Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/441

 ii. NOV. 5, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

361

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1901*.

CONTENTS. No. 45.

NOTES : Isaac Voesius's Library, 361 Brewer's 'Phrase and Fable,' 362 Anonymous Novels Britain as "Queen of Isles " " Fortune favours fools "Book of Legal Pre- cedents, 35 Bromley Coat of Arms' Titus Andronicus' on the Stage William Browne of Taviatock, 366.

QUERIES. -Suppression of Duelling in England- Italian Scholar Hoaxed, 367 Hyde de Neuville Lord High Treasurer's Accounts Oxenham Epitaphs Lady Ara- bella Denny Tithing Barn Arden a a Feminine Name, 363 Memorial TaMets on Houses Genevieve Collection Propale " " Honest Broker " ' Proems des Bourbons ' Bell-ringing on 13 August, 1814 William Stanborough Penny Wares Wanted, 369.

EEPLIBS : William III.'s Chargers at the Boyne-Pur- cell's Music for 'The Tempest,' 370 German Volkslied Thomas Beach, the Portrait Painter The Mussuk Reliquia* Wottonianfe' Heacham Parish Officers Y, 371 Duchess Sarah, 372-Quotations, English and Spanish Excavations at Richborough Parish Clerk, 373" A shoulder of mutton "Grievance Office : John Le Keux, 374 Curious Christian Names Storming of Fort Moro Isabelline as a Colour, 375' The Oxford Sausage 'Pin Witchery, 376 Northburgh Family-S. Bradford Bdwards Markham's Spelling-Book Ludovico Thomas Ray- nolde, 377.

NOTES ON BOOKS : ' Memoirs of the Verney Family ' Henslowe's Diary ' ' Worke for Cvtlers ' Heine's Works Gray's Letters ' Intermediate ' ' Folk-Lore ' Reviews and Magazines.

Notices to Correspondents.

ISAAC VOSSIUS'S LIBRARY. THE full story of the transference of this library to the University Library at Leyden has never yet, 1 think, been told in English ; nevertheless we are directly concerned in it, for attempts, almost successful, were made to acquire this famous collection for Oxford. For this reason the following abstract from an article by P. C. Molhuysen on the history of the Leyden University Library should prove of interest. The original is to be found in the Tijdschrift voor Boek- en Biblio- theekwezen, Jaargang II., Maart- April, 1904, pp. 95-100. Molhuysen has gone for his tacts to the resolutions of the curators of the University and to the reports of legal proceedings before the High Council, so that his account may be taken as trustworthy.

Isaac Vossius died at Windsor on 21 Feb., 1689, and left his library to his brother Matthew's two children, Gerard Jan Vossius, a Councillor of Flanders, and his sister Aafje. The University of Oxford entered into communication with them, and an offer of 3,000. was made, which was not accepted. Through the intervention of one of the curators, Van Beverningh, the books were offered to the Leyden Academy for much the same price, namely 33,000 gulden. The cata-

ogue alone could be inspected at a friend's bouse at the Hague, but no examination of the books was possible.

The bargain was concluded in haste, as Vossius feared that the English were but little inclined to let such a collection go out of the country. Van Citters, the Dutch Ambassador, brought the books to London in thirty-four cases, of which five contained the MSS., whence they were conveyed by war- ship to Texel, and then to Leyden. All had arrived there by October, 1690. To accom- modate the new accessions extra shelving was put up in the library, and for the sake of security the radical measure was taken of closing it to the public.

Profs. Spanheim, Gronovius, and Trigland were appointed to compare the books with the catalogue. They handed in their report on 14 March, 1691, in which they stated their conclusion that the books and MSS. which had been delivered did not wholly agree with or satisfy the catalogue. On this the curators proposed a considerable reduction in the sale price, and when G. Vossius would not agree, an offer was actually made to send the whole library back to Oxford or Cambridge, which- ever he preferred. Vossius would not enter- tain the proposal, but demanded the rest of the purcnase money, for a certain proportion had already been paid him.

Through Spanheim information was now sought in England from Adrian Beverland concerning the terms of the offer made by Oxford. Beverland replied that only 2,800^. had been offered, and sent a list of valuable books and MSS. which he asserted had been retained by G. Vossius against the wish of the deceased. This report not being trusted, Beverland was requested to furnish a formal declaration to the same effect. The result of this application is not known, but evidently some reliance was placed on the information, for a suit was entered into on two grounds : (1) that Vossius had not delivered what was down in the catalogue ; (2) that he had not shown them the true catalogue, but had caused a new one to be drawn up. What (2) had to do with the case is not very clear, for the curators had evidently purchased the books as described in the catalogue seen at the Hague.

The truth seems to be that the three pro- fessors were disappointed at finding so little unpublished matter among the MSS., and therefore were inclined to undervalue them. For the purposes of the suit the professors had to draw up an inventory of detects ; but all in vain, for after much delay judgment was given against the curators.