67 



belonged by right, and of the mode in which it was carried 

 away, fur he quotes Simon's statement, where it is described 

 as being in the Bibliotheque du Roi, and subsequently remarks 

 that, " The person who conveyed it out of France was under 

 the same illusion with Father Simon, that it was the work of 

 an Anglo-Saxon, till I undeceiv'd him, together with some 

 others of great distinction." 



It soon after passed into other hands, for in 1718 Toland 

 writes : " The book is come into England, being purchased by 

 the Eai'l of Oxford, in whose large collection of manuscripts 

 it is not the least valuable piece." The particulars of the pur- 

 chase are thus given by Wanley in his MS. catalogue : " Co- 

 dex niembranaceus in 4 to minori, quern a Joanne Aymone in 

 Hollandia redemit illustrissimus Dominus meus." 



"When Mr. Toland first spake of it to me (for I had the 

 first notice of this and the other manuscripts bought of Mr. 

 Aymon from him), he said it was 900 years old ; and upon the 

 large account he gave of its rarity, joyned to 900 years Anti- 

 quity, I presently offered 20 Guineas for it." 



Wanley, however, had more discernment than his infor- 

 mant, and soon came to the conclusion " that this book was 

 written in or about 1 139." 



January 27, 1851. 

 HUMPHREY LLOYD, D.D., President, 

 in the Chair. 

 The President reminded the Meeting of a Resolution of the 

 Academy,* which had been adopted just previous to his elec- 

 tion, limiting the tenure of the office of President to five years, 

 and declaring it to be inexpedient to re-elect the same person 

 President at the expiration of that time. 



* See Proceedings, vol. iii. p. 192. 

 F 2 



