In 1654, on the completion of Harvey's Museum (the grand addition that he made to our College), and which, besides other things, he had enriched with his own books, the library of the College was removed thither. It was not long before bequests and donations were made to it. Sir Theodore de Mayerne, who died in March, 1654-5, left to the College his library containing many MSS.; the marquis of Dorchester gave one hundred pounds for the purchase of books; Selden left by will all the Arabic MSS. relating to physic that he had collected; and Elias Ashmole and many others presented various scarce and valuable volumes. In 1660 when Merrett printed his catalogue1 the library comprised some thirteen hundred volumes, most of them folios, and many of rarity and value.

The rules laid down for the library were minute and stringent, and no books were allowed to be taken out. The library was to be open on all Fridays, from two to five o'clock in the afternoon in summer, but only until four in the winter; also during the meetings of the College and of the Censors, and at such other times as the library keeper being at leisure should choose to be present. The library continued to receive additions up to the great fire of London, which destroyed the College, and with it the library, with the exception of about one hundred and forty volumes, most of them folios, and many of these of great value; and some few manuscripts; that were saved from the flames by the Harveian librarian, Dr. Merrett.

These volumes were the nucleus of our present library; and soon after the fire the marquis of Dorchester expressed his intention of adding to them the whole of his own fine and valuable collection, and would have given the College possession of them in his lifetime, if a fitting place for the orderly disposing of them had then existed. On the 8th October, 1680, it was determined to build a library for their reception, but the munificent donor died in December, 1680, and several years elapsed ere the building was completed and the books arranged; but on the 4th February, 1687-8, a deputation was appointed "to wait upon 1 Catalogus Librorum, Instrumentorum, &c., in Museo Harveiano. 4to. Lond. 1660.

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the lady Grace Pierrepoint, to acquaint her that the College of Physicians have lately made a fair library, in which the Ld. Marquesse of Dorchester's books, given by her honour, are placed; and to desire her ladyship to do the College the honour to take a view of it." This noble addition to our library was valued at the time at upwards of four thousand pounds, and is said by Dr. Goodall to have been the choicest collection of books in physics, mathematics, civil law, and philology in any private hand in England. From the catalogue made in 1664, now before me, I see that it then comprised over 3,200 volumes, of which 1,547 were folios, 1,230 quartos, and 432 octavos.

With the view of making the library more generally useful, a new code of regulations was framed in 1708, by which it was directed that the library should be open on all Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, from ten to twelve o'clock, and on all Tuesday and Friday afternoons, from four to six o'clock, from Ladyday to Michaelmas; and from two to four o'clock from Michaelmas to Lady-day; that no candles were to be used, and the smoking of tobacco was prohibited. The library was to be free to all members of the College, but before admission into it, each person was to deposit half-a-crown with the under librarian, as caution money, and give his faith to the observance of the Harveian Statute, with such alterations as should be thought proper

This Statute was framed in 1656, and is one of the "Statuta Museo Harveiano propria."

"Formula fidei dandæ, antequam quispiam in Museum admittatur. Dabis fidem, te librum nullum clam surrepturum; imò nec lacerando, aut maculando, locumve aliquem signando, folio conduplicando, eademve exscindendo, aut verbum aliquod, literasve, vel apicem eximendo, aut commutando, librum ullum deformaturum; sed quemque mox, ubi usus fueris, integrum suo loco repositurum. Idemque similiter de rebus aliis citra fraudem malusve artes relinquendis, polliceberis. Neminem tecum in Museum, vel librorum evolvendorum vel rerum quarumcunque illic inspiciendarum gratiâ adduces; pro quo te vadem sistere nobis, omnia cum ex æquo bonoque facturum, et qui cum toto tempore non permaneas. Et si quem sublestæ fidei deprehenderis, Musei custodem protinùs ejus rei certiorem facies." 66 Si quisquam dolo malo, lubens, sciens, datam fidem fefellerit; is in posterum libertate ingrediendi Museum pri

vator."

This form of promise was to be entered in a book, and subscribed by every person before he was admitted to the library.

A complete catalogue of the College library was made by Dr. Middleton Massey, in 1727, but was not printed; and in the following year the collection was largely augmented by the bequest of Dr. Richard Hale, of five hundred pounds, for buying books, to be chosen by his nephew, Dr. Richard Tyson, and by him placed in the library. The amount was very judiciously expended by Dr. Tyson, and some of the best books in the library are the produce of Dr. Hale's bequest.

In 1733 Dr. Woodford, a fellow of the College, and regius professor of physic at Oxford, presented a copy of the Opera Agricolationum,1 impressa Regii, 1496, which had once belonged to our first president, Linacre, and is rendered especially valuable to us by his signature, the only one the College possesses of its founder.

In 1751 Dr. Crow, a fellow of the College, and a wealthy man, the possessor of a large and well selected library, left to the College all his Greek and Latin books, which included a very choice collection of classical works.

A good catalogue of the library was printed in 1757, and from it I find that the library then comprised over 6,650 volumes. The Thesaurus Antiquitatum Romanum et Græcorum, in 25 volumes, folio, the best edition and a noble work, was given to the College, in 1787, by Dr. Brocklesby; and in 1792, the library having fallen into great disorder, it was re-arranged by the elder Dr. Latham, and in a manner so satisfactory to his colleagues that he was unanimously voted one hundred pounds for his services. Dr. Thomas Gisborne, who died in 1806, bequeathed many valuable books to the College, and Dr. Baillie, by his will, bequeathed to the College all his medical, chemical, and anatomical books, and three hundred pounds, the interest or annual produce of which was directed to be applied in keeping the

1 Opera Agricolationum: Columellæ, Varronis, Catonisq: nec non Palladii cum exscriptionibus et commētariis D. Philippi Beroaldi. Impressa Regii MCCCCLXXXXVI.

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Bibliothecæ Collegii Regalis Medicorum Londinensis Catalogus. Royal 8vo. MDCCLVII.

said books in proper preservation, and in augmenting the library of the College.

Immediately before the opening of the College in Pall Mall East, the whole of the library was classified, and arranged with great judgment, in the splendid room prepared for its reception, by Mr. Hunter, the bedel and sub-librarian.

Among the many rare and curious works contained in the College library may be mentioned,-The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye, translated into Englisshe by Willyam Caxton, printed by William Caxton 1471,' being the first book printed in the English language; the Cronycle of Englonde, printed by Wynkyn de Worde. Folio, Lond. 1502; and Chaucer's works. Folio. Lond. 1540.8

351

The College copy consists of 350 leaves. It is without pagination, signatures, or catchwords. The initial letters are inserted in colour. In this copy, the first leaf containing the title page, in red ink, and a portion of Caxton's preface is deficient, and a part of the 6th leaf is torn out. It is otherwise in fine and perfect condition. Its size is 11 inches by 74.

The following are prices at which copies have been sold :— 1812. The duke of Roxburgh's copy 10601. 18s. This copy was in very fine condition, and had formerly belonged to Elizabeth Gray, queen of Edward IV. It wanted one leaf.

1829. Hibbert's sale (10 leaves in MSS.) 1577. 10s.

1847. Wilke's sale (6 leaves wanting) 1657.

1852. Utterson's sale (50 leaves wanting) 1557.

The Chronycle of Englonde with the Frute of Tymes. The Descripcyon of Englonde, Wayls, Scotland, and Irlond: speaking of the noblesse and worthynesse of the same. Enprynted in Fletestrete, in the syne of the Sonne, by me, Wynkyn de Worde, the yere of our lorde a MCCCCC and II.

The Workes of Geffray Chaucer, newly printed, with dyvers workes which were never in print before: as in the table more playnly dothe appere. Cum privilegio. Imprynted at London, by Thomas Petit, dwellyng in Paules churche yarde, at the sygne of the Maydens heed. 1510. Folio.

VOL. III.

2 B

3

Of the Princeps editions there are those of Elian,' Alciphron, Euclid, Homer, Eustathius' Commentaria in Homerum, Josephus, Maximus Tyrius, Eusebius, Tertullian, and Suidas."

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Of the finest and best editions there are those of Aristides," Diogenes Laertius,' Gregorius Thaumaturgus,13 Gregorius Nazien

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Opera Omnia. Gesneri. Tiguri, 1556. Fol. "The date is not on the title page, nor at the end of the book, but at the conclusion of the Dedicatory Epistle."-Dibden. Harwood speaks of this edition as "of rare occu "rence."

2 Bergleri. Lipsia. 1715. 12mo.

Grynæi. Basil. 1533. Fol.

4 D. Cretensis. Florent. 1488. Fol. 2 vol.* Mattaire says of it, "Nil certè aut antea aut postea elegantius comparuit." Gibbon says "it displays all the luxury of the typographical art;" and Dibden speaks of the splendour, rarity, and value of these truly exquisite volumes."

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Eustathii Archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis; Commentarii in Homeri Iliadem et Odysseam. Romæ. 1542-50. Fol. 4 vol. "It is among the most splendid monuments in the world, of Greek erudition and of Greek printing."-Dibden. M. Renouard well observes in the opening of his description of it: "Tresor d'érudition grècque, espèce de sanctuaire dans lequel n'ont accès que ceux qui déjà ont fait des progrès dans l'étude des anciens Classiques."

Arlenii. Basil. 1544. Fol. Printed by Frobenius. Dibden calls it "beautiful and rare;" and Harwood "one of the noblest and

most venerable old books I ever saw."

'H. Stephanus. Paris. 1557. 8vo. Præparatio Evangelica. R. Stephanus.

Lutet. Paris. 1544.

Fol. The purest edition of Eusebius."-Harwood. Demonstratio Evangelica. R. Stephanus. Lutet. 1545. Fol. "Of equal beauty and value with the parent Greek text of the Preparatio Evangelica."-Dibden. Historia Ecclesiastica.

Paris. 1544. Fol. "This beautiful book."-Dibden.

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9 Opera Omnia. Froben. Basil. 1521. Folio.

R. Stephanus.

"A book of uncommon occurrence; and, as an editio princeps, should have a place in all libraries of any critical pretension."-Dibden.

10 Lexicon Græcum. Mediolani. 1499. Fol. Impensa D. Chal

condyli.

11 Jebbii. Oxon. 1722. 4to. 2 vol. tissima."

"Editio longè præstan.

12 Meibomii. Amst. 1692. 4to. 2 vol. 66

Beyond all doubt this is by far the best as well as the most splendid edition extant of the

author."-Dibden.

13 Paris. 1622. Folio. "Editio optima."-Dibden.