20. Historia Ricardi dicti sine timore ducis Normanniæ, et cet
duc’ succ’.
All which are contained in a single volume, which Mr. Petrie esteemed
among the most important in the Collection.
Exceeding these documents both in antiquity and importance, the
venerable, and undoubtedly original transcript of the Domesday Book
relating to the counties of Cornwall, Somerset, and Devon, demands
the peculiar attention of the literary antiquary and of the professed
historian.
This General Survey was taken locally, and of the original inquisitions
so made, no copies are believed to exist. In the Exeter Domesday,
the lands of each person, wherever situate are entered, occasionally
in different hands, under his name, and where the possessions of
an individual were large he appears to have had a libellus wholly
allotted to himself. Three scribes appear to have been employed in the
transcription of this ancient record, in which it is very remarkable,
entries are invariably made of the stock of deer, sheep, oxen, &c.
upon the lands described. Now as these particulars are omitted in the
Exchequer Domesday, probably as much for the sake of brevity as on
account of the perishable nature of the animals themselves, and as this
minute enumeration could only have resulted from an actual survey, it
appears to me that this portion of the Domesday Book may boast of at
least as high antiquity as the entire record deposited in the archives of
the Exchequer at London.
In arranging the fasciculi of the Exon Domesday in their proper order,
Mr. Barnes had the mortification of observing that at p. 233, a single
leaf had been abstracted, which he recorded in 1810. Subsequent to this
period Mr. Trevelyan called to see the Domesday, and upon the book
being opened, produced from his pocket a leaf, which exactly supplied
the previous hiatus in the record. This leaf it appeared came into
the possession of Mr. Trevelyan, by descent from his ancestor, Dean
Willoughby, who in the time of Henry the Eighth was the Dean of Exeter,
and doubtless he it was who abstracted this identical leaf, either from
curiosity, or a less venial motive. That must however be esteemed a most
fortunate accident, whereby a leaf lost in the time of the Reformation,
has thus been restored in our own, having the effect moreover of
rendering perfect one of the most interesting historical documents in
existence.
To preserve this volume in its primitive integrity, it has been clad in
a rough coat of red russia, confined by a leather strap. The book thus
bound is excessively thick, but measuring ten inches and a half by six
and a half, it wears the aspect of a small folio tome.
It only remains for me to add that the whole of this ancient volume was
faithfully transcribed by Mr. Ralph Barnes, and subsequently published
under the authority of the Commissioners of the Public Records.
Of the Saxon Manuscripts which may claim the highest antiquity, I would
mention a volume of Saxon Poetry, distinctly written upon vellum, and in
excellent preservation, the gift of Leofric, the first Bishop of Exeter,
to his Church. Another Saxon Manuscript, equally well preserved in its
original coverture, contains the Etymological and other Works of Rabanus
Maurus.
Among the other Manuscripts it may suffice to distinguish the Rosa
Medicinæ of John Gadsden, commended by Geoffery Chaucer; and referring to
the Catalogue for the remainder, to notice that all these Manuscripts are
kept in deal presses, under lock and key, in an upper chamber attached to
the Cathedral.
The Library of printed books in the possession of the Dean and Chapter
of Exeter, is now deposited in their Chapter-house, a well proportioned
and well lighted room, with a fire-place at one end, and gallery at the
other, over the entrance door. The chimney-piece is handsomely carved in
stone, and the painted ceiling harmonises well with the antique aspect of
the room, which is also adorned with a view of the adjacent Cathedral.
The books are all well arranged upon open shelves around the room in the
following order, viz. A and B. English Theology, 1600-1700, two cases; C
and D. Bibles and Commentators, two cases; E. Fathers, and Ecclesiastical
History, one case; F. Miscellaneous Theology; G and H. Classics; I and
J. History and Biography; K. Poetry and Oratory; and L. Miscellaneous
Theology. The gallery is also appropriated to books placed upon open
shelves, the entire Collection probably amounting to between five and
six thousand volumes. The books are chiefly bound in old calf, and the
volumes have been relettered, so as to inform the stranger of their
contents, and relieve the sombre uniformity of their attire.
The most ancient Catalogue in this Library, is a tall folio, containing
a brief enumeration of the books in the Library, specifying their titles
and sizes, as well as the place and dates, with reference to the shelves
on which they were then placed. This volume is entitled “Catalogus
Librorum in Bibliothecâ Ecclesiæ Sti Petri Exon.” is lettered on the
binding, “Catalogus Librorum, 1683.”
From a later hand we have also a Catalogue of several duplicates in the
Library of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter’s, Exon.
Some indolent Librarian has subsequently interleaved Hyde’s Catalogue of
the Bodleian Library, in two volumes, folio, and has inserted therein
such books of the Chapter Library as are not already contained in its
printed pages, with references from the latter to the shelves.
The only complete Catalogue extant of this Library is that written by
order of Dean Lyttelton, but compiled in the most careless manner, all
mention of the places, dates, or names of the printers, or sizes of each
Work, being uniformly omitted, and their titles given in the most summary
and unsatisfactory manner. This volume—a tall and narrow folio, in coarse
clothing, bears the title of “A Catalogue of the Books in the Library of
St. Peter’s, Exon, taken as they now stand on the shelves, under each
Alphabet, 1752.”
To remedy the want of a more perfect Catalogue, seven Fasciculi,
embracing the Theological Department of the Collection, have been written
in enumeration of the titles, dates, and imprints of the several Works
therein contained, but without any specification of the sizes of the
books. But of the remaining portion of the Library, no other Catalogue
whatever, except a rough Index to the shelves, has been made. A complete
Catalogue, therefore, of this Library, is, even in manuscript, greatly
to be desired; but, for facility of reference, its arrangement should be
alphabetical, as a separate Index to the different cases might easily
be added. It would be also desirable that each Work should be described
with that attention to bibliographical minuteness which may ensure the
accuracy of the Catalogue, and render it worthy of being perpetuated by
the power of the press.
The book plate whereby the volumes of the Dean and Chapter are marked as
their own, is an engraving of an Ecclesiastical Seal, representing the
Bishop on his throne, having a model of the Cathedral in his left hand,
and holding a key in his right hand, the motto being: “The Cathedral
Library at Exeter, Anno Domⁿⁱ, 1749.” This plate has been re-engraved
with the date “An. Dom. 1822.”
The character of this Library is principally Theological, rather more
than one-half of its entire contents being composed of Works of Divinity.
It has also some respectable Classics, and some curious volumes relating
to the History of England.
The Typographical antiquary will find little to interest him in this
Collection; for if religious, he may sigh in vain for “The Seuen
Penetencyall Psalmes,” or if only curious, will fruitlessly seek “The
Merry Geste of how the Plowman learned his Pater Noster.”
Works of Divinity occupy so large a space upon these shelves, and so
many of them have long ago fallen into merited oblivion, that, without
attempting “to drag reluctant dulness into day,” I will proceed at once
to the succinct enumeration of the principal features of this department.
Among the Impressions of the Sacred Text, I noticed a very fine copy
in calf of Plantin’s Polyglott, published at Antwerp by that excellent
printer between the years 1568 and 1572, and one of the usual copies of
Walton’s Polyglott, with Castell’s Lexicon. I also remarked copies of the
Biblia Hebraica, Vander Hooght. Amst. 1705, fol.
Biblia Hebraica, Houbigant. Lutet. Par. 1753, 4 vols. folio.
Biblia Hebraica, Kennicott. Oxonii, 1776, 2 v. fol.
Biblia Græca. Francofurti, 1597, folio.
Biblia Latina. Lutetiæ, 1545.
Biblia Latina, Tremellii et Junii. Londini, 1685.
Biblia Latina Castalionis. Basileæ, 1573.
Biblia Sacra Pagnini. Londini, 1541.
Biblia Vulgata. Antverpiæ, 1599.
Biblia Sacra Diodati. Genevæ, 1641.
Biblia Virginiana. Cantabr. Nov. Angl. 1661.
The Bible in English, printed at Oxford in 1680, folio, uniformly bound
with the Common Prayer of the same date in coeval red morocco, and the
Bible with Notes by D’Oyly and Mant, in 3 vols. 4to.
Of detached portions of the Scripture, I may mention the Oxford
Septuagint, superintended by Messrs. Holmes and Parsons, and that edited
by Breitenger at Zurich.
Novum Testamentum Græcum. Amst. 1735.
Novum Testamentum Græcum, Bezæ. Cantab. 1642.
Novum Testamentum Græcum Millii. Oxonii, 1707, folio. And the
Impressions of Wetstein and Stephens.
The New Testament of Bowyer. London, 1783, with his
“Conjectures,” in 3 volumes 4to.
Fulke’s Rhemish Testament. London, 1633.
The Psalms by Thomas Ravenscroft. London, 1633.
The Psalms in Metre. Edinburgh, 1635.
Psalterium Latino-Saxonicum.
An imperfect Copy of the Pentateuchus Hebraicus. Ulyssip. 1491,
folio, from the collection of De Rossi at Parma, recently
attired in the plainest calf.
The Heptateuchus Saxonicus, edente Thwaites. Oxonii.
I may here also notice the Common Prayer Book of Edward the Sixth, 1552,
folio, and the authorised Version of Common Prayer, 14 Car. II. 1662, to
which the original Seal is still appended. These two Volumes are kept
with the Manuscripts in the upper chamber already described.