Page:The Life of Sir Thomas Bodley written by himself.djvu/25

Rh had been anticipated; but Bodley was nothing daunted, and the library was formally opened in November, 1603. Visitors flocked to this "the first practically public library in Europe," and King James I was twice an appreciative guest. He granted letters patent the year after it was opened, calling the library by Bodley's name, and soon afterwards knighted the founder, whose name, said he, should have been not Bodley, but "Godley."

The first catalogue appeared in 1605, and before many years, the library having outgrown its quarters, extensions were begun.

Sir Thomas wrote his Life in 1609, and the original