A somewhat similar volume, but much smaller, is to be seen in the library
of St. John's College, Oxford. It is dated 1640, and contains only the
"Five Books of Moses," treated in the same manner as that last described.
There is good reason for saying that it was made for the Archbishop of
Canterbury (Laud), and sent by him to Oxford. It is illustrated
throughout, and is handsomely bound in purple velvet.
The late Bishop of Bath and Wells, Lord Arthur Hervey, had another
specimen of Gidding handywork. It is one of the smaller volumes,
containing only 66 pages, bound in leather, and with the usual style of
engravings. It is a Harmony of the Four Gospels, and the different
names, or book-plates, of the various owners show that it has been in the
Hervey family from the first. The last line of the title page is as
follows: "Done at Little Gidding, A.D. 1640, by Virginia Ferrar, age 12."
It would be interesting to know how much was actually "done" by this
young lady. She was daughter of John Ferrar, and sister of Nicholas
Ferrar, junior, and was given her name "out of affection to the
remembrance of the plantation of Virginia, and that they might daily have
the memorial of it, as not to cease praying for the prosperity of it, and
that looking upon her they might think upon both at once." This book is
now in the possession of Lord Bristol, at Ickworth, Bury St. Edmunds.
Mention has now been made of nine Concordances; and of the two that still
remain to be noticed there is this interesting fact to be stated--that in
all probability they were originally made for members of the family, and
that until a few years ago they belonged to their descendants, who, for
this very reason, regarded them with special affection. They are both
Harmonies of the Four Gospels; one, dated 1640, is a small work, and
belonged to Miss Heming, of Hillingdon, a descendant of a Mr. Mapletoft,
who married one of the Miss Colletts, it is now in the possession of
Colonel Garrat, Bishop's Court, Exeter. The other is a somewhat larger
book, now in the British Museum, recently in the possession of a Mr.
Mapletoft Davis, living in New South Wales, who also had the four volumes
of the "Exercises of the Little Academy" previously described; all these
works, and some other relics of the Ferrars, having passed on through
different branches of the family to the late owner. An inscription in
this Concordance is worthy of reproduction here; it runs as follows:
"This was the book of my honoured aunt, Mrs. Mary Collet, compiled at
Little Gidding by the direction of her uncle, Mr. N. Ferrar, and bound, I
believe, by herself. It was given to me by my good and dear cousin, Mrs.
Elizabeth Kestian. I give it to my son, and if he dies without issue, to
my daughter Eliz. Gastrell, and I desire it may be preserved in my family
as long as may be. There were never above two more of the form that I
ever heard of--one was presented to Charles the First . . . the other to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account