IN THE NAME OF THE BODLEIAN

AND OTHER ESSAYS

BY

AUGUSTINE BIRRELL

'Peace be with the soul of that charitable and courteous author who for the common benefit of his fellow-authors introduced the ingenious way of miscellaneous writing.'—LORD SHAFTESBURY.

LONDON

1906

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The first paper appeared in the Outlook, New York, the one on Mr. Bradlaugh in the Nineteenth Century, and some of the others at different times in the Speaker.

3, NEW SQUARE,
   LINCOLN'S INN.

CONTENTS

I. 'IN THE NAME OF THE BODLEIAN'

II. BOOKWORMS

III. CONFIRMED READERS

IV. FIRST EDITIONS

V. GOSSIP IN A LIBRARY

VI. LIBRARIANS AT PLAY

VII. LAWYERS AT PLAY

VIII. THE NON-JURORS

IX. LORD CHESTERFIELD

X. THE JOHNSONIAN LEGEND

XI. BOSWELL AS BIOGRAPHER

XII. OLD PLEASURE GARDENS

XIII. OLD BOOKSELLERS

XIV. A FEW WORDS ABOUT COPYRIGHT IN BOOKS

XV. HANNAH MORE ONCE MORE

XVI. ARTHUR YOUNG

XVII. THOMAS PAINE

XVIII. CHARLES BRADLAUGH

XIX. DISRAELI EX RELATIONE SIR WILLIAM FRASER

XX. A CONNOISSEUR

XXI. OUR GREAT MIDDLE CLASS

XXII. TAR AND WHITEWASH

XXIII. ITINERARIES

XXIV. EPITAPHS

XXV. 'HANSARD'

XXVI. CONTEMPT OF COURT

XXVII. 5 EDWARD VII., CHAPTER 12

'IN THE NAME OF THE BODLEIAN'

With what feelings, I wonder, ought one to approach in a famous University an already venerable foundation, devoted by the last will and indented deed of a pious benefactor to the collection and housing of books and the promotion of learning? The Bodleian at this moment harbours within its walls well-nigh half a million of printed volumes, some scores of precious manuscripts in all the tongues, and has become a name famous throughout the whole civilized world. What sort of a poor scholar would he be whose heart did not beat within him when, for the first time, he found himself, to quote the words of 'Elia,' 'in the heart of learning, under the shadow of the mighty Bodley'?

Grave questions these! 'The following episode occurred during one of Calverley's (then Blayds) appearances at "Collections," the Master (Dr. Jenkyns) officiating. Question: "And with what feelings, Mr. Blayds, ought we to regard the decalogue?" Calverley who had no very clear idea of what was meant by the decalogue, but who had a due sense of the importance both of the occasion and of the question, made the following reply: "Master, with feelings of devotion, mingled with awe!" "Quite right, young man; a very proper answer," exclaimed the Master.' ¹

'Devotion mingled with awe' might be a very proper answer for me to make to my own questions, but possessing that acquaintance with the history of the most picturesque of all libraries which anybody can have who loves books enough to devote a dozen quiet hours of rumination to the pages of Mr. Macray's Annals of the