Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/247

Rh I delivered the MS. to the bookseller; for, as I had said before, as soon as I had it in my power, I went voluntarily to the bookseller and offered it him. The bookseller has not yet thought fit to deny, that the book was delivered to him in May; and to save him from the temptation of denying it hereafter, I will prove by another record, that the book was used and restored to me again, and lodged in His Majesty's Library before the end of that month. For the reason why I insisted to have the MS. speedily returned, was because I was obliged to make a journey to Worcester, to keep my residence there as Prebendary of that church: and that I was at Worcester by the 1st of June following, the following certificate will prove, the original of which I have by me:

It appears by the Chanter's rolls kept to note the presence of the Dean and Prebendaries of the Cathedral Church of Worcester, that Dr Richard Bentley, Prebendary of the said Cathedral Church, was present at prayers in the quire there on the first day of June in the year 1694, and continued his attendance there till September the 26th following, not absenting more than