between the Panslavian and the Anglo-Saxon races: the most important, the introduction of Wickliff's Bible translation into Czechia by Anne, sister of Wenceslaw IV., and wife of Richard II. of England,—an event rich in great and salutary consequences. In allusion to the Library of the British Museum, it seems to me that in former times the diplomatic agents of this country must have taken care to collect the rare and interesting works of the places where they temporarily resided; and that in this way the libraries of this country became enriched by an astounding stock of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Panslavic works, which subsequently merged some way or other in the national library. This, albeit hypothetical genesis of that huge collection, will, I think, best explain its incompleteness and even un-systematicity in former times; as there are some rare old works to be found, of which the concluding volume is wanting. But I shall not, on this occasion, review a whole library, but confine myself to its late exponent for the world-exhibition, described in the "Short Guide to that Portion of the Library of Printed Books now open to the Public, May 1851."

In imitation of the National Library of Paris, a number of books have been publicly exhibited in the British Museum which, on account of their early date, rarity, costliness and splendour of printing, binding, or for certain interesting autographs, deserved general attention; thus forming an exemplified memorial and history of typographic art and enterprise. The show was a grand and instructive one, owing mostly to the specimens of the unmatched collection of the Grenville Library, the greatest gift ever bequeathed by an individual to a people. None could look without deep emotion on the set of Columbus' Letters, all printed during his lifetime (1493 et seq.)—documents much adverted to by A. Humboldt in his Examen Critique on the discovery of America. Of similar interest were the sets of first editions of Petrarca, Cervantes, Camoens—leaves invaluable to the thinker on human civilisation. Chinese, Indian, and Japanese specimens were also not wanting.

With all that, the gentleman who had arranged en maestro this exhibition, did completely ignore the existence of Panslavic literature, viz. that of a race of sixty millions of people! It is the perusal of the Short Guide which will satisfy any one of the exactness of the assertions, that not one single Russian, Polish, Czechian or Serbian book or fly-leaf was in the whole collection: an anomaly, the explaining of which is beyond my reach.

Still, Panslavia occupies a conspicuous place even in the history of typography and literature, although our later periods have been dimmed by the intrusion of foreign or despotic princes. It was so early as the year 1512, that a Slavonic translation of the Bible was begun. Ivan IV. established the first printing-press in 1564 at Moscow; and in 1659 the learned Patriarch Nikon published a revision of both the Old and New Testaments. Without entering here into an investigation on the first Slavian typographers, both Czechia and Poland were foremost in introducing this important discovery; and even our southernmost city, the Republic of Ragusa, printed Slavian works. Of all this the typographical exhibition of the British Museum contained no trace. What the Library may possess or not possess, is now more difficult to ascertain than ever, as the different sets of Catalogues amount to a couple of hundred volumes. In fact, I know that there exist in the Library the Acta Fratrum Polonorum (the disciples of Socinus), a work unknown even to Lellewel but I am not aware how to find it without a great loss of time.[4] Unfortunately also, the Catalogues are encumbered by a host of exploded German works, which, remaining on the hands of the Leipzig publishers, are mostly sold as waste paper. The works of the greatest Slavian literati are wanting; for instance, Palacky's History of Czechia (in German), published by order and at the expense of the house of representatives at Prague, of which a second edition (reprint) has already appeared so far back as 1844.

[4] [Our correspondent will find it in the King's Catalogue, tom. i. p. 281., under Bibliotheca. The press mark is 273, i. 20.—ED.]

DR. J. LOTSKY, Panslave.

ON ARCHBISHOP USSHER.

Without designing to take part in the question at issue regarding archbishop Ussher, I may be permitted to record the evidence of one of the earliest and best-informed witnesses on it—Nicholas Bernard, doctor of divinity, and preacher to the honourable society of Grayes-Inne, London.

"Anno 1641. The great businesse of the Earle of Strafford came in agitation, in which there is one thing he gave me a charge, as I had occasion, to clear him, viz. of a scandall raised on him, by a rash, I will not say malicious pen, in his Vocall forrest, as if he had made use of a pretended distinction of a Personall and politicall conscience, to satisfy the late King, that he might consent to the beheading of the said Earle; that though the first resisted, he might do it by the second; which, I wonder men of prudence, or that had any esteem of him, could be so credulous of: but there is a presumptuous Observator of late, hath more ridiculously and maliciously abused him in it, as if the root of it was in revenge, for the Earles suppressing the Articles of Ireland; both are of the like falshood, as hath been already made apparent, in an answer to him.

"And I have lately seen it under the hand of a person of quality, affirming, that some yeers agone, a rumour being spread of the death of this Reverend Primate (who was much lamented at Oxford) and this concerning the Earle being by one then objected against him. He was an ear-witnesse, that the late King, answered that person in very great Passion, and with an oath protested his innocency therein."

Bernard received ordination from the hands of Ussher; was his librarian at the period in question; and was honoured with his confidence for thirty years. His Life of Ussher is a work of authority, and deserves to be held in remembrance.

BOLTON CORNEY.

ANGLO-CATHOLIC LIBRARY—BISHOP OVERALL'S CONVOCATION BOOK.

The volume which is known under the title of Bishop Overall's Convocation Book, is a document possessing no ordinary degree of interest. It consists of a series of arguments and canons, in which are discussed and decided several questions of great moment relative to the authority of princes, the divine right of episcopacy, and the differences between the Church of England and the see of Rome. Though this document never obtained the sanction of the Crown, yet its intrinsic value is considerable; and its claim to be regarded as an authentic exposition of the doctrine of the Church of England, in the beginning of the seventeenth century, is unquestionable. Drawn up by the eminent divines who constituted the lower house of the Convocation of 1603, the signature of Bishop Overall at the end attests that the whole had been read three times in the