ient books, which have not hitherto been remarked, for the
simple reasons that no opportunity for comparison like that presented by
the present case has yet been noticed. Among the Cottonian MSS. (Galba
E. iv.) is a perfect specimen of an ancient Library Catalogue, which,
although not altogether unnoticed, deserves a more careful examination
than it has yet received. It relates to the magnificent monastic
foundation from which emanated the deed we have printed above, and is
headed "Tituli librorum de libraria Ecclesiae Christi Cantuariensis et
contenta in eisdem libris tempore H. Prioris." It is written in that
bold hand which prevails so extensively in ecclesiastical MSS., with but
little variation, from the middle of the fourteenth century, to the end
of the fifteenth,--a hand which is not always clearly written, and which
therefore, in itself, does not materially assist in the distinction of a
date. Now having first assigned the credit of this noble {22} Catalogue--in
which are entered about 600 volumes, in nearly every one of which,
besides the substantive (or initial?) work, are particularised numerous
detached writings, varying from two or three to five-and-forty distinct
"tracts"--to Prior Henry Chichely (1413--1443), the founder of All
Souls' and St. John's Colleges, Oxford, and who, "built the library of
the church, and furnished it with books," we will see whether the book
"qui intitulatur Johannes Crisestomus," &c. was returned to Canterbury,
and had a place in the list;--and this, we think, is satisfactorily
shown by the following entry:--

"Johannes Crisostomus de laude Apostoli.
In hoc volumine continentur
Idem de laude Redemptoris.
Brutus latine.
Nomina Regum Britanniae sicut in ordine successerunt.
Nomina Archiepiscoporum Cantuariensis sicut in ordine successerunt.
Tabula et questiones Bede de ratione temporum.
Tabula ejusdem et expositio super tabulam de lunationibus.
Descriptio Britanniae Insulae.
Expositio super Merlinum, imperfecta."

It may perhaps be supposed that this proves too much, as, besides the
direct title of the volume, _eight_ "tracts" are here entered, while in
the Power of Attorney only _two_ are noticed. But we would maintain,
nevertheless, that it is the identical book, and explain this variation
in the description by the circumstance that the library having, in the
space of nearly two centuries, been materially enriched, numerous works,
consisting in many ca