These projecting cases are placed on each side of the Chapel, in a series
descending from what was once the altar to the wooden screen, which
divides the part appropriated to the Library from the lower portion of
the Chapel.
On entering the Library, the Manuscripts consequently are the first to
attract attention, and, being both curious and valuable, shall be here
described in the first place.
One of the most important is a manuscript copy of Wickliffe’s Bible,
folio, imperfect at the beginning of Genesis, and the end of the
Apocalypse, written upon vellum, and recently bound in calf. There are
also very beautiful Manuscripts, upon vellum, of the Biblia Latina, S.
Hieronymi, in folio, with illuminations, the gift of Stephen Boughton,
afterwards Canon of Worcester; and of the Decreta Gratiani, cum apparatu,
also illuminated, and in its pristine coverture of oak, bearing on the
side under horn, the following inscription in Gothic characters:
“Decreta. Ex dono i̅n̅ Olkeym Lloid legum doctoris.”
There is also a very ancient Manuscript upon vellum, in the Roman
character, of the “Eꝑlæ S. Pauli,” in quarto, bearing this Inscription,
indicative at once of its antiquity and its worth:
“Liber sã Guthlaci de prioratu Herefordie.”
I will next proceed to specify the most remarkable of these Manuscripts
without stopping to indicate the substance upon which each has been
written, it being unnecessary to premise that the more ancient, and in
this case the greater number, are upon vellum.
Besides the S. Biblia Veteris et Novi Testamenti per Hieronymum, Latine,
folio, and, Evangelia Quatuor Latinè versa, quarto, there are manuscripts
of various portions of the Bible, and Homilies by several of the Fathers.
I also noticed folios, containing the Works of Saints Augustine,
Chrysostom, Bernard, Eusebius, and Jerome, together with many Glosses and
Postillæ, Decretals and Pandects.
I also observed the Historia Scholastica of Comestor, and Sermones Petri
Comestoris in folio. A curious volume in quarto, containing—
“Vita Christi per Bonaventuram; Vita S. Francisci, et Vitæ Inclusarum
Anglicè per Ricardum de Hampul. Item, The Way of Perfection by Henry
Chambernon,” and Guilielmi de Sancto Amore Collectio, &c. quarto, more
interesting from the tradition connected with it, than from its contents,
as every one will readily admit, who reads within it:—“Hic liber
pertinuisse videtur ad Hugonem Latimerum. Episc. et Martyrem.”
As connected with the early History and Ordinances of the Church, we
have the well known Constitutiones Clementinæ glossatæ à Joanne Andrea,
folio; the Institutiones et Codex Justiniani-Chronica Martini Papæ, &c.
folio; Sylloge Conciliorum Ecclesiarum Orientalium et Occidentalium,
à Martino Bracarensi Episcopo facta, folio; Acta et Statuta quædam
de Fratribus Mendicantibus, &c. folio; Eusebii Cæsariensis Historia
Ecclesiastica, Latinè per Rufinum, cum Supplemento ad obitum Theodosii
Magni, folio; Ludovici de Padua, Tabula in Jus Canon, et Civil. folio;
Joannes de Bromyard Tractatus Juris Civilis et Canonici, folio; and the
Constitutiones Provinciales et Legatinæ, cum Commentariis in easdem.
Independently of Augustini de Civitate Dei, Sermones et Epistolæ, and
Hieronymi Epistolæ, et Tractatus varii, there are the Works of Saints
Anselm and Gregory; Joannis Damasceni Opera; Cassianus de Collationibus
Patrum; and Nicolai de Lyra super V. Libros Moysis, &c. folio; together
with Petri de Capua Dictionum Biblicarum Explanatio ordine Alphabetico,
folio.
In the Theology of the middle ages we meet with the subtleties of Thomas
Aquinas, and Joannes Duns Scotus super IV Sentent. folio, as well as
with Adhelmus de Virginitate, &c. 4to.; Nicolai de Gorram Distinctiones
Rerum Theologicarum, A.D. 1400, folio; Roberti Crickladensis, Cognomine
Canuti, (Knight) de Connubio Jacobi Patriarchæ, 4to.; Josephi De
Burgo, Cancellarii Cantabrigiensis, Liber qui dicitur Pupilla Oculi,
folio; Alcwini Diaconi Speculum Morale, 4to.; Ægidii Romani, Eremitæ
Augustiniani, Liber de Regimine Principum, folio; and Hugonis de Sancto
Victore Liber de Claustro animæ, folio.
As connected with British History, I may mention the following
interesting volume:
Bedæ, Venerabilis, Historia Anglicana Ecclesiastica Libris V. cum
Epilogio de Obitu Bedæ; et Chronologia Archiepiscoporum Cantuariensium ab
Augustino ad præsens tempus; i. e. Thomæ de Arundel. Archiep. Cantuar.
folio.
Of Classical Authors, the Manuscripts are few, yet amid such a mass of
obsolete divinity, it is pleasant to recognise the following:
Ciceronis liber de Inventione Rhetoricâ cum Glossâ, et Fulberti Episcopi
de Differentiâ Rhetoricæ & Dialecticæ. Item, Liber de Officio Oratoris
ad Herennium, 4to.; Boethii de Consolatione Philosophiæ cum Comm. 4to.;
and Petri de Crescentiis, Civis Bononiensis, de Ruralibus Commodis,
folio; to which I may add the celebrated Catholicon Januense, folio;
Isidori Hispalensis Etymologiarum Liber, folio; and Osberni Monachi
Gloucestrensis, Panormia; seu Linguæ Latinæ Dictionarium; scilicet,
Vocabula, Derivationes, &c. folio.
With these and the mention of the once popular Bartholomæus de
Proprietatibus Rerum, 4to.; and Jacobi Januensis Aurea Legenda, folio; I
shall conclude my account of the Manuscripts, which form the most ancient
portion of the Hereford Cathedral Library, the contents of which are
briefly enumerated in the order in which the volumes themselves stand
upon the shelves, for being all chained, this order cannot be materially
disturbed.
This list occupies nine leaves at the end of the folio volume, which
contains the Catalogue of the printed books, and bears the following
title: “Catalogus omnium Codicum Manuscriptorum in Bibliothecâ
Herefordensi.”
I observed, lying upon the table 93 pages of a printed Catalogue of the
Manuscripts in the possession of Sir Thomas Phillipps, at Middle Hill in
Worcestershire, arranged according to the Collections, or under the names
of the booksellers from which they had been purchased, with this general
title: Catalogus Librorum MSS. in Bibliothecâ Philippicâ, folio; which
I regarded as a temporary expedient to assist the recollection of their
owner, for a Collection so valuable and extensive ought to receive such
a detailed description as that given by the accurate and indefatigable
O’Conor of the invaluable Manuscripts at Stowe. Let us therefore hope
that the “Bibliotheca Philippica” may one day be rightly set forth juxta
exemplar “Bibliothecæ MS. Stowensis.”
We come now to the remaining and most extensive department of this
venerable Library, which includes the printed books, which are briefly
enumerated in a thin folio volume, entitled “Catalogus omnium impressorum
Librorum Bibliothecæ Ecclesiæ Cathedralis Herefordensis juxta ordinem
alphabeticum digestus.”
The true bibliographer, (Spirit of envy, say not bibliomaniac), will
imagine with what pleasure I turned from the vague indication of ‘Legenda
Aurea’ in this Catalogue, to its corresponding number on the shelves, and
found it to be the veritable Golden Legende of William Caxton.
To those who in Dibdinian phraseology are familiar with this “thumping
folio,” I need say no more than that it is very sound in the middle,
though much stained at the end; and that it is preserved in its original
binding of stamped calf, with the brass knobs and clasps. This copy is
however unfortunately defective at the end, wanting all the leaves after
“folio cccc.xxxix.” It also wants the Prologue and Table, five leaves,
beginning with folio i. and continuing entire to folio cccc.xxxix.
inclusive.
As a meet companion to this noble specimen of the early English press,
I may cite a very fine early Terence, in a rude Roman type, without
any distinction of verses, or name of printer, place, or date. This
interesting volume consists of 246 leaves, and has 35 lines in a full
page. It commences with the life of Publius Terentius Afer, having the
first letter illuminated, and ends with these verses:
“Qui cupit obtrusam frugem gustasse Terenti
Donatum querat noscere grammaticum.”
It is bound up with a Manuscript of Terence, entitled, “Pars Comœd.
P. Terentii, partim MS. cum Expos. Florii,” &c. apparently in an old
English hand; and at the end of the volume, in Gothic character, is this
inscription: “Liber est sui Olkeym Lloid.” The book retains its original
wooden binding, covered with calf, and confined by clasps. On the centre
of its right side, under a plate of horn is the following inscription
upon paper, in the Gothic character:
“Terenciᵘˢ cu̅ donato. Ex dono m̅. Olkeym Lloyd, qu̅dam Canonum
huj’ Ecclie.—”
Whilst on the subject of early printed books, I may mention Higden’s
Polychronicon, printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1495; Lyndewode,
Provinciale, in double columns, of Gothic letter, with the date of
1433, doubtless by a lapse of the numeral and intended for 1483, folio;
Bartholomæus de Proprietatibus Rerum, Argentorati, 1485, folio; and
the Commentaries of Nicholas de Lyra, printed at Venice in 1485, in
5 volumes, folio; Breydenbach, Peregrinationes in terram sanctam,
Antverpiæ, 1490, fol.; Ptolomæi Geographia, Ulmæ, 1486, fol.; and
though last, not least, a very fine and found copy of Nonius Marcellus
de Proprietate Latini Sermonis, printed at Venice by the unrivalled
Nicolas Jenson in 1476, folio. This beautiful copy has the first letter
illuminated, and the arms of some former, probably its earliest,
possessor, printed at the foot of the first page. It is preserved in its
pristine coverture of wood, and is quite perfect, having the table at the
end.
Of impressions of the Holy Bible, the student of the Scriptures will
peruse with satisfaction the following succinct enumeration thereof:
Biblia Polyglotta, Montani. Antverpiæ, 1568, folio, 8 vols.
Biblia Polyglotta, Waltoni. Londini, 1657, folio, 6 vols. cum
Castelli Lexicon. 2 vols. fol.
Biblia Hebræa, cum Rabbinorum Comment. Basil. 4 vols. folio.
Biblia Hebræa, per Munster. Basileæ. 1543, 2 vols. folio.
Biblia Hebræa, per Kimchi. Parisiis, 1543, 5 vols. 4to.
Biblia Græca, per Wechel. Francofurti, 1597.
Biblia Græca, per Grabe. Oxonii, 1707, 2 vols. fol.
Biblia Latina, per S. Hieronymum, Norimbergæ. 1501, folio.
Biblia Latina, per Jo. Castalionem. Basileæ, 1556, folio.
Biblia Latina, per Pagninum. Parisiis, Stephani, 1557, folio.
Biblia Latina, per Lovanium. Antverpiæ, 1570, fol.
Biblia Latina, per Junium et Tremellium. Hanoviæ, 1596 et 1624,
folio.
{ Barker. London, 1611, folio.
{ Norton and Bill. London, 1629, folio.
The Bible in English, { John Cousturier, “permissu superiorum
printed by { at the College of Doway.” 1635, 4to.
{ Field. Cambridge, 1660, folio.
Novum Testamentum Gr. Millii. Oxonii, 1707, folio.
Novum Testamentum Gr. Erasmi. Basileæ, 1527, 1555 & 1570, folio.
Psalterium Hebr. Gr. Arab. et Chald. 1516, folio.