On Jan. 25, 1639-40, died Robert Burton, of Ch. Ch., 'Democritus
junior,' and bequeathed out of his large library whatever he possessed
which was wanting in the Bodleian. A list of the Latin books thus
acquired is given in the Benefaction Book, followed by this sentence:
'Porro [d. d.] comœdiarum, tragediarum, et schediasmatum ludicrorum
(præsertim idiomate vernaculo) aliquot centurias, quas propter
multitudinem non adjecimus.' These latter were just the classes of books
the admission of which the Founder had almost prohibited, viz.,
'almanacks, plays, and an infinite number that are daily printed.' Even
if 'some little profit might be reaped (which God knows is very little)
out of some of our play-books, the benefit thereof,' said he, 'will
nothing near countervail the harm that the scandal will bring upon the
Library, when it shall be given out that we stuffed it full of baggage
books[101].' In consequence of this well-meant but mistaken resolution,
the Library was bare of just those books which Burton's collection could
afford, and which now form some of its rarest and most curious
divisions. In his own address 'To the Reader' of his _Anatomy of
Melancholy_ he very fully describes the nature of his own gatherings. 'I
hear new news every day; and those ordinary rumours of war, plagues,
fires, inundations, thefts, murders, massacres, meteors, comets,
spectrums, prodigies, apparitions, of towns taken, cities besieged in
France, Germany, Turkey, Persia, Poland, &c. * * * * are daily brought
to our ears; new books every day, pamphlets, currantoes, stories (&c).
Now come tidings of weddings, maskings, mummeries, entertainments,
jubilees, embassies, tilts and tournaments, trophies, triumphs, revels,
sports, plays; then again, as in a new shifted scene, treasons, cheating
tricks, robberies, enormous villainies, in all kinds, funerals, burials,
death of princes, new discoveries, expeditions; now comical, then
tragical matters.' His books are chiefly to be found in the classes
marked 4^o Art. (particularly under letter L), Theol., and Art. BS.
Amongst his smaller books is one of the only two known copies of the
edition of _Venus and Adonis_ in 1602. He is specially mentioned also in
the preface to Verneuil's _Nomenclator_, 1642, as being (together with
Mr. Kilby of Linc. Coll., Mr. Prestwich, of All Souls', and Mr. Francis
Wright, of Merton) a donor of Commentaries and Sermons. Besides his
books, he bequeathed £100, with which an annual payment of £5 was
obtained. For some time, however, this payment was subsequently lost;
for in Barlow's Accounts for 1655, after mentioning the receipt of £40
paid by one Mr. Thomas Smith, occurs this '_Memorandum_:--that the £40
above mentioned amongst the _Recepta_ is a part of an £100 given to the
Library by Mr. Rob. Burton of Ch. Ch. It was first lent to Mr. Thomas
Smith, and he (by bond) was to pay to the Library £5 per annum. He
breaking, or very much decay'd in his estate, and deade, this £40 was
payd in by his executors, £50 more is to be payd us by University Coll.
(it was owinge to Mr. Smith, and his executors assigned it over to us),
and Dr. Langbaine hath in his keepinge a bond of one Spencer for £10
more.' The latter was paid in 1658, as appears from an entry, 'Recept. a
Dno. Spicer (_sic_) et Hopkins, ex syngrapha;' but the former was still
unpaid in 1660.
[101] _Reliquiæ Bodl._ p. 278.