ever and anon turning up at book-sales, with his stamp upon them, he had collected a very valuable library, now, alas! entirely dispersed. 
   Other documents of the same date prove that he had at that time acquired a considerable proficiency in Anglo-Saxon literature. Judging from the large accumulation of materials for county history, there is every appearance that he contemplated a work of that nature. Among them is a collection of tracings of brasses and monuments in Kent churches, many of the originals of which are no longer in existence. In this pursuit he was assisted by Philipot, whose hand is patent throughout, especially in the drawings of brasses and coatarmour.¹
   Philipot perhaps owes much of the materials of his History to his early association with Sir Edward. Be this as it may, it is quite clear that, at the period of which we speak, Dering, in conjunction with Philipot, was ardently devoting himself to the preparation of a history of this county. 
   In pursuance of this object, or with some more enlarged view, he obtained, in 1627, a warrant from the Council, authorizing him to examine the Public Records without the usual charge of the exorbitant fees then demanded of all searchers. This warrant, with the autograph signatures of the Council, is still preserved among the muniments at Surrenden.
   The ensuing twelve years of Sir Edward's life were devoted to the pursuit of these antiquarian studies, until his embarkation on the stormy sea of politics in 1640. 
   About the year 1630 he was Lieutenant of Dover Castle, evidently at that time a rich depository of records
   ¹ My friend Mr. Herbert Smith, under the kind sanction of the late Cholmeley Dering, Esq., the owner of the manuscript, has copied them all, with a view to future publication, as valuable records of monumental memorials. Some of these monuments are no longer extant, and all are much defaced. Four specimens of these tracings are inserted in our present volume.