24 CHAINED BOOKS IN DORSET AND ELSEWHERE. 



Some additions were made to the Library by Roger 

 Gillingham, of the Middle Temple, a native of Cowgrove, 

 Wimborne, who, by a codicil to his will, dated 2nd July, 

 1695, " gave for the use of the newly erected library of 

 Wimborne Minster various books in the said codicil 

 particularly stated to have been bought for the purpose 

 (including, amongst others, the Polyglott Bible and Lexicon), 

 and also such of his best books to the value of 10 (not being 

 law books) as were fitted for the use not only of the clergy 

 but of the gentry, shopkeepers, and better sort of inhabitants 

 in and about the said town, but not to be delivered until the 

 books, already given to the said library by Mr. William Stone 

 and others, should be chained in their places as usual in 

 public libraries, and until chains and places should be 

 provided for the books already given, for which purpose he 

 gave 10 to the churchwardens of the said church." 



A MS. catalogue of the books, made in 1725, is still 

 in existence. They were again catalogued in 1863 by 

 Mr. W. G. Wilkinson, an under-master of the Grammar 

 School, and again in 1890 by William Blades. 



Amongst the treasures of the Minster Library are 



(1) A MS. dated 1343, entitled " Regimen Animarum,"- 

 a book of directions for priests in dealing with souls. And 



(2) An " Incunabulum," (or book printed before the year 

 1500). It is a " black letter " copy of some Tractates of St. 

 Anselm, dated 1473. 



Grimston's History of the Netherlands contains the 

 autograph of " Sir Walter Rawly." 



William Blades (Books in Chains), writing in 1890, states 

 that there are seventeen volumes which are not in the British 

 Museum. This statement, however, is hardly correct now ; 

 though there are, so far as one can judge, eight books, or 

 editions, which the British Museum Library does not 



Besides these two Chained Libraries, there are also in the 

 County of Dorset Chained Books at 



