Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/245

Rh His Majesty's Libraries, (which may be seen not only in my own hands, but in the Patent Office,) bears date the 12th day of April 1694. The words are, "In cujus rei testimonium has literas nostras fieri fecimus patentes, testibus nobis ipsis apud Westmonasterium, duodecimo die Aprilis, anno regni nostri sexto." Now, I may appeal to anybody, that has ever been concerned in a Patent, if by reason of the delays that necessarily attend a thing of that nature, it may not fairly be supposed that the remaining part of that month expired, before all could be finished. I find in a book of my private accounts, that I took, the Patent out of the Patent Office the 18th day of that month: and the several offices to be attended after that, before I could have admission to the Library, maybe allowed to take up the rest of the month. But I shall prove the thing directly by two witnesses beyond all exception, the worthy masters of St Paul's and St James's Schools, who gave me this account under their own hands:

Some time after the death of Mr Justell, late Library-keeper to His Majesty, we were desired by his