An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

· \ AUTOBIOGRAPHY 191 During a very cold spring in 1912 I was busy (i.a.) in preparing for the press, in conjunction with Mr. Hamon le Strange, F.S.A., a very interesting MS., being the original address presented by Norfolk men to General Monck, which I had bought for the Public Library at a London Auctio·n where it had been wrongly described as an address to Cromwell. The book was published in 1913, with the title, " An Address from the Gentry of Norfolk and Norwich to General Monck in r 660." This tried my eyes, but Dr. Johnson Taylor again told me they were abnormally good and sound, and only wanted rest. All this spring I was much troubled with a cold and with persistent stomach trouble. Investigation of the very interesting pit at Burgh took some time, and I saw the yellow wild tulip for the first time at Gun ton, and having obtained bulbs acclimatized it at Lammas. In March Dr. J essopp's mind having practically given way he came up to Norwich, and I saw him there twice, for he was worrying immensely without reason as to his circumstances and his will. To comfort him I offered, to his great satisfaction, to act as his '' supervisor,'' an office which I need hardly say has long been obsolete, but which he remembered from his study of old wills. Somewhere there may still exist a most formidable and formal document which I drew up, stamped with an impressed Inland Revenue stamp, and all the stray seals I could find, and attested by a Commissioner to administer oaths (an old Norwich Grammar School pupil of the Doctor's) assent– ing to act, and I believe it was a great comfort to him during the remainder of his life. I mention this lest hundreds of years after it may come to light and be used as evidence of my insanity. On the 1st March my old friend, W. Y. Winthrop, died at Huerta Emilia, Porto Rico, where he had been for some years planting. He had just before written me that he was as strong as ever. A good but harum scarum giant, and an excellent companion. During March I cycled a little and began archery again, but shot very badly, as might have been expected from my suffering greatly with lumbago. I am bound to admit that a quack remedy, the pultogen, did me consider– able good, and I don't in fact know why I should call it a