picture of a young knight, whose outline was suggested by a beggar, at that time often seen attending the coaches.) These qualifications, with an enthusiastic love of his profession, and two years' travelling on the continent for the improvement of his health, visiting and studying every thing connected with art, at Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malta, Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice, authorized the hope that we should witness from his pencil works alike distinguished by genius, taste, and originality. The supreme Director of events has been pleased to order otherwise. And, painful as the blow has fallen on his family and friends, they have the now inestimable consolation of believing, that in innocence of life, purity of heart, and sincerity of religion, few persons have been called to another existence better prepared to obtain that mercy which we may hope will not be denied to the truly humble, contrite, and confiding Christian. R. S. DEEDS RELATING TO THE CITY OF CORK. DURING THE REIGN OF HENRY VII. [Copied from the originals in the Chapter House at Westminster by Richard Sainthill, April 24, 1851.] London, 24 April, 1851. I SPENT most of this day at the Chapter House, Westminster, searching for papers relating to the Mint of Ireland, which I had been informed in Dublin were there. I looked over a box containing very curious deeds and papers, all relating to Ireland, from the time of Henry the Third to that of Elizabeth. Two of the reign of Henry the Seventh were of Cork; with the then city seal appended. On one side of the seal were the three Lions of England only, which evidenced that it had been engraved previous to the reign of Edward the Third, when the fleurs de lis were added. On the other side of the seal is a castle with two towers; a man in one with a bow, and in the other a man in a supplicating attitude. A bridge or platform connects the two towers, beyond which a ship is seen. I remember among the Roche Manuscripts a deed of the corporation of the city of Cork, in the reign of James the First, and in which one of the sheriffs makes his mark, with a seal very similar, and probably from the same matrices-and, if so, shewing the care formerly taken with civic property and records. The inscriptions on all these seals are so worn, as to be quite illegible. One of the deeds at the Chapter House was an Othe (Oath) of fealty taken by the corporations and citizens of Cork and Kinsale to the King, I suppose after their participation in Perkin Warbeck's Irish rebellion. Another certifies that the Mayor of Cork has received in charge, as hostage for the King, from the Earl of Desmond, his eldest son, as security for the earl's future good conduct. These two I transcribed. A deed in perfect preservation, beautifully written, and about half of the seal still remaining, by Henry the Third, in the fifty-fourth year of his reign, authorizes his eldest son, afterwards Edward the First, to dispose of his estates in Ireland, and any other parts of his (Henry's) dominions. I believe the whole writing of this deed might be copied on one sheet of note-paper. A letter without date, from the Tower of London, written by some one signing his name Fitzgerald, to his servant named Roth, who is directed to call on some one named O'Bryen, and get from O'Bryen £20 on plate of Fitzgerald's in O'Bryen's custody, and to bring the money to Fitzgerald, who says that he has only had one noble (68. 8d.) since he has been in the Tower, has only the clothes on him, and is frequently obliged to be barelegged and barefooted, and that his diet is very spare. The writing is extremely good, probably in Henry the Eighth's time. On a deed of the corporation of Youghal, 14 March, 11th Henry the Eighth, there is a large seal, on which is a ship. The following are copies of the two Cork deeds. Thes endente trypartid mad atte Yoghylle the xiith day of Marce the yere of our Lorde M'iiijclxxxxv betwen Maister Richard Hatton the ryghte worshipfulle and reverende clerke and doctoure yn the bode lawes comissary depute and trwe attorney un to the moste excellent and dredfull prynce Henrye the VIIth be the grace of God kynge of Englande and of Fraunce and lorde of Irlande, the tryw and feithfull subiete and ŝvnte to our said sovayne Lorde, Moryce Erle of Dessmond, the mayr, ballyfs, and consaylle of hise cite of Corke yne Irland, Wittenessethe, Thate the said Erle haw delyverede his sone and heire James Fitz Moryce of the Geraldynes to the handes of the said mayr and ballyfs and consayll nowe and hiereaftere beynge, wt this condycone that yf our said soverayne lorde king Henr the VII within ij yere nexte folowenge graunte une to the saide Moryce Erle of Dessemond atte his humble desyr and requeste iiij peticones as hiere followeth: The furst peticone is that hit shalle please our said souverayn lorde of hise grete and bountewes grace to send home therle of Kyldare to his inheirytance. The second peticone is that our said soverayn Lorde shalbe as good and as gracyouxe lord to graunte and to yew evy thynge un to the said Erle of Dessemond, and all hise, as king Edward the IVt and othere kyngs of Englande progenitors to thus our said soverayne lorde haw bene yne tymes paste to the said Erle and his auncestrese and all hise. The tird peticon is thate the said Erle of Dessemond shall note be compelled to come to noe parlemente nethere grund consaille in Irland but ate his pleasure. The iiijt peticon is that hite shall please our said soverayne Lord of his noble g" ce to graunte the said Erle that his offices of deputacone nore lieuteñnship be note grauntene to none of the said Erle is ennemyese nethere to the frendes of his ennemyes bute toe indefferent officerse. These peticones obteyned that thene the mayr, ballyfs, and consayll of Corke for the tyme beinge shall kype the said sone of the said Erle surlye, sauffullye, and feythfully to our said souvayne lord the kynge ise behouff fore terme of iij yere next folowenge the date of thus psent wrytenge, without hit shalle please the kynge is good grace withyn the meane tyme to comaunde hyme to be delyved to the said Erle of Kyldare, the whiche thinge the said mayr, ballyf, and counsaylle for the tyme beyng shall doe withoute dissimulačon or dylaye yf they shalbe soe comandethe. And yf our said souvayne lorde graunte note the aforsaid peticones be the ij yer abowlymited next followenge aftere the date of thus psent wrytenge to the said Erle of Dessemond thate thene aftere the terme of the said ij yere and note afore hite be lafulle to the said mayor, ballyfs, and conseylle of the said Cite of Corke for the tyme beynge, and as well theye byndeth them to delyver his said sone and heir un to the said Erle of Dessemonde without dissimulacone, dylaye, condicone, or contradiccone the pmisses notwistandenge. In testimon of the same the said parties to thus psent endent'es hath leyd their sealles. Yewene the daye, yere, and place aforesaid, &c., and overe thus the said mayre, ballyf, and coseyll now beyng psent and hire subscribed for the pformačon of the pmisses to their poer hath mad their solempne otte be the holy Sacrament and the holy Evangelist hire psent, be them and every of them bodly towchede. JOHN LAWALLYN, Mayr off Cork-(Corporation Seal.) EDMOD GOUlla. On the back of this document is the following proviso: Providet alweys, that yf the second and the tird withynvrytene peticones be not graunten be oure sovayn said lorde wt his tres |