RIGHT HON. LIONEL CRANFIELD,
BARON CRANFIELD OF CRANFIELD, &c.
ST. PAUL gave a great charge to Timothy to "bring the cloak which he left at Troas, but especially the parchments," 2 Tim. iv. 13. Here we have the inventory of a preacher's estate, consisting of a few clothes and books,-what he wore and what he had written. But the apostle's care was not so much concerned in his clothes, (which might be bought new,) as in his writings, where the damage could not be repaired.
I am sadly sensible (though far be it from me to compare scribbling with Scripture) what the loss of a library (especially of manuscripts) is to a minister, whose books have passed such hands, which made riddance of many, but havoc of more.
Was it not cruelty to torture a library, by maiming and mangling the authors therein, neither leaving nor taking them entire? Would they had taken less, that so what they left might have been useful to me, or left less, that so what they took might have been useful to others! Whereas, now, mischievous ignorance did a prejudice to me, without a profit to itself, or any body else.
But would to God all my fellow-brethren, which with me bemoan the loss of their books, with me might also rejoice for the recovery thereof, though not the same numerical volumes! Thanks be to your Honour, who have bestowed on me (the treasure of a lordtreasurer) what remained of your father's library; your father, who was the greatest honourer and