iv 
INTRODUCTION. 
adding to it whatever happened to be at that time 
within the reach of the Legislature. Accordingly 
Parliament, having, by various successive acts and 
resolutions, obtained the full possession of the 
library of manuscripts collected by Sir Robfert 
Cotton, in the times of Queen Elizabeth and 
James I., and increased by his son, Sir Thomas 
Cotton, in the subsequent reign, provided in the 
above-mentioned Act that this collection should be 
made a part of the intended National Museum.* 
Concerning this Library, which has ever been 
deemed an inestimable treasure, chiefly abounding 
in authentic documents relating to the history, the 
antiquities, the laws, and constitution of these 
Realms, and also in many ancient and splendid 
biblical and liturgick volumes, chronicles, and a 
variety of political tracts, we shall only remark 
at present that it now consists of 861 volumes ; 
of which 54 are so much damaged by a fire, 
which happened in the year 1731, as to be almost 
useless. We are thus brief in our account of 
this important library, as more ample informa¬ 
tion may easily be gathered from the prefaces 
to 
* From the preamble to the act of parliament, 12 and 13 of 
William III. cap. 7> it may be gathered, that the public is chiefly 
indebted for this Library to the liberality of Sir John Cotton, Bart, 
grandson to the first collector* 
