Walton’s Polyglott of 1657, with Castell’s Lexicon.
The Biblia Polyglotta Montani, printed by Plantin, at Antwerp,
in 1569, in 5 volumes folio.
the three last named articles being bound in calf; and a pretty correct
estimate may be formed of the Biblical treasures of the Lichfield
Cathedral Library.
In Divinity there are numerous Works, many of which are too
insignificant, and others of too common occurrence to mention; but to
give some idea of the value of the Library in this its most important
department, it may suffice to enumerate,
The Bibliotheca Maxima and Bibliotheca Patrum, printed at Paris
in 1624, in 5 vols. folio, all in calf.
Bingham’s Works, in 2 vols. folio. London, 1726, a fine copy in
old calf.
To which may be added the Works of Eusebius, Newton, Usher, Erasmus,
Mosheim, Grotius, Warburton, and Calvin; Pole’s Synopsis, and the Critici
Sacri.
In Ecclesiastical History we find the valuable Works of Echard and Dupin;
Basnage’s History of the Jews; Cressy’s Church History of Brittany;
Wilkins’ Concilia; Strype’s Annals; Walker’s Sufferings of the Clergy;
the Ecclesiastical Annals of Baronius; Fuller’s Church History; the
Historia Martyrum of Fox, Basileæ, 1559, folio; and Fox’s History of
Martyrs, London, 1641, folio; and Bedæ Historia Anglicana Ecclesiastica,
Antverpiæ, 1550, folio.
In relation to the History of England, we find the following valuable
and interesting Works, Dugdale’s Monasticon Anglicanum; History of
St. Paul’s, and of Warwickshire, and View of the Troubles; Camden’s
Britannia; Clarendon’s History of the Rebellion; Burnet’s History
of his own time; Daniel’s History of England; Rushworth’s Historical
Collections; Speed’s Chronicle; Baker’s Chronicle, London, 1679,
folio; Holinshed’s Chronicles, in folio; Gul. Neubrigensis Historia
Rerum Anglicarum curante Thoma Hearne, 3 vols. 8vo.; Virunnii Historia
Britonum; Bracton de Legibus Angliæ; Lyndewode’s Provinciale; Kennet’s
History of England, together with the Domesday Book, and the whole Series
of Records and other Documents published under the authority of the
Parliamentary Commission. Add to these Buchanan and Drummond’s Histories
of Scotland; Wynne’s History of Wales; and in British Topography, Stow’s
London; Willis’ Cathedrals; Plot’s Oxfordshire; Dart’s Canterbury
Cathedral; Grew’s Rarities; and Bentham’s Ely.
In General History the valuable collections of Grævius and Gronovius,
with the indispensable Supplements of Poleno and Sallengre; Thuani
Historia sui Temporis; Puffendorff’s Works; the English version of
Montfaucon, by Humphries; the Chronicles of Froissart and Monstrelet, and
Bayle’s Dictionary, are the most conspicuous features of this Collection.
Kæmpfer’s Japan, and Norden’s Egypt, also adorn this department of the
Library.
In Heraldry, a few valuable Works may be here enumerated, Guillim’s
Heraldry, 1660; Milles’ Catalogue of Honor; and Ashmole’s History of the
Garter, London, 1672, all in folio.
In Philology, it is a pleasure to recount such Works as Ducange’s
Glossarium; Photii Bibliotheca; Hickes’ Thesaurus; Spelman’s Works;
Stephani Thesaurus, and Junii Etymologicum Anglicanum.
In Geography, Cluvierii Geographia Antiqua, in folio, and Cook’s Voyages,
in 4to. alone met my observation.
In Poetry, I merely noticed the Works of Spenser, of 1679, and Du Bartas’
Divine Works and Weeks, whence Milton is said to have borrowed sundry
ideas of his immortal Work.
Of Classic Authors, the editions contained within these walls are
generally speaking neither the first nor the best, with the exception of
the Editio Princeps of Appian, printed by Stephens at Paris, in 1551,
folio; and Butler’s Æschylus, in 4to.
In Miscellaneous Literature, I may notice the Works of Addison and Bacon,
of Swift and Fielding, with divers other modern authors of lesser note,
including the long series of the Gentleman’s Magazine, the veritable “Old
Parr of Periodicals.”
I may also mention Selden’s famous Treatise of the Mare Clausum, written
in reply to the Mare Liberum of the justly celebrated Grotius; and
Drelincourt on Death, a book which, if I recollect rightly, was often
mentioned with respect by Samuel Johnson, the first edition of whole
Life, by Boswell, in 2 volumes, 4to. is appropriately placed in the
Capitular Library of his native town.
I also noticed Digges’ Compleat Ambassador; Pluvinel’s Horsemanship, both
in folio; and Burney and Hawkins’ History of Music, both in 4to; together
with Reading’s Catalogue of Sion College Library, London, 1724, as books
not often to be found within the precincts of any Cathedral.
The Catalogue of this Library is a manuscript volume, written apparently
some time ago, wherein the Books are enumerated in alphabetical order,
the subsequent additions to the Library being entered on the opposite
pages which have been left blank for this purpose.
A Classed Catalogue appears to have been in contemplation, but never to
have been continued beyond a few pages.
A Book of the names of the Books taken out of the Library by the Dean
and Chapter, who alone have the right to use it, the Canon in residence
always keeping the key, is very properly laid upon the same table with
the Catalogue itself.
[Illustration]
Library of Lincoln.
This ancient Library, which suffered much from conflagration about the
middle of the seventeenth century, was munificently restored to more than
its pristine splendour by Michael Honeywood, then Dean of Lincoln.
The portrait of this eminent divine, by Cornelius Jansen, with that of
his grandmother, adorns the room which contains what remains of his once
extensive Collection, which the ruthless hand of the unlettered spoiler
has deprived of some of its brightest ornaments.
The Manuscripts are now carefully lettered and admirably arranged,
though, as formerly a few shillings were sufficient to induce the verger
to allow the excision by any “curious stranger” of the illuminated
capitals, many of the volumes are lamentably mutilated and defective.
Latin Bibles, Psalters, Glosses & Postillæ, upon vellum and on paper,
form the principal features of the Manuscript Library, which is deposited
in the ante-room over the Cloisters adjoining the Cathedral.
On these shelves I also observed a Manuscript of Comestor’s Historia
Scholastica; and of Bartholomeus de Proprietatibus Rerum; together with
an interesting Diurnall of Proceedings in Parliament kept in 1640.
But the most curious and valuable Manuscript in this Collection, is
a volume upon paper of Old English Romances, of the date of 1430-40,
collected by Robert de Thornton, who was Archdeacon of Bedford in 1450,
and lies buried in Lincoln Cathedral. This interesting volume has been
enriched by a table of contents, and some elucidatory notes by Sir F.
Madden, of the British Museum, and adorned with a coating of red russia,
which may bid defiance to decay.
The Library of Printed Books, all of which are labelled on the back, is
contained in a spacious Gallery one hundred and four feet by seventeen,
being the whole length of one side of the Cathedral Cloisters, and having
the books on open shelves on the right hand, and a range of windows on
the left; but no convenience for producing artificial heat.
The Manuscript Catalogue, which lies on the table, appears to have been
copied verbatim from another of older date, and to have been continued by
the entry of successive additions.
On turning to the father of the English Press, I found a Poesy of most
pungent odour, the true ‘Lincolne Nosegay,’ which any Roxburgher might
be proud to wear in his button-hole at the yearly festival of those true
lovers of black letter. I give the entry exactly as I found it in the
Catalogue; but, grievous to relate, neither high nor low were these gems
seen to sparkle on the shelves of this sadly bereaved Repository.
“Caxton, Chronicle & Description of Britaine, 1480, folio.
“Scala Perfectionis, 1494, fol.
“Chesse Play, 1474, fol.
“Cato, 1483, fol.
“Quære. Dictes & Sayinges of Philosophers, 1500.
“Reynard the Fox, 4to.
“Trans. of Hist. of Jason, 1481, 4to.”
I own this last article puzzled me considerably; for could it be the
true Jason with this recent date? but the well known initials ‘T. F. D.’
attached in pencil to the Cato, and the queried Dictes and Sayinges led
me to hope that they at least might yet be in existence; and imagining
that they might be preserved among the Curiosities which the Dean and
Chapter had taken, as I was informed, under their especial protection,
I addressed a note of enquiry to the Librarian, stating my reasons for
believing that, as some of the Caxtons appeared to have been inspected
by Dr. Dibdin so late as 1816, they must still exist, though I could not
find them.
The obliging answer which I in consequence received from the present
Librarian of Lincoln I give exactly as I received it, that those who are
anxious for the integrity of those great Collections which the wise and
the good of former ages have handed down to us, may learn from hence
the necessity of devising means whereby such treasures may be preserved
unimpaired and intact for posterity, more effectual than those which the
venerable consort of Michael Honeywood, happily in no wise prescient of
the future fate of these literary treasures, devised. But let us have the
fact from the pen of Mr. Garvey.
Lincoln, June 17, 1833.