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 must 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 some well-made openwork brass instruments used in geometry, which lay round a small five-sided alabaster column, on top of which was a Polyedron. Near this was also a Globus armillaris of brass on a wooden pedestal. In this pedestal was a drawer, which Mr. Crab unlocked, and in which he showed us a 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 of this cross-corridor at the outset where the contents—mostly playthings and likely to please the ignorant—are always shown. They are for the most part codices, 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: several letters from Queen Elizabeth, Mary, James I and the like; an Alcoran, and some 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. In 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. We were also shown a large volume with all sorts of collected engravings, amongst which were several by good artists. After this a 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 several Chinese staves, bow and arrows, and again a cylinder with some vile figures. The 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 pictures in the gallery and then at the 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.

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.