Part 10 (2/2)

A.D. 1680. [See A.D. 1665.]

Sir W. Dugdale gave copies of his own works. Two hundred coins were given by Dr. George Hickes.

A.D. 1681.

In this year John Rushworth, of Lincoln's Inn, the historian of the Long Parliament, was a member of the Parliament held at Oxford. Probably it may have been at this time that he presented to the Library one of its most precious ?e????a, called, from its donor, 'Codex Rushworthia.n.u.s.' (Auct. D. 2. 19.) In 1665, Junius mentions it in the Preface to his _Glossarium Gothic.u.m_, as being then still in Rushworth's own hands[140]. It is a MS. of the Latin Gospels, written by an Irish scribe, Mac-Regol, (who records his name on the last leaf, 'Macregol dipincxit hoc evangelium,' &c.,) and glossed with an interlinear Anglo-Saxon version by Owun and by Faermen, a priest at Harewood. The volume is traditionally reported to have been in Bede's possession, but since the Irish annals record the death of Mac Riagoil, a scribe and abbot of Birr in 820, the volume must be about a century too late. It has been published in full, together with the Lindisfarne Gospels, by the Surtees Society in 3 vols., under the editors.h.i.+p of Rev. J.

Stevenson and George Waring, Esq., M.A. A description is given in Prof.

Westwood's _Palaeographia Sacra Pictoria_.

Nine s.h.i.+llings were paid for the carriage of a mummy from London, probably one of those which are now in the Ashmolean Museum. It was given by Aaron Goodyear, a Turkey merchant, who gave also a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, and various little images, and in 1684 more than forty coins.

[140] It is strange that no entry of the gift of this priceless volume is found in the Register of Benefactions, any more than of that of the Vernon MS.

A.D. 1682.

Richard Davis, M.A., of Sandford, Oxon, gave the portrait of Margaret, Countess of Richmond, a book of Russian laws, and the Runic Calendar or Clog Almanack, now exhibited in the gla.s.s case at the entrance of the Library. The latter is thus described in the Register: 'Calendarium ligneum, tam materia quam usu perpetuum, unius ligni quadrati angulis incisum, more antiquo.'

Dr. John Morris, Regius Professor of Hebrew, who died in 1648, bequeathed five pounds annually to the University, to be paid to some Master of Arts of Ch. Ch., chosen by the Dean, for a speech 'in Schola Linguarum,' in honour of Sir Thomas Bodley, 'and as a panegyric and encouragement of the Hebrew studies,' on Nov. 8, in the presence of the Visitors of the Library after the conclusion of the annual visitation.

The bequest was to take effect after the death of his wife, which happened on Nov. 11, 1681; and on Oct. 6, 1682, Convocation fixed 3 p.m.

as the hour for delivery of the Speech on the Visitation-day.

The Speeches are continued annually, although, probably for want of public notice, only scantily attended, none but those actually interested in the Visitation of the Library, together with the speaker's friends, being generally aware of it. If provision were made for the deposit of the Speeches in the Library after delivery, they would no doubt form an interesting and accurate record of its growth, and of many pa.s.sing events which, for want of such a record, are soon forgotten.

Only one speech appears to be preserved in the Library: it is that delivered on Nov. 8, 1701, by Edmund Smith, M.A., of Ch. Ch., and is very beautifully written in imitation of typography. But in this case nothing is recorded of the history of the preceding year, the speech being simply a panegyric of the Founder. It has been printed among Smith's _Works_, a pamphlet of 103 pages dignified with that name, of which the third edition appeared at London in 1719[141]. Dr. Rawlinson appears to have endeavoured to compile a list of the Speakers; for Bishop Tanner, in a letter to him dated Oct. 11, 1735, from Ch. Ch., says he will enquire them out, if he can, but that they are not entered upon the Chapter books, since they are not appointed by the Chapter, but privately by the Dean or Hebrew Professor, and paid by the Vice-Chancellor, in whose accounts alone their names are probably entered[142].

The names of the Speakers up to the year 1690 are given in Wood's _Athenae_ (ii. 127) as follows. They were all M.A., and Students of Ch.

Ch.:--

1682 Thomas Sparke 1683 Zach. Isham 1684 Chas. Hickman 1685 Thos. Newey 1686 Thos. Burton 1687 Will. Bedford 1688 Rich. Blakeway 1689 Roger Altham, jun.

1690 Edward Wake * * * *

1701 Edm. Smith

The following list from 1706 to 1734 has been gathered out of Hearne's MS. Diary:--

1706 Rich. Newton 1707 Thos. Terry 1708 Will. Periam 1709 Rich. Sadlington 1710 Richard Frewin 1711 -- Aldred[143]

1712 Gilb. Lake 1713 Hen. Cremer 1714 Chas. Brent 1715 John White 1716 Edw. Ivie 1717 Hen. Gregory 1718 Thos. Fenton 1719 George Wiggan 1720 Thos. Foulkes 1721 Will. Le Hunt 1722 Hen. s.h.i.+rman 1723 Matthew Lee 1724 Christopher Haslam 1725 Will. Davis 1726 Edw. Blakeway 1727 David Gregory 1728 [Rob.?] Manaton 1729 [Hen.?] Jones 1730 John Fanshaw 1731 Oliver Battely 1732 Dan. Burton 1733 Fifield Allen 1734 Pierce Manaton, M.D.

[141] A long account of Smith is given in Johnson's _Lives of the Poets_.

[142] _Letters of Eminent Persons, &c_, ii. 111.

[143] Doubtless an error for Chas. Aldrich

<script>