e of B.A. At a very early age he became a member of the
Elizabethan Society of Antiquaries, which met for many years at his
residence in Westminster, near Palace Yard. It was in this house that he
formed that magnificent collection of manuscripts and other antiquities
which now ranks as one of the principal treasures of the British Museum.
The dissolution of the monasteries in the reigns of Henry VIII. and
Edward VI. afforded special facilities to Cotton in forming the
collection which comprises such valuable manuscripts as the famous
_Durham Book_ (a copy of the Gospels in Latin, written and illuminated
in honour of St. Cuthbert by Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne, between
the years 698 and 720, with an interlinear translation in Northumbrian
Saxon), and the copy of the Gospels said to have been used to administer
the oath at the coronation of King Athelstan. Other treasures are the
original Bull of Pope Leo X. conferring on King Henry VIII. the title of
Defender of the Faith; and a contemporary and official copy of Magna
Charta, granted by King John, and dated at Runnymede, 15th June, in the
seventeenth year of his reign, which was given to Cotton by Sir Edward
Dering. Both these precious documents were unfortunately damaged by the
fire at Ashburnham House, but have since been very skilfully repaired.
More than two hundred volumes of the library consisted of letters of
sovereigns and statesmen; but Cotton did not acquire these valuable
documents without creating a strong feeling that such a large and
important collection of official papers should rather be preserved in
the Record Office than left in the possession of a private individual,
and his library was twice sequestrated by the Government. On the first
occasion his books were given back to him; but on the second, although
he repeatedly petitioned the King for their restoration, he died before
his applications were answered. His death took place at his house in
Westminster on the 6th of May 1631, and he was buried in Connington
Church, where a monument was erected to his memory. Cotton was knighted
on the accession of James I., and was also one of the baronets created
by that sovereign in 1611. Sir Robert Cotton gave directions in his will
that his library should not be sold, and bequeathed it to his son, Sir
Thomas Cotton, who on the decease of his father made great efforts to
obtain its restoration, which were ultimately successful. He died in
1662, leaving the co