A.D. 1806
Fifty pounds were paid for some ‘Tibetan MSS.’ of Capt. Samuel Turner, E.I.C.S., who had been sent by Warren Hastings, on a mission to the Grand Llama, in 1785. Of this mission he published an account, in a quarto volume, in 1800. His MSS. consist chiefly of nine bundles of papers and letters in the Persian and Tartar languages, written in the last century, together with a few Chinese printed books. Capt. Turner died Jan. 2, 1802; but as one of his sisters was married to Prof. White, it was probably through him that the papers were now purchased.
A beautiful copy of the Koran which had been in the library of Tippoo Sahib (now exhibited in the glass case near the door) was presented, together with another MS. from the same collection, by the East India Company. Dibdin speaks of it as a work ‘upon which caligraphy seems to have exhausted all its powers of intricacy and splendour,’ and adds the following description:—
‘The preservation of it is perfect, and the beauty of the binding, especially of the interior ornaments, is quite surprising. The first few leaves of the text are highly ornamented, without figures, chiefly in red and blue. The latter leaves are more ornamental; they are even gorgeous, curious and minute. The generality of the leaves have two star-like ornaments in the margin, out of the border. Upon the whole this is an exquisite treasure, in its way272.’
The Catholicon of J. de Janua, printed at Mentz, in 1460, was bought for £63.
The following singular memorandum, relating to this year, is preserved on a small paper:—
‘Oxford, Aug. 29, 1806. Borrowed this day, of the Rev. the Bodleian Librarian, the picture given to the Library by Mr. Peters, which I promise to return upon demand.
‘JOSEPH WHITE.
‘Mem. Not returned, June 24, 1807.
‘Nor as yet, Oct., 1808. J. P. (i.e. J. Price).
’And never to be retd.’ (added at some later period.)
This picture must have been the portrait of Professor White himself, which was painted and presented by Rev. Will. Peters, R.A., in 1785273. It has never been restored.
On the morning of Saturday, April 19, probably but little after nine o’clock, the statutable time for the opening of the Library, some zealous student stood at the door, but could get no further. No one appeared to give him entrance; the Librarian himself never came on a Saturday, and probably his Assistants were not scrupulous in punctuality; at any rate, the expectant student stood and expected in vain. But ere he departed, he denounced a ‘Woe’ which perpetuates to this day the memory of his vain expectancy; he affixed to the door the following text, which doubtless seemed to him naturally suggested: ‘Ουαι ὑμιν, ὁτι ηρατε την κλειδα της γνωσεως; αυτοι ουκ εισηλθετε, και τους εισερχομενους εκωλυσατε’ The paper is now preserved over the door of one of the Sub-librarians’ studies, with this note added: ‘Affixed to the outer door of the Library by some scavant inconnu, April 19, 1806.’
Notes
272 Bibliogr. Decam. iii. 472.
273 Gutch’s Wood, II. ii. 979.