Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598-A.D. 1867 Part 45

The following Curiosities and Models are exhibited in the Gallery:--

1. Chair made from the wood of Sir F. Drake's s.h.i.+p. See p. 94.

2. Chair of Henry VIII. See _ib._

3. Guy Fawkes' Lantern. See p. 97.

4. A series of casts of various ancient Temples and other buildings. See p. 236.

5. Model, in teak wood, of a subterranean palace and reservoir, in Guzerat; beautifully carved, and exhibiting the whole of the interior construction and arrangement.

Presented in 1842 by Sir J. W. Awdry, Chief Justice of Bombay.

6. Cases of Italian medals, medals by Da.s.sier of English sovereigns, &c.

See p. 182.

7. Two plaster casts of monuments from Nineveh, now in the British Museum, with cuneiform inscriptions.

8. Model, in papier-mache, of the Martyrs' Memorial, beautifully executed.

Presented in 1844 by the late Rev. Vaughan Thomas, B.D.

9. Plaster model of the Waltham Cross.

Presented by the same donor.

10. Casts of the Elgin marbles.

11. Alabaster model of the Cathedral at Calcutta.

Given by the late Bishop Wilson in 1846. This beautiful model was executed at Pisa; it was exhibited in the Italian department of the Great Exhibition in 1861.

12. A large and fine model in cork, of the Amphitheatre at Verona; by Dubourg.

13. Model of the Royal Yacht in 1697.

14. Gla.s.s case, containing:--

i. Two Chinese rolls, one silk, the other paper, containing coloured drawings of the banks of the river Tsing-Ming, with scenes ill.u.s.trating the manners and amus.e.m.e.nts of the country.

ii. Collection of Indian weapons presented by Mr. Elliott. See p.

291.

iii. Series of clay figures, coloured, representing all degrees of rank, &c. among the Chinese.

Brought by Col. Gibbes Rigaud, of the 60th Rifles, the donor, from Tien-tsin, and given in 1862.

iv. Handbell from a temple at Tien-tsin. See p. 33.

v. Small Chinese figure of a deity, in bra.s.s; from Pekin.

vi. Half-burned copy of a Russian translation of the _Pickwick Papers_.

Found in the Redan at Sebastopol, when that battery was stormed on Sept. 9, 1855. Given by Rev. F. J. Holt Beever in 1856.

15. Portrait, on a large roll, of the late Emperor of China, seated, with a bow and arrow in his hands.

Above is an autograph inscription by the Emperor, in verse, in praise of archery. Brought by Col. Rigaud from the 'Summer Palace.'

16. Another gla.s.s case, containing:--

i. A series of carved and coloured ivory tablets, representing Chinese life and manners, partly broken; with some grotesque figures, probably of deities, carved in wood.

Believed to have been bequeathed by Rawlinson.

ii. A series of small Chinese paintings on ivory.

From the Douce collection.

iii. Three sets of wooden roundels[389], or trenchers, of which two are round (numbering thirty plates), the other square (numbering twelve); with mottos, in the former case in verse, in the latter consisting of precepts from the Bible. One of the round sets belonged, in 1599, to Queen Elizabeth. The verses are sometimes humorous, sometimes moral, and strongly dehortatory from marriage; not, however, out of any flattering deference to the condition or supposed inclination of the 'Virgin Queen,' but chiefly in accordance with the opposite view taken by some hard-hearted misogynist. Of the two cla.s.ses of motto, let these stand as specimens:--

'If that a bachelor thou bee Keepe thou so, still be ruled by mee, Leaste that repentance all to late Reward thee with a broken pate.'

'Content thyselfe with thyn estate, And send noo poor wight from thi gate: For why this councell I thee give To learne to die and die to lyve.'

iv. A large set of wax impressions of seals. See p. 183.

17. Model, in wood, of the Temple at Paestum.

Carved by Mr. Thomas Wyatt, of Oxford, about 1830.

[374] Many autographs of distinguished literary men are found in the old Registers of all the persons admitted to read in the Library, since in these the readers themselves generally entered their own names. The first 'Liber admissorum' contains the names of both graduates and non-academics, the names in the first case being only in part autograph; it commences about the year 1610, and ends, in the case of graduates, arranged under their several colleges, about 1676; in the case of strangers, at 1692. The second Register, which is 'peregrinorum et aliorum admissorum' alone, begins at 1682 and ends at 1833. The first existing register of books used by readers begins Jan. 3, 1647-8, and ends Dec. 30, 1649. The following are some of the names, of some special mark, which are found in the Admission-books:--

Joh. Jonstonus, M.D., 1633.

Joh. Fred. Gronovius, June 25, 1639.

George Bull, 'SS. Theol. Studiosus, per dispensat,' July 5, 1656.

Andrew Marvell, Sept. 30, 1665.

Sir Winston Churchill, Oct. 4, 1665.

Henry Dodwell, Oct. 20, 1666.

Thomas Rymer, June 20, 1683.

Edmund Calamy, 'Londinensis,' Aug. 18, 1691, and in 1722.

Sir George Mackenzie, Dec. 14, 1694, and several times subsequently.

Joh. Ern. Grabe, Nov. 10, 1697.

Thomas Madox, Sept. 21, 1705.

Joshua Barnes, July 22, 1706.

William Whiston, Sept. 28, 1710.

C. Wesley, 'aeidis Xti alumnus,' April 19, 1729.

Joh. Dav. Michaelis, Oct. 9, 1741.

W. Blackstone, 'S.C.L.' Feb. 11, 1742-3.