Antiquarian pursuits, however, are shown by the minute books to have been the favourite study. Scarcely a single meeting was held at which some antique specimen was not exhibited, or an address given on some antiquarian subject. Not only were papers concerning the monastic remains of the district and the architecture of its churches eminently interesting, but the secretary had inherited from his ancestor, Sir Richard Ogle, several manuscripts which had formerly belonged to the mitred Priory of Spalding. He had access also to many other documents in public and private collections. From these and other sources he was able to produce a history of the Priory, with an account of each Lord Prior in succession. This account was entered _in extenso_ in the minute books. It is also recorded that he wrote an account of his native town. He exhibited charters of the Priory and various documents belonging to other places. He had an ample collection of ancient coins, some of which, judging by the illustrations in the minute books, were of considerable value. These were at times shown to the members, and his remarks thereon must have been of great interest. He wrote an essay on the Mint at Lincoln, which was published. He also wrote a lengthy account of the coins of Carausius and Allectus, which is in MS. in the keeping of the Society, as are also many other of his dissertations. Encouraged by Mr. Secretary Addison, and Captain (afterwards Sir Richard Steele), Maurice Johnson prepared “a true, succinct, historical account of the Royal Society, as also of the restoration of our Antiquarian Society of London. These documents were obtained from him by Dr. Mortimer, under the assured promise of publishing them, and so introducing the better and fuller knowledge of us to the learned world, in a dedication, preface, or preamble to some volume of the Philosophical Transactions, wherein he proposed to give an account of all the Societies of Great Britain and Ireland, restored, re-established, or founded since the Royal Society.” It appears that the Society of Antiquaries was pleased with this account (and desired a copy of it), as was also the Royal Society. Dr. Mortimer, however, never published the account, and Maurice Johnson was unable to obtain the paper back again, though he several times applied for its return both personally and through his friends.