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A. BUILDINGS AND READING ROOMS

The Buildings may be conveniently divided into three parts: 1. The older part ; 2. The modern part ; 3. Certain outlying store rooms in University buildings.

The three sides of the School Quadrangle which adjoin the Arts End now contain the most valuable part of the Library. In the Gallery are the Upper Reading Room and the Picture Gallery . On the first-floor on the South side are the chief manuscript collections; on the East side the Bywater, Douce and the Oriental MSS, and printed books; on the North side the Malone, Tanner, and Gough books, with all the Bibles. On the ground-floor are placed the Hope Collection of engraved portraits --which is under separate trustees and is not really Bodleian property--the Music School , the Meerman room , the Law Room, the Foreign Periodical Room and the Map Room.

Lastly, some outlying buildings have been lent as storerooms. Half of the Sheldonian Theatre Basement keeps the Parliamentary Blue Books, and such newspapers and journals as the Bodleian takes in. The Basement of the Old Ashmolean holds the "Year-books" and in general the octavo books received between 1824 and 1883. Finally, beneath the New Examination Schools are preserved directories, some old magazines and all novels.

In 1915 the numbers of volumes in these three main divisions were found to be:--

In "Bodley" 422,000 In the "Camera" and Underground Store 321,000 In outlying buildings 279,000 Total 1,022,000

B. Organization

The whole Library is subject ultimately to the authority of the Board of Curators, fifteen in number. Of these, eight are official ; and seven are chosen for ten years by Congregation from its resident members. The Curators meet at least twice a term, and hold an Annual Visitation of the Library on November 8, the anniversary of the opening of the Bodleian in 1602. The income and expenditure and even the regulations of the Library are under their control.

The three officers are the responsible officials, and any one of them can take complete charge of the Library. They are the Librarian and the two Sub-Librarians; by custom one of the latter is an Oriental scholar. At the age of sixty-five they retire, unless specially retained for a few additional years. They may not hold a cure of souls, nor undertake outside work incompatible with the due discharge of their office. But the two Sub-Librarians are subordinate to the Librarian in all matters concerning their duties and work.

The Senior Assistants are at present thirteen in number. Ten of them are in charge of the ten Sections of the Library, and are responsible for its proper condition. One is the Librarian's Secretary, one the Financial Assistant, two are Superintendents of the Upper Reading Room, and of the Camera, and one is in charge of the Stores. Their maximum salary is ?250. There is also a class of Minor Assistants, who have less responsibility and less difficult work.

The Janitor at "Bodley" is on Sir Thomas Bodley's original foundation, and has charge of the Picture Gallery, and the admission of visitors. There is now also a Janitor at the Camera.

The Junior Assistants undertake the supply and replacement of books, and such work as the preparation of lists, and especially hand lists, showing what books are added to the shelves, with other duties varying according to their powers. The Curators give annual prizes at Christmas to this class, for conduct, industry and intelligence.

The Extra Staff is apparently a class peculiar to the Bodleian, instituted by Nicholson. They are to a large extent former Junior Assistants, retained for a time on the Staff under conditions which allow them to carry on their own studies . It is found that their experience of the Library in the past makes their services of special value, while on the other hand they are allowed to choose a normal scheme of hours and take what holidays they please, being paid by the hour . They deal with arrears, or miscellaneous work, according to their special powers or the library requirements. Some of the Extra Staff are usually specialists temporarily engaged, such as the members of the Catalogue Revision Staff. The entire normal staff consists of about seventy persons.

C. FACILITIES FOR READERS

D. FINANCE

Manuscripts and printed books are not lent out except under a Special Decree of Convocation in each case, and was finally decided on May 31, 1887, in accordance with the principles of the Founder and the traditions both of the Bodleian and the British Museum .

THE MANUSCRIPT AND OTHER TREASURES

The present chapter is designed partly to illustrate these points, and also to be a guide to some of the most prominent treasures of this great repository. It will, in the first place, describe a few of the curiosities of association which cluster round certain volumes, and then settle down to what is by comparison a mere list of valuable books, whether written or printed. Neither part should be taken as in any way exhaustive.

At Oxyrhynchus was found also a school-boy's letter to his father, an example of the immutability of basal human nature. It is in Greek, on papyrus, written in the second or third century of our era. This is part of it: "Theon to his father Theon greeting. It was a fine thing of you not to take me with you to town.... Mother said to Archela?s 'He upsets me: take him away.' So send for me, I implore you. If you won't send, I won't eat, I won't drink: there now." The appeal to what his mother said about him to a house-friend, was a master stroke, the boy thought, but the effect may have been diminished in his father's eyes by the undoubted fact that the grammar and spelling of the letter leave a good deal to be desired. That completes the picture. But we may be pretty sure that no tragedy followed the missive. Having done his best to bring his father into the right path the youthful Theon undoubtedly sat down to a good dinner and calmly awaited the course of events. A chilling interval no doubt followed, and a prosaic reply that Theon had better keep his temper and not upset his mother. Little did Theon think that his boyish letter would, after seventeen hundred years, become an interesting treasure in a great library.

A small volume in brown calf binding was sold at Sotheby's on July 26, 1887, described as "Evangelia iv. ... Manuscript on vellum ... illuminated in gold and colours ... saec. xiv," and was bought for a very moderate sum by the Bodleian. It turned out to be a Gospel-book written in England about A.D. 1000, and bearing four full-page miniatures of the Evangelists with other illumination. On the second leaf is a Latin poem of the eleventh century, telling a strange tale, that a miracle had been worked on this volume. It had been taken to a trysting-place in order that by its sanctity it might bind the parties to an agreement, but on its way dropped unnoticed into a river out of the folds of the priest's dress who was carrying it. When its absence was noted, the party slowly retraced its steps, and at last saw it in the river. A soldier plunged in head first and rescued it, and it was found to be miraculously unhurt "except two leaves which you see at each end, in which from the water some crinkling is apparent." The poem specially records that the silken sheets which protected the illuminations were washed out of the book by the stream, and ends "May the King and noble Queen find everlasting salvation, whose book was recently saved from the waves." The clue to this was found in the Life of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, whose chapel is still a venerated shrine in Edinburgh Castle. She was a sister of Edgar AEtheling, fled to the North, and in 1070 married Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland. Her mild and civilizing influence on the Scottish Court and country till her death in 1093 led to canonization in 1251. The Life of her, probably by her confessor Turgot, contains the whole story in similar terms in prose, and establishes beyond a doubt that this volume was her especial treasure and constant companion. She must often have used it both in Dunfermline Abbey, which she founded, and in her chapel in the Castle at Edinburgh. Even the "crinkling" mentioned is still visible, but as to the miracle, the clear water of a Scotch stream would do little harm even to an illuminated volume. It is, however, an undoubted relic, valuable alike for its liturgical contents, its romantic history and its associations.

The smallest MS. in the Library measures three-quarters of an inch square and about a quarter inch in thickness, and very appropriately contains shorthand writing. It was so likely to be lost that Mr. Coxe chained it to a piece of wood eighteen inches long. Knowledge of its history and contents was completely lost until in 1912 a visitor saw it, and made a suggestion which was found to be true, that it was a sermon written by Jeremiah Rich "the Semigrapher," in his peculiar stenography, and referred to in a broadside of about 1664 as "now shown in the Publick Library in Oxford." Rich claimed that he could write so small that his pen could scarcely be seen to move.

Imagine the Council Chamber of King Charles II, the King himself at one end, Lord Clarendon the Historian of the Rebellion at the other, and the Lords of the Council ranged along the sides: date 1660-1665. The King often desired to obtain the immediate opinion of Clarendon on matters which came before the Council, whether it was a question of arrangements for Parliament, or the dismissal of an officer of state, or the hanging of some traitors; and his custom was to send a slip of paper to his Chancellor with his own query at the top, and room for the reply. These papers flew backwards and forwards between the two, and, as filled in, they may be regarded as the most personal and intimate State Papers which exist. They should have been at once destroyed, but Clarendon kept them, and they are now preserved in the Bodleian. Many are of the highest interest, as revealing the undisguised opinions and feelings of the King. Here is one of less intrinsic importance, Clarendon's contributions being in italic:--

"I would willingly make a visite to my sister at Tunbridge for a night, or two at furthest, when do you thinke I can best spare that time?

I intend to take nothing but my night bag.

I counte that part of my night bag."

It may be added that the King is greatly superior to his Minister, both in handwriting and spelling. The date is December, 1660.

These are ten specimens of the associations and stories which gather round the volumes of the Bodleian, but space does not allow this section to be extended.

THE CHIEF COLLECTIONS OF THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY

WITH NOTES OF SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT VOLUMES IN THEM

A. MANUSCRIPTS

Out of the 200 collections of Manuscripts only the more valuable are mentioned, and of their contents only the most striking volumes. In the latter division the numeral in brackets is the number of the volume in the Old Catalogue of 1697 , or in the Summary Catalogue . The use of the Roman numerals which here follow will enable a reader to recognize the general character of each collection.

The following subjects are characterized for brevity by members as below:--

i. Bibles and Liturgies. ii. Theology and Church History. iii. Greek Literature. iv. Latin Literature. v. English Language and Literature. vi. British History. vii. British Topography. viii. Colonial and Foreign Literature, History and Geography. ix. Sciences and Arts. x. Miscellaneous .

Cent. Greek Latin

The oldest complete MS. in the Library is a Chinese scroll, written by Wang Hsi Chih about A.D. 400. The oldest printed book is also Chinese, the voluminous Spring and Autumn Annals of Confucius, printed about A.D. 1150. Both were in the Backhouse donations of 1914.

SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

Persius, 11th cent. ; Prudentius, 11th cent. ; Leofric Missal, 10th cent. ; Latin Gospels written in Brittany, 10th cent. .

Canons of the Church, 11th cent. ; Grammarians, 11th cent. ; Chronicon John Malalae, 12th cent. ; Epistolae Photii, 10th cent. ; early MSS. of the Fathers; all in Greek.

Catena in Epistolas Pauli, in Greek, 10th cent. .

Chanson de Roland, 12th cent. , the earliest MS. of the first French Roman de geste; the Abingdon Missal, 15th cent., illuminated .

Canons of Councils, Greek, 11th cent. ; Irish poems, 13th cent. ; Sidonius Apollinaris, 10th cent. ; AElfric's Heptateuch, 11th cent. ; Gregory's Cura Pastoralis, 9th cent. ; the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, to A.D. 1154 ; Egbert's Penitential, in Old English, 11th cent. ; Codex E of the Acts, Graeco-Latin, 7th cent. , see p. 45; The "Psalter" of Cashel, in Irish, 12th cent. ; Lives of Saints, in English, 14th cent. ; Quintus Curtius, 15th cent., with illuminations ; Augustine de Trinitate, 8th cent. ; Martianus Capella, 11th cent. .

Mexican records, the Mendoza Codex, 16th cent. ; English Carols, with music, 15th cent. ; The King's Quair, etc., 15th cent. ; Latin pieces in the hand of William of Malmesbury, 12th cent. ; The Acts, in Latin uncials written in England, 8th cent. .

King Alfred's translation of Gregory's Pastoral Care, 9th cent. ; Rule of St. Benedict, in Latin, 7th cent. ; Collectis Canonum Hibernensium, 9th cent. ; Anglo-Saxon homilies, 11th cent. .

The Ormulum, the original MS. of the first English religious poem after the Conquest, abt. 1315 ; Caedmon, see p. 44 .

Edrisi's Geography in Arabic, with maps .

Vend?me chronicle, 11th to 14th cent. ; Maximianus, 12th cent. .

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

English historical papers, 1570-1699 .

Original earliest existing journal of the Irish Parliament, 1585-6 ; original letter-book of the confederate Catholics at Kilkenny, 1642-5 .

Thurloe State Papers, 1638-60 ; Pepys' Papers, abt. 1650-90 ; Parish notes for Oxfordshire, abt. 1720 ; old Irish MSS., annals, cartularies and poetry ; Prudentius, abt. A.D. 1000 ; perhaps "The earliest English musical composition," abt. 1220 ; Avianus, 11th cent. ; Latin Gospels of St. Luke and St. John, 8th cent. ; royal letters to Qu. Elizabeth ; Oxford University Bedel's book, 16th cent. ; Prayers for the use of Wladislaw, King of Poland, abt. 1434 ; Holman's Essex MSS. .

Letters of Charles I and Henrietta Maria ; Council notes of Charles I and Clarendon, 1660-2 .

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