John Verneuil, M.A., Sub-librarian, died about the end of September. He
was a native of Bordeaux, and came into England as a Protestant refugee
shortly before 1608. In that year he entered at Magdalene College, and
was incorporated M.A. from his own University of Montauban in 1625.
Besides his share in the Appendix to the Catalogue noticed under the
year 1635, the following small book of a similar kind in English was
issued by him: _A Nomenclator of such Tracts and Sermons as have beene
printed, or translated into English upon any place or booke of Holy
Scripture; now to be had in the most famous and publique Library of Sir
Thomas Bodley in Oxford_. This is the title of the second and enlarged
edition, which appeared in 1642 in a small duodecimo volume, printed at
Oxford, by Henry Hall. The first edition (which was not entirely
confined to books in the Library) was printed under the author's
initials by William Turner in 1637. Some books communicated by friends
are here cited, which would, says Verneuil, have been accessible in the
Bodleian, 'had the Company of Stationers beene as mindfull of their
covenant as my selfe have beene zealous for the good of this our
Library.' In an interesting undated letter from Sir Richard Napier, Knt.
(while apparently an undergraduate of Wadham College, before 1630) to
his uncle the Rev. Richard Napier, which is preserved in Ashmole MS.
1730, fol. 168, is the following curious passage relating to the
facilities for studying in the Library, which were afforded to him by
Verneuil:--
'I have made a faire way to goe into the Library privately when I
please, and there to sitt from 6 of the clocke in the morneing to 5 at
night. I have a private place in the Library to lay those bookes and to
write out what I list, without being seene by any, or any comeing to me.
I have made the second Keeper of the Library [_i.e._ Verneuil] my friend
and servant, who promised me his key at all tymes to goe in privately,
when as otherwise it is not opened above 4 houres a day, and some days
not att all, as on Hollidays, and their eves in the afternoone, yett
then by his meanes I shall [have] free accesse and recesse at all tymes.
He hath pleasured me so farr as to lett me write in his counting house,
or his little private study in the great publick library, where I may
very privately write, and locke up all safely when I depart thence; he
will write for me when I have not the leisure, or will transcribe any
thinge I shall desire him, and if it be French translate it, for that is
his mother tonge.'
Probably the practice here mentioned of admitting readers by favour into
the Library at unstatutable times grew in the course of years to a
considerable height, or was found (as might naturally be expected)
productive of mischievous consequences, for on Nov. 8, 1722, it was
'ordered by the Curators that no person under any pretence whatsoever be
permitted to study in the said Library at any other time than what is
prescribed and limited by the Bodleian Statutes.'
Verneuil was succeeded in his office in the Library by Francis Yonge,
M.A., of Oriel College.
Milton's gift of his _Poems_. See under 1620.