Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598-A.D. 1867 Part 39

The Prince Consort, June 15, 1841; June 4, 1856; Jan. 9, 1857 (in company with his three eldest children); Dec. 12, 1860.

Prince of Wales, Jan. 9, 1857; March 27, 1860; June 18, 1863.

Princess of Wales, June 18, 1863.

Duke of Wellington, Oct. 20, 1835 (in company with Q. Adelaide); Sept. 14, 1839; June 15, 1841; Aug. 20, 1844.

Gul. Gesenius, Aug. 5, 1820.

Sir John Franklin, 1829.

Sir D. Wilkie, June 14, 1834.

Bishop Selwyn, June 30, 1837.

Chevalier Bunsen, Jan. 24, 1839; Aug. 20, 1844.

Princes of Ashantee, June 10, 1840.

Henry Hallam, Oct. 16, 1840.

Bishop of Malabar, Mar Athanasius Abdelmesih, June 12, 1841.

M. Berryer, Nov. 23, 1843.

W. H. Prescott, June 24, 1850.

Alfred Tennyson, June 21, 1855.

A Siamese Prince, June 29, 1858.

Lord Brougham, June 20, 1860.

Lord Palmerston, July 2, 1862.

Queen Emma of Honolulu, Aug. 14, 1865.

Chinese Amba.s.sadors, June 7, 1866.

Until the year 1861 it was also the custom for all graduates of Cambridge and Dublin who were admitted ad _eundem_ to enter their names in this book; it is to this custom that we owe possession of the signature of the ex-Metropolitan of New Zealand[374].

4. _New Testament_, said to be bound in a piece of a waistcoat of King Charles I. See p. 53.

5. Another, bound by the Sisters of Little Gidding. See p. 53.

6. _Xiphilini Epitome Dionis Nicaei_; Gr. 4to. Par. printed by Rob.

Stephens, 1551. Bound in a handsomely tooled and gilt calf binding, in the Grolier style, with the badge of Dudley, Earl of Leicester, viz. the Bear and Ragged Staff, in the centre. Bequeathed by Selden.

7. _Bacon's Essays_; in a worked binding. See p. 51.

8. Specimen of the early _Block-books_, or books printed from engraved blocks before the invention of moveable types; being the Apocalypse, represented in a series of rudely-engraved scenes, with short explanatory descriptions.

This is a copy of the edition called by Mr. S. Leigh Sotheby, in his _Principia Typographica_, the Second; it belonged to Mr. Douce, who bought it for thirty-one guineas at Mr. Inglis' sale[375].

9. The first book printed from moveable types; being a very fine copy, of the grand Latin Bible, printed by Gutenberg at Mentz about 1455. See p. 202.

A copy was sold at the auction of the library of the Duke of Suss.e.x, in 1844, for the moderate sum of 190; when the same copy, however, was re-sold at the auction of the library of Dr. Daly, Bishop of Cashel, in 1858, it produced no less than 596.

10. A copy of the first book printed in the English language, being _The Recuyell of the Histories of Troy_, printed by Caxton, most probably at Bruges, about 1472.

This copy wants three leaves; it was given to the Library in 1750, by James Bowen, a painter of Shrewsbury, well known as a local antiquarian. A second copy, which wants seven leaves, is also in the Library. A copy, wanting forty-four leaves, was sold at Utterson's sale in 1852 to the Earl of Ashburnham for 155.

11. The English Bible, translated by Myles Coverdale from the Vulgate, and printed abroad in 1535.

This copy of the first complete Bible printed in our language, is one of the largest and soundest known to be in existence, although, like almost all other copies, it wants the t.i.tle. It was formerly in the possession of Selden. A facsimile t.i.tle, engraved by Mr. Fry, of Bristol, from the Marq. of Northampton's copy, accompanies it, together with another leaf in facsimile, from the Earl of Leicester's copy. Another and more imperfect copy came to the Library among the books bequeathed by Mrs. Denyer. In 1854 a copy nearly perfect, having only two leaves in facsimile by Mr. Harris, was sold at Mr. Dunn Gardner's sale for the large sum of 364; and a very imperfect copy was sold for 190 in 1857.

12. Hieronymus (_rectius_, Rufinus) _de Symbolo Apostolorum_; printed at Oxford in 1468. See p. 111.

13. Latin verses in the autograph of Milton. See p. 45.

14. The original MS. of Addison's _Letter_ (in verse) _from Italy to Lord Halifax_.

A Rawlinson MS.

15. Letter from Alex. Pope to H. Cromwell, Esq.; dated July 15, 1711.

The same volume contains various other letters from the same to the same, which were printed by Curll in 1727; one by Dryden, three by J. Norris of Bemerton, three short notes from Young, and several letters by Ladies Hester Pakington and Mary Chudleigh. It belongs to the Rawlinson collection of MSS.

16. Letter from Archbp. Laud to Sir W. Boswell, the English Resident at the Hague; dated from Lambeth, Nov. 26, 1638.

It refers to libels printed in Holland, and particularly to one against Laud, supposed to be then printing at Amsterdam, ent.i.tled, _The Beast is Wounded_. 'I thanke G.o.d I trouble not myselfe much with these things; but am very sorry for the Publicke, which suffers much by them.' Bought in 1863 at a sale at the Hague for 7 17_s._, together with a letter on diplomatic business signed by Sir Thomas Bodley, and dated at the Hague, April 11, 1589, which is now bound in the same volume.

17. Archbp. Laud's formal Letter of resignation of his office as Chancellor of the University, signed by himself, and dated from the Tower, June 22, 1641. In Latin; on parchment.

Endorsed by Ant. a Wood with this memorandum: 'Given to me by Rob.

Whorwood, of Oxon, Gent., 29 Feb., 1679[376].'

18. Lord Clarendon's Letter, resigning the same office upon his going into exile; written in a secretary's hand, but signed by himself. Very touching and beautiful. It runs as follows:--

'For Mr. Vicechancellor of Oxford.

'Good Mr. Vicechancellor,

'Having found it necessary to transport myselfe out of England, and not knowing when it will please G.o.d that I shall returne againe; it becomes me to take care that the University may not be without the service of a person better able to be of use to them, then I am like to be; and I doe therefore hereby surrender the office of Chancellor into the hands of the said University, to the end that they make choyce of some other person better qualifyed to a.s.sist and protect them then I am, I am sure he can never be more affectionate to it. I desire you, as the last suite I am like to make to you, to believe that I doe not fly my Country for guilt, and how pa.s.sionately soever I am pursued, that I have not done any thing to make the University ashamed of me, or to repent the good opinion they had once of me, and though I must have noe farther mention in your publique devotions (which I have alwayes exceedingly valued) I hope I shall be alwayes remembred in your private prayers as

'Good Mr. Vicechancellor, 'Your affectionate servant, 'CLARENDON.

'Calice, this 7/17 Dec. 1667.'