184 NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
curious picture of pharmacy at the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the
eighteenth centuries.
The MS. of Morant's "History of Essex."—The Rev. Cecil Deedes,
writing in "Notes and Queries," refers to the collection of MSS. in the Colchester
Museum, presented in 1871 (?) by Mr. Hills, of Colne Park, and also alludes to
the statements made concerning them by Alderman Harvey and others to the
effect that they are the work of William Holman, of Halstead, and that they
really are the manuscript of Morant's "History of Essex." Mr. Deedes points
out that the supposition that Morant was not entitled to the credit of the compila-
tion of the history of Essex requires more confirmation, and asks in whose hand-
writing are these particular MSS. A writer in the "Essex County Standard" of
October 15th is decidedly of opinion that the MSS. are "in the hand-writing of Mr.
Holman, that they practically form a great portion of the manuscript of Morant's
'History of Essex,' and that much of them is derived from Thomas Jekyll's collec-
tions. Mr. Holman sold his collection to Morant, and though Morant un-
doubtedly 'compiled' and added to the matter, Mr. Holman's very complete
collection deserves the credit of being the foundation of Morant's 'History of
Essex.'" Writing on October 20th, the Rev. C. L. Acland, the late Hon.
Curator of the Colchester Museum, says : "Holman's MS. History of Essex was
sold by hint (then minister of an Independent congregation at Halstead) to the
Vicar of Halstead, whose name, I am sorry to say, I cannot call to mind. Morant
was at that time assistant-curate at Halstead, and his signature appears as witness
to the deed of sale. Of this I am quite sure. I saw the deed of sale many years
ago. It was shown to me by Mr. J. B. Harvey. I was under the impression that
he deposited it, with the rest of the Morant MSS., in the Museum ; but as I have
looked for it carefully since his death, and failed to find it, I am probably mis-
taken on this point. I wish I had taken a copy of it. I am sorry I cannot give
fuller details, but of the main fact I am quite certain. How Holman's MSS.
passed into Morant's possession I do not know. That Morant was very much
indebted to Holman's History I am quite sure, though I do not remember that he
ever owns the indebtedness. Reference to the Parish Register at Halstead would be
useful." [Some particulars of William Holman in connection with a MS. cata-
logue of papers used by him in compiling his "History of Hinckford Hundred,"
exhibited by Mr. Cole, will be found in Essex Naturalist, vol. iii., pp. 160-161 ]
Colchester Castle.—The editor of the "Antiquary" writes as follows in the
November number :—"In the course of the formation of the new public park in
the grounds surrounding the Castle of Colchester, some walls have been unearthed
which are of some interest, as showing that there was a fortress on this spot in
Roman times. On the west, north, and east sides of the Castle Bailey are large
earthen ramparts, and in a cutting through the north-west corner a wall was found,
having distinct and unmistakable Roman characters ; and from the area inclosed
by it a cloaca was uncovered, arched over with Roman bricks, and plastered inside
and on the bottom with hard red mortar, usually considered Reman. These
discoveries rather support the theory of the late Rev. H. Jenkins, that the present
keep is also a Roman building, as it may be fairly argued that, if the outworks
were of this period, the remaining portion of the fortress is also of the same age.
It is easily to be seen that many of the characters, relied on to prove the Norman
origin of the keep, are clearly insertions into an older building, so that after all
the late Rev. H. Jenkins and those who follow him may be correct in their deter-
mination of the date of its erection.