A.D. 1719
Dr. Hudson died, on Nov. 27, of dropsy. And at one o’clock on the afternoon of the very next day, Joseph Bowles, M.A., of Oriel College, was elected in his room.
The bitter terms in which Hearne frequently, in the course of his Diary, condemns Hudson’s management, or rather mismanagement, of the Library, may be supposed to be owing in a considerable degree to personal pique and quarrel194. But they meet with very singular and abundant confirmation in the letter of Z. C. Uffenbach, quoted above (p. 130), when the writer expresses, in the following strong language, his opinion of Hudson’s neglect and incapacity, and of the general condition of the Library under his management:—
‘Perpende, quæso, mecum, vir eruditissime, quantus thesaurus ex solius Bodleianæ Bibliothecæ codicibus elici possit, nisi Proto-Bibliothecarii Hudson negligentia ac pertinacia obstaret. Is enim muneri abunde satisfecisse, imo eximie ornasse Spartam videri vult, dum tot annis unico scriptori, Thucydidem ejus puto, omni Bibliothecæ cura plane abjecta, insudavit, cum hoc, quod supra dixi, potius agendum fuisset. Nefandam hujus insignis Bibliothecæ sortem (ignosce justæ indignationi) satis deplorare nequeo. Inculta plane jacet, nemo ferme tanto thesauro uti, frui, gestit. Singulis sane diebus per trium mensium spatium illam frequentavi, sed, ita me dii ament, nunquam tot una vice homines in illa vidi quot numero sunt Musæ, vel saltem artes liberales. De librorum studiosis loquor; nam puerorum, muliercularum, rusticorum, hinc inde cursitantium, voluminumque multitudinem per transennas spectantium mirantiumque, cœtum excipio.... De Proto-bibliothecarii incuria jam dixi, ejusque stupendam in historia literaria librariaque, inprimis extra Insulam ultraque maria, ignorantiam taceo.’
Of Hearne, however, Uffenbach writes in the following different strain:—
‘Hîc scholaris, ut hîc loqui amant, esse solet, atque etiamnum est, nomine Hearne, qui, præ reliquis, diligentiam suam non modo scriptis, sed in novo etiam Bibliothecæ catalogo confitiendo, typis proxime exscribendo, probavit; ast, quod dolendum, ad exemplum prioris, qui satis jejunus, inconcinnus, erroribusque innumeris scatens est.’
Hudson’s successor, Bowles, had previously been his Assistant for some years, and as, while Hearne was Under-keeper, he had come into sharp collision with that irascible antiquary (see under 1715), his election now was a matter of sore annoyance to the latter. Hearne dwells upon it in his Diary with great bitterness and at great length: ‘Competitors were Mr. Hall, of Queen’s, and that pert conceited coxcomb Mr. Bowles (who is not yet Regent Master) of Oriel College. Bowles carried it by a great majority, having about 160 votes, and Mr. Hall about 77. I think it the most scandalous election that I have yet heard of in Oxford.’ Of his supporters he speaks thus:—‘Charlett and such rogues, who contrived to bring in that most compleat coxcomb Bowles to be Head-Librarian, to the immortal scandal of all that were concern’d in it195.’ And even, when ten years later he records Bowles’ death, he indulges, in forgetfulness of charity to the departed, in the following strain: ‘Of this gentleman (a most vile, wicked wretch) frequent mention hath been made in these Memoirs. He took the degree of M.A. Oct. 12, 1719. ’Tis incredible what damage he did to the Bodl. Library, by putting it into disorder and confusion, which before, by the great pains I had taken in it (&c.), was the best regulated library in the world196.’ Bowles’ name never occurs in the Diary without some opprobrious epithet being attached to it, which may be accounted for partly from his having taken the oaths of allegiance after declaring he would never do it (a defection which Hearne never forgave in any one), but chiefly also from his having personally excluded Hearne from the Library, when the latter refused to resign his keys in 1715, by procuring new locks and keys, which he kept in his own custody.
Three or four days after Bowles’ election, Mr. Fletcher, the Sub-librarian (disliking, no doubt, the appointment of his junior over his head), resigned his office, to which Bowles appointed the well-known antiquary, Francis Wise. Upon this appointment Hearne comments thus: ‘Bowles put in Mr. Wise, A.M., of Trin. Coll. (a pretender to antiquities), tho’ he had promised it to one of Oriel Coll., that came in fellow of Oriel when he did, and was very serviceable to him in getting the Head Librarian’s place; for which Bowles is strangely scouted and despis’d at Oriel, as a breaker of his word, and a whiffling, silly, unfaithfull, coxcomb.’ It must be allowed that the portrait of Bowles in the Library bears out in some degree Hearne’s last epithet, by giving him the appearance rather of a fine clerical gentleman than of a student.
Baskett, the printer, presented to the Library a magnificent copy on vellum of the ‘Vinegar’ Bible, printed by him in 1717. Only three copies were so struck off; the second was placed in the King’s Library, and the third was sold to the Duke of Chandos, for five hundred guineas, at whose sale, in 1747, Lord Foley purchased it for £72 9s.
Notes
194 In one passage, Hearne says that such was Hudson’s self-esteem that he reckoned himself equal to Erasmus or Sir Thomas More, while all that was curious in his books was gained from Hearne himself or others. (MS. Diary, vol. lviii. p. 158.)
195 Vol. lxxxiv. pp. 59, 60.
196 Vol. cxxii. p. 158.