reat deal of money in books, laying aside every year a
considerable sum for that end, and especially for the procuring of
manuscripts, as well as from foreign parts, as near at hand.' His
library contained a number of rare Oriental manuscripts, which he
obtained through the instrumentality of Mr. Thomas Davis, a merchant at
Aleppo. Among them were a copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch, a Syrian
Pentateuch, and a Commentary on a great part of the Old and New
Testaments. From the Samaritan Pentateuch Usher furnished some extracts
for his friend Selden's _Marmora Arundeliana_, and he deposited the
manuscript itself in the Cottonian Library. Dr. Walton also found
Usher's collection of much use in preparing his Polyglot Bible. Several
of the manuscripts which had belonged to Usher were given to the
Bodleian Library by James Tyrrell, the historian, who was the
Archbishop's grandson. It was Usher's intention to have left his library
to Trinity College, but having lost all his other property he thought it
right to bequeath it to his daughter, Lady Tyrrell, who had a large
family. After his death it was offered for sale, and the King of Denmark
and Cardinal Mazarin were both anxious to acquire it; but Cromwell,
considering it disgraceful to his administration to allow such a
splendid collection of books to be sent out of the kingdom, prohibited
the disposal of it without his consent, and it was purchased for the sum
of two thousand two hundred pounds, the money being principally
contributed by the officers and soldiers of the army in Ireland. It is
said that the amount paid for it was much less than what had been
previously offered. The books were sent to Dublin and placed in the
Castle, with a view that they should form the library of a new College
or Hall then projected. They remained in the Castle until the
Restoration, when Charles II., in accordance with Usher's first
intention, gave them to Trinity College, where they are still preserved.
Usher, who is said by Selden to have been 'ad miraculum doctus,' was the
author of many works, some of the more important being _Immanuel, or
the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God_ (Dublin, 1638), 4to;
_Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates et Primordia_ (Dublin, 1639),
4to; _Annales Veteris et Novi Testamenti_ (London, 1650-54), folio[34];
_De Graeca Septuaginta Interpretum Versione Syntagma_ (London, 1654),
4to; and _Chronologia Sacra_ (London, 1660), 4to. A complete edition of