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ing the rubrics written in filver letters.

A very fair and valuable Exemplar of the Latin Gofpels, of the Vulgate edition, once belonging to the abbey-church of St. Edmund's Bury; elegantly written in the 10th century, but unhappily defpoiled of the initial leaves of the Gospels of St. Matthew, St. Luke, and St. John, probably for the fake of the illuminations. At the beginning of this volume is a fyllabus of the evangelical leffons, according to the ufage of the Romish church; and at the end is inferted the memorable conteft between Gundulphus, bishop of Rochefter, and Picote, fheriff of Grandebruge.

The Latin Gospels, written with red ink, about the beginning of the 11th century, and in the AngloNormanic character. In this MS, the genealogy of our Saviour is alfo detached from the other part of Matthew's Gospel; as is likewife the first part of the 18th verfe of the first chapter, Chrifti autem generatio fic erat. All the rubrics are written in gold capital letters; and the initial letter of each Gofpel is alfo of gold, and fills an entire page.

The four Evangelifts, written in the Irish character, by Brigidianus, or Maol Brighte, for the ufe of Gilla, coarb, or vicar of the church of St. Patrick, fuppofed by father Simon to be at least 700 years old.

is one of the most authentic copies of the Latin Gospels, which the Irish have ever fent out of their iland. To this Exemplar are added, St. Jerome's prologue of the canons of the four Gospels, an explanation of fuch Hebrew and Syriac names as occur in the Gospels,

a Hebrew, Latin, and Irish voca bulary, the ufual prefaces, an interlineary glofs, and a Catanea Pa trum.

A tranfcript of the four Evange lifts of the Latin Vulgate, with various readings, in Irish characters.

The Epiftles of St. Paul, the Catholic Epiftles, and the Apocalypfé in Latin, with the arguments, Sa above 1000 years old; prior to St Jerome's corrections. The reading of the 8th verfe of the 5th chapter of the first Epistle of St. John is in the manufcript, Et tres funt qui teftimonium dant in terra, fpiritus, aqua, et fanguis, et tres unum funt.

St. Paul's Epiftles in Arabic. The canonical Epiftles of St. Paul in Latin, with a glofs; his Epiftle to the Laodiceans, and an expofition of the Gospel of St. John, written in the 12th century.

A Roman Pfalter of St. Jerome, written about the time of our king Edgar; illuminated; and each pfalm elegantly embellished with a most curious historical drawing, illuftrating the text. A Pfalter, with the litany, calendar, &r. elegantly written; illuminated and decorated with beautiful miniature paintings of the 11th century. A most cu rious and finely preferved Pfalter, in Greek, Latin, and Arabic written in the 12th century. King Henry III's Pfalter, curiously illu minated; and written for his ufe by Thomas de Langley. A Gree Pfalter, with facred hymns, of th 11th century. An extremely fine Greek Pfalter, of the 12th centu ry; and another of the fame age, once belonging to the monks of Monte Oliveto. A Latin Pfalter, with facred hymns, written in the 13th century. Two Arabic Pfal ters, to one of which are fubjoined a pfalm

a pfalm composed on the flaying Goliath; and ten facred canticles, extracted from the fcripture. A Greek and Ruffian Pfalter. A Sclavonic Pfalter. An expofition of the Pfaltar in Latin, illuminated, and most accurately written in a hand of the 10th century; and a great variety of other valuable tranfcripts of the different biblical books, written in the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries.

II. Cabbalas, Talmuds, and Tal mudical Books, Targums, Expofitions, Gloffes, and Commenta ries on the Pentateuch, and other books of the Old Teftament, in Hebrew, Chaldee, and other languages, compiled by the moft celebrated rabbins. Amongst thefe are, a very fine copy of Maimoni des de Lege, in Hebrew, and without points, written in 1472, by Salomon Ben Alzuk; and the Sepher a Mifvot of rabbi Mofes Ben Jacob de Cofi; written in the beginning of the 15th century. A very beautiful transcript of Maimonides's Moreh Nebuchim, in Hebrew, written in fmall characters by a Spanish hand, and finely illumi nated. R. Levi's mentary on Job, 14th century.

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en in the y very ele gant and ancient pies of the Liturgies of the erman and other Jews; particularly a Liturgy, &c. of the German Jews, written in the 13th century. The Machazor, or Office of prayers, compofed for their greater feafts, differing from the common printed Liturgy, and written in the 14th century. The order of prayer, in which the Rubrics are more ample than in the printed books. Tranfcripts of R. Jacob Ben Afher, and R. Ben Ezra's four orders; containing all the VOL, VI.

rités, cuftoms, and ceremonies, as ufed by the Jews in their prefent difperfion.

III. Near 200 volumes of the Writings of the Fathers: particularly a copy of part of the works of St. Hilary, written in the 9th century, and formerly belonging to the church of St. Mary and St. Nicholas of Arenftein. A fine tranfcript of St. Auguftine's fermons on the gofpel and first epistle of St. John, written in the 12th century, belonging to the fame monaftery. A beautiful Exemplar of the fame Father's difcourfes on the book of Genefis, written in the 12th century and another, containing his. books De civitate Dei, et de Trinitate, written in the 13th century. St. Chryfoftom's Greek homilies on the epiftle to Timothy, written in the 3th century. The works of St. Athanafius in Greek, of the 14th century. The homilies of St. Bafil, Ephraim Cyrus, and John Chryfoftom, in Greek, writ ten in the 14th century; and another copy of the fame, with St. Gregory's encomium on St. George and St. Marina, likewife of the fame age. As alfo ancient councils, canons, and conftitutions ecclefiaftical, great variety of annotations, commentaries, expofitions, harmonies of the four gofpels, paraphrafes, hiftories of the Old and New Teftament, &c..with a multitude of theological treatifes, many of which are highly worthy to be confulted.

IV. Liturgies and Liturgical Books; as the Liturgies of SS. Chry foltom, Bafil, and Nazianzen, of which there are in this collection two very fair copies in Greek, one with the prayers and evangelical and epiftolical leffons, written in the 11th

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century, and the other written in the 14th. The Liturgy of the church of Syria. Two fair volumes, containing the Samaritan Liturgy. The Ruffian Liturgy. The Liturgies of the Roman and Greek churches; particularly a most valuable Exemplar of that of the latter; wherein the feveral offices, chants, hymns, and antiphones, are marked with Greek mufical notes, according to the prefent ufage of that church. A curious Liturgy, adorned with beautiful paintings and illuminations; which, from the Calendar of German Saints inferted in it, is fuppofed to have formerly belonged to fome church in Germany. The feveral Liturgies of the church of England, &c,

V. Miffals, Breviaries, and Hours of the Holy Virgin, according to the use of the Roman, English, and Gallican churches; rituals, ordinals, books of offices, proceffionals and graduals; many of them curiously illuminated, and richly adorned with fine hiftorical paintings; among thefe is, the Miffal of the church of Toul, in Lorrain, which, befides its exquifite paintings, is remarkable for having in the Litany of Saints, after the three holy Archangels, one to the Angel Uriel; notwithstanding feveral councils had ftrictly forbidden the invocation of more than the three first. A Miffal adorned with exquifite paintings, wherein the figures are reprefented of a larger fize than ufual; and to which is added a calendar, ornamented with feveral curious miniatures, wherein the several labours of the farm and vineyard throughout the year are curiously delineated, Two Breviaries, painted in a moft exquifite manner; to each of which is prefixed a calendar finely decorated

with miniatures, of saints, country sports, and employments, &c. As alfo many others.

VI. Ancient Evangelifteria and Lectionaries; among which are, an Evangelifterium, written in Greek capitals in the 9th century. An Evangelifterium in Greek capitals, written in the year 995, by Conftantine, prefbyter: the first page thereof, and the references to the chapters, are in letters of gold. Another Evangelifterium, adorned with pictures of the four evange lifts finely painted, and the rubrick written in letters of gold. At the end is a certificate, figned on the 10th of March 1699, by Laurence Alexander Zacagnius, principal librarian of the Vatican, teftifying that this MS. was then upwards of 700 years old. Three Evangelifteria, written in the 11th century; one of which is remarkable for being written on parchment, from whence the words of fome other book have been erased. Alfo an elegant illuminated tranfcript of "Wickliff's Gofpelis and Epiftolis of all pe Feftis in pe Zeer by ordre as pei ben red in the Meffe Book. after pe ufe of Salisbery."

VII. Store of Menologies, Martyrologies, and Lives of Saints; which, though they are to be read with great caution, yet furnish genuine matter of good note, and not readily to be met with elsewhere.

VIII. A variety of other books of Religion and Devotion; particularly a very fine copy of the Paffio Chrifti fecundum Evangeliftas, with prayers to God and feveral faints, neatly written in Saxon characters, and in the 8th century. A book of prayers, benedictions, and exor cifms, in Latin, written in the 10th century. Wickliff's fummary o the books of the Old and New Teftament,

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Teftament, with their authority and ufe to Chriftian men. His Poftils; and his notes on the Pater Nofter, with fundry other difcourfes. A book in the Armenian tongue, containing the Apostles Creed, a Hiftory of the Bible, and a form of proper confeffion to be ufed before taking the holy facrament. A tranflation into Perfic of the hiftory of our Saviour; written originally in the Portuguefe tongue by Father Jerome Xaver. Ethiopic prayers. Several tranfcripts of the Alcoran, in Arabic, Perfic, and other languages; and commentaries thereon. A collection of Mohammedan prayers, written in the Perfic and Turkish tongues. The Nadham, or connection of fentences contained in the Alcoran; with the apophthegms of Mahommed. Three books of prayers in Arabic, two of them written in the African character. Together with other tracts on the Mohammedan religion. IX.An amazing number of curious and authentic manufcripts, relative as well to the Topographical Defcription and Antiquities of Britain, as to the Civil and Ecclefiaftical Hiftory of the Kingdom; its Laws, Conftitution, and Government: this mine appears inexhauftible, and every vein full of the richest ftores.

Firft, For the Topographical part; hiftories and furveys of feveral counties, and the customs of their inhabitants; Memorials of the founding and incorporation of cities, towns, boroughs, and villages, with the most remarkable events that have happened to each; their antiquities, and other curiofities. Accounts of the erections of temples, caftles, and other build

ings; and of the remains (if any) of fuch as have been destroyed. The establishment and endowment of parishes, foundations of religious houfes, books of ancient tenures, inquifitions poft mortem, elcheats, customariés, terriers of manors, perambulations of forefts, accounts of ancient coin, monumental infcriptions, forts, camps, roads, military ways, and other antiquities, which have been cafually difcovered in particular places. Notes concerning the most remarkable rivers, mountains, mines, minerals, and other curiofities. A variety of tracts, and memoranda, relating to particular parts of England, as well in its priftine ftate, when feparated into petty kingdoms, provinces, and principalities, during the times of the Britains, Romans, and Saxons, as fubfequently, when under the dominion of one monarch; divided into counties, ridings, rapes, wapentakes, &c. As alfo the laborious collections made by Sir Simonds D'Ewes, John Fox the martyrologist, Mr. Erdefwick, honest John Stow, Mr. Charles, Lancafter herald, and others.

Secondly, For the Civil and Ec. clefiaftical Hiftory; valuable copies of our ancient hiftorians and chroniclers, as Gildas, Nennius, Afferius Menevenfis, Alfred of Beverly, abbot Benedict, Caftoreus or John Beaver, J. Brompton, Raulf Boun, Douglafs, monk of Glaftonbury, Edmerus, Florence of Worcester, Robert of Gloucefter, William Gifeburn, R. Hoveden, Henry Huntingdon, Peter de Ickham, John Jofelyne, R. Rigden, Peter Langtoft, I. Lewis, Adam Murimuth, Geoffery of Monmouth, Robertus Montcnfis, John

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Pyke, Sir Walter Raleigh, Robert de Reading, Thomas Rudburne, Simeon of Durham, Richard Sporte, Nicholas Trivett, John Wallingford, Thomas Walfingham, Walter of Coventry, Gotfelinus de Sancto Bertino, and fundry anonymous authors of good value. A finely illuminated copy of John Harding's chronicle, much more perfect than the edition published by Grafton, and containing the letter of defiance fent to king Henry the IVth, by the old Earl of Northumberland, Henry Hotspur, his fon, and the earl of Worcester, his brother, before the battle of Shrewsbury; fome difcourfes of the fame old earl, touching John of Gaunt ; a map of Scotland, from Carlisle to the water of Tay; and another, from thence to Sutherland and Cathnefs; with fundry other matters omitted likewife by Grafton. A tranfcript of John de Trevifa's tranflation of Higden's Polychronicon, differing from the account given of that work by Bale and Pitts; together with feveral other tranflations and compoEtions of Trevifa, not to be met with in any other book. No lefs than four ancient copies of the Polycratica Temporum of Roger Ce-. ftrenfis; from whence R. Rigden ftole his Polychronicon. The famous and very ancient copy of William Malmbury's elaborate treatise De Geftis Regum Anglorum, which was formerly preferved with great religious care at Rochefter. An Exemplar of his four books, De Geftis Pontificum, written in the 12th century; and feveral tranfcripts of the Dunftable Chronicle, one whereof is moft beautifully illuminated; and another adorned with the blazon of

the arms of divers emperors and kings.

Chronicles and hiftories of abbeys, and other religious houfes; as thofe of Abingdon, St. Alban's, Alnewick, Bermondfey, St. Edmond's Bury, St. David's, Hales,: Litchfield, Ely, St. Paul's London, and Peterborough.

Lives of particular kings, and hiftories of their reigns: as of Edward the confeffor; king Harold, of whofe life and miracles here is a very fair copy, written in the 12th century. Henry I. Richard I. Henry III. Edw. I. Edward II. and Edward III. The history of Richard II. written by Fran. de Marque, a French gentleman, attendant on the court in the queen's fervice; adorned with 16 admirable paintings, wherein the principal perfons and habits of those times are most accurately reprefented. As alfo thofe of Henry IV. Henry V. Henry VI. and Edward IV.

Many original inftruments to ambaffadors, and letters which paffed between them and the chief minifters of their courts; together with authentic copies of an immenfe number of others.

Letters to and from foreign princes and states, negotiations, alliances, leagues, truces and treaties of peace, commerce, and navigation.

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Summons to parliament from the 49th of Henry III. to the 21ft year of the reign of K. Henry VIII. in many places larger and more correct than the work publifhed under that title, by Sir William Dugdale. Tranfcripts of the rolls, journals and memoranda of parliament; particularly a copy of the parliament rolls, beginning at the 4th year of K.

Edward

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