Tuesday 17.th At Musm. Copied “Les Souffrances de William
Longespee“,+ from Jul. A. V. in Norman Fr. ######Alexandrines ####
##### Some curious English verses+ precede it, worth transcribing
In this Ms. is also a fine copy of Peter Langtoft’s Chronicle in
two parts, of which the latter was printed by Hearne. This
very copy is described in his appendix. It is written circa
temp. Edw. I, in #####nearly the same ^sort of hand as the Romances
of Havelok &c at Bodley. I compared Robt. of Brummen
with his original, & find, that the entire passage in which
he alludes to the story of Havelok, ##### Goldsborough, & the
Fisher Grime is #####supplied by Robt of B. himself, & not in Langtoft.
It is also evident, that the ‘rime‘ he mentions, is the
identical Romance discovered by me at Oxford. –.
Mr Petrie came to the Musm. & on hearing Mr Roscoe‘s
plan, put off for the present my trip to Cambridge. He &
Mr Ellis & myself then had a long conversation on a subject
in which I was peculiarly interested, viz. my appointment
at the Musm. as Librarian. It appears that a Mr Tyndale,
one of the Trustees (as representative of ######the Cotton family)) had
heard of Mr. Petrie‘s having used his influence in ###my favor
& when at Lord Spencer’s lately, together with Mr P. questioned
him on the subject. Mr P. related the whole fairly, – the
interest employed through Dr. D’Oyly, the Duke of Devonshire,
# Lord Spencer, & the Abp‘s answer. On Mr Tyndale‘s return
to town (as he is described to be a character composed of
Paul Pry & Marplot united) he immediately went to
the Musm & told Mr Ellis what he had heard, & repeated
the same at the Verulam Club, & other places. Now as
a very strong party, at the head of which are ######
### Mr Tyndale^himself, Mr Heber, the ######founder of the Athenaeum^Club, & Mr
Forshall, Sub.-Librn at the Musm. are ###using all their efforts to
## obtain the appointment in question for Mr. Harteshorne of
###Trin. Coll. Cambr., this intelligence of the interest used in my
favor, has set them all on the alert, & they intend to move
Heaven & Earth to carry their point. Fortunately, Mr. Ellis
sides with me, & Mr Petrie is a staunch friend. My
priority of application also weighs very considerably in my
favor, to say nothing of the personal application of Ld Spencer.
Mr Petrie tells me I have nothing to fear from Mr
Hartishorne yet, ^and as great changes are to take place in
the ########establishment of the Musm, we may probably both be appointed.
It may also take place sooner than was expected, through
the hostile proceedings of Mr Tyndale.
In the Ev~g. went to Drury Lane ^Theatre, with Misses Johnstone,
& Mrs Jilbert. Faustus & the Pantomime. The former
I think cursedly stupid, — but the dresses & scenery
of the latter are very good.
+ Both were afterwards printed in the Excerpta Historica, 1833.
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