10 ACCOUNTS, &C. OF BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Even though it is impossible within the limits of this statement to give a correct idea 

 of such a collection, some classes of books, or even a few single volumes, may be mentioned 

 as specimens of the whole. It would naturally be expected that one of the editors of the 

 " Adelphi Homer" would lose no opportunity of collecting the best and rarest editions of 

 the Prince of Poets. jEsop, a favourite author of IMr. Grenville, occurs in his library in 

 its rarest forms ; there is no doubt that the series of editions of this author in that library 

 is unrivalled. The great admiration which Mr. Grenville felt for Card. Ximenes, even more 

 on account of the splendid edition of the Polyglot Bible, which that prelate caused to be 

 printed, than of his public character, made him look upon the acquisition of the Moschus, 

 printed at Alcala, a book of extreme rarity, as a piece of good fortune. Among the 

 extremely rare editions of the Latin Classics, in which the Grenville Library abounds, the 

 unique complete copy of Azzoguidi's first edition of Ovid is a gem well deserving particular 

 notice, and was considered on the whole, by Mr. Grenville himself, the boast of his collec- 

 tion. The Aldine Virgil of 1505, the rarest of the Aldine editions of this poet, is the 

 more welcome to the Museum as it serves to supply a lacuna ; the copy mentioned 

 in the Catalogue of the Royal Collection not having been transferred to the National 

 Library. 



The rarest editions of English Poets claimed and obtained the special attention of Mr. 

 Grenville. Hence we find him possessing not only the first and second edition of Chaucer's 

 Canterbury Tales by Caxton, but the only copy known of an hitherto undiscovered edition 

 of the same work printed in 1498, by Wynkyn de Worde. Of Shakspere's collected 

 Dramatic Works, the Grenville Library contains a copy of the first edition, which, if not the 

 finest known, is at all events surpassed by none. His strong rehgious feelings and his 

 sincere attachment to the Established Church, as well as his knowledge and mastery of the 

 English language, concurred in making him eager to possess the earliest as well as the 

 rarest editions of the translations of the Scriptures in the vernacular tongue. He succeeded 

 to a great extent ; but what deserves particular mention, is the only known fragment of the 

 New Testament in English, translated by Tyndale and Roy, which was in the press of 

 Quentell, at Cologne, in 1525, when the translators were obhged to interrupt the printing, 

 and fly to escape persecution. 



The History of the British Empire, and whatever could illustrate any of its different 

 portions, were the subject of Mr. Grenville's unremitting research, and he allowed nothing 

 to escape him deserving to be preserved, however rare and expensive. Hence his collection 

 of works on the divorce of Henry VIIL ; that of Voyages and Travels, either by English- 

 men, or to countries at some time more or less connected with England, or possessed by her ; 

 that of contemporary works on the gathering, advance and defeat of the " Invincible 

 Armada ;" and that of writings on " Ireland," are more numerous, more valuable and 

 more interesting than in any other collection ever made by any person on the same subjects. 

 Among the Voyages and Travels, the collections of De Bry and Hulsius are the finest in the 

 world ; no other library can boast of four such fine books as the copies of Harlot's Virginia, 

 in Latin, German, French and English, of the De Bry series. And it was fitting that in 

 Mr. Grenville's library should be found one of the only two copies known of the first 

 edition of this work, printed at London in 1588, wherein an account is given of a colony 

 which had been founded by his family namesake. Sir Richard Greinvile. 



Conversant with the Language and Literature of Spain, as well as with that of Italy, 

 the works of imagination by writers of those two countries are better represented in his 

 library than in any other out of Spain or Italy ; in some branches, better even than in any 

 single library in the countries themselves. No Italian collection can boast of such a 

 splendid series of early editions of Ariosto's Orlando, one of Mr. Grenville's favourite 

 authors, nor indeed of such choice Romance Poems. The copy of the first edition of 

 Ariosto is not to be matched for beauty ; of that of Rome, 1533, even the existence was 

 hitherto unknown. A perfect copy of the first complete edition of the Morgante Maggiore, 

 of 1482, was also not known to exist before Mr. Grenville succeeded in procuring his. 

 Among the Spanish Romances, the copy of that of " Tirant lo Blanch," printed at Valencia 

 in 1490, is as fine, as clean and as white as when it first issued from the press, and no 

 second copy of this edition of a work professedly translated from English into Portuguese, 

 and thence into Valencian, is known to exist except in the Library of the Sapienza, 

 at Rome. 



But where there is nothing common, it is almost depreciating a collection to enumerate 

 a few articles as rare. It is a marked feature of this library, that Mr. Grenville did not 

 collect mere bibliographical rarities. He never aimed at having a complete set of the editions 

 from the press of Caxton or Aldus ; but Chaucer and Gower by Caxton were readily 

 purchased, as well as other works which were desirable on other accounts, besides that of 

 having issued from the press of that printer ; and, when possible, select copies were pro- 

 cured. Some of the rarest, and these the finest, Aldine editions were purchased by him 

 for the same reasons. The Horse in Greek, printed by Aldus in 16°, in 1497, is a volume 

 which, from its language, size and rarity, is of the greatest importance for the literaiy and 

 religious history of the time when it was printed. it is therefore in Mr. Grenville's 

 library. The Virgil of 1501 is not only an elegant, but it is the first book printed with that 

 peculiar Italic, known as Aldine, and the first volume which Aldus printed " forma 

 enchiridii," as he called it ; being expressly adapted to give poor scholars the means of 

 purchasing for a small sum the works of the classical writers. This also is, therefore, among 

 Mr. Grenville's books ; and of one of the two editions of Virgil, both dated the same 



year, 



