observations were principally applied) does not exactly apply to the case of Sir Thomas Bodley; for the plan of the library was formed, the funds for its establishment were raised, and the rules for its regulation drawn up, during the lifetime of the founder.— After these previous hints and reflections, we proceed to give a short account of the origin of this inestimable deposit of ancient and modern literature.

Previously to the creation of public libraries, the religious houses and hostels contained within them a few manuscripts, such as evangelisteries and mass books, writings of Augustine and a few more of the fathers, with Latin translations of Aristotle and some of the Latin classics, but with no Greek. The first public library at Oxford composed of similar materials, was established about the year 1295, of which the founder was Richard Angerville, alias de Bury, Lord Treasurer of England and Bishop of Durham; for in those days the clergy held the highest civil and ecclesiastical offices at the same time.

In the year 1320, Cobham, Bishop of Worcester, founded another library, which was considerably augmented by Henry IV., and his nobles. This, also, would necessarily partake of the narrowness of the times. It, therefore, remained for another person to enlarge it in more auspicious days. This person was Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester; for he it was who about the year 1439 formed the plan of a new library at Oxford, which he furnished with MSS, procured at great expense from foreign countries. The books, composing the old library, were also conveyed to this. And thus Duke Humphrey obtained the honour of being 2 considered the founder of this new library.

It would not, perhaps, be difficult to ascertain the extent of this library, nor of the old library at Cambridge, the names, at "least, of the books, being probably preserved in the archives of the Universities. But this would be unnecessary, it being sup. posed, that none of the books in the present libraries appertained to the old. As to Duke Humphrey's, comprehending, also, the Bishop of Durham's, in no less a space than eighty years after its establishment, it was completely destroyed, nor was the sad consolation left of being able to say of it,

Urbs antiqua ruit, multos dominata per annos.

VIRG. En. Lib. II.

Suffice it to have said thus much concerning the old library.

It then remained for Sir Thomas Bodley to repair the ruins of the old house, or rather to begin the building anew; for though the old structure remained, it was enlarged and very considerably improved by this new benefactor. He not only contributed largely himself, both in books and money, but procured large

donations

donations from others. Purchases were made from all parts of the continent. Many private gentlemen brought from their own libraries some of their most valuable books to enrich that of their Alma Mater. Religious houses, not long since abolished, had been previously ransacked; and some colleges were drained of their choicest literary stores, to replenish the public reservoir. Such was the glory of this grand receptacle of ancient and mo dern literature, to which the name of Sir Thomas Bodley now stands,- -a name to which Alma Mater pays her yearly tribute of gratitude and praise, and will probably continue to pay it as long as her present laws and constitutions exist.

Thus much, and indeed more, was done during the lifetime of Sir Thomas Bodley; but his attentions were not bounded by the grave; he left an estate at his decease to the fabric, in order to purchase books, and to pay salaries to officers. He, too, as the founder, was allowed to draw up those rules and regulations which still operate on this library; for having been confirmed by convocation, they obtained the authority and name of statutes.

Sir Thomas Bodley begun his labours 1597, and died in 1612. His Letters to Dr. James, the first librarian of the Bodleian, though somewhat dull, are interesting, as shewing the progress of the founder in forming the library; and the rules drawn up for its regulation, though not without defects, are in several instances a model for other public libraries.

This library, as it will be supposed, has obtained numerous other benefactors besides the original founder; and, perhaps, it now contains four times the number of books that it did during the lifetime of Sir Thomas Bodley.

AN OBSERVER,

A PAIR OF PORTRAITS,

MR. REFLECTOR,

As you profess an intention of dedicating a portion of your work to short miscellaneous articles, the following pair of portraits is heartily at your service, if you think them worthy of insertion, I send them as they stand hastily sketched in my travelling com. mon-place book: for nobody, as you know, travels at present without the hopes of meeting some adventure at the inn, or laying the landlord or chambermaid under contribution for a cha racteristic trait. Should these specimens catch the eye of any fashionable tourist who may be in want of such an article, I shall

be happy to deal with him in the large or by the piece, having a considerable assortment by me.

Castle Angus.

He

The landlord is dressed in a light coat and black straw hat. He wears white cotton stockings, and small clothes and gaiters of the same; the gaiters reaching exactly half way up the leg. He occasionally dusts his shoes with a silk handkerchief, which he afterwards carefully folds up before he puts it in his pocket. When he steps to the door to see how the night wears, he always puts on his hat. He finishes every sentence by calling you Sır, in such a manner and accent, that if he finds you afterwards to be a person of less consequence than he at first imagined, it is a title of civil condescension; whereas, if your real distinction is greater than your appearance, it is a sufficient shelter for not having been deficient in respect. It further prevents all posterior acts of attention in consequence of such acquired knowledge from wearing an air of servility: for "mine host" rents a farm in the neigh bourhood, and therefore neither uses nor receives the uusal free. dom of intercourse between landlord and guest. He gives his family a high opinion of his knowledge, by mysteriously conning over the papers on the Income and Assessed Taxes, Schedules A and B being to his wife and daughters as Hebrew Greek. imposes upon his servants by affecting a little hesitation in ad mitting their calculations, and then quickly allowing their rectifi cation: this, he thinks, gives them an idea of his minute acquaint. ance with all the economy of the house. He sits in a particular corner of the room, in his own sacred arm-chair, and there being a cupboard in the same corner of the room, to which it is neces. sary that his wife and daughter should have occasional access, he rises from his chair upon such interruptions, at first with an air of dignified resignation, but if too much delay takes place, he seems to expostulate with fortune, that a man of his character and dignified deportment in life is to be exposed to such petty vexa, tions. Ex uno disce omnia.-He has been to Bath, riding his own poney, by easy stages, for the benefit of his health, his complaint, a slight fit of the gout; his wife, however, thinks it was the rheumatism, not but what it might have been the effects of a cold, which he caught in drawing off some wine; though the apothecary thought it might be an attack of bile, something of an influenza or epidemic disorder, or probably a nervous com, plaint, and that a little relaxation from the fatigues of business was necessary.

August.-N. B. To day, there being a slight change in the weather, the landlord's cotton stockings are changed for woollen, and he cautions his daughter not to leave the door a-jar.

New

--

New Forest.

I am residing at present with one of those comfortable old la dies who, after living a certain number of years with a great family, marries the gardener or the cook, and upon his death, lets out her house in lodgings. Any young man who is not of a close, reserved disposition, is sure to be a great favourite with a lady of this cast; and as, in addition to the above recommendations, I have entered into a treaty of peace with her cat, and am upon terms of sworn friendship with her spaniel, her partiality for me knows no bounds. I am a sufferer by this, in one respect; for the old lady will cram me with her nice things, of which she always has a store in the house. If I ask for a crust of bread before dinner, she produces some plumb cake; and if I want a glass of water, she recommends her ginger wine as an excellent stomachic, and all this with so much kindness and earnestness, that though such dainties before dinner do not suit the economy of my stomach, I connot for the life of me offend her by a refusal. My books are not yet arrived, but I can give a pretty good guess of what I shall meet with in my landlady's library. There will be the Pilgrim's Progress, an odd volume of the Spectator, probably one of Fielding's novels, Taplin's Farriery, Harvey's Meditations, and the Complete Gardiner, which belonged to her late husband; when these are finished, I must be content to regale myself with the Whole Duty of Man, doubled down where the old lady left off last Good Friday, and the Army and Navy Lists.-The following trait pleased me:-Walking out yes terday, I met a fresh-looking man, whom I engaged to come and clean my boots every morning. Upon my return, I told my landlady what I had done. Lord, Sir, said she, with a most significant countenance, I fear you must not employ him. Seeing that she wished to be pressed, and anxious to know what article of the decalogue the man had broken, so that he might not be employed in cleaning those necessary articles of my dress, I asked what evil he had done. Why, said she, with an air of great secrecy, it is not six months ago since all his family and he had the itch; but, continued she, in a whisper, be sure, Sir, and don't mention that I ever said such a thing.-The old lady's sphere of action is at present a little confined. Preparation for meals, a due adjust. ment of provisions for her cat and dog, and administering to the wants of her only pig, form the principal occupation of the day,

while a sober whist party, where all the news of the village is discussed, concludes the evening. When her gout permits, the old lady attends the church; and woe be to the luckless maiden who betrays any undue finery or adjustment of person on these occasions. She can espy seduction in the new turn of a cap, and prophecy ruin from an undue proportion of ribbons. Her grandest

employ

714

employment, however, is to assist on great occasions at the House, as she emphatically styles the scene of her former labours. For this due preparation is made, and a double suit of clothes is laid by her bedside the preceding evening, that her dress may be regulated by the nicest state of the barometer. In her more active days, she had had the honour of providing for the entertainment of the Royal Family, when on a visit to her mistress. As every body. Goldsmith observes, is fond, however mean himself, of hearing anecdotes of great persons, the following dialogue, by which I drew from her an account of this interesting epoch of her life, may not be unacceptable :

4. But what pleasure can our company be to you, who have been accustomed to entertain royalty?

B. L-Sir-(with a smile in which vanity, gratitude, and a desire to be further questioned were the principal ingredients.) A. You must disdain us plebeians as mere stop-gaps in life? B. O no-Sir.

A. But come, pray give us some account? Did not you feel some little palpitation at the first mention of the business?

B. Why I must say that I did not sleep very well for the first week or so. There was I giving such orders-Betty do dust these rooms better; John don't burn the rolls so much; how do you think his Majesty, who has been accustomed to so much better things, will be able to abide them. I am sure I don't know what our vicar thought of me; for for two Sundays I never set foot in the church; I was so busy.

A. Well, and did you see his Majesty at last?

B. See him? Aye, and speak to him too,

A. The devil you did?

B. I wanted to touch him; but there were the officers always about him; so I thought I had better not venture.

A. And what did his Majesty say to you?

B. Why, Sir, you must know I was down in my room making the dough for the rolls; very busy, but little thinking what was coming. Suddenly open flies the door and in comes his Majesty. Lord, Sir, there was I, and the plague was that I had on my darned apron. If I had but had the Holland one, which I bought -but I dare say his Majesty is so accustomed to see fine things that he would not have thought much of it. Well, Sir, as I was saying, I was kneading the dough: Ah my good woman, says he, what are you about there, eh? making rolls, eh? making rolls for us, eh? Yes, Sire, says I, dropping a curtesy, as it might be, so.

A. Sire?

B. Yes, Sire! that was what the pages and the great dukes called him.

4. Well,