1907.] on the Guildhall Library. 471 



furnished with bookes, pertaining to the Guildhall and colledge : 

 these bookes (as it is said) were in the raigne of Edward the 6 sent 

 for by Edward, Duke of Sommerset, Lord protector, with promise to 

 be restored shortly : men laded from thence three Carries with them, 

 but they neuer returned. This librarie was builded by the executors 

 of R. Whittington, and by William Burie : it is now lofted through, 

 and made a store house for clothes." No reference to this act of 

 selfish rapacity is to be found in the City records, but it probably 

 happened in 1549, when the revenues of the Guildhall Chapel were 

 seized by the Commissioners of King Edward. No remonstrance was 

 made by the Corporation, who probably knew only too well how 

 much reliance was to be placed upon the Protector's promise that the 

 books should be " shortly restored." The dismantling of the Library 

 followed just a week later. The following entry is in the Journal 

 of the Common Council: "Jovis xiij Marcij A° iiij" E. vj*' 1550. 

 Item it is agreyd that the Chamberleyn shall for the pfytte of the 

 Citie sell all the deskes of the liberary of the Guildhald college to 

 them that wyll gyve most for them." 



At this time the Corporation were treating with Somerset and the 

 Court for the purchase of the lands and buildings belonging to the 

 dissolved College at the Guildhall, and they may have refrained from 

 pressing the Duke for the return of their books from fear of pre- 

 judicing the negotiations. The King's Letters Patent for purchasing 

 the lands and buildings were received on April 17, 4 E. YI. (1550). 

 On the 6th of the previous month a lease of the building was 

 granted to Sir John Aylolfe for use as a cloth market. "Jovis 

 yf Marcij A° ERg E vj iiij°. Item for certeyn consyderaeons 

 movyng the Co'te yt is agreid by the same that S"" John Aylif knight 

 now kep'" of blackwell hall shall have the hole lybarye of the 

 Guyldhall Colledge as well above as beneth from the feste of the 

 Aniincyacon of o"" ladye nowe nexte comyng for the terme of his 

 naturall lyf, yeldyng therfore duryng the same terme to the Mayer & 

 Coialtye & Cytezens of this Cytie to thuse of the poore v". So 

 alweyes that he vse & occupye the same as a coen m'ket howse for 

 the sale of clothes and none other wyse." 



A similar fate befell Duke Humphrey's Library at Oxford. In 

 1550 the Commissioners for reformation of the University, appointed 

 by Edward YI., laid waste its contents in a strange spirit of ignorant 

 and fanatical zeal. So complete was the destruction that in 1556 

 the very bookshelves and desks were sold as things for which there 

 was no longer any use. Fortunately for the University of Oxford a 

 new founder of her Library soon appeared in the person of 

 Sir Thomas Bodley. The City of London had to wait nearly three 

 centuries before any attempt was made to repair her grievous loss. 

 The sad reflection also occurs, that within twenty-five years of the 

 disappearance of the Library Sir Thomas Gresham established his 

 College in the City. Had the Guildhall Library been then in 



