If James I. is entitled to be regarded as a collector, his eldest son
Henry has even a better claim to the title. This young prince, who
combined a great fondness for manly sports with a sincere love for
literature, purchased from the executors of his tutor, Lord Lumley, the
greater portion of the large and valuable collection which that nobleman
had partly formed himself, and partly inherited from his father-in-law,
Henry Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, the possessor of a fine library at
Nonsuch, comprising a number of manuscripts and many printed volumes
which had belonged to Archbishop Cranmer. Henry's first care after the
acquisition of the books was to have them catalogued, and in his Privy
Purse Expenses for the year 1609 we find the following entry: 'To Mr.
Holcock, for writing a Catalogue of the Library which his Highness hade
of my Lord Lumley, L8, 13s. 0d.' He also unfortunately had the volumes
rebound and stamped with his arms and badges, a step which must have
destroyed many interesting bindings. Henry only lived three years to
enjoy his purchase, but during that time he made many additions to it.
Edward Wright, the mathematician, who died in 1615, was his librarian,
and received a salary of thirty pounds a year. As Henry died intestate
his library became the property of his father, and passed into the royal
collection which was given to the British Museum by George II.
Prince Rupert also appears to have inherited to some extent the love
of books possessed by his grandfather James I. and his uncle Prince
Henry, for he formed a well-selected library of about twelve hundred
volumes, of which a catalogue is preserved among the Sloane manuscripts
in the British Museum.[1]
[Illustration: HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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