other books 'a greate booke called an Herballe,' 'twoo
great Bibles in Latten,' and 'a booke, wrytten on parchment, of the
processe betweene King Henry th' eight and the Ladye Katheryne Dowager.'
The Windsor and Newhall libraries were smaller; the first comprising one
hundred and nine, and the second sixty volumes. At Beddington were some
remarkably choice books, including many beautiful editions printed for
Antoine Verard, probably some of those purchased by Henry VII. Among
these was 'a greate booke of parchment, written and lymned with gold of
gravers worke, _de confessione Amantis_.'

Edward VI. and Mary during their short reigns added comparatively few
books to the royal collection, nor are there many to be now found in it
which were acquired by Elizabeth. It is difficult to say what became of
this Queen's books, of which she appears to have possessed a
considerable number; for Paul Hentzner tells us in his _Itinerary_ that
her library at Whitehall, when he visited it in 1598, was well stored
with books in various languages, 'all bound in velvet of different
colours, although chiefly red, with clasps of gold and silver; some
having pearls and precious stones set in their bindings.' Probably the
richness of the bindings had much to do with the disappearance of the
books.

James I. is undoubtedly entitled to a place in the list of royal
book-collectors, and the numerous fine volumes, many of them splendidly
bound, with which he augmented the royal library, testify to his love of
books. When but twelve years of age he possessed a collection of
something like six hundred volumes, about four hundred of which are
specified in a manuscript list, principally in the handwriting of Peter
Young, who shared with George Buchanan the charge of James's education.
This list is preserved in the British Museum, and was edited in 1893 by
Mr. G.F. Warner, Assistant-Keeper of Manuscripts, for the Scottish
History Society. After the death of the learned Isaac Casaubon, the
King, at the instigation of Patrick Young, his librarian, purchased his
entire library of his widow for the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds.

If James I. is entitled to be regarded as a collector, his eldest son
Henry has even a better claim to the title. This young prince, who
combined a great fondness for manly sports with a sincere love for
literature, purchased from the executors of his tutor, Lord Lumley, the
greater portion of the large and valuable collec