( 443 ) 
But in order to make fuch a Judgment, it will not be 
amifs to turn over this Catalogue a little, enquiring whe- 
ther the Books themfelves are of fuch Value as to coun- 
tervail fo mueh Trouble and Charge and in the next 
place, whether the Defcriptions we here find, do repre- 
fent them fairly and give us a fitting Notion of them or 
not. 
The Catalogue confifts (as you will find) of Two 
Tomes : The Firft of which takes in the Manufcripts in 
the Bodleian^ Savilian and Ajhmolean Libraries, which 
belong to the Univerfity in general, in Part L and the 
Manufcripts in moft of our College- Libraries in Part IL 
with thofe of the Libraries of the Univerfity of Cam^ 
hridge in Part 111. The Second Tome gives in Part L 
Catalogues of the Manufcripts in the Libraries of many 
of the Cathedral Churches, and of ftveralof the Nobili- 
ty and Gentry : and in Part 11. are fome Catalogues of 
the Manufcripts in fome Libraries of Ireland : tdich o[ 
which feveral Parts has its peculiar Index. I don't here 
infift upon Dr. Smith's Catalogue of the Cotton Library, 
which though it be printed in the fame Paper with this, 
and may be bound up together with it; yet it was pub- 
lifh'd fome time fince, continues to be (bid diftincStly by 
it feif, and, as I conceive, was not intended by your 
Letter. 
At the beginning of the Book is prefixed an Epiftle 
concerning the Nature and Ufe of it (to which I might 
well refer you, without giving you, or my felf any 
I further Trouble) which is followed by a Preface which 
endeavours to excufe fome Faults which nice People find 
in fome of the Catalogues ; and acquaints us with the 
Mejhod which was taken in compofing the Indexes, with 
ji Lift of all the Catalogues comprehended in the whole. 
iThen comes the Life of Sir Thomas Bodley^ the Magnt» 
\ V V V ^ ficent 
