LIFE OF WHARTON. 161 



the preface to his catalogue of the Lambeth 

 MSS. gives a more exact account of this mat- 

 ter from a particular examination of the work 

 itself; viz. that Mr. Wharton transcribed such 

 unpublished treatises as were subservient to 

 his projected publications, and collated what 

 had been already printed. The catalogue pre- 

 pared by Mr. Wharton, Mr. Todd adds, exhi- 

 bits all the patience of minute investigation, as 

 well as the merit of valuable selection. Mr. 

 Wharton himself gives the following account of 

 his labours in this work, in an unpublished let- 

 ter, in the Lambeth library, to the Rev. Dr. 

 Barker, chaplain to Archbishop Tillotson, (post 

 mark January 1 — probably, says Dr. Birch, 

 169^.) It appears that he had lent the work 

 to Dr. Barker ; and his letter proceeds thus : 



*^ I desire you to use very great care 



in sending it back ; for if it should miscarry, 

 the loss would be to me irreparable, since nei- 

 ther myself could again, nor any other, perhaps, 

 ever would, undertake such a tedious labour, 

 as to read over all the unprinted, and compare 

 the printed MSS. of that library, transcribing 

 thence whatever was worthy of notice. Indeed, 

 the labour was so vast, that I fear you will 

 condemn me of misspending my time ; but con- 

 sidering that myself was both able and willing 

 to undergo the greatest drudgery of that kind, 



VOL. II. M 





