Possibly it was the misfortune of the Library to lose a donation of manuscripts from Peter Le Neve relating to Norfolk that would have been of inestimable value, as the collector's work, said Mr. Walter Rye, "was characterised by strictest honesty," and the material "formed the backbone of the well-known county history, begun by Blomefield, and completed by Parkin." {24} Bishop Tanner, one of Le Neve's executors, stated in a letter to Dr. Rawlinson in 1735 that "There was an ugly Codicil made a few days before his death in favour of his wife, upon which she set up a claim for several of his Norfolk Collections, and has hindered the execution of that part of his will, which relates to the putting those papers into some public library in Norwich. But I have hopes given me that she is coming into better temper, and will let us perform our trust without entering into a chancery suit." {25a} There is no codicil to the will at Somerset House, and the actual words relating to his collections are as follows: "I give and bequeath unto the Revd. Doctor Tanner Chancellor of Norwich and Mr. Thomas Martin of Palgrave all my abstracts out of Records old Deeds Books pedigrees seals papers and other collections which shall only relate to the antiquities and history of Norfolk and Suffolk or one of them upon condition that they or the survivor of them or the Exors or Admors of such survivor do & shall within 12 months next after my decease procure a good and safe repository in the Cathedral Church of Norwich or in some other good and publick building in the said city for the preservation of the same collections for the use and benefit of such curious persons as shall be desirous to inspect transcribe or consult the same." Le Neve's widow evidently impeded his purpose, as his collections did not come to the city. A donation, the loss of which, however, cannot be regretted, is referred to in the Court Book for 1677: "The Chamberlain, with the advice of Rob' Bendish & Jo: Manser, Esqrs are to consult a good workeman about ye making of a Case of Deale for ye skeleton of a Man given to the City Librarie & to report ye charge." {25b} Kirkpatrick quotes this and remarks: "But it seems it was not made, for there is no skeleton in the library now." {25c} Since the days of Rameses II., whose Egyptian Library bore the inscription "Dispensary of the Soul," libraries have often been properly so regarded, as their contents are undoubtedly remedial agents of vigour and virtue, but it is not clear why a library should be regarded as a repository for man's mortal frame. CONTENTS OF THE LIBRARY.