Vers. 19-21: "Christ's mother and brethren," are found on p. 90, _before_
the Parable of the Sower; while
Vers. 22-25: "The Storm on the Lake," come still earlier in the Harmony,
on p. 45.
Vers. 26-39: "The herd of swine drowned," following on p. 47.
Ver. 40. Stands by itself on p. 50, preceeding the events recorded in
St. Luke's fifth chapter.
Vers. 41-56: "The raising of Jairus' daughter," come prior to the events
narrated in St. Luke's sixth and seventh chapters, and appear on p. 56 of
the Harmony.
If we may take Nicholas Ferrar's chronology to be correct, it is clearly
seen that the Harmony is a most valuable aid to the study of the Gospels.
Mention has been made already of the engravings with which the
Concordances are nearly all supplied. On the title-page, after
describing the contents of the book, these words always occur: "to which
are added sundry pictures, expressing either the facts themselves or
their types and figures, or other matters appertaining thereunto."
These "pictures" are in many cases delightfully quaint, and are probably
of considerable value, having been collected by Nicholas Ferrar on his
journey through Holland, Germany, Italy, and Spain in the years 1613 to
1618, it being expressly stated that they were by the best masters of
that time, and that he let nothing valuable of this sort escape him.
Unfortunately, many of these prints have been cut, to make them fit into
the pages, but on others there are the names or monograms of the artist
and engraver. On one the date 1564 appears after the name M. Heern,
invent. Other names occurring are M. de Vos, Joannes Strada, Th. Galle,
Phl. Galle, Crispin Van de Passe, Brvegel, etc., etc.
The most usual arrangement is for the engraving to occupy the upper half
of the page, and the letterpress to be put in two columns underneath; but
occasionally there are two or three prints in the same page. In the copy
under consideration now, being one of the smaller volumes, there are 138
folio pages, and about 220 prints, varying in size from 12 inches by 8,
to small delicate engravings of about 2.5 inches by 1 inch.
It would be useless to attempt to describe the pictures, so as to give an
adequate idea of their interest, but some of the subjects may be
mentioned.
There is a series of small engravings of the eleven Apostles (a blank
space being left in a conspicuous manner for Judas), which represent each
one with his proper emblem, and in the background of each picture a very
small illustration of the manner of his death; for instance, St. Peter on
a cross, upside down; St. Thomas being killed by the spears of savages;
St. Simon being sawn asunder. Near the beginning of the volume is a
print of the Blessed Virgin with a sword piercing her body, and
surrounded by seven medallions, showing "the seven griefs." The parable
of "The mote and the beam" is quaintly depicted by two men standing near
together, one with an enormous log of wood, equal in length to a third of
his height, projecting unsupported from his own eye, attempting to pull a
small bit of straw from the eye of the other.
In the pictures of the Resurrection is one with a small representation in
the background of our Blessed Lord appearing to his mother, "who had
remained at her own home."
* * * * *
Perhaps enough has now been said to give a general description of the
design of the Concordances. They were all made on one plan, but no two
were exactly alike. The actual sizes vary considerably, and the number
of pages also, from sixty-five up to four hundred. By far the greater
number deal with the Gospels of the four Evangelists, but in addition to
these there are Concordances of the Books of Kings and Chronicles, and
the five Books of Moses.
Some slight account may now be given of all the volumes known to be in
existence at the present time. With the exception of the original book,
made for the instruction of the home family, which was in daily use at
Gidding, the splendid copy made for Charles I. is the earliest of which
there is any authentic history.
As stated on a previous page, it was at the King's urgent request that
this was put in hand, and, after twelve months' hard work, was safely
delivered to his Majesty, who declared it to be a "rich and rare jewel,
and that there was no defect in the skill, care, and cost used in it, but
a superlative diligence in all about it."
This fine volume is now in the British Museum, having been sent there
from Windsor by George II. It is a large square folio, measuring 1 foot
7 inches by I foot 2 inches, and has 287 pages, bound in leather, with a
great deal of gilding on the sides; the date on the title-page is 1635.
The Concordance described on pp. 36-47, and from which the extracts were
taken, has the same date on the title-page, and the words "done at Little
Gidding" added also. It is much smaller than the Royal copy, with less
than half the number of pages. Its history is not quite so clear, but on
the inside of the cover appear the arms of Sir R. Cotton, who commenced
the library given by his grandson to the nation. The Cottons were near
neighbours of the Ferrars, and nothing is more likely than that a lover
of books should have procured one of the earliest of the works which were
rapidly becoming famous. From the Cottons it passed to the family of
Bowdlers, one of whom married a daughter of the last baronet; and the
grandson of this Mr. Bowdler left the book to the father of the writer of
this sketch, now living in Dorchester, who still makes use of the book in
the religious instruction of his children.
The next volume made was a Harmony of the Kings and Chronicles, the idea
being originated by Charles himself. He is reported to have asked for it
at the very time he received his first Harmony, saying, "I would gladly
have these skilful persons to make me another book that might be so
ordered, that I might read these stories of Kings and Chronicles, so
interwoven by them, as if one pen had written the whole book, and to make
it a complete history; yet so ordering the matter that I may also read
them severally and apart."
This was faithfully carried out. The date on the title-page is 1637, and
the book is now at the British Museum. It is bound in leather, curiously
gilt, rather smaller than the first volume, and without any
illustrations; but a great deal of care was taken in its compilation,
especially in the construction of three tables relating to the contents
and to the various passages related in the Books of Kings and Chronicles
"severally or jointly."
A third volume was also sent to the British Museum by George II., as
being a Little Gidding work; but it is not, strictly speaking, a
Concordance, being in many ways different to all the other Gidding works.
It contains merely the Acts of the Apostles and the Revelations of St.
John. The title-page is very fully and curiously decorated; there is no
date, and the form of title which occurs with very little alteration in
every other specimen is also absent.
As the King took so much interest in these works, and valued them so
highly, it followed as a very natural result that the young Princes
should demand similar volumes for themselves; though it is perhaps
doubtful if they would have appreciated a Concordance without any
pictures.
Prince Charles asked the King to give him the first Harmony, but was met
with the reply "that he might not part with it, as he used it daily." A
request was therefore sent to Gidding that a Harmony might be prepared
for the Prince, and Mr. Ferrar being dead, the Miss Colletts and their
cousin, Nicholas Ferrar (junior), decided to complete a Concordance
similar to the first, but in four languages, English, Latin, French, and
Italian. The book was ready and taken to London by young Ferrar just
before Easter, 1640, which date is affixed to the title-page. It was
first submitted for the King's approval, and, being greatly admired, was
then taken to Prince Charles at Richmond, who was intensely delighted
with his new acquisition. It is, indeed, a splendid volume, containing
over 200 pages, bound in green velvet, with designs of _fleurs de lis_
and sprigs of oak stamped in gold. The book measured 2 feet by 1 foot 5
inches, and has "a store of rare pictures to delight the eye." The four
languages are arranged in four parallel columns in each page.
It is now in Lord Normanton's library at Somerley. The name by which it
is commonly known is "Monotessaron," which word, in Greek characters,
stands at the head of the title-page.
One work led on to another; and no sooner had Prince Charles become the
happy owner of an illustrated Harmony, than the young Duke of York, who
was with his brother at Richmond, must needs want one for himself.
Nicholas Ferrar assured him that he should have one "with all good
speed." "But how long will that be?" said the Prince. "I pray you tell
the gentlewomen at Gidding I will heartily thank them if they will
dispatch it."
And, in accordance with the promise, another work was no doubt taken in
hand; but young Ferrar did not live to see it completed, dying (as he
did) at the early age of 21, within a very few weeks of his visit to
Richmond, and it is almost certain that the Duke of York never had it
given to him. But the Marquis of Salisbury has at Hatfield a Harmony of
the Four Gospels, there being no record of the person for whom it was
made. Now the appearance of the binding and the evidence of considerable
care being taken in its preparation would lead to the conclusion that it
was originally intended for a member of the Royal family. It is bound in
purple velvet, sprigs of oak and _fleurs de lis_ being prominent in the
decoration of the outside. There is no date on the title-page, and the
earliest authority as to the owner is the book-plate of "the Right Hon
James Cecill, 1704." In all essential points it is identical with the
copy made for Charles I., and may be considered as the book intended for
the Duke of York.
The King and his suite visited Gidding in the year 1642, and while there
was shown another splendid Concordance, which he had heard was being made
for Prince Charles' use, but which was not quite ready for presentation
at the time. If the conjecture is correct (and there seems very little
doubt that it is so), that this is the volume now in the possession of
Captain Gaussen, of Brookmans Park--near Hatfield, it is no wonder that
several years were occupied in its completion. One of the King's
attendants remarked at the time, it was the "gallantest greatest book in
the world," adding, "I never saw such paper before. I believe there is
no book of this largeness to be seen in Christendom," and as the Royal
party were at this time making a somewhat hasty journey northwards on
account of the disorders prevalent in the country, the book would have
been a very unsuitable addition to their baggage. The writer can vouch
for the fact that it is quite as much as a man can do to carry it
comfortably across a room. It is magnificently bound in purple velvet,
with the usual gilt stamping, chiefly in patterns made of small crowns.
The measurements are 2 feet 5 inches by 1 foot 8 inches, and there are
nearly 450 pages of the thickest paper, besides which every page is
profusely illustrated by the pasting on of engravings, in the same manner
as the other Gidding works.
The contents of this volume are, however, different to any yet mentioned.
The first part deals with "the whole law of God as it is delivered in the
five Books of Moses" methodically distributed into three great
classes--moral, ceremonial, and political--and each of these again
subdivided into several heads, etc. There follows an "harmonical
parallel between the types of the Old Testament and the Four Evangelists'
relations of our Lord and Saviour;" also a "discourse of the estate of
the Jews," by Dr. Jackson, "The destruction of Jerusalem," and long
extracts from a work entitled "Moses unveiled," besides other matter.
The history of this book is very obscure. The account from which the
above is taken concludes with these words, "This book hath been preserved
at Gidding, and attends the happy hour to be delivered into the right
owner's hands." This was probably written about 1653. The next piece of
evidence is a note made in the book itself, that the Rev. J. Bourdillon
bought it in the year 1776, but did not then know who had compiled it.
There is then another break in its history, until the beginning of the
nineteenth century, when it was found walled up in a cupboard at the
house now belonging to Captain Gaussen. But within the last few years
the "gallant book" has had another interesting and dangerous experience,
as its home was burnt to the ground. The Concordance was, however,
rescued from an untimely fate.
A somewhat similar volume, but much smaller, is to be seen in the library
of St. John's College, Oxford. It is dated 1640, and contains only the
"Five Books of Moses," treated in the same manner as that last described.
There is good reason for saying that it was made for the Archbishop of
Canterbury (Laud), and sent by him to Oxford. It is illustrated
throughout, and is handsomely bound in purple velvet.
The late Bishop of Bath and Wells, Lord Arthur Hervey, had another
specimen of Gidding handywork. It is one of the smaller volumes,
containing only 66 pages, bound in leather, and with the usual style of
engravings. It is a Harmony of the Four Gospels, and the different
names, or book-plates, of the various owners show that it has been in the
Hervey family from the first. The last line of the title page is as
follows: "Done at Little Gidding, A.D. 1640, by Virginia Ferrar, age 12."
It would be interesting to know how much was actually "done" by this
young lady. She was daughter of John Ferrar, and sister of Nicholas
Ferrar, junior, and was given her name "out of affection to the
remembrance of the plantation of Virginia, and that they might daily have
the memorial of it, as not to cease praying for the prosperity of it, and
that looking upon her they might think upon both at once." This book is
now in the possession of Lord Bristol, at Ickworth, Bury St. Edmunds.
Mention has now been made of nine Concordances; and of the two that still
remain to be noticed there is this interesting fact to be stated--that in
all probability they were originally made for members of the family, and
that until a few years ago they belonged to their descendants, who, for
this very reason, regarded them with special affection. They are both
Harmonies of the Four Gospels; one, dated 1640, is a small work, and
belonged to Miss Heming, of Hillingdon, a descendant of a Mr. Mapletoft,
who married one of the Miss Colletts, it is now in the possession of
Colonel Garrat, Bishop's Court, Exeter. The other is a somewhat larger
book, now in the British Museum, recently in the possession of a Mr.
Mapletoft Davis, living in New South Wales, who also had the four volumes
of the "Exercises of the Little Academy" previously described; all these
works, and some other relics of the Ferrars, having passed on through
different branches of the family to the late owner. An inscription in
this Concordance is worthy of reproduction here; it runs as follows:
"This was the book of my honoured aunt, Mrs. Mary Collet, compiled at
Little Gidding by the direction of her uncle, Mr. N. Ferrar, and bound, I
believe, by herself. It was given to me by my good and dear cousin, Mrs.
Elizabeth Kestian. I give it to my son, and if he dies without issue, to
my daughter Eliz. Gastrell, and I desire it may be preserved in my family
as long as may be. There were never above two more of the form that I
ever heard of--one was presented to Charles the First . . . the other to
King Charles II., 1660, by John Ferrar, who is now owner of Little
Gidding.--John Mapletoft, Jan., 1715."
It is certainly a curious fact that this Dr. Mapletoft should have
thought that there were only three Concordances made; and the same
mistaken idea was entertained by the owner of Colonel Garratt's copy,
words almost identical being written in that work by another Dr.
Mapletoft in the year 1764. The John Ferrar referred to as giving the
Concordance to Charles II. must have been the son of John Ferrar, brother
of Nicholas; so it is evident that the estates of Gidding were enjoyed by
the family for many years after their return from the flight caused by
the Parliamentary soldiers.
It is not known how long the business of making Concordances was
continued at Gidding. There is a letter from John Ferrar printed, in
which occurs a remark that perhaps if "noble or learned personages knew
of them, they would desire to have some made for their own use, or for
some library, as rarities in their kind." He also says that this work,
"which costs much time and labour, might be an answer to the libel that
no work was done at Gidding, but all the time spent in contemplation, as
it would make the world believe." There is also a request to a Dr.
Basire for two copies each of various editions and translations of the
New Testament in many different languages, so it is certain that the work
was to be carried on and developed as far as possible; and in all
probability it only ceased when the "handy workwomen" went away from
their united home to marry, and devote themselves to more serious, and
perhaps less pleasant, occupations.
In the library of Magdalen College, Cambridge, may be seen all the
materials for a Concordance similar to that at St. John's, Oxford, viz.
"The Five Books of Moses." There are two big bundles of folio sheets,
designed and plotted out for engravings and letterpress; but no progress
had been made with the work, except (curiously enough) the title-page,
which was completed, and finishes with the words, "Done at Little
Gidding, A.D. 1641."
This method of bookmaking is not exactly in accordance with modern ideas,
but it may throw a little light on the fact that although we know the
King's Concordance took a whole year to complete, there are no less than
four volumes dated 1640, and one of these is the great Harmony in four
languages. Until this unfinished Concordance was brought to light, it
was always difficult to explain why four works were dated the same year.
Before we leave this subject, a few words must be said on some wonderful
productions of the younger Nicholas Ferrar, which are reported to have
been shown to the King when "the Monotessaron" was presented to Prince
Charles; but they were afterwards taken back to Gidding.
There was, first, "The Gospel according to the holy Evangelists in eight
languages, viz. Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, High Dutch, Saxon,
and Welsh, interpreted with Latin or English, word for word, and at one
view to be seen and read."
Second: "The New Testament in twenty-four languages," each language
written in its proper characters;
Third: "The Gospel of St. John in as many languages as there are chapters
(_i.e._ each chapter in a different language), and interpreted word for
word into Latin or English."
These were not printed books, but all in the handwriting of young Ferrar,
who at the early age of twenty-one had apparently mastered twenty-four
languages.
This brief sketch must now be brought to a close, with the hope that it
may prove interesting to some who are unable to peruse the longer
narratives on the same subject, and which are, indeed, very scarce at the
present time. Should the writer's hopes be fulfilled, it will surely be
to them, as it is to him, a matter of great satisfaction that at least a
part of the work carried on at Little Gidding should have been of such a
permanent nature that, after 250 years, the result can still be seen and
enjoyed almost in its original freshness, and can, indeed, be actually
used for its original purpose.
The workmanship of the Concordances was so excellent in every detail,
even to the paste used for their construction, that the volumes may well
last for another period of 250 years. And as we turn over their pages
and admire the method, the neatness, and the skilful design therein
exhibited, our thoughts are carried back to the days and the scenes of
their creation, and we picture to ourselves more vividly the happy and
religious family which day by day met in the great Concordance room, the
well-ordered procession wending its way to the little church at their
gate, the meals in the great hall, enlivened only by the "historical
anecdote, easy and delightful," the daily repetition of David's Psalms,
and the frequent singing to the organ, which was tuned so low as to be a
disturbance to no one, and the words of the hymn which was frequently
sung every day--
"So angels sing, and so sing we,
To God on high all glory be,
Let Him on earth His peace bestow,
And unto men His favour show."
But though our fancy naturally dwells on the younger and more active
members, we must by no means forget the mother of the family, the source
of all the virtues exhibited in her children and grandchildren.
Living to the age of seventy-nine, Mrs. Ferrar "at her dying day had no
infirmity and scarce any sign of old age upon her." "There were few
women, as all that knew her can testify, that exceeded her in comeliness
of body and excellent beauty; of fair, modest, and sober deportment,
grave in her looks, humble in her carriage towards all people,
superlative in discretion; of few words but when she spoke (as occasion
offered itself) no woman passed her in eloquence, in judgement, and
wisdom. Great was her devotion to God, and her love to God's word,
constant her reading of the Scriptures, and her singing of the Psalms,
when she sat at work with her children and maids about her."
An inscription in the great parlour, written by her in the last year of
her life, may well be given here as a fitting conclusion to this
imperfect narrative:--