Library of Lichfield.

The Library of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield is preserved with great care in an upper Chamber of the Chapter House adjoining the Cathedral. The Manuscripts are kept under lock and key in brass-wired cases at the one end of the room. The Printed Books are arranged in classes upon open shelves, and have in many instances been rebound or rebacked, though the greater portion of them retain their original binding of calf.

This Library retaining but few of its monastic treasures, was munificently endowed by Frances, Countess of Somerset, whose portrait very well painted in the costume of that period adorns the upper end of the room. In a case beneath was formerly deposited the famous Gospel book of St. Chad; the doors of this receptacle bearing the following Inscription:—

“Sanctiss. Liber qui intus reconditur sicut in arca est collocatus Thesaurus fuit olim et deliciæ Illustrissimæ Dominæ Domicæ Franciscæ Devereux Ducissæ Somersetensis Cujus pulcherrimam Imaginem Auspice Lector et Venerare.

Hoc Immerito Clarissimi enim heroici “Gemmam hanc cui aurum est vile” Unà cum prope mille aliis Volumen Dilectæ suæ et semper memo: Ecclesiæ Cathedral: de Lichfield Majorem Dei Gloriam et bonarum Literarum ubertatem D. D. F.”

This precious volume has, however, been transferred to the glazed case in which the other Manuscripts are kept. Its scription is undoubtedly of very high antiquity, and the uncial letters and other ornaments of the volume alike attest this fact. This volume is written in Latin upon vellum, and is bound in russia, lettered “Evangelia Sancti Ceaddæ. DCCXX.”⁠[40] It contains 236 pages, according to the numeration of some modern hand. The date of the year 720, though conjectural, is probably near the mark; and the following remarks of Mr. Nares in his Manuscript Catalogue may serve to elucidate the literary history of this ancient volume.

“Tradition reports it to have been the hand writing of St. Gildas, but when it is observed that it abounds with gross errors both in orthography and grammar, it becomes impossible to believe it the work of any learned scribe. The characters are round and fair, having a strong affinity to the Saxon letters, and the Saxon words and names occurring in the margins plainly show that the book had been in much use for administering oaths under the Government of that people.” The size of the volume is large quarto apparently, though truly I think it is in folio.

A beautiful and valuable Manuscript of the Poems of Chaucer, written upon vellum in a noble folio volume, contains 292 leaves, but unfortunately wants that which ought to intervene between the 209th and the 210th of Mr. Nares’ enumeration. It would be a curious task to compare the text of this venerable Manuscript with the first printed editions of the Canterbury Tales, &c. from the press of Caxton. This book has also been protected by a russia surtout, and it contains some elegant illuminations.

I also remarked the Manuscript Poems of William Kingsmyle, Knight; Archdeacon Smalbrooke’s Common Place Book; the Codex Justiniani; Taxatio Papæ Nicolai; Scire Mori; A Pricke of Conscience; A Tract of St. Anselm, and several volumes of Adversaria Theologica, bound in calf.

This Catalogue, given in vol. II. p. 32 of the Catalogus MSS. Angliæ et Hiberniæ, Oxon, 1672, folio, attributed to Humphry Wanley, contains all the books at present in the Library, with the exception of Nos. 1389, 1396, 1399, 1404, 1406.

Many of the Manuscripts were in the old Monastic Library, but others were part of the bequest of the Countess of Somerset in 1672. A Catalogue of the entire Collection bequeathed to the Cathedral by that noble lady is preserved among the Manuscripts. An old borrowing book too, used by Samuel Johnson in 1774, is there also preserved.

In this case is preserved the most brilliant Gem of this Collection, being no less than Caxton’s History of King Arthur, folio, whose well known colophon runneth thus:

“Thus endeth this noble and joyous book entitled La Morte Darthur; notwithstanding, it treateth of the birth, life, and acts of the said King Arthur, of his noble Knights of the Round Table, their marvellous conquests and adventures, the atchieving of the Sangreal, and in the end the dolorous death and departing out of this world of them all. Which book was reduced in to English by Sir Thomas Malory, Knight, as afore is said, and by me divided in to XXI books, chaptered and imprinted, and finished in the Abbey Westminster the last day of July, the year of our Lord M.CCCCLXXXV.

“Caxton me fieri fecit.”

This is one of the rarest of Caxton’s productions, a perfect Copy is in the Library of Lord Jersey at Osterley, formerly in the Harleian Collection, which I believe is the only other copy known. The present copy is elegantly bound in olive coloured Venetian morocco with gilt leaves.

This volume which I had a subsequent opportunity of examining, I found to be an imperfect copy of the Life and Actes of King Arthur, folio, bound in Venetian Morocco with gilt leaves. It is printed in double columns of black letter, entwined by some barbarous wood-cuts, with the chapter-numbers on the head line in italic character. It is imperfect both at the beginning and the end, commencing with the “Prologus” on sign. Ψ. ii. and ending with a leaf of “The xxist booke,” having the catchword “now.” on the recto, and “were” on the reverse. This volume measures ten inches and a half by seven inches and three quarters.

The oldest English Bible in this Library is the Bible by Cranmer, printed at London by Edward Whytchurche in 1540, whereof the title, which is encadred in wood cuts, runneth thus:

¶ The Byble in Englyshe, that is to saye the conte̅t of al the holy scrypture, both of yᵉ olde, and newe testam̅et, with a prologe therinto, made by the reuerende father in God, Thomas archbysshop of Cantorbury. ¶ This is the Byble apoynted to the vse of the churches.

The present Copy has the title inlaid, and is bound in the original calf with plain brass clasps.

Next to this stood the two stately folios of Ogilvie’s Bible of 1660 in red morocco.

Buck and Daniel’s Bible of 1638, divided into five thin folio volumes, bound in old blue morocco.

Field’s Bible, printed at Cambridge in 1660, in 2 volumes, folio, attired in crimson velvet, with silver clasps.

Buxtorf’s Hebrew Bible, printed at Basle in 1618, in folio.

Novum Testamentum è Codice Alexandrino curâ Woide. Lond. 1786.

Novum Testamentum Stephani. Lutet. Paris. 1500, folio, and

The Oxford Septuagint, under the editorial care of Holmes and Parsons, recently bound in 5 vols. folio, in calf.

To which may be added

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.