The possession of these boards, invaluable to me, was essential.  They authenticate the sagacity of my guesses, a talent in an antiquary coequal with prophecy in a saint.  On the outside is an archbishop, unchristened by the late possessors, but evidently Archbishop Kempe, or the same person with the prelate in my Marriage of Henry VI.,_ and you will allow from the collateral evidence that it must be Kempe, as I have so certainly discovered another person in my picture.  The other outside is a cardinal, called by Mr. Ives, Babington; but I believe Cardinal Beaufort, for the lion of England stands by him, which a bastardly prince of the blood was more likely to assume than a true one.  His face is not very like, nor very unlike, the face in my picture; but this is -shaven.-But now comes the great point.  On the inside is Humphrey Duke of Gloucester kneeling—­not only exactly resembling mine as possible, but with the same almost bald head, and the precisely same furred robe.  An apostle-like personage stands behind him, holding a golden chalice, as his royal highness’s offering, and, which is remarkable, the duke’s velvet cap of state, with his coronet of strawberry-leaves.

I used to say, to corroborate my hypothesis, that the skull of Duke Humphrey at St. Alban’s was very like the form of head in my picture, which argument diverted the late Lord Holland extremely—­but I trust now that nobody will dispute any longer my perfect acquaintance with all Dukes of Gloucester.—­By the way, did I ever tell You that when I published my Historic Doubts on Richard iii., my niece’s marriage not being then acknowledged, George Selwyn said, he did not think I should have doubted about the Duke of Gloucester?  On the inside of another shutter is a man unknown:  he is in a stable, as Joseph might be, but over him hangs a shield of arms, that are neither Joseph’s nor Mary’s.  The colours are either black and white, or so changed as not to be distinguishable. * * " * I conclude the person who is in red and white was the donor of the altar-piece, or benefactor; and what I want of you is to discover him and his arms; and to tell me whether Duke Humphrey, Beaufort, Kempe, and Babington were connected with St. Edmondsbury, or whether this unknown person was not a retainer of Duke Humphrey, at least of the royal family.

At the same sale I bought a curious pair, that I conclude came from Blickling, with Hobart impaling Boleyn from which latter family the former enjoyed that seat.  How does this third winter of the season agree with you?  The wind to-day is sharper than a razor, and blows icicles into one’s eyes.  I was confined for seven weeks with the gout " yet am so well recovered as to have been abroad to-day, though it is as mild under the pole.

Pray can you tell me the title of the book that Mr. Ives dedicated to me?  I never saw it, for he was so odd (I cannot call it modest, lest I should seem not so myself) as never to send it me, and I never could get it.  Yours truly.