Library of Carlisle.

The Library of the Dean and Chapter of this Cathedral is placed in a small room immediately adjoining the Chapter-house, which stands in the quiet close contiguous to the Cathedral.

The books are all arranged upon open shelves, and labelled at the back in accordance with the several Manuscript Catalogues which have from time to time been made of this collection.

Of these the first is a small folio, in the handwriting of one person, entitled “Catalogus Librorum in Bibliothecâ Carliolensi repositorum ordine alphabetico digestus. Georgius Fleming, LL.D. Decanus Carliol.” The next consists of two larger folios, whereof the first is entitled, “Catalogus Librorum in Bibliothecâ Carliol. ordine alphabetico digestus;” and the second “Catalogus Librorum secundum Classes (Literis Capitalibus signatas, numeris ordinalibus notatas) dispositorum.” The last Catalogue, compiled in 1821, is also in folio, and arranged in alphabetical order, the references to the books being copied from the preceding Catalogues; but the imprints and dates of the books are not given in this last enumeration of their titles.

The principal feature of this Library is theological, ponderous folios of obsolete divinity in dark, unlettered calf, and smaller controversial treatises, now deservedly forgotten, occupying a large space upon these dusty shelves.

In all this mass of Divinity the works of St. Anselm, St. Chrysostom, Tertullian, St. Athanasius, Justin, Origen, Lactantius, the Gregories, and Theophylact, with Eusebii Præparatio and Demonstratio Evangelica, printed at Paris in 1628, in 2 volumes folio, and other Fathers of the Church, form prominent features. But perhaps the most correct idea of this department may be formed by a cursory survey of its component parts:—the Polyglott Bible of Walton, with a defective copy of Castell’s Lexicon. Biblia Latina Castalionis, printed at Basle, in folio. Coverdale’s English Bible of the date of 1553. (G. III. 1.) and the Catalogue mentions another “old English Bible, temp. Henry VIII.” which I could not find, though numbered A. VI. 18. a Spanish and an Italian, and a small quarto Hebrew Bible. Bagster’s Latin Bible of 1824, in 12mo. calf. Novum Testamentum Gr: Millii. Oxonii, 1707, in 2 vols. fol. Geddes’ Translation of the Scriptures, printed at London, in 2 vols. 4to. in 1792. Poli Synopsis and the Critici Sacri. Canones et Decreta Concilia Tridentini. Concilia Generalia et Provincialia. Parisiis, 1636, in folio. Quick’s Synodicon in Gallia Reformatâ. Bishop Overall’s Convocation Book. London, 1690, in 4to.; and Grabe’s Septuaginta Interpretum. Oxonii, 1707, in 2 vols. folio.

Turning from Chamieri Controversiæ, Genevæ, 1526, in four thick folios, to Lutheri Opera, Jenæ, 1612, also in folio; and from the works of Cardinal Bellarmine, and of Calvin, to the works of Grotius, Melancthon, and Erasmus, it is refreshing to find the works of Jeremy Taylor, Barrow, Hammond, and Tillotson, of Hooker, Mede, Hall, and Prideaux, preserved on the same shelves with Lardner’s Testimonies, in 4 vols. 8vo. and his Gospel History, the latter in 17 volumes 8vo.; Jewel’s Apology, Pearson on the Creed, Campbell on the Gospels, Paley’s Moral Philosophy, and Watson’s Theological Tracts, in 6 vols. 8vo.

To the above may be added, the Homilies of the Venerable Bede, the Works of Andrews and Baxter, with the Preservative against Popery, and other treatises of like nature, too insignificant for detail.

As connected with Ecclesiastical affairs, I may here notice, Usher’s Antiquitates Ecclesiæ Britannicæ, Stillingfleet’s Origines Britannicæ, and Inett’s Origines Anglicanæ, Spotswood’s History of the Church of Scotland, and Bower’s History of the Popes, in 7 volumes 4to.

In Ecclesiastical History, we also find Wilkins’s Concilia, Ecton’s Thesaurus, Spelman’s Concilia, Dugdale’s Monasticon, and Burton’s Monasticon Eboracense.

In British History, we have the pleasure of recording:—Daniel’s History of England; Kennett’s Register, or History of England; Buchanan’s History of Scotland; Sanderson’s History of Mary Queen of Scots; a complete set of Rymer’s Fœdera, 20 volumes, folio, in old calf, gilt; Matthæi Westmonasteriensis Flores Historiarum; Gulielmi Neubrigensis Historia Rerum Anglicanarum; Langhorne’s Chronica Regum Angliæ; Madox’s Formulare Anglicanum, Firma Burgi, and Baronia Anglicana; Gwillim’s Heraldry, 1638; Dugdale’s Baronage, and antient usage of bearing Arms; Mackenzie’s Royal Line of Scotland; Rerum Anglicarum Annales; Jones’s History of the Stuarts; Bates’ Elenchus Motuum nuperorum in Angliâ; Rushworth’s Historical Collections; Hacket’s Scrinia Referata, or Defence of Archbishop Williams; Laud’s Troubles, the Mercurius Rusticus, and a large collection of Tracts relating to the troublesome times of the great civil war, when the adjacent Cathedral suffered so severely.

As the best companion to the above Works, I may add a very nice Copy in calf, in 4 vols. 8vo. of Bishop Nicolson’s English, Scotch, and Irish Historical Libraries, printed at London, in 1696-7, &c.

I may add too, that this Library, like all others attached to Cathedral foundations, possesses a complete set of the records, and other documents published by authority of the Parliamentary Commissioners.

In British Topography, I remarked Camden’s Britannia, Annales, and Remains; Somner’s History of Canterbury, of the Portus Iccius, and of the Ports in Kent, with his Treatise on Gavelkind; Wood’s Athenæ Oxonienses, in folio; Willis’s Cathedrals, in 2 vols. Ridpath’s Border History; Burn’s Westmoreland; Leigh’s Lancashire and Cheshire; Dugdale’s History of St. Paul’s, and of Warwickshire, and his Treatise on Imbanking and Draining the Fens; Loggan’s Oxonia illustrata; Weever’s Funeral Monuments; and Stowe’s London. To which may be added, Boate’s Natural History of Ireland.

As a corollary to the History of England, Wilkins’ Leges Anglo-Saxonicæ Ecclesiasticæ et Civiles, the Statutes at large, and several Law Reports, including those of Vaughan and Noy, claim to be considered equally with Kippis’s Biographia Britannica.

In Etymology, I am enabled to record, Cotgrave’s French Dictionary; Spelman’s Glossary; Somner’s Dictionarium Saxonicum; Lluyd’s Archæologia; Skinner’s Etymologicon Anglicanum; Hickes’ Thesaurus Septentrionalis; Buxtorf’s Hebrew Lexicon, and Scapulæ et Schrevelii Lexica Græca.

As tending to elucidate the dark passages of antiquity, I may add Astle on the Origin and Progress of Writing, and two important Works in very fine condition, bound in old calf. Andersoni Diplomatum et Numismatum Scotiæ Thesaurus, Edinburgi, 1739, folio, and I. L. Waltheri Lexicon Diplomaticum. Ulmæ, 1756, also in folio.

In Geography, I noticed Bochart’s Geographia Sacra, Nicolson’s English Atlas, in 2 large folio volumes, printed at Oxford in 1681, and Pitt’s Atlas, of equal bulk.

In Foreign History, I only noticed, Davila’s Civil Wars of France, the book which Hampden and Charles I. are both said to have studied. Thuani Historia sui Temporis. Rycaut’s History of the Turks, &c. &c. Josephus Hudsoni. Oxonii, 1720, 2 vols. folio.

Of Classic Authors, the editions which this Library contains are of little or no consequence, though it cannot be deemed entirely deficient in this class, possessing various editions of the works of Livy, Martial, Lucan, Lucian, Æsop, Velleius Paterculus, and Aulus Gellius; with the Variæ Historiæ of Ælian, Aristotelis Opera, Du Valli, Parisiis, 1654, in 4 vols. folio; Farnaby’s Ovid; Hudson’s Thucydides; and Hobbes’ Translation of the latter author; and Dryden’s Virgil.

To these I may add Photii Bibliotheca, Rothomagi, 1653, and Galeni Opera, Basileæ, 1533, both in folio.

In Natural History, I may mention Grews’ Anatomy of Plants, and the Theatrum Insectorum of Wotton, Gesner, and Penn, printed at London in 1634, in folio.

I may class at once under the same category, Ralegh’s History of the World; Heylin’s Cosmography; Grews’ Cosmologia Sacra; and Burnet’s Theory of the Earth: and as connected with Science, 37 vols. of the Philosophical Transactions, recently bound in calf.

In English Literature, we have the Works of the two Royal Authors, the unhappy Charles, and the pedantic James, as originally published in a collective form; and of the two great philosophers, Bacon and Boyle, as originally published in detached pieces, or separate volumes. The Works of Chaucer and of Hobbes, Brown’s Vulgar Errors, Stuart’s Political Economy, and the Legend of St. Cuthbert, may also serve to afford some idea of the miscellaneous contents of this ancient Library.

It only remains to notice, in Bibliography, the Catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts, and Hyde’s Catalogue of the Bodleian Library.

I may add, that in this Library, which is under the care of the Treasurer of the Cathedral, a very salutary regulation exists, by which all borrowers of books guarantee the safe return of all volumes lent to themselves “in good plight and order;” and several declarations to this effect, properly subscribed and attested, may be seen in the old Register, commencing on November 23rd, 1703, which is still kept for that purpose.