Afterwards I went to
schoole to Mr. Latimer at Leigh-delamer, the next parish, where was
the like use of covering of bookes. In my grandfather's dayes the
manuscripts flew about like butterflies. All music bookes, account
bookes, copie bookes, &c. were covered with old manuscripts, as wee
cover them now with blew paper or marbled paper; and the glovers at
Malmesbury made great havoc of them; and gloves were wrapt up no
doubt in many good pieces of antiquity. Before the late warres a world
of rare manuscripts perished hereabout; for within half a dozen miles
of this place were the abbey of Malmesbury, where it may be presumed
the library was as well furnished with choice copies as most libraries
of England; and perhaps in this library we might have found a correct
Pliny's Naturall History, which Cantus, a monk here, did abridge for
King Henry the Second. Within the aforesaid compass was Broad stock
Priory, Stan Leigh Abbey, Farleigh Abbey, Bath Abbey, eight miles, and
Cirencester Abbey, twelve miles. Anno 1638 I was transplanted to
Blandford-schoole, in Dorset, to Mr. Wm. Sutton. (In Mr. Wm. Gardner's
time it was the most eminent schoole for the education of gentlemen in
the West of England.) Here also was the use of covering of bookes with
old parchments, sc. leases, &c., but I never saw any thing of a
manuscript there. Hereabout were no abbeys or convents for men. One
may also perceive by the binding of old bookes how the old manuscripts
went to wrack in those dayes.
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