Previous to receiving the appointment of Norroy King at Arms, Oldys wrote a
short account of his own life, which is now in my possession; and as it
contains some interesting particulars of his connexion with the Earl of
Oxford, in the formation of the magnificent collection of manuscripts now
in the British Museum, I have forwarded a copy of it, which you are at
liberty to make use of, if suited to the pages of "N. & Q."
"After my unfortunate adventures in the South Sea, my long and
expensive law-suits for the recovery of my right, and five years'
retirement to a nobleman's in the country, with whom I had been
intimate in my youth, I became, in less than two years after my return
to London, first known to the Earl of Oxford in the year 1731; when he
invited me to show him my collections of MSS. Historical and Political,
which had been the Earl of Clarendon's; my collections of Royal
Letters, and other Papers of State; together with a very large
collection of English heads in sculpture, which alone had taken me up
some years to collect, at the expense of at least threescore pounds.
All these, with the catalogues I drew up of them, at his lordship's
request, I parted with to him for forty pounds, and the frequent
intimations he gave me of a more substantial recompense hereafter,
which intimations induced me to continue my historical researches, as
what would render me most acceptable to him. Therefore I left off
writing in the _Universal Spectator_, in which I had then published
about twenty papers, and was proffered the sole supply thereof; which
would have returned me fifty-two guineas per annum.
"Further, when his lordship understood that my printed books consisted
chiefly of personal history, he desired catalogues of them also: which
I drew out, and he had several large parcels of the most scarce and
curious amongst them, in the two years following; for which, though I
never received more than five guineas, not the fourth part of their
value, yet his friendly deportment towards me increased my attachment
and zeal to oblige him. This friendship he further exerted, in the
{530} assistance he afforded me out of his own library, and procured of
his friends, towards completing my _Life of Sir Walter Raleigh_; and
his opinion of the further encouragement I therein deserved may appear
in the letters he honoured me with upon that occasion. But as to money,
the five guineas more he gave me upon my presenting him with the
_Life_, and the _History of the World_ annexed to it, in 1736, was all
that I ever received from him in five years. In the latter end of the
year 1737 I published my _British Librarian_; and when his lordship
understood how unproportionate the advantages it produced were to the
time and labour bestowed upon it, he said he would find me employment
better worth my while. Also, when he heard that I was making interest
with Sir Robert Walpole, through the means of Commissioner Hill, to
present him with an abstract of some ancient deeds I had relating to
his ancestors, and which I have still, his lordship induced me to
decline that application, saying, though he could not do as grand
things as Sir Robert, he would do that which might be as agreeable to
me, if I would disengage myself from all other persons and pursuits. I
had then also had, for several years, some dependence upon a nobleman,
who might have served me in the government, and had, upon certain
motives, settled an annuity upon me of twenty pounds a year. This I
resigned to the said nobleman for an incompetent consideration, and
signed a general release to him, in May, 1738, that I might be wholly
independent, and absolutely at my Lord Oxford's command. I was likewise
then under an engagement with the undertakers of the _Supplement to
Bayle's Dictionary_. I refused to digest the materials I then had for
this work under an hundred pounds a year, till it was finished; but
complied to take forty shillings a sheet for what I should write, at
such intervals as my business would permit: for this clause I was
obliged to insert, in the articles then executed between them and
myself, in March the year aforesaid whereby I reserved myself free for
his lordship's service. And though I proposed, their said offer would
be more profitable to me than my own, yet my lord's employment of me,
from that time, grew so constant, that I never finished above three or
four lives for that work, to the time of his death. All these
advantages did I thus relinquish, and all other dependence, to serve
his lordship. And now was I employed at auctions, sales, and in writing
at home, in transcribing my own collections or others for his lordship,
till the latter part of the year 1739; for which services I received of
him about 150 pounds. In November the same year I first entered his
library of manuscripts, whereunto I came daily, sorted and methodised
his vast collection of letters, to be bound in many volumes; made
abstracts of them, and tables to each volume; besides working at home,
mornings and evenings, for the said library. Then, indeed, his
lordship, considering what beneficial prospects and possessions I had
given up, to serve him, and what communications I voluntarily made to
his library almost every day, by purchases which I never charged, and
presents out of whatever was most worthy of publication among my own
collections, of which he also chose what he pleased, whenever he came
to my chambers, which I have since greatly wanted, I did thenceforward
receive of him two hundred pounds a-year, for the short remainder of
his life. Notwithstanding this allowance, he would often declare in
company before me, and in the hearing of those now alive, that he
wished I had been some years sooner known to him than I was; because I
should have saved him many hundred pounds.
"The sum of this case is, that for the profit of about 500l. I devoted
the best part of ten years' service to, and in his lordship's library;
impoverished my own stores to enrich the same; disabled myself in my
studies, and the advantages they might have produced from the publick;
deserted the pursuits which might have obtained me a permanent
accommodation and procured the prejudice and misconceit of his
lordship's surviving relations. But the profits I received were
certainly too inconsiderable to raise any envy or ill will; tho' they
might probably be conceived much greater than they were. No, it was
what his lordship made me more happy in, than his money, which has been
the cause of my greatest unhappiness with them; his favour, his
friendly reception and treatment of me; his many visits at my chambers;
his many invitations by letters, and otherwise, to dine with him, and
pass whole evenings with him; for no other end, but such intelligence
and communications, as might answer the inquiries wherein he wanted to
be satisfied, in relation to matters of literature, all for the benefit
of his library. Had I declined those invitations, I must, with great
ingratitude, have created his displeasure; and my acceptance of them
has displeased others. Some survivors would surely, in respect to the
memory of such a noble and honourable person, not totally disregard
what he had so distinguished; but think a man worthy of being
recommended to some provision, whom he, after a very deliberate
experience, had seen reason so decently to provide for. I look upon
most places of attendance at Court to be an idle, loytering, empty
course of life; in which a man is obliged to dress expensively, keep
frothy, vain, or vicious company, and to have the salary more
backwardly paid than in other places. Therefore I should prefer some
office in the Revenue, rather than to be upon the Civil List.
"Any clerkship, that must double a man down to a desk for a set of
hours, morning and afternoon, he should be inured to from his youth, to
be {531} anything dextrous or easy in; but one, who has been the
greatest part of his life master of his own time and thoughts, has his
head pre-occupied; at least is commonly fitter for the direction than
the execution of business; unless it be such in which his head will
concur with his hand. Besides, not to mention other incongruities, how
would it fit a man, growing in years, to be company for a pack of young
clerks? or, how could he hope to be continued, of such honourable
persons, as should recommend him even to that situation, but might with
the same trouble to something more convenient for him?
"I have been assured by persons of experience, that an handsome post is
not only sooner procured as having less candidates, but a man's
pretension is more regarded. Whereas, in business of ordinary or mean
account, his merits and abilities are thought proportionable, and
therefore his pretension or request is less regarded. Besides, places
that are something considerable, are generally less slavish and
engrossing of a man's time; which, God knows, I desire not to be better
employed than mine is, and may be by myself; only, a part of it more
profitably: and yet, the convenience of such leisure, with the credit
attending such a place, I should more value than the profit.
"There is a common advice, that a man should not put in for everything,
because it implys too high thoughts of his own sufficiency, as if he
thought himself fit for everything: which is the character of an
arrogant and conceited coxcomb. This offering of one's self, without
latitude or limitation, is indeed one extreme; but the other is, to
nail one's self down to some one individual place, like a dainty guest,
that can taste but of one dish, and so wait for the vacancy; wherein he
is led, by his own election, first to go barefoot (perhaps to his
grave) in waiting for a dead man's shoes; and when he is dead, then he
shall probably see another wear them. So that any vacancy which will
accommodate the candidate with a competency suitable to his condition
and qualifications; or, at least, equal to what he has appeared in, and
decently enjoyed, cannot, 'tis presumed, be thought unreasonable.
"Two or three hundred a year may be thought a very liberal allowance
from a single person; in places of the government 'tis thought no
burden, because the publick contributions are settled for the payment:
there is no new charge or salary created, and they have stood the test
of various changes or revolutions in the administrations. If I were to
be restored to a place of two hundred a year now, it would not be by
one fourth part of the advantage to me that it might have been five
years since: for I should look upon myself in conscience obliged to
sequester so much, even though I should live long enough to enjoy such
a place ten years, to re-imburse such friends as have assisted me in
all that time, but can no longer now. So that this one act of
accommodation would indeed save more persons than one from ruin."
If it is not already known that Oldys obtained the appointment of Norroy
through the intercession of Sir Peter Thompson, to whom the above
autobiographic sketch was addressed, I think I can confidently assert such
was the fact. I am collecting materials for biographical notices of the
King's Heralds and Pursuivants-at-Arms. Will you permit me, through the
medium of "N. & Q.," to make known to your correspondents that I have such
a work in hand; and that I should be obliged for any unpublished
particulars, either relative to Oldys, or any other members of the College
of Arms.