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

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Alfred the Great, King of Wessex (849 - 899)

Dictionary of National Biography entry: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/183 Other biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_the_Great Relevant locations: Title (royalty or holy order) Wessex (Kingdom), England
Linked print sources: as Mentioned or referenced by - Part of a letter from Dr. Musgrave, Fellow of the College of Physicians and R. S. to Dr. Sloane; concerning a piece of antiquity lately found in Somersetshire.
References in Documents:
MS Book of Benefactors (MacGregor, ed.)

Thomas Palmer The Alfred Jewel, to which this entry refers, was presented to the Museum by Colonel Nathaniel Palmer; his son, Thomas Palmer, merely transmitted it to the Museum (although it had been intended for the Bodleian Library). of Fairfield in Somerset, a learned man and renowned throughout the county for his virtue, sent to this Museum a picture of an old man (possibly St. Cuthbert) set in a gold and crystal frame. Palmer, military commander in the same district, bequeathed this most ancient object, once a possession of King Alfred, to the University of Oxford.

Consolidated catalogue of 1695: The Book of the Junior Proctor (MacGregor, ed.) [Addendum 5] Transcript of the Paper about the ancient Picture given to the University by Thos: Palmer Esqr. Memdun Nov.br 16. 1718 Thos. Palmer Esqr. of Fairfield in Somersetshire put this ancient picture of St. Cuthbert, made by order of King Alfred, into my hands, to be convey'd to the Bodleian Library in Oxford where his Father Natl. Palmer Esqr. Lately dead, desir'd it might be placed & preserv'd. Geo: Clarke. Vide Philosophical Transactions &c. Dr. Hicks's Thesaurus, where an account is given of this Picture & the finding of it. Found at Athelney in Somersetshire 441 Lowthorps Abridgment.
Consolidated catalogue of 1695: The Book of the Junior Proctor (MacGregor, ed.) King's Alfred Jewel. Hutchinson's History of Durham. Vol. I. p. 25. note †. In the Philosophical Transactions No. 247 and 260 and in Gibson's edit of the Britannia, a curious Jewel, representing St. Cuthbert, is described, found near Athelney in Somersetshire. The portrait is enamelled on gold, drawn sitting in an episcopal chair, with the following inscription in Saxon – Thus construed: – Alfredus me jussit fabrican. Mr Wallis, speaking of this portrait, has the following remarks: “King Alfred preferred these characters to the saxon, and when he swa/y\ed the sceptre, brought them into use. This curious memorial of St. Cure Cuthbert was found in the very place of that glorious monarch's retreat and deliverance from the Danes, fortified by him in the time of war, and in the time of peace converted into a monastery.” Dr. Musgrave (who wrote a dissertation thereon), thinks this curious Cimolium an undeniable instance of the use of images coming from the Heathens into the Christian Church. Dr. Hickes has engraven it in his Thesaurus, and is of opinion, that the occasion of it was the vision of St. Cuthbert, which William of Malmsbury speaks of, appearing to him and his mother the same night, (after he had been beaten by the Danes, and retired into Athelney), and assuring him that he should be a great king. In memory whereof we may well suppose, that the image upon it is St. Cuthbert's, (to whose merit he was wont to ascribe his future successes over the Danes), and not only so, but being plainly made, on purpose to hang on a string, it is very probable that himself constantly wore it, in honour of to this his tutelar saint. – It is said to be now in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. – see Archaeologia, Vol. ii. p. 68.72.
MS Book of the dean of Christ Church (MacGregor, ed.) 443. Pictura Sti. Cuthberti jussu Alfredi facta: Agro Somersetensi apud vicum Athelny dictum inventa. D.D. Tho. Palmer Arm. de Fairfeild in Com. Som. 421 Picture of St Cuthbert made by the order of Alfred, found in a field in Somerset, near the village of Athelney. Given by Thomas Palmer Esq., of Fairfield, Somerset.
Musaeum Clausum (1684)

14. King Mithridates his Oneirocritica. Aristotle de Precationibus. Democritus de his quæ fiunt apud Orcum, & Oceani circumnavigatio. A defence of Arnoldus de Villa Nova, whom the learned Postellus conceived to be the author of De Tribus Impostoribus. Epicurus de Pietate. A Tragedy of Thyestes, and another of Medea, writ by Diogenes the Cynick. King 199 Tract XIII. Bibliotheca Abscondita King Alfred upon Aristotle de Plantis. Seneca's Epistles to S. Paul. King Solomon de Umbris Idæarum, which Chicus Asculanus, in his Comment upon Johannes de Sacrobosco, would make us believe he saw in the Library of the Duke of Bavaria.

An Exact and particular Account of the rarities in the Anatomy School (Oxford MS Rawlinson C. 865) 381 A staff made out of one of the Rafters of K. Alfred the great's house, lately discover'd in Selwood Forest in Somerset-shire. Given by the right honourable the Lord Viscount Weymouth.
A Catalogue of the Benefactors to the Anatomy Schoole in Oxon. (Rawlinson Q.e. 36) Ld Weymouth gave A staff made of one of the Rafters of King Alfred's House, lately discovered in Selwood-Forest in Sommersetshire.
Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)
Formed STONES.

THEThe late Mr. Lhwyds curious Tract Lithophylacii Britannici Ichnographia (s)(s) Lond. 1699., being the most comprehensive of any Author within my Compass, I shall endeavour to reduce these to his Method, only he beginning with Chrystals and Diamonds, I shall premise the Margaritæ Cumbrenses. Some of these Pearls have as good a Water as the Oriental: Here are also three different Colours of those called the Sand-Pearls, which are as useful in Physick as the finest, though not so valuable for the Beauty. A double or Twin-Pearl of the finer Water; a Dozen of which were sent me by my Lord Bishop of Carlisle, who hath been a First-rate Benefactor to this Collection of Natural Curiosities above 20 Years ago. By the learned Sir Hen. Savile's Notes (t)(t) Tacitus's Life of Agricol., it appears, that Pliny run into the same Mistake as Tacitus, which is neither so agreeable to the Sentiments of Julius Cæsar, who was tempted by their Beauty (as Suetonious positively affirms) to invade Britain, and dedicated a Breast-plate all studded or cover'd over with British Pearls to Venus Genetrix, nor to the express Testimony of venerable Bede (u)(u) Bede's Eccles. Hist. Lib. I. C. I., who esteems them (as King Alfred renders it) the Old English?.

A transparent Onyx with Moss included in Part of it. Don. D. Jo. Boulter Arm.

Rock-Crystal, half a Foot round one Way, and within half an Inch of it, the other. It was brought me from Milan by Dr. Jabes Cay, who observed therein the Modus Concrescendi in the Middle, different from that of the out-side. Sometimes there remains a small Drop in the Middle of a transparent Peble that will never take the solid Form. Of the Iris or lesser Crystals, here are several Sorts, as those called Downham Diamonds, from the Place in Craven where they are found. s S ome are very small, others larger and very great, an Inch and half round; from Dr. Hargrave of Coln. The like Sort of Diamonds from Harrowgate Spaws near Knaresborough: They are found at the Mole-hills (near the Sulphur-well) after Rain; as are also those at Downham. Brindle-stones from the County of Kerry in Ireland, transparent and large, near two Inches in Circumference one way, and above 2 ½ the other. Two others of a pale Amethistine Colour. Don. D. M. Marshal, Dublin. The Iris minima Cambrensis from the Isle of Anglesey. Don. R R. D D. Episc. Carl. The Bristol Diamonds, of different Degrees of Transparency, and Sizes, of which one very much resembles that engraved Lh. Tab. I. 15. Pseudo-Adamantes from Kings-Weston in Gloucestershire: Other three Samples very fine from the same Place. Don. D. Jo. Woodward M. D. Some of these are very transparent. A Rock of the like, but more opace, about a Foot in Circumference; but from whence I know not, it being given to my Father about 40 Years ago. Crystalized Spar very curious from the Iron-ores in Cumberland from the Benefactor last mentioned, from whom I received most of the Spars that follow.

Spar from Worksop Lead Mines in the Peak. Another from a Mine called Burntwood; and a third with Chirt, from Oldfield; and also from the Queen of Scot's Pillar at Pool's Hole, all in Derbyshire. Spar from the Lord Lonesdale's Lead-Mines in Westmoreland. Another not unlike it from Alderman Iveson's Coal-Mines near Leedes. A Sparine Crustation from Okey-hole in Somersetshire. Another Sort out of a Quarry at Sherburn in Gloucestershire: Another crystalized from a Quarry near Oxford, and one very fine from Nent-head mines in Cumberland.

The common Stalagamites, one very curious, like Lh. Tab. I. 50. Another crystalized in the Form of a Rasp-berry. Other of a ruder Species, course like the Stone they adhere to. The Stalagamites mamillaris opacus: This I brought from the Petrifying or Dropping-well at Knaresborough; it is near a Foot long. The larger hollow Stalactites or Water-pipe (x)(x) Grew, p. 301., from the same Place; this hath three of those Pipes, each large enough to receive a Goose-Quill, and a transverse one that passeth horizontally. One of the Stalactites or Lapides Stillatitii, as Dr. Plot calls them, (y)(y) Nat. Hist. Oxon, p 96., that seems to have hung from the Top of a Vault, and is seven Inches round where it hath joined the Roof, yet has a small Hole quite thro' it; part of another, of a very fine Sparine Substance, but hath no Hollow. The specifick Difference betwixt the Stalactites and the Spar is, that the former is always opacous and never angular. The latter always or usually perspicuous, and never round (z)(z) Grew, p. 306..

The Moon-stone or Selenites Rhomboidalis of Dr. Plot (a)(a) Oxon, Tab. II. Fig. I.; it generally consists of ten Planes, four long, as many short, and the two Sides: Here are six different Sizes from less than half an Inch to two Inches, sent me by the Reverend Mr. Cav. Nevile, Fellow of University Col. Oxon. And one larger than any from the Bishop of Carlisle, which hath also two smaller Selenitæ immersed about half Way in the Body of the large one. A Selenites that seems like the half one, split the long Way, so hath but six Planes. Others not so regular. One of the longer Sort and thinner: Others from a Clay Pit at Richmond in Surry, from Shotover Hill near Oxford, from Northamptonshire, found in Digging a Well at Oundle, and from the Worksop Mines, all five from Dr. Woodward's noble Musæum.

Talcum aureum Indiæ Occidentalis. Don. R R. D D. Episc. Carl. Besides this Gold Talk from the West-Indies, here is what I take to be a Sort of Silver English Talk, but know not the Place. Muscovy Glass.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713) Annotationes in vitam Ælfredi Magni, per Dom. Johan. Spelman
Sale Catalogue of Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1764) 134 One Penny of K. Elfred, as supposed of Northumberland, but more pennies probably of Alfred the Great, No. 21 1
Sale Catalogue of Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1764) 146 Alfred the Great, 1 Penny, No. 70, Æthelred, 1 ditto, No. 58 2