Most faithfully yours,
W. H. Fremantle.
Mr. Thomas Grenville was one of the most liberal collectors of rare books at a time when bibliomania was much more in fashion than it is now. The following is a characteristic specimen of his powers of observation when directed to his favourite pursuit:—
THE RIGHT HON. THOMAS GRENVILLE TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.
Cleveland Square, July 30, 1823.
My dear Duke,
I have just been collating two copies of the "Sacra Exequialia in Funere Jacobi II.—a Carolo de Aquino. Fol. Romæ 1702." Whether you have this book or not, you certainly have in your Granger the famous print (belonging to this book) of a head of the Pretender, by Edelinck, ætatis suæ 12. In one of my copies (the presentation copy to the King of France or one of the French Royal Family) below the head, upon a tablet, is engraved "Cognoscunt mei me," and in the corner of the tablet "ætatis suæ 12;" and on each side of the tablet is a circular medallion, one of which is a library with "Litteris Insignis" round it. The other medallion is a man firing at a wild boar, with "Et Armis" round it. In the centre of the large circle which surrounds the head, and just above the tablet, is a large medallion, with the sun behind a cloud, and round it "Et latet et lucet." In the other copy, the same print (with Edelinck's name and "ætatis suæ 12," in the corner of the tablet, like the other), has these variations.
The large medallion above the tablet has the "Arms of England with a crown."
The tablet has no inscription, but is left blank, except that it has in the corner "Ætatis suæ 12."
The two small medallions have, one of them, the Prince's plume, with Ich dien; the other, the Order of the Garter, with Honi soit qui mal y pense.