By the Rev, Canon J. EB. Jackson, F.S.A. 341 
printed in our days. I must not omit to mention that the room I 
am speaking of—the Old library upstairs—is indebted for its con- 
tents not only to Lord Weymouth and Bishop Ken. At the further 
end of it, occupying the entire wall, is a very wonderful collection 
of publications, all upon one single subject, but that a subject of 
never-ceasing interest—the great French Revolution of 1792. The 
collection embraces, I believe, almost everything that was published 
in France during that terrible period of the history of France ; and 
it includes all books, pamphlets, and narratives published not only 
in Paris itself, but in all the provincial cities and towns; describing 
all the horrors that took place over the whole country, Whether 
quite unique or not I cannot say, but this collection is certainly a 
very remarkable and valuable one, and was added to the literary 
treasures of the house by the present owner. Taking this Old hbrary 
of Longleat altogether, it is, both from its mere construction, as 
well as its interesting contents, one of the most curious rooms to be 
seen in any house in England. 
I now come to the MS. treasures. I don’t know how it is, but 
so it is—there is always a certain charm about an old MS. which a 
printed book does not possess. If of any printed book there are only 
two copies left or known, still there may be more yet to come to 
light. At any rate it has been printed, and so far is supposed—if 
forgotten or ‘yare now—to have been better known once. But an 
old MS. !—which none or few have ever seen, which has never been 
printed—about that there is an undefinable and sometimes romantic 
idea that it must contain something wonderfully curious. So, carry- 
ing you in my cursory description to the collection of MSS. in the 
Old library, I must say at once that it is simply possible only to give 
a very merest outline of what they are; for they cannot be properly 
appreciated, even by connoisseurs, without being very carefully and 
leisurely examined one by one. 
The MSS. of which I am speaking occupy two shelves; total 
‘length 36ft. They are volumes large and small, from largest folio 
to smallest duodecimo. They were some years ago in a dilapidated 
condition externally, and the ancient leaves were on the eve of parting 
~ company with one another, through mere antiquity ; but they were 

