Excerpts from Zacharias Uffenbach's diary of his visit to Oxford in 1710 in the company of his brother Johann Friedrich Uffenbach In July and August, 1710, the Uffenbach brothers visited Cambridge, departing for Oxford on 14 August and travelling through Gamlingay, Bedford, Newport Pagnell and Buckingham. [. . .] [19 August 1710] The other busts and decorations on the outer wall are so badly and so coarsely fashioned that I was astounded, and indeed they look better in the book frontispieces than in fact. This time we only took a general look at the superb sculptures, as I wanted first to look up the description of Prideaux, and also because our time was short. We found there were 169 of them, placed in the following order. Towards the Museum Ashmoleanum 60, on the right of the chapel 6, left of the chapel 7, and on the wall next to the printing-office 92. Prideaux, it is true, only describes 150 as far as I can remember, but he omitted several busts on which there is no inscription. Besides these 169 there are still several more statues at the Ashmoleanum. It is a matter for surprise how these sculptures, some of them so large, could have been brought here undamaged, were it not that travelling by sea to this country is so very easy. In the afternoon, we went to the Bodleian Library, where we were instructed to take the oath; but the Proctor (as he is called), really Procurator Academiae, who was to receive it was not there—for an Englishman owing to a general lack of courtesy is seldom up to time. Just as we were about to go, a Dr. Hartmann of Königsberg (son of the well-known Hartmann who wrote De Succino) came into the Library with some other strangers who had dined with us, with the intention of making a rapid survey of the place and of having things shown to them in the way I have already referred to. They asked us to accompany them, possibly so that we might contribute something to the crown that the Sub-librarian 11must have. We allowed ourselves to be persuaded just to see what miserable stuff is shown to people like these and how little profit they would derive from it. We ran through the three corridors together without moving a single book, and the Sub-Librarian Crab (an arch-ignoramus who, were it not that this was his living, would have preferred sitting in a tavern to being in the Library) merely remarked that there were theological books here. In the lowest corridor, he pointed out or indicated with his finger where the manuscripts were without reaching down a single one or taking us up to them—for which in any case the short time he allowed the strangers would not have been long enough. At a window, on a table, stood UffOx00010UffOx00020some well-made openwork brass instruments used in geometry, which lay round UffOx00030a small five-sided alabaster column, on top of which was a Polyedron. Near this was also UffOx00050UffOx00060a Globus armillaris of brass on a wooden pedestal. In this pedestal was a drawer, which Mr. Crab unlocked, and in which he showed us UffOx00070a very valuable quadrant. This is said to be of pure gold. There are many scales and calculators upon it, but rather badly engraved, though the worthy Crab, to make it seem more costly, opined that the work was even more valuable than the material from which the quadrant was made. I would sooner have had the gold myself. Had one had a little of the badly worked gold, one could have purchased a more accurate article and a more useful one, in plain brass-gilt. This quadrant is more than a Rhenish foot square and possibly six to eight pounds in weight. The artist's name was on it,—Christophorus SchifflerSchissler, Geometricus ac Astronomicus artifex Augustae Vindelicorum faciebat 1579. At the present day we know how to make them more conveniently and correctly. Mr. Crab then led us back along the cross corridor and opened the two cabinets which one finds in the first part 12 of this cross-corridor at the outset where the contents—mostly UffOx00080playthings and likely to please the ignorant—are always shown. They are for the most part UffOx00090codices, elegantly written and painted or decorated with gold; but Mr. Crab never even mentioned what they are and probably neither knows nor can read them. Of one however he did remark: "That book is very old-more than eight hundred years." When I asked him how he knew this, he could reply nothing but: "It is certain, Dr. Grabe told me so," [i.e., the famous Joh. Ernst Grabius of Königsberg, with whom he considered himself great friends because they have similar sounding names], Thereupon he looked so desperately wise that one could not help laughing. What these codices which he said were so old really were I cannot say; for he put them back again so quickly and pointed out everything in such furious haste, that it was useless: but by their character I could see they are fairly old. Also, as I had hopes of finding them later in the catalogue and looking at them at leisure, I did not permit myself to be annoyed. Mr. Crab also showed in this cupboard such things as the following: UffOx00110several letters from Queen Elizabeth, Mary, James I and the like; UffOx00120an Alcoran, and UffOx00130some illuminated Chinese books. This is what is called seeing the famous, highly interesting Bibliotheca Bodleiana, about which many a man gives himself airs as a scholar on reaching home—especially when he tells what a great number of books he has seen, from the outside! Afterwards Mr. Crab led us up to the so-called gallery and showed us first a poor little room on the right, which he called "the study." It would perhaps serve as a museum for the Librarian or old Fellows in winter. UffOx00140In here hung some pictures, amongst which were several embroidered in silk. Mr. Crab made a great fuss over them, although I have seen many more beautiful, and even have better ones worked by my own grandmother. UffOx00150We were also shown a large volume with all 12 sorts of collected engravings, amongst which were several by good artists. After this UffOx00160a great armchair was pointed out to us, as somethmg very special, because it is said to have been made out of the ship in which Captain Drake sailed round the world; also UffOx00170several Chinese UffOx00180staves, UffOx00190bow and arrows, and again UffOx00200a cylinder with some vile figures. UffOx00210The most remarkable thing was the marble, of which Monconys speaks in his travels. It is set in a frame and hangs on the wall. The lizard or squirrel formed in it is very strange and is a white vein natural to the marble which represents this animal very prettily. I know of course that deception is possible here and that Florentine marble is much helped out with corrosive acids and painting. But a blind man even though he could not see could yet feel that this is a natural vein (palpando experiri potest), whilst there is not the slightest trace that either the white or the vein have been inserted. Afterwards we looked at the UffOx00220pictures in the gallery and then at UffOx00230the coin-cabinet. on the left. It is with pleasure that one views the illustres sacrosque vultus. To name them in order would be too troublesome, especially as Benthem has mentioned the most important in his (Englischer Rirch=und Schulen=Staat). The coin cabinet, as can be observed from the inscription therein as well as from the Ritterplatz: Tom. II. p. 83, is by the brothers Frecke andof Hannington. UffOx00240There is close by another cabinet, in which formerly Laudi Numismata were kept, as the inscription, which is still there makes evident; but the coins have been moved into the first one and UffOx00260unbound books put in their place. The coin cabinet stands for its better protection behind a strong wooden railing. The cabinet itself is very large and comparatively well wrought—but old-French in style like the old Tresors. At the top are some large drawers out of which Mr. Crab, with much circumstance and as if it were a sacred thing, reached down an old14 UffOx00280sword with a hilt of silver-gilt. This is said to be the one sent by Pope Leo X. to Henry VIII. as Defender of the Faith. It has a large knob of crystal, which can be unscrewed and in which is painted a golden hour-glass with the word: Vigilate. Mr. Crab also showed us UffOx00300something very curious: a gilt chain with a portrait given by the Emperor to a poet who had been crowned with laurels. The most important item, in fact the coins, Mr. Crab did not show us at all—perhaps because he understood nothing about them and moreover did not admire them. But he drew out several drawers and showed the following: UffOx00320a crown UffOx00330and a half crown of the time of Cromwell round the edge of which runs Has mihi nemo nisi periturus eripiet, which Evelyn on Medals treats of, p. 119. Further UffOx00340a coin which is really one pound sterling. Also UffOx00350a ten shilling piece. At last we were taken right up on the roof of the gallery which is covered with lead, where one can look round and see the whole town and neighbourhood. [20 August 1710] [20 August—Uffenbach and his brother swore the oath and, having paid eight shillings each, were allowed to used the library each day from 8:00 to 11:00 and then 2:00 to 5:00, except Saturdays, when the library closed at 4:00.] 19 [Uffenbach's morning was spent in the Library] [21 August 1710] In the afternoon we visited the Theatrum Anatomicum, or as it is called here and as is also written up over the door, the Schola Anatomica. For what we in Germany name auditorium they call schola, for instance: they say schola theologica, medica, juridica, philosophica, &c., for our auditorium theologicum, &c. In reality it cannot be styled theatrum anat.anatomicum as there are no seats. It is merely a great hall in which objects of interest, which partly do not belong here at all, are hanging around the walls, as, for example, UffOx00360works of art and so on. It could rather be called natural history museum or art gallery. Borrichius in Epist. ad Barthol. Cent IV. Epist. XCII. p. 525, says with truth that it is not to be compared to the Leyden Theatrum Anatomicum, although there are many beautiful things to be found here. We noticed the following: — UffOx00370A disgusting big head or skull of a walrus with great long teeth. UffOx00380A strange abortion of a calf which had been carried by a cow for many years and at last saw the light of day thus malformed. UffOx00390Two small loaves from the siege of Oxford, now all wormeaten. UffOx00400In a case, all kinds of Indian and other articles of dress, amongst them those from Davis StreetStrait of which Benthem speaks, p. 327. Also many other trifles such as a pair of boots which belonged to Augustus King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. UffOx00430An Italian lock, that jealous husbands in Italy put on their wives, and such like. UffOx00440Several very large calculi of men and animals, amongst which was UffOx00450the one mentioned by Borrichius. It is said to 20 weigh two pounds, but is not nearly so large as a child's head. It was found after her death in a woman from Woodstock, not far from here, and cut out. UffOx00460The great corn or clavus, of which Benthem treats on the above-mentioned page 327. It looks more like a big nail than a bunion or com. Dr. Plot mentions it in his Natural History of Oxfordshire. UffOx00470Further on is one of Queen Elizabeth's shoes without a heel. UffOx00480The lower jaw of a woman, which has a large growth like a walnut. She is said to have got this from severe tooth-ache. UffOx00490A cane or stick, hollow and filled inside with quicksilver, such as some of the traitors carried to kill Charles I. When the traitors were discovered, all the prisoners were found to have the same weapons. UffOx00500A petrified, or rather incrusted, skull even larger than the one we had seen in Cambridge, though the stone or material was not so firm as in that, and the cranium was no longer whole. UffOx00510A plaster of Paris cast of a human foot which in place of toes had only two knobs or excrescences. The junior Librarian, Tho. Hearne, a young man still and a scholar, who is industrious and highly cultured, is in charge of this Schola Anatomica and shows it to strangers, but in these matters he is such an ignoramus that he gave out that this cast was the natural foot itself. UffOx00520Further we saw the skeleton of a pigmy, mentioned by Benthem, p. 327. This skeleton has very white, sharp teeth. One would take it for the skeleton of a monkey; it is not an ell high. Dr. Edward Tyson, [*] Dr. Edward Tyson sent in June 1700 a number of books to Dr. Hudson for the Bodleian Library. He asked Dr. Hudson to accept a copy of his book "Ourang Outang"; this book was in fact on the dissection of a chimpanzee. Hearne sets out a long letter written by Tyson. in his treatise, Orang Outang sive homo Sylvestris, in which he also treats de Pygmaeis makes mention of this. The Librarian insisted on his opinion that it was an old man, because it had all its teeth. But could it not be a child which had cut all its teeth? If it is an old man he must have been a very small dwarf : for that it was really a pygmy credat Judaeus Apella, non ego ... UffOx00540Farther on we remarked a fine work of art, namely: Archimedes with a compass of ivory in his hand and beautifully cut—about as big as the palm of the hand. UffOx00550In a drawer below the table, all thrown together, lay UffOx00560all sorts of things in boxes and wrapped in paper and also UffOx00570some medals, which are not at all suitable for this place. UffOx00580Further several idols, such as Isis, etc. UffOx00590A little whale said to have been caught in the river near Gloucester. UffOx00600A terrifically big Indian bat, which, including the outspread wings, measures more than an ell. UffOx00610A monstrosity of a lamb with two bodies, eight feet, four ears but only one head. UffOx00620A bone of unheard of size, reported to have been found underground in St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Benthem mentions it at the same place, p. 327, but he mistakes when he says it is the thigh-bone of a cow. For firstly the cow would be a giant, and secondly it is not a thigh-bone but the os femorale, and thirdly it is not two ells but as we measured it 3½ span and nearly two spans in thickness. UffOx00630Also we saw a great urn, almost twice as big as the one Olearius makes such a fuss about in his Mausolaeum, which I saw at his house. This urn, as was stated on the label appended, was, "inventa juxta Sittingburne in agro Cantiano." It is also alleged: "Burtonus in annotationibus ad Antonini Itinerarium." UffOx00640Farther on we saw the sword or dagger with which James I is said to have knighted the "Sir Line" of beef. When he came from Scotland and found the great roast loin of beef, which he had never tasted before, so much to his liking, he asked what the name of this joint was. Receiving the answer: "Line beef," he drew his sword and as though dubbing 22 a knight smote it three times with the weapon, saying: "This joint shall henceforth be deemed noble and be called Sir Line beef." If this is the same sword then for the sake of the royal jest, it is certainly well worthy of preservation. But such things are easily suspicious, as the wearing apparel and articles said to date from old times generally are. For instance: in Gotha, if I mistake not, they exhibit all the clothing and armour of Gustavus Adolphus. Although a note is appended on which it is stated that these are the gloves jerkin etc. of this king, some one of the same epoch ought really to be there too to take a solemn oath that they are genuine, and not just announced as such and presented here in order to receive honour and admiration. UffOx00650More remarkable still was the Mappa Geographica of the kingdom of China drawn with the pen, which Dr. Bernard had had completed in that country at great expense to himself. It is at least four times as large as our ordinary maps. UffOx00660We also saw the bladder of a man which was easily a German ell long and which is said to bold at least four quarts. Furthermore several panels or paintings by one Fuller, which portray the muscles of the human body drawn from the life very well. UffOx00680Likewise the UffOx00690skeleton and UffOx00700stuffed skin of a woman who had had 18 husbands and was hanged because she had murdered 4 of them. The skin may with good reason be called tanned leather. Benthem makes mention of this skeleton also, p. 310, and says that it is kept in Collegio S. Johannis. Perhaps it was there at that time and only brought here later. He is also mistaken when he mentions only 17 husbands, as there were 18. On p. 327, he also speaks of a stuffed Moor being here. But this is absurd, as there is no such thing to be found in the place, unless he took a complete mummy for a Moor. From this it can be seen how badly one can err when a thing is only superficially observed. Further we saw UffOx00710a very 23 large petrified fungus marinus and UffOx00720two large Spanish bamboos, or rather arundines or cannae, grown in India. One was thicker than an arm, the other somewhat thinner and much longer than the whole room, about 30 feet, hanging diagonally on the wall. UffOx00725Then there is the dried hand of a supposed siren. It is about half as long again as a human hand and more or less like one in appearance. UffOx00730After this the Custos showed us the Devil's alphabet (as he innocently called it), since it is nothing more than a printed tablet with Indian characters. UffOx00740Further we were shown Joseph's coat; Monconys dans la suite de la seconde partie de ses voyages, p. 101, speaks of it, but names another place where he saw it. It is a coat made of leather and trimmed with all kinds of fur of different colours. Why it is so called, I cannot say; the Bible does not tell us that he wore such a one—for I suppose this is the Joseph intended. UffOx00750We also saw here the little cubus mentioned by Monconys on the same page. The block is fashioned out of a piece of oak, through the top of which a brass ring has been so skillfully passed that not only can it be turned completely round, but it shows no sign of the place where it has been soldered. This must, however, necessarily have been done, unless, when the tree was still young, the ring was inserted in a place where part of the tree had been torn away. The tree might then have grown over and round the ring so that in course of time they were able to fashion this cubus with half of the ring exposed, but how it was then loosened so as to revolve I do not know. Therefore I much doubt whether this method was employed and prefer to think that by some curious art at was soldered by means of a lamp without silver and the hole burnt in first by red-hot iron, after having been prepared by the compass. UffOx00760We also noticed the two great crocodiles of which Borricchius writes, as also UffOx00770the fine cranium overgrown with moss of which he likewise treats; UffOx00780further the Indian cow's tail, UffOx00790and also the cranium humanum with its quatuor tuberculi, which are all as Borricchius describes them. But generally speaking the specimens are in great confusion here, full of dust and soot, and there are many among them, as has been said above, and as is to be seen from this description, which do not belong at all to an anatomical museum, but would be much more suitable to an art gallery like the Ashmolean Museum. When a dissection takes place (which, as is universal in publicis lectionibus, scarcely ever happens) it is never here but, as the custos himself stated, in one of the other schools, possibly so as to prevent the collections here from being injured or even stolen. [. . .] 24 22 August was spent in the Bodleian Library. On 23 August we wished to go to the Ashmolean Museum; but it was market day and all sorts of country-folk, men and women, were up there (for the leges that hang up on the door parum honeste & liberaliter allow everyone to go in. So, as we could have seen nothing well for the crowd, we went down-stairs again and saved it for another day. [. . .] 26 [25 August 1710] [Uffenbach's morning was spent in the Library] At last, in the afternoon, we inspected the Ashmolean Museum, and this time only the museum itself and the natural history specimens to be found there. They are in the biggest and most important room or hall in the than from inside. Below is a spacious place of honour or vestibule, and, on the left, the library of Thos. WoodAnthony Wood. UffOx00800Down in the vestibule stands the great iron cradle of which Benthem makes mention. UffOx00810On the walls of the staircase hang many pictures but they are nothing very special. Arrived at the top of the stairs, one sees another door which leads into the little room in which is the Bibliotheca M Sta Ashmoleana. But this time, as stated, we only saw the museum. This is in the hall at the top of the stairs to the left. For England the natural history specimens to be found here are in fair order. But on our first entrance we wondered not a little that there should be such talk made over this museum outside this island, and more particularly of course within it. For to take one instance, Herr Bürgermeister Reimers in Lüneburg. who is only a private person, has certainly as many specimens again as one meets with here and far more important ones. UffOx00820We noticed various very large goats' horns, UffOx00830one of which was four span in circumference. For this realm is everywhere very prolific in horn, and moreover all horned creatures are extraordinarily well furnished with them. UffOx00840We also saw two of the white caudae setosae vaccarum, such as Borricchius, and we too, had observed in the Schola Anatomica. UffOx00850Then we noticed different Cornua Ammonis, such a size as I have never seen before. UffOx00860Farther on was the head of a ram with four horns for, as I remarked above, England is a terra maxime cornifera, and the cows have terrific horns, as large indeed as our oxen. UffOx00870There is also a very beautiful stuffed reindeer. It has antlers like an elk, but otherwise resembles a stag in size and form, with hair nearly the length of one's little finger and almost as stiff as horse-hair, picked out or sprinkled with grey-white or black and white. UffOx00880Here, also, is a stuffed Indian ass, white with dark brown stripes or rings, such as I had already seen in Berlin. UffOx00890Likewise we saw an extraordinarily big tortoise, as also UffOx00900the skin of a Turkish goat: it is very large, yellowish-white, with very long, soft and rather crinkled hair, inches in length and as soft as silk. UffOx00910In the windows stood about thirty glass vessels with all kinds of Indian botanical specimens, plants and flowers in spirit. As inscribed on them in gold lettering, they are ex dono Cl. Viri D. Jacobi Pound, M.B. (Med. Baccalaurei). UffOx00920We further noticed a very large dens molaris over a finger in length and two inches thick. The accompanying memorandum: "This is supposed to be one of the teeth of the Danish Giant Warwick found by M. Brown near Pontfreat Castle an. 1700," is a prodigious supposition. Credat Judaeus Apella, non ego. — UffOx00930Also, a very long and wide skin of a serpens candisorius, white with brown spots, about twelve feet long and one and a half wide. UffOx00940In several of the glasses, in brandy, were sundry strange creatures, likewise presented by the above mentioned Pound, such as UffOx00950a few snakes and amongst them UffOx00960a small rattle-snake. Also UffOx00970a crocodile, UffOx00980a salamander, etc. UffOx00990In one corner stood a cabinet in which were many beautiful lapides pretiosi, 27 such as I have seldom seen in such profusion and in the centre were several fine UffOx01000lapides florentini; UffOx01010an uncommonly good glosso-petra, about seven inches long and two wide at the back, UffOx01020a lovely light green stone, almost like Jasper and UffOx01030various beautiful crystals also, amongst them UffOx01040two pieces with moss imbedded in them. UffOx01050A splendid topaz, bigger than a walnut. UffOx01060An amethyst, as large again as the above, but faulty. UffOx01070In the cabinet were also some drawers which contained about thirty specimens of old and new, but bad, coins. UffOx01080Furthermore the Knight St. George and the Dragon, well cut in amber. UffOx01090Likewise the Crucifixion of Christ, very delicately carved on a peach stone with the signature N. B. UffOx01100Again the birth of Christ in just the same style, UffOx01110as also a representation of the Saviour. UffOx01120Further cherry-stones carved in the same way. UffOx01130Also Apollo fairly well cut in coral; UffOx01140a calendarium runicum on eleven little wooden tablets (the remaining one having been lost), each a finger in length and not quite two fingers in breadth. UffOx01150An abacus indicus which consists of a little wooden box in which are some round bullets that can be moved with a wire. Earrings of dyed straw, the size of a nut and shaped hke pearls such as women are said to have worn in Spain in by-gone years. UffOx01170Also several artistic objects of turned ivory. UffOx01180Several beautiful rosaria in crystal and other materials. UffOx01190Various curious specimens of all sorts of succinum (amber), amongst them UffOx01200some with flies and UffOx01210one specially beautiful with a spider. UffOx01220Two gold chains, UffOx01230one of which was presented to Ashmole by Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, UffOx01240the other by the King of Denmark, together with the coins suspended from them. UffOx01250We were then shown a very curious stone; for when it was struck in two, a piece of money was found in the centre, which had grown into the stone, or rather the stone had grown around it. UffOx01260Also a very large Indian writing tablet with leaves of black paper and a cover beautifully lacquered in red. An extraordinarily 29 UffOx01270curious horn which had grown on the back of a woman's head. It was exactly like a horn, except that it was thinner and browner in colour. It is certainly somewhat of a curiosity, and it appears that men-folk bear their horns in front and women theirs behind. It was noted on a label that it originated from a Mary Davis of Sanghall in Cheshire an. aet. 71 an Dn. 1668. No doubt it will have been mentioned in the Transactiones Angl., or in the Histor. nat. of Cheshire, and can be looked up there. The horn was blackish in colour, not very thick or hard, but well proportioned. UffOx01280At a window was a very large cochlea bivalvis, but only one half of it was there. UffOx01290Further a cabinet with five drawers full of UffOx01300great shells. UffOx01310Another cabinet with UffOx01320smaller shells, none of which were perfect, or which one could not see better in Holland. UffOx01330Near this cabinet stood an enormous cabbage-stalk from five to six feet in height and over an arm in thickness. UffOx01340By the windows hung several sorts of carved and painted panels, and amongst these was UffOx01350the portrait of John Tradescant, curiously painted as though he were standing out from the clouds-perhaps because of the name, quasi transcendat coelos. UffOx01360Amongst the carvings was Andromeda with Perseus, incomparably carved in alabaster on a black wooden panel. It is a pity that this beautiful old work of art is so badly mounted; also that several pieces are missing. There was still another cabinet with UffOx01380a materia medica, in which were all manner of UffOx01390gummi, UffOx01400boli, UffOx01410terrae sigillatae, together with UffOx01420some fossils and UffOx01430drugs. UffOx01440With them (for what reason I do not know) was a stone stated to be the petrified heel of a shoe, and certainly very much resembling one; although it is difficult to believe, since the hole in the middle through which heels were formerly fixed to the shoe quite obviously had been recently bored. UffOx01450Further on we saw on the wall all kinds of Indian 30 UffOx01460weapons and UffOx01470articles of clothing. UffOx01480A number of nails which had been melted into a lump by lightning were lying in a basket on a table. UffOx01490In a case I found a very well-wrought Indian idol, or, as the Custos called it, Brachmanus. He declared the stone was unknown but it appeared to me as being a sort of steatite from which the Indians usually make their gods, although it had red veins (which I had not seen before) and was very highly polished. The ridiculous fellow who was showing us the specimens and who is a Sub-Custos and Scholar of a College (the Custos himself, Mr. Parry, cannot: show strangers over the museum for guzzling and toping) announced in all earnest that the material for these gods was made of rice, boiled and then dyed. UffOx01500In a cupboard were all manner of foreign costumes, amongst them UffOx01510curious caps made of different kinds of very beautiful gay-coloured feathers, such as the upper classes in India wear for protection against the sun. On the wall next to this cupboard were hanging many UffOx01520more dresses and in particular UffOx01530foreign fashions in shoes; UffOx01540further an Indian lantern without glass or horn: that is to say made of plaited and painted reeds or rushes, quite transparent and prettily made. They may be all very well in India where there is no wind, but not in England where it is never calm. UffOx01550In the centre of the hall hangs the portrait of the founder Ashmole life-size, standing before a table, one hand holding a book in folio entltled History of the Garter, which he had written and published. He wore one of the chains mentioned above to which, doubtless, the words under the picture refer: —praemia honoraria. When we were finished I got them to show me the 31 catalogue of the museuum. This is a bad description consisting, it is true, of six volumes in four, each a finger in thickness, but with the specimens only designated by one word. The first volume is a catalogus librorum quos prima vice donavit Elias Ashmole an. 1685, and with it a catalogus animalium. The second yolume is a catalogus numismatum, including 398 recentiora, several Roman and three hundred pure English, though many are entered twice over. Vol. 3 is materia medica. Vol. 4 is fossilia &. vegetabilia &. lapides terrae, conchae. Vol. 5 is catalogus lapidum pretiosorum. Vol. 6 is de cochleis tam terrestribus fluviatilibus quam marinis. One could wish that the catalogues or indices, bad as they are, were published, or, better still that an accurate description of this museum could be made, like that of the Royal Society Museum in London, although as far as the lapides are concerned, Lloyd, the former learned and diligent Custos of this museum has, I believe, commenced one. But the present Proto-Custos, as he is called, Master Parry, is too idle to continue it, although he is little inferior to his predecessor Lloyd in natural history or in the knowledge of Cambrian, Anglo-Saxon and other languages. But he is always lounging about in the inns, so that one scarcely ever meets him in the museum, as I have already said; if it were not for this he could yet do well as he is still a young man a little over thirty. The specimens in the museum might also be much better arranged and preserved, although they are better kept than those in Gresham College, London, which are far too bad considering their splendid description. But it is surprising that things can be preserved even as well as they are, since the people impetuously handle every thing in the usual English fashion and, as I mentioned before, even the women are allowed up here for sixpence; they run here and there, grabbing at everything and taking no rebuff from the Sub-Custos. I had the leges copied for me by my servant as they are privately printed and not obtainable, though perhaps I might 32 have found them in Wood's Historia Universitatis Oxoniensis. But enough of this museum. [. . .] 38 [Subsequent days visiting the library and other sites. Attended the Anatomy theatre and in the course of describing his experience, this:] It should be remarked that this laboratorium was much used by the Royal of London Society in its early stages, when it was in its most flourishing state, and many valuable experiments and discoveries were made here. But after the Society had become proud and great and had established itself in the capital, as usually happens, it deteriorated, and this shall be told in its proper place. At the same time, it is lamentable that, after the Society had changed to London for good, this excellent laboratorium has not been maintained in the condition so praised by Benthem, p. 350. seq. 40 and in the afternoon we began to compare the codices in the Ashmolean Museum with the printed Catal. MSS. Angliae. 41 On 1 September we addressed ourselves to the examination of various manuscripts which we compared with the printed catalogues. In the morning we did this at the Bodleian, and in the afternoon at the Ashmolean. 48 The morning of 6 September we again passed in the Bodleian Library. In the afternoon we were to see the figured stones which are kept in narrow presses in the vestibule of the Ashmolean Museum, and are not shown to everyone; but Mr. Parry, who had the only key, did not come, although we waited a long time. As it was fine weather and the afternoon was in fact spoiled, we went for a walk in the avenue behind Magdalen College. [. . .] 48 UffOx01560On 13 September Mr. Parry had promised to show us the stones in the afternoon, but as he did not appear, I looked through the 39 volumina in the meantime, which Ashmole had made use of in the preparation of his work and which I had recently not been able to find: but there are not 39 volumina, as is stated in Catal. MSS. Part l p. 329, but only 28, according to the numbering of the books in the Ashmolean, 1097 to 1134 inclusive. I found that I had already had a number of these in my hands, and that many of the things there are specified in Catal. MSS. Angl. But there are also various unique 49 items which Ashmole collected with the greatest industry and copied from the originals. Much of this material he used in his History of the Garter, and part is incorporated in Rymer's work. UffOx01570When Mr. Parry arrived he showed us the stones down in the hall of the Ashmolean. They are in three very large low presses. There is a splendid quantity and variety of these stones, such as I have never in all my life seen together before. It is unnecessary to describe them here; moreover it would be impossible, as this has been very well done by the collector himself, Mr. Lluyd in his Lithophylacium in octavo: as only 125 copies of this book were printed for some of his own friends, at a cost of one guinea, and none of these are now available, Mr. Parry, who helped Mr. Lluyd in his collating, is going to publish it again, and in a greatly augmented edition. I must just say of the classification (of the stones) that following the description in the book they are faultlessly arranged according to class and species, and also so conveniently that the larger stones are to be seen uncovered in the big drawers, the smaller ones in round boxes according to size. Those placed thus together are numbered, so that one can find them in the catalogue, and also that they may not get mixed up with each other, as might happen if they were lying loose. UffOx01580In the last cupboard was also a large drawer with all manner of antiques, likewise collected by Mr. Lluyd, and excavated in England. These consisted of various UffOx01590fibulae, UffOx01600lamps, UffOx01610sacrificial knives, and so on. Especially curious were UffOx01620the remains of a beautiful urn of red pottery, on which appear a number of designs illustrating the rites at Roman burials. [. . .]