Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598-A.D. 1867 Part 40

19. A volume of the Papers of W. Bridgeman, Under-secretary of State to James II (bequeathed to the Library by Dr. R. Rawlinson; _see p. 173_), open at a leaf containing the original declaration written and signed by the Duke of Monmouth, on the day of his execution, of the nullity of his claim to the Crown.

The following is a copy:--

'I declare y^t y^e t.i.tle of King was forct upon mee, & y^t it was very much contrary to my opinion when I was proclam'd. For y^e satisfaction of the world I doe declare that y^e late King told mee that Hee was never married to my Mother.

'Haveing declar'd this I hope y^t the King who is now will not let my Children suffer on this Account. And to this I put my hand this fifteenth day of July, 1685.

'MONMOUTH.

'Declar'd by Himselfe, & sign'd in the presence of us.

'Fran. Elien. [_Turner_].

'Tho. Bath & Wells [_Ken_].

'Tho. Tenison.

'George Hooper.'

Beside it is placed the Proclamation of James II, ordering the apprehension of all persons dispersing the Declaration issued by Monmouth upon his landing in England; dated but one short month previously, June 15, 1685.

The same volume contains two letters from Monmouth to the King, begging for his life, and one to the Queen. These have been frequently printed.

20. A Sanscrit roll, written at the end of the last century, containing extracts from the _Bhagavadgita_; with paintings representing the incarnations of Vishnu, &c.

In a wooden case. One of the Frazer MSS.

21. A magnificent folio volume, containing a series of ill.u.s.trations of Scripture History from Genesis to Job; written about the beginning of the fourteenth century.

Each page contains, in double columns, four pairs of miniatures painted, in medallion-form, upon a gorgeous ground of gold; the first of each pair represents some historical scene, which the second treats allegorically, and applies to the condition of the Church or of individual Christians. Two other volumes are to be found in the British Museum, and in the Imperial Library at Paris.

22. A small oaken platter, bearing the following inscription: 'This Salver is part of that Oak in which his Majesty K. Charles the 2d, Concealed himself from the Rebells, and was given to this University by Mrs. Laet.i.tia Lane.'

The donor was the daughter of Col. John Lane, the chief agent in the King's escape from Worcester; she died in 1709[377].

23. Specimen of Javanese writing, being a letter from a Javanese Chief to the Resident of Soorabaya. The seal bears the date of 1780.

24. Small specimen of an Arabic MS.

25. A fragment in large Persian characters.

26. A specimen of Malabaric writing, upon a palm-leaf, three feet in length. 'Aug. 9, 1630. Ex dono Jo. Trefusis, generosi Cornubiensis, e Coll. Exon.'

27. A Russian painting upon a sh.e.l.l, representing a female saint called S. Parasceve, ? ???a ?a?as?e??, who is found in the Greek Menology, but whose history is believed by the Bollandists to be a pious fiction.

28. A Hebrew _Bible_, beautifully written in the fourteenth century; in triple columns, with the Masoretic commentary written in very minute characters, and frequently in fantastic figures, round each page.

One of the Oppenheimer MSS.

29. _Horae._ An illuminated MS. of the middle of the fifteenth century, in 4to., probably by a French scribe and artist.

From the Canonici collection.

30. Another MS. of the _Hours_, in folio, of the fifteenth century, beautifully illuminated, with many miniatures varying in the treatment of some of the scenes which they represent from the common type.

Traditionally said, but on what evidence does not appear, to have belonged to Henry VIII.

31. A third fifteenth-century MS. of the _Hours_, in 8vo.

From the Rawlinson collection.

32. A fourth MS. of the _Hours_, very early in the fifteenth century, or about the close of the fourteenth.

Also from the Rawlinson collection. All these copies of the _Horae_ appear to be of French execution.

33. A pair of long white leather gloves, worked with gold thread, which were worn by Queen Elizabeth when she visited the University in 1566[378].

34. A Latin exercise book, in 4to., which appears to have been filled up by Edward VI and his sister Elizabeth, jointly.

Sentences written by the former are dated from Jan. 1548-9 to Aug.

1549. The boy-monarch has written his own name in several parts of the book. It came to the Bodleian 'ex dono doctissimi viri P. Junii, Bibliothecarii Regii, A.D. 1639.' Patrick Young also gave another book in Edward's handwriting in folio, containing Greek and Latin phrases, written very neatly in 1551-1552[379].

35. Mexican Hieroglyphics; painted on a long skin of leather.

36. The Book of _Proverbs_, written by Mrs. Esther Inglis. See p. 48.

37. Two Runic Primstaves, or wooden Clog-Almanacks: one in the form of a walking stick; the other, an oblong block, with a handle. See pp. 105, 161.

An engraving of the second may be found in the _Anglican Church Calendar ill.u.s.trated_, published by Messrs. Parker. And a description of these primitive Calendars is given by Plot in his _Natural History of Staffords.h.i.+re_, 1686, pp. 418-432, where there is an engraving of a Clog which was still in use in Staffords.h.i.+re at that time.

38. Eight small wooden tablets, apparently a pocket-edition of a Clog-Almanack, with very quaint figures.

Given by Archbp. Laud.

39. The Book of _Enoch_, in aethiopic. See p. 267.

40. A Persian poem, by Jami, on the history of Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Written A.D. 1569, and decorated with some very good paintings and arabesque borders[380].

One of Greaves' MSS.

41. A specimen of Telugu writing on palm-leaves; being an almanack for the year 1630.

Given by Archbp. Laud.

42. A French panegyrical poem, presented to Queen Elizabeth, in 1586, by Georges de la Motthe, a French refugee; with a prefatory address in prose.

Enriched with an exquisite portrait of the Queen, in all the grandeur of her wide circ.u.mference, and with golden hair of very _p.r.o.noncee_ hue; and with a great variety of beautifully-executed monograms, symbols, &c. around each page. The binding is richly tooled and covered with designs; while in the centre on either side, protected by gla.s.s, are brilliant bosses, said to be composed of humming-birds' feathers.

'Ex dono ornatissimi, simul ac optimae spei, juvenis D. Johannis Cope, armigeri, equitis aurati, baronetti f. natu maximi, olim Reginensis Oxon, Almae Matris ergo. 4 Cal. Jan. 1626.'

On a fly-leaf at the end is attached a fragment from some English theological treatise, in wonderfully minute, although clear, handwriting.