Virtue’s a rose, which born of heaven’s clear ray
Shall ever flourish and bear kingly sway.
In the upper left-hand corner of the panel is the cross of St. George on an escutcheon, and in the right-hand corner the arms of the city of London, indicating that the binder was a citizen. Underneath the rose is the mark of the London binder, G.G., who was one of the noteworthy binders to use these panel stamps at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
Several of the bindings are adorned with rectangular panels
formed by fillets and bands, the enclosed space being divided, after the German system, into lozenge-shaped compartments. Two such examples are the following. The first is the binding of “Cathena aurea super Psalmos ex dictis sanctorum” (Paris: Jehan Petit, 1520). The rectangular frame is formed by vertical and horizontal three-line fillets, and adorned with a roll-stamp representing a hound, a falcon, and a bee, amid sprays of foliage and flowers. Above the hound is the binder’s mark composed of the letters I.R, i.e., John Reynes, a notable London binder of the earlier part of the 16th century. The enclosed panel is divided by three-line fillets, forming four lozenge-shaped and eight triangular compartments stamped with a foliated ornament. The second example is the binding of an edition in Latin of Plato’s Works, printed by Jodocus Badius Ascensius in 1518. The rectangular frame is formed by parallel vertical and horizontal fillets intersecting each other at right-angles, and adorned with a roll-stamp representing a portcullis, a pomegranate, a griffin, a Tudor rose, a hound, and a crown. The enclosed panel is divided by diagonal three-line fillets forming four lozenge-shaped and eight triangular compartments, stamped with foliated ornaments. The Library now contains about 2,000 volumes.
THE LIBRARIANS.
When the Library was organised in 1656 it was made a condition of membership that being duly chosen thereto a member should discharge the office of Library-Keeper “not above once in seaven yeares.” The Library-Keeper elected in that year was Mr., afterwards Dr., John Collinges, a well-known Presbyterian divine, who was a prolific writer and a keen controversialist. Apparently the office was to be held for a year, and the first three Library-Keepers held the office for that period, but afterwards the usual period was two years. The Minute Book records the appointment of the following thirty-six Library Keepers who held office during the years 1656 to 1731: John Collinges, 1656-57; John Whitefoote, 1658-59;—Harmar, 1660-61; George Cock, 1662;—Smith, 1664; Thomas Morley, 1667; Ben Snowden, 1669;—Norgate, 1671: [Benedict] Rively, 1673; [Jo:] Watson, 1675; Dr. Jon Elsworth, 1677;
[Thomas] Studd, 1679; [William] Cecil, 1681; John Whitefoote, the younger, (Mr. Painter was chosen but declined to serve), 1682; [John] Jeffery, [Archdeacon of Norwich] 1683; [Jo:] Shaw, 1685-86; John Pitts, 1687-89; [W.] Adamson, (Burges was chosen but declined to serve), 1690-91; [John] Graile, 1692; [John] Richardson, 1694-96; [Joseph] Ellis, 1696-97; [Isa:] Girling, 1698; [Tho:] Clayton, 1699; [John] Barker, 1700; [Edward] Riveley, 1702; [Joseph] Brett, 1704; [John] Havett, 1706-07; [W.] Herne, 1708-09; [Sam:] Jones, 1710-11; [Francis] Fayerman, 1712; [Sam: or John] Clark, 1713-14; [John] Brand, 1715-16; [Sam.] Salter, 1719;—Morrant, (John Fox was chosen but declined to serve), 1722-23; Benjamin Mackerell, 1724-31; William Pagan, 1731. Benjamin Mackerell, who held the office from 1724 to 1731, is the best-known of the Library-Keepers. He wrote a History of King’s Lynn, which was published in the year of his death, 1738, and several works relating to Norwich, which are still in manuscript; Mr. Gordon Goodwin, the writer of his biography in the “Dictionary of National Biography,” says Mackerell was “an accurate, painstaking antiquary, and left work of permanent value.” Although he compiled the second edition of the catalogue during his extended tenure of office, his services were either not appreciated, or the members thought that the rule regarding the period of office should not be indefinitely ignored, for on December 6th, 1731, the following memorandum was made: “It was then Order’d by the psons whose Names are above written that Peter Scott wait upon Mr. Mackerell, Library Keeper, and desire him to meet them the next Library day; they intending to proceed to the Election of a new one The time for such Election being long since lapsed.”
The office of Library Keeper was an honorary one, a condition that agrees with the opinion expressed by John Dury in his “Reformed Librarie-Keeper” published in 1650, but it is doubtful whether the Library Keepers fulfilled all his other qualifications: “His work then is to bee a Factor and Trader for helps to Learning, and a Treasurer to keep them, and a dispenser to applie them to use, or to see them well used, or at least not abused.” [43] The duties of the Library Keeper appear
to have included general responsibility for the Library, the cataloguing of the Library, and the recording of the donations in the Vellum Book provided for the purpose. To relieve the Library Keeper of the routine part of his charge, an Under Library Keeper was appointed from time to time. The sixth condition to which members had to subscribe from 1656 included a promise to “pay our proportions to ye under-Keeper of ye said Library quarterly.” This “proportion” was 12d. upon admission, and 12d. quarterly, and was the Under-Library-Keeper’s remuneration for services rendered. This payment was still in force when the regulations were revised in 1732, and were specifically provided for in the first “Article.” The Minute Book constantly records payments of arrears due to the Under Library Keeper, showing that many of the Members were very dilatory in their payments. Some of the Library Keepers were also dilatory in their repayments to him of incidental expenses. On April 1st, 1690, a memorandum was made “That Mr. Pitts is this day discharged from ye office of Library Keeper, and is endebted to ye under=Library=Keeper for his 2 years for fire, candle, pipes, pens, ink, & paper, nine shillings,” and on Feb. 16th, 1699, it was recorded that the Library Keeper, “Mr. Girling owe to the vnder libarey keeper for three years and A half Fourten shillings 00ll-14s-00d.”
Provision was made for relieving members from the obligation to assume the office in their turn, upon payment of a fine. On March 6th, 1682/3 “Mr. Painter being chosen Library keeper for this yeare desired upon the paymt of 20sh to the use of the library according to the order in that case made to be excused and he was dismissed from his office, and Mr. John Whitefoot the younger was chosen library keeper for the same yeare in his stead.”