injured their families; but his disposal of it was ludicrous--sometimes
he made a free gift, at others he exchanged a better estate for a a
worse, and then gave that worse to another.

I have met with a little anecdote which says, "That Henry being upon a
tour in Devonshire, two men waited on him to beg certain lands in that
county; while they attended in the anti-room for the royal presence, a
stranger approached, and asked them a trifling question; they answered,
they wished to be alone--at that moment the King entered: They fell at
his feet: The stranger seeing them kneel, kneelt with them. They asked
the favor intended; the King readily granted it: They bowed: The
stranger bowed also. By this time, the stranger perceiving there was a
valuable prize in the question, claimed his thirds; they denied his
having anything to do with the matter: He answered, he had done as much
as they, for they only asked and bowed, and he did the same. The dispute
grew warm, and both parties agreed to appeal to the King, who answered,
He took them for joint beggars, therefore had made them a joint present.
They were then obliged to divide the land with the stranger, whose share
amounted to 240_l_. per annum."

The land formerly used for the priory of Birmingham, is now the property
of many persons. Upon that spot, whereon stood one solitary house, now
stand about four hundred. Upon that ground, where about thirty persons
lived upon the industry of others, about three thousand live upon their
own: The place, which lay as a heavy burden upon the community, now
tends to enrich it, by adding its mite to the national commerce, and the
national treasury.

In 1775, I took down an old house of wood and plaister, which had stood
208 years, having been erected in 1567, thirty-one years after the