One of the 'curiosities of literature' was obtained by the purchase (for
£10 10_s._) of the _System of Divinity, in a Course of Sermons on the
first Institutions of Religion_, by Rev. Will. Davy, A.B., Vicar of
Lustleigh, Devon. It is a work in twenty-six volumes, of which only
fourteen copies were printed, entirely by the hands of the indefatigable
author himself, between the years 1795 and 1807. It is very roughly
executed, the author having purchased only just so much old and worn-out
type, as sufficed for the printing of two pages at once; accomplishing
in this way the work upon which he had set his heart, 'arte meâ, diurno
nocturnoque labore' (as he says in a Latin preface), in consequence of
having failed to procure in any other way the publication of his book.
The copy in our Library is distinguished by having many additions
inserted, printed (in many cases with later and better type) upon small
slips[337].
A set of the _Monthly Review_, from the commencement to 1828, in 200
volumes, in which the names of the contributors are appended in MS. to
their several articles, together with a volume of Correspondence with
the Editor, Ralph Griffiths, LL.D., between 1758 and 1802 (now numbered
Bodl. MS. Addit. VII. D. 11), was bought for £42.
Among the donations were: 1. A collection of twenty-one Oriental works,
printed between 1808-1835 by the East India Company, presented by the
Directors, and, 2. A valuable series, MS. and printed, of the Statutes
of various Italian cities, presented by George Bowyer, Esq. (the present
baronet, who succeeded to the title in 1860), who also in the years
1839, 1842, and 1843, forwarded large additions to the printed series.
These volumes are now kept distinct as a separate collection. Altogether
there are seventy-eight printed volumes, besides four MSS.
On Nov. 15, a Statute was approved by Convocation which raised the
stipend of the Sub-librarians from £150 to £250.
From the year 1825 an annual folio Catalogue had been printed,
containing, in one list, all the accessions accruing in each year from
purchases, gifts, and the supply of new publications from Stationers'
Hall. The issue of these lists was discontinued after the appearance of
that for the years 1837 and 1838 jointly; except that in 1843 one for
that year was printed in octavo.
A form of declaration and promise for due use of the privilege of
admission to the Library, to be made by all graduates upon taking their
first degree, in lieu of the oath formerly required, was approved by
Convocation, on June 9[338]. In accordance with this form, which is
still used, each graduate now promises: 'Me libros cæterumque cultum sic
tractaturum ut superesse quam diutissime possint, et, quantum in me est,
curaturum ne quid Bibliotheca detrimenti aut incommodi capiat.' The same
declaration is subscribed in the Library by all non-graduates who are
admitted to read there, with the addition of a promise that they will
devote their attention 'ad studia et silentium.' The statutable penalty
for any wilful mutilation or abstraction of any book, or portion of a
book, is immediate expulsion from the Library and University, 'sine ulla
spe regressûs.'
On the resignation of Rev. H. Hill, Sub-librarian, in this year, he was
succeeded by Rev. H. O. Coxe, M.A., of Worcester College, who had
previously worked for five years and a-half in the Department of MSS. in
the British Museum[339]. Mr. Coxe's nomination was approved by
Convocation on Nov. 16.
[337] Mr. Davy has had a rival, with much more success, within late
years in the Rev. Thos. R. Brown, M.A., Vicar of Southwick,
Northamptonshire. The Library possesses three works written and printed
by this gentleman in his own house. The first is entitled, _A Grammar of
the Hebrew Hieroglyphs applied to the S. Scriptures, containing the
History of the Creation of the Universe and the Fall of Man_, 8^o.
1840. This appears to have been partly _composed_ in type, literally as
well as technically, for the author says that 'a considerable part of
the mental composition is coeval with' the manual labour, which last was
entirely performed by himself. A second book appeared in 1841, _Elements
of Sanscrit Grammar_. A third, _A Dictionary, containing English Words
of difficult Etymology_, tracing them chiefly to Sanscrit roots,
appeared in two vols. 8^o. 1843. Of this the author certifies that
only nine copies were printed, and the one now in the Library was bought
of Mr. Lilly (who had it from the author) for £5 5_s._ in 1855. The
execution of all these volumes does the reverend printer great credit.
The Rev. Dr. J. A. Giles had also a private press for some time in his
house at Bampton, Oxon., which he taught some of the village children to
work, and from which issued some of the publications of the Caxton
Society, but the results were anything but satisfactory, although
probably quite as good as could be expected from such juvenile
compositors.
[338] A previous proposal of this alteration had been rejected by
Convocation on March 17, 1836.
[339] Mr. Coxe had a considerable share in the compilation of the folio
catalogue of the Arundel MSS. preserved in the Museum.