Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/30

xxii expire) a large number of books which had not been sent by the booksellers to the Royal Library, during the last year or two of Justel's rule. Among others Bennet had to send a number of volumes, and this probably did not increase his liking for Bentley.

Meanwhile Boyle had written several times to Bennet about the MS. and was becoming impatient. On May 1st, 1694, he wrote, 'I am almost ashamed to trouble you any more, Mr Bennet, about the MS. I wish I had it; but if at all I must have it very quickly...' Bennet made another application to Bentley, and this time the MS. was delivered to him. Bentley said that he came and offered it voluntarily, but in this he seems to have been mistaken. Having obtained the MS., and knowing that Boyle was in great haste, Bennet sent the MS. to one George Gibson, a corrector of the press (what we should now call a 'proof-reader'), who could only work at nights, as he was engaged in his regular business all day; and told him to make a collation of the MS. with a printed copy of the Epistles; but fixed no time by which the work