A LETTER.

From the review of the Ancients, let us pass to the edition of the Moderns: in which business, we now at last understand from this Treasury of Manuscripts original: "Thesauro Manuscriptorum" how much the Republic of Letters in Britain Republic of Letters The "Republic of Letters" refers to the international community of scholars and intellectuals who shared knowledge across borders during the 17th and 18th centuries. will benefit. Running through this Catalog, with what pleasure we encounter unknown and unheard-of things; we even find many things which were thought lost for a long time! On almost every page occur Charters, Legal Deeds, and Treatises; from which, if they were brought into the public eye at some time, both our own history and foreign history could be illuminated. Nor is it to be doubted that the University of Oxford (abounding in noble and hardworking young men) will timely release whatever the Bodleian Library provides that is worthy of the press; we have heard that the Reverend Father in Christ, John Fell (late Bishop of Oxford, and a distinguished ornament of Letters) instituted that practice. Since the Oxonians venerate the memory of this Prelate so greatly, we hope they will follow his example: especially now that the Manuscripts have been opened up and the business of Printing has been so beautifully established.

Furthermore, just as new Deeds original: "Instrumenta," referring here to formal legal or historical documents. are discovered by the publication of this Catalog; so a way is opened for new undertakings: things which truly pertain greatly to the glory of Britain, but which previously could not even be thought of for completion. We have long and greatly desired a Civil History of England; we lack an Ecclesiastical History no less. For although something might be written in both genres, whatever we have seen so far is a long way off from a proper history. To be sure, the difficulty of finding material deterred many from undertaking the work: those who did approach it, however faithful and diligent they were, yet being destitute of Manuscripts, they both omitted many things that should by no means be passed over, and represented matters of the greatest importance with insufficient accuracy. These disadvantages are healed by Catalogs of Manuscripts. For just as it is argued to be a sign of either ignorance or carelessness if someone builds a weak or inelegant building from a variety of stones, beams, and cement; so whoever composes a thin and meager History from this ready abundance of material will have only himself to blame for either unskillfulness or laziness.

As for those who object that a great deal of rubble is found in this heap; they speak quite foolishly. For that complaint arises from one of two causes: either because they do not immediately perceive for what uses each individual item may be turned; or because they despise all parts of Erudition, except those upon which they themselves have labored, as if they were trifles. The first shows an ignorance of literature; the second, a narrowness of mind. For just as those well-versed in Literary matters frequently gather learned observations from the smallest things; so there is no more certain evidence of a small mind than to measure the utility of all disciplines by the character of one’s own talent. This, therefore, must be completely established: nothing is so lowly in the whole of literature that it does not deserve cultivation, and, being cultivated, bring benefit to the human race.

December 19, original: "XIV, KAL. Januarii" (the 14th day before the Kalends of January).
1697. original: "CIƆIƆCXCVII," a form of Roman numerals where CIƆ represents 1000 and IƆ represents 500.