Library of Ripon Minster.

The Library of the Dean and Chapter of Ripon affords a pleasing instance of the proper appreciation of “the tomes of olden time;” for the Books, which were long suffered to lie neglected in the Church, are now preserved with commendable attention under the hospitable roof of the Deanery.

Many volumes, indeed, were so much decayed, from the dampness of their former repository, that their mouldering fragments were not worth removal; but other volumes, including probably some classic authors, may still remain in the Library, and upon some future investigation may be restored, but little injured, to their companions, wherefore it is not possible to ascertain the exact amount of its contents.

I may add, however, my best wishes that the laudable desire manifested by the present Dean for the restoration of the ancient Library in the Church, may be gratified at no distant period, seeing that this is all that is wanted to render the restoration of that sacred edifice, under his judicious direction, full and complete.

I may here also remark how much the skill of Mr. Blore has contributed to adorn the screen and the choir of this ancient Minster, and it only remains for him to give the world one of his own beautiful representations of the scene to convince any one that I am not exaggerating its renovated appearance.

But to return to the “dear bokes” now comfortably reposing in the Dean’s own study.

The Collection was formed by Anthony Higgins, Dean of Ripon in 1608, and consists chiefly of Works which in his time were new publications, and as it happens to have been preserved entire with but little admixture of any subsequent donations, it affords an interesting specimen of the literature of that period.

That this Library was not large is no reproach to the worthy donor, whose autograph, accompanied occasionally by the price of the volume, frequently appears on the titles of his books, for he gave to his church all the literary treasures he possessed, and, as Moore sings, “he could no more.”

I shall proceed to give those specimens of the early English Printers which most forcibly arrested my attention, and am most happy to begin with the Father of the English Press. The first is of almost unparalleled rarity, the only other copy of which I am at present cognisant being that in the noble library of Earl Spencer. This is the famous “Book for Travellers,” whose Eureka may be heard in the gossiping pages of the Bibliographical Decameron. This Book for Travellers in Frensshe and English, is printed in double columns of the smaller Gothic type employed by Caxton, but without any indication of date, place, or name of printer. It is complete in 25 leaves, in folio, as fresh and sound as if they had but just issued from the press. It measures exactly eleven inches and a quarter by eight inches and a quarter, and is appropriately bound in olive Venetian morocco, with joints, apparently by that cunning Bibliopegist Charles Lewis.

The second specimen from Caxton’s Press is the well-known and extremely rare “Boecius de Consolatione Philosophie,” folio, in the same type as the Dictes and Sayinges, and other Works of that Printer. It lacks, however, all indication of place, date, or typographer, concluding with the Latin verses written by Surigonus, the Poet Laureat of Milan, entitled the “Epitaphium Galfridi Chaucer.” The Caxtonian peroration is very interesting, and may be seen at large in the Typographical Antiquities of Dibdin, vol. 1. p. 303. The present copy wants only the 75th leaf, which is at present clumsily supplied by manuscript. It appears to contain about 90 leaves, and though not entirely free from stain, is in very sound condition, measuring eleven inches and a quarter by eight inches and a quarter. It is bound in dark blue morocco, with gilt leaves.

Having failed in discovering any Work of Wynkyn de Worde, I proceed to notice a small Volume by Richard Pynson, which I never saw before. It is the Magna Charta, in a small Gothic letter, with an Index prefixed, at the end of which is the Colophon,—“Londini per Ricardus Pynson, &c., 1514.” It measures five inches and three-eighths by two inches and a half, and is bound in smooth russia.

Reginald Wolfe is the next early English Printer to be noticed, on account of a fine and perfect copy of “The Castle of Knowledge, Imprinted at London by Reginalde Wolfe, A.D. 1556,” 4to. bound in plain calf.

There are three specimens of the Press of Binnemann, the most beautiful of which is the well-known Tract “Alexandri Nevylli Angli de furoribus Norfolcensium, Ketto duce, &c.” “Londini, ex officinâ Henrici Binnemann, 1575,” bound in olive morocco. The next is “Crispini Lexicon. Londini apud Binnemann, 1581,” 4to. whose title bears the autograph of its former possessor, Anthony Higgins. The third is a “Defense of the Translations of the Scriptures by W. Fulke, London, Henrie Bynnemann, 1583,” 4to. bound in calf.

Richard Tottel next claims attention to a small 18mo. volume, entitled “An Exposicion of the termes of the Lawes, London, Richard Tottel, 1567.”

I shall next mention the treatise of “Thomas Chaloner de Republicâ Anglorum instaurandâ Londini, excudebat Thomas Vautrollerius, Typographus, 1579,” 8vo. bound in russia; and the English Secretorie, by Angel Day, London, 1592, 8vo. bound in calf; concluding my notices of these old English Books with the French and English Dictionary, compiled by Claudius Hollyband, and printed by Thomas Woodcock at London in 1593, 4to. The present is a very fine and perfect copy, bound in smooth russia.

Of the productions of Foreign Presses, the first which attracted my observation was a very sound copy of “the Cronycles of the londe of Englonde, printed by Gerard de Leeu at Antwerp, 1493,” folio, whereof a full description will be found in the Bibliotheca Spenceriana, IV. p. 229.

It is certainly strange, as Dibdin has remarked that the compiler of the Magliabecchian Catalogue should have regarded this as the first book printed in the English language. But it must be remembered that he spoke only from his own observation, and that book certainly is the earliest English book in that Collection. Palpable however as the mistake is, it may well serve to show how limited is the knowledge even of the most accurate bibliographer; for the Catalogue, whose index this lapsus deforms, is one of the most valuable hitherto given to the world, and is in fact quite a model in its way. The Chronicles under notice have the title pasted on another piece of paper, and the volume itself, measuring eleven inches by seven and three quarters, is well bound in smooth russia.

The next book, whose bright coverture of red morocco caught my eye, was a fine and perfect copy of Nicandri Theriaca, cum Scholiis, Coloniæ, Joannes Soteris, 1530, 4to. To which I may add Tentacula Nov. Test. also printed at Cologne in 1526.

I may next mention Saunders’ Supper of our Lord, printed at Louvain in 1566. Speculum Sapientiæ Cirilli, and Opuscula Theologica, in a small volume of Gothic character, by Jaumar, at Paris, in the early part of the sixteenth century.

In conclusion I may briefly advert to the Hebrew Grammar printed by Froben at Basle in 1522, which is bound in the same volume with a Compendium of the Greek Grammar, and the Opera et Dies of Hesiod, printed by Christopher Froschover, at Zurich, in 1526.

I may add among the recent donations to this Library, the new edition of Stephens’ Thesaurus.

This Library is also entitled, equally with the Cathedral Libraries, to copies of all the Works published under the authority of the Parliamentary Record Commission.

To several of the rarer articles mentioned above, are appended bibliographical notices transcribed from the Spencer Catalogue and other sources in the time of the late Dean, whom the opportune visit of Dr. Dibdin in 1816, had apprised of the value of the treasures which till then lay dormant in his custody.