THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES J A LITERARY ANTIQUARY. MEMOIR ov WILLIAM OLDYS, ESQ. NOREOY KING-AT-AEMS. Together with HIS DIARY, CHOICE NOTES FROM HIS ADVERSARIA, AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE LONDON LIBRARIES. [REPRINTED FBOM NOTES AND QUERIES.] LONDON: SPOTTISWOODE & CO., NEW-STEEET SQUARE. 1862. r 7?/ CONTENTS. MEHOIB OF WELLIAM OLDYS, ESQ. - DIARY ...... CHOICE NOTES FROM HIS ADVERSARIA ACCOUNT OF LONDON LIBRARIES INDEX Page i 1 129 3067 58109 110116 70 nr MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS, ESQ. THE life of a literary antiquary is seldom suf- ficiently diversified to afford to a biographer many materials for bis pen, so as to give interest and vivacity to the historic page. From the noiseless tenor of his daily pursuits, and the habit he has ac- quired of holding communion with the past rather than with the present, his existence is, generally speaking, subject to fewer vicissitudes than those which mark the mortal progress of persons be- longing to tlie more active professions : " Allow him but his plaything of a pen, He ne'er cabals or plots like other men." Respecting the parentage of William Oldys there is some obscurity. Mr. John Taylor, the son of Oldys's intimate friend, informs us that " Mr. Oldys was, I understood, the natural son of a gentleman named Harris, who lived in a respect- able style in Kensington Square. How he came to adopt the name of Oldys, or where he received his education, I never heard." * AH his bio- graphers, however, speak of him as the natural son of Dr. William Oldys, Chancellor of Lincoln (from 1683 till his death in 1708), Commissary of St. Catharine's, Official of St. Alban's, and Advo- * Records of my Life, i. 25, ed. 1832. a VI MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. cate of the Admiralty. That even grave civilians will sometimes deviate from moral purity, is de- S'ored by Dr. Coote, who had been informed that r. Oldys " maintained a mistress in a very penu- rious and private manner." * The civilian died early in the year 1708, and in his will he u devises to his loving cozen Mrs. Ann Oldys his two houses at Kensington, with the residue of his property," and " appoints the said Ann Oldys whole and sole executrix of his Will." It has been conjectured, with some de- gree of probability, that under the cognomen of cozen is meant the mother of our literary anti- quary ; more especially as we find from the will of the said Ann Oldys, that after two or three trifling bequests, she " gives all her estate, real and personal, to her loving friend, Benjamin Jackman of the said Kensington, upon trust, for the benefit of her son William Oldys, and she leaves the tuition and guardianship of her son William Oldys, during his minority, to the said Benjamin Jackman." The Will is dated March 21, 1710; and proved by Benjamin Jackman on April 10, 1711, when our antiquary was in the fifteenth year of his age. At the end of a pedigree of the Oldys family in the handwriting of William Oldys, now in the British Museum (Addit. MS. 4240 f, p- 14), is the following entry : " Dr. William Oldys, Ad- vocate General, born at Addesbury 1636 ; died at Kensington, 1708 ; Duxit Theodosia Lovet, Fil. Dom. Jo : Halsey : [Issue] William, nat. July 14, 1696." That the Doctor married Theodosia Lovett there can be no doubt ; for not only is it stated by Burke, that " Robert Lovett, of Lis- * Lives and Characters of eminent English Civilians, p. 95, ed. 1804. f The same volume contains a long account of Dr. William Oldys, and other biographical notices of the family. MEMOIR Or WILLIAM OLDYS. Vll combe in Bucks, married Theodosia, daughter of Sir John Halsey, Knt., of Great Gaddesden, Herts ; he died s. p. in 1683, set. 26," (Extinct Baronetage, ed. 1844, p. 325), but in a pedigree in the College of Arms, dated 1700, and sub- scribed by Dr. Oldys, his marriage with Theodo- sia Lovett is duly recorded. While as the Doctor there describes himself as " sine prole," and omits all mention of William Oldys in his will, but leaves to Oldys^s mother the property which he eventually inherited, there can be little doubt that the baston ought properly to have figured in the arms of the future Norroy. That Oldys always claimed the civilian for his father, ap- pears from the following note in his annotated Langbaine, p. 131 : " To search the old papers in one of my large deal boxes for Mr. Dryden's letter of thanks to my father for some commu- nications relating to Plutarch, when they and others were publishing a translation of all Plu- tarch's Lives in 5 vols. 8vo, 1683. It is copied in the yellow book for Dryden's Life, in which there are about 150 transcriptions, in prose and verse, relating to the life, character, and writings of Mr. Dryden." Pompey the Great was the Life translated by Dr. William Oldys. William Oldys, the son, was born July 14, 1696, and by the death of his parents was left to make his way in life by his own natural abilities. From his Autobiography we learn that he was one of the sufferers in the South Sea Bubble, which ex- ploded in 1720, and involved him in a long and expensive lawsuit. From the year 1724 to 1730 he resided in Yorkshire, and spent most of his time at the seat of the first Earl of Malton, with whom he had been intimate in his youth. In 1725, Oldys, being at Leeds soon after the death of Ralph Thoresby, the antiquary, paid a visit to his celebrated Museum.* As he remained in * Life of Sir Walter Ralegh, p. xxxi. ed. 1736. a2 Vlll MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDY8. Yorkshire for about six years, it is not improbable that be assisted Dr. Knowler in the editorship of the Earl of Straffbrde's Letters, &c. 2 vols. fol. published in 1739. In 1729, he wrote an "Essay on Epistolary Writings, with respect to the Grand Collection of Thomas Earl of Strafford. Inscribed to the Lord Malton." The MS. was probably of some utility to his Lordship, and his Chaplain, Dr Knowler.* It was during Oldys's visit to Wentworth House that he became an eye-witness to the destruction of the collections of the antiquary Richard Gas- coyne, consisting of seven great chests of manu- scripts. Of this remorseless act of vandalism our worthy antiquary has left on record some severe strictures. Here is his account of this literary holocaust : " Richard Gascoyne, Esq., was of kin to the Wentworth family, which he highly honoured by the elaborate gene- alogies he drew thereof, and improved abundance of other pedigrees in most of our ancient historians, and particularly our topographical writers and antiquaries in personal history, as Brooke, Vincent, Dugdale, and many others, our, of his vast and most valuable collection of deeds, evidences, and ancient records, &c., whic h after his death, about the time of the Restoration, when he was about eighty years of age, fell with great part of his library to the possession of William, the son of Thomas the first Earl of Strafford, who preserved the books in his library at Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire, and the said MSS. in the stone tower there among the family writings, where they continued safe and untouched till 1728, when SirTho. Watson Wentworth f, newly made or * This MS. is also noticed in Oldys's Dissertation upon Pamphlets, p. 561. t Thomas Wentworth of Wentworth Woodhouse, cre- ated Baron Malton 28 May, 1728 ; Baron of Wath and Harrowden, Viscount Higham, and Earl of Malton 19 Nov. 1734; became Baron of Rockingham in Feb. 1746, and was created Marquis of Rockingbam 19 April, 1746 ; died at Wentworth House 14 Dec. 1750, and was buried in the Minster at York. Vide the pedigree of the family in Hunter's Doncaster, ii. 91. MEMOIR OP WILLIAM OLDYS. IX about to be made Earl of Malton, and to whose father the said William Earl of Strafford left his estate, burnt them all wilfully in one morning. I saw the lamentable fire feed upon six or seven great chests full of the said deeds, &c., some of them as old as the Conquest, and even the ignorant servants repining at the mischievous and destructive obedience they were compelled to. There was nobody present who could venture to speak but my- self, but the infatuation was insuperable. I urged that Mr. Dodsworth had also spent his life in making such collections, and they are preserved to this day with re- verence to their collector, and that it was out of such that Sir Wm. Dugdale collected the work which had done so much honour to the Peerage. I did prevail to the preservation of some few old rolls and publick grants and charters, a few extracts of escheats, and a few ori- ginal letters of some eminent persons and pedigrees of others, but not the hundredth part of much better things that were destroyed. The external motive for this de- struction seemed to be some fear infused by his attorney, Sam. Buck of Rotheram (since a justice of peace) a man who could not read one of those records any more than his lordship, that something or other might be found out one time or other by somebody or other the descendants perhaps of the late Earl of Strafford, who had been at war with him for the. said estate which might shake his title and change its owner. Though it was thought he had no stronger motive for it than his impatience to pull down the old tower in which they were reposited, to make way for his undertaker Ralph Tunnicliffe to pile up that monstrous and ostentatious heap of a house which is so unproportionable to the body and soul of the pos- sessor, so these antiquities, as useless lumber, were de- stroyed too. Of that Richard Gascoyne see more in Thoresby's Topography of Leeds,' fol. 1715; in Sir Wm. Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire, where he is ap- plauded for his revival of the Wentworth family, as he ought to have been respected by it for the honour which he, and the profit his kindred, brought to it (p. 554), how gratefully repaid appears above. Also in Dngdale's Memoirs of his own Life, in the note I have made upon Barton's Leicestershire (throughout enriched with his notes), in the Harleian Catalogue, vol. iii. p. 23, 8, 1744.* * Oldys's note is worth quoting, He says, " Through- out this much-esteemed work [Burton's Leicestershire, 1622] there have been numberless notes transcribed in the margins, and almost all the pedigrees enlarged and a3 X MEMOIR OF WULLIAM OLDYS. Some men have .no better way to make themselves the most conspicuous persons in their family than by de- stroying the monuments of their ancestors, and raising themselves trophies out of their ruins." We get a glimpse of Oldys's literary habits at this time from the following note : " When I left London in 1724 to reside in Yorkshire, I left in the care of Mr. Burridge's family, with whom I had several years lodged, among many other books, goods, &c. a copy of this Langbaine, in which I had written several notes and refereuces to further knowledge of these poets. When I returned to London in 1730, I under- stood my books had been dispersed ; and afterwards be- corrected. from a copy of this book in the library of Jesus College, Cambridge. It has been new bound, and inter- leaved also throughout, to make room for any further additions. The notes aforesaid were written by one of the most skilful antiquaries in Record-heraldry of his times (as T. Fuller has justly distinguished him), Richard Gascoyne, Esq., of Bramham Biggen in Yorkshire. He was a descendant from Judge Gascoyne (who committed the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Henry V., to prison for obstructing him in the course of justice on the King's Bench), and was also related to the first Earl of Straf- ford, whose grandfather married one of his family. Part of his pedigree may be seen in Mr. Thoresby's Antiquities of Leeds. He did singular honours to that Earl's name, in the most elaborate Tables of Genealogy which he drew out of a vast treasure of original charters, patents, evi- dences, wills, and other records, which he bad amassed together; for which, and other such performances, he is highly praised by Sir Wm. Dugdale in his Antiquities of Warwickfhire, and in his Account of his own Life. But how that treasure of Records was wilfully burnt, about the year 1728 need not to be remembered here. That he was the author of the notes in this book (as he was of the like , in many other books of our genealogical and topo- graphical antiquities) appears on page 35, and in other parts of the book, that he wrote them in the year 1656, at which time he was seventy -seven years of age. He was born at Sherlield, near Burntwood, in Essex, and died, it is probable, at Bramham Biggen aforesaid, before the Restoration." Oldys has also given a digest of Bur- ton's Leicestershire in the British Librarian, pp. 287 299. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. XI coming acquainted with Mr. Thomas Coxeter, I found that he had bought my Langbaine of a bookseller, who was a great collector of plays and poetical books : this must have been of service to him, and he has kept it so carefully from my sight, that I never could have the opportunity of transcribing into this I am now writing in, the notes I had collected in that." * In October, 1728, Mr. Henry Baker, the na- turalist, under the assumed name of Henry Stone- castle, projected The Universal Spectator, to which periodical Oldys, in 1731, had contributed about twenty papers.f On his return to London, in 1730, he found Samuel Burroughs, Esq. and others engaged in a project for printing The Negotia- tions of Sir Thomas Roe. To assist in so desirable an undertaking, Oldys drew up " Some Con- siderations upon the Publication of Sir Thomas Roe's Epistolary Collections." J It was about the year 1731 that Oldys became acquainted with that noble patron of literature and learned men, Edward Harley, the second Earl of Oxford. It has been wisely and beauti- fully said, that " those who befriend genius when it is struggling for distinction, befriend the world, and their names should be held in remembrance." We learn from his Autobiography, that Oldys must already have become, to some extent, a col- lector of literary curiosities. He says, * Langbaine in British Museum with Oldys's MS. notes, p. 353. t The Universal Spectator continued to appear weekly until the latter end of the year 1742. In 1736 a selection from these papers was first printed in 2 vols. 12mo ; a second edition appeared in 1747, in 4 vols. 12mo ; and a third in 1756, in 4 vols. 12mo. John Kelly, the dramatic poet, and Sir John Hawkins, were occasional contributors. J Only one volume of the Negotiations was published in 1740. Oldys's " Considerations " for their publication is in the British Museum, Addit. MS. 4168. \idepostea, p. 3, and Bolton Corney's Curiosities of Literature Il- lustrated, second edition, 1838, p. 165. XII MEMOIR OP WILLIAM OLDY8. " The Earl invited me to show him my collections of manuscripts, historical and political, which had been the Earl of Clarendon's ; my collections of Royal Letters, and other papers of State ; together with a very large collec- tion of English heads in sculpture, which alone had taken me some years to collect, at the expense of at least threescore pounds. All these, with the catalogues I drew up of them, at his Lordship's request, I parted with to him for 40Z. ; and the frequent intimations be gave me of a more substantial recompense hereafter, which intima- tions induced me to continue my historical researches, as what would render me most acceptable to him." Autobiography. Oldys likewise informs us, in a note on Lang- baine, that he had bought two hundred volumes at the auction of the Earl of Stamford's library in St. Paul's Coffee-house, where formerly most of the celebrated libraries were sold. That Oldys has already become a diligent stu- dent at the Harleian Library is evident from the publication at this time of his very curious work on Pamphlets. It first appeared with the follow- ing title : A Dissertation upon Pamphlets. In a Letter to a Nobleman [probably the Earl of Ox- ford], London : Printed in the year 1731, 4to. In the following year it re-appeared in Morgan's Phcenix Britannicus, Lond. 1732, 4to ; and has since been reprinted in Nichols's Literary Anec- dotes, iv. 98 111. Oldys also contributed to the Phamix Britannicus, p. 65, a bibliographical his- tory of " A Short View of the long Life and Raigne of Henry the Third, King of England : E resented to King James by Sir Robert Cotton, ut not printed till 1627." It is stated by Dr. Ducarel that Oldys was one of the writers in The Scarborough Miscellany, 1732-34. This appears probable, as John Taylor, the author of Monsieur Tonson, informed Mr. Isaac D'Israeli that " Oldys always asserted that he was the author of the well-known song ' Busy, curious, thirsty fly ! ' MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. Xlll And as he was a rigid lover of truth, I doubt not that he wrote it." The earliest version of it discovered by Mr. D'Israeli was in a collection printed in 1740 ; but it had appeared in The Scarborough Miscellany for 1732, eight years earlier. As it slightly varies from the version quoted by D'Israeli, we give it as originally printed : " THE FLY. "An Anacreontick. " Busy, curious, thirsty Fly, Gently drink, and drink as I ; Freely welcome to my Cup, Could'st thou sip, and sip it up ; Intake the most of Life you may, Life is short and wears away. " Just alike, both mine and thine, Hasten quick to their Decline ; Thine's a Summer, mine's no more, Though repeated to threescore ; Threescore Summers when they're gone, Will appear as short as one." * The London booksellers, having decided on publishing a new edition of Sir Walter Ralegh's History of the World, enlisted the services <5f Oldys to see it through the press. To this edi- tion is prefixed " The Life of the Author, newly compil'd, from Materials more ample and authen- tick than have yet been publish'd, by Mr. Oldys." The Life makes 282 pages, and from the autho- rities quoted in the numerous notes must have been a task of considerable labour and research. * Ritson has printed " The Fly " in his English Songs, and added the following note : " Made extempore by a gentleman, occasioned by a fly drinking out of his cup of ale." In Park's edition of Ritson's Songs, ii. 19, edit. 1813, a third verse is added from the Rev. Mr. Plumptre's Collection of Songs, i. 257 ; and in Hone's TableBook, ii. 592, it appears with five additional verses. Vincent Bourne's translation was first printed in the Appendix to the third edition to his Poems, 1743. After all, there is an uncer- tainty respecting its authorship. XIV MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. The complete work is in two volumes, fol. 1736, and contains a very copious Index. Gibbon medi- tated a Life of Ralegh ; but after reading Oldys's, he relinquished his design, from a conviction that " he could add nothing new to the subject, except the uncertain merit of style and sentiment." While engaged on this great work, Oldys was permitted to consult the valuable library of Sir Hans Sloane, as we learn from the following let- ter to the worthy baronet, dated Sept. 29, 1735 : " MOST HONOURED SlR, " When I was last favoured, through your noble cour- tesy, with a sight of some curious Memorials relating to Sir Walter Ralegh, I said there would be one or two little printed pieces which I should have occasion to make more use of than I could take the liberty of doing in your house. One of them, however, which is the Life of Mahomet, I have been since provided with ; but the other, called News of Sir Walter Rakgh, &c., printed 4, 1618, and marked among the MSS. B. 1288, is now, that I am arrived (through above forty sheets) at the last two years of his Life, immediately wanting. " As a troublesome cold confines me a little at present, I shall take it as the greater favour if you will let me have it, when it may be most convenient, by the bearer ; and I shall, in two or three weeks, wait on you with it again; as also, with an entire copy from the press, of that Narrative which it will help to illustrate. If it may not be too ambitious in me to make so much addition to your library, it may exalt the fame of my Worthy, or extend the date of it, to have his Life preserved in such a magnificent repositary, notwithstanding the defects of " Honoured Sir, " Your most obliged and obedient Servant, " WILLIAM OLTIYS." * Soon after the publication of the Life of Sir Walter Ralegh, some booksellers thinking Oldys's name would tend to sell a work then in the course of publication, offered him a considerable sum of money, if they would allow him to affix it; but he rejected the proposal with the greatest indigna- * Addit. MS. 4054, p. 250, Brit. Museum. MEMOIR OF "WILLIAM OLDTS. XT tion, though at the time he was in the greatest pecuniary distress. At the commencement of the last century Bib- liography as a science had not been cultivated in England. Sale-catalogues and lists of books, espe- cially when interspersed with remarks of their rarity and value, were collected and prized by bibliographers ; but Oldys was among the first in this country to make an attempt to divert the public taste from an exclusive attention to new books, by making the merit of old ones the sub- ject of critical discussion.* His Life of Ralegh had not only brought him into closer ties of friend- ship with the Earl of Oxford ; but the knowledge of our earliest English literature displayed in that work had so increased his fame, that he was now frequently consulted at his chambers in Gray's Inn on obscure and obsolete writers by the most eminent literary characters of the time. It redounds to the honour and memory of William Oldys that he was ever easy of access to all who sought or desired his assistance, and free, open, and communicative in answering the inquiries submitted to him. His friendly aid and counsel were not only cheerfully, rendered to Thomas Hay ward for his British Muse, and to Mrs. Cooper for The Muses' Library, but even his jottings for a Life of Nell Gwyn were freely given to the notorious Edmund Curll, whose fame will never die, gibbeted as he has been to immortality in the full blazon of his literary knavery. * The only treatise on Bibliography which had ap- peared in this country, was the erudite work of Sir Thomas Pope Blount, entitled "Censura Celebriornm Authorura : sive Tractatus, in quo varia Virorum Doc- torum de clarissimis cujusque Sxculi Scriptoribus judi- cia traduntur." Lond. 1690, fol. Isaac Reed informs us, that Heber's copy of this book came out of the library of William Oldys, by whom all the manuscript additions were made. Vide Heber's Catalogue, part iv. lot 156. XVI MEMOIR OF WliLIAM OLDYS. In 1737 Oldys published anonymously his cele- brated work, entitled " The British Librarian : exhibiting a Compendious Review or Abstract of our most scarce, useful, and valu- able Books in all Sciences, as well in Manuscript as in Print : with many Characters, Historical and Critical, of the Authors, their Antagonists, &c., in a manner never before attempted, and useful to all readers. With a Complete Index to the volume. London: Printed for T. Osborne, in Gray's-Inn, 1738, 8vo." It was published as a serial in six numbers ; No. I. is dated for January, 1737 ; and the last, No. VI. for June, 1737; but yet the Postscript at the end of it is signed " Gray's Inn, Feb. 18, 1737 [1737-8]. Some copies have separate titles to the six numbers. The work is highly valuable as containing many curious details of works now excessively rare. Had it been con- tinued, it would, in all probability, have contained an accurate account of a very curious and valu- able collection of English books : it ceased, how- ever, at the end of the sixth monthly number, when Mr. Oldys could neither be persuaded by the entreaty of his. friends, nor the demands of the public, to continue the labour. Dr. John Campbell, in his Rational Amusement, 8vo, 1754, says, that no work of the kind was so well re- ceived ; and adds, " If its author, who is of all men living the most capable, would pursue and perfect this plan, he would do equal justice to the living and to the dead." "The British Librarian" remarks Dr. Dibdin, " is a work of no common occurrence, or mean value. It is rigidly correct, if not very learned, in bibliographical information. I once sent three guineas to procure a copy of it, according to its description, upon large paper; but on its arrival I found it to be not, quite FO large ns my own tolerably amply-margined copy." ( Bib- liomania, p. 52, edit. 1842.) It may seem to many a very meagre and un- satisfactory labour to compile a chronological MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. XV11 Catalogue of standard works, intermixed with remarks and characters. But (as Oldys cites from Lord Bacon) " learned men want such in- ventories of every thing in art and nature, as rich men have of their estates." When we first enter on any branch of study, it is palpably use- ful to have the authors to whom we should resort pointed out to us. " Through the defect of such intelligence, in its proper extent," says Oldys, " how many authors have we, who are consuming their time, their quiet, and their wits, in search- ing after either what is past finding, or already found ? In admiring at the penetrations them- selves have made, though to the rind only, in those very branches of science which their fore- fathers have pierced to the pith ? And how many who would be authors as excellent as ever ap- peared, had they but such plans or models laid before them as might induce them to marshal their thoughts into a regular order ; or did they but know where to meet with concurrence of opinion, with arguments, authorities, or examples, to corroborate and ripen their teeming concep- tions ? " In the Postscript to this valuable work Oldys thus acknowledges his obligations to his literary friends for the loan of manuscripts and other rare books : " Among the books conducivft to this purpose, those for which gratitude here demands chiefly the publication of our thanks, are the manuscripts. Such, in the lirst place, is that here called Sir Thomas Wriothesly's Collections ; containing the arms and characters of the Knights of the Garter, and views of the ancient ceremonies used in creating the Knights of the Bath, &c. For that sketch which the Librarian has here given the pnblick of it, they are both beholden to the permission of his Grace the Duke of Montagu, the noble owner of that valuable volume; and to some explanations thereof, which were also courteously imparted by John Anstis, Esq., Garter, principal King of Arms, whose extensive knowledge in these subjects, his own elaborate publications, in honour b XV111 MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. of both those Orders, have sufficiently confirm'd. Nor will it be thought a repetition unnecessary, by grateful minds, that the Librarian here renews his acknowledg- ments to Nathaniel Booth, Esq. of Gray's Inn, for his repeated communications ; having been favour'd not only with that curious miscellany, containing many of the old Earl of Derby's papers, which, in one of the foregoing numbers is abridg'd ; but others out of his choice collec- tions, which may enrich some future numbers, when op- portunity shall permit the contents thereof to appear, Other manuscripts herein described, were partly the col- lection of Mr. Charles Grimes, late also of Gray's Inn, and in the bookseller's possession for whom this work is printed ; except one ancient relique of the famous Wick- life, for the use of which, many thanks are here return'd to Mr. Joseph Ames, Member of the Society of Antiqua- ries. The author of this work is moreover obliged to the library of this last worthy preserver of antiquities, as also to that of his ingenious friend Mr. Peter Thompson, for the use of several printed books which are more scarce than many manuscripts ; particularly some, set forth by our first printer in England ; and others, which will rise, among the curious, in value, as, by the depredations of accident or ignorance, they decrease in number. We must take some further opportunity to express our obli- gations to other gentlemen who have favour'd us with such like literary curiosities ; and to some hundreds un- known, who have shewn a relish for the usefulness of this performance, by encouraging the sale of it." Humphry Wanley, the learned librarian of the first two Earls of Oxford, had now been dead more than ten years, and Oldys was probably expecting to be nominated his successor. Such an appointment, with a fixed salary, would relieve him from all perplexity in domestic matters, and would be therefore infinitely more congenial to his re- tired habits of life, than the precarious, and in some cases, paltry remuneration received from the booksellers. He thus expresses his own feelings at this time : " In the latter end of the year 1737 I published my British Librarian ; and when his Lordship understood how unproportionate the advantages it produced were to the time and labour bestowed upon it, he said he would find me employment better worth my while. Also, when MEMOIR OF WIM/IAM OLDYS. XIX he heard that I was making interest with Sir Robert Walpole, through the means of Commissioner Hill, to present him with an abstract of some ancient deeds I bad relating to his ancestors, and which I have still, his Lord- ship induced me to decline that application, saying, though he could not do as grand things as Sir Robert, he would do that which might be as agreeable to me, if I would disengage myself from all other persons and pur- suits." Autobiography. In the following year the Earl of Oxford ap- pointed him his literary secretary, which afforded him an opportunity of consulting his extensive collections, and thus gratifying his predilection for bibliographical researches. During his brief connection with this " Ark of Literature," he fre- quently met at the Earl's table George Vertue, Alexander Pope, and other eminent literary cha- racters. These three short years may be regarded as among the most happy of his chequered exist- ence. We have from his own pen the following plaintive record of his daily pursuits at this time : " I had then also had, for several years, some depend- ence upon a nobleman, who might have served me in the government, and had, upon certain motives, settled an annuity upon me of twenty pounds a year. This I re- signed to the said nobleman for an incompetent consider- ation, and signed a general release to him, in May, 1738, that I might be wholly independent, and absolutely at my Lord Oxford's command. I was likewise then under an engagement with the undertakers of the Supplement to Uayle's Dictionary.* I refused to digest the materials I then had for this work under an hundred pounds a year, till it was finished ; but complied to take forty shil- lings a sheet for what I should write, at such intervals as my business would permit : for this clause I was obliged to insert in the articles then executed between them and myself, in March the year aforesaid ; whereby I reserved myself free for his lordship's service. And though 1 pro- * By the Supplement to Bayle's Dictionary is meant A General Dictionary, Historical and Critical, Lond. 1734-41, foL, 10 vols., and which included that of Bayle. Dr. Birch was the principal editor, assisted by the Rev. John Peter Bernard, John Lockman, and George Sale. b'2 XX MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDY8. posed, their said offer would be more profitable to me than my own, yet my lord's employment of me, from that time, grew so constant, that I never finished above three or four lives for that work, to the time of his death. All these advantages did I thus relinquish, and all other de- pendence, to serve his lordship. And now was I em- ployed at auctions, sales, and in writing at home, in transcribing my own collections or others for his lord- ship, till the latter part of the year 1739; for which services I received of him about 150 pounds. In Novem- ber the same year I first entered his library of manuscripts, whereunto I came daily, sorted and methodised his vast collection of letters, to be bound in many volumes; made abstracts of them, and tables to each volume; besides working at home, mornings and evenings, for the said library. Then, indeed, his lordship, considering what beneficial prospects and possessions I had given up, to serve him, and what communications I voluntarily made to his library almost every day, by purchases which I never charged, and presents out of whatever was most worthy of publication among my own collections, of which he also chose what he pleased, whenever he came to my chambers, which I have since greatly wanted, I did thenceforward receive of him two hundred pounds a-year, for the short remainder of his life. Notwith- standing this allowance, he would often declare in com- pany before me, and in the hearing of those now alive, that he wished I had been some years sooner known to him than I was; because I should have saved him many hundred pounds. " The sum of this case is, that for the profit of about 500/. I devoted the best part of ten years' service to, and in his lordship's library ; impoverished my own stores to enrich the same ; disabled myself in my studies, and the advantages they might have produced from the publick ; deserted the pursuits which might have obtained me a permanent accommodation; and procured the prejudice and misconceit of his lordship's surviving relations. But the profits I received were certainly too inconsiderable to raise any envy or ill will ; tho' they might probably be conceived much greater then they were. No, it was what his lordship made me more happy in, than his money, which has been the cause of my greatest unhappiness with them ; his favour, his friendly reception and treat- ment of me ; his many visits at my chambers ; his many invitations by letters, and otherwise, to dine with him and pass whole evenings with him ; for no other end, but such intelligence and communications, as might answer MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. XXI the inquiries wherein he wanted to be satisfied, in relation to matters of literature, all for the benefit of his library. Had I declined those invitations, I must, with great in- gratitude, have created his displeasure ; and my accept- ance of them has displeased others." It is painful to record, that the Earl of Oxford, when Oldys entered his service, had involved himself in pecuniary difficulties whilst collecting one of the choicest and most magnificent private libraries in this kingdom. Vertue, in one of his Commonplace-books, under the date of June 2, 1741, thus feelingly laments the embarrassed cir- cumstances of the Earl : " My good Lord, lately growing heavy and pensive on his affairs, which for some years has mortified his mind. It lately manifestly appeared in his change of complexion , his face fallen ; his colour and eyes turned yellow to a great degree ; his stomach wasted and gone ; and a dead weight presses continually, without sign of relief, on his mind. Yet through all his affliction I am, from many reasons and circumstances, sensible of his goodness and generosity to those about him that deserved his favour. I pray God restore his health and preserve him : it will be a great comfort to his good lady, her Grace his daugh- ter, and all his relations and obliged friends." A fortnight afterwards Vertue thus pathetically laments his loss : " The Creator of all has put an end to his life. The true, noble, and beneficent Edward Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, Baron of Wigmore, born 2nd of June, 1688, and died the 16th of June, 1741. A friend noble, generous, good, and amiable ; to me, above all men, a true friend : the loss not to be expressed." * We have seen that Oldys's salary as librarian wa 200Z. per annum. At the death of the Earl he received what was due to him, amounting to about three quarters of a year's exhibition, on which he lived so long as it lasted. His prospects at this time must have been gloomy indeed, for he was again compelled to renew his connection with the metropolitan publishers. For the next f'our- * Addit. MS. 23.093, pp. 22, 23. b3 XXU MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. teen years, until he received an appointment in the Heralds' Office, he continued to earn his bread by literary drudgery for the booksellers. His scattered fragments of ancient lore that have escaped the ravages of time are a proof of his la- borious application in literary researches : his pen was continually at work either in writing pam- phlets, prefaces, essays, or in his favourite pursuit, biographical memoirs. " Some men," says Dean Swift, " know books as they do lords ; learn their titles exactly, and then brag of their acquaint- ance:" Not so William Oldys His abstracts and critical notices of works of our early English lite- rature in the British Librarian, as well as his other numerous productions, afford a remarkable proof of his rare industry, intelligence, and wit. In 1742, Mr. Thomas Osborue the bookseller having purchased for the sum of 13,OOOZ. the col- lection of printed books that had belonged to the late Earl of Oxford, and intending to dispose of them by sale, projected a Catalogue in which it was proposed, "that the books shall be distributed into distinct classes, and every class arranged with some regard to the age of the writers ; that every book shall be accurately described ; that the pecu- liarities of editions shall be remarked, and obser- vations from the authors of Literary History occasionally interspersed, that, by this Catalogue, posterity may be informed of the excellence and value of this great Collection, and thus promote the knowledge of scarce books and elegant edi- tions." The learned Michael Maittaire was pre- vailed upon to draw out the scheme of arrange- ment, and to write a Latin Dedication to Lord Carteret, then Secretary of State. The editors selected by Osborne were Dr. Johnson and Wil- liam Oldys, men eminently qualified to carry out the undertaking. In this painful drudgery both editors were day- labourers for immediate subsistence, not unlike MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. XXlll Gustavus Vasa, working in the mines of Dale- carlia. What Wilcox, a bookseller of eminence in the Strand, said to Johnson, on his first arrival in town, was now almost confirmed. He lent him five guineas, and then asked him, " How do you mean to earn your livelihood in this town ? " " By my literary labours," was the answer. Wil- cox, staring at him, shook his head : " By your literary labours ! You had better buy a porter's knot." In fact, Johnson, while employed by Os- borne in Gray's Inn, may be said to have carried a porter's knot. He paused occasionally to peruse the book that came to his hand. Osborne thought that such curiosity tended to nothing but delay, and objected to it with all the pride and insolence of a man who knew that he paid daily wages.* Ralph Bigland, Bluemantle, related to John Charles Brooke, Somerset Herald, that " Osborne had informed him, that he would have given Oldys 10*. Qd. per diem if he would have written for him ; but his indolence (!) would not let him accept it." f If this offer was made during the compilation of the catalogue, it is evident that the publisher exacted from his editors more work than could possibly be accomplished in a specified time, for the number of books to be read and digested amounted to no less than 20,748 volumes. Hence the failure of the original scheme as ju- diciously propounded by Maittaire. Our two unfortunate editors, in their joint and seemingly interminable labour, whilst grappling with this solid battalion of printed books, gained little more * Drake's Essays on Periodical Papers, i. 157, ed. 1809 ; and Hawkins's Life of Dr. Johnson, p. 150, ed. 1787. t Notes by John Charles Brooke in his De vitisFecia- Hum, a MS. now in the College of Arms. Brooke was ap- pointed Rouge Croix in 1773 ; and Somerset in 1778 ; he was net, therefore, a contemporary officer in the college with Oldys. XXIV MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. for their pains than the dust with which (so long as their drudgery lasted) they were daily covered. As literary curiosities, it is now difficult to discriminate between the notes of Dr. Johnson and those of Oldys. The " Proposals " for print- ing the Bibliotheca Harleiana are clearly from the pen of the Doctor, as we are informed by Boswell, who adds, that " his account of that celebrated collection of books, in which he dis- plays the importance to literature of what the French call a catalogue raisonne, when the sub- jects of it are extensive and various, and it is executed with ability, cannot fail to impress all his readers with admiration of his philological at- tainments. It was afterwards prefixed to the first volume of the Catalogue, in which the Latin ac- counts of books were written by him."* We incline to the conjecture that the bibliographical and bio- graphical remarks in Vols. I. and II. are by Dr. Johnson: and those in Vols. III. and IV. by Oldys. The fifth volume, 1745, is nothing more than a Catalogue of Osborne's unsold stock. Osborne's original project of an annotated Cata- logue, as we have said, proved a failure. In the Preface to Vol. III. he informs the public of its cause : " My original design was, as I have already explained, to publish a methodical and exact Catalogue of this library, upon the plan which has been laid down, as I am informed, by several men of the first rank among the learned. It was intended by those who undertook the work, to make a very exact disposition of all the subjects, and to give an account of the remarkable differences of the editions, and other peculiarities, which make any book eminently valuable; and it was imagined, that some improvements might, by pursuing this scheme, be made in Literary History. With this view was the Cata- logue begun, when the price [5s. per volume] was fixed * It is also printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for Dec. 1742, vol. xii. p. 636. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. XXV upon it in public advertisements ; and it cannot be denied, that such a Catalogue would have been willingly purchased by those who understood its use. But, when a few sheets had been printed, it was discovered that the scheme was impracticable without more hands than could be pro- cured, or more time than the necessity of a speedy sale would allow. The Catalogue was therefore continued without Notes, at least in the greatest part ; and, though it was still performed better than those which are daily offered to the public, fell much below the original de- sign."* Whilst the Catalogue was progressing, Osborne issued Proposals for printing by subscription The Harkian Miscellany : or, a Collection of scarce, curious, and entertaining Tracts and Pam- phlets found in the late Earl of Oxford's library, interspersed with Historical, Political, and Criti- cal Notes. It was proposed to publish six sheets of this work every Saturday morning, at the price of one shilling, to commence on the 24th of March, 1743-4. The "Proposals," or "An Ac- count of this Undertaking," as well as the Pre- face to this voluminous work, were from the pen of Dr. Johnson : the selection of the Pamphlets and its editorial superintendence devolved upon Oldys. This valuable political, historical, and antiquarian record, and indispensable auxiliary in the illustration of British history, included a cata- logue of 539 pamphlets, describing the contents of each, and this alone occupied 164 quarto pages. It was published in eight volumes, 4to, 1744-46, and republished by Thomas Park, with two sup- plemental volumes, in 1808-13. Park, in a letter to Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges, dated June 15, 1 807, bears the following honourable testimony to the labours of his predecessor : " My additions to the notes of Oldys in the Harleian Miscellany * The most copiously annotated Catalogue of modern times is that of M. Gnglielmo Libri, whose surprising collection was sold by Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson in April, May, and July, 1861. XXVI MEMOIR, OF WILLIAM OLDYS. will not be very numerous ; for no editor could ever have been more competent to the undertak- ing than he was ; but a successive editor must seem at least to have done something more than his predecessor." * It was the original intention of the publishers to print three additional volumes to this edition, though motives afterwards occurred which induced them to depart from it. Park, writing to Sir S. E. Brydges on Jan. 28, 1813, says, " I presume you have heard from our friend Haslewood that my projected course in the Harleian Supplement has been suddenly arrested, and that the work is to stop with vol. X., half of which will be occupied with Indices. This has painfully disconcerted my views, and rendered a considerable portion of my preparations useless." f " Next in point of merit to the contributions of Oldys to British biography," writes our valued correspondent, ME. BOLTON CORNET, " must be placed his publications in bibliography. Those which are best known are much esteemed, but there is one which has never received its due share of commendation. It is entitled A copious and exact catalogue of pamphlets in the Harleian Library, etc. 4, pp. 168. This catalogue was issued in frag- ments with the Harleian Miscellany, in order to gratify the subscribers with an opportunity of being their own choosers with regard to the con- tents of that important collection ; but as the signatures and numerals are consecutive, it forms a separate volume. The pamphlets described amount to 548. The dates extend from 1511 to 1712, but about two-thirds of the number were printed before 1661. The titles are given with unusual fulness, and the imprints with sufficient minuteness. The number of sheets or leaves of each pamphlet is also stated. The subjects em- * Addit MS. 18,916, p. 21*. f Ibid, p. 84. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDY8. XXV11 braced are divinity, voyages and travels, history, biography, polite literature, etc. etc. A catalogue of books or pamphlets, if it requires a sharp eye, is mere transcription, but in this instance we have about 440 notes, of which many are sum- maries of the contents of the articles in question, drawn up with remarkable intelligence and clear- ness, and interspersed with curious anecdotes. It is a choice specimen of recreative bibliography. Chalmers has omitted to notice this volume, and so has Lowndes. The copy which I possess was formerly in the library of Mr. Isaac Reed, and at the sale of his books in 1807 it was purchased by Mr. Heber for 21. 3s. It cost me no more than 8s. 6d" A copy of this valuable Catalogue in the li- brary of the Corporation of London formerly be- longed to Dr. Michael Lort, who has written the following note in it : " This account was drawn up by the very intelligent Mr. Oldys. It is very seldom to be found compleat in this man- ner. Many curious particulars of literary and biographical history are to be found in it. I paid 5s. for it. Feb. 18, 1772." ibis Catalogue has been reprinted by Mr. Park in the last edition of the Harleian Miscellany, vol. x. pp. 357-471. After the completion of The Harleian Miscel- lany, it does not appear that Oldys continued much longer in the employ of Thomas Osborne ; at that time the most celebrated publisher in the metropolis. If we may j udge from the series of catalogues issued by this bookseller from the year 1738 to 1766, he must have carried on a successful and lucrative trade. These catalogues may now be reckoned among the curiosities of literature ; for nowhere do we meet with similar information respecting the prices of books at that time, or more amusement than in his quaint notes, and still more quaint prefaces. For how many of these curious bibliographical memoranda XXV111 MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. he was indebted to his neighbour, William Oldys, cannot now be ascertained. Osborne's exploits are thus celebrated in the Dunciad : " Osborne and Curll accept the glorious strife, Though this his Son dissuades, and that his Wife." Again, at the conclusion of the contest : " Osborne, through perfect modesty o'ercome, Crown'd with the Jordan, walks contented home." Osborne was so impassively dull and ignorant in what form or language Milton's Paradise Lost was written, that he employed one of his garreteers to render it from a French translation into English prose. He is now best known as the bookseller whom Johnson knocked down with a folio. " Sir," said the Doctor to Boswell, " he was impertinent to me, and I beat him ; but it was not in his shop, it was in my own chamber." On August 27, 1767, this bibliopole was buried in the churchyard of St. Mary, Islington, leaving behind him the com- fortable assets of 40,OOOZ. So true is it what Walcot said rather strongly, " That publishers drink their claret out of authors' skulls." But, as Thomas Park shrewdly observed, " Some might say, that authors must have paper skulls to suffer it." In 1746 was published anew edition of Health's Improvement, by Dr. Moffet, corrected and en- larged by Christopher Bennet, M.D. Prefixed is a view of the author's life and writings from the pen of William Oldys. No copy of this work is to be found in our national library, and it is omitted in both editions of Lowndes. With its publication terminated Oldys's connexion with Osborne. The editorship of Michael Drayton's Works, fol. 1 748, has been attributed to Oldys by a wri- ter in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. Ivii. pt. ii. p. 1081, as well as by Mr. Octavius Gilchrist in Aikin's Athenceum, ii. 347, who adds, " It is not generally known that these collections [of Dray- MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. XXIX ton's Works'] were made by Oldys, with less than his usual accuracy." But from the article DRATTON, in the Biographia Britannica, ed. 1750, written by Oldys himself, it appears that he only furnished the " Historical Essay " pre- fixed to the edition of Dray ton's Works, 1748, as well as to that of 1753. Speaking of the Barons' Wars, Oldys remarks, "In this edition [1748] these Barons' Wars in the reign of Edward II. are illustrated with marginal notes by the author, which have been all since omitted by his late editor, though the author of the Preliminary Dis- course was desirous of a more ample commen- tary." (Biog. Brit. iii. 1745, ed. 1750, and Kippis's edition, v. 360.) Oldys now resolved to devote his exclusive at- tention to his own peculiar department of litera- ture, that of Biography. Hence we find him, for the next ten years, employed in the desperate and weary process of excavation, among the over- whelming piles of documents preserved in the public and private libraries of the metropolis. The facilities afforded to biographers and annalists of modern times, by the catalogues of the British Museum and the Calendars of the State Paper Office, were unknown to the literary adventurer a century ago. To collect materials for any bio- graphical or historical work required then some sinew and hardihood to encounter the enormous and almost unmanageable mass of documents from which truth was to be dug out. Between the years 1747 and 1760, it appears that Oldys fur- nished twenty-two articles to the first edition of the Biographia Britannica, which may rank with some of the most perfect specimens of biography in the English language. For the following tabu- lar view of his labours on this important work, we are indebted to Bolton Corney's Curiosities of Literature Illustrated. Second Edition, 1838, p. 177:-. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. " Contributions of W. Oldys to the Biographia Britannica, London, 1747-66. Folio, 7 Vols. Volume and Date. Name. Claim to Admission. No. of Pages. i. 1747 Georze Abbot - Robert Abbot - Archbishop of Canterbury Bishop of Salisbury - 1 Sir Thomas Adams - Lord Mayor of London ii W. Alexander Earl Statesman and Dramatic ofStirline Writer - - - - 6 Charles Aleyn - Historical Poet - U Edward Alleyn Founder of Dulwich College 7i William Ames - Divine- - ... II John Atherton - Bishop of Waterford - 8 Peter Bales Writing Master ... 11 ii. 1748 John Bradford - Protestant Martyr - William Bulleyn - Physician and Botanist - H William Carton Printer - 26r iii. 1750 Michael Orayton Historical & Pastoral Poet 5 Sir Geo. Etherese - Dramatic Writer 8 George Farquhar - Dramatic Writer 11 sir John Fastolff - Statesman and Warrior - 101 Thomas Fuller Sir Will Gascoijme - Historian, &c. - 20 101 IT. 1757 Fulke Grevile, Lord ge nn Brook - Biosrapher and Poet - 121 Rich. Hakluvt - Naval Historian 14 Wenceslaus Hollar - Ensraver .... Si T. 1760 Thomas May - Historian and Poet - 6 " On the execution of the articles," remarks Mr. Corney, " I submit some short remarks. The life of Archbishop Abbot is especially commended by the author of the preface to the work ; and was reprinted in 1777, 8vo. The life of Edward Alleyn is also justly characterised by the same writer as very curious. The article on Peter Bales, if rather discursive, is rich in information ; and contains, in the notes, a history of writing- masters. Bulleyn, whose works were formerly popular, receives due attention. As Gough re- marks, Oldys has " rescued him almost from obli- vion."* Master William Caxton occupies more than twenty-six pages. Oldys had carefully ex- amined the chief portion of his rare volumes ; and Dr. Dibdin admits that his "performance is in every respect superior to that of Leuns."^ The ^British Topography, 1780, 4to, i. 133. \ Typographical Antiquities, 1810, 4to, p. Ixxiv. MEMOIE OT WILLIAM OLDYS. XXXI account of Drayton and his works is an interest- ing specimen. Oldys points out the numerous deficiencies of the splendid edition of 1748 ; and his information seems to have led to the comple- tion of it. The life of Sir John Fastolff, of which the first sketch was contributed to the General Dictionary in 1737, is the result of extraordinary research. The Fastolff of history and the Falstaff of fiction are ingeniously contrasted. The ac- count of Fuller is compiled with peculiar care ; and affords a remarkable proof of the extent to which the writings of an author may be made contributive to his biography. The History of the Worthies of England, which Oldys frequently con- sulted, is characterised with much candour ; and he has very appropriately introduced the sub- stance of a MS. essay on the toleration of wit on grave subjects. Sir William Gascoigne is copiously historised. Oldys, with his usual ardour in search of truth, obtained the use of some Memoirs of the Family of Gascoigne from one of the descendants of Sir William, and a communication from the Rev. R. Knight, Vicar of Harwood, where he was buried. The life of the patriotic Hakluyt claims especial notice. Oldys had pointed out his merit more than twenty years before ; * and seems never to have lost sight of him. He has left an admir- able memorial of the "surpassing knowledge and learning, diligence and Jidelity, of this naval his- torian " and it well deserves to be separately re-published. The account of Hollar and his works is written with the animation and tact of a connois- seur. Oldys justly describes him as ever making art a rival to nature, and as a prodigy of industry. He also reviews the graphic collections of his ad- mirers, from Evelyn to the Duchess of Portland. The article on May was his last contribution. He vindicates the History of the Parliament from Life of Sir W. R., p. cix. + British Librarian, p. 137. c2 XXXll MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDT8. the aspersions cast on it in which he is sup- ported by Bishop Warburton, Lord Chatham, &c. " It may be safely asserted that no one of the contributors to the Biographia Britannica has produced a richer proportion of inedited facts than William Oldys ; and he seems to have consulted every species of the more accessible authorities, from the Fcedera of Rymer to the inscription on a print. His united articles, set up as the text of Chalmers, would occupy about a thousand octavo pages." Oldys's coadjutors on the Biographia Britan- nica were the Rev. Philip Morant, of Colchester ; Rev. Thomas Broughton, of the Temple Church ; Dr. John Campbell, of Exeter Change ; Henry Brougham, of Took's Court, Cursitor Street, Hoi- born ; Rev. Mr. Hinton, of Red Lion Square; Dr. Philip Nicols, Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cam- bridge ; and Mr. Harris of Dublin. In 1778, when Dr. Kippis undertook the edi- torship of the second edition of the Biographia Britannica, he became the fortunate possessor of a portion of Oldys's manuscript biographical col- lections, purchased for this work by Mr. Thomas Cadell, one of the publishers. In his Preface (vol. i. p. xx.) he states, that " To Dr. Percy, besides his own valuable assistances, we are in- debted for directing us to the purchase of a large and useful body of biographical materials, left by Mr. Oldys." These biographical materials were quoted in the articles Arabella Stuart, John Bar- clay, Mary Beale, W. Browne, Sam. Butler, &c. Dr. Kippis found also among Oldys's papers, some notes principally tending to illustrate several of Butler's allusions in his Hudibras to both an- cient and modern authors. {Vide vol. iii. p. 91.) From the years 1751 to 1753, it would seem that Oldys was involved in pecuniary difficulties ; and being unable to discharge the rent due for his chambers in Gray's Inn, was compelled to reside MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. XXXlii for a lengthened period in the quiet obscurity of the Fleet prison. It was probably during his confinement that the following letters were written to his friend Dr. Thomas Birch : "July 22, 1751. " SIR, I received last night two guineas by the hand of my worthy and honourable friend Mr. Southwell ; for which favour, and much more for the polite and en- gaging manner of conferring it, besides this incompetent return of my sincere thanks, I have beg'd him to make my acknowledgments more acceptable than in my pre- sent confused and disabled state I am capable myself of doing. I have also desired him to intimate how much more I might be obliged to you, if, at your leisure, and where you shall perceive it convenient, you would so re- present me to such Honorable friends among your nu- merous acquaintance, that they may help me towards a removal into some condition, wherein I may no longer remain altogether unuseful to mankind; which would lay an obligation inexpressible upon, Sir, " Your most obedient humble servant, " WILLIAM OLDYS." "August 23<, 1751. " SIR, That favour I before received of you, was be- yond whatever the ' sense of my own deficiencies could suffer me to expect; but much more this, by which, through your favourable representation of me, or my misfortunes, to the Hon. Mr. Yorke, I received five guineas of him, through the hands of the candid and cordial Mr. Southwell. You may justly believe, that my hearty thanks for this benefit are hereby unfeignedly returned to you, and I have endeavoured to return the like to that noble benefactor. But as I cannot make my gratitude so satisfactory to him, as his goodness has been to me, I still want the assistance of a friend, to convey my acknowledgments, more expressively than I can my- self: and I think, by what I have already tasted, I may depend upon that friendship from yon. The happiness I have lately received in perusing your life of Spenser * has greatly restored my desire, in this loitering, lingering, useless condition, to such studies. * Dr. Birch had recently published The Faerie Queene, with an exact collation of the two original editions; to which are added a Life of the Author, and a Glossary, with plates, 3 vols. 1751, 4to. c 3 XXXIV MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. There are very observable passages in it, both ancient and modern, which I had not before met with ; for which, and many other memorable incidents in our most illus- trious ancestors, recovered and rectified by your reviving hand, if present readers shall be silent in your praise, those who are unborn will stigmatise their ingratitude, in the celebration of your industry. " 1 remain, Sir, " Your most obliged and obedient servant, " WILLIAM OLDYS."* In 1753, Oldys in conjunction with Mr. John Taylor, the oculut in Hatton Garden, published Observations on the Cure of William Taylor, the Blind Boy of Ightham, in Kent, containing also an address to the Fublick for a foundation of an Hos- pital for the Blind. Prefixed are two letters from Oldys to Dr. Monsey of Chelsea Hospital, and one in reply from the Doctor. Oldys remained in confinement till Mr. South- well of Cockermouth (brother of the second Lord Southwell) and his other friends obtained his li- berty.f John Taylor, however, has given the following account of his release : " Oldys, as my father informed me, lived many years in quiet ob- scurity in the Fleet prison, but at last was spirited up to make his situation known to the Duke of Norfolk \ of that time, who received Oldys 1 s letter while he was at dinner with some friends. The Duke immediately communicated the contents to the company, observing that he had long been anxious to know what had become of an old, though an humble friend, and was happy, by that letter, to find that he was still alive. He then called for his gentleman (a kind of humble friend whom noblemen used to retain under that name in former days), and desired him to go immedi- ately to the Fleet prison with money for the im- Addit. MS. 4316, p. 4. t Gent. Mag. vol. liv. pt i. p. 260. j Edward Howard : ob. 1777. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. XXXV mediate need of Oldys, to procure an account of his debts, and to discharge them."* Soon after the Duke of Norfolk had released Oldys from his pecuniary difficulties, he procured for him the situation of Norroy King-at-Arms a post peculiarly suited to his love of genealogy. He was created Norfolk Herald Extraordinary at the College of Arms by the Earl of Effingham, Deputy Earl Marshal, on 15th April, 1755, to qualify him for the office of Norroy, to which he was appointed by patent the 5th May follow- ing. His noble patron generously defrayed the fees for passing his patent. The Duke had fre- quently met Oldys in the library of the late Earl of Oxford, and had perused with much pleasure his Life of Sir Walter Ralegh and his other works, and considered him sufficiently qualified, from his literary acquirements, to restore the drooping reputation of the office of Norroy. Oldys appointed as his deputy Edward Orme of Ches- ter, better known as the compiler of pedigrees for families of tha^ county. " The heralds," says Noble, " had reason to be displeased with Oldys's promotion to a provincial kingship. The College, however, will always be pleased with ranking so good a writer amongst their body."f John Taylor, author of Monsieur Ton son, re- lates the following anecdote of our Norroy whilst performing one of his official duties. " On some occasion, when the King-at-Arms was obliged to ride on horseback in a public procession, the pre- decessor of Mr. Oldys in the cavalcade had a pro- clamation to read, but, confused by the noise of the surrounding multitude, he made many mis- takes, and, anxious to be accurate, he turned back to every passage to correct himself, and therefore appeared to the people to be an ignorant blunderer. When Mr. Oldys had to recite the .Record* of my Life, i. 26. f College of Arm*, p. 421. XXXVI MEMOIR Or WILLIAM OLDYS. same proclamation, though he made, he said, more mistakes than his predecessor, he read on through thick and thin, never stopping a moment to cor- rect his errors, and thereby excited the applause of the people ; though he declared that the other gentleman had been much better qualified for the duty than himself." * We ought to apologise for noticing what Mr. Bolton Corney justly styles " the most contemp- tible of books," The Olio, published from the refuse papers of the redoubtable Captain Grose by his eager executor, who happened to be his bookseller. Even Mr. Isaac D'Israeli acknow- ledges, that in it " the delineation of Oldys is sufficiently overcharged for the nonce." Grose, as every one knows, exceedingly enjoyed a joke ; but probably he never conceived that some officious hand would gather up and publish the debris of his library for his own mercenary advantage. This despicable production has been quoted as an authority by nearly every one who has under- taken to give an account of the life of Oldys. Grose was appointed Richmond Herald by patent 12th June, 1755, which he resigned in 1763. He was therefore contemporary with Oldys during the whole period of his connexion with the Heralds' College, excepting that Oldys was appointed Norroy in the May preceding.! Oldys, however, with all his alleged " deep potations in ale," was a well-informed literary antiquary or, as Grose himself confesses, "in the knowledge of scarce English books and editions he had no equal ; " but unhappily our facetious Rich- mond Herald, " who cared more for rusty armour than for rusty volumes," as D'Israeli remarks, " would turn over these flams and quips to some confidential friend, to enjoy together a secret laugh at their literary intimates." Even the story * Records of my Life, i. 26. t Ex inform. T. W. King, York Herald. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. XXXV11 told by Grose of the intoxication of Oldys at the funeral of the Princess Caroline, and the jeopardy of the crown, is not accurate; for Mr. Noble assures us, that the crown, when borne at the funeral of the king or queen, or the coronet at the burial of a prince or princess, is always carried by Clarenceux, not Norroy.* It is also stated in the ceremonial of the Princess Caroline's funeral, as printed in The London Chronicle of Jan. 5, 1758, and Reed's Weekly Journal of Jan. 7, 1758, that " Clarenceux, bearing the coronet upon a black velvet cushion, preceded the body of the prin- cess."! Oldys was connected with the College of Arms for nearly five years. His library was the large room up one pair of stairs in Norroy's apartments, in the west wing of the college, where he chiefly resided, and which was furnished with little else than books. Hia notes were written on slips of paper, which he afterwards classified and reposited in small bags suspended about his room. It was in this way that he covered several quires of paper with laborious collections for a complete Life of Shakspeare ; and from these notes Isaac Reed made several extracts in the Additional Anecdotes to Rowe's Life of the Bard. Oldys at this time frequently passed his even- ings at the house of John Taylor, the cele- brated oculist of Hatton Garden |, where he always preferred the fireside in the kitchen, that * College of Arms, p. 421. t MR THOMPSON COOPER, of Cambridge, in "N. & Q." 2 nd S. iii. 514, has stated, that " on turning to a con- temporaneous account of the ftineral, I find that Norroy did carry the coronet on that occasion." We have not been able to trace the authoritv for this statement. J John Taylor of Hatton Garden was the son of the celebrated Chevalier Taylor, and father of John Taylor the author of Monsieur Tonson, and editor of The 'Sun newspaper. XXXVlll MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. he might not be obliged to mingle with the other visitors. He was so particular in his habits, that he could not smoke his pipe with ease till his chair was fixed close to a particular crack in the floor. " The shyness of Mr. Oldys's disposition," says John Taylor, jun., "and the simplicity of his manners, had induced him to decline an introduc- tion to my grandfather, the Chevalier Taylor, who was always splendid in attire, and had been used to the chief societies in every court of Europe ; but my grandfather had heard so much of Mr. Oldys, that he resolved to be acquainted with him, and therefore one evening when Oldys was enjoying his* philosophical pipe by the kitchen fire, the Chevalier invaded his retreat, and with- out ceremony addressed him in the Latin lan- guage. Oldys, surprised and gratified to find a scholar in a tine gentleman, threw off his reserve, answered him in the same language, and the col- loquy continued for at least two hours ; my father, not so good a scholar, only occasionally interpos- ing an illustrative remark." * Oldys's literary labours were now drawing to a close, his life having extended to nearly three- score years and ten. His last production was the Life of Charles Cotton, piscator and poet, pre- fixed to Hawkins's edition of Walton's Compleat Angler, edit. 1760, which made forty-eight pages. It was abridged in the later editions. As we have elsewhere noticed (postea, page 15). Dr. Towers, who compiled the Life of COTTON for Kippis's Bio- graphia Britannica, has erroneously attributed Oldys's Life of this poet to our musical knight. Grose informs us (Olio, p. 139), that "among Oldys's works is a Preface to Izaak Walton's An- gling." This Preface was probably no other than his " Collections" for a Life of Walton. In his bio- graphical sketch of Charles Cotton he reminds Sir John Hawkins, that " as Izaak Walton did oblige * Records of my 'Life, i. 27. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDT8. XXXIX the public with the lives of several eminent men, it is much that some little historical monument has not, in grateful retaliation, been raised and devoted to his memory. The few materials I, long since, with much search, gathered up con- cerning him, you have seen, and extracted 1 hope, what you found necessary for the purpose I in- tended them." (Page iv. See also Hawkins's Life of Walton in the same volume, p. xlviii.) William Oldys died at his apartments in the Heralds' College on April 15, 1761, and was buried on the 19th of the same month in the north aisle of St. Benet, Paul's Wharf, towards the upper end.* His friend, John Taylor of Hat- ton Garden, on the 20th of June, 1761, adminis- tered as principal creditor, defrayed the funeral expenses, and obtained possession of his official regalia, books, and valuable manuscripts. The original painting of William Oldys, formerly be- longing to Mr. Taylor, is now, we believe, in the possession of Mr. J. H. Burn of Bow Street ; an engraving from it by Balston will be found in The European Magazine for November, 1796. He is drawn in a full-dress suit and bag- wig, and has the complete air of a venerable patrician. The following punning anagram on his own name, and made by himself, occurs in one of his manu- scripts in the British Museum : " In word and Will lam & friend to you, And one friend Old is worth a hundred new." The printed books found in the library of Oldys, some of them copiously annotated, together with a portion of his manuscripts, were sold by Thomas * There is a discrepancy respecting the age of Oldys at the time of his death. On his coffin, as well as in a document belonging to the Heralds' College, it is stated to be seventy-two, and in the newspapers of that time, seventy-four, which would place his birth in 1687 or 1689; whereas we have in his own handwriting as the date July 14, 1696. Vide Addit. MS. 4240, p. 14. XI MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. Davies, the bookseller, on April 12, 1762. Mr. John Taylor, jun., has given the following ac- count of the dispersion of some of his manuscripts. He says, " Mr. Oldys had engaged to furnish a bookseller in the Strand, whose name was Walker, with ten years of the life of Shakspeare unknown to the biographers and commentators, but he died, and ' made no sign ' of the projected work. The bookseller made a demand of twenty guineas on my father, alleging that he had advanced that sum to Mr. Oldys, who had promised to provide the matter in question. My father paid this sum to the bookseller soon after he had attended the remains of his departed friend to the grave. The manuscripts of Oldys, consisting of a few books written in a small hand, and abundantly inter- lined, remained long in my father's possession, but by desire of Dr. Percy, afterwards Bishop of Dromore, were submitted to his inspection, through the medium of Dr. Monsey, who was an intimate friend of Dr. Percy. They continued in Dr. Percy's hands some years. He had known Mr. Oldys in the early part of his life, and spoke respectfully of his character. The last volume of Oldys's manuscripts that I ever saw, was at my friend the late Mr. William Gifford's house, in James Street, Westminster, while he was preparing a new edition of the works of Shirley ; and I learned from him that it was lent to him by Mr. Heber. My friend Mr. D'Israeli is mistaken in saying that on ' the death of Oldys, Dr. Kippis, editor of the Biographia Britannica, looked over the manuscripts.' It was not until near thirty years after the death of Oldys, that they were submitted to his inspection, and at his recommen- dation were purchased by the late Mr. Cadell."* * Records of my Life, pp. 28, 29. For the searching inquiries after the missing biographical manuscripts of Oldys made by Mr. Isaac D'Israeli, see his Curiosities of Literature, edit. 1823, iii. 476. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. xli Oldys was the fortunate possessor of a large collection of Italian Proverbs, entitled Giardino di Recreations, in manuscript, by John Florio, the editor of a Dictionarie in Italian and English, con- taining commendatory verses prefixed by Matthew Gwinne, Samuel Daniel, and two other friends. This volume afterwards belonged to Sir Isaac Heard, from whom it passed to Mr. B. H. Bright, and was sold in the sale of his manuscripts, on June 18, 1844. (Hunter's Illustrations of Shahs- peare, i. 275.) Among other books enriched with notes by Oldys is that of England's Parnassus, 8vo, 1600. It was owing to his bibliographical erudition that the name of the compiler of these "Choysest Flowers" became known. Wood, misapprehending the in- formation given by Phillips in his Theutrum Poetarum, 1675, designated Fitz-Geffry as the compiler; but Oldys had discovered in one or two copies that the initials B,. A. to the dedica- tory Sonnet to Sir Thomas Mounson were signed R. Allot. To the signature R. A. Oldys has added the following note : " Mr. Edmund Bolton, in his Hypercritica, mentions Robert Allott and Henry Constable as two good poets in his days. So I conclude upon the whole, that the said Robert" Allott, the poet, was the Collector of this book. John Weever, in his little book of Epigrams, printed in I2mo, 1600 (or the year before), yet, 1 think, quoted in thia work, has the following lines : Ad Ro: Allot, and Chr: Middleton. ' Quick are your wits, sharp your conceits, Short and more sweet your lays ; Quick, but no wit ; sharp, no conceit, Short and less sweet my praise.' " A censure passed upon England's Parnassus by Oldya, in his Preface to Hayward's British Muse, 1738, though tinctured with too much severity, is certainly not unfounded in its general reprehen- sion. He shrewdly and sarcastically concludes that the book, " bad as it is, suggests one good d x MEMOIR OP WILLIAM OLDYS. observation upon the use and advantage of such collections, which is, that they may prove more successful in preserving the best parts of some authors, than their works themselves." Mr. War- ton, however, considers the extracts as made "with a degree of taste : " and Sir S. Egerton Brydges as " very curious and valuable." The last men- tioned remarks (Cens. Liter, ii. 318), that the state of our knowledge on these subjects is materially altered since the time of Oldys ; who, though his bibliographical erudition was very eminent, could add, that " most of the authors were now so obso- lete, that not knowing what they wrote, we can have no recourse to their works, if still extant." * Oldys's annotated copy of England's Parnassus passed into the hands of Thomas Warton, and subsequently came into the possession of Colonel Stanley, at whose sale In April and May, 1813 (lot 378), it was purchased by Mr. R. Triphook as his own speculation for 13Z. 13s. The most valuable and curious work left by Oldys is an annotated copy of Gerard Langbaine's Account of the early Dramatick Poets, Oxford, 1691, 8vo. It has already been stated (ante, p. xi), that the first copy of this work with his notes had passed into the hands of Mr. Coxeter. After Mr. Coxeter's death his books and manu- scripts were purchased by Osborne, and were offered for sale in 1748. The book in question, No. 10,131 in Osborne's Catalogue for that year, was purchased either by Theophilus Gibber, or by some bookseller who afterwards put it into his hands ; and from the notes of Oldys and Coxeter, the principal part of the additional matter fur- nished by Gibber (or rather by Shiels) for the Lives of the Poets, 5 vols. 12mo. 1753, was unques- tionably derived. Mr. Coxeter's manuscripts are mentioned in the title-page, to whom, therefore, * Thomas Park, in the Preface to the reprint of Eng- land's Parnassus, 1815. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDT8. xliii the exclusive credit of the work is assigned, but which really belongs as much, if not more, to Oldys. Oldys purchased a second Langbaine in 1727, and continued to annotate it till the latest period of his life. This copy was purchased by Dr. Birch, who bequeathed it to the British Museum. It is not interleaved, but filled with notes written in the margins and between the lines in an ex- tremely small hand. Birch granted the loan of it to Dr. Percy, Bishop of Dromore, who made a transcript of the notes into an interleaved copy of Langbaine in four vols. 8vo. It was from Bishop Percy's copy that Mr. Joseph Haslewood annotated his Langbaine. He says, " His Lord- ship was so kind as to favour me with the loan of this book, with a generous permission to make what use of it I might think proper ; and when he went to Ireland, he left it with Mr. Nichols, for the benefit of the new edition of The Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian, with Notes and Illus- trations, to which work his Lordship was by his other valuable communications a very beneficial contributor." George Steevens likewise made a transcript of Oldys's notes inta a copy of Langbaine, which at the sale of his library in 1800, was purchased by Richardson the bookseller for 91., who resold it to Sir S. Egerton Brydges in the same year for four- teen guineas. At the sale of the Lee Priory li- brary in 1 834, it fell into the hands of Thorpe of Bedford-street, Covent Garden, from whom the late Dr. Bliss purchased it on Feb. 7, 1835, for nine guineas. It is now in the British Museum. Malone, Isaac Reed, and the Rev. Rogers Rud- ing, also made transcripts of Oldys's notes. The Malone transcript is now at Oxford; but Rud- ing's has not been traced. In a cutting from one of Thorpe's catalogues, preserved by Dr. Bliss, it is stated to be in two volumes, the price 51. 5s. ; that Ruding transcribed them in 1784, and that his d2 xliv MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. additions are very numerous. In Heber's Cata- logue (Pt. iv. No. 1215) is another copy of Lang- baine, with many important additions by Oldys, Steevens, and Reed. This was purchased by Rodd for 41. 4s. In 1845, Edward Vernon Utterson had an interleaved Langbaine. What has become of it ? It is scarcely possible to take up any work on the History of the Stage, or which treats of the biographies of Dramatic Writers, without finding these curious collectanea of Oldys quoted to illus- trate some or other obscure point. " The Biogra- graphical Memoirs I have inserted in Censura Literaria" remarks Sir S. E. Brydges, " have been principally drawn from the minute and intelligent inquiries, and indefatigable labours of Oldys, pre- served in the interleaved copy of Langbaine. Many of them are curious, and though parts have already been given to the public in the Biographia Dramatica, yet as they are in the originals from whence that work borrowed them, it became not only amusing but useful to record them in their own form and words." In the British Museum (Addit. MS. 12,523) is a manuscript volume, in Oldys's hand writing, of miscellaneous extracts for a work with the follow- ing title : " The Patron ; or a Portraiture of Pa- tronage and Dependency, more especially as they appear in their Domestick Light and Attitudes. A Capital Piece drawn to the Life by the Hands of several Eminent Masters in the great School of Experience, and addressed to a Gentleman, who upon the loss of Friends, was about to settle in a great Family." The subjoined catalogue of the books found in Oldys's library at the time of his death, cannot fail to interest every one curious in bibliography. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. OLDYS'S LlBBABY AND MAN USCBIPT WoRKS.* The collection of books formed by this accurate and laborious antiquary, through whose exertions English literature and bibliography have been so essentially improved, was purchased by Thomas Davies, author of The Life of Garrick, and offered for sale in " A Catalogue of the Libraries of the late William Oldys, Esq. Norroy King-at- Arms (author of The Life of Sir Walter Raleigh) ; the Rev. Mr. Emms of Yarmouth, and Mr. Win. Rush, which will begin to be sold on Monday, April 12 [1762], by Thomas Davies." The trifling prices which were asked for some books that are now esteemed amongst the scarcest in the language, will amuse the bibliomaniac of the present day, who, if his wishes tend towards the collection of early literature, not so much on the score of its rarity as from its utility, will as- suredly lament that he did not live at a period when his taste and desires could have been so readily gratified. The charge for that invaluably illustrated copy of Langbaine f must astonish those who are ac- quainted with the large sums which have been re- quired for transcripts only of those important additions to our dramatic biography. 227. Nicolson's Historical Libraries, with a great num- ber of MS. additions, references, &c. by the late VVm. Oldy?, very fair 2/. 2s. 1736. [Now in the British Mu- seum.] 230. Fuller's Worthies of England, with MS. correc- tions, &c. by Mr. Oldys.J A price had originally been * From Fry's Bibliographical Memoranda, 4to. Bristol, 1816, p. 33. t Mr. Fry is not correct. The famed annotated Lang- baine, purchased of Davies by Dr. Birch for one guinea, is the edition of 1691. It would appear, however, from lot 1511 of the above list, that Oldys had commenced anno- tating Gildon's edition of 1699. I " This copy," says Mr. Fry, " was purchased at the d 3 xlvi MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDT8. attached to this article, but is obliterated, apparently by the publisher.* 268. Linschoten's Voyages to the East Indies, with a great many cuts, black-letter, 12s. 6df 593. A Collection of scarce and valuable Old Plays, most of them in small quarto, amounting in all to above 450, with a written catalogue [no price.] 705. Virgil, translated into Scottish Meter, by Gawin Douglas. Black-letter, Lond. 1553. 5s.J 717. Complaints, containing Sundry Poems of the World's Vanity, by Ed. Spenser, the Author's own edi- tion, 1591. 2s. 6d. 719. The Book which is called the Body of Polycye, black-letter, very fair, 1521. 5s. 720. The Book of Falconrie and Hawking, with Cuts, black-letter, 1611. The Noble Art of Hunting, with Cuts, black-letter, 1611, very fair. 6s. 725. Cooper's Chronicle, black-letter, neat, 1560. 3*. 728. Milton's Paradise Lost, in Ten Books, first edi- tion, very fair, 1669. 5s. 736. Whetstone's English Mirror, 1586. Crowley's Answer to Powndes Six Reasons, 1581 : black-letter. 3s. 738. Goulart's Admirable and Memorable History of the Times, Englished by Grimeston, 1607. 2s. 832. Enemy to Unthryftiness, a perfect Mirrour for Magistrates, by Whetstone, and six other Curious Tracts. 7s. 6A sale of George Steevens's library by the late Mr. Malone, in whose collection it still remains." Mr. Isaac D'Israeli states, however, that Steevens's copy contained a tran- script of Oldys's notes. He says, " The late Mr. Boswell showed me a Fuller [ Worthies] in the Malone collection, with Steevens's transcription of Oldys's notes, which Malone purchased for 43Z. at Steevens's sale ; but where is the original copy ? " ( Curiosities of Literature, Second Series, iii. 469, ed. 1823.) In Steevens's Sale Catalogue it is thus described: "Lot 1799. Fuller (Thos.) Worthies of England, a very fine copy in russia, with the portrait by Loggan, and Index j a most extraordinary and match- le'ss book, the late Mr. Steevens having bestowed uncom- mon pains in transcribing every addition to render it valuable, written in his peculiarly neat manner, fol. Lond. 1662." * The price was II. 11s. 6ef. Bolton Carney. t At the Roxburghe sale it fetched 107. 15s. j At the Roxburghe sale it fetched 71. 7s. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. 836. Lavaterus of Ghosts and Spirits walking by Night; of straunge Noises, Crackes, &c., black-letter, 1596. A Thousand Notable Things of Sundry Sortes, by Lupton ; black-letter, no date, and three others. 6s. 852. Hyperius's Practice of Preaching, translated by Ludham, blac : -letter, 1577. Tragical History of the Troubles and Civill Warres of the Low Countries, black- letter, 1581. 4s. 1511. Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets, by Langbaine and Gildon, with MS. additions by Oldys, 1699. 3s. 6d. 1683. The British Librarian, six numbers in boards, 1738. Is. 6d. 1684. The same, bound. 2*. 2449. A Manifest Detection of the most vyle and de- testable Use of Dice Play, black-letter, sewed,"l552. ls.6d. 2450. Vaughan's Golden Grove, 1600. Is. 2554. Wit and Drollery, 1682. 1. 2569. Stevenson's Norfolk Drollery, 1673.* 1*. 2570. Shakespeare's Poems, 1 640. 1*. 2572. Vilvain's Epitome of Essays, 1654. Is. 6d. 2573. Collop's Poesie Reviv'd, 1656. Is. 2574. Wit Restor'd, 1658. Is. 6d. 2575. Wits' Recreation, 1640. Is. f 2579. Palingenius's Zodiake of Life, Englished by Googe, black-letter, 1565. 2s. 6d. 2580. Dnnton's Maggots, 1685. Is. Gd. 2581. The Muses' Recreation, 1656. 1*. 2633. Lingua: or the Combat of the Tongue, 1657. Is. Bd. , 2634. Lilly's Six Court Comedies, 1632. 2s. *,* The last twelve articles are in verse. William Oldys's Manuscripts. 3612. Catalogue of Books and Pamphlets relating to the City of London, its Laws, Customs, Magistrates ; its Diversions, Public Buildings ; its Misfortunes, viz. Plagues, Fires, &c., and of every thing that has happened remark- able in London from 1521 to 1759, with some occasional remarks. Folio.J * About this period many books were published with a similar title, such as Songs of Love and Drollery, 1654 ; Bristol Drollery, 1656 ; Sportive Wit, or the Lusty Drol- lery, 1656 ; Holborn Drollery, 1672 ; Grammatical Drol- lery, 1682 ; all in verse. Fry. f Fetched at the Roxburghe sale, 41. 8s. J Gough (British Topog. ed 1780, i. 567) informs xlviii MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. Quarto. 3613. Of London Libraries ; with Anecdotes of Collec- tors of Books, Remarks on Booksellers, and of the tirst publishers of Catalogues. [See postea, p. 58.] 3614. Epistote G. Morley ad Jan. Ulitium. 3615. Catalogue of graved Prints of our most eminent countrymen, belonging to Mr. Oldya. 3616. Orationes habitae in N. C. 1655 : English verses. 3617. Memoirs relating to the Family of Oldys. [In British Museum, Addit. MS. 4240.] 3618. Barcelona: or the Spanish Expedition under the Conduct of the Right Hon. the Earl of Peterborough ; a Poem by Mr. Farquhar, never before published. [This seems to have been copied from the printed edition. Bolton Carney."] 3619. The Life of Augustus, digested into fifty-nine Schemes, by James Robey. Octavo et infra. 3620. The Apophthegms of the English Nation, con- taining above 500 memorable sayings of noted Persons, being a Collection of Extempore Wit, more copious than any hitherto published. [It was probably founded on a us, that "he had been favoured by George Steevens, Esq., with the use of a thick folio of titles of books and pamphlets relative to London, and occasionally to Westminster and Middlesex, from 1521 to 1758, collected by the late Mr. Oldys ; with many others added, as it seems in another hand. Among them are many purely historical, and many of too low a character to rank under the head of topography or history. The rest, which are very numerous, I have inserted marked 0, with correc- tions, &c., of those I had myself collected. Mr. Steevens purchased this MS. of T. Davies, who bought Mr. Oldys"s library. It had been in the hands of Dr. Berken- hout, who had a design of publishing an English Topo- grapher, and may possibly have inserted the articles in a different hand. 51. 5s. is the price in the first leaf. In a smaller MS. Mr. Oldys says he had inserted 360 arti- cles in the folio, April 12, 1747, and that the late Alder- man Billers had a fine collection of tracts, &c., relating to London." " Mr. Oldya's collection of titles for London have passed from Mr. Steevens to Sir John Hawkins." (Ib. i. 761*.) Sir John Hawkins's library was destroyed by fire. MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDYS. MS. collection of earlier date. Life of Sir Walter Ra- leigh. Ballon Carney. ] 3621. Description of all Kinds of Fish. 3622. The British Arborist; being a Natural, Philolo- gical, Theological, Poetical, Mythological, Medicinal, and Mechanical History of Trees, principally native to this Island, with some Select Exoticks, &c. Not finished. 3623. Description of Trees, Plants, &c. [Addit. MS. 20,724.] 3624. Collection of Poems written above one hundred years since. 3625. Trinarchodia : the several Raignes of Richard II., Henry IV., and Henry V. in verse, supposed to be written 1650. [This volume became the property of J. P. Andrews : Park describes it, Restituta, iv. 166. Bol- ton Carney. .1 3626. Collection of Poems by Mr. Oldys. 3627. Mr. Oldys's Diary, containing several Observa- tions relating to Books, Characters, &c. [Printed in this volume.] 3628. Collections of Observations and Notes on various subjects. 3629. Memorandum Book, containing as above. 3630. Table of Persons celebrated by the English Poets. 3631. Catalogue of MSS. written by Lord Clarendon. 3632. Names of English Writers, and Places of their Burial, &c. 3633. Description of Flowers, Plants, Roots, &c. *3633. Description of all Kinds of Birds. [See Addit MS. 20,725.] " So end," says Mr. Fry, " the minutias of this curious Catalogue, which I have thought it not incurious to record, more especially as Mr. Dibdin, whilst noticing the interleaved Langbaine, in his Bibliomania, does not seem to have been aware of its passing through the hands of the humble friend of Dr. Johnson." Gough (British Topog.^ i. 31, ed. 1780) says, " I have seen a first volume of a translation of Camden's Britannia, in 2 vols. 4to. by W. 0., Esq. [probably William Oldys], printed by K. Penny, in Wine Office Court, Fleet Street, but not dated." This work is now in the Bodleian library. See MEMOIR OF WILLIAM OLDTS. Bandinel's Catalogue of the Gough Collection, p. 17. Here we must terminate our notice of this dis- tinguished writer and indefatigable antiquary, whose extended life was entirely devoted to lite- rary pursuits, and whose copious and characteristic accounts of men and books, have endeared his memory to every lover of English literature. If Oldys possessed not the erudition of Johnson or of Maittaire, he had at least equal patience of in- vestigation, soundness of judgment, and accuracy of criticism, with the most eminent of his contem- poraries. One remarkable trait in his character was the entire absence of regard for literary and posthumous fame, whilst he never begrudged his labour or considered his toil unproductive, so long as his researches substantiated Truth, or promoted the study of the History of Literature, which in other words is the history of the mind of man. Hence the very sweepings of his library, as so much precious ore, have since been in- dustriously collected, and enrich the works of Malone, Ritson, Heed, Douce, Brydges, and others, and will always serve, as it were, for land- marks to those following in his wake. In his own peculiar departments of literature history and biography he has literally exhausted all the ordinary sources of information ; and when he lacked the opportunity to labour himself, or to fill up the circle of his knowledge, he has neverthe- less pointed out to his successors new or unex- plored mines, whence additional facts may be gleaned, and the object of his life the develop- ment of Truth be secured. DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS, ESQ. lorroi) Tme- 1737, June 22. Mrs. Cooper came to my cham- bers: said she would return me Puttenbam's Art of Poesy, Browne's Pastorals, and Sir Henry Wot- ton, when she had finished her extracts for the second volume of her Muses' Library 1 to be pub- lished by Christmas. To keep the large old MS. volume of the statutes of the Order of the Garter with the Arms of the Knights thereof, their portraits and Illuminations of the Ceremonies of the Order of the Bath composed temp. Henry VII. and VIII., till Mr. V. [Vertue?] has seen it. To take particular notice of Talbot's Rose, a sheet printed from a copper-plate and bound in this book, entitled " The Union of the Roses of the Families of Lancaster and York, with the arms of those who have been chosen Knights " The Muses' Library, or a Series of English Poetry from the Saxons to the Reign of King Charles II. By Elizabeth Cooper. London, printed for T. Davies, 1738, 8vo." There are some copies of this work with the im- print " Printed for James Hodges, 1741," and others with " Vol. I." on the title and last leaf; but notwithstanding these variations, no more than one volume, or one edi- tion, was ever printed. It is said to be mostly compiled by William Oldys. Mrs. Cooper died on the 5th August, 1761, five months after the death of Oldys. 2 DIARY OF WILMAM OLDYS. of the Garter from that time to this day, 1589." In this Rose the arms of all those who have been (since the marriage in 1486 of King Henry VII. of the House of Lancaster, which bore the Red Rose, with Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV. of the House of York, whose ensign was the White Rose) chosen into the Order of the Garter, insti- tuted about 20 Edward III. are orderly set down . The English arms placed within the Rose ; those of Foreign princes in the leaves beneath. There are the heads of Henry VII. and his Queen Eliza- beth engraved at the two upper corners over this great crowned Rose, also in the flowery leaves of it, the said King Henry, his son, King Henry VIII., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, be- tween the arms of the Knights Companion, who have all their names and dates of their creations subscribed. At the bottom JEg. Pluventor ; sold in the Black Friers, Tho. Talbot, composuit ; Jo- docus Hondius, Flander. Sculps. Londini, and the date is 1589. 2 June 29. Saw Mr. Ames's old MS. on vellum, entitled Le Romant de la Rose, which cost forty crowns of gold at Paris when first written, as ap- pears by the inscription at the end. 3 It had been Bishop Burnet's book, his arms being pasted in it ; and Mr. Rawlinson's, being mentioned in one of his Catalogues. In the same Catalogue also is mentioned Sir William Monson's collections 4 , which Mr. West bought and lent me before the fatal 2 Noticed in Moule's Bibliotheca Heraldica, p. 36. In the Cotton library (Vesp. D. xvii.) is "A miscellaneous collection concerning Abbies and various historical mat- ters, extracted from chronicles, rolls of noble families, their pedigrees, &c. by Thomas Talbot." 3 See Herbert's Ames, vol. i. p. xxxix. 4 Sir William Monsoh, an Admiral of note in the reign of James I., formed considerable collections, principally relating to the affairs of the navy. There are occasional copies from them, and allusions to them, in papers in the State Paper Office. DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS. 3 fire happened at his chambers in the Temple, where this probably was burnt, and near 3000/. worth of other like most valuable curiosities. 5 Mr. Ames also told me that the Society for Promoting of Learning 6 intended to begin at last with publish- ing Sir Thomas Roe's Letters, but heard nothing of the " Considerations " I wrote in six sheets, above two years ago, upon the best method for their publication, at the request of Samuel Burroughs, Master in Chancery, who made me promises of being concerned in the edition, and of other favours for my furnishing him with many intel- ligences and tracts, when he was writing his pam- phlet about Fines 1 ; but I never had any of those favours, nor six of twenty-one volumes of tracts I lent him ; nor the three Catalogues of my pam- phlets, nor those " Considerations " in MS. which I bestowed half a year upon, though I hear they are in the bands of Richardson the printer. 8 Mr. 5 This lamentable fire occurred on Jan. 4, 1737, when upwards of twenty chambers were destroyed, containing a large number of valuable books and manuscripts. It is noticed by Hearne in his Preface to Leland's Itinerary, vol. i. p. xvi., edit. 1745. Among those who were sufferers by this calamity were Counsellor York, Mr. West, Mr. Peters, Mr. Floyer, Mr. Blew the librarian, Counsellor Collins, &c. Mr. James West was subsequently one of the vice-presidents of the Society of Antiquaries. The Catalogue of his library, digested by Samuel Paterson, is one of the richest extant in literary curiosities. 6 The Society for the Encouragement of Learning com- menced its brief existence on February 3, 173G-7. See Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, pasfim. For a list of the works printed under its patronage, see Bowyer's Anec- dotes, and Kippis's Biog. Sritan., ii. 441. 7 Published under the pseudonym of Everard Fleetwood. 8 This manuscript is in the British Museum (Addit. MS. 4168.), and is entitled "Some Considerations upon the Publication of Sir Thomas Roe's Epistolary Collec- tions." On a fly-leaf Samuel Richardson has added this note: "This was written (1 think) by Mr. Oldys, and by him tendered to Samuel Burroughs, Esq., as his senti- B 2 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS. Ames also told me that Mr. Cook is the author of Seymour's Survey of London, in 2 vols. fol. [1734.] 9 July 2, Saturday. Sent a letter to Mr. Anstis about the Old MS. of Knights of the Garter and Bath. He sent his son to see it when I was abroad. 4, Monday. Returned Sir T. More's works : some of his English poetry therein might be for Mrs. Cooper's work, or Mr. Hayward's [British Muse} on, Fortune, &c. 7, Thursday. Saw Mr. Lockman. 10 Told me he had finished the Life of Mr. Samuel Butler for the General Dictionary. That he had had much conversation with Mr. Longueville, who has Butler's History and Progress of Learning l a poem by the same hand in Hudibrastick verse, and other writings of his in prose never printed. That he has also got an original picture of Butler, pninted by Lilly or Riley. That Butler had 3001. for Hudibras ; that he died in Rose Street, Covent Garden, and was 80 years of age. Saw Dr. Pe- pusche; 2 to have farther talk about his rare old musical collections. merits about the Method of publishing Sir Thomas Roe's Letters, &c." It comprises thirteen pages folio. 9 This work has always been attributed, on the autho- rity of Win. Upcott, to John Mottley, the compiler of Joe Miller's Jests ; but it would appear from the above, that it was the compilation of Thomas Cooke, a dramatic poet and miscellaneous writer, who died in great poverty on Dec. 29, 1766. As Cooke was concerned with Mottley in writing Penelope, a Dramatic Opera, 8vo., 1721, Sey- mour's London may have been their joint-production. 10 Mr. John Loch man, Secretary to the British Herring' Fishery, a very honest man, but very indifferent poetas- ter, best known for his share in the General Dictionary, 10 vols. fol. 1734-41. He died 2nd Feb. 1771. 1 This, which is only a fragment, was printed (vol. i. p 202.) in the edition of Butler's Remains, edited by Thyer in 1759. 2 John Christopher Pepusch, one of the greatest theo- DIARJT OP WILLIAM OLDTS. 5 30. Old Mr. Booth 3 , Treasurer of Gray's Inn, came to my chambers and very courteously brought me Gervasii Tilberiensis de Necessariis iScaccarii Observantiis Dicdogus. "Tis a very fair copy, in a thin folio bound in black calf, with a note of this Gervase of Tilbury, nephew to King Henry II. from John Bale in his Scriptor. Illus- trium Majoris Britannice Catalogo, Cent. 3. fol. 250., written by Mr. W. Lambard the Antiquary in 1572, whose book this then was, as appears by his name, both at the beginning, in a kind of in- scription to Sir Thomas Bromley, and the end of it. He has made short marginal observations throughout, and some corrections, having had the advantage of comparing it with a more antient copy, this not being older in all probability than King Henry the Eighth's time. 4 I take it to be the same book which Mr. Madox published not many years since of the Exchequer 5 , and have a notion that Mr. Hearne published a copy of the black Book of the Exchequer. 6 There is in the last chapter but one [two] of the first part of this MS. copy, entitled Quid liber Judiciarius, et ad quid compositus sit, the best reason given for the mean- ing of Domesday Book, composed at the command retic musicians. He was organist at the Charterhouse, and died 20th July, 1752, aged eighty-five. His curious library was dispersed after his death. 3 Oldys, in the British Librarian, pp. 286. 374., ac- knowledges the obligations he is under to Nathaniel Booth, Esq. for the use of his library. Mr. Booth was a bencher of Gray's Inn, and Controller of the Fines and Green Wax Money in the Court of Exchequer. He died *. p. Oct. 9, 1745, aged eighty-five. 4 Who is the present possessor of this MS. ? 5 Mad ox's History of the Exchequer was first published in 1711, fol. Gervasius' Ancient Dialogue is appended to it 6 Hearne published Liber Niger Scaccarii, Wilhelmique etiam Worcestrii Annules Rerum Anglicarum. Oxon. 1728, 8vo. 2vols. B 3 6 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS. of William the Conqueror, that ever I met with, 110 ways favouring their conjecture who derive it from Domus Dei. 1 But why Sir Hen. Spelman in his Glossary fathers that chapter upon Henry de Blois, Bishop of Winchester, I know not, nor believe that Mr. Madox his reasons that the whole treatise was written by Richard Nigelli filius or Nelson, Bishop of London, will prevail with every body to disinherit old Gervase of Tilbury, who has been in possession so many years. Yet Selden, in Titles of Honour, is also for depriving old Ger- vase of it from the authorities there quoted. 8 August 8. Rec d Mr. Ames's letter of thanks for the fine pictures I gave him drawn with a pen, &c., and desire from Mr. Ward, Professor of Rhe- toric, at Gresham College, who is writing the his- tory thereof, that I would furnish him with what I farther found of Edward Brerewood, which I gave him two days after when I returned his book of witches. I went that night with him to his club, and saw the operations of the phosphorus, which the owner told me he made of nothing but flour and allum. 7 The passage, as given in a translation by W. B., Gent., in Lansdowne MS. 610. p. 30 b ., is as follows : "This booke is by the countrymen called Doomesday Booke, that is, the Day of Judgment by a metaphor. For as the judgment of the strict and dreadful accompt of the lust day can by noe act or evasion be eluded ; soe when there is any controversie in the kingdome which are there recorded, when they come to the Booke, noe man may denye or decline the judgment thereof without punishment. For this cause we call the same Booke, 'The Booke of Judgment'; not because certairie doubts are there determined, but because from that, as from the Day of Judgment, there lyes noe appeale." 8 Professor Liebrecht, the learned Editor of Des Ger- vaxius von Tilbury Otia Imperinlia. In Eintr Auswahl ueu herausyegeben, Hanover, 1856, shares, however, the opinion of Madox, that this Treatise on the Exchequer was written by Kichard Bishop of London, and not by Gervase. DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDTS. 7 Invited by Dr. Harris to his brother's 9 at Hum- merton, near Hackney, where old Mr. Strype, author of many voluminous pieces of ecclesiastical history is still alive 10 and has the remainder of his once rich collection of MS. tracts, &c. Aug. 13. Rec d letter from Mrs. Cooper to borrow old Marlow's poem of Hero and Leander for the continuation of her Muses Library ; sent by the servant a very scarce collection of old poetry, called The Paradise of Dainty Devices ', in which are several pieces written by the old Lord Vaux in King Henry the Eighth's time, the Earl of Oxford, Sir W. Raleigh, Mr. Edwards, Jasper Haywood, Hunnis, Churchyard, Kinwel- inersh, Lloyd, Whetstone, &c., printed 4. 1578. To borrow one of Caxton's books of Sir Hans Sloane, and remember to apply the story of Ab- syrtus in the preface for Mr. Hayward's Collec- tion of select thoughts from our old poets. 9 Mr. Harris, an Apothecary at Homerton, married to a grand-daughter of Strype, and in whose house Strype died. 10 An interesting picture of Strype in his old age is 'given by Dr. Knight in a letter to Zachary Grey, dated 24 March, 1733-4, printed in Nichols's Literary Anec- dotes, v. 360. : " I made a visit to old Father Strype when in town last: he is turned ninety, yet verj' brisk, and with only a decay of sight and memory ; he would fain have induced me to undertake Archbishop Bancroft's Life; but 1 have not stomach to it, having no great opinion of him on more accounts than one. He had a greater inveteracy against the Puritans than any of his predecessors. Mr. Strype told me that he had great materials towards the life of the old Lord Burleigh and Mr. Foxe, the Martyrologist, which he wished he could have finished, but most of his papers are in characters; his grandson is learning to decypher them." Strype died on the 13th December, 1737 a few months only after OMy.s's visit to him. 1 The Paradise of Dainty Devices, first published in 4to. 1576, and reprinted in Brydges's British Biblio- grapher. 8 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDTS. To enquire at Covent Garden Coffee House who bought Sir Walter Ralegh's Head, said to be painted by Zucchero ; Beaumont and Fletcher by Cornelius Johnson [Jansen] ; Ben Johnson, and Spenser, and Shakespear, by Mittens [John ?] Greenhill the painter ; and Cowley by Sir Peter Lely ; Secretary Thurloe by Dobson ; and Con- greve on copper by Sir Godfrey Kneller, as is pretended in the catalogue for the sale of Pictures there, on the 10th of March last. Aug. 25. E,ec d of Purser, the printer in Bartho- lomew Close, the first sheet of Mr. Hayward's British Muse, and a proof of the second, and pro- mise to send me every sheet as soon as composed to correct, and a fair sheet as soon as wrought off, that I may make timely observations for the Pre- face. Mr. Booth brought me two MSS. to make use of : the one a Declaration of the Hardships of John Danyell of Deresbury, Esq. in the fine of 3000Z., loss of his estate worth 20,OOOZ., and im- prisonment which he endured upon account of the Earl of Essex ; 'tis the original in 4to., dated at the end of the Preface from the Fleet in 1602, but he has several things in it written below Queen Eliza- beth's reign, as letters, petitions, &c., to King James, Lord Chancellor Egerton, &c., ending with Danyell's Disasters, a narrative of his said Hardships. 2 The other MS. is a miscellany, be- ginning with a letter of Sir Francis Walsingham to the Earl of Pembroke, and some of the Earl of 2 John Danyell, of Deresbury, was Ward to the Queen : ob. 1609. In the State Paper Office, Domestic James I. vol. lii. 33., is a "License to John and Jane Danyell, to print and publish the works entitled ' Danyell's Disas- ters : ' ' The varyable accidents in a private man's lyffe ; ' and ' A Declaration of the fatal accidents of Jane Dan- yell.' " For some particulars of John Danyell's venality, consult Camden's Annals of Queen Elizabeth, fol. 1688. p. 630., and Kippis's Biog. Britan., art. PETER BALES, i. 543., from the pen of William Oldys. DIARY OP WILLIAM OLDY8. 9 Leycester's letters from the Low Country, parti- cularly one about the death of Sir Philip Sidney, written to Sir Thos. Hennage, 23 Sept. 1586 ; A Speech about the Queen of Scots ; Her answer to Mons r de Salant ; The Book of the whole Navy (Royal) ; An analogy or resemblance between Joan Queen of Naples, and Mary Queen of Scots, with the addition arid precedents or examples of Emperors and Popes, &c., putting other princes to death ; A letter from Sir Edward Stanley ; Zz- ber Pads or Nomin: Justiciar: ad Assiss; in Com: subscript. , Number and names of all the ships, &c., appertaining to the River of Chester, by W. Wale, Maior, at the command of the Earl of Derby, Lord- Lieutenant of Lancashire and Che- shire, 1585 ; A. Cosbye's letter to Sir W. Stanley from Utricht, about surrendering the town of Deventer ; Number of serviceable men and muni- tion in the Isle of Man ; A particular valuation of Guddischen' Demain ; The strange apparition of Death, Famine, and Pestilence in France, April 18, 1587; A letter of the Earl of Leicester from Dort, 22nd Ausr. 1587; Arthur Aly from the Hague, 15 Oct. L587, to Rt. Hon. Mr. Jno. Wool- ley of the Privy Council ; Answers of Christopher Southworth, priest, to interrogatories ; The Earl of Leycester to Mr. Woolley, 3rd Oct. 1587; again to him, 9th Oct. following ; The whole yearly revenue of the Kingdom of Spain ; The confession of Edward Burnell, Jan. 1, 1586 ; His examination before Sir George Carey and Ralph Lane, Esq., same day ; The manner of the execu- tion of the Queen of Scots, 8th of Ffb , in the presence of such whose names are underwritten ; A prophesy signed Merlin applied to Sir Francis Drake ; Sir Walter Ralegh's five preferments about the year 1586 or 87 ; A sonnet of Sir Wal- ti-r Ralegh's, one stanza and distich of which was printed in the old Art of English Poesie, 4to. 1589, which I have quoted in his Life ; A particu- 10 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDY9. lar of some new year's gifts, beginning with my cousin Katherine Howard's new year's gift, &c., with several other things up and down the book relating to some Estates, &c., of Henry Earl of Derby, which makes me think the collection was made by him or somebody nearly under him. Aug. 28. Mr. Vertue called upon me, and we appointed to go next Sunday to Mr. Ames. Told me he had been at Penshurst, the Lord Leicester's, again ; took a copy of Sir Philjp Sidney's picture, and that he saw in the library Sir Philip's Apo- logy for, or Defence of, his Uncle Robert Earl of Leicester, written with his own hand in five or six sheets of paper, in answer to some libel then written or published against him, which I imagine to have been Father Parsons his green coat, after- wards called Leicester's Commonwealth, 4 and 8, 1541 ; and he observed that the said defence or apology ends with Sir Philip's challenge to main- tain with his sword what he had herein asserted with his pen against the said author of the said libell, if he was u gentleman, in any part of the world. 3 Aug. 29. Dined with Mr. Ames ; saw his collec- tion of old Title-pages, and Mr. Lewis his intended Title-page for his Life of Mauler William Cuxton \ our first printer, which I could in very few of the particulars approve of; it being too circumstantial, and giving us most of the private history of the man in the first page of the book. Besides, the sub- joining a poetical motto in French, from a modern French poet, and that a translation rather on the art of writing than printing, is too great an im- 3 Sir Philip Sydney's Defence of his Uncle is printed in Collins's Letters and Memorials of State, fol. 1746, vol. i. pp. 61-68. 4 " Life of Mayster Wyllyam Caxton, of the Weald of Kent, the first Printer in England." Ey the Rev. John Lewis, of Margate. Lond. 1737, royal 8vo. 150 copies were printed with a fictitious portrait of Caxton. DIART OF WILLIAM OLDYS. 11 propriety, too foreign, noways honouring his worthy or his work, nor becoming the course and character of an antiquary. Therefore, I recom- mended rather one from Mrs. Weston's Latin poem of typography. 5 Supped with Mr. Thompson 6 at St. Saviour's, and borrow'd his Caxton's Tully de Senectute for the fifth number of The British Li- brarian; was witness to his paying a legacy to Hasselden of 30/. Sent a letter to Mr. Ames about the title of Mr. Lewis's Life of Caxton, and about the twenty hundred weight of waste books, at 25*. per cwt. Wrote an answer to Mr. Anstis at Mortlake about the MS. collections, relating to s Elizabeth Joanna Western, a learned lady of the six- teenth century. The poem is printed in her Opuscula, 8vo. 1724, p. 147. 6 Sir Peter Thompson, Knt. was the third son of Capt. Thomas Thompson, of Poole, co. Dorset, in which town Sir Peter was born Oct. SO, 1698. Sir Peter was engaged in mercantile pursuits more than forty years, during which period he chiefly resided in Mill Street, Bermond- sey. He was elected F.S.A. 1743; appointed high- pheriff for Surrey, 1745 ; and represented the borough of St. Albans in parliament from 1747 to 1754. In 1763, he withdrew from commercial affairs to enjoy the pleasures of studious retirement. He died on October 30, 1770. His valuable library and museum became the property of his kinsman Peter Thompson, who in 1782 was a cap- tain of the company of grenadiers in the Surrey militia. Sir Peter collected, at great expence, all the antient re- cords that could be found relating to the town of Poole, which he liberally communicated to Mr. Hutchins for his History of Dorsetshire. His materials for the Life of Joseph Ames were used by Mr. Gough in the Memoirs prefixed to Mr. Herbert's edition of the Typographical Antiquities. Mr. Oldys, in the British Librarian, ac- knowledges his obligations to " his ingenious friend Mr. Peter Thompson, for the use of several printed books, which are more scarce than manuscripts; particularly some, set forth by our first printer in England; and others, which will rise, among the curious, in value, as, by the depredations of accidents or ignorance, they de- crease in number." Nichols's Lit. Anecdotes, v. 258. 511. 2 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDTS. the Order of the Garter, which he thinks is the same book with that he formerly borrowed of a noble peer, with the arms of Mr. Ashmole upon it, and which had been missing some time out of the said nobleman's library, whom he promises shall make a recompence suitable to what it cost, if it be his, and is restored to him ; further desir- ing direction how to behave himself to discover the person who took it away. Sep. 1. Saw Mr. Wm. Jones's 7 curious librnry, and fine collection of shells, fossils, &c., at his house next the Salt Office, in York Buildings. 2. Sent another letter to Mr. Anstis, accepting his invitation to Mortlake, promising to be with him next Wednesday. Mr. Booth, when he called yesterday, said he had manuscripts enough to supply several British Librarians, and that he would bring me the old Record relating, as I re- member, to the Forest of Delamere, when Mr. Holmes of the Tower had transcribed it. 4. Dined with Mr. Vertue, and went with him to Mr. Ames in the afternoon. Returned Mr. 7 Father of Sir William Jones. 8 George Holmes, Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London: born in 1662, and died 16th Feb. 1748-9. His curious collection of books, prints, and coins were sold by auction in 1749. 9 Joseph Ames, Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries, was originally a ship-chandler in Wapping. Late in life be took to the study of antiquities ; and besides his Ty- pographical Antiquities, 4to. 1749, he published a Cata- logue of English Heads, 8vo. 1748, being the first attempt at giving a list of portraits, since followed up by Gran- ger, Noble, Bromley, Walpole, &c. He died in 1759. His library and prints were sold by auction in the following year. Oldys, in his British Librarian, acknowledges his obligations to Mr Ames, whom he styles " a worthy pre- server of antiquities," and returns him many thanks "for the use of one ancient relique of the famous Wicliffe." This was an illuminated MS. on vellum, called " Wicliffe'a Pore Caitiff." DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDIS. 13 Thompson's Caxton, and borrowed Sir Thomas Elyot's G'lvernour. 10 6. Mr. Vertue shewed me two curious limnings by old Isaac Oliver and his son Peter. 1 The first was of Sir Philip Sidney, in a small oval in a blue ground. His hair light brown, pretty full and dark shaded ; his face pale or somewhat wan, per- haps the colours only somewhat faded ; his eyes gray, very lively and sharp ; his nose gently ris- ing ; his beard thin; his dress a falling luced band, with a scollop edging ; his Vest, or doublet, wliiie sattin corded, and laid along crossways very thickly with silver-lace, with this mark on the right hand *. 8 The other, by Peter Oliver, is of Sir Edward Harley, Knight of the Bath, grand- father to the Earl of Oxford. 'Tis somewhat larger than the othtr, set in gold, painted on a brown ground, as I remember, black short hair, roundish face, black eyes, picked beard ; dressed in a ruff, close jacket or doublet, blue or greyish coloured, and flowered with black, and a red rib- bon about his neck. This inotto to the right, Ter et amplius, and this mark to the left, PO, both in gold letters. They are both delicate pieces, but the former has the hair more finely laboured, and the skin more tenderly stippled. The latter is freer, bolder, fresher. Mr. Vertue is graving 10 This work is noticed by Oltiys in The British Li- brarian, p. 261. It is entitled "The Boke named the GOVERNOUR; devised by Sir Thomas Elyot, Knyght. Imprinted at Loudon, in Flete-strete, in the House of Thos. Berthelet, cum prioilegio ad imprimendum solum," 8vo. 1*53: 216 leaves, besides Tables, &c. 1 Vide Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting, ed. 1849, i. 176. 221., for notices of these two miniature painters. a The celebrated work of Isaac Oliver, formerly at Cowdray, had this same mark. It was a picture of three sons of Viscount Montague. (Walpole, Anec., ed. Dal- laway, i. 297.) A miniature of Sir Philip Sydney by the same artist was purchased by Horace Walpole at test's sale for 16/. 5s. (ibid. 299.) c 14 D1ART OF WILLIAM OLDYS. them both : one for the publick, the other for the Earl of Oxford. He shewed me several other mi- niatures, many of them his own painting. His Queen of Scots, a full-length, seems to have most engaged his pains ; and his miniature of Sir Wal- ter Ralegh, in the silver armour, has a nearer ap- proach to the beauty of the original than his print before my Life of him, which makes the face longer, and less graceful. 7. Dined with Mr. Anstis at his seat near Mort- lake. Saw the Duke of Montague's letter to him, by which it appears the old heraldical manuscript before-mentioned was his Grace's, and that the gentleman lately dead, a Mr. Grimes, among whose books it was bought, had borrowed it of him. It was the handwriting of Sir Thomas Wriothesley, who died about 26 Henry VIII., in which the statutes of the Order appear at the be- ginning of that book, who signs at the end his ini- tial letters, Th.Wr. A.R. Greek, that is, Grekelade. 3 All the old illuminations of the Order of the Bath were graved in small compartments in one sheet in Sir Edward Bysse's Upton De Studio militari [fol. 1654]. And the Duke has graved the por- traits at length of the old Earls of Salisbury, &c., in this book, which, with some others from other illuminations, make up seventeen plates ; and Mr. Anstis has copied much of the arms and badges, &c., of the Knights of the Garter in it, so that the book has now been almost totally ransacked. Saw several curious books, &c., in his library, and his own book of the Order of the Garter, with many manuscript additions interleaved, and written on 3 Oldys has also the following notice of this manuscript in his article FASTOLFF in the Biographia Britannica, ii. 1909: " Sir Thomas VVriothesley'a Heraldical Collections of the Knights of the Garter, Bath, &c., adorned with their portraits, arms, &c., fol. MS. in the possession of the late Duke of Montagu. See an abstract of this volume in The British Librarian, p. 323." DIARY OF WILLIAM OI.DYS. 15 the margins. Some talk with Mr. Haslin about the Librarian, and his taste is for only old things, and collating editions, distinguishing omissions, alterations, &c. ; but I made an objection they could not except against about Dr. Drake's edi- tion of Archbishop Parker's Lives of the Arch- bishops, wherein is received all the author's rejec- tions, for which indiscrete labour he could con the said editor no thanks. Saw the pictures of Robert Earl of Leicester in a close reddish doublet, hnlf-length, and his brother Ambrose, Earl of Warwick, in the dining-room. Heard that the Yelverton library now is in the possession of the Earl of Sussex 4 , wherein are ninny volumes of Sir Francis Walsingham's State Papers. 23. Dr. Pepusch offer'd me any intelligence or assistance from his antient collections of musick, for a history of that art and its professors in England 5 4 The Yelverton MSS. were all given by the Earl of Sussex to Lord Calthorpe, whose mother was of the Yel- verton family, and at his death had not been opened. (Gough MS. quoted in Nichols's Lit. Aner. iii. 622.) A catalogue of them is printed in the Cat. Manuscriptorum Anglia et Hibernia:, torn, ii., part, i., pp. 113 174. 5 If Oldys made any collections for a History of Music, they were most probably handed over to Sir John Haw- kins. David Erskine Baker, Hawkins and Oldys, were at this time the leading writers in The Universal Spec- tator. Our musical knight appears to have been some- what reluctant in acknowledging his obligations to his friends. Oldys, writing to Sir John Hawkins, reminds him that " the few materials I, long since, with much search, gathered up concerning Izaak Walton, you have seen, and extracted, I hope, what you found necessary for the purpose I intended them." But on turning to Sir John's Life of Walton, the reader will find but a scant acknowledgment for only one statement made by him, respecting some letters of Walton in the Ashmolean Museum. This throws some light on a passage in Grose's Olio, p. 139., where he tells us, that "among Oldys's works is a Preface to Izaak Walton's Angling." The edition of Walton's Complete Angler, 1760, contains an interesting biography of Charles Cotton from the pen c2 16 DIARY OJT WILLIAM OLDYS. 27. Mr. Coxeter told me that the Queen's 6 col- lection of Plays were offered by Mr. Cooke 7 , who first collected them, for fourscore guineas, and were, as his, thought too dear; but after Mrs. Oldfield 8 the actress died, and they were reported to be her collection, then the Queen would have them at any rate ; and was reported, I think, in the newspapers to have given 2001. for them ; but, as he tells me, she had them for six score guineas. And it is not improbable but that volume of ten of Massinger's Plays, which was about three or four months since sold by Cock the auctioneer (in the sale of Sclater Bacon's Books 9 ), to the Countess of Ponifret's footman for 31. 1 Qs. 10 , was bought to add to that collection. He also said that Weaver u , the dancing-master's collection of plays, was more complete, which sold to Chitty the merchant for 18Z., and that Sir Thomas Hanmer is preparing an edition of Shakespeare. Oct. 5. Received the last sbeet of the first vo- of William Oldys, making forty-eight pages, but abridged in the later editions. The whole of this biographical sketch has been used by Sir Harris Nicolas in his ad- mirable Life of Charles Cotton, but the name of Oldys is not once mentioned! Dr. Towers, who compiled the Life of Cotton for Kippis's Bing. Britannica, has erroneously attributed Oldys's Life of this Piscator and Poet to Sir John Hawkins. 6 Caroline, Queen Consort of George II. Ob. Nov. 20, 1737. 7 Thomas Cooke, dramatist and miscellaneous writer. 8 Mrs. Oldfield died on Oct. 23, 1730. Her collection of English Plays, in 218 volumes, was sold in 1731. 9 Thomas Sclater Bacon, whose library was sold on March 14, and following days, 1736-7. 10 These ten plays by Massinger, 4to. (lot 720), sold for Bl. 16s. Their rarity is noticed by Oldys in his Preface to Hayward's British Muse, p. xxii. 11 The name of John Weaver, that little dapper cheer- ful man, is not to be found in any biographical dictionary. He was buried in St. Chad's church, Shrewsbury, on 28th Sept. 1760. Vide "N. & Q.," 2 nd Ser. iii. 89. 138. 297. DIARr OP WILLIAM OLDYS. 17 lume of Mr. Hay ward's British Muse ; with him heard at his house the account of Austin, the ink powder man, noted for his fireworks ; also the great pudding he made for his customers ; but more especially the pudding which about twelve or thirteen years since he baked ten feet deep in the Thames near Rotherhithe for a wager, by en- closing it in a great tin pan, and that in a great sack of lime ; and after in about two hours and a half it was taken up, and eaten with much liking, being only a little overbaked. There was above an lOOt. won upon this experiment. Dec. 22. Went in the evening to see Mr. Nic- kolls near Queen Hythe, and he shewed me his collection of Original Letters and Addresses to Oliver Cromwell, all pasted into a large volume, folio ; in number about 130, and written to him while he was Lieutenant of Ireland, General of the army in Scotland, and Protector of England, from the year 1650 to 1654 the greatest part, but some down to 1658, ending with an address to Richard Cromwell, and a Commission signed by Prince Rupert. They had been the collection of Mr. John Milton, and were preserved by Thomas Elwood the Quaker, who had been his amanuensis, from whom they descended to the master with whom Mr. Nickolls served his time, and so they came to him. 1 He says he has suffered half a 1 These letters have since been printed, entitled, " Ori- ginal Letters and Papers of State, addressed to Oliver Cromwell, concerning the Affairs of Great Britain, from the Year 1649 to 1658, found among the Political Collec- tions of Mr. John Milton ; now first published from the Originals, by John Nickolls, F.R. and A.S.S. fol. 1743." The originals of these Letters were long treasured up by Milton; from whom they came into the possession of Thomas Elwood. From Elwood they came to Joseph Wyeth, a merchant of London ; from whose widow they were obtained by Mr. Nickolls, and eventually presented to the Society of Antiquaries. Mr. Nickolls was a Quaker, and his place of business as a mealman was el 18 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS. dozen or half a score of them to be made use of by Mr. Birch in his Life of Oliver Cromwell in- serted in the General Dictionary ; and it is cer- tain if those other letters, written by Oliver Crom- well himself, which are still in being, as Mr. Ames tells me, in Sir Hans Sloane's possession, and in Ashmole's Museum at Oxford, through the gift of Dr. Massey, they would give a more perfect idea of the man and his actions than all that has been said of him by the particular writers of his Life, as the author of Parallelum Olivce [fol. 1656.], S. Carrington, 8vo. 1659, H. Dawbeny, James Heath, Slingsby Bethel, J. Shirley, Le Sieur du Galardi, Gregorio Leti, L'Abbee Raguenet, and Mr. Kim- ber, or what all the general historians have writ- ten of him put together. Jan. 25, 1737-8. Mr. Twells 2 goes out of town. Feb. 20. At the sale of Mr. Sclater Bacon's library in the Piazza [Covent Garden], there arose one book called the Pastyme of People, a thin fol. volume, with wooden cuts of the English kings, from William the Conqueror to the slaugh- ter of King Richard III., written the 21st of Hen. VIII. or 1530, and soon after printed. And nobody then present, of near thirty gentlemen and booksellers, &c., had discovered it to be John Ras- tell's Chronicles but myself, wherefore it stopped at ten shillings, the extent of Mr. West's commis- sion to Noorthouck, the bookseller, for it ; who, had he known what it was, would have raised it to 20., or he would have had it. But having ap- prised Mr. Ames of it, he got for the former sum in Trinity parish, near Queenliithe. He was a curious collector of antiquities and chosen F.S.A. Jan. 17, 1740: ob. Jan. 11, 1745. Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, ii. 159. 2 The Rev. Leonard Twells, M.A., Hector of the united parishes of St. Matthew, Friday Street, and St. Peter, Cheapside. At this time he was engaged on his great DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS. 19 one of the scarcest books in England. 5 Two [five] nights after he bought at the same place Caxton's Game of Chesse, the second edition, with wooden cuts, with his Mirror of the World, and Chaucer's translation, Boetius de Comolatione Phi- losophic, printed together by him in a thick folio about 1480 for two guineas. 4 March 1. Mr. Thompson bought at Bacon's auction a book called, and often mistaken for, Caxton's Chronicle, but is indeed The Chronicle of St. Allans, compiled by one sometime schoolmas- ter in that town, printed 1483, for 31. 4s. 5 Also another edition by Wynken de Worde, having the account of the Popes left out, and the Descrip- tion of England, Wales, and Ireland added from the Polychronicon, fol. 1502. Also, another edition of this last book by Julian Notary, 1515. 3. Went to Leicester Square with Mr. Ames, and saw Mr. Vertue there, and had some discourse about his grand design of an Ichnographical Sur- vey, or Map of London and all the suburbs ; but Mr. Rocque and he are not yet come to an agree- ment. 6 5. Dined at Mr. Thompson's, and took an ex- tract of what his authors afforded of the writers on the antiquities of Essex. Dr. Oxley told me that Mr. Haynes was going on with Cecil's Let- ters 7 , that he had two or three transcribers at work, TTie Theological Works of Dr. Pocock, 2 vols. fol. 1740. He died 19th Feb. 1741-2. s Lot 1464. The Pasthyme of People, fol. No date, sold for ll. 4 Lot 1614. Caxton's Boetius alone in Thorpe's Cata- logue of 1849 is marked 105/. See " N. & Q.," 1" S. i. 126. * Qy. Lot 1585, which sold for 31. Is. For a notice of this cop}', see Nichols's Literary Illustrations, iv. 166. c John Rocque's Survey of London, Westminster, and Southwark, 1746, 1751. ' Collection of State Papers, edited by Samuel Haynes and Wm. Murdin. Lond. 1740-59, 2 vols. folio. 20 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDY8. work : intended to publish a volume at a time, and gives hopes that Sir Walter Ralegh's will be published among them. Mr. Smith shewed me some good specimens of his art in reviving the illuminated letters in old MSS., and intimated that the Countess of Pomfret is very skilful in this work. Mr. Ames called at Chambers. Thanked him for his ancient Greek inscription of Crato ; tells me he had given Mr. Ward my last commu- nications for his History of Gresham College* about the time of knighting the Greshams. In- formed him of a picture of Sir Thomas Gres- hatn's at the old Countess of Oxford's sale. They are to come and see it ; and Mr. Thompson to see the old record of Caxton's death and burial at St. Margaret's, Westminster, for the use of Mr. Lewis, whose Life of that our first printer is in the press. Received the bookseller's title (in a proof) of Mr. Hayward's British MUSK, which I noways like ; and the abridgement they have pro- cured of my Preface to it by a hasty hand, igno- rant of the subject, and who has ungratefully left out the acknowledgments which the author ex- pressly desired I would make of those communi- cations which have much enriched his said collec- tion from our own poets. 8 8 The British Muse, by Thomas Hayward, 3 vols. 12mo. Lond. 1738. In Oldys's annotated Langbaine, he thus complains of the publisher's cupidity : " To this book I wrote the Introduction, but the penurious publishers (to contract it within a sheet), left out a third part of the best matter in it, and made more faults than there were in the original." Poor Oldys appears most sensibly to have lamented the loss of this elaborate Dissertation on the previous Collections of English poetry. In his own copy of The British Muse (afterwards Thomas Warton's, and latterly Mr. Douce's), he has thus expressed himself: " In my historical and critical review of all the collec- tions of this kind, it would have made a sheet and a half or two sheets ; but they for sordid gain, and to save a little expense in print and paper, got Mr. John Campbell DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS. 21 8. Now I have found the author of Mr. Booth's fine MS. in Defence of the Lawful Regiment of Women, to have been Henry Earl of Northampton himself; and he had this beautiful copy of it made in the year 1613, which he then presented to Sir Robert Cotton, to be preserved in his library. The Dedication to Queen Elizabeth consists of fifty pages. The rest of the book, 426 pages more in folio, appears to have been written in the 32nd year of her reign, or A.D. 1590. Mr. Booth told me he bought the MS. in Chester. See A. Wood's Athen. Oxon., Fasti, i. 102., edit. 1721 (Bliss's edit. Fasti, i. 182.) 9 Mar. 15. Mr. Joseph Morgan's Life and Cha- racter of Prince Henry, published from Sir Charles Cornwallis and several other historians, dedicated to the Prince of Wales, in which I find myself mentioned with commendation for the Life of Sir Walter Italegh 10 ; so that now there have been to cross it and cramp it, and play the devil with it, till they squeezed it into less compass than a sheet." Ac- cording to Warton, this work is the most comprehensive and exact common-place book of our most eminent poets, throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth and afterwards. Wai pole (Royal and Noble Authors, i. 177.,ed. 1759), in his Life of the Earl of Northampton, mentions a MS. of this work as being then in his possession, and another in the Bodleian [Arch. A. 170.] In Harl. MS. 7021, art. 11, occurs, " An Answere to the Coppie of a rayleinge Invec- tive against the Regement of Woeinen in "general!, with certaine maliparte Exceptions to divers and sundry Mat- ters of State; written unto Queene Elizabeth by the Right Honourable Henry Lord Howard, late Earle of Northampton." 116 pages, fairly written. 10 The work alluded to by Oldys is entitled The Life and Character of Henry- Frederic, Prince of Wales, writ- ten by Sir Charles Cornwallis, sometime Treasurer of His Royal Highness's Household. The Dedication ia signed J. M. Lond. 8vo. 1738. At pp. 49, 44., Mr. Oldys is commended as " a very exact and faithful writer," and " an accurate biographer." 22 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLBYS. the following encomiums written concerning the same in manuscript and print. Letter from the Earl of Oxford, dated April 19, 1734: "SlB, " By this day's post I received the enclosed letter and paper from the Rev. Mr. Baker, of St. John's College. You will let me know if you would have me write to him again for any more papers relating to Sir Walter Ralegh, as he men- tions, and I will. I am, your humble servant, " OXFOED. " P.S. You see that I take care to get you all the information I can that you may depend on." l Extract of another letter written by the said Earl, and dated 10 Dec. 1734 : " You see I omitt no opportunity to furnish you with every thing I can possibly towards the perfect- ing the good work you have undertaken, and indeed you deserve all encouragement, for you take true pains." In the Literary Magazine, 8vo. for January, 1736, there is an abstract of this Life introduced with these words : " It is the duty of a biographer to be industrious in collecting his materials, care- ful in his choice of them, and regular in digesting them. Mr. Oldys has failed in neither of these particulars. He has taken in all the assistance that could be had from printed books and manu- scripts of the . best credit. He has been indefati- 1 The kindness of this noble Earl is also thus acknow- ledged by Oldys in his Life of Sir Walter Ralegh, Works, ed. 1829, i. 62.: "The three letters, whereof 1'have here given the substance in Ralegh's own words, were com- municated to me by the Right Hon. the Earl of Oxford [Edward, the second Earl], from the collections of the reverend and learned Mr. Baker of St. John's College, Cambridge, who copied them out of the originals." DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDT8. 23 gable in the search flf authorities, and made a proper and judicious use of whatever publick re- cords or private anecdotes could afford for his purpose." Extract of a letter from Scarborough, by Rob* Robinson, Esq., Recorder, dated 10th October, 1 736 ; no consequence no more than the quotation from Mrs. Elizabeth Cooper in her Muses' Library, 8vo. 1737, in her character of Sir Walter Ralegh. A letter from Mr. George Vertue to me, dated October 13, 1743, sent with Geo. Gascoigne's Steele Glass, a Satyre, 4to. 1576, wherein he has these words : " The more particular reason (of sending that poem) is the recommendatory lines (before it) by Raleigh 2 , which may perhaps have escaped you, though I know your great researches and acquisitions on his account are beyond what- ever has been or is likely to be made again, wherein you have obliged the learned and curious world ; and, as you further intend it, I should be glad to hear that nothing is denied to your ingeni- ous enquiries." 17. Wrote the Dedication of Mr. Hay ward's British Miise to the Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, which she approved of. 3 As to the internal evidence of this poem being Ra- leigh's, the critics are at variance. Oldys and Brydgea assume that it is completely in Raleigh's favour: Mr. D'Jsraeli, also, though he hesitates about the spelling of the name [Rawely], says that "these verses, both by their spirit and signature, cannot fail to be his;" while Mr. Tytler says, that " although written in the quaint style of his age, their poetical merit is below his other pieces, and it is difficult to believe that they flowed from the same sweet vein which produced the answer to Mar- low's Passionate Shepherd." Oldys (Life of Ralegh, i. 22., ed. 1829), however, says that " the poem itself, to me, discovers, in the very first line of it, a great air of that solid axiomatical vein which is observable in other productions of Ralegh's muse : ' Sweet were the sauce would please each, kind of taste." " 24 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDTS. 18. To remember it be enquired of Mr. Mar- tin 3 , what memorials he has, among Mr. Le Neve's papers relating to Norfolk, of Sir John Fastoll'e, for augmenting my life of him, which is inserted in the General Dictionary [10 vols. fol. 1734- 1741.] 4 Also to ask Mr. Anstis if he has any fur- - ther account than what he has publishM of him. Mr. Locker 5 promised me to borrow of Dr. Raw- linson Father Parsons' (or Cresswell's) Answer to Queen Elizabeth's Proclamation against the Se- minary priests, which is a MS., and, as he says, in English, though I never saw any but the Latin one, printed in two or three places abroad, A 1592, 1593, &c., as I have quoted it in the Life of Ralegh. Father Parsons does not deny it to be his, and Watson, in his Quodlibets [4to. 1602, p. 107.], often calls it his ; but Lord Coke and other contemporary writers constantly ascribe it to Father Cresswell. 6 20. To speak with Mr. Birch about an abstract of the Life of Ralegh for the General Dictionary. Also to ask him whether, in his late edition of Milton's Prose Works, he has inserted or mentioned A Copy of a Letter from an Officer of the Armey 5 Honest Tom Martin of Pal grave : ob. Mar. 7, 1771. 4 Oldys's Life of Sir John Fastolff was reprinted, with many additions, in the Biographia Britannica, 1747 66 ; also in Kippis's, revised by Mr. Gough. s John Locker, Esq. barrister, and commissioner of bankrupts. He is styled by Dr. Johnson " a gentleman eminent for curiosity and literature." Ob. May 29, 1760. In Dodd's Church History, ed. 1730, vol. ii. pp. 405. 419., it is attributed to Robert Parsons as well as to Joseph Creswell. The Bodleian Catalogue has the fol- lowing note : " Auctor fuit vel Jos. Creswellus vel Rob. Parsons, Jesuita, vel utrique junctim." It is written to prove the lawfulness of rising against what the writer calls an heretic prince, and entitled, " Elizabethan Anglise reginae in Catholicos sui regni edictum, cum responsione ad siugula capita ; per D. Audream Philopatrum, presbyte- DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS. 25 tn Ireland to his Highness the Lord Protector, con- cerning the changing of the Government, dated from Waterford, 24 of June, 1654, in4to., attested under the hand of Henry Earl of Clarendon, to be written by Milton 7 In the Literary Note Book, written with tliat Earl's own hand, whence I draw this in- formation, and which is in my possession, there is also a book entered with this title, which should be enquired after, The Life of Edward Lord Her- bert, Baron of Cherbury and Castle Islands in Ire- land, and Knight of the Order of the Bath, written by himself for the instruction of his posterity This MS. was lent me (says my Lord) by the Lady Dowager Herbert, daughter to the Earl of Bradford, June llth< 1696. 8 22. Saw Mr. Ames in the afternoon, and gave him more materials for Mr. Ward of Sir Thomas Gresham, from Sir Robert Cotton and David Pa- rum," 8vo. 1592; 8vo.et4to. 1593. A reply to this work was written in English, entitled "An Advertisement written to a Secretarie of my L. Treasurer's of Ingland, by an Inglishe Intelligencer as he passed throughe Germanie towardes Italie. Anno Dom. 1592." 8vo. Consult also Miscellanies Historical and Philological, Sfc. found in a Nobleman's Study, p. 171, 1703, and Oldys's Life of Sir fTalter Raltgh, i. 168., ed. 1829. 7 This Letter is in the British Museum among the King's Pamphlets (Press mark 104 a. 10.) It is signed R. G., and dated " Waterford, 24 lune, 1654;" but on the copy in Thomason's collection, he has written " A feigned date," and has substituted that of 1656 with his pen. The pamphlet makes 23 pages of 4to. The style is Mil- tonic. On a copy in the library of Mr. Frederick Hen- driks, the word Wellworth is written in a contemporary hand. See " N. & Q.," 2<-< S. xi. 205. 8 This book, which Walpole pronounced " the most ex- traordinary account that was ever given seriously by a wise man of himself," was first printed at Strawberry Hill in 1764. For a most amusing account of the manner in which Walpole obtained the use of the MS., see his Letter to Montagu of 16th July, 1764. The most com- plete edition is said to be that published by Jeffrey, Lon- don, 1826. D 26 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDTS. pillon. 9 Bought for him at Bacon's auction, Arnold's Chronicle for 9*. 6d., and for Mr. Thomp- son, John Collins his Discourse on Salt and Fishery [4to. 1682], with the Treatise of Water- machines^ for 4s. 9d. To dine with him on Sunday, and meet Dr. Oxley about Cecil's Letters. . 24. Met Mr. Calverley, Hayward, &c., at the Greyhound Tavern, in the Strand, and they finished about the Sportsman. Mr. Hayward to go to Andover on Monday the 27th. 26. Dined with Mr. Ames. Had some talk with Dr. Oxley and Mr. White about the intended publication of Cecil's Letters 10 , and was asked if I would assist in it. Understand that they would publish from the beginning of old Cecil's adminis- tration to the end of Robert Earl of Salisbury's Life, 1612; but find that they are inclined to leave out the letters and testimonies of Princess Elizabeth's girlish frolicks with Ambrose Dudley. 1 Were these letters to be fairly published by an indifferent and unbiassed person who had intimacy enough with the period of time they comprehend, to know what would be most needful to complete the history of it, he might probably find enough to satisfy the most curious out of this collection. 9 Of David Papillon, Esq., of Acryse or Aukridge, in Kent, who, after sitting in Parliament for Romney and Dover, was appointed one of the Commissioners of Excise in 1742, there is a brief memoir in Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, v. 470., et seq. 10 A Collection of State Papers left by William Cecil, Lord Burghley, edited by Samuel Haynes, A.M. fol. 1740. 1 Afterwards Baron L'Isle and Earl of Warwick. Pro- bably Oldys was thinking of Elizabeth's girlish tricks with Sir Thomas Seymour (Lord Seymour of Sudley) which are not suppressed in the Burghley State Papers (see pp. 99 102.). Lord Seymour made his addresses to the Princess Elizabeth with -so much warmth that the Council found it necessary to interfere, and the deposi- tions of several persons taken on that occasion have been preserved by Haynes in the above work. DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDYS. 27- But where many important things must be stifled in favour to the character of one man, History descends as corrupted to posterity through the wilful partiality of the knowing, as through all the involuntary imperfections of ignorance. 31. Much talk with Mr. Jernegan 2 about his late lottery ; the troubles and opposition he has had in it ; by what means he avoided the Act of Parliament ; how the ladies stood his friend ; and upon what proffer his fine bason and ewer, which was at first so much admired by Lord B n, came to be slighted. Also why he made those emblems upon his medals, rather than a representation of the great cistern or himself upon them. Also of the talents of Vanloo 3 , the portrait painter, so much in vogue now at court; and concerning a Erint to be made of Capt. Robert Jenkins, who ad his ear cut off by the Spaniards 4 ; and, lastly, of his strange projects to prevent all disputes in religion, provide fortunes for all younger sons, 2 Mr. Henry Jernegari, fourth son of Sir Francis Jer- ningham or Jernegan. of Cossey, in Norfolk, a goldsmith and jeweller, in Russell Street, made a curious silver cis- tern (of which there is a fine engraving by Vertue), which was disposed of by -lottery about the year 1740. The price of a ticket was five or six shillings, and the pur- chaser had a silver medal worth about three shillings into the bargain. There were 30,000 tickets, and the medals induced many people to buy them. He died 8th .Nov. 1761, and was buried at St. Paul's, Covent Garden. See Nichols's Lit. Anec. ii. 513. 3 This was John Baptist Vanloo, who came to London in 1737, and whose portraits of Colley Gibber and Mac Swinney the actor, procured him the patronage of the Prince and Princess of Wales and Sir Robert Walpole. 4 In June, 1731, the Rebecca, commanded by Capt. Jenkins, was taken in her passage from Jamaica by a Spanish Guarde Costa, who put all on board to the tor- ture. The captain was hung up three times, once with a cabin boy at his feet, and afterwards had one of his ears cut oil', bidding him to carry it to his king, and tell his majesty, that if he were present they would use him in the same manner. Gent. Mag. i. 265. ; viii. 336. D 2 23 DIARY OF WILLIAM OLDTS. and marry all the daughters without any portions. He certainly is a pleasant man in his nature, of an open, generous, and brave spirit, and no wonder he should be somewhat conceited, or strive by uncommon flights and fancies to make the abili- ties of his mind appear extraordinary, who has been by nature so liberally endowed with those of the body, having been a man of the greatest agility in his time, very personable ; and it is much his elegant form and features are not more declined, considering how much he has been lately harassed by this troublesome engagement ; how much more possibly by his amours and gallantries ; and that though he yet appears not above forty, he is drawing on towards fifty years of age. Apr. 6. Passed some time with Mr. Caban very merrily ; promis'd to come and bring the French Books he so much recommends. To enquire more particularly about the translator of Milton's Pa- radise Lost into French, with whom he seems to have be^n acquainted when he was last in France. 14. Mr. Vertue called. Memorandum, when I write to Mr. Hayward, to mention the plays Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was to have had of him for Lady Pomfret. 20. Remember to go with Mr. Ames to Mr. Pate 5 to get a sight of some observations he has in manuscript on The History of the Three Im- postors.^ Mr. Lewis his Life of Caxton to be out in three weeks. 5 William Pate, the friend of Dean Swift, who lived over against the Royal Exchange, and was commonly called " the learned tradesman." In 1734 he was one of the sheriffs of London, and died in 1746. Nichols's Lit. Anec. i. 99. 6 Oldys here alludes to the Crux Bibliographica, the famous tract De Tribus Impostoribus, on the existence and author (styled by Sir Thomas Browne " that villain and Secretary of Hell") of which so many disputes have been moved by the bibliographers of the last, century. Mr. James Crossley, in "N. & Q.," 2 nd S. xi. 204. DIARY OP WILLIAM OLDTS. 29 22. The merry Gascon promised to procure me of Capt. Le Croise a sight of the famous book called The History of the Three Impostors, the manuscript whereof is valued at five guineas. The French manuscript is a translation, or pre- tends to be so, from the Latin ; and has a French dissertation upon it prefixed, which, by the begin- ning, whereof he shewed me a copy, should be the same as that Mr. Ames talks of. 28. Finished the Catalogue of my English Lives, 8vo. in 74 pages, concerning above 200 English persons. Mr. Caban, among the French authors he brought for me, did lend me one somewhat like Mr. Hayward's Collection in three volumes, but is far from being so general or various ; for the French collection is confined chiefly to love, as the very title declares, being called Sentimens (T Amour tirez des Meilleurs Poetes Modernes, par le Sieur Corbinelli, 2 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1665. May 15. Paid Mr. Ames yesterday, being Sun- day, at his house, for two copies of Mr. Lewis's Life of Caxton, 10s. Mar. 1. [1739 ?] Bid 35 guineas and a half for a conversation piece which had Tenier's name painted upon it, at Cock's auction of Mons. Beau- vais' Collection of Curiosities, for his Lordship [Oxford]. But Sir Paul Methuen got it for 36 guineas. Gave his Lordship my manuscript of Sir Fra. Walsingham's Table Book. 4. Left my poem on the Peace with Mr. C. [Coxeter ?] 15. Met the Committee, &c., at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, against St. Clement's church : Mr. Broughton and Mr. Campbell there. 21. Dined with my Lord according to his invi- tation by letter yesterday ; Lord Duplin there, and Duke of Portland. 27. Received 20?. of Lord Oxford to lay out ; and promise of 200. per annum as secretary. D3 30 CHOICE NOTES. BY WILLIAM OLDYS. As supplementary to the curious fragment of a Diary by William Oldys, we have now the pleasure of presenting to our readers a few Choice Notes from his manuscript Adversaria, which may not be without their value and instruction to the student of Biography and Biblio- graphy. Every man of letters, but especially the lovers of our early English literature, may learn something from the literary researches of this indefatigable anti- quary. By the publication of his valuable work, The British Librarian, Oldys was among the first to direct public attention to the old and valuable literature of our country, by collecting materials for its literary history during the Middle Ages. So true is the quaint and beau- tiful teaching of Chaucer " For out of the olde fieldes, as men saithe, Cometh all this newe corn fro yere to yere, And out of olde bookes, in good faithe, Cometh all this newe science that men lere." Ardently devoted from his early days to the pursuit of literature, and secluded in some degree from the world, we can only get a glimpse of Oldys's personal history and habits of life from those curious memoranda which have escaped destruction, and which may occasionally be discovered in public and private libraries. ED. "July 20, 1749. Was informed this day by M r . Thomas Odell's daughter that her father, who was Deputy Licenser of the Plays, died the 24 th May, 1749, at his house in Chapel Street, West- minster, of the gout in his stomach, ajjed 58 years, and was buried in Chapel Churchyard, Westmin- CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDTS. 31 ster. He was writing An History of the Charac- ters be had observed, and Conferences he had held with many eminent persons he had known in his time. He was a great observator of everything curious in the conversation of his acquaintance ; and his own conversation was a living chronicle of the remarkable intrigues, adventures, sayings, stories, writings, &c. of many of the Quality, Poets, and other Authors, Players, Booksellers, &c. who flourished especially in the present cen- tury. He had been a popular man at elections, and sometime Master of the Playhouse in Good- man's Fields ; but latterly was forced to live re- served and retired by reason of bis debis. He published two or three dramatic pieces." 1 July 31. Was at Mrs. Odell's in Chapel Street, Westminster. She returned me Mr. Budgell'a papers. Saw several of her late husband's papers, mostly Poems in favour of the Ministry, and against Mr. Pope. One of them printed by the late Sir Robert Walpole's encouragement, who gave him ten guineas for writing, and as much for the expense of printing it ; but through his advice it was never published, because it might hurt his interest with Lord Chesterfield and some other noblemen who favoured Mr. Pope for his fine genius. The tract I liked best of bis writings, was the History of his Play-house in Goodman's Fields. [Remember that which was published against that playhouse, which I have entered in my London Catalogue 3 ]. Saw nothing of the 1 Odell is noticed in Baker's Biographia Dramatica, . v., where it is stated that " he brought four dramatic pieces on the stage, all of which met with some share of success. Their titles are as follows ; Chimera, Com. 1721. Pdtron, Opera, n. d. Smugglers, Farce, 1729. Prodigal, Com. 1744." The copyright of The Prodigal was assigned to Watts for twelve guineas on 9th October, 1744. * Letter to Sir Richard Brocas, Lord Mayor, 8vo. 1730. [By Dr. Francis Hare, Bishop of Chichester.] 32 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. History of his Conversations with Ingenious Men ; his Characters, Tales, Jests, and Intrigues of them, of which no man was better furnished with them. She thinks she has some papers of them, and promises to look them out, and also to enquire after Mr. Griffin, of the Lord Chamberlain's of- fice, that I may get a search made about Spenser. Sept. 27, 1 749. Mr. Vertue sent me a transcript of King Charles his Patent to Ben Jonson for 1 OOl. per annum. Also extracts from the accounts of Lord Stanhope, Treasurer of the Chamber to King James, from the Year 1613 to 1616, relating to the payment of the Players for acting of Plays in and between those Years at Court. Also Mr. Robinson sent me part of his Letter in print to the Speaker, Arthur Onslow. 3 Remember the story of the 350/. in Bank bills found in a volume of Archbishop Tillotson's Sermons by the executor of Sir Simon Urlin, whose books and money they had been. Of Alexander Ross, his treasure in old gold found between the covers of his library. DBYDEN. Remember my large bundle of Pam- phlets, all written by, for, or against Mr.Dryden, in fol., 4to., and 8vo. And my Chronological Draught or Skeleton of his Personal Story, to be enlarged into a Life of him, when that shall be published, which is to be written by Mr. Broughton for the Biographia Britannica. To search the old papers in one of my large deal boxes for Mr. Dryden's letter of thanks to my father, for some communications relating to Plutarch, when they and others were publishing 5 " The Case of the Chief Justice of Gibraltar, truly and impartially stated, in a Letter address'd by him to the Right Hon. Arthur Onslow, Esq., Speaker of the House of Commons." 8vo. It is signed Robert Robin- son, who was, for a short period, Chief Justice of Gibraltar, and dated Lincoln's Inn, 30 Nov. 1749. CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDTS. 33 a translation of all Plutarch's Lives in 5 vols. 8vo. 1683. Mr. Dryden's Poem to King William, of which I have two copies in MS., with a Discourse pre- fixed, containing an Apology for his past Life and Writings, dedicated to the Lord Dorset, appears not likely to be of his writing, but rather an im- position on the world in his name, to expose the inconstancy of his principles. 4 The story of Mr. Dryden's dream at Lord Exe- ter's at Burleigh, while he was translating Virgil, as Signor Verrio, then painting there, related it to the Yorkshire painter, of whom I had it, lies in the parchinent-book in quarto, designed for his Life. . . . Now entered therein. See my life of Mary, Countess of Pembroke, in the Parchment budget of Biography. I lent her play \_Antoniut\i &c., to Mr. Collins to hflp him in her Life : then gave the book to Mr. Coxeter. Old Counsellor Fane of Colchester, who, in forma pauperig, deceived me of a good sum of money which he owed me, and not long after set up his chariot, gave ine a parcel of manuscripts, and promised me among others (which he never gave me, nor anything else, besides a barrel of oysters), a manuscript copy of Randolph's Poems an original, as he said, with many additions, never printed, being devolved to him as the author's relation. See my account of the Life of Thomas Rawlins in the little paper book, 12mo., among the poets in the Biographical Budget. Remember in my first volume of Poetical Characteristics the epi- taph on Mr. Rawlins. 5 4 See Malone's Life of John Dryden, P rose Works, i. 422., ed. 1800. 5 Thomas Rawlins was engraver to the Mint, and died in that employment in 1670. Ue was author of a tragedy 34 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. It has been affirmed to me, that Samuel Cooper, the miniature painter, would steal a lace upon his nail ; and remember the complexion, air, and all other distinguishments, so exactly, as to present any person with their portrait, who never knew they had sat to him for it. I gave above threescore letters of Dr.Davenant to his son, who was envoy at Frankfort in 1703 to 1708, to Mr. James West 6 , with one hundred and fifty more, about Christmas, 1746 ; but the same fate they found as grain that is sowed in barren ground. I lent the tragical lives and deaths of the famous pirates, Ward & Dansiker, 4to., London, 1612, by Robert Daborn alias Dabourne, to Mr. T. Lediard, when he was writing his Naval His- tory, and he never returned it. See Howel's Letters of them. The famous Queen Elizabeth's old mulberry tree, with a large head and spacious arms upheld by props, like the pages that supported her train, now growing with other large trees of that kind in one of the gardens at Carlisle House in Lam- beth Marsh, and full of fruit this July, 1753. It has the most reverend marks of antiquity upon it of any tree I ever saw of the kind. It had been split by the weight of its own shade and fruit, but is braced at the upper part of the trunk with iron. The shade may be near forty yards in circumference. The fruit is rich. Four hundred pottles were gathered when I saw it about Sep- called Rebellion, 1640, 4to., and again 1654, 4to. He also published (says Oldys) a book of Poems, under the title of Calanthe, 8vo., 1648; and likewise, if not the same, Good Friday ; or, Divine Meditations on the Passion of Christ, and with it some other small pieces of poetry, 4to., 1663. See ante, p. 3. CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. 35 tember that year, and probably another hundred left. The ground, all under and about the tree, looked as if all bloody by people'treading upon the fallen fruit. See my account of the great yews in Tankersly Park, Yorkshire, while Sir Richard Fanshaw was prisoner in the Lodge there in 1655, in my bota- nical budget : especially Talbot's Yew, which a man on horseback might turn about in. Old Lady Viscountess de Longueville (grand- mother to the Earl of Sussex, who died in 1763, aged near 100,) has told me, that she well remem- bered Mr. Dryuen's dining with her husband at their house in town. The most remarkable thing she recollected of his figure was an uncommon distance between his eyes. This old lady was a living chronicle, and retained the most perfect memory to the very last : was daughter of Sir John Talbot of Lacocke ; had been Maid of Honour to Queen Anne, when Princess of Den- mark (she had a daughter, afterwards Maid of Honour to her when Queen,) before the Revolu- tion, at which time she went with the Court (the Queen, if I remember right,) to pay a visit to Mr. Waller, the poet, at his seat at Becconsfield ; at which time, although he was very old, he re- ceived them with great gallantry and politeness. Mr. Waller was then above eighty, Lady Longue- ville survived him seventy-six years. Here we have an instance of two persons only that could have carried down the memory of any fact more than 150 years without any intermediate reporters. A remarkable instance ! 7 7 We happen to know of another remarkable instance. James Stuart, the architect (better known as the Athe- nian Stuart), died on the 1st February, 1788, aged 76. His son, Commander James Stuart, R.N., was bora on the 13th April following, and is still living, honoured and 36 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDTS. Lady Longueville's father had a house in Pall Mall, not far from the Duchess of Mazarine's. She well remembered Mons. Sieg. Evremont, a little old man in his black silk coif, who was used to be carried every morning by their window in a sedan-chair to the Dutchess's house, at which time he always took with him a pound of butter made in his own little dairy, for her Grace's breakfast. This old lady remembered the time when the fashionable hour of dining was twelve o'clock, and when the plays begun at three in the after- noon. The interest of her fortune had brought her in ten per cent. She was used to tell many bon-mots of Charles II. Her father was one day going down to Whitehall with his lady, and met the King in the Mall in St. James's Park. " So, Jack," says the King, " where are you going ? " " To Whitehall Chapel to prayers," said he. " Well," said the other, " and have you taken care to carry your wife's Prayer-book in your pocket ? " This old lady had an hereditary attachment to the House of Stuart ; yet she frankly acknow- ledged that Bishop Burnet's History of his Own Time gave a very exact and true account of the state of the Court, agreeably to her own notions and remembrance. The said Charles II.'s dying request to bis bro- ther was " to take care of Carewell " (meaning Madame Querouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, pro- nounced Carewell by the English,) " and not let poor Nelly (meaning Nell Gwin) starve." 8 respected by all his friends, in the vicinity of Epping- forest. The architect, born in the reign of Queen Anne, may have seen the great Duke of Marlborough, as his son assuredly has, on many occasions, both seen and ad- mired the late Arthur, Duke of Wellington. 8 Thus far Oldys. Bishop Percy has added the follow- ing additional note : ' She was wont to tell many little anecdotes of Charles CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. 37 SIK EDWARD DYER, a man of fine parts and ac- complishment", was a dependant upon the Court in Queen Elizabeth's reign, but one of those who would not fawn and cringe, and long had expec- tations given him from her of preferment suitable to his merits. It happened as he was one day walking under her window that Her Majesty was looking out, and seeing him in a very pensive mood, she had a mind to be jocose. " Sir Ed- ward, Sir Edward," says she, " what does a man think of when he thinks of Nothing ? " "A wo- man's promise," answered he with a smile. The Queen shrunk in her head, and said to somebody near her, " Well, this anger would be a brave pas- sion for making men witty, if it was not so base a one as keep them poor." 9 II. 's Queen, whom she described as a little ungraceful woman : so short-legged, that when she stood upon her feet you would have thought she was on her knees ; and yet so long-waisted, that when she sat down, she ap- peared a well -sized woman. Her mother's father was Sir Henry Slingsby, who was beheaded in the Great Re- bellion. She was related to the Duchess of Buckingham, Lord Fairfax's daughter, whom she described to be much such another in person as the Queen Catherine, a little round crumpled woman, very fond of finery. She remem- bered paying her a visit, when she (the Duchess) was in mourning, at which time she found her lying on a sopha, with a kind of loose robe over her, all edged or laced with gold. This I mention because Fairfax, in his Life of the Duke of Buckingham, says 'if she had some of the vanities, she had none of the vices of her sex.' " 9 Sir Edward Dyer had most probably recently pub- lished his tract The Prayse of Nothing. By E. D". Im- printed at London, in Fleete-streate, beneath the Con- duite, at the signe of S. John Euangelist, by H. Jackson, 1585, of which the only copy known is preserved in the Bodleian library, among the books of Bishop Tanner. This tract has been privately reprinted by Mr. J. P. Collier, the impression limited to 25 copies, which cost, including the binding, 121. 10s., that is 10s. per copy. Pp. 44. 4to. 38 CHOICE NOTES BT WILLIAM OLDT9. WANLEY. All the account of the Harleian li- brary [in Nicolson's Historical Libraries^ 1736, p. vi.], was written by Mr. Humphry Wanley, librarian to the Lord Treasurer Harley, as his son, the most noble Edward, Earl of Oxford, my most invaluable friend and patron, informed me in the year 1730; but it would make a volume as big as this to give a just idea of this library. Mr. Wanley died July 6, 1726. See the Diary of his own Life in the Harleian library. QUEEN ANNE. When the Lord Treasurer Ox- ford recommended Sir Symonds D'Ewes' manu- scripts to be purchased by Queen Anne for a public library, as the richest collection in England next to Sir Robert Cotton's, she said, " It was no virtue for her, a woman, to prefer as she did, arts to arms ; but while the blood and honour of the nation was at stake in her wars, she could not, till she had secured her living subjects an honour- able peace, bestow their money upon dead let- ters." Whereupon the Earl stretched his own purse, and gave 6000Z. for the library. " TBINARCHODIA." In a manuscript volume, formerly in the possession of James Petit An- drews, Esq., entitled Trinarchodia : the several! Raignes of Richard the Second, Henrie the Fourth, and Henrie the Fifth, is the following note by Wm. Oldys, who appears to have been its former possessor : "By what I can find, in perusing this book, so full of uncouth and obscure phrases, metaphorical allusions, distant, abstracted con- ceits, and mystical learning, the author was a clergyman, and calls King Charles II. his master. He began this book on the 7th Nov. 1649, and ended it on All Souls' Day, 1650. It further seems, these three reigns and the Idyllia were written for the press ; but not to be published till after his death, and then without his name ; CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDTS. 39 yet the Idyttia, by being said to be revised and enlarged, looks as if it had been published before." BROWNE. William Browne [author of Britan- nia's Pastorals] was reputed a man not only the best versed in the works and beauties of the English poets, but also in the history of their lives and characters : wherefore he was pitched upon to draw out the line of his poetic ancestors, from Josephus Iscanius down to himself, which must have been a delectable and useful labour, from a man not only of his learning and taste, but who had the advantage of living so much nearer the times when our most renowned culti- vators of English poetry adorned this isle. 10 CHAUCER'S PORTRAIT. Winstanley, in his Lives of the Poets, p. '26., says, " Thomas Occleve, of the office of the privy seal, sometime Chaucer's scholar, for the love he bore him, caused his picture to be truly drawn in his book De regimine principis ; according to which, that his pic- ture drawn upon his monument was made." To this passage Mr. Oldys added the following note in the margin of his copy of Winstanley " This book, De regimirte principis, a pretty thick iblio, written, in English stanzas, on vellum, with that picture of Chaucer on the side of the verses, is in the possession of Mr. West of the Temple, who showed it me, Feb. 27, 1735." 1 10 An edition of Wm. Browne's Works was published by Thomas Davies in 1772, 3 vols. ll'mo., with some short notes by the Rev. William Thompson. 1 Some curious particulars of this portrait of Chaucer are given in Kippis's Biog. Britan. iii. 465. 467. ; Wai- pole's Anecdotes of Painting, ed. 1849, i. 30. ; Gent. Mag. Oct. 1841, p. 370.; and in Warton's History of English Poetry, ii. 263. Mr. Warton informs us, that " it is in one of the Royal manuscripts of Occleve's poem in the British Museum that he lias left a drawing of Chaucer ; accord- ing to which, Chaucer's portraiture was made on his 1 40 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS, CHUBCHYABD. Thomas Churchyard, who was called the old Co'urt Poet almost all Queen Eliza- beth's reign, was a gentleman born : by his studies at Oxford and his travels, a man of learning and experi- ence : by his services and sufferings in the wars, a man of valour and merit: by his attendance on courts and great men, a man of manners, address, polite conversation, and other engaging qualities; and with all this he died a beggar, without ever hav- ing it in his power to make himself so by extra- vagance. All who have spoken of him know little of his story, as Fuller, Winstanley, and even Anthony Wood, who says, he laboured much to recover the titles of his writings, in that very im- perfect catalogue he gives us of them in his life. [Wood's Athena, by Bliss, i. 727.] But from some of them he never saw we collect, he was born in Shrewsbury about the year 15'20; came to Henry's court in 1537 ; had served in the wars abroad ; and was subject at home under eight [?] crowned heads : had also been in the service of two or three of the noblest families in England : had de- dicated books and pamphlets, in poetry and prose, flf his own composing and translation, from Latin and some modern languages, to above twenty great personages of fortune and distinction : most generously recorded the praises and celebrated the memories of half the great men of his time. Yet with all his fighting and writing; loss of monument, in the chapel of St. Blase in Westminster Abbey, by the benefaction of Nicholas Brigham, in the year 1556. From this drawing, in 1598, John Speed pro- cured the print of Chaucer prefixed to Speght's edition of his Works ; which has since been copied in a most finished engraving by Vertue in Urry's edition, 1721, fol. Yet it must be remembered that the same drawing occurs in the Harleian MS. 4866. fol. 91., written about Occleve's age, and in the Cotton. MS. Oth. A. 18. Ot-cleve himself men- tions this drawing in his Consolatio Servilis. It exactly resembles the curious picture on board of our venerable bard, preserved in the Bodleian gallery at Oxford." CHOICE NOTES BT WILLIAM OLDTS. 41 much blood and time in camps and courts, in a fearful and fruitless attendance and dependence upon the ungrateful great for above sixty-seven years, never could get more than a scanty pension from Queen Elizabeth 2 , and that, according to his own words, seems to have been through the interest of Sir Walter Ralegh ; but so scanty, that upon the death of Dr. John Underbill, Bishop of Oxford, one of his best friends, he had no bet- ter prospect or resource, in 1592, of sustaining himself to the end of his natural course, than ex- posing again his aged and scarified limbs to the hardships of war in foreign service, as he miser- ably complains in his poem of The Unhappy Maii Dear Adieu. He did struggle on, abroad and at home, to salute King James with a congratulation soon after his entrance and coronation 3 , anno 1604 [1603 ?], when he could not be less than eighty-four years of age, if not more. What notice was then taken of him we find not, nor when he died, but it could not be long after 4 , when somebody did cover his bones in Westminster Abbey, and hide as much as they could such a shameful monument and testimony to their country of the ingratitude that reigns in courts and courtiers, in masters and patrons, towards their servants and dependants. 2 See " A Pleasant Conceits, penned in verse, collour- ably sette out, and humblie presented, on New-yeere's day last, to the Queene's Majestie at Hampton Court, anno Domini 1593-4," printed in Nichols's Progresses of Queen Elizabeth, iii. 232. 5 A Paean Triumphal upon the King's Entry to London from the Tower. 1603. * Arrived at length at the advanced age of eighty- four. Churchyard died in Westminster about the 1st of April, 1604, and was certainly buried, as the parish register evinces, on the 4th day of the same month, in the quire of St. Margaret's Church, near his favourite Skelton, and not in the church-porch, according to a ludicrous epitaph in Camden's Remains. George Chal- mers's Life of him in Churchyard's Chips, 8vo. 1817. I 42 CHOICE NOTES BT WILLIAM OLDT8. SHADWELL. The character of Capt. Hackum^ in Thomns Shadwell's comedy The Squire of Al- satia, was drawn (as I have been told by old John Bowman the player) to expose Bully Dawson, a noted sharper, swaggerer, and debauchee, about town, especially Blackfriars and its infamous pur- lieus. Tom Shadwell died suddenly of an apoplexy (or by taking too large a dose of opium given him by mistake) at Chelsea, near London, Nov. 20, 1692, in the fifty-third year of his age, and wag buried in the church there the 25th of the same month. See his Funeral Sermon by Nich. Brady, 4to. 1693. If Shadwell could not match Ben Jonson in his learning, in the deep reach of his plots, the inno- cence of his humorous characters, and the chastity of his morals, and other qualifications of his mind, he did at least in the corpulency of his body. \Vhence among many other sarcasms, we may ac- count for this extraordinary epitaph of Tom Brown : " And must our glorious Laureat then depart ? Heav'n, if it please, may take his loyal heart; As for the rest, sweet Devil, bring a cart." SPENSER. Ask Sir Peter Thompson if it were improper to try if Lord Effingham Howard would procure the pedigrees in the Heralds' office, to be seen for Edward Spenser's parentage or family ; or how he was related to Sir John Spenser of Althorpe, in Northamptonshire, to three of whose daughters, who all married nobility, Spenser de- dicates three of his poems. Of Mr. Vertue, to examine Stow's memoran- dum book. Look more carefully for the year when Spenser's monument was raised, or between which years the entry stands 1623 and 1626. Sir Clement Cottrell's book about Spenser. Capt. Power, to know if he has heard from CHOICE NOTES BT WILLIAM OLDTS. 43 Capt. Spenser about my letter of inquiries relating to Edward Spenser. Of Whiston, to examine if my remarks on Spen- ser are complete as to the press. Yes. Remember when I see Mr. William Thomp- son 5 , to inquire whether he has printed in any of his works any other character of our old poets than those of Spenser and Shakspeare ; and to get the liberty of a visit at Kentish Town, to see his collections of Robert Greene's works, in about four large volumes of quarto. He commonly published a pamphlet every term, as his acquaint- ance Tom Nash informs us. SHAKSPEARE. There was a very aged gentle- man living in the neighbourhood of Stratford (where he died fifty years since) who had not only heard, from several old people in the town, of Shakspeare's transgression, but could remem- ber the first stanza of that bitter ballad, which, repeating to one of his acquaintance, he preserved it in writing ; and here it is neither better nor worse, but faithfully transcribed from the copy 5 William Thompson, a warm lover of our elder bards, and no vulgar imitator of Spenser, was the second son of the Rev. Francis Thompson, Rector of Brough in West- moreland. He was entered as a scholar at Queen's Col- lege, Oxford, where he graduated A.M. in 1738. He afterwards became fellow of the same college, and suc- ceeded to the livings of Weston and Hampton Poyle in Oxfordshire; after which (according to Alex. Chal- mers) he became Dean of Raphoe in Ireland, where he died about 1766. D'Israeli informs us, that " he was the reviver of Bishop Hall's Satires in 1753, by an edition which had been more fortunate if conducted by his friend Oldys, for the text is unfaithful, though the edition fol- lowed was one borrowed from Lord Oxford's library, pro- bably by the aid of Oldys." In 1757, Thompson published two volumes of Poem*, "among which those entitled " The Nativity ; " " Sickness ; " and " The Hymn to May," have met with considerable approbation. 44 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDTS. which his relation very courteously communicated to me 6 : " A parliemente member, a justice of peace, At home a poor scare-crowe, at London an asse ; If lowsie is Lucy, as some volke miscalle it, Then Lucy is lowsie whatever befall it : He thinks himself greate, Yet an asse in his state, We allowe by his ears but with asses to mate. If Lucy is lowsie, as some volke miscalle it, Sing lowsie Lucy, whatever befall it." If tradition may be trusted, Shakspeare often baited at the Crown Inn or tavern in Oxford, in his journey to and from London. 7 The landlady was a woman of great beauty and sprightly wit, and her husband, Mr. John Davenant (afterwards mayor of that city), a grave melancholy man, who, as well as his wife, used much to delight in Shakspeare's pleasant company. Their son, young Will. Davenant (afterwards Sir William) was then a little school-boy in the town 8 , of about seven or eight years old, and so fond also of Shakspeare, that whenever he heard of his arrival, he would fly from school to see him. One day an old towns- man observing the boy running homeward almost 6 According to Mr. Capell, this ballad came originally from Mr. Thomas Jones, who lived at Tarbick, a village about eighteen miles from Stratford- upon- Avon, and died in 1703, aged upwards of ninety. Mr. Wilkes (adds Ma- lone) grandson of the gentleman to whom Mr. Jones re- peated this first stanza of the ballad, appears to have been the person who gave a copy of it to Mr. Oldys and Mr. Capell. " What is called a ' complete copy of the verses ' contained in Malone's Shakspeare by Boswell, vol. ii. p. 565., is evidently not genuine." (Collier's Shakspeare, ed. 1858, i. 70.) See also Halliwell's Shakspeare, p. 129, 130. ; and Malone's Shakspeare, by Boswell, ii. 140. 7 See Wood's Athena, Hi. 802. (Bliss) for the anecdote of Shakspeare stopping at the Crown Inn, at Oxford. 8 He was born at Oxford in February, 1605-6, and on the 3rd of March following, was baptized at St. Mar- tin's Church, in which parish his father's house stood. CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDTS. 45 out of breath, asked him whither he was posting in that heat and hurry. He answered, To see his god- father Shakspeare. "There is good boy," said the other, "but have a care that you don't take God's name in vain." This story Mr. Pope told me at the Earl of Oxford's table, upon occasion of some discourse which arose about Shakspeare's monument, then newly erected in Westminster Abbey ; and he quoted Mr. Betterton the player for his authority. I answered, that I thought such a story might have enriched the variety of those choice fruits of observation he has presented us in his Preface to the edition he had published of our Poet's works. He replied, " There might be iu the garden of mankind such plant* as would seem to pride themselves more in a regular pro- duction of their own native fruits, than in having the repute of bearing a richer kind by grafting ; and this was the reason he omitted it." 9 One of Shakspeare's younger brothers, who lived to a good old age, even some years as E compute, after the restoration of King Charles II., would in his younger days come to London to visit his brother Will, as he called him, and be a 9 Mr. Oldys might have added, that he was the person who suggested to Mr. Pope the singular course which he pursued in his edition of Shakspeare. " Remember," says Oldys, in his annotated Langbaine, art. Shakspeare, " what I observed to my Lord Oxford for Mr. Pope's use, out of the Cowley's preface." See Cowley's Works, Pre- face, p. 53. ed. 1710, 8vo., where he savs, " This has been the case with Shakspeare, Fletcher, Jon son, and others, part of whose poems I should presume to take the bold- ness to prune and lap away, if the care of replanting them in print did belong to me." Pope adopted this unwar- rantable idea; striking out from the text of his author whatever he did not like; and Cowley himself has suf- fered a sort of poetical punishment for having suggested it, the learned Bishop Hurd having pruned and lopped away his beautiful luxuriances, as Pope, on Cowley'a suggestion, did those of Shakspeare. Malone. 46 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. spectator of him as an actor in some of his own plays. This custom, as his brother's fame en- larged, and his dramatick entertainments grew the greatest support of our principal, if not of all our theatres, he continued, it seems, ao long after his brother's death, as even to the latter end of his own life. The curiosity at this time of the most noted actors [exciting them] to learn some- thing from him of his brother, &c., they justly held him in the highest veneration. And it may be well believed, as there was besides a kinsman and descendant of the family, who was then a celebrated actor among them 10 , this opportunity made them greedily inquisitive into every little circumstance, more especially in his dramatick character, which his brother could relate of him. But he, it seems, was so stricken in years, and pos- sibly his memory so weakened with infirmities (which might make him the easier pass for a man of weak intellects), that he could give them but little light into their inquiries ; and all that could be recollected from him of his brother Will in that station was, the faint, general, and almost lost ideas he had of having once seen him act a part in one of his own comedies, wherein being to personate a decrepit old man, he wore a long beard, and appeared so weak and drooping and unable to walk, that he was forced to be supported and carried by another person to a table, at which he was seated among some company, who were eating, and one of them sung a song. 1 Verses by Ben Jonson and Shakspeare, occa- 10 Charles Hart, the actor, was born about the year 1630, and died in August, 1683. If he was a grandson of Shakspeare's sister, he was probably the son of Michael Hart, her youngest son. Malone. 1 See the character of Adam in As You like it, Act II. Sc. vlt. CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDTS. 47 sioned by the motto to the Globe Theatre Totus mundus agit histrionem : Jonson. " If, but stage actors, all the world displays, Where shall we find spectators of their plays? " Shakspeare. " Little, or much, of what we see, we do ; We are all both actors and spectators too." Poetical Characteristic's, 8vo. MS. vol. i., some- time in the Harleian library ; which volume was returned to its owner. Old Mr. Bowman, the player, reported from Sir William Bishop, that some part of Sir John FalstafTs character was drawn from a townsman of Stratford, who either faithlessly broke a con- tract, or spitefully refused to part with some land for a valuable consideration, adjoining to Shak- speare's, in or near that town. King James the First honoured Shakspeare with an epistolary correspondence ; and I think Sir William D'Avenant had either seen or was possessed of his Majesty's letter to him. See Pre- face to Lintot's edition of his Poems? A probable computation of the thousands of people of both sexes whom Shakspeare's Plays 2 At the conclusion of the advertisement prefixed to Lintot's edition of Shakspeare's Poems, it is said, " That most learned prince, and great patron of learning, King James the First, was pleased with his own hand to write an amicable letter to Mr. Shakspeare; which letter, though now lost, remained long in the hands of Sir Wil- liam D'Avenant, as a credible person now living can testify." Mr. Oldys, in a manuscript note to his copy of Fuller's Worthies, observes, that " the story came from the Duke of Buckingham, who had it from Sir William D'Avenant." Dr. Farmer, with great probability, sup- poses that this letter was written by King James in re- turn for the compliment paid to him in Macbeth. The relater of this anecdote was Sheffield, Duke of Bucking- ham. Malone. 48 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDY3. have maintained to this day, would appear in- credible to anyone who did not maturely con- sider it. ATKYNS'S GLOUCESTERSHIRE. There was copy enough for two large volumes in folio, though we have but one. The original manuscript of the second volume, together with many printed copies of the first, being all accidentally burnt in the fire that happened at Mr. Bowyer's house [Jan. 29, 1712-13], in which the first volume was printed, and the second was at the press. 3 BEHN. See my account of her Life in the parchment volume, 4to., also in the General Dic- tionary ; and now by Parson Broughton, in Biog. Britannica, 1746. See several of her Posthumous Poems in the Muses' Mercury, or Monthly Mis- cellany, 4to. 1707, which have not been taken no- tice of in any account of her. Mrs. Behn translated one of the books of Cow- ley's Latin poem on Plants. In this translation, when she comes to Daphne, who was turned into the Bay-tree, she makes the following insertion of her own : " I, by a double right, thy bounties claim, Both from my sex, and in Apollo's name. Let me with Sappho and Orinda be, 'I Oh ever sacred nymph, adorned by thee, > And give my verses immortality." See what Tate in his Preface, and Dryden says of her, and Capt. Alexander RadclifF in my Life of her and Prior. About a dozen lines against her in the Satire on Translators, first printed in 5 The plates of Atkyns's Gloucestershire, except two or three, having escaped the fire of Mr. Bowyer's printing- office in White Friars, the work was republished in 1768 by Win. Herbert, the editor of Ames's Typog. Antiquities ; but by a singular fatality, a great part of this second edition was also destroyed bv fire. Nichols's Lit. Anec. v. 266.) CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. 49 the State Poems [4to. 1689], then in R. Cross's Collection of Poems, p. 74. 8vo. 1747. Southerne's acknowledgments to her in his Life in the General Dictionary; and Burnet's character of her in the Vol. x. in the account of Mrs. Wharton. Lord Lansdowne has a poem on her. As to Mrs. Behn's character, it is allowed that she was of a capacity above most of her sex who have obliged the public. She had a ready com- mand of pertinent expressions, and was of a fancy pregnant and fluent : whence it is that she wrote with a facility, spirit, and warmth, espe- cially in amorous subjects, superior to every other poetess of the age, and many of the poets too ; so that none among us may, perhaps, more justly be called the ENGLISH SAPPHO, equalling her either for description, or perhaps experience, in the flames of love, and excelling in her per- sonal temptation to it; being a graceful comely woman, with brown hair, and a piercing eye, as one picture represents her whether the same painted by Mr. Riley I am not positive. 4 I am told, moreover, by one who knew her, that she had a happy vein in determining any disputes qr controversies that might arise in company ; having such agreeable repartees at hand upon all occasions, and so much discretion in the timing of them, that she played them off like winning cards. Mrs. Behn was between forty and fifty years of age at the time of her death, which was hastened by an injudicious physician. John Downes, the prompter, in his Roscius Anglicanus, 8vo. 1708, says, Mrs. Behn wrote also The Jealous Bridegroom about 1672, a good play, which lasted six nights ; and that Mr. Otway first 4 Pope has the following couplet on her dramatic writings : " The stage how loosely does Astrea tread, Who fairly puts all characters to bed." 50 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM 01DYS. tried to act on the stage the King's part in this play, but the great audience dashed him and spoiled him for an actor ; and that Nat. Lee hav- ing the same fate in acting Duncan in Macbeth, ruined him for a performer also, and from that time their genius set them upon poetry. Old Mr. John Bowman, the player, toid me that Mrs. Behn was the first person he ever knew or heard of, who made the liquor called Milk Punch. Langbaine, in his notice of Mrs. Behn's tragi- comedy Widow Ranter, or the History of Bacon in Virginia, 1690, remarks " For the story of Ba- con I know no history that relates it; but his catastrophe is founded on the known story of Cassius, who perished by the hand of his freed- man Dandorus, believing his friend Brutus van- quished." Oldys adds, " There was an insurrec- tion in Virginia a little before, made by one Nathaniel Bacon, a great opposer of the royal party there, in conjunction with one Drummond a Scot, and among others. 5 Bacon died there in 1675, as near as I can compute, or 1676, as others; and his accomplices being routed and subdued by the royal party, thirteen of them were hanged, some say eighteen.' There were two or three pamphlets published on the subject, one called ' Strange News from Virginia ; being a relation of all occurrences in that Country since the Death of Nathaniel Bacon : with an Account of thirteen persons tried and executed for their Re- bellion there, 4to. 1676.' The account in this pamphlet is extracted from a letter written by Sir John Burrey, the admiral who transported some soldiers thither. He arrived there on the 29th of January, and says that Bacon had been 5 The whole of the narrative connected with this affair of Bacon is preserved in one thick volume in Her Ma- jesty's State Paper Office, London. There are besides, in the same office, a variety of scattered papers relative to the same subject. CHOICE NOTES BY WILUAM OLDTS. 51 dead two months before. Query, if the Bacon before mentioned was not that Nat. Bacon of Gray's Inn 6 , who in 1647 and 1651, published his two volumes, 4to. of The Historical Discourse on the Government of England, in which he was blackened. It has been twice reprinted in folio ; and it is said Mr. Selden assisted him in it ; but I think that does not evidently appear. See Bishop Nicolson's descriptive character of this book [English Hist. Library, p. 193., ed. 1736.] Old Mr. Nathaniel Booth of Gray's Inn has as- sured me, that this Nathaniel Bacon did go over to Virginia ; but he could not remember what he had heard he did there. See more in my Cata- logue of English Lives, fol., in the notes, &c." 7 ELDERTON. This Elderton was a famous come- dian, who flourished about 1570 ; a facetious fuddling companion, who, having a great readi- ness at rhyming, composed abundance of sonnets and catches upon love and wine, which were then in great vogue among the light and merry part of the town ; but he was not more notable for his drollery and his doggrel than he was for his drink- ing, insomuch that he was seldom remembered for his singular faculty in either of the former, but his thorough practice in the latter was joined to it. Wherefore we find him called the Bacchanalian 6 Or his son, for the insurgent is called in The History of the American Plantations, 2 vols. 8vo., Nat. Bacon, jun. and Col. Bacon, a young sprightly man, who had been a lawyer too. Oldys. 7 For biographical notices of Mrs. Behn consult the History of her Life and Manners, written by One of the Fair Sex, prefixed to her Histories and Novels, 2 vols. 1 JUKI. 1735 ; Kippis's Biog. Britannica ; Langbaine's Ac- count of Dramat li Poets, p. 17., ed. 1691; Gibber's Lives of the Poets, iii. 17; Freeman's Kentish Poets; Retrospec- tive Rev., 1853, i. 1 18. ; Nichols's Poems, i. 85. ; Geneste's Hist, of Hie Stage, ii. 79. ; and "N. & Q." 1" S. xi. 184. ; 2< S. viii. 265. ; ix. 242. F2 52 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDY8. Buffoon, the red-nosed ballad-maker, and such like. It seems by this excessive habit he indulged himself in, over his strong drink, that he fell a martyr to Sir John Barleycorn, as some of his contemporary writers have hinted. See the con- troversial writings of Dr. G. Harvey and Thomas Nash. We find he was dead before the year 1592, and Mr. Camden has preserved this epitaph on him : " Hie situs est sitiens, atque ebrius Eldertonus, Quid dice, hie situs est? hie potius sitis est." Remains, p. 382, 4to. 1614. Which may be thus rendered or imitated : Dead drank here Elder-ton doth lie ; Dead as he is, he still is dry : So of him it may well be said, Here lie, but not his thirst, is laid. 8 FABIAN. Fabian wrote a continuation of his Chronicle, probably to his own death, which was in the custody of John Stow, and unprinted in 1600. 9 Out of this unprinted part, Hackluyt 8 Stow says (Survey, p. 217., 4to. 1599) that Elderton was an attorney of the sheriffs' court in the city of Lon- don about the year 1570, and quotes some verses which he wrote about that time, on the erection of the new por- tico with images at Guildhall. Warton thinks the fol- lowing lines by -Bishop Hall in his Satires were levelled at Elderton : " Some drunken rimer thinks his time well spent, If he can live to see his name in print ; Who when he once is fleshed to the presse, And sees his handsell have such fair successe, Sung to the wheele, and sung unto the payle, He sends forth thraves of ballads to the sale." For notices of Elderton, see Ritson's Bibliographica Poetica, p. 198., ed. 1802; Warton's History of English Poetry, iii. 431., ed. 1840 ; Hall's Satires, by Singer, p. 114.; Harleian Miscellany, by Park, x. 266274.; and Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time, i. 88, 89. 9 Stow, in the collections which he made for his Survey, speaks of a Continuation by Fabian himself, as low as the CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. 53 cites a note of Sebastian Cabot's discoveries, anno 13 Hen. VII. ; but the first edition I have seen continues the History, as I remember, to 1509, and that was printed in 1533 10 [2 vols. fol.], and Fabian died in 1512. Of Fabian, and the edi- tions of his History, see Tyrrell's Preface ; Hearne's Preface to Robert of Gloucester's Chronicle, p. 32. ; Strype in Abp. Parkers Life, p. 235. ; and what I have said in my Fuller's Worthies* MILTOX. Remember my dates of all his works at the end of his Life by E. Philips ; and what I have observed in Toland's Life of him, and Bayle's observation on his style. See one of Mist's Jour- nals upon him [Toland] and his Amintas, and the Answer. third year of Henry VIII., "which Boke (he adds) I have in writen hand." (MS. Harl. 538.) It is not im- probable, as Sir Henry Ellis conjectures, that it might have gone from Stow's Collection to Sir Robert Cotton's. 10 The edition of 1533 was the second : the first edition was printed by Richarde Pynson in 1516. In the Gren- ville library are two copies of the third edition, 1559. One of the copies contains the following MS. note : " It has not, as far as I know, been noticed, that two editions of this Chronicle were printed in the same year by Kyng- ston. The present copy contains matter respecting Queen Elizabeth at p. 566 to the end, wjiich is not to be found in the copies of usual occurrence." The other copy [No. II.] appears to agree with the preceding to page 565. Pages 566 to the end of 571 differ in the relation of the death of Queen Mary, which in the first is stated to have taken place on the XVII. of December, 1558, and in this copy the XVII. of November is named. The former edi- tion terminates with the coronation of Elizabeth on the 15th of January, and the printing of th8 book is stated to have been finished on the 26th of April, 1559. The last event mentioned in this copy is the Queen's riding to the Parliament on the 8th of May, though the title- page mentions " Mense Aprilis," as in the former edition. A valuable bibliographical account of Fabian's Chro- nicle is prefixed to the quarto edition of 1811, edited by Sir Henry Ellis. F3 54 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDTS. See my pamphlet containing the castration of his [Milton's ?] History. His own observations on himself. See my Universal Spectator on his Spirit of Liberty ; and the pamphlet written against him, called No Blind Guides*, &c., and the verses in MS. which I found at the end of another old pamphlet, where I have mentioned the Psalm which Milton, or his father,- set to music. Peck's Life and Works, fyc., 1740. Wm. Benson's erect- ing of his monument ; settling 1000Z. for trans- lating his Paradise Lost into Latin on young Dobson the interest while he was doing it, and the principal when done. Milton's cipher for secret communication, with others used by the republicans under Oliver, I had among the Royal Letters in Clarendon's col- lections which I redeemed from perdition, and presented to my late noble Lord of Oxford, and they are still preserved in the Harleian library : but God knows how soon that magnificent collec- tion of Manuscripts may undergo the same dis- persion as the printed books, which were sold to Tom Osborne my neighbour for less than 13,0002., though the binding only of the least part of them by his Lordship, cost him 18,OOOZ. A Verbal Index to Milton's Paradise Lost was published by Mr. Coxeter in 12 mo., 1741, printed for Innis and Brown. Lauder is now writing a book to prove Milton a plagiary. He begun in one of the Magazines. See an answer in Mag. Feb. 1749, and Dr. Kirk- patrick in The Sea Piece, 8vo., 1750, Preface. See also a pamphlet published against Lauder, called Miltonomastix. See also, Furius: or a Modest Attempt towards an History of the Life and Surprising Exploits of the famous W. L., Critick and Thief-catcher, 8vo., 1748. 3 * By Sir Roger L'Estrange, published in 1660. 3 Lauder was discovered to have forged most of his CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. 55 SUCKLING. The largest account of Sir John Suckling is in Lloyd's Memoirs, being near six pages in folio, and not a dozen lines of solid his- tory. The whole beginning is a chain of hyper- boles, and the whole life may serve to feed the eyes with a full meal of words, and leave the mind quite hungry for the subject matter. My ac- count of him much more complete in the quarto volume of Lives, parchment cover. See also the references in my Fuller's Worthies and Winstanley. He was patron to Thomas Nabbes, the dramatic poet, who dedicated his comedy, Covent Garden, to him, acted in 1632, printed in 4to. 1638. At Theobald's, 19th Dec. 1630, Sir John Suckling of Witham knighted. (Thos. Walkley's Cat. of Dukes, if-c., 8vo. 1639.) Recollect where I have set down the story my Lord Oxford told me he had from Dean Chet- wood, who had it from Lord Roscommon, of Sir John Suckling's being robbed of a casket of jewels and gold when he was going to France -by his valet, who I think poisoned him, and stuck the blade of a penknife in Sir John's boot to prevent his pursuit of him, and wounded him incurably in the heel besides. 4 It is in one of my pocket-books, white vellum cover the white journal that is not gilt. Remember the MS. account I have about Sir John Suckling's being beaten by Mr. Digby his rival. 5 See the lampoon on him in the pamphlets parallels, or to have taken them from Hog's Latin ver- sion of Milton's poem by Dr. Douglas, now [1764] Canon of Windsor. Percy. Furius was written by Henderson, a bookseller. 4 Suckling was robbed by his valet-de-chambre, and putting on his boot in a passionate hurry to pursue the thief, a rusty nail concealed at the bottom of one of them pierced his heel, and brought on a mortification, of which he died. Warton on Pope, ii. 109. 8 For the particulars of this cudgelling, see the Straf- forde Letters, 1739, i. 336. 56 CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. on the Scots' expedition in Morgan's Phoenix Bri- tannicus. Query, if it is not in his tragedy The Sad One, that I remarked a passage in ridicule of Ben Jonson. In The Tryal of Skill, or New Session of the Poets, fol. 1704, Suckling accuses Thomas Cheek with having murdered his goblins in every page. Sir John Suckling has verses before Coryat's Crudities, 4to., 1611. A Letter concerning a Married Life, subscribed John Suckling, London, Nov. 18, 1629, in the Ashmolean Library, Oxon. Sir John Suckling's Letter to Mr. Henry Ger- min, 1640, a manuscript among the Collection of Poems of Thomas Brotherton of Hey in Lan- cashire. An Elegy upon the Death of the Renowned Sir John Sutlin, 4to., 1642, with another short poem "To Sir John Sutlin upon Aglaura." First a bloody tragedy, then by the said Sir John turned to a comedy. These poems are in one short 4to., but to the copy before me is written " Authore Gulielmo Norris." See Thomas Stanley's Poems, 8vo., 1651, on Sir John Suckling's Picture of Poems. On Sir John Suckling's Warlike Preparations for the Scottish War, in Sir John Mennis's Musarum Delicice. Also, in Anthony Hammond's Miscellany of Poems, 8vo., 1720. Another Poem, pretended to be writ from France by Sir John Suckling, 4to., 1641. The Conversion of Sir John Suckling from a Papist to a Protestant, 4to., 164 1. 8 JOHN TBUSSEL. Both Bishop Nicolson and 6 The best account of Sir John Suckling is in the Life prefixed to Selections from his Works, by the Rev. Alfred Suckling, 8vo., 1836. The whole of Sir John Suckling's Works, containing his Poems, Letters, and Plays, were published several times by Tonson; and ia two neat volumes by T. Davies, 1770. CHOICE NOTES BY WILLIAM OLDYS. 57 Dr. Kennet seem very censorious in their account of John Trussel's Description of the City of Win- chester, neither of them appearing to have ever seen it; nor even Anthony Wood, from whom their intelligence is derived. For it is a manu- script in the Norfolcian library, and seems not, in a folio volume as it is, too voluminous for the description of such a city, considering there is a preamble on the origin of cities in general also before it. 7 7 Besides the MS. in the Norfolcian library, Gough (British Topog., i. 387.) states that " in a catalogue of the famous Robert Smith's books, sold by auction 1682, No. 24., was a MS. entitled ' A Description of the City of Winchester, with an historical relation of divers me- morable occurrences touching the same ; and prefixed to it, a preamble of the original of Cities in general, by J. Trnssel,' fol., which was purchased by a Mr. Rothwell." This MS., written by Trussel about 1620, was in the library of John Duthy, Esq., who permitted Dr. Milner to make extracts from it for his History and Antiquities of Winchester, 4tO., 1801. 58 LONDON LIBRAKIES. [The following interesting notices of the London Li- braries at the commencement of the last century must be considered as the joint-production of John Bagford and William Old ys names dear to every literary antiquary. At the death of William Oldys on the 15th of April, 1761, his printed books and manuscripts were purchased by Thomas Davies the bookseller, in whose Catalogue of April 12, 1762, this manuscript is entered as No. 3613, and entitled, " Of London Libraries : with Anecdotes of Collectors of Books, Remarks on Booksellers, and on the first Publishers of Catalogues," 4to. That a work bearing so alluring a title from the pen of William Oldys should awaken the curiosity of bibliographers is what might be expected. Mr. Bolton Corney informs us, that " Mr. Heber, whose copy of [Davies's] Catalogue of 1762 lies before me, has marked this article with N.B. N.B. It evidently set him on the gui vive." (Curiosities of Litera- ture Illustrated, second edition, p. 169.) Mr. John Fry, too, in a note to this article copied from Davies's Cata- logue, in his Bibliographical Memoranda, 4to. 1816, p. 37., adds, " This must be a curious article ; Query. In whose possession is it ? " The manuscript now before us, however, does not fully correspond in contents with those set forth in the title-page advertised by Davies, as the last two topics are unnoticed ; so that we may have only a portion of a larger work left incomplete by our assiduous antiquary. Nevertheless, in the account of the London Libraries now presented to our readers, Oldys has thrown open, not merely " to stu- dents and carious persons," as the charter of the British Museum has it, but to the public at large, the inexhaus- LONDON LIBRARIES. 59 tible treasures contained within them, and as such his work will be acceptable to every student engaged in bio- graphical and historical researches. The history of this literary relic is soon told. It was commenced by the ingenious John Bagford, whose first rough and incomplete draft is among his Collectanea in the Harl. MS. 5900, foL 44., and was printed in The Monthly Miscellany, or Memoirs for the Curious, ii. 167., 4to., 1708. Bagford died at Islington on May 15, 1716, aged sixty- five. Oldys availed himself of the fugitive collections of this industrious bookseller, or rather book-broker, and from his extensive acquaintance with the literary trea- sures of the metropolis, was better qualified to carry out the object proposed by his more humble precursor. Dr. William Hunter became the fortunate possessor of Oldys's manuscript, as it was discovered in his Museum, now belonging to the University of Glasgow. We are in- debted to the kindness of His Grace the Duke of Argyle for securing us the opportunity of giving it publicity ; as also to the Rev. Principal Barclay for his assistance, and to the Curator of the Museum, Dr. Rogers: the latter gentleman having been at considerable pains to procure us a Transcript of the MS., and then adding to his kindness by collating it with the original.] The learned and ingenious men of all countries are apt to inquire wherever they go after the re- positories of learning and ingenuity ; and not only content themselves with what they moot of it among the living, but must be satisfied also with what testimonies thereof has been left by the dead. Yet foreign nations have the art of representing more considerably their treasures of this kind than we have, and indeed they appear so to the eye, though, setting aside the greater pomp and parade of their books, England may produce as many that are learnedly and solidly written, per- haps as that magazine of arts may, Rome itself. London and Westminster are well stored not 60 LONDON LIBRARIES. only with printed books, but manuscript records, and other muniments of great antiquity, besides statues, models, paintings, and all other curiosities both in Art and Nature, though we are not so ostentatious, as I said, of them, have not the talent of magnifying them so much as some of our neighbours have. TOWER OF LONDON. Of our Public Records in the Tower, those which are particularly in Wakefield Tower, are in great number, and well worth the inspection of the curious. They have of late had a due regard paid to them ; have been now modelled and digested, and reposited in cases. 1 In the White Tower are vast number of records relating to Monasteries, &c., several letters of Kings, Princes, Dukes, &c., from several parts of the world, as Tartary, Barbary, Spain, France, Italy, &c., to our Kings in England, also restored very conveniently to order and method. The building itself was a chapel of the palace, and is a very uncommon sort of structure, and by the late Queen's liberality rendered both useful and orna- mental. CHAPTER HOUSE, WESTMINSTER. In the Ex- chequer at Westminster, the Records were lately in the custody of the Lord Treasurer. There are the two most ancient books in this kingdom, made in William the Conqueror's time, called the Dooms- day Books ; the one in quarto containing the De- scription or Survey of Essex, Norfolk, and Suf- folk ; the other, in folio, being the same for all the shires in England, from Cornwall to the River 1 In 1703, Queen Anne appointed that proper care should be taken to provide a convenient and safe place for depositing all the Records in this Tower, and a suffi- cient number of clerks to clean, sort, digest, &c., the same, under the inspection of William Petyt, Esq. LONDON LIBRAEIES. 61 Tyne, well worth the notice. 2 There are also many other ancient and rare Records, as Pow'ell in his Repertory 3 , Prynne, Cotton, and above all, the seventeen volumes of Rymer's Fcedera, suffi- ciently evidence. 4 The Parliament Rolls are in an old stone tower in the Old Palace Yard, Westminster, and the Papers of State, from the beginning of Henry VIII. to this time, are kept in the fine built gate as you go through to the Cockpit, and is called the 2 A very carefully-executed lithographic facsimile of so much of Domesday Book as relates to the count}' of Kent is in the course of preparation by Mr. Netherclift. It will be accompanied by a translation and illustrative notes by the Rev. L. B. Larking, from whose vast know- ledge of all that relates to the History of Kent, much valuable light will assuredly be thrown upon the nature of this invaluable national record. That portion which relates to Cornwall has lately been copied and printed by photozincography by Colonel Sir Henry James, R.E., by order of Her Majesty's Government; and may be pro- cured of any bookseller for a few shillings. 3 " Repository of Records remaining in the Four Trea- suries on the Receipt side at Westminster, the two* Remembrancers of the Exchequer ; with a Brief Intro- ductory Index of the Records in the Chancery and Tower ; in which is contained whatsoever may give satisfaction to the searcher for tenure or title in anything." By Robert Powell. London, 1634, 4to. Rymer's Fcedera, edited by George Holmes, makes 20 vols. fol. 1727 1735. * The Chapter House is situated on the south-east side of Westminster Abbey, immediately adjoining the en- trance to Poets' Corner. It contained muniments of the most valuable, but miscellaneous nature. In 1807, the Record Commission ordered an Inventory to be made of them. Three copies only were taken of it; one of them, with coloured drawings of the building, is at the British Museum, Addit, MS. 8977. Sir Harris Nicolas made an abstract of the Alphabetical Index, which he printed in the Gent. Mag. for Feb. 1830, p. 118. See also Thomas's Hand-Booh of the Records, pp. 287-297. The documents have recently been transferred to the Rolls Office, Chancery Lane. 62 LONDON LIBRARIES. Paper Office. It was built by Henry VIII., and is one of the most curious pieces of workmanship in Europe for flint work, and it is reported that Hans Holbein was the architect. 5 Dr. Forbes is now collecting all the State Papers here relating to the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in order to pub- lish them in several volumes in folio. 6 COTTONIAN LIBRARY. Sir Robert Cotton's Li- brary of Manuscripts, founded by himself,the fruits of forty years' inquiry, expense, interest, and assist- ance, bequeathed through Act of Parliament for the public benefit. They are gathered into about 1000 great volumes, and reposited in fourteen wainscot presses under the distinction of the twelve Caesars, and of Cleopatra and Faustina. They are now in Lord Ashburnham's house 7 by the 5 For views of Holbein's gate, Whitehall, see Vetusta Monumenta; Londina Illustrata; Smith's Westminster; and Dodsley's London. When Strype drew up his addi- tions to Stow, the uppermost room, in Holbein's gateway, was used as the State Paper Office. (Book vi. p. 5.) 6 A. Full View of the Public Transactions in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. By Patrick Forbes, M.D. Lond. 1740-1., fol. 2 vols. A series of letters and other papers of state, written by Queen Elizabeth and her principal ministers, and by the foreign princes and ministers with whom she had negociations, illustrated with facsimile autographs. Are these the earliest facsimiles published in England ? See Ayscough's Catalogue, p. "J9. f for a list of Dr. Forbes's papers in the British Museum. 7 The Cottonian library was deposited in Ashburnbam House in 1730. On the 23rd Oct. 1731, a fire broke out and consumed a portion of the collection. The MSS. of the Royal and Cottonian libraries at this time were in the same room above the one where the fire commenced. At the first alarm, Mr. Casley took care to remove the famous Alexandrian MS. in the Royal Collection, and now in the British Museum, Royal MS. 1 D. v. viii. 4to. From " A Report of the Committee appointed to View the Cottonian Library," Lond. 1732, fol., it appears that " the number of manuscript volumes contained in the li- brary before the fire was 958 ; of which are lost, burnt, or LONDON LIBRARIES. 63 Abbey at Westminster, and ten rings of MSS. in same room with them, as his library of printed books are in the next, whereof Dr. Bentley 8 is keeper at the salary of 200Z. per an., and Mr. Casley 9 under-keeper. This Cottonian library has been, and not improperly, called the English Vatican, though the Pope's conclave made some endeavours, after the foundation, 1631 10 , to incor- porate it with that of Rome. It is the grand re- pository to which our Antiquaries and Historians have had access, to their great improvement and elucidation, and the facility of this access has greatly advanced the credit and use of it. " Oranis ab illo Et Camdene tua, et Seldeni gloria crevit." l [" Camden to him, to him doth Selden, owe Their glory : what they got from him did grow."] entirely spoiled, 1 14 ; and damaged 98 : so that the said library, at present, consists of 746 entire volumes, and 68 defective ones." Mr. Sims, in his Hand-Book to the Li- brary of the British Museum, states, that "since 1842 one hundred volumes written upon vellum, and ninety-seven upon paper, have been restored under the directions of Sir Frederic Madden." 8 Dr. Richard Bentley, the celebrated critic and classic of Phalaris celebrity, succeeded Mr. Justel as Keeper of the Royal Library at St. James's on Dec. 23, 1693. Ob. July 14, 1742. In Addit. MS. 4696. (Brit. Mus.) is a Schedule of all the MSS., parchments, written records, and other memorials, and of the coins, medals, and other rarities contained in the Cottonian library, made by Dr. Richard Bentley the 10th of May, 1718. 9 Mr. David Casley drew up "A Catalogue of the Manuscripts of the King's Library ; an Appendix to the Catalogue of the Cottonian Library, together with an Ac- count of Books burnt or damaged by a late fire," &c. Lond. 1734, 4to. J0 Sir Robert Cotton commenced his splendid collection in 1588 ; was knighted 1603 ; created a baronet 1611 ; and died in May, 1631, his death being hastened by the loss of his library, which had been twice taken possession of by government. 1 Weever's Funeral Monuments, Preface. o 2 64 10NDON LIBRARIES. It consists of ancient MSS. in Divinity, His- tory, and especially relating to English History, ecclesiastical and civil : " in so much, that the fountains have been fain to fetch water from the stream," says Fuller ; " and the secretaries of state and clerks of the council glad from hence to bor- row back again many originals which, being lost by casualty or negligence of officers, had been neglected" to be recovered to their proper re- positories when some danger of fire or necessity of repairs, &c., I have heard, had removed them for protection to this known preserver of such instructive curiosities, with many ancient Saxon Charters, coins, &c. 2 In the drawers are many choice Roman anti- quities not mentioned in Dr. Smith's Catalogue 3 : as a brass image, fibulas, lamps, rings, seals, weapons, and other great rarities, taken notice of by very few who have seen that place. There are many old reliques which belonged to the Monas- teries here in England before the Dissolution. Amongst others, the claw of a griffin with a silver hoop, on the great end of it a Saxon inscription ; but I take it rather to be the horn of some animal. There is an old painted altar that belonged to the Monastery of Great Saint Bartholomew, London ; some pictures of the Kings of England (also of Camden, Spelman, Attwood, Ben Jonson, &c.) on 2 Vide Nicolson's Preface to Part III. of his Historical Libraries; Letters of Journey through England [by Paul Hentzner, ed. 1757, p. 30.]; Fuller's Worthies; Life of Sir Robert Cotton [by Dr. Thomas Smith?]; and The Present State of the Cotton Library ffol. 1732.]. Oldys. 3 Dr. Thomas Smith, Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, compiled a Catalogue of this library, entitled " Catalogus Librorum MSS. Bibliotherse Cottonianae, etc. Scriptore Thoma Smitho, Eccles. Anglicans Presbytero." Oxon. 1696, fol. It is valuable as affording a clue to the identification of the burnt manuscripts. The Catalogue at present in use was prepared by Joseph Planta, Esq., fol. 1802. LONDON LIBRARIES. 65 board, the oldest I have seen. There is a large book with several excellent designs for the En- trance of Henry VIII. 4 I shall leave the descrip- tion of these most excellent MSS., as to their antiquity, illuminations, curious writing, purport, &c., to a more able performer. Had the late Mr. Humphrey Wanley 5 had encouragement he could have exhibited this library to the world with as much advantages as Lambecius has done the Emperor's at Vienna. 6 The ancient Genesis there deserves a particular description. 7 It is in all probability one of the rarest manuscripts in the world, and as old as any : it is in Greek capitals with figures, and well worthy the regard of the most curious. The place where those jewels were reposited, before the last removal, is the remain- ing part of the palace of St. Edward, the King ; and one of the oldest structures of those times. 8 * " Designs for interviews in the time of Henry VIII." BagforcCsMS. 5 In the year 1701, Humphrey Wanley, Matthew Hut- ton, and John Anstis, three eminent antiquaries, were appointed to examine carefully into the state of the Cot- tonian Library. Their report, dated June 22, 1703, is extant in manuscript, prefixed to a copy of Dr. Thomas Smith's Catalogue of the Cott. MSS. in the King's library at the British Museum, which also contains Wanley's MS. Catalogue of the Charters in the Cottonian collection. 6 Peter Lambecius, a learned bibliographer, was born in 1628, and died in 1680. His great Catalogue of the imperial library was published in 8 vols. fol. from 1665 to 1679, under the title of Commentariorum de auguslissima Bibliotheca Ccesarea Vindobonensi, libri octo. 7 The invaluable MS. of the Greek Genesis (Cotton. MS. Otho, B. vi.), written upon vellum in the fourth century, with miniatures, was supposed to have been ir- recoverably damaged by the fire at Ashburnham House? but has since been restored under the directions of Sir Frederic Madden. 8 This last sentence was written by Bagford, but slightly altered, and that incorrectly, by Oldys. Cotton House," near the west end of Westminster Hall (the place alluded to) was sold to the Crown in the reign of Queen 08 66 LONDON LIBRARIES. WESTMINSTER ABBEY LIBRARY. In the great cloister of the abbey is a well-furnished library, considering the time when it was erected by Dr. Williams, Dean of Westminster and Bishop of Lincoln ; who was a great promoter of learning. He purchased the books of the heirs of one Baker of Highgate, and founded it for public use every day in Term, from nine to twelve in the forenoon, and from two till four in the afternoon. The MSS. are kept in the inner part, but by an accident many of them were burnt. There I saw that pompous and rare book of the Rules and Ceremonies of the Coronation of our Kings of England. There is a MS. Catalogue of the books in the library. 9 In the room called the Museum, Anne for 4500Z., by Sir John Cotton, the great-grandson of the founder of the library. In 1712, the library was removed to Essex House in the Strand, and again in 1730, to Ashbarnham House ; the following year to the old Dormitory of Westminster School ; and eventually transferred in 1753 to the British Museum. 9 There was also a library belonging to the King's palace at Westminster, as appears from an order in Council in the reign of Edward VI. for " purging the library of Westmin- ster of all missals, legends, and other superstitious volumes, and delivering their garniture to Sir Anthony Aucher." (Collier's Ecchs. Hist. ii. 307., fol.) Dean Williams con- verted a waste room, situate in the east side of the clois- ters, into a library; which he enriched with the valuable works from the collection of Sir Richard Baker, author of The Cftronicles of the Kings of England, which cost him 500Z. A Catalogue of this library is in Harl. MS. 694. There is also a MS. Catalogue, compiled in 1798 by Dr. Dakin, the precentor, arranged alphabetically. See Bot- field's Cathedral Libraries of England, pp. 430 464. ; and an interesting paper on this library by W. H. Hart, Esq., F.S.A., read at the meeting of the London and Middle- sex Archaeological Society, Oct. 25, 1860, and printed in the Gent. Mag for March, 1861, p. 239. It is scarcely necessary to remind our readers of the admirable descrip- tion of this library given by Washington Irving in his Sketch Book. LONDON LIBRARIES. 67 at Westminster, is a collection of books given by Dr. Busby for the use of the scholars. 1 OLD ROYAL LIBKAHT. St. James's Library was founded by King Henry VI II., is well fur- nished with choice books collected by John Leland, and others at the Dissolution of the Abbeys. There is a great quantity of books that were first printed, both on vellum and paper, in all languages. The Catalogue of the MSS. is printed in the Gene- ral Catalogue of Manuscripts in England. 2 This library was founded for the use of the Princes of the Blood, as Prince Edward ; and our Kings be- sides, had several studios and libraries at several places ; as Whitehall, Hampton Court, Nonsuch, Windsor, Oatlands, Greenwich, &c. ; but this at St. James's was the chief, and hath been used and highly esteemed by the learned in all times. The keeping of it hath from time to time, in the seve- ral reigna, been by Leland, Delayne, Traherne 3 , Ascham, Patrick Young (Patricius Junius), and now in the keeping of Dr. Bentley. It would redound much to our reputation that foreigners were better acquainted with it. ARTILLERY GROUND (West.) There was for- merly a piece of ground taken in and walled not far from St. James's, near Leicester Fields, by the 1 The " Museum " is now called the Library at West- minster School. It consists principally of old editions of the Classics. Many Oriental Books were added about Warren Hastings' time. The most recent bequests made to it were by the late Sir Everard Home, the eminent surgeon, and the late Dr. Bull, Canon of Christ Church, Oxford. 2 " Catalogus Lib. MSS. Angliae et Hibernia? in nnum collecti, cum Indice Alphabetico," fol. Oxon. 1697. An account of the old Royal library is given in Birch's Life of Prince Henry, ed. 1760, pp. 161166. 5 Delayne and Traherne are omitted in Mr. Edwards's list of Royal librarians in his Memoirs of Libraries, i. 424. 68 LONDON LIBRARIES. procurement of Prince Henry for the exercise of arms, which he much delighted in ; and there was a house built at one end of it for an armory, and a well-furnished library of all sorts of books relat- ing to Feats of Arms, Chivalry, Military Affairs, Encamping, Fortification, the best that could be collected of that kind, and in all languages, at the cost and charge of that Prince, who had a learned librarian, whose name I have forgot. It was called the Artillery Ground, and continued till the Restoration of King Charles II., and then fell into the hands of Lord Gerard, who let the ground out to build upon about the year 1677. 4 ABP. TENISON'S LIBRARY. In the churchyard of St. Martin's in the Fields Dr. Thomas Teni- son, then rector of that parish, but since Arch- bishop of Canterbury, built a noble structure, extremely well contrived for the placing of the books and lights. It was begun and finished in the year 1684, and by him well furnished with the best modern books in most faculties. There any student may repair, and has liberty of making what researches he pleases, first giving in his name and place of abode. 5 4 The western Artillery Ground is better known by the name of the Military Garden. "On the west side of Lord Newport's garden (where Gerard Street, &c., are now situate) was a Military, or Artillery Ground, wherein were exercised the militia of Middlesex, and trained bands of Westminster." (Maitland's London, p. 1335.) " Where Gerard Street is, was an Artillery Ground, or Military Garden, made by Prince Henry." (Walpole, ed. Dallaway, v. 60.) The library connected with this Armory was doubtless incorporated with the old Royal Library at St. James's, as we are informed by Mr. Thomas Watts," the Assistant Keeper of the Printed Books at the British Museum, that many of Prince Henry's volumes re- lating to military matters are now in the national library. 5 Abp. Tenison's library was in Castle Street, St. Mar- tin's Lane, immediately behind the National Gallery, and was open to the parishioners of St. MartinVin-the-Fields ; LONDON LIBRARIES. 69 LAMBETH LIBRARY. At Lambeth Palace over the Cloyster is a well furnished library. The oldest of the books were Dudley's, Earl of Leices- ter, which from time to time have been augmented by several archbishops of that see. It had a great loss in being deprived of Archbishop Sheldon's admirable Collection of Missals, Breviaries, Pri- mers, &c., relating to the service of the church, as also Abp. Bancroft's. 6 There is another apart- ment for MSS., not only belonging to the see, but those of the Lord Carew [George, Earl of Totness,] who had been Deputy of Ireland, many of them relating to the state and history of that kingdom. 7 GRAY'S INN hath a library for the use of the students of that society, most of them relating to St. James's, Westminster; St. Anne's, Soho; and St. George's, Hanover Square. For particulars of it, see Eve- lyn's Diary, loth Feb. 1683-4 ; and Report of Public Libraries, 1849, p. 64. It was dispersed by auction in the month of June, 1861. 6 Abp. Bancroft's valuable collection of books and MSS. had actually been placed in the archiepiscopal library ; but owing to his deprivation, he eventually pre- sented them to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, of which he was Master from 1662 to 1665. 7 When the archiepiscopal library occupied those old galleries above the cloisters, the want of warmth and comfort was such an infliction, that the late Sir Harris Nicolas was wont to say, that in winter none but Cap- tain Parry or his crew could possibly make use of the col- lection. It is now lodged and admirably arranged in the noble hall, built or restored by Archbishop Juxon. An elaborate catalogue of the tracts in this library was drawn up by Dr. Ducarel, in 3 vols. fol. 1773. The Rev. H. J. Todd drew up one of the manuscripts, 1812 ; and the Rev. Dr. Maitland published two lists of its Early Printed Books in 1843 and 1845, 8vo. For an account of this library and its early librarians, see Ducarel's History of Lambeth Palace, 4to. 1785, pp. 47-70.; also Botfield's Cathedral Libraries of England, pp. 189-258. 70 LONDON LIBRARIES. the laws and history of this kingdom ; first founded by the Lord Verulain. LINCOLN'S INN hath a good library of law, much augmented by that of the Lord Chief Justice Hale, amongst which are many MSS. of his own writ- ing. 8 THE Two TEMPLES have each a library. The Lord Chief Justice Coke gave most if not all his excellent MSS. of Law and History to the Inner Temple. The Middle Temple is frequently re- sorted to. Walter Williams, Esq., was the keeper about twenty years ago. 9 CORPORATION LIBRARY. In the Guild Hall of the City of London is the Treasury of their Re- cords, Charters, Laws, Privileges, Acts of Com- mon Council, their Paper Book in the Chamber- lain's Office, some very ancient, and most of them 8 Lincoln's Inn library is the oldest in London, it dates from 1497, when John Nethersale made a bequest to- wards the building of a library for the benefit of the stu- dents of the laws of England. The present library was opened Oct. 30, 1845, and is 80 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 44 feet high. A Catalogue of the Printed Books, to which is prefixed a bhort Account of the MSS. was pub- lished in 1 835. A Catalogue of the MSS. was compiled, in 1837, by Mr. Hunter; and another of the printed books by Mr. VV. H. Spilsbury, the librarian, in 1859. 9 The library of the Middle Temple was founded by Robert Ashley, Esq. by Will, dated 27 Sept. 1641. Three Catalogues have been printed : 1. Catalogus Librorum Bibliottiecae Honorabilis Societatis Medii Templi Londini. Impress. Anno. Dom. 1734. Carolo Worsley, Armigero Thesaurario Existente, 4to. 2. Catalogus Continens, Additi Fuerunt, ab Anno 1734, ad hoc tempus. Impress. Anno Dom. 1766. Prehonorabili Thoma Sewell, Milite, Scriniorum sacrorum Magistro, Thesaurario exist ente, 4to. 3. Bibliotheca Illustris Medii Templi Societatis in Ordinem juxta- rerum naturam redacta ac digesta: V. Iduum Sept. M.DCC. Auspicio et Sumptu Barth. Shower, Militis, Hujus ^Edis Quajstoris. Lond. 1700, 8vo. LONDON LIBRARIES. 71 are in the custody of their Town Clerk; there are great variety, and worthy the sight of the curious. 1 In the days of King Edward VI., in the chapel called the Lord Mayor's Chapel adjoining to Guild Hall, was a large library all of manuscripts. They were borrowed with an intent never to be returned by the Duke of Somerset to furnish his study in his pompous house in the Strand. They are reported to have been five [three ?] cart loads. 2 I mention this to note that the city had then a Public Library besides others that were within the walls, as at the Greyfriars in Newgate Street, now called Christ Church, containing a great number of manuscripts of which Sir Richard Whittington was the chief donor, at a great ex- pense, no doubt, seeing we are informed by Cle- ment Reyner, of the great sum which a manuscript of Lyra cost that worthy citizen, 3 1 These charters, records, &c., are still in the custody of the Town Clerk. 3 The ancient library, founded by Sir Richard Whit- tington in the fifteenth century, was of some extent and importance, as is shown by the will of John Carpenter, Town Clerk, which directs some of his books to be placed in the Common Library at Guildhall for the profit of the students there, and those discoursing to the common peo- ple. In the records of the corporation is a petition of John Clipstone, the librarian, in the reign of Henry VI., to the Mayor and Aldermen, in which he speaks of the great attendance and charge of the library. Mr. W. H. Overall's paper in the London and Middlesex ArchcEologi- cal Transactions, vol. i. p. 352. s The most considerable Franciscan collection of books seems to have been at the London monastery on the site of Christ Hospital, Newgate Street, for which the first stone of a new building was laid by Sir Richard Whit- tington on the 21st Oct. 1421. After it was completed 100 marks were expended on a transcript of the works of Nicholas de Lira, to be chained in the library. Stow's Survey by Strype, book iii. 130. Whittington's library was a handsome room, 129 feet long, and 31 feet broad, 72 LONDON LIBRARIES. The White Friars spared for no cost to procure books, and their Collection must be large and choice. Bishop Bale, one of their fraternity, says that no book was to be sold but they had their emissaries to buy it. The Carmelites engrossed all the books they could lay their hands on, and it is probable all the other Orders did the like. So that a layman, though he had both money and learning, would have but few come to his hands, wherefore books and learning were seldom met with out of a monastery. SIGN COLLEGE was founded by Dr. White, Vicar of St. Dunstan's in the West, in the year 16 ... [1623], for the use of divines and others in and about London ; they are a body corporate. Great part of their library was destroyed by the fire in 1666 ; but some of the books were saved by the vigilance of the librarian. Since it hath been rebuilt, and the library plentifully supplied with good books by the bounty of the Lord Berkeley 4 , and of late by Sir Philip Sydenham, [Bart, of Brympton in Somersetshire.] It is a most con- venient place for situation, out of the noise of coaches, and the only public library within the walls of the city : a large spacious room, very convenient, and capable of receiving many thou- sand volumes to fill up the stands. There should be a complete collection of bibles and of good historians ; but benefactors too often bestow on public libraries books of little value, such as come cheapest or most casually to them. It has now a good, industrious librarian, Mr. Wm. Reading, who, observing there had not been a Catalogue printed since the fire, though the collection has been considerably augmented by the addition of wainscoted throughout, and fitted with shelves neatly carved, with desks and settles. It formed the northern side of the quadrangle. * George, first Earl of Berkeley, obit. 1698. LONDON LIBRARIES. 73 four entire libraries, as well as by inferior bene- factions, and the annual contributions of Sta- tioners' Hall, and it having been publicly observed by the Governors of the said college on his behalf, that by reason of the narrowness of his salary, and a heavy debt which has lain upon the college ever since the rebuilding it after the aforesaid casualty, there was no means to print a Catalogue, and make him some moderate recompense for his la- bour therein ; but by the assistance of about two hundred subscribers advancing a guinea a-piece, with the payment of another upon receipt of the book, he did therefore publish Proposals to that effect in Nov. 1721, and the catalogue is now printed in a handsome folio volume, introduced with an account of the ancient and present state of the said college and library. 5 5 Sion College was founded by Letters Patent granted by Charles I. in 1630, in conformity with the provisions of the Will of the Rev. Thomas White, D.D. Canon of Christ Church, and Vicar of St. Dunstan's in the West, who died in 1623. The library was founded a few years later by the Rev. John Simpson, one of Dr. White's exe- cutors." A copy of every book entered at Stationers' Hall was given to this library by Acts 8 Anne and 54 Geo. III. ; but in 1836 this privilege was taken away by the Act 6 & 7 Will. IV. c. 110, and a compensation awarded of 363Z. 15s. 2d. payable annually from the Trea- sury. The first catalogue of this library is entitled " Ca- talogus Universalis Librorvm omnium in fiibliotheca Collegii Sionii apud Londinenses. Vna cum Elencho Interpretum S. S. Scripturae, Casuistarum, Theologorum Scholasticorum, &c. Omnia per J. S. [J. Spencer] Biblio- tbecarium (quanta potuit diligentia) ordine Alphabetico disposita, in unam collecta et propriis sumptibus in Stu- diosorjim usum excusa. Lond. Ex Officina Typog. Rob. Leybourni, 1650, 4to." "An Account of the London Clergy's Library in Sion College," by Win. Reading, is appended to his Bibliothecce Cleri Londinensis in Collegia Sionensi Catalogus. Lond. 1724, fol. The library at pre- sent contains about 50,000 volumes. An Account of Sion College, consisting of documents elucidating its his- H 74 LONDON LIBRARIES,. ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL. There are other small libraries within the city walls, as that of St. Paul's School, first founded by Dean Colet, and since rebuilt by the Company of Mercers. The founder left them many good books, both in MS. and print, mostly Grammatical in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin ; they were destroyed in the Great Fire, with Mr. Cromleholme's, the Upper Master of the said school, which was a curious collection of the best impressions and editions of the Classics, neatly bound, the best private collection then about London. 6 He was a great lover of his books, and the loss of them hastened the loss of his life. Since then they have been supplied by all sorts of Lexicons, Dictionaries, and Grammars, in He- brew, Chaldee, Greek, and Latin for the use of the Upper Scholars, and with many other books of more general matter and use. 7 In 1707, the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's purchased the library of Mr. Gery, Vicar of St. Mary's, Islington, for 500Z., one moiety the gift of Dr. Stanley a good beginning for a future foundation. HERALDS' OFFICE. In the Heralds' Office is a curious collection of books relating to Heraldry, Arms, Descents, Dignities, and Precedences, So- lemnities, Processions, Coronations, Marriages, Christenings, Visitations of Counties, Obits, and Funerals. In the time of the civil confusions they tory to the present time, has lately been printed for the use of the Fellows. 6 Samuel Cromleholme was head-master 1657 to 1671. He was the tutor of some remarkable men, such as the great Duke of Marlborough, Bishop Cumberland", Mr. Dodington, Dr. Gower, and the JRev. John Strype. 7 A list of the benefactors to the library of St. Paul's School, together with a Catalogue of the books, will be found in Knight's Life of Dr. John Colet, pp. 437. 475., edit. 1724 LONDON LIBRARIES. 75 lost many, which fell into the hands of some who wanted the honesty to restore them. There has been since some reparation made by the Earl of Arundel's Collections the noble present of the Duke of Norfolk, whereof a Catalogue was printed in 4to. 168 1. 8 Also by those which had been of Vincent's collection, and bought by Ralph Sheldon, Esq., of Weston, in Warwickshire, who gave them to the office 9 ; besides the libraries of those valuable memorials in the particular hands of the several heralds of the said office, as Sir Harry St. George, more particularly of this about 350 vols. fol., and Mr. Le Neve, the latter of whom dying on the 24th Sept. 1729, bequeathed his vast treasure of Historical Antiquities, con- sisting of about 2000 printed books, and above 1200 MSS. interspersed with many notes of his own, to a namesake who was no relation to him, 8 Evelyn, in his Diary, Aug. 29, 1678, says, " I was called to London to wait upon the Duke of Norfolk, who having at my sole request bestowed the Arundelian li- brary on the Royal Society, sent to me to take charge of the books, only stipulating that I would suffer the He- ralds' chief officer, Sir William Dugdale, to have such of them as concerned heraldry and the Marshal's office, books of armory and genealogies, the Duke being Earl Marshal of England." See more respecting this gift in Nichols's Illustrations, iv. 63-66. The Catalogue is en- titled, " Bibliotheca Norfolciana ; sive Catalogus libromm Manuscriptorum et impressorum, quos Henricus Howard, Dux Norfblcise, Regise Societati Londinensi, pro scientist naturali promovendl donavit, ordine alphabetico disposi- tus. 4to. Londini, 1681." A Catalogue of the Arundel MSS. given to the College of Arms was drawn up in 1829 by Mr. W. H. Black, with a Preface by Sir Charles George Young, the present Garter King of Arms, by whom it was privately printed. 9 Augustine Vincent, Windsor herald, died Jan. 11, 1625-6. His son John, although a good genealogist, herald, and antiquary, was so fond of liquor, that he pawned some of his father's literary labours to pay tavern bills. He disposed of 240 MSS. to Ralph Sheldon, Esq., who bequeathed them to the College of Arms. Noble. H 2 76 LONDON LIBRARIES. nor had any curiosity in them, so they were sold in Covent Garden about - 1 There was a catalogue of the books in the li- brary at the College of Arms in London, collected by Peter Le Neve, Esq., Norroy, a transcript of which by Chas. Mawson in MS. fol. was in Scla- ter Bacon's library. About a year and a half after the death of Mr. Le Neve his books were sold by auction, and what that antiquary had been his whole life in getting together were scat- tered again in two months. Not that I would quarrel with auctions; they certainly are, for the generality, of great convenience to the learned ; but when a library is brought to such a degree of perfection in any branch of science as this was in Heraldry and History, both general and particu- lar, I would have such a library preserved. "Tis said that he had some pique with the Heralds' Office a little before his death, so cut them off with a single book, otherwise he had left them the whole of his library. And there not being much money to spare amongst them, they do not appear to possess themselves of any considerable share in it. The Earl of Oxford, it is thought, will have some sweep at it ; but much of it is very likely to 1 " A Catalogue of the valuable library collected by that truly laborious Antiquary, Peter Le N'eve, Esq. Nor- roy King of Arms (lately deceased), containing most of the books relating to the History and Antiquities of Great Britain and Ireland, and many other nations: with more than a thousand Manuscripts of Abstracts of Re- cords, &c., Heraldry, and other sciences, several of which are very antient, and written on vellum : also, a great number of Pedigrees of Noble Families, &c., with many other curiosities ; which will be sold by auction the 22nd Feb. 1730-1, at the Bedford Coffee-house, in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden, by John Wilcox, Bookseller in Little Britain." This remarkable collection consisted of nearly 1300 lots. It was followed by another sale on March 19, 1730-1, of " Some Curiosities and Manuscripts omitted in the previous Catalogue." LONDON LIBRARIES. 77 be divided among those who collect such rarities more through curiosity than use, and have neither purse nor abilities to make anything compleat with or from them. The Catalogue of the He- ralds' Library is in print, containing 124 pages in 8vo. ; and there is a Catalogue of all the books relating to Heraldry, set forth by Mr. Gore at Oxford, in quarto, 168- ; it has, I think, had ano- ther impression. 8 In the Prerogative Office there is a large col- lection of books all wrote on vellum, containing the wills and testaments of our forefathers, care- fully preserved with calendars for the readier re- ference to their names. The Bishops' Register Books are kept in each particular Register's Office. The civilians of Doctors' Commons did about the year 1708 buy all the books of Common, Canon, and Civil Law in the great library of Dr. Oldys, then newly devised, which at his chambers filled three large rooms. They are ranged in a large room next the hall, and were then metho- dized by the learned Dr. Pinfold. I think they were above 1000 in number, besides some MSS. 3 They have made additional collections, and have a good catalogue of them. The parochial churches have their registers of burials, christenings, and marriages. The halls of each company have also their registers of those they bind to trades or make free, and of their 2 Thomas Gore's Catalogue of Writers upon Heraldry first appeared in 1668, and republished in 1674, 4to. with many additions by the author and his friends. It is a carious and useful book. 3 Dr. William Oldys, the civilian, died at Kensington in 1708. " As a scholar," says Dr. Charles Coote, " he was respectable ; as a civilian, he was learned ; as a pleader, eloquent and judicious." The library of the Col- lege of Advocates, Doctors' Commons, was dispersed by Mr. Hodgson, on April 22, 1861, and seven following days. u 3 78 LONDON LIBRARIES. masters, wardens, and their charters, granted by the several crowned heads, &c. There are many records, books, and registers of the Hospital of the Charterhouse by what Mr. Hearne mentions in his account of that founda- tion. CHRIST CHURCH, formerly the Grey Friars [Newgate Street], hath a neat library for the use of the masters and scholars, besides a collection of mathematical instruments, globes, ships, with all their rigging for the instruction of the lads de- signed for the sea 4 ; and in their counting-house is the picture of Edward VI., their founder, said to be done by Hans Holbein 5 ; and in the great hall a noble representation of King James II. sit- ting on his throne with most of the nobility, privy council, chancellor, governors, mayor and alder- men, and the boys and girls on their knees, all from the life by the famous Signior Verrio.s 4 The Rev. Wm. Trollope, in his History of Christ's Hospital, 1834, p. 200., states that " in the mathematical school there is a library, considerably dilapidated indeed, but well worthy of preservation ; and devoutly is it to be hoped, that it may not, for want of due attention, meet with the same fate as the valuable astronomical appara- tus, with which the observatory over the old school was furnished." 5 At the upper extremity of the Court Room, under a canopy, with the arms of England over it, is the Presi- dent's chair ; behind which, in a panel, is a half-length portrait, by Holbein, of the Royal Founder. The paint- ing is in good preservation ; and represents the young monarch in a standing position, with his left hand sup- ported by the thumb fixed in his girdle, and the right holding a dagger with a blue tassel. He stands under a canopy of cloth of gold, fringed ; and is dressed in a crim- son coat with half sleeves and basket-buttons, embroidered, and lined with ermine. By this portrait, Edward ap- pears to have been of a fair and delicate complexion, with blue eyes, Grecian nose, full lips, and hair inclining to red. Trollope. 6 Verrio's picture on the north side of the Hall was LONDON LIBRARIES. 79 MERCHANT TAYLORS' SCHOOL and Mercers' Chapel School have their respective libraries si- milar to that of St. Paul's. GRESHAM COLLEGE has a very good library, but depends on the Fellows of the Royal Society 5 those were mostly collected by that noble antiquary the Earl of Arundel. The MSS. he purchased in Ger- many, when he was ambassador to the Emperor's court, the journal of which was wrote by one Crowne of his lordship's retinue 7 , though not so well performed as the nature of the subject de- served. These were the Remains of [Matthias Corvinus] King of Hungary, and afterwards fell into the hands of Bilibald Pirckeimer 8 , where is to be seen his head graved by Albert Durer, one of the first examples among us of sticking or pasting of heads, arms, or ciphers into volumes. In this expedition he bought up all the rare books, statues, pictures, medals, and some entire libraries, with the remains of that at Heidelberg. A private MS. catalogue of these his German collections mentions also those presented him by the Duke of Saxony, particularly the drafts of his gold, silver, and copper medals performed by his own hands, in two volumes, with a very curious ancient MS., among others of Vitruvius. The earl's collections were given to that society by the Duke of Nor- painted expressly for the Hospital, at the instigation of our amusing diarist, Mr. Samuel Pepys ; but it was not without considerable trouble that the reluctant painter was induced to abide by his bargain. 7 A True Relation of all the Remarkable Places and Passages observed in the Travels of the Lord Howard, Earl of Arundell and Surrey, in his Embassy to the Em- peror Ferdinand II. By William Crowne. Lond. 1637, 4to. "A work full of imperfections and errors." says Oldys. 8 Bilibald Pirckheimer, whose portrait was engraved by his friend Albert Durer in 1524, was a person of great authority in the city of Nuremberg. He published seve- ral works, and among others a humorous essay entitled 80 LONDON LIBRARIES. folk 9 , and if a catalogue were taken according to their merit, perhaps they could not be paralleled. In the year 1687, Mr. Marmaduke Foster drew up a catalogue, who was reputed to understand printed books as well as most librarians in Europe ; but before it was printed it was thought fit to be curtailed by some who knew nothing of the matter, so that it is not Mr. Foster's catalogue. But he was not so well skilled in ancient manuscripts, as is evident by two Irish ones, which he saith were the Picts' language. It deserves a representation more accurate, the titles and descriptions of the printed books being imperfect and unsatisfactory, and the manuscripts intermixed and confused with them 1 ; nor in the large catalogue of MSS. printed at Oxford 2 is justice done to those of this library. Laws Podagra " The Praise of the Gout." He died in 1530, aged sixtj'. 9 Evelyn, in his Diary, Aug. 29, 1678, says, " I was called to London to wait upon the Duke of Norfolk, who having at ray sole request bestowed the Arundelian li- brary on the Royal Society, sent to me to take charge of the books. I procured for our Society, besides printed books, near 100 MSS., some in Greek of great concern- ment The printed books being of the oldest impres- sions, are not the less valuable ; I esteem them almost equal to MSS. Amongst them are most of the Fathers, printed at Basil, before the Jesuits abused them with their expurgatory Indexes : there is a noble MS. of Vi- truvius." In 1831, by mutual agreement, the Arundel MSS. belonging to the Royal Society, with the exception of the Oriental, were transferred to the British Museum. The Oriental, about fifty in number, were not received until the year 1835. 1 Complete Catalogues of the Books, Manuscripts, and Letters of the Royal Society were published in 1841. They are sold to the Fellows and the public in two oc- tavo volumes ; one, containing the Scientific works, the other, the Miscellaneous literature, MSS., and Letters. A MS. Catalogue has also been made of the Maps, Charts, Engravings, Drawings, &c., which exceed 5000 in num- ber. (Weld's Hist, of the Royal Society, ii. 474.) 2 Catalog! Librorum Manuscriptorum Angliae et Hi- bernise, Oxon. 1697, fol. torn. ii. part i. pp. 74-84 LONDON LIBRARIES. 81 In the College of Physicians in Warwick Lane is a fine collection, both in their own and other faculties. Mr. Selden bequeathed them his phy- sical books, and the Marquis of Doncaster [Dor- chester] 3 , one of their members, bestowed his whole collection upon them. In WHITE CROSS STREET the library of Dr. Daniel Williams, left to the public, the Catalogue whereof makes a tolerable 8vo. volume. 4 DUTCH CHURCH. In Austin Friars, in the re- maining part of the conventual church used by the Dutch and Flemish to preach in, and allowed of in the reign of Edward VI. Over the door at the entrance is a library well furnished with books of divinity, and many original letters in MS. (never printed) of the first Reformers ; the printed books mostly Dutch. The Ten Commandments there are said to be written by the hand of Sir Peter Paul Rubens. 5 5 Henry Pierrepoint, Marquis of Dorchester, who was admitted a Fellow of the College of Physicians for his proficience in medicine and anatomy: ob. Dec, 8, 1680. Dr. Lort says he left his library to this college, contain- ing a remarkably good collection of civil law books, the Catalogue of which has been published. Anthony Wood calls him "the pride and glory of the college." See Walpole's Royal and Noble Authors, by Park, iii. 229. Dr. Munk, in The Roll of the Royal College of Physicians of London, i. 262 274., has given an interesting notice of this distinguished nobleman. There is a Catalogue of this library, entitled " Bibliothecae Collegii Regalis Me- dicorum Londinensis Catalogus." With an Appendix, 8vo. 1757. 4 Catalogus Bibliothecse Danielis Williams. 8vo. Lond. 1727. Editio secunda, 8vo. 1801. Appendix, 8va 1808, 1814; also in 2 vols. 8vo. 1841. * On the west end over the skreen is a fair library, in- scribed thus : ' Ecclesise Londino-Belgicae Bibliotheca, extructa sumptibus Mariae Dubois, 1659." In this library are divers valuable MSS. and letters of Calvin, Peter Martyr, and others, foreign reformers. Strype's Stow, 82 LONDON LIBRARIES. FEENCH CHURCHES. In the French Church in Threadneedle Street 3 , before the dreadful confla- gration, was a library, and Minsheu mentions them to have subscribed for his Dictionary.* If this be true, then Mr. Ephraim Chambers is in the wrong when, in his Cyclopedia, he particularises Bp. Walton's Polyglot Bible to have been the first book that was published by subscription in Eng- land, an error he was led into by Anthony Wood. The French congregation, that have a place of worship allowed them in part of the Hospital of the Savoy, have a library for the use of their mi- nistry. The Swedes have a church in Trinity Lane, and a collection there. JEWS' SYNAGOGUE. The Jews in their syna- gogue in Be vis Marks, near Duke's Place, have a collection relating to the ceremonial of their wor- ship, the Talmud, and other Rabbinical learning. Their rolls, whereon the Pentateuch is written, are of fine calves' leather. 8 It is a fine building, though not comparable to that at Amsterdam. b. ii. p. 116. Is Bagford quite correct in attributing the Decalogue in this church to Rubens ? Wra. Sanderson, in his Graphice, p. 15., ed. 1658, informs us, that " King Charles's love to this art [painting] begat three knight- painters, Rubens, Vandyck, and Gerbier ; the last had little of art or merit a common pen-man, who pensil'd the Dialogue [Decalogue?] in the Dutch Church, Lon- don, his first rise of preferment." An interesting paper by the Rev. Thomas Hugo, on the early history of this house of the Augustine Friars, is printed in The City Press of Jan. 7, 1860. 6 On what is now the site of the Hall of Commerce. 7 " Mr. Ames has the paper or proposal Minsheu pub- lished with all the subscribers' names about the year 1629." (0/dys.) Minsheu appears to have printed the names of all the persons who took a copy of his Dictionary, and continually added to it, as purchasers came in. 8 The great Synagogue, Duke's Place (now called St James's Place), Aldgate, and the Spanish and Portuguese LONDON LIBRARIES. 83 FRIENDS' LIBRARY. The Quakers have been some years gathering a library, but where reposited I hear not (but the Baptists have one at Barbi- can.) One of their brethren named John Whit- ing, a man of good intelligence and assiduity, has published a Catalogue of all the Friends' Books, such as Naylor, written by that fraternity ; it makes a moderate octavo, and was printed 1708.' In my opinion 'tis more accurately and perfectly drawn up than the Bodleian Library at Oxford is by Dr. Hyde, for the Quaker does not confound one man with another as the scholar does. Be- sides, the Quaker is so exact and satisfactory, that he not only gives you the title ample enough, and the size and the town where printed, but the number of sheets or leaves every distinct Trea- tise contains, from the largest folio to the least pamphlet ; and besides all that, what place every author most considerable among them was of, when and where he flourished, and died. Francis Bugg, the notorious revolter from, and scribbler against them, had the best collection of their writings of any of the Brethren ; but I think I have read in some of his rhapsodies that he either gave or sold it to the library at Oxford. Synagogue, between Xos. 10. and 11. Bevis Marks, have in common a valuable library of Rabbinical and Jewish literature, in a separate building close by. It is in con- templation to make this library a Beth Hammedrash, or Hebrew College, with a view to the home education of Jewish Rabbles for England, in preference to receiving them from abroad. The library, which is accessible to students, has a manuscript catalogue, and arrangements for printing it are now in progress, but somewhat de- layed. 9 " A Catalogue of Friends' Books ; written by many of the People called Quakers, from the beginning or first appearance of the said people. Collected for a General Service, by J. W. [John Whiting.] London: Printed and Sold by J. Sowle, in White Hart Court in Gracious Street, 1708." 8vo. pp. 238. 84 LONDON LIBRARIES. DULWICH COLLEGE. In Dulwich College, erected by Alleyn the comedian, there is a library to which Mr. Cartwright, a player 1 , who was bred a bookseller, and had a shop at the end of Turn- stile Alley, gave a collection of plays 2 , and also many excellent pictures. There is to be seen a View of London, taken by Norden in 1603, and at the bottom of it a view of the Lord Mayor's show. 3 STATIONERS' COMPANY. It were to be wished the Stationers' Company would erect a library to their Hall, it being commodiously enough situated for resort from all parts ; and so many of them having got estates by the learned, it would de- monstrate some gratitude to the sciences, and 1 William Cartwright, one of Killigrew's company at the original establishment of Drury Lane. By his will, dated 1686, he left his books, pictures, and furniture to Dulwich College, where also his portrait still remains. 2 " Here comes in the Queen's purchase of Plays; and those by Mr. Weever, the dancing- master ; Sir Charles Cotterell, Mr. Coxeter, Lady Pomfret, and Lady Mary Worthy Montagu." (Oldys.) It is clear from this note that Oldys intended to enlarge this paper on the London Libraries. See his Diary, ante p. 123. 3 " Mr. Norden designed a View of London in eight sheets, which was also engraved. At the bottom of this was the representation of the cavalcade of the Lord Mayor's show, all on horseback, the aldermen having round caps on their heads. The View itself is singular, and different from all that I have seen, and was taken by Norden from the pitch of the hill towards Dulwich Col- lege going to Camberwell from London : in which college on the stair-case I had a sight of it in company of Mr. Christopher Brown. Mr. Secretary Pepys went after- wards to view it by my recommendation, and was very desirous to have purchased it. But since it is decayed and quite destroyed by means of the moistness of the wall. This was made about the year 1604 or 1606 to the best of my memory, and I have not met with any other of the like kind." Bagford's Letter to Hearne, Leland's Collectanea, vol. i. p. Ixxxii. See also " N. & Q.," 2 nd S. x. 372. LONDON LIBRARIES. 85 repay their expences sufficiently in honour and reputation. And this might easily be effected, if every one at first would give one book of a sort, and that of all pamphlets published weekly ; six of a sort might be contributed here, to be sold or exchanged for bound or other books, reserving one of the pamphlets of a sort for the library. And here, that I am mentioning the most concise pamphlets or compositions, I must not pass by unobservant, Mr. Tomlinson's [Thomason's] most curious and costly collection of all the tracts or pamphlets that came out from 1640 to 1660. I think Bishop Kennett's Historical Register is an attempt of some abridgments in this nature, for he had a great collection, also a library of English ' Lives, Characters, &c. 4 But Tomlinson's [Thoma- son's] was so complete, and some of them so scarce, even within the time of that period, that King Charles I. (who encouraged his undertaking for the knowledge of posterity, which otherwise he had been soon weary of, through the great charge of collecting, danger of preserving, and difficulty of removing them from place to place out of the army's reach), wanting a certain small pamphlet, could get it nowhere. After strict inquiry, hear- ing where it was, he went to St. Paul's Churchyard and gave the bookseller ten pieces of gold only to read it (besides near 100 MSS. on the King's behalf, which nobody then dared print) in his own house. 5 This collection, containing near * The valuable manuscript collections of the industri- ous Dr. White Kennett, Bishop of Peterborough in 107 volumes, chiefly relating to ecclesiastical history and bio- graphy, are in the Lansdowne collection in the British Museum. 5 George Thomason, the loyal bookseller of the Ro?e and Crown, St Paul's Churchyard, has been already noticed in " N. & Q." l rt Ser. vi. 175. 463. In the 2 nd Ser. iv. 412., will be found some curious historical par- ticulars of the remarkable preservation of this important 86 LONDON LIBRARIES. 30,000 several pieces, is uniformly bound in above 2000 volumes of all sizes, was so well di- gested, and every pamphlet referred to indivi- dually, that the smallest tract of a single leaf might be readily found therein, which was taken by Mar- maduke Foster, the auctioneer, and is itself in twelve volumes folio. For this collection the owner is said to have refused four thousand pounds, yet the present owner has not yet had, as I hear, above three or two hundred pounds offered for them, and that by the Duke of Chandos. After him, Miller 6 was famous for his great store of pamphlets ; but his Catalogue does not distinguish them more par- ticularly than in bundles, so is useless to the reader now they are disposed of. John Dunton 7 collection of pamphlets. It was commenced in the year 1641, and continued until 1662 ; arranged and bound in chronological order in 2220 volumes, containing above 30,000 separate publications. Thomason died in 1666, and in his Will at Doctors' Commons, these pamphlets are particularly mentioned, and a special trust appointed, Dr. Thomas Barlow, afterwards Bishop of Lincoln, being one of the trustees. The 100 MSS., noticed by Oldys, are bound up with the printed pamphlets in chronological order. In 1647, Thomason published a Catalogue in 4to. of his general stock, consisting of fifty-eight closely- printed pages, entitled "Catalogus Librorum diversis Italias locis Emptorum Anno Dom. 1647. A Georgio Thomasono Bibliopola Londinensi apud quern in Csemi- terio D. Pauli ad insigne Rosse coronatse prostant venales. Londini, Typis lohannis Legatt, 1647." In the same year a selection from this Catalogue was purchased by govern- ment ; who ordained, that the sum of 500/. out of the receipts at Goldsmiths' Hall should be paid to George Thomason for a collection of books in the Eastern lan- guages, lately brought out of Italy, that the same may be bestovved upon the Public Library in Cambridge. (Journals of the House of Commons, 24th Mar. 1647-8.) 6 For John Dunton's characteristic notice of William Miller, see Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, iii. 613., and Timperley's Diet, of Printing, p. 739. 7 Oldys probably alludes to John Dunton's Athenian- ism, or New Projects; being 600 distinct Treatises (in LONDON LIBRARIES. 87 also collected a great many pamphlets to repub- lish the scarcest and most remarkable of them, none of the meanest of his projects, had his judg- ment been answerable to his opportunities ; but he laid himself down no rule of confinement, so pub- lished two volumes of promiscuous and incoherent things, and met with no encouragement to pro- ceed any further. Nor was the Collection of Historical and Politi- cal Pamphlets in my own little library perhaps very contemptible, being above 5000. 8 Mr. Roderick Mackenzie, who died a few years since, had above 30,000 pamphlets. HARLEIAN. For libraries in more expressly particular hands, the first and most universal in England, must be reckoned the Harleian, or Earl of Oxford's library, begun by his father and con- tinued by himself. He has the rarest books of all countries, languages, and sciences, and the greatest number of any collector we ever had, in manu- prose and verse'). Lond. 1710, 8vo. In this first volume you have (he says) twenty-four of those 600 projects promised on the title. Nichols, in his Life of Dunton, p. xxv., gives a list of thirty-five projects which was to form the second volume of the Athenianism. 8 Bishop Kennett, in the Preface to his Historical Re- gister, has wisely remarked, that " the bent and genius of the age is best known in a free country by the pamphlets and papers that come daily out, as the sense of parties, and, sometimes, the voice of the nation." As supplying materials of British history, Oldys duly estimated the value of pamphlets to the historian and biographer, as is obvious from his valuable " Dissertation upon Pamphlets," contained in J. Morgan's Phoenix Britannicus, 4to. 1732 ; and his " Copious and Exact Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library," 4to., in which will be found many curious particulars of literary and biographical history. Of course Oldys's " Copious Catalogue " describes but a very small portion of the Pamphlets formerly in this noble library, which at one time it is estimated contained 350,000 distinct articles. 12 08 LONDON LIBRARIES. script as well as in print ; thousands of fragments, some a thousand years old ; vellum books, some written over ; all things especially respecting English History, personal as well as local, particu- lar as well as general. He has a great collection of Bibles, &c., in all versions, and editions of all the first printed books, classics, and others of our own country, ecclesiastical as well as civil, by Caxton, Wynkyn de Worde, Pynson, Berthelet, Rastall, Grafton, and the greatest number of pam- phlets and prints of English heads of any other person. Abundance of ledgers, chartularies, old deeds, charters, patents, grants, covenants, pedi- grees, inscriptions, &c., and original letters of eminent persons as many as would fill two hun- dred volumes ; all the collections of his librarian Humphrey Wanley, of Stow, Sir Symonds D'Ewes, Prynne, Bishop Stillingfleet, John Bagford, Le Neve, and the flower of a hundred other libraries. 9 BISHOP MOORE. Dr. John Moore, the late Bishop of Ely, had also a prodigious collection of books, written as well as printed on vellum, some very ancient, others finely illuminated. He had a Capgrave's Chronicle, books of the first printing 9 The first considerable purchase of books by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, was made in August, 1705, and which by means of agents abroad as well at home, at the time of his death, in 1724, was one of the most remarkable libraries in England. Edward, the second Earl, that noble patron of literature and learned men, continued to make additions with equal zeal and liberality. At his death on June 16, 1741, this noble collection included nearly 8,000 volumes of MSS. ; about 50,000 volumes of printed books; 41,000 prints; and about 350,000 pam- phlets. The printed books were purchased by Thomas Osborne for 13.000Z. to be dispersed ; but fortunately the collection of MSS., containing 7639 volumes, exclusive of 14,236 original rolls, charters, deeds, and other legal in- struments, was purchased by government for the sum of 10,000/. LONDON LIBRARIES. 89 at Mentz, and other places abroad, as also at Ox- ford, St. Alban's, Westminster, &c. After his death his late majesty bought them for seven thousand pounds, and gave them to the Univer- sity of Cambridge. 1 EARL OF CLARENDON. Henry Earl of Claren- don had a vast treasury of curiosities in this kind ; he spent his whole time and substance too almost, I may say, upon inquiries and purchases of books and pamphlets, manuscripts, and medals ; in the latter article whereof Mr. Evelyn was greatly be- holden to his communications in the compiling his Numismata [Lond. fol. 1697.] Of some of his printed books, and such as were burnt at Corn- bury, there are catalogues in print ; but not of half the manuscripts he bought. For safety he reposited them in St. Martin's Library, then built by Archbishop Tenison, when Dr. Gibson, now Bishop of London, took a catalogue of them, which being styled Tenisoniana 2 , a just offence was taken by the honourable owner, and as Dr. Rawlinson has observed, the MSS. were immediately removed. 3 This noble Earl bought all Sir James Ware's col- lection relating to Ireland, now in the possession 1 Dr. John Moore, successively Bishop of Norwich and Ely,' died 31st July, 1714. His curious and magnificent library, consisting of 30,755 volumes, was purchased in 1715 by George I. for 6,000 guineas, who presented it to the Public Library at Cambridge. It fills up the rooms on the north and weat sides of the court over the philoso- phy and divinity schools, arranged in twenty-six classes. For memoranda of his printed books and MSS. see Addit. MSS. 5827. 6261. 6262., in the Brit. Museum. Vide Hartshorne's Book Rarities in the University of Camfmdge, pp. 18-24. 8 Dr. Gibson's Catalogue is entitled "Librorum Manu- scriptorum in dnabus insignibus Bibliothecis, altera Te- nisoniana Londini, altera Dugdaliana Oxonii Catalogus. Oxon. 1692, 4to." 3 The English Topographer, p. 115., 1720, 8vo. i3 90 LONDON LIBBAKIES. of tbe Duke of Chandos.* He had abundance of other manuscripts, ancient and modern, of which I have seen many chests full, for he was an inde- fatigable collector, and held correspondence with most of the learned and curious men of his time, who were continually addressing him with some historical or political observations and tracts or others ; but bow scattered and consumed, most of them I fear, it is a grief for me to think. 5 He wrote many himself, and published some, but they have not his name. He had great knowledge of the history of the Peerage, Privileges, and Cus- toms of Parliament, Prerogative, &c. Whilst young, and with his father Sir Edward Hyde abroad, he was much trained in reading, translat- ing the epistolary intercourses of some of the most eminent; (he) translated all Cardinal D'Ossat's Letters into English 6 , and I have seen the fair 4 Sir James Ware's MS. collections relative to Ireland were purchased of his heir by Henry, second Earl of Clarendon, when lord-lieutenant in 1686, and after his death by the Duke of Chandos. These underwent a second dispersion by public auction, 1745-6. Dr. Milles, Dean of Exeter, whose uncle had considerable property in Ireland, purchased a large part, and deposited them in the British Museum, Addit. MSS. 4755. to 4802. Of these MSS. a Catalogue was printed at Dublin in 1648, and again by Bernard, Catalogi Librorum Manuscriptorum An- gliee et Hilernice, torn. ii. part ii., p. 3., Oxon. 1697. 5 See an interesting chapter on the fate of the Claren- don manuscripts in Lady Theresa Lewis's Lives of the Friends and Contemporaries of Lord Chancellor Clarendon, i. 65*-87.* 6 Arnoldus D'Ossat, Cardinal Bishop of Rennes, and afterwards of Bayeux. In the beginning of the reign of Henry IV. he was sent to Rome to effect a reconciliation between Clement VIII. and his royal master. He died on March 13, 1604. His Life, by Madame Thiroux D'Ar- conville, is in 2 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1771. Dr. Rawlinson says, " The Letters of this great Cardinal contain all the negociations relating to the affair of the absolution of Henry IV. ; and, according to the politicians, may be a model to those who treat with the Court of Rome." The LONDON LIBRARIES. 91 copy of his own hand in a thick volume of above 1000 pages folio. His father then also engaged him to a translation of the Marquis de Rosny's negotiations in England, 1603, out of the Memoirs of the said Marquis, afterwards Duke of Sully, as the best rudiments of such knowledge as is neces- sary in the arts of government and negotiation. And indeed that account, though somewhat prolix, is the most copious, and gives the best light into the parties and factions, prospects and pursuits of the English Court, the best introduction to our history upon the succession of the Scottish line, of any that is to be found in all our own chronicles. At other times his father employed him as his amanuensis, and in transcribing his own corre- spondence, historical and political, particularly his Essays and Discourses, Moral and Divine, whereof during our domestic discords, he wrote many abroad, as he did afterwards also in his exile. The folio volume lately printed 7 contains not a quar- ter of the said Chancellor Clarendon's Remains, one of the most important of which, and that he principally designed for posthumous publication, was his own Life, fairly transcribed by his secre- tary Mr. Shaw, for the press, in near 200 pages folio ; but, through certain womanish fears of its throwing some odium on the memory of other persons, it has been denied the justice of clearing his own. From such laudable applications of the father, the son became such a lover of the like, that I have been assured by his own sister, the best edition is that of 1708, Lettres avec des Notes His- toriques et Politiques de M. Amelot De la Houssaie, Amst. 12mo. 5 vols. 7 The Miscellaneous Works of the Right Hon. Edward, Earl of Clarendon ; being a Collection of several valuable Tracts written by that eminent Statesman, published from his Lordship's original MSS. fol. 1727, 1751. These tracts were obtained from the Chancellor's youngest daughter, Lad}' Frances Keightley. 92 LONDON LIBRARIES. Lady Francis Keightley, that he spent no less than an hundred thousand pounds upon the collec- tions aforesaid. THE EARL OF SUNDERLAND made an admirable collection of books in polite learning, particularly the rarest editions of the classicks, &c. The King of Denmark proffered his heirs thirty thousand pounds for it, and Queen Zara 8 would have in- clined them to part with it ; but for the honour of England it still retains those jewels 9 , though it could not that jewel little regretted, which the French King gave twice that money for. 1 His Lord- ship bought the' collection made by Mr. Adrian Beverland 2 , which was very choice in its kind. This is undoubtedly the best way of gathering a li- brary, especially if the collector was of our own profession, taste, &c. It saves a great deal of time, trouble, and money; for duplicates and subjects disregarded by one man will be as much another's choice; besides, this wholesale method often supplies the purchasers with many rarities he would other- wise never have known of, or might search to pick up singly in vain his whole life. This was the method taken by the Earl of Anglesey, who in the thirty years he disposed himself this way, bought 8 Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. 9 Charles Spencer, third Earl of Sunderland (ob. April 19, 1722) was distinguished by his encouragement of learning and learned men. (Spectator, vol. vi. Dedi- cation.) His library was removed to Blenheim in 1749, comprising upwards of 17,000 volumes, in various lan- guages, arts, and sciences, all arranged in elegant cases, with gilt wire latticed doors. 1 Probably an allusion to the Pitt diamond, purchased by the regent of France in 1717, as a jewel for the crown. Jeffreys says the price paid for it was 125,0007., other authors say 130.000/. 8 Adrian Beverland, a classical scholar, memorable for his learning, the licentious character of his writings, and his contrition. He died about 1713. LONDON LIBRARIES. 93 several whole libraries, particularly that of Mr. Oldenburgh, Secretary of the Royal Society. 3 Hence his collection was so numerous ; hence so universal, so extraordinary for its abundance, as well as scarcity thereof; hence such recourse, such acknowledgment thereunto by many persons of honour and learning, though possessed of very great libraries themselves, for the sight of many they could no where else see. But this, in October, 1686, was divided and dispersed again by an auc- tion, as though it had never been, as appears by the Catalogue then printed in quarto, and pub- lished by Mr. Tho. Philipps, his Lordship's Gen- tleman. 4 SIR HANS SLOANE has a very large Collection of Books in all faculties and languages, old printed books and manuscripts, whereof he has about 3000 volumes, and above 1200 of them in folio. Above all, his library is one of the most complete in Travels, Voyages, and Natural His- 3 Henry Oldenburgh, a mathematician and natural philosopher, born in 1626, and died in 1678. Vide Wood's Fasti, (Bliss) ; Martin's Biog. Philosophica, p. 109; Worthington's Diary, i. 192; Gent. Mag. li. 629; Nichols's Lit. Anec. iv. 442 ; and " N. & Q." 2nd S. vi. 270. 4 Arthur Annesley, first Earl of Anglesey of that family: ob. April 6, 1686. The Catalogue of his library is entitled " Bibliotheca Anglesiana, sive Catalogus vari- orum librorum in quavis lingua, et facultate insignium : quos cum ingenti sumptu et sumina diligentia sibi pro- curavit Honoratiss. Arthur Comes D'Anglesey, Priyati olim Sigilli Gustos, et Carolo Secundo a Secretioribus Conciliia. Quorum Auctio habebitur Londini, in ..Kdibus Nigri Cygni ex adverse Australis Porticus Ecclesiaa Cathed. Paulin in Csemiterio D. Paul 25 die Octob. 1686. Per Thomam Philippum, Generosum, olim Oeconomum prsedicto Comiti. 4to. 1686." This sale is memorable for the discovery of the Earl's note on the fly-leaf of a copy of Eiiuav Bao-tAiKij, attributing this work to Bishop Gauden, which occasioned a keen controversy. 94' LONDON LIBRARIES. tory in Europe. A large museum of natural and artificial rarities, as shells, jewels, fossils, plants, animals, medals, antique and modern, Roman and Greek antiquities, ores of all sorts, a vast quantity of which had been collected by that great virtuoso Mr. William Charleton 5 , consisting together of the greatest variety in England. He has great books of plants, all exotic and native ; an extra- ordinary collection of voyages, travels, and dis- coveries in most European languages ; many manuscripts never printed, in Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Flemish, and English. 6 DR. MEAD has also a renowned library, some of which he picked up at Rome many years ago, and industriously made improvements ever since. 7 The EARL OF CARBURY has a noble collection ; amongst them many relating to mystical divinity. The EARL OF KENT has spared for no cost to collect a library of English history, journals of parliament, visitations, pedigrees, &c. s Evelyn, in his Diary, Dec. 16, 1687, says, " I car- ried the Countess of Sunderland to see the rarities of one Mr. Charlton [Courten is the family name] in the Middle Temple, who showed us such a collection as I had never seen in all my travels. It consisted of minia- tures, drawings, shells, insects, medals, animals, minerals, precious stones, &c. This gentleman's Collection is esti- mated at 8,OOOZ." See also for Evelyn's second visit, Mar. 11, 1690. 6 Sir Hans Sloane died on the llth Jan. 1753. His collections, now in the British Museum, were purchased by parliament for 20,0007. His MSS. consist of 4100 volumes, of which a Catalogue was compiled by Samuel Ayscough, 2 vols. 4to. 1782. > Richard Mead, M.D. died on Feb. 16, 1754. The sale of his library in Nov. and Dec. 1754, lasted for fifty- seven days, and realised 5518Z. 10s. lid.: his pictures, coins, and other antiquities, 10,550/. 18$. LONDON LIBRARIES. 95 The EARL OF PEMBROKE 8 is stored with anti- quities relating to medals, lives, also with seals, figures, busts and sculptures in marble and in precious stones. The LORD SOMERS'S collection consisted in the laws of this and other nations in various languages, and of our own English historians, both printed and in manuscript. I think they are now in the custody of Sir Joseph Jekyl, Master of the Rolls, who being now dead, they are to be sold by auc- tion. 9 The LORD HALIFAX 1 made an excellent collec- tion ; they were well chosen and well digested. The DUKE OF KINGSTON has also a very nume- rous and valuable library, whereof he has printed a Catalogue, 2 The Lord Hay 3 has also made many curious collections for several years past. 8 Henry Herbert, ninth Earl. Vide Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, passim. a John Lord Somers died on the 26th of April, 1716. Addison dedicated to him the first volume of the Spec- tator. The collection called the Somers Tracts, first printed in 1748, in sixteen volumes, 4to., and again in 1809 15, in thirteen volumes, 4to., edited by Sir Walter Scott, consists of scarce pamphlets selected" principally from the library of Lord Somers. A valuable collection of original letters and other papers left by his lordship was consumed in a fire which happened in the Cham- bers of the Hon. Charles Yorke in Lincoln's Inn Square, on the 29th Jan. 1752. 1 Charles Montagu, created Earl of Halifax, and Viscount Sunbury, co. Middlesex, 14th Oct. 1714 : ob. 1715. Evelyn Pierrepoint, the first Duke : ob. 1726. The Catalogue of his library made seventy- seven sheets of folio, of which only twenty copies were printed. It is adorned with head and tail pieces of the Duke's house, library, gardens, &c. 3 George Henry Hay, of Pedwardine, afterwards the 7th Earl of Kinnoul in Scotland : ob. 1758. 96 LONDON LIBRARIES. His Lordship has also large and well chosen col- lections in Civil Law and Mathematics. The Lord Colerain and Bishop Kennett had a library of lives. RICHARD SMYTH. For persons of inferior rank, we never had one more successful in his time for picking up whatsoever was valuable and scarce, and in such variety or abundance, than Mr. Henry [Richard] Smyth, Secondary of the Poultry Comp- ter. There was no day passed over his head in which he visited not Moorfields, Little Britain, or Paul's Churchyard ; and for many years together suffered nothing to escape him that was rare and remarkable. He had laid in a good stock of ac- quaintance with all our writers and eminent men ; knew their characters and their compositions, and, therefore, how much from time to time he wanted to make any argument, controversy, &c., com- plete. He had pamphlets as valuable as manu- scripts ; was an author, as well as a buyer of books : but they fell to the auctioneer, Richard Chiswell, at last, in May, 1682 ; and were sold at the Swan in Bartholomew Close. So no footstep of this extraordinary library remains, which makes perhaps the richest Catalogue of any private li- brary we have to show in print, making above 400 pages in a very broad-leaved and close printed quarto. 4 MR. SECRETARY PEPYS was a great virtuoso in collections of this nature ; they consisted much in English History, both by land and sea, much re- lating to the Admiralty and maritime affairs. He * Richard Smyth's interesting Obituary has been edited by Sir Henry Ellis for the Camden Societv. For notices of this collector, consult "N. & Q." ! S.'ii. 389. ; 2 nd 8. iii. 112. ; and viii. 87. The Sale Catalogue of Smyth's library, with manuscript prices, is now in the British Museum. LONDON LIBRARIES. 97 collected very much from the Records in the Tower ; had many fine models and new inven- tions of ships and historical paintings of them as the drawing of Henry VIII.'s navy ; had many books of mathematics and other sciences : many costly curiosities relating to the City of London as views, maps, palaces, churches, coronations, funerals, mayoralties, habits, heads of all our famous men, drawn as well as printed ; the most complete of anything in its kind. He had also the copies and writing books of many dexterous calligraphers ; the best collection in Europe, ex- cept perhaps Mr. Robert More's, who succeeded to Col. John Ayres, his collection as well as his business in Paul's School for some years. A man whose free and generous spirit appeared in his pen, and his ingenious fancy at his finger's end. Mr. Pepys collected also many graved devices, title-pages, and frontispieces of foreign as well as domestic gravers, much augmented by his nephew and Mr. Jackson. With many other curious col- lections, disposed very methodically for the easy finding any author on any subject, and the least piece as soon as the largest. 5 No catalogue is 5 The Pepysian library at Magdalene College is ad- mirably described by the Rev. C. H. Hartshorne in The Book Rarities in the University of Cambridge, pp. 219 269. Consult also Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, iv. 550., and The Diary and Correspondence of Samuel Pepyt, Index. When may we expect a good biographical ac- count of this remarkable man ? Owing to the increasing weakness of his eyes, Pepys concluded his Diary with these memorable words : "And so I betake myself to that course, which is almost as much as to see myself go into my grave: for which, and all the discomforts that will accompany my being blind, the good God prepare me ! " This was written on the 31st of May, 1669, but his death did not take place until the 26th of May, 1703 ; so that for a period of thirty-four years, comparatively little is known of his personal history and connexion with the republic of letters. We believe that the Life of Samuel K 98 LONDON LIBRARIES. perhaps now perfect except the Lord Maitland's, digested by his own direction ; containing the author's name, place where printed, printer's name, date, and subject-matter contained in the book, which must be of great use to the posses- sors. 6 Catalogues of this nature would give us very great intelligence in a little time. The various tastes and pursuits of curious men in their collections of this kind, would be divert- ing to a satirical genius, when we know that the famous Dryden, and also Mr. Congreve after him, had collected some volumes of old ballads and penny story books. Mr. Hearne had the like. 7 There's an author alive, I may venture to name him, 'tis Mr. Robert Samber, who would needs turn virtuoso too, and have his collection ; which was, of all the printed tobacco papers he could anywhere light of. 8 The conjunction made them more observable : " Et quae non prosunt singula, multa juvant." Pepys has more than once been the topic of conversation in the literary gatherings in Albemarle Street. 6 Richard "Maitland, fourth Earl of Lauderdale, whose translation of Virgil, while it remained in manuscript, was read and praised by Dryden. His Catalogue is en- titled "Catalogus Librorum instructissimae Bibliothecse Nobilis cujusdam Scoto-Britanni in quavis linguS, et facultate insignium: qaibus adjicitur figurarum manu- delineatarum, necnon tabularum sere incisarum per ce- leberrimos Artis Chalcographicae Magistros, Collectio refertissima. Quorum Auctio habenda est Londini, ad insigne Ursi in vieo (vulgb dicto) Ave Mary-lane, prope Ludgate-street, octavo die Aprilis, 1689, per Benj. Wai- ford, Bibliop. Lond." It makes 150 closely-printed pages in 4to. 7 In addition to Pepys's five folio volumes of curious Old Ballads, and the two large folio volumes of prints and drawings to illustrate the history of London, he made a collection in four duodecimo volumes (mostly in black- letter) of Penny Merriments, Penny Witticisms, Penny Compliments, and Penny Godlinesses, each volume con- taining about a thousand or fifteen hundred pages. s See ' N. & a" 2nd S. xL 502. LONDON LIBRARIES. 99 But that which is often begun in whim and hu- mour, custom will by degrees turn to serious ap- plication and solicitude, and so it has proved here. But enough of this. MR. WILD, who formerly lived in Bloomsbury, had a good collection in husbandry and architec- ture : so had MB. EVELYN. A certain Templar one of astrology, witchcraft, and magic. MB. THOMAS BRITTON, the small-coal man in St. John's, Clerkenwell, had an excellent collec- tion of chemical books, as appears by the printed Catalogue, when they were sold by auction. He had also a great parcel of music books, many of them pricked with his own hand. 9 9 At the death of Britton, his valuable collection of music sold for nearly 100Z. In a mezzotinto print taken by Woolaston, Britton is represented tuning a harpsichord, a violin banging on the side of the room, and shelves of books before him. To this print are the following lines by Prior : " Tho' doom'd to Small Coal, yet to arts ally'd, Eich without wealth, and famous without pride; Music's best patron, judge of books and men, Belov'd and honour' d by Apollo's train ; In Greece or Rome, sure never did appear, So bright a genius in so dark a sphere ; More of the man had artfully been sav'd, Had KNELLER painted, and had VERTUE grav'd." Bagford and Britton used frequently to indulge in a literary chit-chat on old books and old manuscripts, and both agreed to retrieve what fragments of antiquity they possibly could. We have before us the Sale Catalogue of the Small Coal-Man's library, and a curious one it is, containing just such an inventory of literary relics as would have mightily pleased old Anthony Wood, Tom Hearne, and Browne Willis. It consists of forty closely- printed pages in quarto, and entitled "The Library of Mr. Thomas Britton, Small-Coal Man : being a curious Collection of Books in Divinity, History, Physick, and Chimistry, in all volumes; also, an extraordinary Col- lection of Manuscripts in Latin and English, will be K 2 100 LONDON LIBRARIES. DR. BEAUMONT collected all about mystical divinity and spirits. Mr. C. T. P., &c., &c., col- lections of feigned miracles, visions, prophecies, revelations, possessions, and pious impostures of all kinds. Captain ASTON, of voyages and travels in most of the European languages, as well as some on other subjects. Sir ANDREW FOUNTAIN, antiquities, prints, and medals. Mr. Serjeant Surgeon BERNARD, the fairest and best editions of the classics in all volumes ; and MR. DOBBINS, a good collection of surgery. Mr. Huckle, on Tower Hill, of modern authors in all languages ; had great knowledge, and made a good choice of cop- per prints. Mr. Graham, Mr. Child, Mr. Chiche- ley, Mr. Walter Clavell of the Temple, have been noted for their collections both in print and MS. This last bought Giordano's book 10 , and gave it one of the Universities to be answered. MR. BRIDGES'S choice and valuable library was lately disposed of in Lincoln's Inn, the Catalogue whereof makes a handsome bound octavo volume. He had a collection of Wenceslaus Hollar's etch- ings in four volumes, and they containing not all his performances, which sold there for above 100Z. 1 sold by Auction at Tom's Coffee-house, adjoyning to Ludgate, on Thursday the 1st of November [1715], by John Bullord." 10 Giordano Bruno's Spacciode la Sestia Trionfante, Paris, 1584, noticed in The Spectator, No. 389. Vide Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, ii. 593.; iv. 105. 1 Bridges's Catalogue is entitled " Bibliothecae Bridge- sianae Catalogus: or, A Catalogue of the entire Library of John Bridges, late of Lincoln's Inn, Esq., consisting of above 4000 Books and Manuscripts in all languages and faculties, particularly in Classics and History, and espe- cially the History and Antiquities of Great Britain and Ireland, which will begin to be sold by Auction on Mon- day, 7th Feb. 1725-6, at his Chambers in Lincoln's Inn, No. 6." 8vo. pp. 199. It realised 4160Z. 12s. Hearne in his Diary, under Feb. 15, 1725-6, says " My late friend LONDON LIBBAKIES. 101 The late ME. THOMAS RAWLINSON has been the greatest collector of books in our time who has made his collections public ; for before his death, as well as since, they have been sold by auction. I think there have been seventeen or eighteen large catalogues sold off from the 4th of Dec. 1721, when his first auction began at Paul's Coffee House, to the 4th of March, 1733, when the last auction of his books, including his MSS. began at the same place, and the books are not all gone out of London House yet ; but he out of one volume made many, and all the tracts or pamphlets that came to his hands in volumes and bound together, he separated to sell them singly, so that what some curious men had been pairing and sorting half their lives to have a topic or argument complete, he by this means confused and dispersed again. He's called Tom Folio in the Tatlers. If his purse had been much wider he had a passion be- yond it, and would have been driven to part with what he was so fond of, such a pitch of curiosity or dotage he was arrived at upon a different edition, a fairer copy, a larger paper, than twenty of the same sort he might be already possessed of. In short, his covetousness after those books he had not increased with the multiplication of those he had ; and as he lived so he died, in his bundles, piles, and bulwarks of paper, in dust and cobwebs, at London House in Aldersgate Street. 2 John Bridges, Esq.'a books being now selling by auction in London (they began to be sold on Monday the 7th inst.), I hear the}* go very high, being fair books, in good condition, and most of them finely bound. This afternoon I was told of a gentleman of All Souls' College, (I suppose Dr. Clarke,) that gave a commission of 8. for an Homer in 2 vols., a small 8vo. if not 12mo. But it went for six guineas. People are in love with good bind- ing more than good reading." * Thomas Kawlinson at first lived in Gray's Inn, where he had four chambers so completely filled with books, that his bed was removed into the passage. He afterwards K 3 102 LONDON LIBRARIES. Several more might be named who have been famous for their libraries, as Thomas Sclater Ba- con, Esq., whose collection amounted in the cata- logue to 12,000, besides his vast quantities of prints, pamphlets, &c., begun to be sold by Cock the auctioneer, under the Ir'iazza in Covent Gar- den, 14 March, 1736-7. 3 Mr. West of Lincoln's Inn, Sir Thos. Sebright, Mr. Calamy, Mr. Raw- linson, the apothecary, whose library sold to a bookseller for above 10001. ; Mr. Jones's mathe- matical library, Mr. Constable of Yorkshire, Mr. Granger, Mr. Topham, famous for his Greek col- lections, prints, and drawings ; Dr. Goodman, Dr. Gray, Dr. Tyson, and Dr. Woodward. Mr. Good- win of Finder had a valuable library, and Dr. Salmon the largest collection of English folios in any private hands, being near 2000 in number, resided at London House in Aldersgate Street, where he died on August 6, 1725, aged 44. At that time his li- brary contained the largest collection of books which had ever been offered to the public. The Catalogue of his printed books consists of nine parts ; and the sale of his manuscripts alone lasted for sixteen days. This biblio- polist was certainly a remarkable man, in spite of Addi- son's satirical notice of him in No. 158. of The Tatler. Tom Hearne thought very highly of him. " Some gave out, (he says) and published it too m printed papers, that Mr. Rawlinson understood the editions and title-pages of books only, without any other skill in them, and there- upon they styled him TOM FOLIO. But these were only buffoons, and" persons of very shallow learning. 'Tis cer- tain that Mr. Eawlinson understood the editions and titles of books better than any man I ever knew (for he had a very great memory) ; but then besides this, he was a great reader, and had read abundance of the best wri- ters, ancient and modern, throughout, and was entirely master of the learning contained in them. He had di- gested the classicks so well as to be able readily and upon all occasions (what I have very often admired) to make use of passages from them very pertinently, what I never knew in so great perfection in any other person what- soever." Diary, Sept. 4, 1725. 5 See ante, pp. 18, 19. LONDON LIBRARIES. 103 with quartos and octavos proportionable. Mr. An- thony Collins had the largest collection of contro- versial pamphlets, which are specified in two thick octavo catalogues. Now that I have mentioned the largest, let's not forget the least compositors. Old JOHN MURRAY of Sacomb has made scarce publications of English authors his inquiry all his life : he has been a collector above forty years at all sales, auctions, shops, and stalls, partly for his own curiosity, and partly to oblige such authors and gentry as have commissioned him. His ac- count of any old English book as to the complete- ness, scarcity, value, and general character of it, has always been regarded by Mr. Anstis, Hearne, Le Neve, and many other knowing antiquaries, who were better judges of the subject matter of these books than himself.* * Hearne has the following notices of this literary an- tiquary in his Diary: "Aug. 23, 1726. Mr. Murray told me formerly that he began to collect books at eleven, now he says at thirteen, years of age. I thought Mr. Murray had kept all his cariosities together, ever since he began collecting, excepting duplicates; but be tells me now, that besides duplicates, he hath parted, upon oc- casion, wilh a vast number of things, and I find he lets any one that wants have what books he hath, and 'tis this way that he gets his support. " Feb. 25, 1734-5. Mr. West, in his letter of the 17th inst. from the Inner Temple, tells me he had a little be- fore been fetch'd to Sacombe in Hertfordshire, by a mes- senger, to our honest friend John Murray. He is in a very declining way, occasioned by a slow fever, acquired by overheating his blood in his last walk from London thither, which is looked upon as twenty miles. "Ap. 1. 1735. Mr. John Murray, who was very dan- gerously ill lately at Sacombe in Hertfordshire, is since gone to London (as Mr. West in his letter of March 17, 1734-5.) much recovered, so that 'twas hoped he got strength daily." John Murray was born on January 24, 1670, and died Sept 13, 1748. Dr. Rawlinson possessed a painting of 104 LONDON LIBRARIES. We have several parsons,. I see too, who begun to turn the penny this way, and what with chop- ping and changing, and selling and buying, ap- pear to be great customers and friends to the muses. The booksellers abroad may be more learned, and make better judgment of their books, than ours, but I believe few are better stored. I have known several of them mark at auctions in their catalogues the prices that books go off at, and so settle a value on their own to persons conform- ably, which is a most erroneous valuation, to make a general rule of a particular inclination or neces- sity. I have given myself twenty shillings for a thing that is worth to no other man, I believe, a tenth part of that money, nor to me after I had some little circumstance out of it. The atheisti- cal book of Giordano Bruno sold at Paul's Coffee House for 30Z. in 1709 ; it has scarcely sold for so many pence since. 5 And a complete Holinshead rose there some years after to 80Z. ; it has never sold again for so many shillings. The value of it was thought to lie in its being complete ; but now the castrated sheets are reprinted you may have many of the books complete, yet they will bear no extravagant valuation : therefore the value arose neither from a desire of knowledge which the him, which was engraved by Vertue. He is leaning on three books, inscribed " T. Hearne, V. III. Sessions Papers, and Tryals of Witches," and holding a fourth under his coat Underneath are the following lines, signed G. N. : " Oh ! Maister John Murray of Sacomb, The works of Old Time to collect was his pride, Till Oblivion dreaded his care: Regardless of friends intestate he died, So the rooks and the crows were his heirs." 5 Probably his Spaccio de la Bestia Trionfante, Paris, 1584. Vide Nichols's Liter. Anecdotes, ii. 593. ; iv. 105., and ante, p. 100. LONDON LIBRARIES. 105 scarce part would communicate, neither from its intrinsic reinarkableness or instruction, nor even from any use to be made of it, but merely from the empty property of singularity, and being, as the contending purchasers erroneously thought, no where to be found. If there were no foolish bid- ders, there would be no extortionate sellers of books ; but Tom Guy had seen enough into the course of business to justify the propriety of founding an hospital for incurables, though he might not have so grateful a meaning therein towards some of the authors and purchasers who helped to make him so rich, because he might be apprehensive that their condition at worst might be happier than his, inasmuch as it is more miser- able to starve in the midst of riches than in the privation of them. 6 But if we consider the stores of our booksellers (it having been frequent with some of them to make sales of 5000 books at a time, for others to have gotten clear 300Z. or 400Z. by a sale and one showed me of many, lately in Gray's Inn Hall, which he had the liberty of sorting them in, as he did assure me, were about 40,000 in number), we shall find occasion to believe we exceed many foreign 6 Thomas Guy was the son of a lighterman atHorsley- down, where he was born in 1644. He was apprenticed on Sept. 2, 1660, to John Clarke, bookseller, in the porch of Mercers' Hall, Cheapside. In this house, rebuilt after the Great Fire, lie commenced business for himself; but subsequently removed to a shop in the angle formed by Cornhill and Lombard Street, since known as " The Lucky Corner." Mr. Guy represented the borough of Tamworth in parliament from 1695 to 1707, bis mother's native place. He is said to have made bis fortune ostensi- bly by the sale of Bibles; but more, it is thought, by purchasing seamen's tickets, and by the sale and transfer of stock in the memorable South Sea year of 1720. The building and furnishing of his Hospital amounted to 18,792*. 16t. ; and the endowment to 219.499/. He died on the 27th Dec. 1724, in the 80th year of bis age. 106 LONDON LIBRARIES. traders in this commodity. For, except a few of our most noted Latin authors, we send but few abroad, and English hpoks are as little read there as Dutch are here. But, on the other hand, we have great importations every year from abroad, especially France and Holland, of books in all faculties, and in all languages, by Vaillant, Van- denhoeck, Prevost, and Denoyere. I believe James Woodman and his partner imported a thou- sand pounds' worth every year. He also got over all the foreign books that anyways treated of our country or its natives, stained with prejudice in- deed many of them, no disturbance perhaps to him, because written by opposites in religion, nevertheless acceptable and useful to us, as he found by the advantage he made of them. For these and other reasons, flowing from the liberty of the press, it may be that such a man as Christopher Bateman may have had more books gone through his hands than any bookseller in Paris, he having bought and sold so many libraries for nearly fifty years together. His office or shop hath been the magazine from whence many of the gentlemen before mentioned have constantly sup- plied themselves. No wonder our nation abounds so in books, and we meet with such numerous libraries wherever we turn, since we have some to increase, and so few outlets of them. The library of Vossius did indeed escape through some sinister management as it is thought. A few upon Trade, Travels, and Navigation have gone to the Plantations ; and a few are sometimes sold by ignorant women to grocers, chandlers, and trunk- makers, but few are so ignorant as not to know if the books they cannot read or want money for are perfect, that the booksellers will give more money for them. The best defence I know of for to keep the ignorant from laying violent hands on the works of the learned and preserve the inside of a book is to deck the outside finely. And LONDON LIBRARIES. 107 though a wise man is not captivated with exter- nals, yet he knows that finery will breed esteem and veneration in fools. See what the learned Gassendus says of Peiresc in his life. On this topic of bookbinding a greater deference should be paid to good manuscripts, which on the con- trary I seldom meet with well bound. Whether the authors, intending a second and fairer copy, think anything good enough to contain the first, or whether they modestly decline to show any os- tentatious regard to their own compositions I know not ; but so it is, that they commonly make such a contemptible figure to the eye, both with outside and within, that I am persuaded the foul and slovenly writing, and the greasy parchment or paltry paper covering of them, has promoted the disregard and destruction of some of the finest performances of our forefathers. As for the auctioneers, I know not the name of the first amongst us, not having seen the cata- logue of Dr. Seaman's books, which were the first that were published by auction 7 , however An- 7 Dr. Seaman's Catalogue is entitled " Catalogus Va- riorum et Inw'gnium Librorum instructissimse Bibliotherae Clarissimi Doctissimique Viri Lazari Seaman, S. T. D. Quorum Auctio habebitur Londini in tedibus Defunct! in Area et Viculo Warwicensi. Octobris ultimo. Cura Gu- lielmi Cooper, Bibliopole, 1676. 4to. pp. 137." Dr. Sea- man's residence was in Warwick Court, in Warwick Lane. In the Preface to the Reader, the auctioneer stated, " It hath not been usual here in England to make Sale of Books by way of Auction, or who will give most for them ; but if having been practised in other countries to the advan- tage both of buyers and sellers, it was therefore conceived (for the encouragement of learning) to publish the sale of these books this manner of way ; and it is hoped that this will not be unacceptable to scholars; and therefore we thought it convenient to give an Advertisement concern- ing the manner of proceeding therein." Hearne thus notices this sale: " Feb. 13, 1722-3. The first catalogue of books sold by auction was the library of Dr. Seaman ; the second was that of the Rev. Mi 108 LONDON LIBRARIES. thony Wood mistook Mr. Smith's to be so. Those that have been most conspicuous were Dunmore, Ned Millington, of whom there is a poem in Tom Brown's posthumous Works 8 , Marmaduke Foster, Cooper, Bullard, &c., who have had vast quanti- ties pass through their hands, as Smith's, Lord An- Thomas Kidner, A.M., Rector of Hitchin in Hartford- shire, beginning Feb. 6, 1676-7." On the progress of sell- ing books by catalogues, see an article by Mr. Gough in Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, iii. 608. ; and Dibdin's Bib- liomania, 402. 408. 418., &c. In the British Museum is a quarto volume containing the first eleven Catalogues of Books sold by auction with the prices in manuscript, namely, those of 1. Seaman, 31 Oct. 1676. 2. Kidner, Feb. 1676-7. 3. Greenhill, Feb. 1677-8. 4. Manton, March, 1678. 5. Worsley, May, 1678. 6. Godolphin and Phillips, Nov. 1678. 7. Voetius, Nov. 1678. 8. Sanger and Brook, Lord Warwick, Dec. 1678. 9. Apud Thea- trum Sheldonianum, Feb. 1678-9. 10. Watkins and Sherley, June, 1679. 11. Bishe, Nov. [1679?] To this volume Mr. Heber has added the following MS. note : " This volume, which formerly belonged to Narcissus Luttrell, and since to Mr. Gough, is remarkable for containing the eleven first Catalogues of Books ever sold by auction in England. What renders it still more curious, is that the prices of nearly all the articles are added in MS. When it came into my possession it had suffered so much from damp, and the leaves were so tender and rotten, that every time the volume was opened, it was liable to injury. This has been remedied by giving the whole a strong coat of size. At Willett's sale, Booth the bookseller of Duke Street, Portland Place, bought a volume of old Ca- talogues for 21. 3s. (see Merly Catalogue, n. 531.), and charged the same in his own shop Catalogue for 1815 211. (lot 6823). It contained merely the eight which stand first in the present collection, of which Greenhill's and Godolphin's were not priced at all ; and Voet's and Sanger's only partially. However, it enabled me to fill up a few omissions in the prices of my copy of Sanger's. N.B. The prices of Willett's and the present copy did not always tally exactly." At the sale of Heber's Library this volume sold for 3/. 8 See the Works of Mr. Thomas Brown, ed. 1744, vol. iv. p. 320., for " An Elegy on the Death of Mr. Edward LONDON LIBB ABIES. 109 glesey's 9 , Dr. Jacomb's, Earl of Ailsbury's, Lord Maitland's, and those vast stocks of Scots and Davis's of Oxford, with many others that has much improved the curious, and let them into a knowledge and value of what before lay dusty and disposed in studios, warehouses, and lumber- rooms. But the better to know what we may inquire after and what is to be had, we should consult the catalogues of what have been amassed and is dis- persed, or what still continues entire and unsepa- rated. France, Spain, Italy, &c., spare no cost and pains to illustrate, and set forth their col- lections ; and if we were not wanting of encou- ragement here, we have as able hands, as noble collections, and as great a variety as any part of Europe. But what numbers of useful and valu- able books are imprisoned and concealed from the world by the jealous or covetous temper of some possessors ! How much is Science impeded and prejudiced, mankind kept in the dark, and our country dishonoured, so contrary to the spirit of communication which men as men and sociable creatures, much more those of knowledge, ought to be endowed with, by not exhibiting catalogues of their libraries to the world, or permitting the ingenious to have recourse to them. Millington, the famous Auctioneer." To the Elegy is sub- joined the following Epitaph : "Underneath this marble stone Lives the famous Millington : A man who through the world did steer, I' tli' station of an auctioneer ; A man with wond'rous sense and wisdom bleat, Whose qualities are not to be expreat." See ante, p. 93. INDEX. Advocates' library, Doctors' Commons, 77 Allott (Robert), " England's Parnassus," xli Ames (Joseph), xviii. 2, 4, 6, 10-12, 18-20, 25-28, 82 Anglesey (Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of), library, 93 Anne (Queen), and a public library, 38 Anstis (John), Garter, xyii. 4, 11, 12, 14, 24 Artillery Ground, West, its library, 67 Arundel manuscripts, 75, 79, 80 Atkyns's Gloucestershire, 48 Austin (Mr.), his pudding baked in the Thames, 17 Bacon (Nathaniel) of Virginia, 50, 51' Bacon (Thomas Sclater), library, 16, 18, 26, 76, 102 Bagford (John) on the London libraries, 58-109 Bayle's Dictionary, Supplement, xix Behn (Mrs. Aphra), 4851 Bentley (Dr. Richard), librarian at St. James's, 63 Betterton (Thomas), actor, 45 Beverland (Adrian), 92 Bibliography as a science, xv xviii. xxvii " Biographia Britannica," 1747-66, Oldys's contributions to, xxx xxxii. ; its editors, xxxii. 32 ; second edition by Dr. Kippis, xxxii. xl Birch (Dr, Thomas), Oldys's letters to, xxxiii Book auctions, the earliest, 108 Books, monev found in old, 32 Booth (Nathaniel) of Gray's Inn, xviii. 5, 8, 12, 21, 51 Bowman (John), actor, 47, 50 Bridges (John), Sale Catalogue of his library, 100 " British Librarian," by Oldys, xvi xviii. xxii. 11 15 Britton (Thomas), collection of books, 99 Brooke (John Charles), Somerset Herald, xxiii Browne (Wm.), author of " Britannia's Pastorals," 39 Bruno (Giordano), "Spaccio de la Bestia Trionfante," 100, 104 Brydges (Sir S. Egerton), xxv. xxvi Burroughs (Samuel), Master in Chancery, 3 Butler (Samuel), noticed, 4 I M > I. \ . HI Caban (Mons.), noticed, 28, 29 Carbury (Earl of), library, 94 Caroline (Queen), Collection of Plays, 16, 84 Cartwright (Win.) bequeaths his books to Dulwich Col- lege, 84 Casley (David), librarian, 62, 63 Catalogue of English Lives, by Oldys, 29 Catalogues of books, the earliest, 108 Caxton (William), printer, xxx Charles II. 's dying request for his ladies, 36 Charlton (Wra.), a great virtuoso, 94 Chaucer (Geoffrey), on old authors, 30 ; portrait, 39 Christ Hospital, Newgate Street, library, 71, 78 Churchyard (Thomas), poet, 40, 41 Gibber (Theophilus), " Lives of the Poets," xlii Clarendon (Henry, Earl of), library, 8992 ; Note Book, 25 Cooke (Thomas), miscellaneous writer, 4, 16 Cooper (Elizabeth), " The Muses' Library," xv. 1, 4, 7, 23 Cooper (Samuel), miniature painter, 34 Corney (Bolton) on Oldys's "Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library," xx vi ; and contributions to the " Biographia Britannica," xxx Corawallis (Sir Charles), "Life of Henry, Prince of Wales," 21 Cotton (Charles), Life by Oldys, xxxviii. 15 Cotton House, Westminster, 65 Cottonian library, 6265 Coxeter (Thomas), xi. xlii. 16, 29, 33, 54 Cromleholme (Samuel), of St Paul's School, 74 Cromwell (Oliver), " Letters and Papers of State," 17, 18 Crowne (Win.), " Travels of Lord Howard," 79 Curll (Edmund), xv. xxviii Daborn (Rob.), "Lives of Ward and Dansiker," 84 Danyell (John), of Deresbury, 8 Davenant (Dr. Charles), his letters, 34 Davenant (Sir William), 44, 47 Davies (Thomas), Catalogue of Oldys's library, xlv xliy 58 Domesday Book, origin of its name 6 ; fac- similized, 61 Dorchester (Henry rierrepoint, Marquis of), 81 D'Ossat (Cardinal), letters, 90 Drayton (Michael), Works, xxviii. xxix. xxxi Dryden (John), vii. 32, 83, 35 Dulwich College library, 84 Dunton (John), collection of pamphlets, 86 Dutch Church, Austin Friars, library, 81 Dyer (Sir Edward) and Queen Elizabeth, 87 112 INDEX. Edward VI., picture by Holbein, 78 Elderton (Wm.), comedian, 51, 52 Elizabeth (Queen), her girlish tricks, 26 ; mulberry-tree, 34 ; colloquy with Sir Edw. Dyer, 37 Elyot (Sir Thomas), " The Goveraour," 13 Evremont (Mons. Sieg.), 36 Fabian (Robert), " Chronicle," 52, 53 Fane (Counsellor), a debtor to Oldys, 33 Fastolff (Sir 'John), xxxi. 14, 24 Florio (John), collection of Italian proverbs, xli " Fly," an anacreontick, xiii Forbes (Patrick), " Transactions in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth," 62 French Churches in London, libraries, 82 Friends' library, 83. Fry (John), notes on Oldys's library, xlv xlix Fuller (Thomas) " Worthies," annotated, xlv. xlvi Gascoyne (Richard), genealogist, viii x. xxxi " General Dictionary," 1734-41, xix. 18, 24 Gervaise of Tilbury, " Ancient-Dialogue," 5, 6 Goodman's Fields playhouse, 31 Gore (Thomas), heraldic writer, 77 Gray's Inn library, 69 Greek Genesis MS., restored, 65 Gresham College library, 79 Grimes (Charles) of Gray's Inn, xviii Grose (Capt.), his "Olio" characterised, xxxvi Guy (Thomas), noticed, 105 Halifax (Charles Montagu, Earl of), library, 95 Harleian Catalogue of Printed Books, xxii xxv. 54 Harleian library, xviii xxiii. 38, 43, 54, 87, 88 Harleian Miscellany, xxv xxvii Harley (Sir Edward), limning of, 13 Harris (Mr.), of Homerton, 7 Haslewood (Joseph), xxvi. Haslin (Mr.), noticed, 15 Hawkins (Sir John), xL xxxviii. 15 Hay (George Henry, Lord), library, 95 Haynes (Sam.), " Collection of State Papers," 19, 26 Hayward (Thomas), " British Muse," xv. 4, 7, 8, 16, 17, 20, 23, 26, 28, 29 Heralds' College, its library, 7477 Herbert (Edward Lord), his Life, 25 " History of the Three Impostors," 28, 29 Holbein's picture of Edward VI., 78 Hollar (Wenceslaus), engraver, xxxi Holmes (Geo.), Keeper of the Tower Records, 12 Jenkins (Capt. Robert), maimed by Spaniards, 27 INDEX. 113 Jernegan (Henry), his silver cistern, 27 Jews' Synagogue, library, 82 Jones ( Wm.), collection of shells, &c., 12 Johnson (Dr. Samuel), xxii xxiv. xxviii Jonson (Ben), Charles I.'s patent for 1001., 32 ; noticed, 47 Kennett (Bishop), his MS. collections, 85; on the value of Pamphlets, 87 Kent (Earl of), library, 94 Kingston (Evelyn Pierrepoint, 1st Duke of), library, 95 Lambeth archiepiscopal library, 69 Langbaine (Gerard), "Dramatick Poets," annotated copies, vii. xlii xliv Lauderdale (Richard, 4th Earl of), Catalogue, 98 " Leicester's Commonwealth," 10 Le Neve (Peter), historical collections, 75, 76 Lewis (John), Life of Caxton, 10, 20, 28, 29 Libraries of London, historical notices, 58 109 Libri (M. G.), his annotated Catalogue, xxi Lincoln's Inn library, 70 Locker (John), barrister, 24 Lockman (John), xix. 4 London, Oldys's books and pamphlets on, xlvii London Corporation library, 70 Longueville (Viscountess de), longevity, 35 37 Lort (Dr. Michael), xxvii Mackenzie (Roderick), collection of pamphlets, 87 Madox (Thomas), historiographer, 5 Maittaire (Dr. Michael), xxii. xxiii Martin (Thomas) of Palgrave, 24 Massinger's Plays, 16 Mead (Richard), M.D., library, 94 Miller ( Win.), collection of pamphlets, 86 Millington (Edward), epitaph on, 109 Milton (John), letter to Cromwell, 25 ; noticed, 53, 54 Minshen's Dictionary, 82 Moffet (Dr.), " Health's Improvement," xxviii Monson (Sir William), collections, 2 Moore (Dr. John), Bp. of Ely, magnificent library, 88 Mulberry tree at Carlisle House, 34 Murray (John) of Sacomb, 103 Nickolls (John), his Letters of Oliver Cromwell, 17 Norden (John), " View of London," 84 Norfolk (Edward Howard, Earl of), xxxiv. xxxv Northampton (Henry, Earl of), " Defence of the Lawful Regiment of Women," 21 Odell (Thomas), his manuscripts, 30, 31 Oldenburgh (Henry), mathematician, 93 Oldfleld (Anne), collection of Plays, 16 114 INDEX. Oldys (Dr. Wm.), civilian, v vii. 32, 77 OLDYS (WILLIAM), parentage, v ; visits Yorkshire, vii ; patronised by the Earl of Oxford, xi. xix ; his Life of Ralegh, xiii. 22 ; " British Librarian," xvi ; assists on the Catalogue of the Harleian Library, xxii ; editor of the " Harleian Miscellany," xxv ; his " Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library, xxvi ; articles in the " Biographia Britannica," xxx ; pecuniary difficul- ties, xxxiii ; appointed Norroy King-at-Arms, xxxv ; death, xxxix ; portrait, ib. ; annotated Langbaine, xlii ; sale of his library, xlv ; manuscripts, xlvii ; liter- ary labours, 1 Oliver (Isaac), miniature painter, 13 Oliver (Peter), miniature painter, 13 Osborne (Thomas), bookseller, xxii xxviii. 54, 88 Oxford (Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of), xi. xii. xix xxi. 22, 29, 38, 45, 54, 55, 87, 88 Oxford (Robert Harley, 1st Earl of), 38, 87, 88 Oxley (Dr.), noticed, 19, 26 Pamphlets, Oldys's Dissertation upon, xii ; Catalogue of the Harleian, xxvi. xxvii. 87 ; Thomason's Collection, 85, 86 ; Miller's, 86 ; Oldys's, 87 " Paradise of Dainty Devices," 7 Park (Thomas), xxv xxvii " Pastyme of People," 18, 19 Pate (William), the learned tradesman, 28 Paterson (Samuel), bookseller, 3 Pembroke (Henry, 9th Earl of), library, 95. Pembroke (Mary, Countess of), Life by Oldys, 33 Pepusch (John Chris.) musician, 4, 15 Pepys (Samuel), 79, 84; library, 96, 97 Physicians' College library, 81 Pirckheimer (Bilibald), portrait, 79 Pitt diamond, 92 Pope (Alex.), xix. 31, 45 Powell (Robert), " Repository of Records," 61 Ralegh (Sir Walter), Life by Oldys, xiii xv. 22 ; minia- ture portrait, 14 ; poem, 23 Rastell (John), " Chronicles," 18 Rawlins (Thomas), engraver to the Mint, 33 Rawlinson (Thomas), book collector, 101 Reading (Rev. Wm.), Catalogue of Sion College library, 72,73 Reed (Isaac), xxvii Robinson (Robert), Recorder of Scarborough, 23, 32 Rocque (John), " Survey of London, Westminster, &c., 19 Roe (Sir Thomas), " Negotiations," xi. 3 INDEX. 115 Royal library at St. James's palace, 67 Royal Society, its library, 79, 80 St/Paul's Ca'thedral, its'library, 74 St. Paul's School, its library, 74 Samler (Robert), tobacco dilettante, 98 Bancroft (Abp.), library at Emmanuel College, 69 " Scarborough Miscellany," xii. xiii Seaman (Dr. Lazarus), sale of hi books, 107 Seymour (Lord) of Sudley, and Queen Elizabeth, 26 Seymour's " London," its editor, 4 Shadwell (Thomas), dramatist, 42 Shakspeare (Wm.), collections for his Life, xl. 43 47 Sheldon (Ralph), manuscripts, 75 Simpson (Rev. John), founder of Sion College library, 73. Sion College library, 72, 73. Sloane(Sir Hans), xiv. 7, 18; library, 93 Smith (Dr. Thomas), Catalogue of Cotton. MSS., 64, 65 Smyth (Richard), book collector, 96 Society for the Encouragement of Learning, 3 Somers (John Lord), library, 95 Spenser (Edmund), noticed, 42, 43 Stationers' Company, a library suggested, 84 Strafforrt (Earl of), his "Letters," viii Strype (John), historian, 7 Stuart, the Athenian, and his son, 35 Suckling (Sir John), dramatist, 55, 56 Sunderland (Charles, 3rd Earl of), library, 92 Sydney (Sir Philip), Defence of Robert, Earl of Lei- cester, 10 ; miniature of, 13 Talbot (Thomas), engraving of " The Rose," 1, 2 Taylor (the Chevalier), xxxvii Taylor (John), oculist, xxxiv. xxxvii Taylor ( John), jnn., his "Records of my Life" quoted, v. xii. xxxviii Temple, destructive fire in the, 3 ; libraries, 70 Tenison (Abp.), library, 68, 89 Thomason (George), collection of Civil War tracts, 85, 86 Thompson (Sir Peter), xviii. 11, 13, 19, 20, 26 Thompson (Kev. Wm.), 39, 43 Tower of London, its Records. 60 " Trinarchodia," Oldys's remarks on it, 88 Trussel (John), MS. 'Description of Winchester, 5fl, 57 Twells (Rev. Leonard), 18 44 Universal Spectator," xi. 15 Vanloo (John Baptist), painter, 27 Verrio's painting at Christ Hospital, 78 116 INDEX. Vertue (George), xix. xxi. 1, 10, 12, 13, 19, 23, 32, 40, 42 Vincent (Augustine), Windsor herald, 75 Waller (Edmund), the poet, 35 Walsingham (Sir Francis), State Papers, 15; Table Book, 29 Walton (Izaak), Life by Hawkins, xxxviii. 15 Wanley (Humphry), xviii. 38, 65 Ward (John), Gresham Professor, 6, 20, 25 Ware (Sir James), MS. collections, 90 Weaver (John), collection of Plays, 16, 84 Wentworth (Thomas), Marquis of Rockingham, vii x West (James), bibliopole, 2, 3, 18, 34, 102, 103 Westminster Chapter House, its Records, 60 ; Parlia- ment Rolls in Old Palace Yard, 61 ; Cotton House, . 65 ; Abbey library, 66 Weston (Elizabeth Joanna), 1 1 White Cross Street library, 81 Whiting (John), Catalogue of Friends' books, 83 Whittington (Sir Richard), library at Grey Friars, 71 Wilcox (Mr.), bookseller, xxiii Wild (Mr.), of Bloomsbury, his collections, 99 Williams (Dr. John), Bishop of Lincoln, gift to West- minster Abbey library, 66 Williams (Dr. Daniel), library, 81 Wriothesley (Sir Thomas) Collections, xvii. 14 Yelverton manuscripts, 15 Yews, remarkable, 35 LOXDOW PBIKTED BY SPO1TISWOODE AND CO. 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