Barnett lecture - In My Library

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sighted this go-a-head country.

Four years later saw the birth of a ponderous tome, of large page, and showy in the remains of brass bosses and mountings, that imply it was once chained to the bookrack over some monastic or church reading desk. It is a Decretal of Pope Gregory, with Bernhardi's gloss, in gothic letter & painted capitals, with a coloured miniature portrait of the Pope. Another small quarto Decretal, wholly printed, but brilliantly - in red and black, with many expressive wood-cuts, is from the press of Venice in 1514, and has in it the book plate of Dr G. Klok of Francofurt.

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But what shall be said of the age and wanderings of a third Decretal, intermediate in size, clothed in plain white vellum, with undated colophon, but an abbreviated latin inscription on the first page, showing that it was once the property of the English Carthusian Monastry at Sheyene (Wilts). Has it been a waif and a stray ever since Henry 8ths firm but ruthless hand destroyed its early home? If so - what a history it could tell if its tongue were loosed -- what a contrast its story to the dry theologic lore of its contents.

Now resting peacefully

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close to this Catholic theology is a set of Zuingle's tractates, variously dated 1525 - 27 - 45 and it is to be noted, that, while the earlier are paged as we now page a book, the later have the nos. on the right hand page only, although the printed nos. are continuous. If there were another edition, in folio or large quarto, of which each page contained exactly twice the matter of the small, I see a value in such pagination, as the references to page Nos. would then suit either edition.

In 1555, when in exile at Basle, Sir John Cheke (one time tutor to Edward 6th), and by appointment of Henry VIII Profr. of Greek at Cambridge

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published his correspondence and discussion on the pronunciation of Greek, which had resulted in a Bishop of the Church, Stephen Gardiner, forbidding the best greek scholar of his day to teach this dead language as he conceived it - a living tongue. The wordy warfare - in Latin forciable and animated - made much noise in its time, but to you and I this survival of University and Church squabling, in its old fashioned binding of vellum, does little but remind us of an estimable and lovable man, who athough for a short time Secy. of State for Lady Jane Grey, was not well adapted for the stress of public business

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and who shortly after, under pain of threatened public burning, recanted the Protestant faith, with the pityful result, that in a few months, he went to an early grave, with what is commonly called a broken heart.

Next is a two volm. Hebrew grammar of 1556, by Charles Stephens of Paris, that calls to mind a noted family of printers - father & sons: - Charles' brother Robert being credited with such honour as may be due him for dividing the Bible into verses. I would that he had done it better or some one had early revised his work.

Another French production - and in the french tongue - is the Commentary of John Calvin, on the Acts of the

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