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Mr. Gladstone as I knew him, and other essays
Mr Gladstone as I knew him and other essays Author:Robert Brown Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: JOHN LELAND IN CORNWALL. In the year 1534 that exalted patron of learning. King Henry VIII. of famous memory, by 'a Commission under the Broad-Seal,' empowere... more »d one John Leland, who is described as ' Library-keeper to that King,' to enter and search all libraries and places wherein records, writings, and whatever else that related to antiquity were lodged. This in itself is a fairly large order, but it was by no means sufficient for the soaring and comprehensive soul of the librarian. The eminent Mr Thomas Hearne of Oxford, who in 1710 gave to an admiring world the first volume of Leland's Itinerary, with judicious modesty observes of his hero, that having received the aforesaid Commission,— ' Mr John Leland set about one of the greatest and most glorious undertakings that either had or has been attempted by any person, of whatever country, in his circumstances. . . . He carried on his travels for several years, and was so inquisitive in his remarks, that being not content with what the libraries of the respective houses, to which he apply'd himself afforded, nor with what was recorded in the windows and other monuments belonging to cathedrals, monasteries, etc., he wandered from place to place where he thought there were any footsteps of Roman, Saxon, or Danish buildings, and took particular notice of all the Tumuli, Coyns, Inscriptions, etc. which he happen'd to light upon." Besides these little matters Hearne mentions manyothers which were included within the powerful mental grasp of the library-keeper. Thus, we are informed that ' sometimes he noted the bigness and form of monuments,' and altogether he exercised himself so remarkably in these wanderings, and so impressed both his own age and posterity, that he has ever since been known as ' the Antiquary,' just as Stra...« less