Part 31 (1/2)

A.D. 1852.

In the Report of the University Commission, which was issued in this year, various suggestions were embodied which had been made by several witnesses. Sir Edmund Head renewed his plan of allowing books to be taken out of the Library by readers, and was supported by the opinions of Professors Wall and Jowett; but the proposal was met with the strong counter-testimony of Mr. H. E. Strickland[349], Prof. Vaughan, Dr. W. A.

Greenhill (at that time a constant reader in the Library), Prof. Donkin, Mr. E. S. Foulkes, and others. And the Commissioners were not prepared to report in favour of a plan which would at once lessen what was described as being one of the great advantages of the place, namely, the certainty of finding within its walls every book which it possessed. At the same time, they were disposed to recommend a relaxation in some instances of the strictness of the rule, and concurred in a suggestion made by Dr. Macbride and Mr. Storey Maskelyne, that duplicates should be allowed to circulate. Most, however, of the suggestions for extension of facilities to readers, as well as of the reasons alleged for alteration of system, have now been answered by the opening (through the liberality of the Radcliffe Trustees) of the Radcliffe Library as a n.o.ble reading-room for both day and evening. As the hours during which the Library may be used extend now, in consequence of this addition, from nine a.m. to ten p.m., it is at once apparent that the Bodleian presents greater advantages to students than can anywhere else be enjoyed; to which is to be added the readiness and quickness (specially testified to, in 1852, by Dr. Greenhill) with which, under all ordinary circ.u.mstances, readers are supplied with the books which they require.

The Commissioners in their Report called attention to a suggestion of Sir Henry Bishop, then Professor of Music, for the establishment of a cla.s.sified musical library, which should comprehend, not merely the music received by the Bodleian from Stationers' Hall, but all superior foreign music as well, of every school and every age. Such collections the Professor said were only to be found at Munich and Vienna.

The Report and Evidence upon the recommendations of the Commissioners, which were issued by the Hebdomadal Board in the following year, did not differ widely in testimony or suggestions from those of the Commission.

Dr. Pusey and Mr. Marriott agreed in deprecating the allowing removal of books, speaking (as did several of the witnesses before the Commission) from actual experience as constant readers in the place; and Dr.

Bandinel mentioned, in a paper of observations which he contributed, the fact that he had been told by the Librarian of the Advocates' Library at Edinburgh that between 6,000 and 7,000 volumes appeared to have been lost there from the facilities afforded to borrowers. A comparative tabular statement respecting the arrangements and rules of the libraries at Berlin, Dresden, Florence, Munich, Paris and Vienna, drawn up by Mr.

c.o.xe from the Parliamentary Report on Libraries, which showed very favourably in behalf of the Bodleian, was subjoined by Dr. Bandinel to his evidence.

The great feature of this year was the acquisition of the Italian Library of the Count Alessandro Mortara, consisting of about 1400 volumes, choice in character and condition, for 1000. The Count, who was distinguished for his literary taste and knowledge of the literature of his own country, had, although holding the nominal office of Grand Chamberlain to the Duke of Lucca, taken up his abode in Oxford some ten years previously, on account of his desire to examine the Canonici MSS.

and of his friends.h.i.+p with Dr. Wellesley, the late Princ.i.p.al of New Inn Hall. He became a daily reader in the Bodleian, where the interest which he took in the place, together with his polished, yet genuine, courtesy, made him a welcome and popular visitor. It was upon returning to Italy (where he died, June 14, 1855, at Florence), that he disposed of his valuable collection. A catalogue, compiled by himself, with occasional short notes, was issued with the purchase-catalogue for the year. He also drew up a catalogue of the Italian MSS. in the Canonici collection, which was published, in a quarto volume, in 1864. (See under 1817.)

Among miscellaneous purchases were a few volumes which were wanted to make the Library set of De Bry's _Voyages_ complete, an imperfect copy of the Oxford _Liber Festivalis_ (see 1691), and a large collection of Dr. Priestley's writings (believed to have been made by himself), in thirty-nine vols.

[349] Several important suggestions were made by this gentleman. One, that the Library Books should all be stamped with a distinguis.h.i.+ng mark, is now in process of being carried out. Another, respecting the great importance of collecting the most ephemeral local literature, especially for the county of Oxford, and of procuring books printed at provincial presses, relates to a subject which has received much more attention of late years than formerly. A third, on the desirability, acknowledged (as we have seen) in the last century, of having a general Catalogue compiled of the books found in College Libraries which are wanting in the Bodleian, has unfortunately as yet seen no accomplishment.

A.D. 1853.

A portion of the collection of Hebrew MSS. formed by Prof. Isaac Sam.

Reggio, at Goritz, amounting to about seventy-two volumes, was purchased for 108. Many other MSS. in this cla.s.s of literature occur yearly in the accounts at this time. But the great acquisition of 1853 was the _Breviarium secundum regulam beati Ysidori, dictum Mozarabes_, printed _on vellum_ at Toledo, by command of Cardinal Ximenes, in 1502. 200 were given for this book, which is the only vellum copy known, and which is in most immaculate condition. It is of extreme rarity even on paper, as it is believed that only thirty-five copies were printed.

An imperfect copy of Caxton's _Chronicle_, 1480, was bought for 21; and a large gathering of Norfolk tracts was obtained at the sale of Mr.

Dawson Turner's library.

It was in this year that Dr. Constantine Simonides visited the Library in the hope of disposing of some of the products of his Eastern ingenuity, but failed here, as also at the British Museum, although successful in most other quarters. It is much to be lamented that the talent and ability which he undoubtedly possessed in no small degree were devoted to such unworthy purpose as his history discloses. The story of his interview with Mr. c.o.xe, then Sub-librarian, is well known, and was reproduced in an article in the _Cornhill Magazine_ for Oct.

1867 (p. 499); and as the version there given appears to be substantially correct, it will be sufficient to borrow it from its pages:--

'On visiting the [Bodleian Library, Mr. Simonides] showed some fragments of MSS. to Mr. c.o.xe, who a.s.sented to their belonging to the twelfth century. ”And these, Mr. c.o.xe, belong to the tenth or eleventh century?” ”Yes, probably.” ”And now, Mr. c.o.xe, let me show you a very ancient and valuable MS. I have for sale, and which ought to be in your Library. To what century do you consider this belongs?” ”This, Mr. Simonides, I have no doubt,” said Mr. c.o.xe, ”belongs to the [latter half of the] nineteenth century.” The Greek and his MS. disappeared.'

An account of this visit was given in the _Athenaeum_ for March 1, 1856, and a full narrative, including a letter from Sir F. Madden respecting the dealings with Simonides on the part of the British Museum, is to be found in S. L. Sotheby's _Principia Typographica_, vol. ii. pp.

133-136f[350].

[350] The death of Simonides, from the terrible disease of leprosy, was announced as having occurred at Cairo in last year.

A.D. 1854.

A very interesting series of eighteen autograph letters from Henry Hyde, the second Earl of Clarendon, was presented to the University by 'our honoured Lord and Chancellor,' the Earl of Derby[351]. They are best described in the following letter to the Vice-Chancellor, which accompanied the gift, and which is now bound in the same volume:--

'KNOWSLEY, _Oct._ 17, 1854.

'MY DEAR SIR,--In looking over some old papers here the other day, I found (how they came here I know not) some original and apparently autograph letters, which appeared to me to be curious. They are private letters, addressed by Lord Clarendon, to the Earl of Abingdon, as Lord Lieutenant of Oxfords.h.i.+re, during, and on the suppression of, the Duke of Monmouth's Rebellion. I have no doubt of their genuineness; and if from the connexion of the University with the writer[352], as well as the locality, you think they would be worth depositing in the Bodleian Library, I shall have great pleasure in offering them to the acceptance of the University for that purpose; and in that case would send with them a miniature pencil drawing of the Duke of Monmouth, which is not too large to be let into the cover of the portfolio which should contain the letters, and for the authenticity of which I can so far vouch that it has been in this house since 1729, at least; since it appears in a catalogue of the pictures and engravings here which formed the collection at that time.

'I am, my dear sir, 'Yours sincerely, 'DERBY.'