The Acquisition of Books by Chetham's Library, 1655 –1700
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Th e Acquisition of Books by Chetham’s Library, 1655–1700 Library of the Written Word volume 16 Th e Handpress World Editor-in-Chief Andrew Pettegree University of St Andrews Editorial Board Ann Blair Harvard University Falk Eisermann Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preuβischer Kulturbesitz Michael F. Suarez, S.J. University of Virginia volume 10 Th e Acquisition of Books by Chetham’s Library, 1655 –1700 by Matthew Yeo LEIDEN • BOSTON 2011 On the Cover: Presses U and W, Chetham’s Library. Photo by Fergus Wilde. Reproduced with grateful thanks to Chetham’s Library. Th is book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Yeo, Matthe w. Th e acquisition of books by Chetham’s Library, 1655-1700 / by Matthew Yeo. p. cm. -- (Library of the written word, ISSN 1874-4834 ; v. 16. Th e handpress world ; v. 10) Revision of the author’s thesis (doctoral)--University of Manchester, 2009. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-20665-6 (acid-free paper) 1. Chetham’s Library--History--17th century. 2. Public libraries--England--Manchester--History--17th century. 3. Acquisitions (Libraries)-- England--History. 4. Libraries and booksellers--England--History. 5. Book industries and trade--England--History. 6. Booksellers and bookselling--England--History. 7. Books and reading--England--History--17th century. 8. England--Intellectual life--17th century. I. Title. Z792.C48Y46 2011 025.209427’33--dc22 2011009228 ISSN 1874-4834 ISBN 978 90 04 20665 6 Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, Th e Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Global Oriental, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to Th e Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. For E.L.P. CONTENTS Preface and Acknowledgements ..............................................................xi Abbreviations ...........................................................................................xiii Tables .......................................................................................................... xv Figures and Illustrations ........................................................................xvii Citations and Names ...............................................................................xix Chapter I: Th e Foundation of Chetham’s Library ................................. 1 ‘As for Manchester… there is a fair library of books’......................... 1 Th e Creation of a Public Library .......................................................... 4 If Books be the Spectacles we see through to all Learning ............... 8 Humphrey Chetham: ‘Manchester’s fi rst great philanthropist’ ..................................................................................12 ‘Th ere to remaine as a publick Library for ever…’ ...........................18 Chetham’s Library and the History of the Book .............................. 25 Th e Problems of Use ............................................................................ 28 Chapter II: Th e Selection of Texts by Chetham’s Library ...................31 ‘By the discretion of the said Richard Johnson…’ ............................31 ‘Likely to be a mercy to this place’: Nicholas Stratford as Warden .........................................................................................43 Th e Process of Selection ......................................................................47 ‘not ye last but the most Correct Edition.’ .........................................53 Preserving the Best Editions Available ..............................................64 An Overview of the Collection .......................................................... 71 Th e Choice of Bookseller .................................................................... 79 Chapter III: Robert Littlebury and the Sale of Books .........................81 Th e Flow of Ideas: from the Th ames to Amazon ............................. 81 Th e London Book Trade in the 1650s ............................................... 83 Robert Littlebury and the Acquisition of Second-Hand Books .................................................................................................87 Robert Littlebury and the Latin Trade .............................................. 91 Robert Littlebury as a Publisher .........................................................97 Th e Delivery of Books ......................................................................... 99 Th e Need to Keep Stock Moving ......................................................104 viii contents Th e Second Hand Profi t Margin: ‘To a penny the same price set downe to you’ ................................................................. 108 Th e Acquisition of ‘Bound Books’ by Chetham’s Library .............112 Th e Impact of the Great Fire of London ......................................... 114 Reciprocity in the Book Trade: Littlebury, Holdsworth, Firmin and Stratford ..................................................................... 116 Th e Transition from London to Manchester ..................................118 ‘Mr Littlebury who is our standard for knowing Authors’ ........... 120 Chapter IV: Th e Reception of Th eology at Chetham’s Library .................................................................................................123 A Useful Th eological Library ............................................................123 Forging an Anglican Identity through Patristic texts ....................128 Th e Usefulness of Continental and British Th eology ....................132 Calvin, Calvinism and Calvinists ....................................................137 In Defence of the Church of England: Arminianism and Socinianism............................................................................. 140 Th e Shift from Calvinism to Latitudinarianism .............................143 ‘Th e Wisdom of the East’: Hebraica................................................. 145 E Societate Iesu: Th e Reception of Jesuit Texts .............................. 149 ‘being very rare to see soe many of these’ ....................................... 152 Th e Trouble with Gift s .......................................................................155 Usefulness in Defence of the Church of England .......................... 159 Chapter V: Th e Acquisition of Classics, History and Law ...............................................................................................161 Healing and Settling the Past: Diff erent Patterns of Acquisition .....................................................................................161 Th e Ars Excerpendi: Classical Texts and Classical Literature .........................................................................................163 ‘infi nit benefi t’: History at Chetham’s Library ................................170 Th e Formation of Anglican Identity aft er the Civil War ...............174 Law Books at Chetham’s Library ......................................................179 Th e Book Trade in the Formation and Distribution of Historical Knowledge ............................................................... 183 Chapter VI: Natural Philosophy and ‘Useful’ Texts ..........................185 Th e History of the Book and the History of Science .....................185 Th e Relationship between Print and Natural Philosophy .............187 contents ix Natural Philosophy from the Outset: Scientifi c titles 1655–1661 .......................................................................................190 Step-by-Step: Science and Religious Moderation, 1661–1700 .......................................................................................195 Reciprocity in the Scientifi c Book Trade......................................... 200 Th e Problems of Scientifi c Reception ..............................................203 Scientifi c Instruments and Diff ering Forms of Natural Philosophy ........................................................................207 Scientifi c Books outside the Stationers’ Company ........................ 213 Science, Book and Scientifi c Instrument ........................................215 Conclusion: Reading has a History .....................................................219 Towards a History of the Second Hand Book Trade ..................... 222 Preservation for the Future ...............................................................224 Bibliography ............................................................................................ 230 Index ........................................................................................................ 251 PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Th is book began life as a doctoral thesis submitted in July 2009 to the University of Manchester. I wish fi rst to acknowledge the considerable fi nancial support of the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council, through whose Collaborative Doctoral Award Scheme this project was undertaken between 2006 and