32 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Two bequests of more than ordinary interest and value were 

 received during the year. Miss Harriet C. Plowden, who died in 

 1907, bequeathed to the Museum the original autographs of 

 Beethoven's Sonata for violin and pianoforte in G and of nine 

 quartets by Mozart ; but, as it was necessary to obtain a legal 

 decision on the question of ownership, they were not actually 

 delivered until November last. The other bequest was from 

 the late Sir Thomas Brooke, Bart., of Armitage Bridge, 

 Huddersfield, and includes four MSS. The most valuable of 

 them is a Latin Psalter written throughout in gold, and con- 

 taining a portrait of the Emperor Lothaire (840-855) and two 

 other miniatures, with explanatory verses and, among other 

 supplementary matter, a prayer composed apparently by a 

 sister of Lothaire, and mentioning him and other members of 

 her family. The MS. was probably written for this lady or a 

 religious house in which she was interested ; as early as the 

 10th cent, it belonged to the Abbey of St. Hubert in the 

 Ardennes, and it remained there till the French Revolution. 

 To the upper cover Is attached a large silver-gilt medallion 

 containing a crowned head in profile in high relief, perhaps of 

 the 9th cent. ; and on the lower cover is a fine ivory figure of 

 David, of the 12th cent. An ineffectual attempt was made to 

 secure this volume for the Museum when it was first brought 

 to England in 1876. The other three MSS. for which the 

 nation is indebted to Sir T. Brooke are monastic chartularies, 

 viz., of Cockersand Abbey, co. Lane, 1268; of Fountains 

 Abbey, co. York, 15th cent. ; and of Selby Abbey, co. York, 

 14th cent. 



The most important purchases were made at a sale of a 

 further portion of the great Phillipps Library. In the list of 

 acquisitions, other than those above mentioned, which here 

 follows they include the Royal wardrobe-books, the legal year- 

 books, the valuable series of Jacobite letter-books, and numerous 

 others : — 



Accompt of Richard de Bremesgrave as keeper of the King's 

 stores at Berwick ; 1298- 9. 



Wardrobe-accompt of Thomas and Edward, sons of 

 Edward I., aged four and three respectively ; Feb.-Nov. 1305. 



Wardrobe-accompts of Edward L, including a diet-roll of 

 the royal household and the Comptroller's day-book ; Apr.- 

 Nov. 1306. 



Bond by Alexander Erskine, Master of Mar, Keeper of 

 Stirling Castle, and others, his sureties, to the Earl of Morton, 

 Regent, for the safe-keeping of James VI. at Stirling Castle, and 

 his education under the Countess of Mar and his pedagogues, 

 George Buchanan and Peter Young ; 1572. 



" A militarie discourse whether it bee better for England to 

 give an invador present battaile or to temporize and deferre 

 the same": apparently written about 1590-1595, with special 

 reference to the defence of Kent. 



