mportant collection of Professor Van Ess of Darmstadt,
together with a number of his early printed books. Phillipps was
indefatigable in the acquirement of his treasures, and at the time of
his death his library contained some sixty thousand manuscripts, and a
goodly collection of printed books. He writes: 'In amassing my
collection of manuscripts, I commenced with purchasing everything that
lay within my reach, to which I was instigated by reading various
accounts of the destruction of valuable manuscripts.... My principal
search has been for historical, and particularly unpublished
manuscripts, whether good or bad, and particularly those on vellum. My
chief desire for preserving vellum manuscripts arose from witnessing the
unceasing destruction of them by goldbeaters; my search for charters or
deeds by their destruction in the shops of glue-makers and tailors. As I
advanced the ardour of the pursuit increased, until at last I became a
perfect vello-maniac (if I may coin a word), and I gave any price that
was asked. Nor do I regret it, for my object was not only to secure good
manuscripts for myself, but also to raise the public estimation of them,
so that their value might be more generally known, and consequently more
manuscripts preserved. For nothing tends to the preservation of anything
so much as making it bear a high price. The examples I always kept in
view were Sir Robert Cotton and Sir Robert Harley.'

Sir Thomas Phillipps's collection was not confined to European
manuscripts. It contained several hundred Oriental ones, and he also
acquired those relating to Mexico belonging to Lord Kingsborough. The
illuminated manuscripts were particularly fine, and some of them had
been executed for regal and other distinguished persons, and were
beautifully bound. Many of the manuscripts which related to Ireland and
Wales were of special interest and great value. For many years Phillipps
kept his library, together with his fine collections of pictures,
drawings, and coins at his residence at Middle Hill, Worcestershire; but
in 1862, in consequence of their ever-increasing size, he removed them
to Thirlestaine House, Cheltenham, which he purchased from Lord
Northwick. On Sir Thomas's death his entailed Middle Hill estates went
to his eldest daughter, Henrietta Elizabeth Molyneux, the wife of James
Orchard Halliwell, the Shakespearian commentator, but in a will made
shortly before his death he left Thirlestaine House, togeth