'That your Petitioners being the grand-children of the sister of Sir Thomas Bodley, the munificent founder of the Bodleian Library in your University, being now reduc'd to a poor and low estate, do with all humility make bold to represent their distrest condition to your consideration, hoping that out of your tender pity and commiseration, and that regard you have for the pious memory of so great a benefactor to your University, to whom your poor Petitioners are so nearly allied, you will be pleas'd to consider them as real objects of your charity and compassion, and thereby you will lay an eternal obligation on them of praying for your present and future happiness.
'William Snoshill
'Jane Hatton.
'We, whose names are subscribed to this Petition, are well satisfied of the truth thereof.
- 'Thomas Paris, rector of Childrey
- 'John Holmes
- 'John Bell, vic. of Sparsholt
- 'John Aldworth, rector of East Lockinge
- 'Ralph Kedden, M.A., vicar of Denchworth, Berks.
'(Mem.) The Curators gave the Petitioners the sum of four pounds out of Sir Thomas Bodley's chest. Dr. Altham, Hebrew professor, and Dr. Hudson, Library-keeper, gave, each of them, ten shillings.'
An alphabetical catalogue was prepared in this year by James, but was not printed. The MS, in two small hand-books, remains in the Library. It was ordered by the Curators, at the Visitation
on Nov. 13, that 6s. 8d. be paid quarterly to the Bedel of the Stationers' Company as a gratuity for his trouble. MSS. were received from Edw. James, B.D., who had been a contributor already in the year 1601.
[59] Calendar of State Papers, 1611-18, p. 137.
[60] A full account of Bennet's defalcations is given by B. Twyne, from the University Registers, in vol. vi. (pp. 120-4) of his Collectanea, now in the Univ. Archives. See also Parliam. Hist. vol. v. p. 462.
[61] These accounts, as now preserved, unfortunately only commence at the year 1653, and there is a hiatus from 1661 to 1676, both inclusive.