A portion of the collection of Hebrew MSS. formed by Prof. Isaac Sam.
Reggio, at Goritz, amounting to about seventy-two volumes, was purchased
for £108. Many other MSS. in this class of literature occur yearly in
the accounts at this time. But the great acquisition of 1853 was the
_Breviarium secundum regulam beati Ysidori, dictum Mozarabes_, printed
_on vellum_ at Toledo, by command of Cardinal Ximenes, in 1502. £200
were given for this book, which is the only vellum copy known, and which
is in most immaculate condition. It is of extreme rarity even on paper,
as it is believed that only thirty-five copies were printed.
An imperfect copy of Caxton's _Chronicle_, 1480, was bought for £21; and
a large gathering of Norfolk tracts was obtained at the sale of Mr.
Dawson Turner's library.
It was in this year that Dr. Constantine Simonides visited the Library
in the hope of disposing of some of the products of his Eastern
ingenuity, but failed here, as also at the British Museum, although
successful in most other quarters. It is much to be lamented that the
talent and ability which he undoubtedly possessed in no small degree
were devoted to such unworthy purpose as his history discloses. The
story of his interview with Mr. Coxe, then Sub-librarian, is well known,
and was reproduced in an article in the _Cornhill Magazine_ for Oct.
1867 (p. 499); and as the version there given appears to be
substantially correct, it will be sufficient to borrow it from its
pages:--
'On visiting the [Bodleian Library, Mr. Simonides] showed some
fragments of MSS. to Mr. Coxe, who assented to their belonging to
the twelfth century. "And these, Mr. Coxe, belong to the tenth or
eleventh century?" "Yes, probably." "And now, Mr. Coxe, let me show
you a very ancient and valuable MS. I have for sale, and which ought
to be in your Library. To what century do you consider this
belongs?" "This, Mr. Simonides, I have no doubt," said Mr. Coxe,
"belongs to the [latter half of the] nineteenth century." The Greek
and his MS. disappeared.'
An account of this visit was given in the _Athenæum_ for March 1, 1856,
and a full narrative, including a letter from Sir F. Madden respecting
the dealings with Simonides on the part of the British Museum, is to be
found in S. L. Sotheby's _Principia Typographica_, vol. ii. pp.
133-136f[350].
[350] The death of Simonides, from the terrible disease of leprosy, was
announced as having occurred at Cairo in last year.