VI 
INTRODUCTION# 
The Haileian 
Collection of 
Maii&senpis, 
addition, of course, became likewise a part of the 
new foundation ; and the necessity of erecting 
a building being thus superseded by th asfer 
of the libraries to the Museum, the above legacy 
of ^7,0°°} when it devolved in the year j 769, 
was placed in the public funds : and conformably 
to the intention of the testator, and the provisi¬ 
ons of the Act of Parliament, was progressively 
expended in the purchase of books, manuscripts, 
coins, and other curiosities; by which means 
considerable additions have, from time to time, 
been made to the general Repository. 
Parliament also, with the same liberal spirit 
of promoting the purposes of literature, caused 
an offer to be made to the Countess of Oxford, 
relict of Edward, Earl of Oxford, and the Duchess 
of Portland, their only daughter, for the purchase 
of the numerous and valuable Library of manu¬ 
scripts collected by the said Earl, and by Robert 
Earl of Oxford, his father. The sum offered was 
^lO^OO; and the condition was annexed, that 
the Library, under the name of the Harleian 
Collection of Manuscripts, should be kept toge¬ 
ther, as an addition to the Cottonian Library. 
This offer was willingly accepted ; and a clause 
was inserted in the Act, ordering the payment of 
the 
