Tomlinson, who, with great pains and care, made such a collection from 1641 to 1660, King Charles I. wanting a particular pamphlet, and hearing Tomlinson had it, took coach and went to his house in Paul's church-yard to read it there, and would not borrow it, but gave him 107.

"There are several hundred volumes bound uniform in folio, 4to. and 8vo. so well digested, that a single sheet may be readily found by the catalogue which was taken by Mr. Foster, and is twelve volumes in folio. This collection deserves to be publickly reposited.

"The apothecaries not long since had a design to collect all sorts of dispensatories and books'relating to botanicks, as Herbals, &c.

"The barber-surgeons have collected such books as relate to anatomy at their hall in Monkwell street; there is also that admirable piece of Henry VIII. sitting on his throne and giving the master and warden their charter, painted by the famous Hans Holbein.

"Libraries in private hands.-The Right Reverend the Bishop of Norwich hath a large and most incomparable library. There are vast quantities both of printed books and MSS. in all

*

Something seems wanting here. The volumes referred to were all the pamphlets published in the great rebellion: they were purchased by the late King, and deposited by him in the British Museum, where they remain.-S. A.

faculties

faculties; there are great variety of MSS. admirable both for antiquity and fair writing a Capgrave, the finest in England; there is but one more, and that is in Bennet college library in Cambridge, with many others of great value too long to insert. He hath the old printed books at the first beginning of printing; that at Mentz, 1460, and others, printed at Rome and several other cities in Italy, Germany, France, and Holland, before 1500; those printed in England by the first printers at Oxford, St. Alban's, Westminster by Caxton, Winken de Worde, Pynson, &c. the greatest collection of any in England; other books, printed on vellum, and curiously illuminated, so as to pass for MSS.; a fine Pliny and Livy, in 2 vols. both printed on vellum, and many such like; abundance of exemplars of books printed by the famous printers, the Aldi, Zanchi, Geyphius, Vascosanus, Stephens, Elzevirs, &c. It were heartily to be wished his Lordship's Catalogue were printed; for I believe it would be the best that ever appeared, I mean here in England.

"Dr. Hans Sloane hath a very copious collection of books in all faculties, as physick, mathematicks, the classicks, &c. in all languages, old printed books; a great number of MSS. on divers subjects, both antient and modern.

“He hath a most admirable collection of natural and artificial rarities, shells, insects, fossils, medals

medals both antient and modern, Roman and Greek antiquities; ores of several sorts, as gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, and a vast many other antique rarities that had been Mr. Charleton's, so that with what he had before and since hath collected, he hath the greatest in England.

"His book of plants of several countries, a large collection of voyages, discoveries, travels into foreign parts, in most of the European languages, not only printed, but most of them in MS. in Latin, Italian, French, Flemish, Dutch, and English, nothing having escaped him that he knew of, either here or abroad, that could be purchased. He is copiously furnisht with books on all curious subjects; perhaps there is not such another collection in its kind in all Europe.

"The Earl of Carbery hath made a noble collection; and amongst other things, all that relate to mystical divinity.

"The Earl of Kent hath spared for no cost to compleat his collection of English historians, visitations, and pedigrees.

"The Earl of Pembroke is very choice in books of medals, lives, and effigies of all great and learned men, kings, princes, dukes, and great generals, with abundance of others of pomp and state.

"The Lord Somers hath an admirable collection of books relating to the laws of this land and other countries in Latin, French, Italian, and

Spanish;

Spanish; also our English historians, both printed and M.- a rare library in this kind.

"The Earl of Sunderland hath a great collection of scarce and valuable authors, in polite learning, especially the best editions of the classicks; he bought Mr. Hadrian Beverland's entire-a collection very choice in its kind. This, in my opinion, is the best and most expeditious way to procure a good library; and the method taken by the old earl of Anglesea, who bought several entire, as Oldenburgh's, &c."

The Journey through England also mentions this collection in terms of great approbation in speaking of Althrop, a seat belonging to the Earl of Sunderland. "The library is a spacious room, the books disposed in neat cases, and an antique bust over every case. But this library, nor any private library in Europe, comes up to that to that great one which the present Earl of Sunderland (2d edit. of the work 1724) hath collected at his house in Piccadilly, or the good disposition of them; and it is one of the greatest curiosities in London for a learned traveller."

66

The same author thus notices it again in his second volume. 'Adjoining to this is the palace of Charles Earl of Sunderland (second son of the late earl of that name, who was groom of the stole, first gentleman of the bedchamber, and prime minister to his Majesty King George, a

nobleman

nobleman of uncommon talents, a great encourager of learning and learned men; and, what seldom happens in one line, had the greatest share in this administration, as his father had in the reigns of King Charles the second, King James, and King William), separated also from the street of Piccadilly by a wall with large grown trees before the gate.

"But the greatest beauty of this palace is the library, running from the house into the garden; and, I must say, is the finest in Europe, both for the disposition of the apartments and of the books. The rooms, divided into five apartments, are full 150 feet long, with two stories of windows; and a gallery runs round the whole in the second story, for the taking down books.

"No nobleman in any nation hath taken greater care to make his collection complete, nor does he spare any cost for the most valuable and rare books; besides, no bookseller in Europe hath so many editions of the same book as he, for he bath all, especially of the classicks.

"The Lord Halifax's collection is noble and choice, with admirable judgment well digested, and in good order.

"There is a large and curious collection made by the late Mr. Secretary Pepys, now in the possession of Mr. Jackson his heir, at Clapham in Surrey. It consists of various subjects, as Eng