The Sun.
London, England, 1823-09-05 00:00:00

THE COTTONIAN MANUSCRIPTS.

The, Royal. Commissioners appointed to exa-
mine the state of the Public Records, and to atlopt. Such mea-
stiresttathey deemed ativiseable, to carry into effect the desires
I.of Parliament fbr the preservation of those valuable and ancient
docatnenta, amongst other proceedings, directed the printing of
the Catalogue of the Cottonitm • Atss. ; and the Coniiniezioners
have pieft!,cediurclis Catalogue with a long, but an exceedingly
interesting '"Account of the fOnuatioti,ontents.and catalogue!'
of the collection af,Cottonian MSS." It gives some heir...obi ve
particulars of thth:memorable
taienard:tele aaranaectl iv,.corilllecatvoeryi: they are
too long for quotation, but some of th facts inerit.repetition.—
Sir Robert cotton, who was a
family, which, in Aho.reign of Rdward Ift:flottrisneo to the
county of Chester, was born at Denton, liuntingdonshire, Ja-
nuary 22, 1570,_,.fielvas educated at Trinity College, Cam-
bridge, where he early imbibed a taste; and laid the foundation
for his prooeminent learning in the antiqUities and hiStory of his
eountry.- his leattng College, this bias 'was greatlYinereaseti
by free intereofule.;' iimMediatelY 'commenced with those
celebrated antiquaries, Jocelin, Lombard, Camden, Noel, and
several Others, who, about that time (though unsuccessfully)

attempted the establishment of an Antiquarian Socfety. He
neglected no opporttmities to acquire Chronicles, Chartularies,
and other oiiginal,Muninients ; and *many presented themselves,
as numbers of such documents at the • late dissolution of the
Monasterieit had found their way into private hands, who were
rarely aware of their importance. • ,

•. In lldlo, he accompanied Camden in a journey to :the:North
of England, where they jointly explored put: whole extent
of • the Picts' Wall, and brought ,away several inscriptions
and monuments, which he ultimately presented w hl4 College
at Cambridge, . where "they Jae now .carefully • preserved.—
After an active pUblic life, this prelate feelingly observes, " it
is, no doubt, greatly to belareented that all& so meritorious
should, towards hs close, have been embittered', by -base ca-
lumny and the- arbitrary proceedings of 'titose from whom lte
had an undoubted right, to expect distinguished favour
and protection. By order Of the Privy Council, once in the
reign.of James I. ltifa, .and again in the reign of Charles I.
1029, 'his library was locked up, as not of w nature ro be ex-
posed to publie inspection, anti he was himself exeintliql from
the use of it P • Shortly-before his death, ha caused to be
signified to the'Prtry " that their ro ionk detainin,r
hank., from -hint, without rendering any reason for the.
same, had))een the cause of his Trtartat- malady.' He died
on the Oth That the Library continued insteques-
nation some tiara after his 'death, appears manifest (observes
the Royal teat nissionera'' Preface) , front the -Petition of Sir
Thomas Cotton) his only son and heir, 'wherein he !hated that
his study had been -a long time locked up, anti himself de—
barred. from the use •of it ; anti that it appeared .front a
schedule of the contents of the said library prepared for the
purpose, that tnere were no book* or papers therein. but
such as were the undoubted property of the petitioner; he
therefore prayed that he -might henceforth hays the free use
of his study, it being the-best room in his house.- - Although
no account is extant that the prayer of such petition was
complied with, there is every reason to.hellevo that it .was soon
after granted ; and that Sir Thomas, tit whom the. erel'irty,had
deVolved, continued to the day of his death, ull)Pezq in
the year in quiet possession ,of his Stlticc!,y
eh
sahneeid:rocotiafirtonherß;ofrtortiCil d,ain*cohnni:adtQl;trtioOruttlaeiS.,to:lik),regltain.
many dangers and vieis.
IfYitnattrit;ental.
:tilreaslatrukrentirtewhterelnior,treinngfdatelest):lo,
riellitiatoeso.vtah.attothenied
td.'` Indeed it is A remarkable circumstance, that list collee-
Pr"erving thif iheitimable
have& 3 and
bbeep
itovi holeleywipflu:lllet kite f:
bet
.3
.owratir: inorwiltilejshlo(ureld-
6tiattille.sPe,rabsalle'.7.iritetso.'nliafrniebdrittr6y,°front malice,' wars, 'fire,.

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE

Sia--A paragraph appeared in .the-Papers: on
she 31st alt. without a signature, •charging me
-with acts foreign to my feelings, antherimes void
of the smallest particle of truth, as it NO!, I-
trust be proved by my reply to them ; and
though I must'be brief, I will venture to appeal,
lo all who. may condescend to notice my case, if
the conduct pf these Gentlemen is not most cruel
and unjust in attacking me in the way they have
, done throUgh the Medium of the public Newspapers,
• when my constant prayer was, that they would
point oat to me the grounds on which I was as-
. charged, and afloW nie the privilege, if I were. in
fault, of making that. explanation which.l was
sure I could make, being convinced I had ever
-.served them faithfully. All I could say, and all
My friends could say, would not induce them to
name my faults: They only stated them to be of a
nature which rendered it impossible that they
could retain me in their service; and in the most•
Ambiguous manner they held out an annuity
which they knew I could never get i and in order
lo:have it. in their power to say they had done
still more for me, they advanced this annuity from
about sixty pounds, which should have been their
portion of it, to one hundred end fifty : but how
was that 1501. offered to me ? Mr. ROBERTSON
(the man who now presumes to cast this-stigma
on me) went to my friend, who it is well known
is the friend of the Theatre, and has been so all
his life, which part of the lessees, if they have
any gratitude, should acknowledge, and said if
would leave my house on the following,Monday
(this being on the Saturday), the lessees would
be allowed 1.501. per annum: But it must be re..
membered that they never proposed to secure
this to me in any possible Way ; on the "contrary,'
they eutered.my house, and I was turned into the
street in the way that has been • too truly de-
scribed fur my feelings or peace of mind. I now
appeal to the Public if this is giving me 1504 per
annum, and I venture' also to think that if all or
o»,y port of what they have publicly asserted
against me had been true, I should have been the.
lust in the world to have merited. the offer
.they
made me ; but should have deserved to 'have re,
tired on no better portion than the bitter refiee.:
tions of a bad conscience.. Ar it is, though this

persecution and .cruelty at my..time of life may
soap send me to the grave, I assure my friends
that I feel most happy in having it in my power
to.declare to GOD that 1 have ever been diligent
.and watchful for the benefit' of my eroployersg
and had I not outlived Mr. -TTIONIAS HARR'S
and. Mr. JOHN KEsiut,r, I am convinced I should
have found friends in them who would have de--
. fended me from the malicious attacks made by
Mr. ROBERTSON, in the names of Capt. FORBES,
Mr; WILLETT, and Mr. C. K EMILE. With every.
.apology for permitting my distresses to infringe
so long ,upon your kindness; 1 will proceed to
~that explanation of the charges which I.pro-
. wised, and r hich my case requires.
X am, Sir, your obedient servant,
J. w. BRANDON.'
:Princes.place, Ogivrit..Ciartlen, Sept. 4, 1623.
,ANslVttt TO TUE FIRST CILARCIE.

Ist Part.--To this Mr. Brandon replies they were paid by
.him most regularly.
2d Part.---The whole <of this statement: is false--,for the be.
..ginning of the last Season, every .servant was paid by the
.Treusurer.' Mr. Brandon's duty extended no further than to
verify the accuracy of the accounts.
3d Part.—ln reply to this charge 1 state that every one of
these accounts were delivered to the .Proprietors when they
took possession of the books and other papers. They have sub.
ieqUe,ntly destroyed many papers, and probably these amoligst
die 'number.
4th Part.-1n consequence of r.-Robertson's having stated

that he would n.Y- arose servants who were in arrear after

I 1,41 .4,Anained theiccoants,./ did on the 14th of July certify
tto the correctness of the same, and they were then delivered

to the Treasurer.

Wity, these persons have notheen-paid since the.l4th July
~remains,with the Proprietors to account for.
I also beg to state, that from tbe commencement of the
',Lessees' career, in the middle of the season before.last, until
the close of that season, T paid the servants of the Theatre. as
I Ltd been accustomed to do, and as I.received the money
from the Treasury agreeably to my list delivered in, io I paid
it, and I will challenge and defy an, man living to say to the
. contrary. If they can', let them accuse me before a Magi-
strate,,or confirm the 'degradation, which the Lessees have en-
deavoured to put upon me by a public manifestation (in the
newspapert, as that is the method by which they prefer attack-
ing me)of the names Of the persons whom I have so defrauded.
I repeat that I challenge them to do so if they can ; and next,
Jet me state, that at their commencement e list of all debts
owing by the Theatre Was delivered to the Lessees, among
which woe one tam 111'3911. 13s. 4d. for servants and the band—
arrears of wages, which I should hare paid had I ever received
the nwaey from the Trea.rury ; but as I never• had received it,
the servants and band had so much due to them, as, no doubt,
the Soliciun of the Theatre can certify, since ft was to that
Gentleman that the list of debts was delivered : and if Mr.
Robertson will presume to say that any servant, or any person
whatever, can assert that money is due to themwhich is not tit..
cluziedinthat von of 3971. 13s. 4d., and.that I have charged It
to the Treasury, I shall then deserve the disgrace awaiting a
most public exposure, and demand the punishment due to the
offence ; and much rather do I think I should deserve it than
the annuity they pretend to have offered me. Last season; Sir,
all payntents were made from the Treasury direct to the sera.
rants and band't consequently, I presume that it exonerates
,tie from any imputation during that period ; and although_ I'
believe many servants are still unpaid by Captain Fozbbe, Mr.
Willett, and, Mr. Charles Kemble, the money so due to then%
will be found included in the sumnf 3971, 13s. 4d. above stated.'
,And this is my reply to this foul charge, as far as the limits of
a newspaper will allow me.