LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

Cambridge than Oxford.

       "2. And rather in a private college there, than in the public

       library.

       "3. And in the colleges of Trinity or Magdalen preferably to all

       others.

       "4. And of these too, 'caeteris paribus', rather in the latter, for

       the sake of my own and my nephew's education therein.

       "5. That in which soever of the two it is, a fair roome be provided

       therein.

       "6. And if in Trinity, that the said roome be contiguous to, and

       have communication with, the new library there.

       "7. And if in Magdalen, that it be in the new building there, and

       any part thereof at my nephew's election.

       "8. That my said library be continued in its present form and no

       other books mixed therein, save what my nephew may add to theirs of

       his own collecting, in distinct presses.

       "9. That the said room and books so placed and adjusted be called

       by the name of 'Bibliotheca Pepysiana.'

       "10. That this 'Bibliotheca Pepysiana' be under the sole power and

       custody of the master of the college for the time being, who shall

       neither himself convey, nor suffer to be conveyed by others, any of

       the said books from thence to any other place, except to his own

       lodge in the said college, nor there have more than ten of them at a

       time; and that of those also a strict entry be made and account

       kept, at the time of their having been taken out and returned, in a

       book to be provided, and remain in the said library for that purpose

       only.

       "11. That before my said library be put into the possession of

       either of the said colleges, that college for which it shall be

       designed, first enter into covenants for performance of the

       foregoing articles.

       "12. And that for a yet further security herein, the said two

       colleges of Trinity and Magdalen have a reciprocal check upon one

       another; and that college which shall be in present possession of

       the said library, be subject to an annual visitation from the other,

       and to the forfeiture thereof to the life, possession, and use of

       the other, upon conviction of any breach of their said covenants.

       "S. PEPYS."

      The library and the original book-cases were not transferred to Magdalene College until 1724, and there they have been preserved in safety ever since.

      A large number of Pepys's manuscripts appear to have remained unnoticed in York Buildings for some years. They never came into Jackson's hands, and were thus lost to Magdalene College. Dr. Rawlinson afterwards obtained them, and they were included in the bequest of his books to the Bodleian Library.

      Pepys was partial to having his portrait taken, and he sat to Savill, Hales, Lely, and Kneller. Hales's portrait, painted in 1666, is now in the National Portrait Gallery, and an etching from the original forms the frontispiece to this volume. The portrait by Lely is in the Pepysian Library. Of the three portraits by Kneller, one is in the hall of Magdalene College, another at the Royal Society, and the third was lent to the First Special Exhibition of National Portraits, 1866, by the late Mr. Andrew Pepys Cockerell. Several of the portraits have been engraved, but the most interesting of these are those used by Pepys himself as book-plates. These were both engraved by Robert White, and taken from paintings by Kneller.

      The church of St. Olave, Hart Street, is intimately associated with Pepys both in his life and in his death, and for many years the question had been constantly asked by visitors, "Where is Pepys's monument?" On Wednesday, July 5th, 1882, a meeting was held in the vestry of the church, when an influential committee was appointed, upon which all the great institutions with which Pepys was connected were represented by their masters, presidents, or other officers, with the object of taking steps to obtain an adequate memorial of the Diarist. Mr. (now Sir) Alfred Blomfield, architect of the church, presented an appropriate design for a monument, and sufficient subscriptions having been obtained for the purpose, he superintended its erection. On Tuesday afternoon, March 18th, 1884, the monument, which was affixed to the wall of the church where the gallery containing Pepys's pew formerly stood, was unveiled in the presence of a large concourse of visitors. The Earl of Northbrook, First Lord of the Admiralty, consented to unveil the monument, but he was at the last moment prevented by public business from attending. The late Mr. Russell Lowell, then the American Minister, took Lord Northbrook's place, and made a very charming and appreciative speech on the occasion, from which the following passages are extracted:—

      "It was proper," his Excellency said, "that he should read a note he

       had received from Lord Northbrook. This was dated that day from the

       Admiralty, and was as follows:

       "'My dear Mr. Lowell,

       "'I am very much annoyed that I am prevented from assisting at the

       ceremony to-day. It would be very good if you would say that

       nothing but very urgent business would have kept me away. I was

       anxious to give my testimony to the merits of Pepys as an Admiralty

       official, leaving his literary merits to you. He was concerned with

       the administration of the Navy from the Restoration to the

       Revolution, and from 1673 as secretary. I believe his merits to be

       fairly stated in a contemporary account, which I send.

       "'Yours very truly,

       "'NORTHBROOK.

       "The contemporary account, which Lord Northbrook was good enough to

       send him, said:

       "'Pepys was, without exception, the greatest and most useful

       Minister that ever filled the same situations in England, the acts

       and registers of the Admiralty proving this beyond contradiction.

       The principal rules and establishments in present use in these

       offices are well known to have been of his introducing, and most of

       the officers serving therein since the Restoration, of his bringing-

       up. He was a most studious promoter and strenuous asserter of order

       and discipline. Sobriety, diligence, capacity, loyalty, and

       subjection to command were essentials required in all whom he

       advanced. Where any of these were found wanting, no interest or

       authority was capable of moving him in favour of the highest

       pretender. Discharging his duty to his Prince and country with a

       religious application and perfect integrity, he feared no one,

       courted no one, and neglected his own fortune.'

       "That was a character drawn, it was true, by a friendly hand, but to

       those who were familiar with the life of Pepys, the praise hardly

       seemed exaggerated. As regarded his official life, it was

       unnecessary to dilate upon his peculiar merits, for they all knew

       how faithful he was in his duties, and they all knew, too, how many

       faithful officials

Скачать книгу