which passed into the library of Mr. Carteret-Webb,
after a narrow escape of being sold for L10 to a cheesemonger. They are
now in the British Museum together with a box of exquisite miniature
classics, with which he used to solace himself on a journey. Arthur, Earl
of Anglesea, was another distinguished lawyer, who was famous for having
acquired the finest specimens of books in 'all faculties, arts, and
languages.'
The great bulk of Selden's books were given by his executors to the
Bodleian; but several chests of monastic manuscripts were sent to the
Inner Temple, and perished in a fire. He passed his whole life as a
scholar; and yet, it is said, he deplored the loss of his time, and
wished that he had neglected what the world calls learning, and had
rather 'executed the office of a justice of the peace.' Sir Matthew Hale
should be remembered for his gift of MSS. to Lincoln's Inn. He made it a
condition that they should never be printed; and the language of his will
shows a certain dread of dealing lightly with the secrets of tenure and
prerogative. 'My desire is that they be kept safe and all together in
remembrance of me. They were fit to be bound in leather, and chained and
kept in archives: they are a treasure not fit for every man's view, nor
is every man capable of making use of them.'
We shall close our account of the century with a few words about Dr.
Bernard, a stiff, hard, and straightforward reader, whose library of
medicine and general literature was sold by auction in 1698.
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