tfODSWORTH. 



tier, and I cannot but bless Grod that he was pleased 

 Out of his infinite goodness and mercy, to raise lip 

 so pious and diligent a person that should by hid 

 blessing, so effectually discover and preserve siieU 

 a noble treasure of antiquities, as is contained lit 

 these volumes. 



He prepared nothing for" the press himself, ex- 

 cepting the two first volumes of the Monasticon J 

 but before the work was far advanced by the JP'rin- 

 ters, he was cut off by death, and then the correct- 

 ing part fell upon the equally famous Sir Williairi 

 Dugdale. What had been published before about 

 our religious houses is extremely slight and imper- 

 fect. But in this great work there is a most noble 

 account, extracted from the most authentic ledger 

 books, registers, and other records of the most con^ 

 siderable of the religious houses, and all is done 

 with so much fidelity, and in so good a method, 

 that there is nothing but what is commendable in it* 



The immense mass of information comprised int 

 the 162 vols. folio of MSS. lodged in the Bodleian 

 Library, are lasting memorials what this county 

 owes to him, as the volumes of the Monasticon, 

 (which though published under his and Dugdale'sl 

 names conjointly, were both collected and written 

 totally by him) will immortalize that extensive in- 

 dustry which has laid the whole kingdom under" 

 obligation. The patronage of General Fairfax 

 preserved this treasure, and bequeathed it to the* 

 library where it is now lodged, at a most critical 

 time, when the revolutionary spirit of the age 

 threatened, under the Commonwealth, the ex- 

 tinction of every ancient record. Fairfax allowed 

 Dodsworth a yearly salary to preserve the inscrip- 

 tions in churches, and it is owing to his patronage 

 that we are indebted for the preservation of so ma^ 

 ny invaluable memorials, as well as tho^e noble" 

 relics of antiquity, which the rage of his party had 

 doomed to destruction. 



Dodsworth died in Aiigust, 1654, at the advanced 

 ttge of 69 ; and was buried at Rufford in Lancashire. 

 --Authorities, Biog. Diet. Gougb's anecdotes oi* 

 3 N 



