LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SANCROFT. 101 



or other accident of his sickness^ has prevented his Grace from 

 revoking that assignment, I fear a common law^'er would give 

 you but very slender hopes^ if ever you should call in his as- 

 sistance, to recover by law, what was really designed to be 

 yours without your expending one farthing upon it. And, if 

 zeal to fulfil my Lord Grace's will take its steps forward or 

 backward, only according to lines figured upon paper or parch- 

 ment in form of law, I should fear greatly for the College's in- 

 terest, and the honour of his Grace's family. But I will hope 

 more comfortably : and I tell you this only to give you aim as 

 to that sort of address and management towards the executors, 

 which you know very well to judge of, in such circumstances 

 as these, which do not give so fast hold of the remaining part 

 of the hbrary, as yourselves, and, I am sure, our most honoured 

 patron and benefactor, would have wished you to have. 



" As to the structure, which his Grace designed for the 

 books, I don't know that he came to any fixed resolution about 

 it J neither had he laid aside the thoughts of it, when I received 

 his last blessing J his mind still running on a new fabric, though 

 of less dimensions than the ground which was measured by his 

 first command to me. It was, I think, that very morning I left 

 him, that he caused me to be let into his study, (all his books 

 being then placed together in that one room, great part of 

 which he had formerly shown me in two garrets,) that I might 

 view them, and give him my opinion, whether that shai'e, which 

 I judged would come to the college, would crowd your library 

 too full, if there were new shelves put up under the windows, 

 and half classes erected betwixt the whole ones ? I told him I 

 thought they might stand so not inconveniently 3 but he still 

 took time to consider, whether it should be so, or a new fabric 3 

 and I have heard nothing further since that time." 



H 3 



