Tuesday 4th. At Musm. & Mr P. there, we collated but
did not make any stay. Mr Ellis came to us, & shewed
us a great curiosity, which has lately fallen into his hands,
It is on record, that Abp. Laud on the scaffold gave five
ten shilling pieces, & ten five shilling pieces (perhaps this is not
quite correct) to a follower of his, named ____. The Grandson
of this man, ## wishing to perpetuate the memory of the circum-
stance, had the money melted down, & formed into a single
gold piece, the size of a Crown, on which he had engraved
the Abp’s Arms, & on the Reverse a Latin Inscription
recommended by Laud himself. (See Pegge’s Curialia) This
very piece of money has survived the grasp of Time, & was
brought to Mr Ellis to ^be disposed of, who instantly secured
it, & intends to offer it to the present Ab’p of Canterby
as the most proper person to posess such a curiosity.
Weyland Powell called on me at the Musm. shortly afterwards
& proposed to me to come to Wadley on Saturday, instead of
going straight to Oxford. He tells me my Aunt Powell has
heard from some Oxford men, that it is not considered
respectable to be employed at the Bodleian Liby. on a weekly
salary
in the mode proposed to me by D.rs Bandl. & Bliss, & that
she wished, in consequence, to make such arrangements
with me, that I sh.d decline accepting this employ##ment
& recieve from her the sum of money I sh.d calculate
on getting from the Curators. I think there must be some
error in all this. I am aware that the young men
who are employed at the Bodln. to fetch the books, &c.
altho’ members of the University, yet are not considered
quite as gentlemen: yet I conceive my situation ####would
be widely different, as I sh.d have nothing to do with
the fetching or carrying books, but sh.d be employed
solely in the MS. Liby. to compile a Catalogue there.
With respect to the mode of payment I confess I
sh.d wish it to be altered, & when I get to Oxford, shall
speak to Bliss on the subject. If, however, my Aunt
in this extraordinary instance of generosity (which
I do not believe is perfectly disinterested) is willing
to add anything towards the liquidation of my expenses,
so much the better! Taking the whole into conside=
ration, I will certainly pay Wadley a visit, but not
until I have arranged every thing, at Oxford.
Henry & Mrs Jackson called on me at the Musm.
in the course of the day. The J’s are staying at Mr
Cooke’s, & will leave town for Cheltenham on Monday
next. Some of the Miss Brown’s of Portld Place were
also there at the Musm. with the Revd. ^R. Burgh## Byam,
#### of ^King’s Coll. Cambr. to whom they introduced me,
and who will be able, in case I go to Cambridge, to render
me great assistance in getting to the libraries there.
At 4 oC. I met Henry at the quadrant, & we proceeded
in search of a box to hold my books, which I at last found,
but not a very good one. I also bought some spoons, tea,
&c. &c — &c –
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