"Many old Manuscripts and rusty Records I turned over, but all in vain; at last I was Informed by a Gentleman (whose Ancestors by the Gift of King Henry the Eighth, enjoyed a Monastary in these parts) that he had in his keeping some Ancient Writings which would in that point satisfie my desire, were they not so Injured by Time, as now not legible to Read; however, I not despairing to find out their meaning, with much Importunity desired to have a sight of them; which having obtained, I took of the best Galls I could get, beat them grosly, and laid them to steep one day in good White-wine, that done, I distilled them with the Wine; and with the Distilled Water that came off them, I wetted handsomely the old Letters, whereby they seemed as fresh and fair as if they had been but newly Written."
From the above it would appear that even in Head's days there was a desire for earlier manuscripts about Mother Shipton.
Chemists will appreciate the novelty of the distilling operation, in which, on the application of heat as described, water came over before alcohol.
The Richard Head, who has so long misdirected the thoughts of large numbers of people, was the son of a minister in Ireland. Head's father was massacred "with many thousands more" in 1641. Mrs. Head then brought her son to England, and he com-
