The largest pecuniary donor of this year was Blount, Lord Mountjoy
(afterwards Earl of Devon), who forwarded £100 to Sir T. Bodley from
Waterford; which were expended upon books in most classes of literature,
including music. Among various gifts of MSS. were some Russian volumes
from Lancelot Browne, M.D., and (together with Persian, Finnish, &c.)
from Sir Rich. Lee, ambassador in Muscovy. Lord Cobham gave £50 in
money, with the promise of 'divers MSS. out of St. Augustin's library in
Canterbury[35].' 'Biblia Latina pulcherrima,' 2 vols. fol. was given by
George Rives, Warden of New College. This is probably a huge and
magnificent specimen of twelfth-century work, now numbered Auctarium, E.
infra, 1, 2[36]. But the year was specially marked by the donation of 47
MSS. (including some early English volumes) from Walter (afterwards Sir
Walter) Cope; and above all, by the gift, from the Dean and Chapter of
Exeter to their fellow-countryman Bodley, of 81 Latin MSS. from their
Chapter Library. By what right they thus alienated their corporate
property no one probably cared to enquire; but, from the tokens of
neglect still visible upon the books, we may conclude that only by this
alienation were they in all likelihood saved from ultimate destruction:
for they nearly all bear more or less sign of having been exposed to
great damp, which in several instances has well-nigh destroyed the
initial and final leaves. Most of them are beautiful specimens of early
penmanship, ranging chiefly from the eleventh century to the thirteenth;
and amongst them is that precious relic of English Church offices, the
Service-book given to Exeter Cathedral by Bishop Leofric in the reign of
Edward Conf., described in the 'Registrum Benefactorum' simply as
'Missale antiquissimum.' This is happily perfect; in size a small and
thick quarto volume, written on very stout vellum, and containing 377
leaves. Four other volumes (possibly more) were also gifts of Leofric to
his Church; they are now numbered Auct. D. II. 16 (the four Gospels),
Auct. F. I. 15 (Boethius and Persius), Auct. F. III. 6 (Prudentius), and
Bodley MS. 708 (Gregory's _Pastorale_.) They each contain an inscription
in Latin and Anglo-Saxon, varying in expression, but all to the
following effect (as in the last-mentioned volume): 'Hunc librum dat
Leofricus episcopus ecclesiæ Sancti Petri Apostoli in Exonia ad sedem
suam episcopalem, pro remedio animæ suæ, ad utilitatem successorum
suorum. Siquis autem illum inde abstulerit, perpetuæ maledictioni
subjaceat. Fiat. [OE: Ðas boc gef leofric ƀ. into Scē petres
minstre on exancestre þær his biscopstol is. his æfterfiligendū to
nittweorðnisse. [&] gif hig hwa ut ætbrede hæbbe he ece geniðerunge mid
eallū deoflum.] Ā[=m].' To the MS. of the Gospels are prefixed
very curious lists in Anglo-Saxon of the lands, vestments, books, &c.,
given by Leofric to his Church, and of relics given by King Athelstan
(of which another copy is preserved in the Missal); these lists are
printed in the Monasticon, and the titles of the books are given in
Wanley's Catalogue (p. 80).
The Library being now supplied with upwards of 2000 volumes, it was
solemnly opened on Nov. 8 (the day appointed for the annual visitation,)
by the Vice-Chancellor, with a procession of doctors and delegates.
Meeting them at the door of the room, the Librarian hastily extemporized
a short speech in honour of the occasion, 'in qua,' as the University
Register records, 'tribus ferme versibus amplexus est omnia.'
[35] _Reliquiæ Bodl._ p. 92.
[36] See _ibid._ pp. 137 and 219.