1 6 ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



J, wv>^., 



Two hundred and fifty-four Manuscripts have been folio'd. 



The number of Manuscripts delivered in the Reading Room is 26,498 : and of those 

 consulted in the Department, 6,580. 



The number of Charters, Rolls, and Seals delivered to readers is 1,017. 



The number of special visitors to the Department during the year is 2,206. 



The numbers of Manuscripts and Documents acquired during the year are — 



Stowe Manuscripts - - - - - - -901 



General Collection of Manuscripts - _ - - 153 



Egerton Manuscripts- _ - _ - _ _ 5 



Rolls and Charters - - - - - - -141 



Detached Seals and Casts ------ 576 



The Stowe Collection of MSS., the purchase of which from the Earl of Ashburnham 

 ■was sanctioned by Parliament at the close of last Session, consisted of 996 volumes and 

 sets of volumes, as numbered in the Catalogue. Of these, 95 numbers, viz., the MSS. in 

 the Irish language and certain volumes specially relating to Ireland, were, by order of 

 the Government deposited in the library of the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin ; the rest 

 being assigned to the British Museum. Among the collections relating to English History 

 are : — Forty-two Anglo-Saxon chai'ters, dating from A.D. 693 to the 11th century; 

 a wardrobe-book of Edward II., 1322-1323 ; wardrobe and jewel accounts of Elizabeth ; 

 correspondence of Sir Thomas Edmondes, Ambassador in France and the Low Coun- 

 tries, tcmpj). Elizabeth and James I., in 12 volumes; correspondence of Arthur Capel, 

 Earl of Essex, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, temp. Charles; II., in 25 volumes; cor- 

 respondence of the Court of Hanover with political parties in England, early in the 

 18th century, in 10 volumes; letters of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough to 

 Secretary Craggs ; various diplomatic and literary correspondence ; minute-book of the 

 Privy Council, 1661-1670; and several separate documents and letters of interest. 

 MSS. of value for English literature and topography are : — A Latin Psalter with 

 Anglo-Saxon glosses of the 11th century; the register of Hyde xAbbey, Winchester, 

 ■with finely executed drawings by an English artist of the 11th century; a [volume of 

 English homilies, of the end of the 12th century; Lives of Saints in English verse, 

 of the 14th century; Gower's " Confesslo Amantis," 15th century; and several 

 chartularles of English monasteries, from the 12th to the 15th centuries, including the 

 Boldon-Book of Durham, a register of St. Thomas, Southwark, and a corporation- 

 register of Winchester. There are also several heraldic MSS., comprising the collec- 

 tions of Anstis, Garter, and various county-visitations. 



Among the general acquisitions are the following : — 



Apostolus, or Lectionary from the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles for the services 

 of the Greek Church throughout the year, in Greek. Vellum. 12th century. From 

 the Sunderland Library. 



Euchologium, or ritual-offices of the Greek Church, in Greek. Vellum. 13th cen- 

 tury. 



Bible, of St. Jerome's version ; with Esdras arranged in five books. Vellum. 13th 

 century. 



Gospels, in Sclavonic; imperfect. Vellum. 15th century. 



Church service-uook, containing ihe liturgi;2al drama of Daniel, as performed in the 

 Church of Beauvais. Vellum. 13th century. 



Roman de Brut, in French verse, by Wace ; " Li Gaimar," apparently a portion of 

 the first part of the Estorie des Engles of Geoffrey Gaimar ; Romance of Saint Graal, 

 in French; " Le livre de Merlin," by Robert de Borron. Vellum. 13th and 14th 

 centuries. 



Wardrobe-book of Thomas de Brotherton and Edmund of Woodstock, sons of Edward 

 L; A.D. 1310-1311. Vellum. 



Coronation ceremonials of England and France, ■with copies of treaties, etc. ; temp. 

 Richard II. Vellum. 



A large collection of State-papers and historical documents, principally connected with 

 the history of England and Scotland ; formerly belonging to the family of Malet, 

 Baronets, of Wllbury, co. Wilts, and chiefly formed by Sir John Malet, temp. Charles 

 II. ; A.D. 1087-1762. In six volumes. 



Collection of Statutes, and of legal and other treatises, in Latin and French. Vellum. 

 Early 14th century. 



Reports 



