Note 337 — ANNALS OF THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY. (continued 5)

Mr. Davy has had a rival, with much more success, within late years in the Rev. Thos. R. Brown, M.A., Vicar of Southwick, Northamptonshire. The Library possesses three works written and printed by this gentleman in his own house. The first is entitled, A Grammar of the Hebrew Hieroglyphs applied to the S. Scriptures, containing the History of the Creation of the Universe and the Fall of Man, 8o. 1840. This appears to have been partly composed in type, literally as well as technically, for the author says that 'a considerable part of the mental composition is coeval with' the manual labour, which last was entirely performed by himself. A second book appeared in 1841, Elements of Sanscrit Grammar. A third, A Dictionary, containing English Words of difficult Etymology, tracing them chiefly to Sanscrit roots, appeared in two vols. 8o. 1843. Of this the author certifies that only nine copies were printed, and the one now in the Library was bought of Mr. Lilly (who had it from the author) for £5 5s. in 1855. The execution of all these volumes does the reverend printer great credit. The Rev. Dr. J. A. Giles had also a private press for some time in his house at Bampton, Oxon., which he taught some of the village children to work, and from which issued some of the publications of the Caxton Society, but the results were anything but satisfactory, although probably quite as good as could be expected from such juvenile compositors.