Nov. 26. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



511 



good and uertuous prince, have somoclie to herte 

 and inynde the good rule and order uppon the 

 borders (with redresse and reformacion of such 

 attemptats as have been comytted and done in the 

 same), not doubting but if ye for your partie as we 

 intende for ours (doe effectually pei'siste and con- 

 tynue in so good and uertuose purpose and intente), 

 not only our realmes and subjectts shall lyue 

 quyetiy and peasably without occasion of breche, 

 but also we their heddes and gouernors shall so 

 encrease and augment our syncere love and 

 affecon as shall be to the indissoluble assurara- 

 mente of good peace and suretie to the inestimable 

 benefit, wealth, and comoditie of us our realmes 

 and subjectts hereafter. 



Right excellent right high and mightie prynce, 

 our most derest brother and nephew, the blessed 

 Trynytie have you in his government. 



Given under our signet at Yorke place besides 

 Westminster, the 7th day of December. 

 Your lovyng brother and uncle, 



Henky VIII. 



[Tliis letter, which is not included in the State 

 Papers, " King Henry VIII. ," published by the lie- 

 cord Commissioners, was probably written on the 7th 

 Deceniber, 1524-25, as in the fourth volume of that 

 collection is a letter from Magnus to Wolse_v, in wliich 

 he says, p. 301. : "Davy Wood came hoome about the 

 same tyrae, and sitbenne his hider comming hath 

 doone, and continually dooth rnyche good, making 

 honourable reaport not oonly to the Quenes Grace, 

 but also to all other. He is worthy thankes and gra- 

 merces." This David Wod, or Wood, was a servant of 

 the queen, Margaret of Scotland.] 



HANDBOOK TO THE LIBRARY OF THE BRITISH 

 MUSEUM. 



In the Report of the royal commissioners on the 

 British Museum, printed in 1850, we read — 



" We are of opinion that, with reference to such a 

 measure as the one now suggested [giving information 

 to persons at a distance as to the existence of works in 

 the library], and to other measures and regulations 

 generally affecting the use of the library, it is desirable 

 to prepare and publish a compendious Guide to the 

 reading-room, as described and suggested by lord 

 Seymour at Q,. 9521." 



• The reference is erroneous. At Q. 9521, there 

 is not a word on the subject ! At Q. 9522. we 

 read — 



" (^Lord Seymour — to Antonio Panizzi, Esq.) You 

 have heard also some witnesses state that it would be 

 a great advantage to those who frequent the reading- 

 room if they had put into their hands some short 

 printed guide to the reading-room, to tell them what 

 books of reference there were, and to tell them how 

 they were to proceed to get books, and other inform- 

 ation, from the want of which they state they have 

 been at a great loss? (Mr. Panizzi.) I do not believe 



I that it is often tlie case that persons are at a loss for 

 want of such a guide, but it might be done," etc. 



Now, the suggestion of a short printed guide to 

 the reading-room was evidently considered as of 

 some importance. The principle of suum cuiqub 

 is also of some importance. We observe that 

 lord Seymour the examiner ascribes the sugges- 

 tion to some witnesses — but lord Seymour the- 

 reporter claims the credit of it for himself! It is 

 the after-thought of his lordship of which I have 

 to complain. 



If we turn to the evidence, it will appear that 

 Mr. Peter Cunningham suggested a printed 

 " catalogue of the books in the reading-room,'^ 

 Q. 4800. — I must now speak of myself. When 

 summoned before the commissioners as a witness, 

 I took with me the printed Directions respecting^ 

 the reading-room for the express purpose of point- 

 ing out their inconsistency and insufficiency, and 

 of advocating the preparation of a guide-book. 



I cannot repeat my arguments. It would oc- 

 cupy too much space. I can only refer to the 

 questions 6106 — 6116. The substance is this: — 

 I contended that every person admitted to the 

 reading-room should be furnished with instruc- 

 tions how to_proceed — instructions as to the cata- 

 logues which he should considt — and instructions 

 for asking for the books. On that evidence rests 

 my claim to the credit of having suggested a' 

 Guide to the readivg-i'oom. Its validity shall be- 

 left to the decision of those who venerate the 

 motto of Tom Hearne — Suum cuique. 



The trustees of the British Museum seem to. 

 have paid no attention to the recommendation of 

 the royal commissioners. They issue the same'^ 

 Directions as before. After you have obtained 

 admission to the reading-room, you are furnished, 

 with instructions as to the mode of obtaining it! — 

 but you have no guide to the numerous catalogues. 



What Mr. Antonio Panizzi, the keeper of the 

 department of printed books, says might he done, 

 Mr. Richard Sims, of the department of manu- 

 scripts, says shall he done. His Handbook to the • 

 library of the British Museum is a very compre- 

 hensive and instructive volume. It is a trium- 

 phant refutation of the opinions of those who, to 

 the vast injury of literature, and serious incon- 

 venience of men of letters, slight common sense 

 and real utility in favour of visionary schemes and- 

 pedantic elaboration. 



There is no want of precedents for a work of 

 this class, either abroad or at home. As to the 

 public library at Paris — I observe, in my own 

 small collection, an Essai historiqne sur la biblio- 

 theque du roi, par M. le Prince ; a Histoire du 

 cabinet des medailles, par ^I. Marion du Mersan ;, 

 a Notice des estampes, par M. Duchesne, &c. 



For a precedent at home, I shall refer to the- 

 Synopsis of the contents of the British Museum. 

 TlIxq first edition of that interesting work, with the - 



