AUDITOR

On one side of an irregular piece of paper, roughly 18 x 9 cm, torn from the foot of a document. Heavily discoloured, but neatly laid down on a 19 x 13.5 cm piece of grey paper, with the typed caption: ‘Signture [sic] of: / Sir Robert HOWARD (1626-1698) P.C. / Auditor of the Excheq: and Dramatist / (part-author, with Dryden, of ‘The Indian Queen’ etc.)’. At the head: ‘pray pay this Order out of Customes’; and beneath this the Latin draft, with date and sum (but not the name of the payee). Howard’s signature, written large and bold, is at bottom left: ‘Exam[inatus] P[er]. Howard’.

Five pages, cr.8vo, poor condition, including one bifolium, chipped with small loss of text. On [p.4] of the bifilium there is a signed statement in William Collins's hand (the auditor): 'Theise are the Auntient Rentes of the principall Impropriations of the Deane & Chapter of Sarum (i.e. Salisbury) according to the survey 26 H. 8 (i.e. of the 26th year of Henry VIII = 1534-5). What sume they are improved appeareth not but neither are the values of Bedwym (Bedwyn), Okborne (Ogbourne) & Uphaven (Upavon) expressed.Wm Collins, Auditor'.