ng an abridgment of the Sermons preached at the
Lecture founded by the Hon. R. Boyle," 4 vols. (London, 1737), by Gilbert
Burnet, vicar of Coggeshall, which was published in that year.

Possibly it was the misfortune of the Library to lose a donation of
manuscripts from Peter Le Neve relating to Norfolk that would have been
of inestimable value, as the collector's work, said Mr. Walter Rye, "was
characterised by strictest honesty," and the material "formed the
backbone of the well-known county history, begun by Blomefield, and
completed by Parkin." {24} Bishop Tanner, one of Le Neve's executors,
stated in a letter to Dr. Rawlinson in 1735 that "There was an ugly
Codicil made a few days before his death in favour of his wife, upon
which she set up a claim for several of his Norfolk Collections, and has
hindered the execution of that part of his will, which relates to the
putting those papers into some public library in Norwich. But I have
hopes given me that she is coming into better temper, and will let us
perform our trust without entering into a chancery suit." {25a} There is
no codicil to the will at Somerset House, and the actual words relating
to his collections are as follows: "I give and bequeath unto the Revd.
Doctor Tanner Chancellor of Norwich and Mr. Thomas Martin of Palgrave all
my abstracts out of Records old Deeds Books pedigrees seals papers and
other collections which shall only relate to the antiquities and history
of Norfolk and Suffolk or one of them upon condition that they or the
survivor of them or the Exors or Admors of such survivor do & shall
within 12 months next after my decease procure a good and safe repository
in the Cathedral Church of Norwich or in some other good and publick
building in the said city for the preservation of the same collections
for the use and benefit of such curious persons as shall be desirous to
inspect transcribe or consult the same." Le Neve's widow evidently
impeded his purpose, as his collections did not come to the city.

A donation, the loss of which, however, cannot be regretted, is referred
to in the Court Book for 1677: "The Chamberlain, with the advice of Rob'
Bendish & Jo: Manser, Esqrs are to consult a good workeman about ye
making of a Case of Deale for ye skeleton of a Man given to the City
Librarie & to report ye charge." {25b} Kirkpatrick quotes this and
remarks: "But it seems it was not made, for there is no skeleton in the
library now." {25c} S