By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson, F.S.A. 341 



printed in our days. I must not omit to mention that the room I 

 am speaking of — the Old library upstairs — is indebted for its con- 

 tents not only to Lord Weymouth and Bishop Ken. At the further 

 end of it, occupying the entire wall, is a very wonderful collection 

 of publications, all upon one single subject, but that a subject of 

 never-ceasing interest — the great French Revolution of 1792. The 

 collection embraces, 1 believe, almost everything that was published 

 in France during that terrible period of the history of France ; and 

 it includes all books, pamphlets, and narratives published not only 

 in Paris itself, but in all the provincial cities and towns ; describing 

 all the horrors that took place over the whole country. Whether 

 quite unique or not I cannot say, but this collection is certainly a 

 very remarkable and valuable one, and was added to the literary 

 treasures of the house by the present owner. Taking this Old library 

 of Longleat altogether, it is, both from its mere construction, as 

 well as its interesting contents, one of the most curious rooms to be 

 seen in any house in England. 



I now come to the MS. treasures. I don't know how it is, but 

 so it is — there is always a certain charm about an old MS. which a 

 printed book does not possess. If of any printed book there are only 

 two copies left or known, still there may be more yet to come to 

 light. At any rate it has been printed, and so far is supposed — if 

 forgotten or rare now — to have been better known once. But an 

 old MS. ! — which none or few have ever seen, which has never been 

 printed — about that there is an undefinable and sometimes romantic 

 idea that it must contain something wonderfully curious. So, carry- 

 ing you in my cursory description to the collection of MSS. in the 

 Old library, I must say at once that it is simply possible only to give 

 a very merest outline of what they are ; for they cannot be properly 

 appreciated, even by connoisseurs, without being very carefully and 

 leisurely examined one by one. 



The MSS. of which I am speaking occupy two shelves; total 

 length 36ft. They are volumes large and small, from largest folio 

 to smallest duodecimo. They were some years ago in a dilapidated 

 condition externally, and the ancient leaves were on the eve of parting 

 company with one another, through mere antiquity ; but they were 



