CORONER, an officer of great antiquity, who is to enquire into the causes of all sudden deaths, where there is the least suspicion of murder, and for that purpose he impannels a jury, to whom he gives a charge, and takes evidence upon oath. The Lord Mayor for the time being is coroner of the city; but he appoints a deputy for the discharge of that office. The coroner’s jury have a right to examine the body of the deceased, and to call in the assistance of physicians or surgeons. They are to try the supposed murderer; and if they acquit him of all guilt, and concern in the death of the deceased, he is set at liberty; but if they find him guilty, their sentence is not final; the supposed murderer being sent to prison to take his trial at the Old Bailey. The coroner is likewise to enquire into the escape of a murderer, and also concerning found treasure, deodands, and wrecks at sea. There are several other coroners, who hold courts out of the liberties of the city, as for Westminster, the Tower Hamlets, &c. CORONER’S _court_, Cross lane. CORPORATION _lane_, Bridewell walk, Clerkenwell. CORTEN’S _yard_, New North street.† CORTES’S _gardens_, Shoreditch.† COTE’S _yard_, Skinner street, Bishopsgate street without.† COTTERELL’S _Almshouse_, situated in Chapel yard, Hog lane, Soho, was endowed by Sir Charles Cotterell, with a perpetual annuity of 20_l._ a year, towards the support of eight poor women. COTTON LIBRARY, consisting of a curious collection of valuable manuscripts, relating to the antiquities of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. was collected by that excellent antiquary Sir Robert Cotton, who left it to his son Sir Thomas, and after his decease to Sir John Cotton, his grandson, who giving it to the public, an act of parliament was passed in the year 1701, for securing it, for the benefit of the public. Pursuant to which the library, together with the coins, medals and other rarities, were, upon the death of Sir John Cotton, vested in trustees, who appointed a librarian, well read in antiquities; but on the 23d of October 1731, this valuable collection suffered greatly by fire; by which ninety nine volumes were destroyed, and an hundred and eleven much damaged. Before this misfortune, the Cotton library consisted of 958 volumes of original charters, grants, instruments, registers of monasteries, remains of Saxon laws; the letters of Sovereign Princes, transactions between this and other kingdoms and states, the book of Genesis, said to have been written by Origen, in the second century, and to be the most ancient Greek copy extant; and the curious Alexandrean manuscript of the Old and New Testament, in Greek capitals, said to have been written in the third century.