Saturday 8th. At seven oC. started for Oxford, from the Boar
& Castle, ^Oxford St. It was a very fine day, & I arrived about two
oC. My first visit was to the Bodln. liby. where I found
Drs. Bandinel & Bliss, who received me very kindly, &
introduced me to Mr Cox, the sub.-librn. ^appointed in room of Laurence.
I then ######called with Dr. Bliss, on Dr Macbride, the Principal
of ##Magdalen Hall – who was also particularly civil, & took
the trouble, to shew me himself the Rooms I am to occupy
for the present – until #####others become vacant (which
will be very shortly). The rooms I am to have at present
are particularly good, & just past the gate of the Bodln.
liby. They belong to a Mr G#####rimmet, who will come himself to
reside in a short time. I fear I shall not get as good,
when I take another set. Since I was here last, the row
of old houses, [Cat Street] between the Hall & the Bodln. have
been pulled down – & the Hall now cuts quite a figure.
Dr Bliss ^had mentioned to Dr. Macbride my arrangements at
the Musm. & Dr. M. not only very ### kindly consented
to my keeping my terms at my leisure, but ^had offered to lend
me rooms for a couple of terms, till I had finally settled
the arrangements, – so as not to put me to the expense of
paying for furniture for so short a period. I afterwards
returned to the Bodln. liby. & consulted some Bibles for a
verse, Acts. XX.21. for the Revd. H. J. Todd,- to see if the words
“the church of the Lord” were inserted in them. I also looked
as published,
which I had not before seen ^ &
over #############, Rud’s Catalogue of the Durham MSS which I had not before seen ^as published, &
I find ^that Mr Raine has printed my Index, & Addenda, without
any alteration whatever. Dr. Bliss ####asked me to come & dine
with him, & hav’g taken possession of my new apart##ments by
having my portmanteau, &c. carried into them,– I went
at 5 oC. to Dr. Bliss. Mrs B. is not well, but able to sit up
with us. Miss Bell ^(her sister) is also staying with them. I had a
horrible head-ache, & therefore stayed only till ten oC. ###.
After tea I looked over a collection of Origl letters, bought
by the Curators ^of the Bodleian from one of the descendants of the Sheldon
family, & which came out of abp Sheldon’s library. There
are among them many Origl. letters of Ld. Clarendon,
Hunsdon, Walsingham, Ld Arundel, &c. &c. Dr Bliss
told me that Carte’s Collection of Origl. letters in the Bodln.
(consistg of nearly 50 folio vols.) have never yet been
examined! What a field for a work similar to that
of Ellis! I learn too, what not a little surprises
me, that the transcript of Rd. Maydestones’ Poem ^made by me was
actually ^intended for Mr Harris Nicholas, & was sent to his
Publisher Harding, but the sum (2£.2.0) charged for it,
had never been #######paid! (see p.429) This is singular –&, what
is more so, I have myself conversed with Nicholas on
the subject, & told him I had transcribed such a poem
for a person unknown to me, & yet he never uttered a
syllable! This is shabby conduct, & does not raise my
opinion of his character. On my return to my rooms,
I found a fire in them, & candles, &c – All very comfortable,
I was glad to get to bed.
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