That part of his Collection which Samuel Pepys classified as “Sea” MSS. consists of one hundred and fourteen volumes, the contents of which cover a wide field of naval history. The leading motive of the collector is probably to be found in his projected “History of the Navy.” Early in his career he thought of writing a History of the Dutch War, “it being a thing I much desire, and sorts mightily with my genius.” Later on the design expanded into a complete naval history, and at the time of his death he was supposed to have been engaged on it for many years. His correspondence with Evelyn and Sir William Dugdale suggests that it would have included in its scope the antiquities of the Navy and possibly the history of navigation, as well as administrative history; and this view is supported by his selection of “Sea“ MSS. for his Library. The manuscripts may be roughly classified in three groups:— (i) Official documents of Pepys's own time, the presence of which in the Library may be explained by the predatory habits of retiring officials in his day; (ii) other official and unofficial documents-many of them acquired or copied at some expense—brought together deliberately in order to serve as material for the projected “History of the Navy”; (iii) books and papers which specially appealed to Pepys's characteristic curiosity, and have only an indirect bearing upon naval history.