Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598-A.D. 1867: With a Preliminary Notice of the earlier Library founded in the Fourteenth CenturyMacray, William Dunn
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Annals of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, A.D. 1598-A.D. 1867: With a Preliminary Notice of the earlier Library founded in the Fourteenth Century
Macray, William Dunn
Bodleian Library
The bitter terms in which Hearne frequently, in the course of his
_Diary_, condemns Hudson's management, or rather mismanagement, of the
Library, may be supposed to be owing in a considerable degree to
personal pique and quarrel[194]. But they meet with very singular and
abundant confirmation in the letter of Z. C. Uffenbach, quoted above (p.
130), when the writer expresses, in the following strong language, his
opinion of Hudson's neglect and incapacity, and of the general condition
of the Library under his management:--
'Perpende, quæso, mecum, vir eruditissime, quantus thesaurus ex
solius Bodleianæ Bibliothecæ codicibus elici possit, nisi
Proto-Bibliothecarii Hudson negligentia ac pertinacia obstaret. Is
enim muneri abunde satisfecisse, imo eximie ornasse Spartam videri
vult, dum tot annis unico scriptori, Thucydidem ejus puto, omni
Bibliothecæ cura plane abjecta, insudavit, cum hoc, quod supra dixi,
potius agendum fuisset. Nefandam hujus insignis Bibliothecæ sortem
(ignosce justæ indignationi) satis deplorare nequeo. Inculta plane
jacet, nemo ferme tanto thesauro uti, frui, gestit. Singulis sane
diebus per trium mensium spatium illam frequentavi, sed, ita me dii
ament, nunquam tot una vice homines in illa vidi quot numero sunt
Musæ, vel saltem artes liberales. De librorum studiosis loquor; nam
puerorum, muliercularum, rusticorum, hinc inde cursitantium,
voluminumque multitudinem per transennas spectantium mirantiumque,
cœtum excipio.... De Proto-bibliothecarii incuria jam dixi,
ejusque stupendam in historia literaria librariaque, inprimis extra
Insulam ultraque maria, ignorantiam taceo.'
Of Hearne, however, Uffenbach writes in the following different
strain:--
'Hîc scholaris, ut hîc loqui amant, esse solet, atque etiamnum est,
nomine Hearne, qui, præ reliquis, diligentiam suam non modo
scriptis, sed in novo etiam Bibliothecæ catalogo confitiendo, typis
proxime exscribendo, probavit; ast, quod dolendum, ad exemplum
prioris, qui satis jejunus, inconcinnus, erroribusque innumeris
scatens est.'
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