Sir,—I was much pleased with the observations which appeared in the last number of your Current Notes, (p. 11) by your intelligent Correspondent, Mr. Boyne of Leeds, respecting the tokens issued by tradesmen in the seventeenth century. But as he states that the only instance with which he is acquainted of one bearing the Arms of the Commonwealth is that which you have engraved to illustrate his paper, it is evident that Mr. Boyne cannot have seen Dr. Aquilla Smith's Catalogue of the Tradesmen's Tokens current in Ireland between the years 1637 and 1679 which was printed in 1849 in the 2nd part of the 4th volume (8vo.) of the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, for on the very same page in which John Whittle's issue is enumerated, a token for the County of Kerry issued by T. S. is mentioned as bearing "The Commonwealth Arms." From my own collection I can give another instance, inscribed on both sides A. CORKE. FARTHING.

The list of Irish Tokens formed by Lindsay in 1839 amounts to only 195; while that published ten years afterwards by Dr. Smith extends to 552;—and I would respectfully call Mr. Boyne's attention to it.

Sir,—Finding by Mr. Boyne's communication in your Current Notes, that Tradesmen's Tokens are worth collecting, I beg to send for your acceptance five dug up in my own gardens. You may make what use you please of them.

And two German Counters.

Dug up in my garden at Woodchurch, near Tenterden, Kent, by myself.

G. W. sincerely thanks his Correspondent, and with his permission will consider these tokens at Mr. Boyne's service should he wish for them.

Sir,—Mr. William Boyne, in your "Current Notes" for February, asks any of your readers to inform him if there were any Tradesmen's Tokens of Scotland issued during the seventeenth century. I find in a small collection of Tokens I possess, an Edinburgh and Glasgow halfpenny, dates 1791 and 1793, proving there were some during the eighteenth century, though I have never met with any of an earlier date.

March 12, 1852.

The Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire.—T. M. considers the Rev. Dr. Hume's "attack" upon him ("Current Notes," for February, p. 10) to be "most unfair and uncalled for." He, however, admits the accuracy of Dr. Hume's statement, and withdraws his charge of the unacknowledged appropriation of his communication, although he questions the Rev. Gentleman's taste or temper in accusing him of want of patience or civility. "My copy," writes T. M. "does not contain the pages which were forwarded to you by Dr. Hume, and you have sent on to me. How, therefore, could I overlook pages which do not exist in my copy? Now, suppose no such pipe ever existed, but in the fumes of my brain (for I sometimes have strange fancies), and that I, in a hoaxing humour, transferred it to paper, and transmitted it to you. I say, again, suppose that no such inn ever existed at Fulham as the Golden Lion—would not I have an everlasting laugh at the learned Doctor Hume, and the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, and "Willis's Current Notes?" And would it not make as good a story as Bishop Heber's, or James Smith's hoaxes upon the venerable 'Gentleman's Magazine,' or Dr. Maginn's Correspondence with the trusty 'Times;' or Hook's political information to the 'Morning Post;' or the recent Roman Bridge affair, and Lord Goring's cobbler's bill, about his corns, in the York papers? Look to this, Mr. Willis; and don't encourage men to try and defend themselves at the expense of your Correspondent."

Tobacco.—The charge made against the Historical Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, by your correspondent T. M. in your "Current Notes" for January (p. 5), induced me to refer to the former numbers, of which, as I do not possess a complete set, I will thank you to forward me a copy of the Collected Edition you have announced. But, as by looking over the numbers which I have, I find that T. M. (see "Current Notes" for Feb. 1851, p. 13), is curious upon the subject of smoking and tobacco, I send you the following extract from an old miscellaneous manuscript book which came into my possession a few years since at Gloucester, and has the dates 1699 and 1703, with the names Bubb or Butt and Richard Smith in it—but part of which is written in a much earlier hand.

What an extraordinary record is this of a mental struggle to overcome the cravings for Tobacco and Ale.

Chester, February 4th.

What has been the highest price ever paid for a Volume?—In the course of my reading lately on Bibliography, I observe that at the sale of the Duke of Roxburgh's Library in May, 1812, the first edition of the Decamerone of Boccaccio produced the enormous sum of £2260. In the Catalogue the work is entitled—

"Boccaccio il Decamerone. Fol. M. G. Ediz. Prim. Venet. Valdarfer, 1471."

It was bought by the Duke of Marlborough, and again sold by public auction from his Library, by Mr. Evans, Pall Mall, in June, 1819, for the large price of £918. 15s. In that Catalogue it is entitled—

"Boccaccio il Decamerone, (Venezia), per Christoful Valdarfer di Ratispona, MCCCCLXXI."

At this time it was purchased by Mr. Longman, apparently for Lord Spencer, in whose library it is said at present to be. A note to the above Catalogue mentions that, "notwithstanding the publicity of the extraordinary sum which this book produced at the Roxburgh Sale, all researches throughout Europe to procure another copy have proved entirely fruitless. This volume still continues to be the only known perfect copy of this edition, and is, in all probability, the only copy which will ever be offered for public sale. Its unparalleled rarity, however, is not its only recommendation, as it contains many important readings which have not been followed in any subsequent edition."

If any of your learned correspondents could give us additional information as to this rare and apparently valuable volume, it would be doubtless interesting to Bibliographers. Has any volume ever brought a higher price, or any work even in a series of volumes?

It is most probable that the other copies of this Edition have fallen under the ban of the Pope.

James Smith. The mention of this gentleman by your Correspondent J. in your "Current Notes" for January (p. 7), reminds me that no author in the English language ever received so high a remuneration "per line" for his verses as James Smith. Longman's famous payment to Moore of a guinea a line for "Lalla Rookh" is as nothing to it, for Mr. Strachan, the King's printer, was so pleased with an epigram by Smith of eight lines, that he actually, in a codicil to his will bequeathed him £3000, or £375 per line.

O. Smith! The name of the "far famed Ruffian of the Adelphi," as your Correspondent, Mr. John Smith, in your Current Notes for January last, p. 7, is pleased to style a gentleman of quiet habits and literary tastes, whose real Christian names, are Richard John—the O being merely his theatrical soubriquet, possesses in his Album among many other interesting records the following witty testimonial from the late Mr. Mathews:

"I am happy to have it in my power to express my perfect belief that Mr. O. Smith is a most respectable character in private life, though a Great Ruffian on the Stage.

I was so much pleased with this impromptu by Mathews, that I asked Mr. Smith's permission to copy it, and I have no hesitation in sending you my transcript to make what use of it you like.