Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598-A.D. 1867 Part 19

Gale (Samuel), 1755.

Graves (Rich.), of Mickleton. Through _Hearne_.

Halifax (Montagu, Earl of), 1715.

Hearne (Thomas), 1747.

Holman (William). See p. 174.

Jekyll (Sir Joseph), 1739.

Le Neve (Peter), 1731.

Maittaire (Mich.), 1748.

Mead (Richard, M.D.), 1754-5.

Murray (John), 1749.

Oxford (Harley, Earl of), 1743-5.

Pepys (Samuel). See p. 172.

Pole (Francis), 175-.

Powle (Henry), in 1689 Speaker of House of Commons.

Rawlinson (Thomas), 1734.

Robinson (Bishop). See p. 175.

St. George (Sir Thomas).

Somers (Lord). Through _Jekyll_.

Spelman (Sir Henry).

Spinckes (Rev. Nathan), 1727.

Turner (Bishop). See p. 176.

Usher (Archbishop). Through _Hearne_.

Wake (Archbp.). See p. 174.

Ware (Sir James). Through _Clarendon_ and _Chandos_.

Whiston (William).

On July 15, a bequest of printed books and MSS. was received from Rev.

Richard Furney, M.A., Archdeacon of Surrey (who had been schoolmaster at Gloucester, 1719-1724, and who died in 1753,) by the hands of the Rev.

John Noel, of Oriel College. The printed books (nineteen in all) consisted almost entirely of early editions of cla.s.sics. The MSS. (six folio volumes) are thus described in a list made by the Librarian, Humphrey Owen, at the time of their receipt:--

'1, 2, 3 and 4 contain collections relating to the history and antiquities of the city, church and county of Gloucester. 5, 6, a fair copy, seemingly prepared for the press, of the history and antiquities of the said city, church and county, by the Arch-deacon himself, or some friend of his from whom these papers came into his hands.'

The gift comprised also two ancient bra.s.s seals, and eighteen original deeds, amongst which is the original confirmation charter granted to Gloucester Abbey, by Burgred King of Mercia, in 862. This remarkable deed (which is not printed in Kemble's _Codex_) is in admirable preservation, is written in seventeen lines, with five lines containing seventeen signatures, and measures sixteen inches in width and ten and one-third in length. There are also original grants to the abbey from Hen. II and Stephen, and a confirmation, 29 Edw. I, of Magna Charta, which has a magnificent impression of the beautiful great seal. The deeds are noticed in the Report on the Public Records for 1800, p. 354.

By the death on Sept. 5, 1754, of James St. Amand, Esq.[253] (formerly of Lincoln College), a bequest of books, MSS., coins, &c. which had been made by a will dated Nov. 9, 1749, accrued to the Library, being received in the year 1755. The books consist chiefly of the then modern editions of the cla.s.sics, and of the writings of modern Latin scholars; such of them as the Library did not need, were to go to Lincoln College. The MSS., sixty-eight in number, comprise various papers relating to the history chiefly of the Low Countries[254], together with notes and indices by St. Amand himself to Theocritus and other Greek poets, Horace, &c. They are described by Mr. c.o.xe, in vol. i. of the Catalogue of MSS., cols. 889-908. The main part of the residue of his property was bequeathed to Christ's Hospital, together with a picture of his grandfather James St. Amand, done in miniature and set in gold, with the singular proviso that the picture should be exhibited, and the part of the will relating to these bequests be read, at the first annual court of the Hospital, and also that the picture be shown annually to the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, if required. Should a refusal to show the picture be persistently made, or any of the conditions of the will be avoided, then all the residue was to be given to the University, first to increase the stipend of the chief Librarian to 120 and of the second Librarian to 70, but only so long as both of them were unmarried, and then to be devoted to the purchasing of books and MSS., specially of cla.s.sic authors.

Many of his books have a book-plate, which the author has ascertained to be that of Dr. Arthur Charlett; being the initials A. C., interlaced with the same repeated in an inverse way, surrounded by piles of books, and with the motto, 'Animus si aequus, quod petis hic est.'

By the bequest of George Ballard (the author of the _Memoirs of Learned Ladies_), who died on June 24, the Library became enriched with forty-four volumes of Letters, chiefly addressed, by ecclesiastical and literary personages of all ranks, to Dr. Arthur Charlett, Master of University College, between the reigns of James II and George I. For the biographical and bibliographical history of the time these letters possess great interest and value; it was from them that the _Letters by Eminent Persons_, published in 1813, by Rev. John Walker, M.A., Fellow of New College, were chiefly drawn. No printed catalogue of them has yet appeared, but the Library possesses a MS. index to the contents of each volume, and a more complete and minute index has been recently commenced[255]. Besides the Letters, Ballard bequeathed some other MSS., in number twenty-three, among which is a volume of various voyages and expeditions, 1589-1634; Sir Edm. Warcupp's autograph account of the treaty in the Isle of Wight;[256] a dialogue between a tutor and his pupil, by Lord Herbert, of Cherbury; the second book of the _Supplication of Soules_, by Sir Thos. More, a precious little volume of 103 closely-written duodecimo pages, entirely in the handwriting of the great Chancellor; the _Universitie's Musterings_, by Brian Twyne; collections by Ant. a Wood; a small volume of Gloucesters.h.i.+re notes, supposed by Guillim; and several volumes written by Mr. Elstob and his sister. An extract from Ballard's will, with a list of his MSS., is in the Register marked 'C.'

Ballard was originally a stay-maker or mantua-maker at Campden, Gloucesters.h.i.+re; but, following the study of antiquities with great ardour, became well known and highly esteemed amongst all of like pursuits. At the age of forty-four he was appointed one of the eight clerks of Magdalen College, being matriculated Dec. 15, 1750, but never took any degree. He bequeathed to the College Library some of his books which were there wanting. The fullest account of him will be found in vol. ii. of _A Register of St. Mary Magd. College_, by J. R. Bloxam, D.D., pp. 95-102, 1857. Some letters from him are printed in Nichols'

_Lit. Hist._ iv. 206-226.

The very valuable MS. of the letters of Gilbert Foliot, Bishop of London (which are of great importance for the ill.u.s.tration of the history of Thomas a Becket), now numbered _E. Musaeo_ 247, was given by Sir Thomas Cave, Bart. It is described in the Benefaction Book as 'liber rarissimus; per totam Angliam unum hoc tantum modo exstat exemplar.' The letters were first printed by Dr. Giles, together with the Lives of Becket, in his series of _Patres Ecclesiae Anglicanae_, in 1845.

[220] This date is from the _Register of Graduates_; Rawlinson says, Mich. Term, 1710.

[221] By Bishop Jeremy Collier, in Mr. Laurence's Chapel on College Hill, London. (See a communication from the present writer in _Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, iii. 244.) He appears to have endeavoured to conceal from the world his clerical character. In a letter to T.

Rawlins, of Pophills, Warw. in 1736, he requests him not to address him as _Rev._ (Ballard's MSS. ii. 6.) Some volumes of Sermons in his handwriting are among his MSS. His writing is of a very broad, rude, and clumsy character; and it is singular that his brother Thomas wrote a hand very similar. Richard usually signs only with his initials, separated by a cross, 'R + R.'

[222] The small note-books kept on his journeys, containing epitaphs, inscriptions, accounts of places visited, &c., are preserved (but, unfortunately, in an imperfect series) among his Miscellaneous MSS.

[223] See _Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, i. 225.

[224] Two beautiful miniature portraits of James Edward, son of James II, and his wife Clementina Sobieski, which could not, probably, at the time be safely exhibited, have recently been exhumed by the Librarian from the obscurity to which they had been consigned, and are now hung in the Picture Gallery. In Feb. 1749/50, Rawlinson sent Kelly's 'Holy Table,' a marble slab, covered with astrological figures (engraved in Dr. Dee's _Actions with Spirits_), which, he says, had been subsequently in the possession of Lilly. It is now in the Ashmolean Museum.

[225] By the terms of his will, dated June 2, 1752, and printed in 1755, he bequeathed all his MSS. of every kind (excepting private papers and letters) to the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University, to be placed in the Bodleian Library, or in such other place as they should deem most proper, for the use and benefit of the University, and of all other persons, properly and with leave resorting thereto with a view to the public good; and to be kept separate and apart from every other collection. With these he gave also all his books printed on vellum or silk (of which latter kind there are two or three small specimens), all his deeds and charters, and all his printed books containing any MSS.

notes, together with various antiquities and miscellaneous curiosities.

His MS. and printed music he bequeathed to the Music School. Of the Musical library preserved in this room, a MS. Catalogue was made a few years ago by Rev. Robert Hake, M.A., then Chaplain of New College, now Precentor of Canterbury.

[226] _Apropos_ of log-books, it may be mentioned that whereas it appears from the eighth Report of the Deputy-Keeper of the Records, p.

26, 1847, that the earliest log among the Admiralty Records is of the year 1673, there are several of about the same date and a little earlier to be found in Rawlinson's collection.

[227] Among the printed books are two copies of Archbp. Parker's rare _De Antiq. Eccl. Brit._, 1572. One of these is the identical copy described by Strype in his _Life of Parker_, and which was then in the possession of Bp. Fleetwood of Ely; the other (which was given to the Library by Jos. Sanford, B.D., Balliol Coll., in 1753) was presented to Rich. Cosin by John Parker, the Archbishop's eldest son, Jan. 5, 1593.

Owen, the Librarian, notes on the cover that Dr. Rawlinson tells him this copy was bought at the sale of the library of his brother, Thos.

Rawlinson, by the Earl of Oxford, for 40. A collection of the original broadsides proclamations issued during the whole of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in beautiful condition, forms a remarkable and splendid volume; the collection is complete, except that a few proclamations, of which printed copies are wanting, are supplied in MS. As far as the year 1577 they are printed by Richard Jugge, sometimes alone and sometimes in conjunction with John Cawood; thenceforward they are printed by the two Barkers, first by Christopher, and afterwards by Robert. They appear to have been collected in the reign of James I. A printed chronological table of contents is prefixed, together with a portrait of the Queen, engraved by Fr. Delaram, with six lines of verse by 'Jo. Davies, Heref.'

At the year 1559 a leaf is inserted containing the arms of Q. Mary of Scotland quartering those of England (the a.s.sumption of which by Mary gave irreconcileable offence to Q. Eliz.), beautifully painted, with the note, 'Sent out of Fraunce, in July, 1559,' and these lines below:--

'The armes of Marie Queene Dolphines of ffraunce, The n.o.billest Lady in earth for till aduaunce: Off Scotland queene, and of Ingland also, Off Ireland als, G.o.d haith providit so.'

This leaf is one of two copies executed for Cecil and Q. Eliz. Two, probably unique, 'red-letter' books are also among the rarities of Rawlinson's printed collection. The one is a Sermon on Ps. iv. 7, preached before Charles I at Oxford by Josias Howe, B.D., of Trinity College. It is printed entirely in red, and has no t.i.tle. It was bought, included in a volume of miscellaneous sermons, out of Dr. Charlett's library, by Hearne, who says in a MS. note that only thirty copies were printed. A description of it is given by Dr. Bliss in his _Reliquiae Hearn._ vol. ii. pp. 960-1, where Hearne's note is printed in full. The other is a volume ent.i.tled, _The b.l.o.o.d.y Court; or, the Fatal Tribunal_, being an account of the trial and execution of Charles I. The lengthy t.i.tle is printed by Dr. Bliss, _ubi supra_. Some few of Rawlinson's printed books came to the Library among Gough's, in 1809.

[228] The salaries being miserably insufficient, the recognised duties of the officers appear to have been simply the cataloguing the few books that were received in ordinary course, and attending upon the readers.

Consequently for any other work, for arranging or cataloguing any new collections, &c., special payments were always made. A somewhat amusing instance of this occurs under the year 1722, when the Librarian craved payment for making with his own hand certain new hand-lists, &c., but was refused. However, he carried on his claim from year to year until it was admitted to the amount of 5 15_s._ 6_d._ in 1725. And as the funds were insufficient to defray in this way the extra cost of cataloguing such a collection as Rawlinson's, hence, doubtless, came the neglect which it experienced. Such work was so clearly understood to form no part of the Librarians' regular duties, that Rawlinson says, in a letter to Owen, Apr. 15, 1751 (MS. C. 989), 'I think large benefactors should pay the expense of entries into the Bodleian, as their books are useless till so entered.'

[229] It was chiefly from these that the two volumes published in 1841 under the t.i.tle of _Life, Journals, and Correspondence of S. Pepys_ were compiled. Unfortunately the editor, or his copyist, appears to have been sometimes unable to read the MSS., and at other times very careless; his book therefore abounds with errors. The following is one of the worst, as it libels the memory of a statesman who deserved better treatment: Sir R. Southwell is represented as saying in a letter to Pepys (vol. i.

p. 282) that he has lost his health 'by sitting many years at the _sack_-bottle,' whereas the poor man had lost it by sitting many years 'at the _inck_-bottle.' A line or two farther on, Southwell's occupation with 'some care and much sorrow,' is changed into 'love, care and much sorrow.' Certain '_Novelles_,' or newspapers, which Mr. Hill sends to Pepys are explained (vol. ii. p. 135) to have been the _Novellae_ of Justinian! Throughout the book proper names are frequently made to become anything but proper to their owners.

[230] Letter from Rawlinson to T. Rawlins, Jan. 25, 1749/50; Ballard MS.

ii. 115.

[231] The same volume (now A. 139^b) also contains Monmouth's acknowledgment, written and signed by himself on the day of his execution, that Charles II had declared that he was never married to his mother; witnessed by Bishops Turner and Ken, together with Tenison and Hooper. This is now exhibited in the gla.s.s case at the entrance to the Library.

[232] In his delight at his new purchase, Rawlinson seems to have exaggerated the interest of these volumes.

[233] Letter to T. Rawlins, Feb. 24, 1742/3; Ballard MS. ii. 78.

[234] To the same; _Ibid._ 59.

[235] Gough, _Brit. Topogr._ i. 370, 345.

[236] Letter, June 24, 1741; Ballard MS. ii. 59.

[237] Including some letters from Ken while Chaplain to Princess Mary.

These papers of Compton are in cla.s.s C.