Library of Rochester.

The Library of the Dean and Chapter of this Cathedral is kept in the Chapter House, a well proportioned, and well lighted room, adjoining the Choir of the Cathedral, and the remains of the ancient Chapter-house; being placed immediately over part of the ancient crypt, and approached by a most beautiful doorway, having some finely preserved statues in its niches.

The books are arranged upon open shelves, in open cases placed against the walls of the room, which is very dry, being warmed by a stove, which “Buzaglo fecit. 1768.”

The walls of this apartment are hung with portraits of King James I. and of Sprat Bishop of Rochester, a view of the Nave of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, and an engraved Plan of Jerusalem.

The Library is kept up by the donations of successive Prebends, who upon their installation are expected to make the customary donation thereto.

The Manuscript portion of this Library is kept in closed cases, which are kept locked, in the Chapter-house, and contains the original Registrum and Custumale Roffense, edited by Thorp, together with several old charters and other documents relating to the Church, many of which have the original seals, some of which are very curious, appended thereto.

Among the Manuscripts I noticed, Bibliandri Lectiones, in 7 quarto volumes, bound in old calf, and a folio volume, written upon vellum, and lettered Quæstiones Theologicæ, upon a vellum cover, the first leaf whereof exhibiteth these words: “Liber de Claustro Roffensi per Dominum Johannem ejusdem loci Priorem,” so that this at least is a specimen of the original Monastic Library.

Among the printed books is a considerable quantity of obsolete Divinity, and some English as well as foreign Works which have deservedly fallen into oblivion. Upon these the worms seem tacitly permitted to feed, for I found no less than three of those small white grubs, so well known as book-worms, and yet so seldom seen, greedily devouring a black letter folio. It is really astonishing how so minute an animal, with no apparent power of perforation, can drill holes through paper, wood, and leather, subsisting at the same time upon the havoc which it makes, and it is at least satisfactory to have caught them actually engaged in the full gratification of their bibliophagistic propensities.

I cannot conceal the pleasure with which I discovered Coverdale’s Bible, folio, “Prynted in the yeare of oure Lorde, MDXXXV. and fynished the fourth day of October,” concealed between “the Booke of Common Prayer, Imprinted at London by Bonham Norton and John Bill, 1629, folio, and the Whole Booke of Psalmes. London, 1629,” folio, being also disguised by the binder who has lettered the volume, “Holy Bible, 1629.”

This mistake appears to have misled the compiler of the Catalogue, who being unacquainted with the mysteries of black letter has simply entered this precious volume as “Holy Bible, with the booke of Common Prayer prefixed, fol. Lond. 1629.”

The alphabetical enumeration of the books in this Collection was indeed made before the study of bibliography was cultivated to any extent in this country, being entitled the “Catalogue of the Library of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester, 1776.” This thin folio volume is bound in calf, lettered, “Libri Eccl. Roff.”

To revert however to the first English Bible, I was pleased to observe that the present copy thus protected and concealed by its ancient binding of calf, upon which the brass fastenings of the clasps still remain, was perfect, with the sole exception of the title, and the map. It measures nearly twelve inches, by seven inches and seven-eighths, and is in very tender condition at the beginning and the end, the natural consequence of the repeated thumbing it doubtless received from our pious forefathers. Some one however has so determinedly erased the name of the Queen, in the Dedication, that it cannot now be deciphered.

I have next the satisfaction of noticing a perfect copy, in double columns, of black letter, bound in old calf, of “the Byble in Englyshe, &c.” “Prynted by Rychard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch. Cum Privilegio ad Imprimendum solum. 1539, Folio,” at the conclusion of which we read. “The ende of the New Testament, and of the whole Byble fynished in Apryll, Anno M CCCCCXXXIX.”

“A dn̅o factum est istud.”

This book was presented to the Library, “Eccl. Cath. Roffensis ex Dono E. Barrell, 1745.”

There are some curious documents in the State Paper Office relating to this Bible, which was printed in Paris, wherein the copies upon vellum, taken off for Henry VIII. and now in the British Museum, (April 1540) and for the Lord Keeper Cromwell, now at St. John’s College in Cambridge (April 1539) are mentioned.

Next in order of time comes the Holie Bible, with Cranmer’s Preface, “Imprinted at London in powles Church yarde, by Richarde Jugge,” (1568.) Folio. In double columns of black letter. The present copy is perfect, though torn at the end, and is bound in dark calf.

Then comes the Holy Bible, Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker, 1584, folio, which unfortunately lacks all the leaves subsequent to folio 572. It is bound in old calf, with brass knobs, &c. and red leaves.

I may here mention

The Bible in English, by John Cawood. Imperfect at the beginning and the end.

The Holy Bible, printed by Robert Barker, and the Assignees of John Bill, London, 1639, folio, ruled with red lines, and bound in crimson velvet.

The Bible in English, printed at London in 1684.

The Bible, printed by Baskett, at Oxford in 1715, folio, bound in calf, and two other impressions of the sacred volume, published at the same place in 1717 and 1739.

The Bible, printed by Baskerville, at Cambridge, in 1763, folio, bound in calf, gilt.

The Bible, edited by Bishop Wilson, and printed at Bath in 1785, in three volumes, 4to.

The Holy Bible, edited by D’Oyly and Mant, in three volumes, 4to.

Merely observing that these English versions of the Holy Scriptures may safely be left to speak for themselves.

It was with feelings of no ordinary gratification that I found upon the shelves of this Library the first Polyglott Bible, being that commonly known as the Complutensian, published in Spain under the auspices of Cardinal Ximenes in 1517. The present copy is very fine and sound, measuring fourteen inches and a quarter by ten inches. It is bound in six volumes folio, in old mottled calf, apparently of foreign extraction. Few of our ecclesiastical foundations are endowed with a copy of this most important work, though nearly all of them possess the Polyglott of Walton, which in the present instance stands beside its elder brother.

Here we have also the Biblia Hebraica, Hutteri, Hamburgi, 1588, folio; the Biblia Hebraica Montani, 1609, folio; the Biblia Hebraica, Forsteri, Oxonii, 1750, in two vols. 4to.; and the Biblia Hebraica, Kennicottii, Oxonii, 1776, in two vols. folio; also the Biblia Latina cum pleno apparatu, &c. “Impressum Lugduni per magistrum Jacobum Sacon X die Novem. 1509,” folio, in double columns of Gothic character. It has a large wood-cut on the first leaf, and the title in red; with the device of the printer at the end, followed by the “Interpretationes Nominum Hebræaorum.” This volume is bound in calf.

The Vet. Test. LXX, curâ Grabe. Oxonii, 1707, folio.

The Biblia LXX, apud Holmes et Parsons. Oxonii, 1798, et seq. in six vols. folio. And

The Codex Bezæ, edited by Kipling, in two vols. folio, bound in calf.

Of separate editions of the New Testament, I observed

The Novum Testamentum Syriacum, Hebræum, Græcum, et Latinum, per Eliam Hutterum. Norimbergæ, 1599, in three vols. folio.

Novum Testamentum Græcum, Millii. Oxonii, 1707, in 2 volumes, folio.

Nov. Test. Gr. Wetstenii. Amstelodami, 1751, in 2 vols. folio.

Nov. Test. Græcum et Anglicum. Londini, 1729, in 2 vols. 8vo.

The New Testament in English, by Wiclif, printed at London in 1732, folio.

Benzelii Evangelia Gothica. Oxonii, 1750, 4to. &

Junii Evangelia. Dordraci, 1665.

I will proceed to notice the Church Service Books contained within this Library, and cannot commence more appropriately than with a bibliographical description of the “Missale ad usum Ecclesie Sarisburiensis. MD.XXXIIII.” folio. Printed in double columns of black and red letter. This interesting volume commences with the title as given above, which occupies the first leaf, followed by six leaves of Calendar, and one of Benedictio. The Missal then commences, occupying folio i.–clvi. inclusive, numbered in regular succession. Then follow the Ordinarium, Præfationes, and Canon, occupying fifteen leaves not numbered. Of these however the 7th, 8th, and 9th, containing the “Prefa de scta cruce,” et “de b. Maria,” the “Prefatio quotidiana,” and the first part of the Canon, are all three upon vellum.

It may be noticed, that facing the large wood cut of the Crucifixion, which occupies the whole reverse of the leaf containing the Præfatio quotidiana, one leaf of manuscript in Gothic character, upon vellum, has been inserted, apparently in the olden time. At the end of these fifteen leaves last mentioned, commence the Prayers for the Saints, Vigils, &c. occupying sixty leaves regularly numbered from fo. i. to fo. lx. Then follows the “Accentuarium cum Prologo,” consisting of twelve leaves, undistinguished by any numerals; but upon the recto of the last leaf occurs the Colophon, informing us that this like many other of the earlier Service books of the English Church was the production of a foreign press:

“¶ Explicit Missale ad usum ecclesie Sarum tam in cantu quam in litera diligentissime recognitum. Marginalibus annotatiunculis ac literis alphabeticis evangeliorum, epistolarum gradalium offertorium originem indicantibus abunde locupletatum. Impressum Parisiis in vico scti Iacobi in edibus Francisci Regnault librari jurati alme universitatis Parisiensis.”

I may add to this several editions of the Common Prayer Book, besides that of 1629, which I have already mentioned; the Common Prayer, London, 1662, folio, bound in crimson velvet; and that printed at Oxford in 1681; with that edited by Bishop Mant.

I may here mention Wheatley on the Common Prayer; and the Psalmorum Davidis, per Ioannem Campensem, Basileæ, 1553, 12mo.; and proceed at once to enumerate the component parts of the theological department of this Library, beginning with the

Bibliotheca Veterum Patrum per M. de la Bigne. Colon. Agrip. 1618, in 16 volumes, folio, bound in calf.

Cotelerii Patres Apostolici, in 2 volumes, folio, in calf.

Bibliotheca, S.S. Patrum, edente Clerico. Amstelod. 1724, in 2 vols. folio.

Russell’s Patrum Apostolicorum Opera. 1746, 8vo.

Basilii Opera. Parisiis, 1737-8, folio.

Cypriani Opera, edente Fell. Oxonii, 1700, folio.

S. Cyrilli Opera. Oxonii, 1703, folio.

Chrysostomi Opera. Etonæ, 1612, in 8 vols. folio.

Eusebii Præparatio et Demonstratio Evangelica. Paris, 1628.

Fulgentii Opera. Basileæ, 1621.

Irenæi Opera. Parisiis, 1710.

Lactantius. Cantabrigiæ, 1685, 8vo.

Origenis Opera. Parisiis, 1519, vols. 3 and 4 only.

Philonis Judæi Opera, à Mangey. Londini, 1742, in 2 volumes, folio.

Tertulliani Opera, Colon. Agrip. 1617, folio. and

Episcopii Opera Theologica, with the Works of S.S. Augustine, Ambrose, and Ignatius.

Of Concordances and Commentators I may mention,

Calasio Concordantiæ Hebraicæ in 4 vols. folio, and

Cruden’s Concordance.

Roberts’ Clavis Bibliorum. London, 1648, 8vo.

Hodius de Bibliorum textibus. Oxonii, 1705.

Leigh’s Critica Sacra. Londini, 1650, folio.

Pole’s Synopsis, in 5 vols. folio.

Pearce’s Commentary.

Caryl’s Exposition of Job, in 2 vols. folio.

Chappelow on Job.

Grey’s Version of Job. London, 1742, 8vo.

Horsley on Hosea.

Lyra, Commentarii in Biblia.

Lowth on Isaiah.

Vitringa in Iesaiam. Leovardiæ, 1724, folio.

Patrick’s Commentary.

Whitby’s Paraphrase.

Macknight’s Translation of the Apostolical Epistles with notes. Edinburgh, 1795, in 4 vols. 4to.

Macknight’s Harmony of the Gospels. London, 1763, 4to.

Elsley’s Annotations on the Epistles.

Bishop Cosin’s History of the Canon of Scripture.

Dupin’s Canon of the Old and New Testament.

Hawkins on the Historical Scriptures of the Old Testament, and

Schleusneri Lexicon Novi Testamenti.

Among the works of Divinity I may mention those of Barrow and Beveridge; Allix’s Reflections; Burton’s Testimonies of the Anti Nicene Fathers to the Divinity of Christ; Butler’s Analogy; Baxter’s Christian Directory; Bonaventuræ Opera Theologica; Bingham’s Works, in 2 vols. folio; Bulli Opera, Londini, 1703, folio; Bochart, Opera Omnia; Bedæ Opera, Parisiis, 1520, folio; Calmet’s Dictionary of the Bible, London, 1732, in 3 vols. folio; Gill’s Philosophy of Scripture, London, 1635, folio; Coplestone on Predestination; Chandler’s Life of David; Grotii Opera, Londini, 1679; Erasmi Opera, Lugd. Bat. 1703; Horne’s Introduction to the Study of the Holy Scriptures; Hickes’s History of Montanism, London, 1709, 8vo.; Jewel’s Apology, 1570; Lightfoot’s Works, London, 1684, in 2 vols. folio; Lardner’s Testimonies, 1764, in 2 vols. 4to.; and his Credibility, 1741, in 17 volumes, 8vo.; Magee on the Atonement; Masoni Vindiciæ Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, Londini, 1625, folio; Prideaux’s Connection, 1720, folio; Paley’s Works; Pearson on the Creed; Stackhouse on the Creed; Stebbing’s Polemical Tracts; Rogers on the Thirty Nine Articles; Jeremy Taylor’s Ductor dubitantium, 1696, folio; Wollaston’s Religion of Nature, 1722, 4to.; Wilkins on Natural Religion; and Wake’s Catechism; and lastly, the Sylloge Confessionum, Oxonii, 1804, 8vo.; with Preservative against Popery, London, 1738, in 3 volumes, folio.

Of Sermons I noticed those by Sherlock, Rogers and Conybeare; the Discourses of Charnock; and the Sermons preached at Boyle’s Lecture, and published in 1739, in 3 volumes, folio. This copy is in old calf.

I may here notice Cave’s Scriptorum Eccles. Historia literaria; Boëthii Opera; and Beattie on Truth, with some pieces by Luther.

Of Ecclesiastical History the shelves of this Library are well filled with Burnet’s History of the Reformation; Bacon’s Liber Regis; Ecton’s Thesaurus; Bray’s Bibliotheca Parochialis, London, 1707; Burn’s Ecclesiastical Law; Cave’s Lives of the Apostles; and his Primitive Christianity; Fox’s Martyrs, London, 1684, in 3 vols. folio; Gibson’s Codex; Godwyn, de Præsulibus Angliæ, Cantabrigiæ, 1743, folio; Hooker’s Ecclesiastical Polity; Histoire de Concile de Trent, Londres, 1736, in 2 vols. folio; Eusebii Historia Ecclesiastica, 1668; Du Pin’s Ecclesiastical History of the Sixteenth Century; Josephus, Hudsoni; Jortin’s Ecclesiastical History; Kaye’s Ecclesiastical History; Lansbergii Chronologia Sacra; Middleburg, 1625, 4to; Knight’s Lives of Erasmus and Colet; Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical History; Nelson’s Life of Bishop Bull; Spotswode’s Church of Scotland, 1677, folio; Stillingfleet’s Origines; Spencer de Legibus Hebræorum, Cantabrigiæ, 1727, in 2 vols. folio; Spondani Epitome Annalium Eccles. Baronii, Lugd. Bat. 1660, folio; Suiceri Thesaurus Ecclesiasticus, Amstelodami, 1728, in 2 volumes, folio; Wharton’s Anglia Sacra, 1691, in 2 vols. folio; Wilkins’ Concilia Magnæ Britanniæ, &c. in 4 vols. folio, in calf gilt; to which I may add Dugdale’s Monasticon Anglicanum, 1682, folio; and 1718, folio; with Stevens’s Continuation, 1722-3; Tanner’s Notitia Monastica, edited by Nasmith, 1787, folio; and Gwillim’s Tithe Cases.

Of Works tending to elucidate History in general I may enumerate, Blair’s Chronology; Hales’ Analysis of Chronology; Helvici Theatrum historicum et chronologicum, Oxonii, 1662, folio; Marshami Chron. Canon. Egypt. Londini, 1672, folio; Marshall’s Chronological Tables; Newton’s Chronology; and Bryant’s Enquiries into Ancient History, 4to. in calf.

Of Historical Works I noticed the Universal History, whereof the ancient portion published in 1747-54, occupies 21 volumes, and the modern of the date of 1759-66, 44 vols. in 8vo. uniformly bound in calf; the General Dictionary, London, 1734-41, in 10 vols. folio; Puffendorf’s Law of Nations, 1729, folio; Grævii Antiquitates & Gruteri Inscriptiones; Ralegh’s History of the World, 1677, folio; Robertson’s History of Charles V.; Harris’ Voyages; the History of the Saracens, by Prideaux and Ockley; Norden’s Egypt, London, 1757, folio; Sandys’ Europæ Speculum; Petri Kærii Germania inferior à Petro Montano, Amst. 1622, folio; and the Biographical Dictionary, London, 1798, in 15 vols. 8vo.

Of Works relating to History and Antiquities, I may mention, in addition to Dugdale’s Monasticon, and Tanner’s Notitia; Blackstone’s Commentaries; Burn’s Justice of the Peace; Birch’s Life of Queen Elizabeth, 1754, in 2 vols. 4to.; Burnet’s History of his own time; Clarendon’s Rebellion, Oxon, 1702, in 4 vols. folio; Cooper on the Public Records; Dalrymple’s Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland; Davies’ Celtic Researches; Hume’s History of England; Holinshed’s Chronicles, the reprint; Kippis’ Biographia Britannica; Kennett’s Complete History of England, London, 1719, in 3 vols. folio, in calf; Lloyd’s State Worthies; Speed’s Theatre of Great Britain, London, 1676, folio; Spelman’s Life of Alfred, 1678, folio; Nalson’s Collections, 1682, folio; Rushworth’s Historical Collections, 1659, folio, in 6 vols.; Robertson’s History of Scotland; Population Returns; and the Records of the Kingdom, published under the authority of the Parliamentary Commission.

Of Topographical Works I noticed, Hasted’s History of Kent, in calf gilt; Harris’ History of Kent; Thorpe’s Custumale and Registrum Roffense; Master’s History of Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, 1753, 4to.; some Poll Books for the City of Rochester; Wood’s Antiquitates Oxonienses; Twyne de Antiquitate Academiæ Oxoniensis, 1608, 4to.; and Young’s History of Whitby.

I may add to these,

The Statutes at Large, by Keble, 1681, folio.

Balæi Scriptorum Britannicorum Catalogus, Basileæ, folio; and

Tanner, Bibliotheca Britannico Hibernica, 1748, folio.

The other Bibliographical Works which met my observation were,

The Catalogus Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ, 1738, in 2 vols. folio.

A Catalogue of the Books belonging to the King’s School at Rochester.

Casley’s Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the King’s Library, London, 1734, 4to.

Bibliographia Mathematica à Cornelis Beughem, Amstelodami, 1688.

Le Long, Bibliothèque Sacré; and

Warton’s History of English Poetry.

Of Scientific Works I noticed only,

Chambers’ Dictionary, in 4 vols. folio, with a separate volume of plates.

Hill’s British Herbal, 1756, folio, in calf.

Miller’s Gardener’s Dictionary.

Newton’s Principia, Cantab. 1713, 4to.

Newton’s Optics, by Clarke, London, 1719, 8vo.

Oughtred, Clavis Mathematica, Oxonii, 1652, 8vo.

Wallis’s Mechanica, 1670, 4to. and

Several volumes of the Philosophical Transactions.

Of Etymological Works I observed merely Buxtorf’s Hebrew Lexicon; Hickes’ Thesaurus Septentrionalis, Oxonii, 1705, in 2 vols. folio; Du Cange’s Glossary, Francof. 1710, in 3 vols. folio; Scapulæ Lexicon; Junii Etymologicum Anglicanum, Oxonii, 1743, fol.; Calepini Dictionarium, Lugd. Bat. 1681, folio; Hoffmanni Lexicon Universale; Samuel Johnson’s English Dictionary; Stephani Thesaurus Linguæ Græcæ; and Nizolii Thesaurus Linguæ Latinæ.

The editions of the Classics contained in this Collection are not numerous; but of these I mention two volumes only of

Ciceronis Opera, Stephani. Parisiis, 1539, folio.

Ciceronis Opera, Oliveti. Oxonii, 1783, in 10 vols. 4to.

Euclidis Opera. Venetiis, 1505, folio.

Epictetus Uptoni. Londini, 1741, in 2 vols. 4to.

Homeri Opera. Basileæ, 1535, 4to.

Hesiodus, Robinsoni. Oxonii, 1737, 4to.

Livius, Drakenborchii, in 4 vols. 8vo.

Plutarchi Apophthegmata. Londini, 1741.

Pindarus. Romæ, 4to.

Quintilianus. Londini, 1641, 4to.

Tacitus, Brotierii, in 5 vols. 8vo.

Terentius, Bentleii. Cantabrigiæ, 1726, 4to.

Virgilii Opera, cum X. Comment. 1528, folio.

I may here mention, Bryant’s Mythology; Spence’s Polymetis; Coplestone’s Prælectiones Academicæ; and Arbuthnot’s Tables of Ancient Coins, 1754, 4to.

Of English Literature this Library cannot boast a copious selection, the principal Works which occurred to me, being only

Bacon’s Works, London, 1753, in 3 volumes, folio.

The Works of Locke and Mede.

Seldeni Opera per Wilkins, 1726, in 3 vols. folio.

Shakespeare, edited by Johnson, Stevens and Reid, London, 1803, in 21 volumes, 8vo.

Butler’s Hudibras, edited by Grey.

Lastly, as a specimen of the lamentable prejudice which our forefathers entertained against Witches, I may mention Glanvil’s Saducismus triumphatus, 1681, 8vo.

From this cursory survey of the contents of the Rochester Cathedral Library, it will appear that its character is chiefly theological, and its interest centred in those impressions of the Sacred Scriptures, and Church Service Books which I have already so carefully described.

It is also refreshing to think that from the prebendal donations, a constant supply of fresh literature is provided for the support and ornament of the Library of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester.