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BOOK II, Chap. III. Book

LOVERS AND

PUBLIC

BENEFAC

TORS.

BEQUESTS

OF LORD
BRIDGE-

WATER TO

THE BRITISH
MUSEUM.

the effect of digestion, and thereby of conversion; the con-
struction of the hand of man, and an infinite variety of
arrangements; as also by discoveries, ancient and modern,
in arts, sciences, and in the whole extent of literature. And
I desire that the profits arising from and out of the circula-
tion and sale of the aforesaid work shall be paid by the said
President of the said Royal Society, as of right, as a further
remuneration and reward to such persons as the said Pre-
sident shall or may so nominate, appoint, and employ as
aforesaid. And I hereby fully authorise and empower the
said President, in his own discretion, to direct and cause to
be paid and advanced to such person or persons during
the printing and preparing of the said work the sum of
three hundred pounds, and also the sum of five hundred
pounds sterling to the same person or persons during the
printing and preparing of the said work for the press, out
of, and in part of, the same eight thousand pounds sterling.
And I will and direct that the remainder of the said sum
of eight thousand pounds sterling, or of the stocks or funds
wherein the same shall have been invested, together with
all interest, dividend, or dividends accrued thereon, be
transferred, assigned, and paid over to such person or per-
sons, their or his executors, administrators, or assigns, as
shall have been so nominated, appointed, and employed by
the said President of the said Royal Society, at the instance
and request of the same President, as and when he shall
deem the object of this bequest to have been fully com-
plied with by such person or persons so nominated,
appointed, and employed by him as aforesaid.'

What was done by the Trustees under this part of Lord BRIDGEWATER's Will, and with what result, is known to all readers. That other portion of the Will which relates to his bequest to the British Museum reads thus:-'I give

Chap. III.

LOVERS AND

TORS.

and bequeath to the Trustees for the time being of the BOOK II, British Museum at Montagu House, in London, to be there Bookdeposited. . . for the use of the said Museum, in con- PUBLIC formity with the rules, orders, and regulations of the said BENEFACestablishment, absolutely and for ever, all and every my Collection of Manuscripts as hereinafter particularly described. That is to say, the several volumes of Manuscripts, and all papers, parchments (written or printed), and all letters, despatches, registers, rolls, documents, evidences, authorities and signatures, and all impressions of seals and marks, of every description and sort, and of what nature or kind, severally and generally belonging to my Collection of Manuscripts, or in my possession, stamped with my arms or otherwise (except such letters, notes, papers, &c., as are hereinafter directed to be burned and destroyed [' two words cancelled, BRIDGEWATER'], in the discretion of my Trustees and Executors hereinafter appointed; and also save and except all such letters, papers, and writings as are attached to and accompanying the printed books specifically bequeathed by me to the Library at Ashridge, and which said. last-mentioned letters, papers, and writings are also, if I mistake not, stamped with my arms.

And I also will and

require that all and every the aforesaid manuscripts, papers, parchments (written or printed), letters, despatches, registers, rolls, documents, evidences, authorities, signatures, impressions of seals and marks of every description and sort, and every other Manuscript or Manuscripts appertaining to my said Collection whatsoever and wheresoever, or which shall or may hereafter, during my life, be added thereto (but not private letters, notes, or memorandums of any sort or 0 kind, which I direct to be burned or destroyed), shall, within the space of two years from the day of my decease, be collected and removed to the British Museum as aforesaid,

BOOK II,
Chap. III.
BOOK-

under the particular care, superintendence, and direction of Eugene Auguste BARBIER, one of my Trustees and LOVERS AND Executors hereinafter appointed; for which particular ser

PUBLIC

BENEFAC

TORS.

vice I give and bequeath to him, the said Eugene Auguste BARBIER, the sum of two thousand pounds sterling. I also give, bequeath, and demise unto the said Trustees of the British Museum all my estate, lands, parcels of land, ground, hereditaments and appurtenances, situate in the parish of Whitchurch-cum-Marbury, or in any other parish or place in the Counties of Salop or Chester, or in either or both of the said Counties, and also all the trees growing thereon, and all seats, sittings, and pews in the Parish Church of Whitchurch-cum-Marbury aforesaid, all or any of which I shall or may have bought or purchased, and which now belong to me by right of purchase, descent, or otherwise, to have and to hold the same estate, lands, parcels of land, ground, hereditaments and appurtenances, to them the said Trustees of the said British Museum for the time being for ever, upon the trusts nevertheless, and to and for the ends, intents, and purposes hereinafter particularly mentioned, expressed, and declared; that is to say, that the trees growing on the aforesaid estate, lands, parcels of lands, ground, hereditaments, and appurtenances, shall not be cut or brought down or destroyed, but shall and may be suffered to grow during their natural life, and that the smaller trees only may be thinned here and there, with care and judgment, so as to promote the growth of the larger trees; and that the same estate, lands, parcels of land, ground, hereditaments and appurtenances, seats, sittings or pews, or any part thereof, shall not be susceptible of being let, underlet or rented, by or to any person or persons who shall hold, have, take, or rent any estate, farm, lands, or property of or from the family of EGERTON, or of or from any person or

Chap. III.

LOVERS AND
PUBLIC
BENEFAC-

TORS.

persons having that name, or of or from the Rector of Book II, Whitchurch-cum-Marbury aforesaid for the time being; and Bookupon further trust that they the said Trustees of the British Museum for the time being do and shall lay out and apply the rents, issues, and profits which shall from time to time arise from and out of the said estate, lands, parcels of land, ground, hereditaments and appurtenances, in the purchase of manuscripts for the continual augmentation of the aforesaid Collection of Manuscripts. I further will and direct that my said Trustees hereinafter appointed, within the space of eighteen calendar months after my decease, do lay out and invest in the Three per cent. Consolidated stocks or funds of England, in the names of the Trustees of the British Museum for the time being, or in such names and for such account as the said Trustees shall direct, the sum of seven thousand pounds sterling, the interest and dividends. whereof, as the same shall from time to time become due and payable, I desire and direct shall and may be paid over by the said Trustees to such person or persons as shall from time to time be charged with the care and superintendence of the said Collection of Manuscripts, I also give, grant, bequeath, and devise unto my Trustees hereinafter appointed all and singular my house, land, tenements, hereditaments, and appurtenances at or near Little Gaddesden, in the County of Herts, upon trust that they my said Trustees do and shall, during their joint lives and the life of the survivor of them, let and demise the same for such term or time as they shall think fit, for the best rent that can be had and gotten for the same; but the same premises, under no circumstances, to be let, underlet, or rented by or to any person or persons who shall have, hold, take, or rent any estate, farm, or property of or from the family of EGERTON, or any person or persons bearing that name, and do and

shall pay over the rents, issues, and profits thereof, as and when received, to the Trustees for the time being of the LOVERS AND British Museum aforesaid, to be laid out and applied by

BOOK II, Chap. III. BOOK

PUBLIC

BENEFAC

TORS.

Will of
Francis
Henry, Earl
of Bridge-

water.
(Official
copy.)

such last-mentioned Trustees in the service and for the continued augmentation of the said Collection of Manuscripts; and from and after the decease of the survivor of them my said Trustees hereinafter appointed, I give and devise the said house, land, tenements, hereditaments and appurtenances, unto and for the use of the proprietor or proprietors of the Manor and Estate of Ashridge, his heirs and assigns for ever. And as to all the rest, residue and remainder of my real and personal estate and effects, of every nature and kind soever and wheresoever situate, not herein before disposed of, or availably so, for the purposes intended, I give, devise, and bequeath the same to my said Trustees, upon trust that they my said Trustees do pay over and transfer the same to the said Trustees of the British Museum, and do otherwise render the same available for the service of and towards maintaining, preserving, keeping up, improving, augmenting, and extending, as opportunities may offer, my said Collection of Manuscripts so deposited in the British Muscum as aforesaid, in the most advantageous manner, according to their judgment and discretion.'

The eccentricity of which I have spoken showed itself in the successive changes of detail and other modifications which these bequests underwent before the testator's death. What with the Will and its many codicils, the documents, collectively, came to be of a kind which might task the acumen of a FEARNE or a St. LEONARDS. But the drift of the Will was undisturbed. The restrictions as to the underletting of the Whitchurch estate, and the like, were now limited by codicils to a prescribed term of years after

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