The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

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Holy Roman Emperor (vague) ( - )

References in Documents:
Musaeum Clausum (1684)
SIR,

With many thanks I return that noble Catalogue of Books, Rarities and Singularities of Art and Nature, which you were pleased to communicate unto me. There are many Collections of this kind in Europe. And, besides the printed accounts of the Musæum Aldrovandi, OCalceo- 194Musæum Clausum, or, Tract XIII. Calceolarianum, Moscardi, Wormianum; the Casa Abbellita at Loretto, and Threasor of S. Dennis, the Repository of the Duke of Tuscany, that of the Duke of Saxony, and that noble one of the Emperour at Vienna, and many more are of singular note. Of what in this kind I have by me I shall make no repetition, and you having already had a view thereof, I am bold to present you with the List of a Collection, which I may justly say you have not seen before.

The Title is, as above,

Musæum Clausum, or Bibliotheca Abscondita: containing some remarkable Books, Antiquities, Pictures and Rarities of several kinds, scarce or never seen by any man now living.

[Excerpts from Zacharias Uffenbach's diary of his visit to Oxford in 1710 in the company of his brother Johann Friedrich Uffenbach] There 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 unbound 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 old sword 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 something 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: a crown and 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 a coin which is really one pound sterling. Also a 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.
A Catalogue of the Rarities To be seen at Don Saltero's Coffee-House [1775] 50 Four curious Medals struck for the later Emperor.