Some account of the Harleian collection of manuscripts, now in the British Museum; from the preface to the new index to that collection, mast judiciously compiled by Mr. Afile.

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HIS collection was begun near the end of the last century, by Robert Harley, of Brampton Bryan, in Hereford fhire, Efq; afterwards carl of Oxford, and lord high treasurer; and was conducted upon the plan of the great Sir Robert Cotton.

He purchafed his firft confiderable collection in August 1705, and in less than ten years he got together near 2,500 curious and rare MSS, among which were thofe of Sir Simon d'Ewes, the Suffolk antiquary; Mr. John Stow, author of the Survey of London; Mr. Charles Lancaster, herald; and John Fox, the martyrologist.

Scon after, the celebrated Dr. George Hicks, Mr. Antis garter king at arms, bifhop Nicholfon, and many other eminent antiquaries, not only offered him their affiftance in procuring MSS, but prefented him with feveral that were very valuable.'

Being thus encouraged to perfeverance by his fuccefs, he kept many perfons employed in purchafing MSS for him abroad, giving them written instructions for their conduct.

By thefe means, the MS Ibrary was in the year 1721 increased to near 6,ono books; 14,000 original charters, and 500 rolls.

On the 21st of May 1724, lord Oxford died; but his fon Edward, who fucceeded to his honours and eftate, ftill farther enlarged the collection; fo that when he died, June 16, 1741, it confifted of 8,cao volumes, feveral of them containing diftin&t and independent treatifes, befides many loose papers, which have been fince forted and bound up in volumes; and above 40,oco original rolls, charters, letters patents, grants, and other deeds and inftruments of great antiquity.

The principal defign of making this collection was the establfhment of a MS English hiftorical library, and the refcuing from destruction fuch records of our national antiquities, as had eluded the diligence of preceding collectors: but lord Oxford's plan was more extenfive; for his collection abounds with curious MSS in every science.

A general idea of the contents of this collection may be conceived from the following articles.

Of Bibles and biblical books, 300 copies in the Hebrew, Chaldee, Greek, Arabic, and Latin languages, many of great antiquity, particularly,

A Hebrew bible feveral hundred years old, to which are prefixed the various

various readings of the eastern and weitern copies, a fyllabus of the parafhoths and haphtaroths for the whole year, and two remarkable drawings in gold highly emboffed, of the facred veffels and utenfils of the ancient Jews.

A Hebrew bible, with fmall Maforetic notes, adorned with miniature paintings, written in the 14th century.

A Latin bible, with St. Paul's epistle to the Laodiceans finely illuminated, written in the 11th century, and formerly belonging to the cathedral of Anjou.

The Old and New Teftament of the Vulgate edition, elegantly written in the 13th century, with the pfalter of the Gallican verfion; Rabanus Maurus's prefaces to his commentaries on the books of the Maccabees, and an interpretation of the Hebrew names, adorned with most beautiful miniatures. The reading of the 8th verfe of the 5th chapter of St. John's first epistle in this MS is, Et tres funt qui teftimonium dant in terra, fpiritus, aqua, et fanguis; et hii tres unam funt.

A tranfcript of the books of the Old and New Teftament, written in the fame century, and illuminated, formerly belonging to the Capuchin convent at Montpelier. In this MS the 7th verfe of the fifth chapter of St. John's first epistle is wanting; and the reading of the 8th verfe is, Queniam tres funt qui teflimonium dant in terra, fpiritus, aqua, et fanguis, et tres unum fant.

A copy of the Old and New Teftament, with St. Jerome's Prologue to the book of Job written în capitals, and of the 13th cen

The most compleat copy now extant of Peter de Riga's verfification of the Latin bible, written in the 14th century.

A double roll, containing the Hebrew Pentateuch, written with great care in a very large character, and without points, or any horns or flourishes on the tops of the letters, on 40 brown African fkins of different fizes, fome con- ' taining more columns than others, and having a fpace of about four lines left between every two books.

The Hebrew Pentateuch, with a Chaldee paraphrafe; and the books of Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclefiaftes, and Either s with the commentaries of R. S. Jarchi, and part of the Chaldee interpretation of the Canticles, written in the 14th century.

A fmall roll, containing the book of Esther in Hebrew, finely written in a very small character, and by a Spanish hand.

Part of the book of Pfalms, and the entire books of Proverbs, Job, Daniel, Efdras, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Ruth, Ecclefiaftes, Efther, and Lamentations, in Hebrew, written in the 12th century.

Part of Exodus, and the whole books of Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Efther, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, and Ecclefiaftes, in Hebrew, with the haphtaroths of the 14th century.

Two copies of the book of Job in Latin, one written in the 11th century, the other, with a glofs, in the 12th.

A fine copy of the books of To. bit, Judith, Ruth, and Wisdom, ia Latin, with a glofs, written in the 13th century.

Two biblical books, upwards of 500 years old, heing part of a moit

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richly

richly illuminated MS, the firft vol. of which, beginning at Genefis, and ending with Job, is preferved in the Bodleian library, [Arch. A.. 154.] They confift of texts according to the vulgar Latin, felected from the books of Maccabees and New Teftament, with the fubject of each text, reprefented in a picture, included in a pretty large circle. Underneath each text is an interpretation in Latin, according to the opinion of the author, who generally applies fuch text to demonftrate the happiness of virtue and the mifery of vice. Thefe explications are alfo reprefented in hiftorical paintings, and the whole is adorned with illuminated orna

ments.

Three very fair copies of the New Teftament, of Wickliff's tranflation, all written in his time, and one of them, as is fuppofed, by his own hand. To one of thefe copies is prefixed a calendar of the leffons and gofpels of all the Zeere. At the end are the epiftles of St. Paul to the Laodiceans, and the leffons and epiftles of the old "Lawe, that ben red in the chirche all the Zeere after the ufe of Salisbury."

The four Gofpels in Greek, with the Canons of Eufebius, faid in a note at the end of the MS, and in a hand nearly coeval with it, to be the proper hand-writing of king Theodofius the Great.

A moft auguft copy of the Greek Gospels, in capitals, written in the 11th century.

An ancient tranfcript of the Greek Gofpels, adorned with a great variety of historical paintings, and accompanied with an explanatory treatise on the Evangelifts and evangelical leffons, a menology, the Canons of Eufebius written in

illuminated blue and gold letters, his epifle to Carpian, the preface of Irenæus, and another from Cofma, the Egyptian's Chriftianorum opinio de Mundo, five Topographia Chriftiana; allowed to be at least as old as the 12th century. It is faid in a note written on a spare leaf at the end of this MS, that it formerly belonged to a monaftery, that took its appellation from the prophet Elias.

A fair copy of the Greek Gofpels, written in the 14th century, with the pictures of the Evangelifts painted on gold crowns, and their names written on the margins in Arabic characters.

Two other copies of the Greek Gofpels written in the 12th century, and another of the fame age, adorned with the picture of the Holy Virgin and Evangelifts.

An elegant tranfcript of the Four Gofpels in Greek, written in the 13th century, illuminated and adorned with paintings, and two others of the fame century.

A most venerable Exemplar of the four Gofpels of St. Jerome's verfion, with the prefaces and canons of Eufebius; the whole written in capitals, and allowed to be 1200 years old. In this MS, it is obfervable, that the genealogy of our bleffed Saviour appears to be diftinct, and feparated from St. Matthew's Gospel. The following words, in two independent lines, occurring after the 17th verfe of that chapter:

Genealogia Hucufque,

Incip. evangl. fecd.MATTh. So that the Gospel begins at the 18th verfe of the first chapter, in the fame manner as in the famous copy of the Evangelifts written in

Ireland,

Ireland, and in another MS. of the fame kind, and of the 12th century; which MSS. are both preferved in this library. It is alfo obfervable, that the like diftinction or feparation of the genealogy of our bleffed Saviour, from the other part of St. Matthew's Gofpel, is made in the famous copy of the four Gofpels, formerly belonging to king Ethelitan, and now preferved in the Cottonian library (Tiberius, A. II.) which book was appointed to be used by the fucceeding kings of England, at the time of their taking their coronation oath.

A noble Exemplar of the four Gofpels, in capital letters of gold, written in the eighth century. Every page of the facred text, confifting of two columns, is enclofed within a broad and beautifully illuminated border. The pictures of the Evangelifts, with their fymbo lic animals, are curioufly painted in the front of their refpective Gofpels; the initial letter of each Gofpel is richly illuminated, and fo large as to fill an entire page. To the whole are prefixed the prologues, arguments, and breviaries; two letters of St. Jerome to Damafus, the canons of Eufebius, his letters to Carpian, and a Capitular of the Gofpels for the courfe of the year, all of them written in fmall golden characters.

A transcript of the Latin Gofpels, with their ufual accompanyments; of the fame age with the laft MS, written in letters of gold, but of a fmall alphabet; and remarkable for the fingular manner in which the genealogy of our Saviour is placed.

An Exemplar of the Holy Gofpels, likewife written in the 8th century, and formerly belonging

to the church of St. Ciricius at Soiffons. To this manufcript are prefixed the epifle to Damafus, and the ufual arguments, prologues, &c. with an interpretation of Hebrew names, a catalogue of the books and vestments belonging to that church, and a lift of its faints.

Two other copies of the four Latin Gofpels, alfo written in the 8th century. In the latter of thefe, the reading of the 23d verse of the last chapter of St. John's Gospel is, Si fic eum volo manere donec veniam; and that of the 24th verfe is, Si eum volo manere.

The four Gofpels of St. Jerome's verfion, with his prologues, arguments, &c. the canons of Eufebius, and the parallel paffages, written in letters of gold in the tenth century. This MS is adorned with pictures of the following fubjects, painted on purple grounds, viz. before the Gospel of St. Matthew, in a circle, are, the reprefentationof our Saviour, fitting as enthroned; holding in his right hand the book of the new law, that of the old law lying in his lap; with the four evangelifts in the angles, kneeling. 2dly, Our Saviour ftanding with St. John, refting his head on his bofom. 3dly, The portrait of St. Matthew. And 4thly, the falutation of the Virgin. Before St. Mark's Gofpel are the portrait of that evangelift, and the dormition of the Virgin Mary. At the be ginning of St. Luke's Gofpel are his portrait, and the crucifixion of our Saviour. Before the Gospel of St. John, are, the picture of that evangelift, and the afcenfion of our Lord.

Two other copies, written in the fame century; one of them finely decorated with the pictures of the evangelifts and St. Jerome, and hav

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, bifhop of Rochester, and Picote, fheriff of Grandebruge.

The Latin Gofpels, written with red ink, about the beginning of the 11th century, and in the Anglo. Normanic character. In this MS, the genealogy of our Saviour is alfo detached from the other part of Matthew's Gofpel; 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 leaft 700 years old. It is one of the moft authentic copies of the Latin Gospels, which the Irish have ever fent out of their ifland. To this Exemplar are added, St. Jerome's prologue of the canons of the four Gofpels, an explanation of fuch Hebrew and Syriac names as occur in the Gofpels,

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

A transcript of the four Evange lifts of the Latin Vulgate, with va rious readings, in Irish characters.

The Epifties of St. Paul, the Catholic Epiftles, and the Apocalypfe in Latin, with the arguments, . above 1000 years old; prior to St. Jerome's corrections. The reading of the 8th verfe of the 5th chapter of the firft 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 hiftorical drawing, illuftrating the text. A Pfalter, with the litany, calendar, &c. elegantly written; illuminated and decorated with beautiful miniature paintings of the 11th century. A moft curious and finely preferved Pfalter, in Greek, Latin, and Arabic, written in the 12th century. King Henry III's Pfalter, curioufly illuminated; and written for his ufe by Thomas de Langley. A Greek Pfalter, with facred hymns, of the 11th century. An extremely fine Greek Pfalter, of the 12th century; 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 Píalters, to one of which are fubjoined a pfalm