450 
projects he recommended or engaged in, 
was the following, tranfcribed from a 
paper in his own hand :— 
_€ We are almoft pofitive that the old 
Italic verfion of the Bible, which the La- 
tin church ufed before St. Jerome’s Tranf- 
lation, as alfo that a good part of Origen’s 
Hexapla and Oétapla, in fhort, that many 
noble authors are ftill extant in foreign 
libraries, that are by us fuppofed to be 
utterly loft ; and perhaps may foon be fo 
through the ignorance or careleffnefs of 
their prefent poffeffors. ‘ 
<¢On the other hand, we know in what 
particular libraries fome moft valuable 
books are now to be found, which were 
never printed, nor are known to be extant 
any where elie. And of this, abundance 
of inftances might foon be made; but one 
or two may ferve: wv. gratia Eufebius’s 
Ecloge Prophetice de Chrifto, in Greek, in 
the Emperor’s library, which gives.us a 
very great part of the true Septuagint, as 
it was) left corrected by Origen. The AGs 
of the Apofiles, and Epifiles of St. fames, 
St. Peter, St. Fobn, St. Fude, and St. Paul 
in Greek, in the Great Duke of Tulcany’s 
library, at Florence, which were written 
1300 years fince, and have very confidera- 
ble commentaries upon them, which were 
never yet printed... The Roman Calendar, 
in the Emperor’s library, written in the 
time of Conftantius, fon to Conftantine 
the Great, at the end whereof are divers 
noble Tracts, never printed. 
‘< Befides, they have great numbers of 
valuable. books, which, though printed, 
their copies have not been collated, as the 
French King’s Livy, which was within 
thefe few years brought to him from 
Mount Athos. Others they have, which 
are known not to have been faithfully or 
carefully collated, as the Pandetts at Flo- 
rence. And many more which are fuf- 
pected by us to be untruly reprefented in 
print, by corrupting, interpolating, and 
fuppreffing divers material paflages; as 
many foreign editions of the fathers, not 
to mention other ancient or modern authors. 
‘¢ Tt is humbly conceived therefore, that 
it will conduce very much to the benefit 
. of learning in this kingdom, if fome fit 
perfon or perfons were ifent abroad, who 
might make it his or their bufinefs, 
<‘Firft. To view the libraries of 
France, Italy, and Germany ; and to give 
us a gocd-account of their prefent ftate, 
and of the moft valuable manu{cripts 
therein. 
From the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. 
[Jane 1, 
‘* Secondly. To collate, with printed 
editions, the moft remarkable and precious 
copies of the works of the Ancients, now 
remaining amongft them, written in capital 
letters. Whereby we may reafonably 
hope to have a true text reftored to many 
places now unintelligible. 
«‘Thirdly. To tranfcribe fome parti- 
cular books in Greek or Latin, which we 
have no copies of in England, and have 
not been yet printed. By which there 
will be an acceffion of more learning to 
* 
the kingdom than it has at this prefent, | 
And the Papifts are communicative enough \ 
for love or money, of any book that does 
not immediately concern their controverfies 
with Proteftants. 
‘‘Fourthly. ‘To enquire carefully, all 
along, what books they have illuftrating 
or appertaining to our Englith Hiftory. 
And particularly to get an accurate ac- 
count of the Englifh records and regifter- 
books formerly belonging to monatteries 
in this kingdoms which being carried away 
to Rome, at the diffolution of abbeys, are ~ 
(as it is faid) fill preferved there in the 
archives of the Vatican church. 
Fifthly. To take off copies of the 
moft rare coins, medals, intaglios, ée. 
and other curious pieces of antiquity, dif- - 
ferent from what we have in our Englifh 
cabinets, and not defcribed 
printed upon that fubjeét. 
‘<Sixthly. To buy up books of value, 
efpecially manufcripts, as occafion fhall 
ferve. 
‘© Which defign has been highly ap- 
proved of (as appears by particular tefti- 
monies under their own hands,) by the 
Rev. Dr. Paynter, reétor of Exeter col- 
lege, and vice chancellor of the univerfity 
of Oxford.—The Rev. Dr. Wallis, geo- 
metry-profefior in the fame univerfity.— 
The Rev. Dr. Mill, principal of Edmund 
Hall in the fame univerfity. The Rev. 
Dr. Hyde, head library-keeper, and pro- 
feffor of Hebrew and Arabic in the fame 
univerfity——Mr. Henry Dodwell, late hif- 
tory profeffor in the fame univerfity.—. 
The Hon. Mr. Pepys, late fecretary to 
the Admiralty, and F,R.S.—Hans Sloane, 
in books — 
M.D. fecretary to the Royal Society— 
The Rev. Dr. Aldrich, dean of Chrift © 
Church, Oxford.— The Rev. Dr. Delaune, 
prefident of St. John’s college, Oxford. 
William Sherard, M.D. fellow of St. — 
John’s college, Oxford.” 
ORIGINAL 
