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PAULINE FORE MOFFITT 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 GENERAL LIBRARY, BERKELEY 
 
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The Life o/Sr THOMAS BODLEY 
 
JAMES K.MOFFITT 
 
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 HOCVOLEB.MK NMCIV* 
 
THE LIFE OF 
 
 Sir THOMAS BODLEY 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF 
 
 Privately reprinted for JOHN LANE 
 and his friends. Christmas 1894. 
 
Add to Lib* 
 
 GIFT 
 
INTTlODUCriON 
 
 N sending out to my friends 
 this reprint of the rare little 
 Li/e of S'' Thomas Bodley^ 
 'written by himselfe,' my 
 motive for selecting this par- 
 ticular work for the purpose will be suffi- 
 ciently obvious to them : what may be likely 
 to cause more speculation would, however, 
 be unaccounted for without this prefatory 
 note — viz., my reasons for sele6ling Bodley 
 as the patron saint of my business. 
 
 I have always been in doubt whether 
 the writing of a great book or the capacity 
 
 to 
 
 403 
 
iv Introduction 
 
 to appreciate it were the finest thing in the 
 world ; but I am convinced that next in im- 
 portance after the writing and the appreciating 
 is the publishing of it. It was this which 
 led me to regard the starting of a publishing 
 business as a thing to be achieved sooner 
 or later. 
 
 In July 1887, in company with my friend 
 Mr. R. W. Wilson of the British Museum, 
 I was one day at an exhibition in the Rem- 
 brandt Head Gallery in Vigo Street; and, 
 casually asking the proprietor, Mr. Dunthorne, 
 if 1|^ knew of any cosy little corner where a 
 book-shop would be in fit setting, he at once 
 rejoined that the premises in the same street, 
 where he had originally hung up the sign of 
 the Rembrandt Head, were vacant, and that 
 he would be pleased to show them to me. I 
 saw them, liked them, and at once made up 
 my mind that here was the spot I had been 
 looking for. 'It should have a sign,' I 
 mused : Mr. Dunthorne's had captivated me. 
 The inspiration waited on the wish : it should 
 
 be 
 
Introduction 
 
 be The Bodley Head. Bodley, the most pious 
 of founders ! Who could so fittingly be 
 enshrined as patron ? Besides, Bodley was 
 one of the most notable worthies of Devon, 
 my native county, and had I needed a con- 
 tributory motive, this would have been an 
 ample one. 
 
 Mr. C. Elkin Mathews was then in business 
 at Exeter ; and as we had already arranged 
 that when opportunity offered itself we should 
 join forces, he came to London at once in 
 response to my summons, saw and liked the 
 place as much as I did. The premises were 
 taken in Mr. Mathews' name, for I was not 
 at first to take an adive part, and we walked 
 away discussing the future. 
 
 'It should have a sign,' I said, 'and I 
 have thought The Bodley Head is what it 
 should be.' ' The very same idea was in 
 my own mind,' answered my partner, fresh 
 from Exeter, Sir Thomas Bodley's birthplace; 
 and consumed as he was at the time with 
 that passion for old literature which would, 
 
 Exeter 
 
vi Introduction 
 
 Exeter even apart, have made the coincidence 
 perfectly natural. So The Bodley Head it 
 became. 
 
 In 1888 I made the acquaintance of Mr. 
 Richard Le Gallienne, and in 1889 i^itro- 
 duced him to Mr. Mathews, v^ith the result 
 that there shortly appeared the first book 
 with the imprint of The Bodley Head^ Mr. 
 Le Gallienne's first published book. Volumes 
 in Folio. 
 
 Many others followed it, and in February 
 1892 it seemed desirable that our partnership 
 should be indicated in the style of the firm, 
 and that I should devote the whole of my 
 time to the business. 
 
 About two years and a half later our seven 
 years' partnership attained its term, and from 
 October ist 1894 we have been working 
 apart. 
 
 By mutual arrangement, for our separation 
 was of a perfectly cordial character, the sign 
 of The Bodley Head was transferred to my 
 new offices opposite. 
 
 The 
 
Introduction vii 
 
 The very interesting copy of the Life on 
 which this reprint is modelled was presented 
 to me by Mr. Mathews. 
 
 To Mr. G. F. Bodley, A.R.A., the well- 
 known architedl, a collateral descendant of 
 Sir Thomas, I owe the opportunity of em- 
 bellishing it with an engraving of the Bodley 
 Medal, struck from the design of Jean Warin, 
 of which only three copies are known to 
 exist. 
 
 To my friend Mr. Walter Blaikie, of the 
 firm of T. and A. Constable of Edinburgh, 
 I am grateful for the thought and care he 
 has bestowed on this modern reprint of the 
 original pamphlet, which, although larger in 
 size, is here reproduced page for page and 
 line for Hne, from type as befits the subject, 
 and not by any modern process. 
 
 For the photo-etchings of the medal and 
 portrait I have to thank the Swan Electric 
 Engraving Company, which has generously 
 presented them to the book. 
 
 I have not attempted to add anything fresh, 
 B except 
 
viii Introduction 
 
 except the illustrations, though many interest- 
 ing fadts might be gleaned ; but although 
 later on occasion may present itself, here, it 
 appears to me, such additions would be out 
 of place. 
 
 JOHN LANE. 
 
 The Bodley Head, 
 
 Christmas 1894. 
 
THE LIFE OF 
 
 S^ THOMAS BODLEY, 
 
 THE HONOVRABLE 
 
 FOVNDER OF THE PVBLIQVE 
 
 Library in the Vniversity 
 of OXFORD. 
 
 Written by Himfelfe. 
 
 OXFORD, 
 
 Printed by Henry Hall Printer to 
 the UNIVERSITIE. 1647. 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 HEN the Great Re/iorer of Learning^ 
 our Munificent ^enefaSfour^SirT no- 
 MAS BoDLEY, made the happy Ex- 
 change of the troubles of this life^ 
 with the Glories of a better; The Vni- 
 verfityy according to the greatnejfe of his merits^ 
 and their lojfe^ in folemne griefe and fadnejfe^ 
 attended at his Obfequies. But left the uncha- 
 ritable cenfure of the world Jhould apprehend our 
 thankfulnejfe buried in the fame grave with him, and 
 cold as his dead ajhes^ in that we pay no after tribute 
 to fo engaging a defert ; VVe bring to the Altar of 
 Eternity that part of him which yet^ and ever muft 
 furvive, A Monument freed from the lawes of time 
 and ruine; Supported with the vigour of that name., 
 which hath a feminall flrength within it felfe^ to 
 make whole volumes live. But left the judging and 
 feverer eye^ viewing the nakednejfe of this relation^ 
 may thence defpife the poorenejje of our endeavour : 
 That I may Jpeake the worke above all f come ^ above 
 allpraife ; it was his Owne, d^r durfi we call that 
 draught in quefiion^ which felt the hand of fo exa£i 
 a Mafier ; but with awe lookt on ity as on the fabrique 
 of an ancient Temple^ where the ruine furthers our 
 devotion; and gaudy ornaments doe but prophane the 
 
 fad 
 
To the Reader. 
 
 fad religion of the place. ^Tls true^ It favours not the 
 language of our age^ that hath the Art to murther 
 with a smile, and fold a curfe within a prayer^ hut 
 fpeakes the %hetQrlcke of that better world^ where 
 vertue was the garbe^ and truth the complement, 
 Thofe a£llons are of low and empty worthy that can 
 Jhlne onely when the varnljh of our words doth gild 
 them over. The true diamond fparkles In Its rocke^ 
 and In defplght of darkenejje ?nakes a day. Here then 
 you shall behold Actions with the fame Integrity fet 
 downe^ as they were firfi performed. A Hlflory de- 
 fcrlb'^d., as It was llv^'d. A Councellour that ad?mtted 
 Jllll Religion to the Cabinet : and In his active almes 
 had a defigne on Heaven. A fplrlt of that height^ 
 that happlneffe^ as In a private fortune to out-doe 
 the fani d magnificence of mighty Trlnces : whlPfl his 
 fmgle worke clouds the proud fame of the ^Egyptian 
 Library ; and Jlmmes the tedious growth o'th weal- 
 thy Vatican. / know how hard a taske "'twill be to 
 perfwadeany to copy out from this f aire patterne; how- 
 ever we cannot yet fo farre defpalre of Ingenuity^ as 
 not to expert even from th* unconcerned dlfintereffed 
 %jader^ a clear e ejieeme and jufi refentment of It. 
 Ifwegalne but thls^ we Jh all In part refi fatlsfied: In 
 an age fo wholly lost to vlce^ conceiving It a great de- 
 gree of vertue to confefje the luflre of that good which 
 our perverfe endeavours filll avoyde. 
 
 THE 
 
THE LIFE OF SIR THO- 
 MAS 'BOT>LET. 
 
 Was borne at Exeter in 2)^- 
 vonjhire the fecond of March^ 
 1544. defcended both by 
 Father and Mother of wor- 
 fhipfull parentage. By my Fa- 
 thers fide, from an antient 
 Family of ^odley^ or ^odleigh of T)unfcomhe by 
 Cred'iton ; and by my Mother, from %jhert 
 Hone Efquire, oiOtterey Saint Mary^ nine miles 
 from Exeter-^ my Father in the time of Queen 
 Mary^ being noted and knowne to be an ene- 
 my to Popery, was fo cruelly threatned, and 
 fo narrowly obferved, by thofe that maliced 
 his Rehgion, that for the fafeguard of him- 
 felfe and my Mother, who was wholly afFe- 
 6led as my Father, he knew no way fo fecure, 
 as to fly into Ger?nany : where after a while 
 
 he 
 
Tbe life of Sir Thomas Bodley. 
 
 he found meanes to call over my Mother, 
 with all his children and family, whom he 
 fetled for a time at VFefell in Cleveland^ (for 
 there, as then, were many Englifh, which had 
 left their Country for their confcience, and 
 with quietnefTe enjoyed their meetings and 
 preachings;) and from thence we removed to 
 the Towne of Franckfort^ where was in like 
 fort another Englifh Congregation. How- 
 beit we made no long tarriance in either of 
 thofe two Townes, for that my Father had 
 refolved to fixe his abode in the City of Gene- 
 va^ where, as farre as I remember, the Englifh 
 Church confifled of fome hundred perfons. 
 I was at that time of twelve yeares age, but 
 through my Fathers cofl and care, fufHciently 
 inftru6ted to become an Auditour of C^eva- 
 lerius in Hebrew, of ^erealdus in Greeke, of 
 Calvin and ^exa in Divinity, and of fome o- 
 ther ProfefTours in that Vniverfity, (which 
 was newly then ere6led) befides my dome- 
 flicall teachers, in the houfe of Thilihertus Sa- 
 racenus^ a famous Phyfitian in that City, with 
 whom I was boarded : where %jhertus Con- 
 Jlantinus^ that made the Greeke Lexicon^ read 
 Homer unto me. Thus I remained there two 
 
 yeares 
 
The life q/ Sir T h o m a s B o d l e y. 
 
 yeares and more, untill fuch time as our Nati- 
 on was advertifed of the death of Queene Ma~ 
 ry^ Sc fuccefsion of Elizabeth^ with the change 
 of Religion, which caufed my Father to ha- 
 ften into England^ where he came with my 
 Mother, and with all their family, within the 
 firft of the Queene, and fetled their dwelling 
 in the City of London. It was not long after, 
 that / was fent away from thence to the Vni- 
 verlity of Oxford^ recommended to the teach- 
 ing and tuition of Doilour Humfrey^ who 
 was fhortly after chofen the chiefe Reader in 
 Divinity, and Prefident of Magdalen Col- 
 ledge ; there / followed my ftudies till I tooke 
 the degree of Batchelour of Arts, which was 
 in the yeare, 1563. within which yeare I was 
 alfo chosen Probationer of Merton Colledge, 
 and the next yeare enfuing admitted Fellow. 
 Afterwards, to wit in the yeare, 1565. by fpe- 
 ciall perfwafion of fome of my fellowes, and 
 for my private exercife, I undertooke the pub- 
 lique reading of a Greeke lecture, in the fame 
 Colledge Hall, without requiring or expe- 
 cting any ftipend for it; Nevertheleffe it plea- 
 fed the Fellowfhip of their owne accord to 
 allow me foone after foure markes by the 
 c yeare. 
 
The life of ^\T Thou. A^ Bodley. 
 
 yeare, and ever fince to continue that Lefture 
 to the Colledge. In the yeare of our Lord 
 1566. I proceeded Mafter of Arts, and read 
 for that yeare in the Schoole-ftreets Naturall 
 Philofophy ; after which time, within lelTe 
 then three yeares fpace, I was wonne by in- 
 treaty of my beft affected friends, to ftand for 
 the Prodtourfhip, to which I and my Col- 
 league, Mafter ^earblocke of Exeter Colledge, 
 were quietly eledled in the yeare 1569. with- 
 out any competion or counterfuite of any o- 
 ther. After this for a long time, I fupplyed the 
 office of the Vniverfity Oratour, and beftow- 
 ed my time in the ftudy of fundry faculties, 
 without any inclination to profefTe any one a- 
 boue the reft, infomuch as at laft I waxed de- 
 firous to travell beyond the Seas, for attaining 
 to the knowledge of fome fpeciall moderne 
 tongues, and for the encreafe of my experi- 
 ence in the managing of affaires, being 
 wholly then addicted to employ my felfe, and 
 all my cares, in the publique fervice of the 
 State. My refolution fully taken I departed out 
 of England Anno 1576. and continued very 
 neare foure yeares abroad, and that in fundry 
 parts of Italy y France, and Germany, A good 
 
 while 
 
The life of Sir Thomas Bodley. 
 
 while after my returne, to wit, in the yeare 
 1585. I was employed by the Queene to Fre- 
 dericke Father to the prefent King of Den- 
 mar ke^ to lul'ius Duke of ^runfw'icke^X.o Willi- 
 am Lantgrave of Hejfe^ and other German 
 Princes : the eiFe6t of my meflage was, to 
 draw them to joine their forces with hers, 
 for giving affiftance to the King of Navarre 
 now Henry the fourth King of France, my 
 next employment was to Henry the third, at 
 fuch time as he was forced by the Duke of 
 Guife to fly out of Taris, which I performed in 
 fuch fort, as I had in charge with extraordi- 
 nary fecrecy : not being accompanied with a- 
 ny one fervant (for fo much I was command- 
 ed) nor with any other Letters, then fuch as 
 were written with the Queenes owne hand, 
 to the King, and fome fele6led perfons about 
 him ; the effect of that meflage it is fit I fhould 
 conceale. But it tended greatly to the advan- 
 tage, not onely of the King, but of all the Pro- 
 teftants in France^ & to the Dukes apparent o- 
 verthrow, which alfo followed foon upon it. 
 It fo befell after this, in the year 88. that for the 
 better conduct of her Highnefl'e affaires in the 
 Provinces united, I was thought a fit perfon 
 
 to 
 
'The life of Sir Thomas Bodley. 
 
 to refide in thofe parts, and was fent thereup- 
 on to the Hague in Holland^ where according 
 to the contra6l that had formerly paft, be- 
 tweene her Highnefle and the States, I was 
 admitted for one of their Councell of Eftate, 
 taking place in their AfTemblies next to Count 
 Maurice^ and yeilding my fufFrage in all that 
 was propofed. During all that time what ap- 
 probation was given of my painefull endea- 
 vours by the Qiieene, Lords in England^ by 
 the States of the Country there, and by all the 
 Englifh Souldiery, I referre it to be notified 
 by fome others relation ; fith it was not un- 
 knowne to any of any calling, that then were 
 acquainted with the State of that govern- 
 ment. For at my firft comming thither, the 
 people of that Country flood in dangerous 
 termes of difcontentment, partly for fome 
 courfes that were held in England^ as they 
 thought, to their fmgular prejudice, but moft 
 of all in refpeft of the infolent demeanour of 
 fome of her HighnefTe Miniflers, which one- 
 ly refpe6led their private emolument, little 
 weighing in their dealing what the Queene 
 had contradted with the States of the Coun- 
 try; whereupon was conceived a mighty feare 
 
 on 
 
^he life of S'w Thomas Bodley. 
 
 on every fide, that both a prefent diflblution of 
 the Contra6t would enfue, and a downright 
 breach of amity betweene us and them. Now 
 what meanes I fet a foot for redrefle of thofe 
 perils, and by what degrees the ftate of things 
 was reduced into order, it would require a 
 long treatife to report it exa6tly j but this I may 
 averre with modefty and truth, and the 
 Country did alwaies acknowledge it with 
 gratitude, that had I not of my felfe, without 
 any direction from my Superiours, proceed- 
 ed in my charge with extreame circumfpe6li- 
 on, as well in all my fpeeches and propofalls 
 to the States, as in the tenour of my letters 
 that I writ into England^ fome fuddaine a- 
 larme had beene given, to the utter fubverfi- 
 on and ruine of the State of thofe Provinces : 
 which in procefTe of time muft needs have 
 wrought in all probability, the felf-fame ef- 
 fe61: in the ftate of this Realme. Of this my di- 
 ligence and care in the managing of my buii- 
 nes, there was, as I have iignified, very fpeci- 
 all notice taken by the Queene and State at 
 home, for which I received from her Majefty 
 many comfortable Letters of her gracious ac- 
 ceptance ; as withall from that time forward 
 
 I 
 
ne life of Sir Thomas Bodley. 
 
 I did never receive allmoft any fet inflru6li- 
 ons how to governe my proceedings in her 
 Majefties occafions, but the carriage in a man- 
 ner of all her affaires was left to mee and my 
 dire6lion. Through this my long abfence 
 out of England^ which wanted very little of 
 five whole yeares, my private eftate did 
 greatly require my fpeedy returne, which 
 when I had obtained by interceffion of 
 friends, and a tedious fuite, I could enjoy but a 
 while, being Ihortly after enjoyned to repaire 
 to the Hague againe. Nevertheleffe upon a 
 certaine occafion to deliver unto her fome fe- 
 cret overtures, and of performing thereupon 
 an extraordinary fervice, I came againe home 
 within lefle then a Twelve-moneth : and I 
 was no fboner come, but her HighneiTe em- 
 bracing the fruit of my difcoveries, I was pre- 
 fently commanded to returne to the States 
 with charge to purfue thofe affaires to perfor- 
 mance, which I had fecretly propofed ; and 
 according to the proje6t which I had concei- 
 ved, and imparted unto her, all things were 
 concluded and brought to that iffue that was 
 inftantly defired, whereupon I procured my 
 laft revocation. Now here I can not choofe 
 
 but 
 
ne life of ^w Thomas, Bodley. 
 
 but in making report of the principall acci- 
 dents that have fallen unto me in the courfe 
 of my life, but record among the reft, that 
 from the very firft day I had no man more to 
 friend among the Lords of the Councell, 
 then was the Lord Treafurer Burleigh : for 
 when occafion had beene offered of decla- 
 ring his conceit as touching my fervice, he 
 would alwaies tell the Queen (which I recei- 
 ved from her felfe and fome other ear-witnef- 
 fes) that there was not any man in England (o 
 meet as my felfe to undergoe the office of the 
 Secretary. And fithence his fonne, the prefent 
 Lord Treafurer, hath fignified unto me in 
 private conference, that when his father firft 
 intended to advance him to that place, his 
 purpofe was withall to make me his Col- 
 league. But the cafe ftood thus in my behalf: 
 before fuch time as I returned from the Pro- 
 vinces united, which was in the yeare 1597. 
 and likewife after my returne, the then Earle 
 of EJfex did ufe mee fo kindly both by letters 
 and meflages, and other great tokens of his 
 inward favours to me, that although I had 
 no meaning, but to fettle in my mind my 
 cheifeft defire and dependance upon the 
 
 Lord 
 
I o The life ^/ Sir Thomas B o d l e y . 
 
 Lord ^urleigh^ as one that I reputed to be 
 both the beft able, and therewithal! the moft 
 willing to worke my advancement with the 
 Queene, yet I know not how, the Earle, 
 who fought by all devifes to divert her love 
 and liking both from the Father and the Son 
 (but from the Sonne in fpeciall) to withdraw 
 my afFedtion from the one and the other, and 
 to winne mee altogether to depend upon 
 himfelfe, did fo often take occafion to enter- 
 taine the Queene with fome prodigall fpee- 
 ches of my fufficiency for a Secretary, which 
 were ever accompanied with words of dif- 
 grace againft the prefent Lord Treafurer, as 
 neither fhe her felfe, of whofe favour before 
 I was throughly affiired, tooke any great 
 pleafure to preferre me the fooner, (for fhe 
 hated his ambition, and would give little 
 countenance to any of his followers) and 
 both the Lord 'Burleigh and his Sonne waxed 
 jealous of my courfes, as if under hand I had 
 beene induced by the cunning and kindnefle 
 of the Earle of Ejfex^ to oppofe my felfe a- 
 gainft their dealings. And though in very 
 truth they had no folid ground at all of the 
 leaft alteration in my difpofition towards ei- 
 ther 
 
T>??<? ///> ^/ Sir Thomas BoDLEY. ii 
 
 ther of them both, (for I did greatly refpe6l 
 their perfons and places, with a fetled refolu- 
 tion to doe them any fervice, as alfo in my 
 heart I detefted to be held of any fa6lion 
 whatfoever) yet the now Lord Treafurer, 
 upon occafion of fome talke, that I have fince 
 had with him, of the Earle and his actions, 
 hath freely confefled of his owne accord un- 
 to me, that his daily provocations were fo bit- 
 ter and (harpe againft him, and his compari- 
 fons fo odious, when he put us in a ballance, 
 as he thought thereupon he had very great 
 reafon to ufe his beft meanes, to put any man 
 out of hope of raifmg his fortune, whom the 
 Earle with fuch violence, to his extreame pre- 
 judice, had endeavoured to dignifie. And this, 
 as he affirmed, was all the motive he had to 
 fet himfelfe againft me, in whatfoever might 
 redound to the bettering of my eftate, or in- 
 creafmg of my credit and countenance with 
 the Queene. When I had throughly now be- 
 thought me, firft in the Earle, of the flender 
 hold-faft that he had in the favour of the 
 Queene, of an endlefTe oppofition of the chei- 
 feft of our Statef-men like ftill to waite upon 
 him, of his perillous, and feeble, and uncertain 
 D advice, 
 
12 T'i?^ /^/(f ^/ Sir Thomas BoDLEY. 
 
 advice, afwell in his owne, as in all the caufes 
 of his friends : and when moreover for my 
 felfe I had fully confidered how very unto- 
 wardly thefe two Counfellours were afFefted 
 unto me, (upon whom before in cogitation I 
 had framed all the fabrique of my future pro- 
 fperity) how ill it did concurre with my na- 
 turall difpofition, to become, or to be counted 
 either a ftickler or partaker in any publique 
 fa6lion, how well I was able, by God's good 
 blefling, to live of my felfe, if I could be con- 
 tent with a competent livelyhood ; how ftiort 
 time of further life I was then to expert by the 
 common courfe of nature : when I had, I fay, 
 in this manner reprefented to my thoughts 
 my particular eftate, together with the Earles, 
 I refolved thereupon to pofTefie my foule in 
 peace all the refidue of my dales, to take my 
 full farewell of State imployments, to fatisfie 
 my mind with that mediocrity of worldly li- 
 ving that I had of my owne, and fo to retire 
 me from the Court, which was the epilogue 
 and end of all my aftions and endeavours of 
 any important note, till I came to the age of 
 fifty three. Now although after this, by her 
 Majeftie's direftion, I was often called to the 
 
 Court 
 
'The life of Sir Thomas Bodley. 
 
 Court, by the now Lord Treafurer, then Se- 
 cretary, as required by him, as alfo divers 
 times fmce, by order from the King, to ferve as 
 EmbaiTadour in France ; to goe a Commiflio- 
 ner from his HighnefTe, for concluding the 
 truce betweene Spaine and the Trovinces^ and 
 to negotiate in other very honourable im- 
 ployments, yet I would not be removed from 
 my former finall refolution, infomuch as at 
 length, to induce me the fooner to returne to 
 the Court, I had an offer made me by the pre- 
 fent Lord Treafurer (for in procefTe of time 
 he faw, as he himfelfe was pleafed to tell me 
 more then once, that all my dealing was up- 
 right, faithfull, and direct) that in cafe I my 
 felfe were willing unto it, he would make me 
 his aflbciate in the Secretaries office ; And to 
 the intent I might beleive that he intended it 
 Bond fide^ he would get me out of hand to be 
 fworne of the Counfell. And for the better 
 enabling of my ftate to maintaine fuch a dig- 
 nity, whatfoever I would aske, that might be 
 fit for him to deale in, and for me to enjoy, he 
 would prefently follicite the King to give it 
 pafTage. All which perfwafions notwith- 
 ftanding, albeit I was often aflaulted by him, 
 
 in 
 
14 "^he life of Sir Thomas Bodley. 
 
 in regard of my yeares, and for that / felt my 
 felfe fubjedt to many indifpofitions, befides 
 fome other private reafons which / referve un- 
 to my felfe, / have continued ftill at home, my 
 retired courfe of life, which is now methinks 
 to me as the greateft preferment that the State 
 can afford. Onely this / muft truly confefle of 
 my felfe, that though / did never repent me 
 yet of thofe and fome other my often refufalls 
 of honourable offers, in refpe6t of enriching 
 my private eflate, yet fomewhat more of late / 
 have blamed my felfe, & my nicety that way, 
 for the love that I beare to my Reverend Mo- 
 ther the Vniverfity of Oxford^ and to the ad- 
 vancement of her good, by fuch kind of means 
 as /have since undertaken. For thus I fell to di- 
 fcourfe and debate in my mind, that although 
 I might find it fittefl for me, to keep out of the 
 throng of Court contentions, & addrefTe my 
 thoughts & deeds to fuch ends altogether, as / 
 my felfe could befl affe6l ; yet withall /was to 
 think, that my duty towards God, the expe6la- 
 tion of the world, my naturall inclination, & 
 very morality, did require, that I fhould not 
 wholly fo hide thofe little abilities that I had, 
 but that in fome meafure, in one kind or other, 
 
 I 
 
The life of ^\v Thomas Bodley. 15 
 
 I fhould doe the true part of a profitable mem- 
 ber in the State : whereupon examining exaftly 
 for the reft of my Hfe, what courfe / might take, 
 and havingfought (as I thought, all the waies to 
 the wood) to fele6l the moft proper, I conclu- 
 ded at the laft to fet up my StafFe at the Library 
 doore in Oxford ; being throughly perfwaded, 
 that in my folitude and furceafe from the Com- 
 mon-wealth affaires, I could not bufy my felfe 
 to better purpofe, then by reducing that place 
 (which then in every part lay ruined and waft) 
 tothepubliqueufe of Students; FortheefFedting 
 whereof, I found my felfe furnifhed in a 
 competent proportion, of fuch foure kindes of 
 aides, as unlefTe I had them all, there was no 
 hope of good fuccefTe. For without fome kinde 
 of knowledge, as well in the learned and mo- 
 derne tongues, as in fundry other forts of fcho- 
 lafticall literature, without fome purfe-ability 
 to goe through with the charge, without very 
 great ftore of honourable friends to further the 
 defigne,and without fpeciall good leifure to fol- 
 low fuch a worke, it could but have proved a 
 vaine attempt, and inconfiderate. B ut how well 
 / have fped in all my endeavours, and how full 
 provifion / have made for the benefit and eafe 
 
 of 
 
i6 'The life of Sir Thomas Bodley. 
 
 of all frequenters of the Library, that which / 
 have already performed in fight, that befides 
 which / have given for the maintenance of it, 
 and that which hereafter / purpofe to adde, by 
 way of enlargement to that place (for the pro- 
 je6i is caft, and whether /live or dye it fhall be, 
 God willing, put in full execution) will teftifie 
 fo truly and aboundantly for me, as / need not 
 be the publifher of the dignity and worth of 
 mine owne Inftitution. Written with my owne 
 hand eAnno 1609. T)ecember the 15. 
 
 Tho: Bodley. 
 
 Thus farre our Noble ^Author of himjelje. Who like to 
 the firji Pen-man of the facred hijiory, feemes to furvi've his 
 gra've, and to defer ibe unto us bis oivne death. For ha'vingfi- 
 nifhed that great ivorke -which future times /hall ever honour, 
 never equally he yeilded to his fate. As being univiUing the glo- 
 ry of that deedjhould be defioui-^d by the fuccejfion of an aEl leffe 
 high then it. On the 29th of lanuary, in the yeare, 1612. his 
 pure Soule attained the freedome of its oivne di'vinity : leaving 
 his borroiu'd earth, the fad remainder of innocence and frailty, 
 to be depofted in Merton CoUedge : Who had the happineffe to 
 call his Education hers, and to be intrujied ivith fo deare a 
 Fledge of immortality. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
REPRINTED BY 
 
 T. AND A. CONSTABLE 
 
 PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY 
 EDINBURGH 
 
FOURTEEN DAY USE 
 
 
 
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