"Script[=u] p manus Nic[=o]i Belytt Vicecancellarii iiii^{to} die
m[=e]sis Octob^r Anno Dni milles[=i]mo q[=u]icentessimo decimoqu[=i]to
et Lr[=a] dnicalius G et Anno pp henrici octavi sexto."
In the hand of John, father of the more celebrated Ralph Thoresby, is
added:
"Nunc e Libris Jo[/h]is Thoresby de Leedes emp. Executor^{bus} Tho. Dni
Fairfax, 1673."
Through what hands it may have passed since, I have no means of knowing;
but it came into mine from Mr. J. Wilson, 19. Great May's Buildings, St.
Martin's Lane, London, in whose Catalogue for December, 1831, it appeared,
and was purchased by me for 3l. 3s.
There it is conjectured to be of the twelfth century, and from the
character there is no reason to doubt that antiquity. It is on paper, and
has been ill-used. It proceeds no farther than into lib. v. c. xii.,
otherwise, from the beginning complete. The different public libraries of
the country abound in MSS. of this book. It is probable {181} that, under
the civil commotions in the reign of Charles I. the MS. in my possession
came into the hands of General Fairfax, and thence into those of John
Thoresby: so that no blame can possibly attach to the present, or even some
past, generations, of the curators of any library, whether cathedral or
private. It is, at all events, desirable to trace the pedigree of existing
MSS. of important works, where such information is attainable.
Perhaps some of your correspondents may be able to inform me what became of
the library of Ralph Thoresby; for into his possession, there can be little
doubt, it came from his father.