Animaduersions Uppon the Annotacions And Corrections of Some Imperfections of Impressiones of Chaucer's Workes

ined. It can hardly be supposed that "John de la Inne de Botfelde," as he signed himself, kept a veritable hostelry and sold ale and provender to the travellers between Ludlow and Shrewsbury, and most probably the term Inn was used in the sense which has given us "Lincoln's Inn," "Gray's Inn," or "Furnivall's Inn," merely meaning a place of residence of the higher class, though in this case inverted, the Inn giving its name to its owner. However obtained, the name has been borne by the most successful branch of the De Botfelds down to the present Marquess of Bath, who now represents it. Much interesting matter connected with the family was collected by a late descendant of the older branch, Beriah Botfeld, and published by him in his "Stemmata Botvilliana." The first "John of the Inn" married one Jane Bowdler, by whom he had a son Ralph, who married Anne Hygons, and their son William became clerk of the kitchen, and according to some, master of the household to Henry VIII. He iv married in the first place a lady who, however she may have advanced her husband's prospects at court, behaved in a manner which must have considerably marred his satisfaction at her success. Those who wish to study the matrimonial sorrows of "Thynnus Aulicus," as he calls him, may consult Erasmus in his Epistolæ, lib. xv. Epist. xiv. .