Excerpt from Catalogue of the Manuscripts: In the Library of Trinity College, Dublin to Which Is Added, a List of the Fagel Collection of Maps in the Same Library

The collection of mss. here catalogued had its beginning (so far as can be ascertained) in the gift (or bequest) by Sir Geo. Carew, President of Munster (died1629), of some Mss. in the Irish language (Nos.1432 to1436). One book indeed (No.609) was presented by Ussher himself, but at what date is not known. In 1652, Miles Sumner was a benefactor to the Library, and, a little later, Bishop Henry Jones, Vice-Chancellor, presented the Book of Durrow, one of our most valued possessions. From this small beginning the collection was raised to a position of the first importance by the acquisition, in 1661, of Archbishop Usshers Library, which had been purchased for Trinity College, a few years before, by the officers and soldiers of Cromwells army in Ireland (see The Book of Trinity College, p.149). The Mss. belonging to this Library occupy almost the entire of Presses A, B, C, and D.

Not long after this, in 1674, Sir Jerome Alexander, Justice of the Common Pleas, bequeathed to the College a valuable collection of books, including many Mss., chiefly relating to law and politics. These Mss. are contained in Press G, shelves 3 and 4.In 1682 Dr. Huntingdon, of Merton College, Oxford, afterwards Provost of Trinity College, presented to the Library several Oriental Mss. (Nos.1510, 1518-1528).A most important addition to the Library was made, in 1741, by Bishop Steame sbequest of the Mss. formerly belonging to Dr. John Madden, and now contained in Press F.

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