that of Sir Walter Raleigh, in many respects the greatest man of his age.

On the execution being granted in the King's Bench Court, on the
afternoon of the 28th of October 1618, he asked for a little time for
pre- paration, but his request was refused, Bacon having already in his
pocket the death warrant duly signed by the King before the meeting of
the Court! Sir Walter then asked for paper, pen and ink; and when he
came to die that he might be permitted to speak at his farewell. To
these last requests he appears to have received no reply, but was with
indecent haste hustled off to the Gate House for execution early the
next morning, the 29th of October, Lord Mayor's day, when it was
expected that the crowd would go cityward. However, there was a crowd,
and probably in consequence he was not prohibited from speaking. He had
prepared himself, and is said to have consulted a _'Noteof Remembrance'_
which he held in his hand while speaking. It is possible, nay, probable
that this very same _Note_ still survives in 'paper-saving' Hariot's
'waste,' for a precious little waif, all crumpled and soiled, just such
a ' Noteof Remembrance,' it is believed, as Raleigh held in his hand and
consulted during that ever memorable speech, has comedown to us, and is
now preserved among the Hariot papers in the British Museum. It has been
recently recognized and identified by Mr Stevens, who has placed it,
with other newly discovered documents respecting our philosopher, at the
disposition of the Hercules Club. It is thought to possess internal
evidence of having been drawn out _before_ the speech, and is not
therefore Hariot's jottings of remembrance _after_ it. But positive
proof is wanting.

It is beyond all doubt, however, in the well-known handwriting of
Hariot, and is presumed to be the ' note of remembrance' _for_ the
speech, made in the Gate House, probably from dictation, during the