ne on his entrance had to take the oath against 'razing, defacing,
cutting, noting, slurring, and mangling the books.'

Sir Thomas was ably seconded by 'good Mr. James,' his first librarian,
and by the bookseller John Bill, who collected for him at Frankfort and
Lyons and other likely places on the Continent. The most minute rules
were laid down for the protection of the books against embezzlement. The
volumes were chained to the desks, and readers were entreated to fasten
the clasps and strings, to untangle the chains, and to leave the books as
they found them. Bodley was always enquiring about the store of chains
and wires. 'I pray you write to John Smith,' he said to James, 'that I
may be furnished against Easter with a thousand chains'; he hopes to
bring enough for that number, 'if God send my books safe out of Italy.'
About the time of the King's visit he writes that he has sent a case of
wires and clips by the carrier, 'which I make no doubt but you may in
good time get fastened to your books.' His carefulness is shown by his
directions for cleaning the room: 'I do desire that, after the library is
well swept and the books cleansed from dust, you would cause the floor to
be well washed and dried, and after rubbed with a little rosemary, for a
stronger scent I should not like.' He often writes about his Continental
purchases. John Bill, he says, had been at Venice, Florence, and Rome,
and half a score other Italian cities, 'and hath bought us many books as
he knew I had not, amounting to the sum of at least L400.' With regard to
certain duplicates he says: 'the fault is mine and John Bill's, who
dealing with multitudes must perforce make many scapes.' 'Jo. Bill hath
gotten everywhere what the place would afford, for his commission was
large, his leisure very good, and his payment sure at home.' The agent
bought largely at Seville; 'but the people's usage towards all of our
nation is so cruel and malicious that he was utterly discouraged.'

[Illustration: SIR THOMAS BODLEY.]

Sir Thomas Bodley would accept a very small contribution or the gift of a
single volume of any respectable sort. But he would have no 'riff-raff,'
as he told Dr. James, and would certainly have scorned the almanacs and
play-books acquired after his death under a bequest from the melancholy
Burton, and the ships' logs and 'pickings of chandlers' and grocers'
papers' which were received long afterwards as part of Dr. Rawlinson's
great donation.