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ascribed to the circumstance of its accommodation for students not being restricted by the extent of the college buildings as at Oxford.

The University Library of Cambridge, which, like the Bodleian, has the privilege of demanding a copy of every work published in England, is extensive, containing about 120,000 volumes; and rich in the possession of numerous valuable and curious manuscripts. Amongst which are,

the celebrated manuscript of the four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, known by the name of the Codez Beza, which was presented to the library by that distinguished reformer. 2. A copy of the Magna Charta, written on vellum; 3. Some valuable manuscripts purchased at the sale of Dr. Askew's collection; 4. Many curious Syrian manuscripts presented by the Rev. Dr. Buchanan; 5. A Coptic MS., written upon long narrow papyrus with an ancient stylus; 6. A Koran upon cotton paper, superbly executed.

The most important acquisition made by this library was that of the collection which had belonged to Dr. Moore, bishop of Ely, amounting to 30,000 volumes. This noble collection, which is singularly rich in the productions of the early English printers, was purchased for six thousand guineas by King George I., at the instance of Lord Townshend, and by him presented to the university; which donation gave origin to the well-known epigram

"The King observing with judicious eyes,

The state of both his Universities,

To one he sends a regiment:* for why?

That learned body wanted loyalty.

To th' other books he gave, as well discerning
How much that loyal body wanted learning.

*The ministry had at the same time sent a troop of horse to Oxford, to suppress some disturbances that happened there.

Sir William Brown, the celebrated physician replied to the above lines in a manner which extorted praise even from Johnson himself, in favour of a Cambridge man :

"The king to Oxford sent his troop of horse;
For Tories own no argument but force.
With equal care, to Cambridge, books he sent;
For Whigs allow no force but argument.

The library of Trinity College is highly valuable, and contained in a very magnificent structure built by Sir Christopher Wren. Amongst the manuscripts which it contains are several of Milton's poems in his own handwriting, which prove that he originally intended his "Paradise Lost" as a sort of Drama (in the manner of the "Mysteries"); and Dr. Bentley's MS. additions of Æolic digramma to his edition of Homer. The Arabic MSS.

left by Dr. Gale, and those relating principally to English antiquities, left by his son Dr. Roger Gale, are accounted very valuable; Sir Isaac Newton's own copy of his "Principia," with his manuscript notes and his letters to Roger Coles, are likewise here, together with the voluminous Shakspeare manuscripts and printed books of Edward Capell, a catalogue of which was printed by Mr. Stevens, in his Repertorium Bibliographicum.

Some of the other colleges possess considerable libraries which contain many rare and curious books and manuscripts.

CHAPTER IV.

THE GREAT CHURCH SOCIETIES.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND FORMERLY TOO LITTLE PROSELYTIZING. THE ESTABLISH. MENT OF HER GREAT SOCIETIES AND THEIR BENEFICIAL RESULTS.-THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE-ITS CHARACTER AND EXTENSIVE USEFULNESS.-THE SOCIETY FOR PROPAGATING THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTSITS HISTORY, PROGRESS, AND PRESENT OPERATIONS.

CHARLES II., whom a wit once lauded as having “never said a foolish thing," once observed, that " Presbyterianism was not the religion for a gentleman." The observation, although unjust and indecent, points to a fact, which characterising our church, in his days, is not undeserving of consideration. The temperate dignity and even repose which the church manifested in that time-its utter freedom from fanaticism, and even from enthusiasm-its contrast to the busy, meddling, pragmatical spirit of the churches of Rome and Geneva, suggested the observation to the acute monarch, who had experienced from the oppressive formalities, and intriguing spirit of the Scotish church of his age, a multiplicity of annoyances. The Anglican church, so modest, so scriptural, so catholic, and therefore, so little controversial, as dreading, above all things, schism and dissension, shunned with dignity the honours of noisy notoriety to which her rivals unceasingly aspired. When her existence was threatened and her subversion attempted, she defended herself and those precious truths whereof she was the divinely appointed guardian,

with carnage and determination, which were not the less real because they were unostentatious. Witness her conduct when seven of her episcopal pastors were by the orders of her inveterate enemy exposed to the ignominy of a public trial. A jury, whom the court could neither intimidate nor corrupt, declared them innocent of the imputed offence. The acclamations rent the air-the roof of Westminster Hall and the neighbouring streets resounded with expressions of popular delight; and when the venerable prelates issued from the court, to which they had been borne as criminals, "every man," says Burnet, "seemed transported with joy; bonfires were made all about the streets, and the news going over the nation produced the like rejoicings and bonfires all England over." "As I was taking coach in the little Palace-yard," says Lord Clarendon, "I found the Bishop of St. Asaph in the midst of a crowd, the people thinking it a blessing to kiss any of these bishop's hands or garments." And how did they comport themselves? Mildly shunning the thousands that flocked round them-bidding them return home and obey the king and the lawshrinking away from their friends as though they had been their foes, they sought to avoid the manifestations of affection with which they were greeted. Apostolical in their spirit, these honours were painful to them: and this is but one of many instances in which the church has evinced a becoming reserve in times of great excitement singularly contrasted with the conduct of other religious denominations who have sought with avidity the cheap honours of seeming martyrdom.

It may, however, be safely admitted, now that so much has been done to wipe out the reproach, that this spirit was carried too far by the church-that she has been too little of a proselytizing church-that she has cared too little for ex

tending her communion, and that, from feelings of morbid delicacy, she has been silent when she ought to have spoken out-has been still when she ought to have been up and doing. Her machinery was, of itself, scarcely sufficient to meet the wants of the times; too broadly drawn was the line between clergy and laity, in forgetfulness of her own article, which, so far from confining the definition of a church to those who minister, speak of it as "a congregation of faithful men." The evil to which we allude has been removed by the establishment of those societies which, from their essential services to the church, to whose labours they have been auxiliary, we designate The Great Church Societies. Composed of laymen and ecclesiastics, they have contributed greatly to strengthen the hold of the church on the community. They have enabled her to multiply her resources in effecting the great task imposed by the necessities of modern times-the spread of scriptural principles. In the diffusion of the Holy Bible rests the claim of the English church to the affections and support of the people. Popery, infidelity, heresy, can only be successfully combated by spreading the scriptures far and wide. In vain is the pulpit-there may scriptural doctrines be taught, but to none can those teachings be effectual except to such as have the Bible to refer to as their standard of faith. For this great purpose, the church, as such, has no funds. These have been supplied to her by the wealth of a pious laity who, having freely received, freely give, and who are themselves blessed in being made, under God, the instruments of conveying blessings to others-the blessings by which the glad tidings of salvation are proclaimed to perishing millions!

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is one of those institutions, established by the Church of England, at the close of the seventeenth century, to stem the torrent

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