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have had such a daughter. I have often said to your Lordship that "I never knew any one by many degrees so happy n their domestics as you;" and I affirm that you are so still, though not by so many degrees.

BOOK 1,
THE COL-

Chap. V.

LECTOR OF

THE HAR

You LEIAN MSS.

Swift to
Oxford;

began to be too happy for a mortal; much more happy han is usual with the dispensations of Providence long to 21 Nov.,1713. -ontinue.'

(Works,

vol. xvi,

THE HAR

LIBRARY.

Under the sorrows both of public and of private life it PP. 78-80.) was his wont to find a part of his habitual consolations in the HISTORY OF se, as well as in the increase, of his splendid library. He LEIAN egan the work of collection in youth, and to add to his reasures was one of the matters which, at intervals, occuied his latest thoughts.

Among the famous Englishmen whose manuscripts assed, either wholly or partially, into the Harleian Library re to be counted Sir Thomas SMITH; John Fox, the marrologist; John STOWE, the historian; Edward, Lord ERBERT of Cherbury; and Archbishop SANCROFT. mong famous foreigners, Augustus LOMENIE DE BRIENNE; eter SEGUIER, Chancellor of France; and Gerard John OSSIUS. Perhaps the most extensive of the prior collecons which it had absorbed, in mass, was the assemblage manuscripts that had been gathered by Sir Symonds 'EwES, whose acquisitions included a rich series of the aterials of English history.

WANLEY;

The inquiries which led to the purchase of the D'EwES' llection were the occasion of making fully known to ›bert HARLEY a model librarian in the person of Hum- HUMPHREY rey WANLEY. The latter portion of WANLEY'S life was HIS LIFE, olly devoted to the service of the Harleian Library, and employment there was a felicity, both for him and for it. s journal of the incidents which occurred during the >wth of the collection given to his care is the most curious

LETTERS,

AND

JOURNAL.

Воок I,
Chap. V.
THE COL-

LECTOR OF

document in its kind which is known to exist. That journal illustrates the literary history and the manners of the time, not less amusingly than it exhibits the personal LEIAN MSS. character of its writer, and the fidelity with which he worked at his task in life.

THE HAR

WANLEY was the son of a country parson, little known to fame, but possessing some tincture of learning, and was born at Coventry, on the 21st of March, 1673. In his youth he attracted the favourable notice of his father's diocesan, William LLOYD, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (and afterwards of Worcester), by whom he was sent to Edmund Hall at Oxford. That hall he soon exchanged for University College, on the persuasion of Dr. Arthur CHARLETT, by whose influence he was afterwards made an Underkeeper of the Bodleian Library. He took no degree, but won some distinction, whilst at Oxford, by the services which he rendered to Dr. MILL in collating the text of the New Testament.

On leaving the University, WANLEY went to London, where he became Secretary to the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. He translated OSTERVALD'S Grounds and Principles of the Christian Religion; and compiled a valuable Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts preserved in the chief libraries of Great Britain. The last-named labour gave proof of much ability. It was

a sample of the work for which its writer was best fitted. As Speaker of the House of Commons, HARLEY took a considerable part in organizing the Cottonian Library, when it became a public institution under the Act of Parliament. WANLEY proffered to the Speaker, on this occasion, some advice about the necessary arrangements; became well acquainted with HARLEY'S bookishness, and saw how eagerly he would welcome opportunities for the improve

nent of his own library, as well as of that newly acquired Book 1, by the Public.

Chap. V.
THE COL-

LECTOR OF
LEIAN MSS.

THE HAR

THE D'EWES
COLLEC-

TIONS AND

THEIR HIS

The Sir Symonds D'EwES of that generation was the grandson of the diligent antiquary and politician who has been heretofore mentioned in this volume as the close riend of Sir Robert COTTON, and to whose labours, in a wofold capacity, students of our history owe a far better TORY. cquaintance with parliamentary debates, in the times both f ELIZABETH and of CROMWELL, than, but for him, would ave been possible. The grandson of the first Sir Symonds ad inherited from his ancestor a valuable library; but its ossession had no great charm for him. He was willing o part with it, for due consideration, yet aware that he as under an obligation, moral if not legal, not so to part ith his books as to lead to their dispersion.

On that head, the original collector had thus expressed imself in his last Will:-"I bequeath to Adrian D'Ewes, y young son yet lying in the cradle, or to any other of ■y sons, hereafter to be born, who shall prove my heir (if od shall vouchsafe unto me a masculine heir by whom y surname and male line may be continued in the ages come), my precious library, in which I have stored up, r divers years past, with great care, cost, and industry, vers originals and autographs, . . . and such [books] are unprinted; and it is my inviolable injunction and hest that he keep it entire, and not sell, divide, or dissite it. Neither would I have it locked up from furthering e public good, the advancing of which I have always deavoured; but that all lovers of learning, of known tue and integrity, might have access to it at reasonable nes, so that they did give sufficient security to restore fely any original or autograph. . borrowed out of the me, without blotting, erasing, or defraying it. But

.

Book I,
Chap. V.
THE COL-

LECTOR OF
THE HAR-

if God hath decreed now at last to add an end to my family in the male line, His most holy and just will be done!' In that case, the testator proceeds to declare, it is his LEIAN MSS. desire that the library should pass to his daughter and her heirs, on like conditions as to its perpetual preservation, so 'that not only all lovers of learning. . . . may have access to it at seasonable times, but also that all collections which concern mine own family, or my wife's, may freely be lent to members thereof,' &c. Then the testator addsin relation to the last-named clause-an averment that he had only sought after the very truth, as well in these things as in all other my elucubrations, whilst I searched Harl. (B. M.) amongst the King's records or public offices.'

D'Ewes,
Autobiogra.

phy, in

ACCOUNT OF

SITION OF

THE D'EWES
LIBRARY.

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WANLEY'S It having come to WANLEY'S knowledge or belief, in the THE ACQUI- year 1703, that possibly arrangements might be made to obtain this library, for the Public, from the then possessor, he wrote to HARLEY in these terms ::-'Sir Symonds D'EwEs being pleased to honour me with a peculiar kindness of esteem, I have taken the liberty of inquiring of him whether he will part with his library, and I find that he is not unwilling to do so. And that at a much easier rate than I could think for. I dare say that it would be a noble addition to the Cotton Library; perhaps the best that could be had anywhere at present. If your Honour should judge it impracticable to persuade Her Majesty to buy them for the Cotton Library-in whose coffers such a sum as will buy them is scarcely conceivable-then, Sir, shall have a mind of them yourself I will take care that you shall have them cheaper than any other person whatsoever. I know that many have their eyes upon this collection.' 'I am desirous,' he goes on to say, 'to have this collection in town for the public good, and rather in a public place than in private hands; but, of all private

Wanley to Harley; MS, Laned. 841, fol. 63. (B. M.)

if you

gentlemen's studies, first in yours. I have not spoken to Book 1,
anybody as yet, nor will not till I have your answer, that
You may not be forestalled.'

Chap. V.
THE COL-
LECTOR OF

THE HAR

HARLEY welcomed the overture thus made to him, and LEIAN MSS. VANLEY, on his behalf, entered upon a negotiation which ended in the eventual acquisition of the whole of the D'EwES Manuscripts for the Harleian Collection. Soon fterwards, WANLEY became its librarian.

THE HAR

LEIAN

CONTINUED.

In the course of this employment he watched diligently or other opportunities of a like sort; established an active orrespondence with booksellers, both at home and abroad; nd induced Lord OXFORD to send agents to the Continent HISTORY OF o search for manuscripts. But the Earl had soon to meet n eager rival in the book-market, in the person of Lord LIBRARY, SUNDERLAND, who in former years had been, by turns, his olleague and his opponent in the keener strife of politics. n their new rivalry, Lord SUNDERLAND had one considerble advantage. He cared little about money. If he suceded in obtaining what he sought for, he rarely scrutinised le more or less of its cost. WANLEY was by nature a argainer. He felt uneasy under the least suspicion that my bookseller or vendor was getting the better hand of im in a transaction. And he seems, in time, to have oculated Lord OXFORD with a good deal of the same eling. Some of the entries in his diary put this love of riking a good bargain in an amusing light.

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- The

Thus, for example, in telling of the acquisition of a valu-
le monastic chartulary which had belonged to the
Bedford Library' at Cranfield, he writes thus:-"
id Chartulary is to be my Lord's, and he is to present
that library St. Chrysoston's Works, in Greek and Latin,
inted at Paris, for which my Lord shall be registered a
nefactor to the said library. Moreover, Mr. FRANK will

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