This eminent scholar and theologian was born in the year 1625. He entered as a student of Christ Church at the age of eleven, and in 1643 bore arms in the civil wars for the king in the garrison of Oxford. At the Restoration he received ecclesiastical promotion, and in 1666 became Vice-Chancellor of the University.[260] In this capacity he exerted himself strenuously to continue the work begun by Laud for the advancement of learning and encouragement of printing at the University;[261] and about 1667 presented a complete typefoundry, consisting of the punches and matrices of twenty founts of Roman, Italic, Orientals, Saxons, Black and other letter, besides moulds and all the apparatus and utensils necessary for a complete printing office.
34 to 38. Oriental Founts presented to the Oxford Press by Dr. Fell in 1667. (From the original matrices.)
34, 35, Hebrew.; 36, Coptic.; 37, Arabic.; 38, Syriac.
The extent of this noble gift, the importance of which can only be estimated {148} by recalling the low condition of letter-founding in England at the time, will best appear by the following Inventory, published by the University in 1695:
An Account of the Matrices, Puncheons, etc., given by Bishop Fell to the University of Oxford[262]:—
34 BOXES OF MATRICES.
- 121
- 1. Great Primer Roman
- 123
- 2. Double Pica Roman
- 513
- 3. Pica Greek
- 353
- 4. Augustin Greek
- 354
- 5. Long Primer Greek
- 456
- 6. Great Primer Greek
- 121
- 7. Long Primer Italic
- 142
- 8. Small Pica Italic
- 155
- 9. Long Primer Roman
- 156
- 10. Pica Roman
- 156
- 11. Brevier Roman
- 40
- 12. Great Brass Roman Caps.
- 142
- 13. Augustin Roman
- 73
- 14. English Black
- 142
- 15. Small Pica Roman
- 135
- 16. Coptick
- 114
- 17. Augustin Italic
- 130
- 18. Pica Italic
- 121
- 19. Nonpareil Italic
- 134
- 20. Nonpareil Roman
- 445
- 21. & 22. Paragon Greek
- 121
- 23. Syriac
- 87
- 24. Double Pica Italic
- 204
- 25. Great Canon
- 134
- 26. Brevier Italic
- 70
- 27. Music
- 198
- 28. [Pica Roman and Italic, bought by the University, an. 1692.] Roman, 93; Italic, 78; Small Caps., not justified, 27; in all
- 87
- 28. Great Primer Italic
- 25
- 29. Astronomical Signs, Pica
- 30
- 29. Samaritan, English
- 21
- 29. Mathematical Marks
- 10
- 29. Cancelled Figures, Pica
- 16
- 29. Brasses, Long Primer
- 10
- 29. Mathematical Marks, Small Pica
- 292
- 30. Hebrew, Great and Small
- 254
- 31. Hebrew, Great and Small
- 7
- 31. Armenian
- 228
- 32. Arabic, Syriac, and Hebrew
- 10
- 32. Arabic Figures
- 110
- 33. Sclavonian, Great Primer
- A paper of Flower Matrices.
- A paper of Great Primer Roman and Italic, cut by Mr. Nichols—not good.
- New Music Puncheons and Matrices, cut by Peter Walpergen.
PUNCHEONS SEALED UP IN AN EARTHEN POT.
- For the Double Pica Roman and Italic, and some for the Double Pica Greek.
- For the Great Brass Roman Capitals.
- For the Black, English.
- For the Coptick.
- For the Syriack.
- For the Samaritan.
- For the Cannon Roman and Italic.
- For the Astronomical Signs and Figures.
- [For the Pica Roman and Italic.]
- [For the Sclavonian also there were 109 punches.]