Letter 1877

[fol. 111] Sr Upminster Nov: 21 1712 Not doubting but a Council of the R.S will be called before our Election-day, & by reason of the bad Weather & Ways, foreseeing I may not be well able to be there, I hope you will excuse my troubling you with what I would propose in behalf of the Repository, viz Considering that few of us are well acquaint- ed with the Repository, especially with such things as are out of sight in Boxes & Draw- ers, & under Locks & Keys: & considering al- so that the late Removeall of them, may in all probability have impaired some, displaced others, & lost other: & especially considering yt no man is able to give any account of many of them but Mr Hunt, who grows much in years, That therefore a Committee of the Society be appointed Strictly to respect the Repository: That they should be ordered to annex the Tithes and Donors to the Rarities; place them in so good an order; & make an Alphabetical Catalogue of them, yt every curious Inquirer may readily & ea- sibly search & have recourse to them. But if this would be too tedious, yt at least the Committee should go on where Dr Grew left off, & add what hath been brought in since Besides the benefit this would make the Repository of to curious persons, it would moreover make some of our selves acquainted therewith; which would be of absolute necessity in case of Mr Hunts death; the loss of whom (without such a provision as this I have proposed) would be of fatal consequence to the Repository, he being, I imagine, the only man thoroughly acquainted therewth. This Project I thought it my duty to propound in Coun- cil, but with all submission to their & your better judgt Since I was last in town I have been concerned I had not the happiness to see our Molineaux. If he is in town I desire the favour of you to greet him with my hum- ble service, & to tell him I should be glad to see him here if not, I hope he will not leave the Town before our Election-day, at which time I hope to see him. But if not so, yt I will comepose to town to wait on him, if he will favour me with a Lr please when to wait on him. Wth great repect yours Wm Derham