Stokes — Concerning Marshes Library. 417 



The very neglect into which the library has fallen has had a 

 counterbalancing advantage. It has had, for instance, a marvellous 

 preservative influence upon it. Nothing has been more destructive 

 of ancient work than the keen desire for restoration which has seized 

 like a fever upon the public mind. The first thought which an ancient 

 building suggests now-a-days is this — "Here we have something to 

 restore"; and, under the restorer's hand, much genuine ancient work 

 has disappeared which the ignorant contempt and neglect, and white- 

 wash of our forefathers handed down to us. So it has been with 

 " Marsh." It was for long years handed over to dust and oblivion; but 

 dust and oblivion have preserved its treasures, while knowledge and 

 use would have brought literary thieves and literary loss in their train. ^ 

 And so it is that in Marsh's Library you will find books still which even 

 the British Museum does not contain, and certainly would much desire 

 to possess, a specimen of which I now desire to bring under your notice. 

 During the Christmas holidays I happened to be reading the 2nd edition 

 of Maskell's great work, called Monumenta Ritualia Aiiglicana, origi- 

 nally published about 1845, and re-published, in 1882, by the Clarendon 

 Press. That work is very interesting to a librarian, a bibliographer, 

 or a ritualist, in the technical sense of that word, but is uninteresting 

 to any one else. It goes into great details about ancient service books, 

 whether manuscript or printed, specially of the use of Sarum, the use 

 which prevailed in Irish churches from 1200 to, say, 1550. Mr. 

 Maskell always speaks as if the only places where you could see 

 specimens of those distant times were the British Museum or else 

 the libraries of Oxford, Cambridge, and Lambeth. He makes an 

 occasional mention, but very " occasional," indeed, of the Dublin 

 University Library as a place where some few ancient copies are 

 preserved, but ignores every other Irish institution. I must confess 

 that thereupon the fire kindled, and I thought within myself — well, 

 I will look and see what " Marsh" can do in this matter. Let us see 

 whether the British Museum, and Oxford and Cambridge, are the 

 only places which possess ancient printed copies of Sarum Service 

 Books. I at once set to work, and found in "Marsh," between 



1 During the period when the library was much used a large number of the most 

 valuable books were stolen. The thieves showed great discrimination in the books 

 which they abstracted, as they were always rare and even unique editions. This 

 fact led the Governors, about 120 years ago, to order that no one should read save 

 in the reading room, and that every reader should be searched on his departiu'e. 

 This order is still, in its original shape, exhibited on the walls of the library, dated 

 Oct. 14th, 1779. 



