olumes on vellum bought of Antoine Verard, the
Paris publisher, which now forms one of the choicer treasures of the
British Museum. Henry's principal library was kept in his palace at
Richmond, where, with the exception of some volumes which seem to have
been taken to Beddington by Henry VIII., it appears to have remained for
more than a century after his death, for Justus Zinzerling, a native of
Thuringia, and Doctor of Laws at Basle, states in his book of travels,
entitled _Itinerarium Galliae, etc._, Lyons, 1616, that 'the most
curious thing to be seen at Richmond Palace is Henry VII.'s library.' It
was probably removed to Whitehall, for the only book in the library
mentioned by Zinzerling, a _Genealogia Rerum Angliae ab Adamo_, appears
in a catalogue of Charles II.'s MSS. at Whitehall, compiled in 1666.

Henry VIII. inherited the love of his father for books, and added
considerably to his collection. Besides the library at Richmond, Henry
had a fine one at Westminster, a catalogue of which, compiled in 1542 or
1543, is still preserved in the Record Office. He had also libraries at
Greenwich, Windsor, Newhall in Essex, and Beddington in Surrey. Some of
his books were also kept at St. James's, for in the inventory of his
furniture at that palace, entries occur of a _Description of the hollie
lande_; 'a boke covered with vellat, embroidered with the Kings arms,
declaring the same, in a case of black leather, with his graces arms';
and other volumes. Of these libraries the largest and most important
appears to have been that at Westminster. It was fairly rich in the
Greek and Latin classics, and in the writings of French and Italian
authors. The English historians were well represented, but the principal
feature of the collection was the works of the Fathers, which were very
numerous. The library also contained no less than sixty primers, many of
them being bound in 'vellat,' or in 'lether gorgiously gilted.' In the
succeeding reign this library was purged 'of all massebookes, legendes,
and other superstitiouse bookes' by an Order in Council, which also
directed that 'the garnyture of the bookes being either golde or silver'
should be delivered to Sir Anthony Aucher, the Master of the Jewel
House.

The library at Greenwich contained three hundred and forty-one printed
and manuscript volumes, besides a number of manuscripts, kept in various
parts of the palace. An inventory, taken after the King's death,
mentions among