"He, being on or about the 20th of September preceding in London, was by one Mr. Patrick Dowdall desired to goe along with him to see one George Cusack, then in prison there for severall hainous offences alleadged to have beene by him committed, which he could not do by reason of other occasions; but having within two or three days afterwards mett with Mr. Dowdall, was told by him that he had since their last meeting seene the said Cusack in prison (being the Marshalsea in Southwark) with bolts on, and that none of Cusack's men who were alsoe in prison were bolted:" that on the 11th of November Cusack was still in restraint, and not as yet come to his trial: "That there were _bookes written of the said Cusack's offences_, which he heard cryed about in the streets of London to be sold, and that y^e generall opinion and talke was that the said Cusack should suffer death for his crimes." By a fragment of an affidavit made by a Mr. Morgan O'Bryen, of the Middle Temple, London, it appears that this man was a Captain George Cusack, who, I presume, was a pirate. May I take leave to ask, are the above-mentioned books in existence, and where are they to be found? JAMES F. FERGUSON. Dublin. [In the British Museum is the following pamphlet:--"The Grand Pyrate: or the Life and Death of Captain George Cusack, the Great Sea-Robber, with an Accompt of all his notorious Robberies both at Sea and Land; together with his Tryal, Condemnation, and Execution. Taken by an Impartial Hand." London, 1676, pp. 24. 4to.] _Sir Ralph Winwood._--I am particularly desirous of obtaining some information respecting {273} Sir Ralph Winwood, private secretary to James I., and should feel much obliged if any of your numerous correspondents would favour me with anything they may know concerning him, or with the titles of any works in which his name is mentioned. H. P. W. R. [Biographical notices of Sir Ralph Winwood will be found in _Biographia Britannica_, Supplement; Lloyd's _State Worthies_; Wood's _Athenae_; Granger and Chalmers' Biographical Dictionaries. Sir F. Drake's Voyage, by T. Maynarde, is dedicated to him. Letters to him from Sir Thomas Roe, in 1615, 1616, are in the British Museum, Add. MS. 6115. fol. 71. 75. 146. And a letter to him from Sir Dudley Carlton will be found in the _Gentleman's Magazine_, vol. lvii. p. 143. The Diaries of the time of James I. may also be consulted; a list of them is given in "N. & Q.," Vol. vi., p. 363.] * * * * * Replies. BOOKS CHAINED TO DESKS IN CHURCHES. (Vol. viii., p. 93.) The authority for this ancient custom appears to be derived from an act of the Convocation which assembled in 1562. Strype informs us (_Annals_, vol. i. c. 27.) that at this Convocation the following injunctions were given: