The Hartlib Papers

more then a recompense of what you haue deserved and a iust incouragement to support you in the way wherein you are; but if they should intend to continew that allowance in after tymes vpon any others then they should make this a Condicion annexed to the bestowing of the place, that none should be called therevnto, but such as had approoved themselues zealous and proffitable in some public wayes of Learneing to advance the same, or that should be bound to certayne taskes to be prosecuted towards that ende, whereof a Liste might be made; and the way to trye their abillityes in prosecuting the same should be described, leaste in after tymes vnprofitable men creepe into the place to frustrate the public of the benefitt intended by the doners towards posteritie. The proper charge then of a <H: the Honorary> Librarie Keeper in an vniuersitie should be thought vpon, and the End[H capitalizes] of that Imployment in my Conception is to keepe the public state stock of Learneing which is in bookes & manuscripts, to increase it, and to propose it to others in the way which may be most vsefull vnto all, his worke then is to be a factor and trader for helpes to learning, and a Treasurer to keepe them, and a dispenser to apply them to vse, or to see them well vsed, or at the least not abused<H: .> And[H capitalizes] to doe all this First a Catalogue of the Treasurie [catchword: (Committed]

Committed vnto his Charge is to be made; that is all the Bookes and Manuscripts according to the titles whereunto they belong are to be ranked in an order most easie & obvious to be found, which I thinke is that of sciences & Languages; when first all the Bookes are divided into their subjectam Materiam whereof they treate, and then euery kinde of matter subdivided into their seuerall Languages: And[H capitalizes] as the Catalogue should be so made, that it may alwayes bee augmented as the stocke doth increase soe the place in the Librarie must be left open for the increase of the number of books in their[H alters from the] proper seats, and in the printed Catalogue a reference is to be made to the place where the bookes are to be found in their shelues or repositories: When the stocke is thus fitted knowne & fitted, to be exposed to the view of the learned world: Then the way of trading with it, both at home & abroad, is to be laid to heart both for the increase of the stocke, & for the improvement of it to vse: For the increase of the stocke both at home & abroade, Correspondencie[H capitalizes] should bee held with those that are eminent in euery Society <H: Science> to trade with them for their profit that what they want & wee have they may receive vpon Condicion, that what they haue & wee want they should impart, as <H: in> that facultie wherein their eminencie doth lye: As[H capitalizes] for such as are at [catchword: (home]

home eminent in any kinde, because they may come by [word deleted] <H: native> right to haue vse of the Librarie-treasure, they are to be traded withall in another way, vizt that the things which are gained from abroade; which as yet are not made Common, and put to the public vse, should be promised and imparted to them for the increase of their private stocke of knowledge, to the end that <H: what> they haue peculiar may alsoe bee given <H: in> for a requitall, so that the particularityes of gifts at home & abroad are to meete as in a Center in the hand of the Librarie Keeper & hee is to trade with the one by the other, to cause them multiply the public stocke, where of hee is a Treasurer & factor; Thus[H capitalizes] hee should trade with those that are at home & abroade out of the vniuersitie; & with those that are within the vniuersitie, hee should haue acquaintance to know all that are of any parts, and how their veine of learneing doth lye, to supply helpes vnto them in their facultyes from without & from within the kingdome, to put them vpon the keeping of Correspondency with men of their owne straine, for the beating out of matters not yet elaborated in Sciences; so that they may bee as his Assistants[H capitalizes] & subordinate Factours[H capitalizes] in his trade & in their owne for gaineing of knowledge. Now although I knowe that you will be indefatigable in this way [catchword: &]

& out run yourselfe & all others as your wont is in this kinde, & so that which I am to say will be noe tye vpon you to discharge your duty in the place, yet because others that may follow in such a place may haue need perhaps of some tye vpon <H: them> to oblige them to carefullnes, I would haue an Order[H capitalizes] made that once in the yeare the Librarie-Keeper should bee bound to giue an accompt of his trading and of his profit in his trade (as in all humane trades, factors vse ought & vse to do at least once in a yeare) & to this effect I would haue it ordered that the cheife [H: Doctors] of each Facultie[H capitalizes] of the vniuersitie should [word deleted] <H: meet> at a Convenient tyme in a weeke of the yeare to receive his Accounts[H capitalizes] of his trading; that hee may shew them wherein the Stocke of learneing hath beene increased for that yeares space and then hee is to produce the particulars which hee <left margin, H: hath> gained from abroade & lay them before them all that eueryone in his owne Faculty[H capitalizes] may declare in the presence of others, that which hee thinketh fitt to bee added to the public stocke & made Common by the Catalogue of Additionalls[H capitalizes], which every yeare within the vniuersityes is to be published in writing within the Library it selfe, and euery three yeares (or sooner as the number of Additionalls[H capitalizes] may be greate, or fewer later if it be smale) to be put in print & made Common to those that are abroade: And[H capitalizes] at this giueing vpp of the accounts as the Doctors are to declare what they thinke worthy to [catchword: (bee]

bee added ti the Common stocke of Learneing, each in their Facultye[H capitalizes] soe I would haue them see what the Charges & prices <H: paines> are whereat the Librarie Keeper hath beene; that for his incouragement, his extraordinary expences in Correspondencyes & transcripcions for the public good may bee allowed them <H: him> out of some revenues, which should bee set apart to that effect, & disposed of according to their Ioynt Consent & Iudgement in that matter. Here[H capitalizes] then hee should be bound to shew them the list of his Correspondents, the Letters from them in Answer[H capitalizes] to his, & the reckoning of his extraordinary expence should be allowed him in that which hee is indebted, or hath freely laid out to procure [word deleted] <H: Rarities> into the stocke of learning. And because I vnderstand that all the booke Printers or Stationers of the Kingdome and bound of euery booke which is printed to send a Copy into the Vniversity Librarye; & it is [word deleted] impossible for one man to read all the bookes in all facultyes to iudge of them what worth there is in them, nor hath euery one abillity to Iudge of all kindes of sciences what euery Author[H capitalizes] doth handle & how sufficiently, Therefore I would haue at this tyme of giueing accounts the Librarie Keeper produce the Catalogue of all the bookes sent vnto the Vniversitie Librarie by the Stationers that printed them; to the ende that euery one of the [word deleted] <H: Doctors> in their owne Facultyes[H capitalizes] should declare whether or noe they should bee added [catchword: (&]

and where they should be placed in the Catalogue of Additionalls[H capitalizes]; For[H capitalizes] I doe not thinke that all bookes and Treatyes which in this age are printed in all kindes, should bee inserted into the Catalogue, & added to the stocke of the Librarie, discretion must be vsed & Confusion auoided & a Course taken to distinguish that which is profitable, from that which is vselesse: & according to the verdict of that Societie, the vsefulnes of bookes for the Public is to be determyned; yet because there is seldome any booke wherein there is not some thing vsefull & bookes freely given are not to be cast away, but [word deleted] <are to> be kept, therefore I would haue a peculiar place appointed for such bookes as shall be laid aside to keepe them in, & a Catalogue of their titles made Alphabetically[H capitalizes] in reference to the Authors name, with a note of distinction to shew the science to which they are to be referred. These thoughts are thus suddenly come into my head, which in due tyme I shall be willing more fully to elaborate if need be, Cheifely if vpon the ground of this mocion a Competencie shall be allowed vnto you, for to mainteyne the Charges which you will be at in presenting of the publicke good <of> learning after this manner; & also support you Comfortably in takeing the paines which you will be at in soe doeing. I speake nothing now of other Aymes[H capitalizes] & wayes of advancing Virtue[H capitalizes] & Godlines, Peace & Truth in the Church & in Schooles, the educacion of the younger sort [catchword: &]

and how your place there may be subservient therevnto; if God send you thither, it will be then tyme to take this into Consideracion, which I shall not fayle to doe if God giue life and health, whether I bee appointed with you to be in a station there or noe: let us for the present thinke of this[H alters from the] dayes worke; and sufficient for euery day is the worke thereof: I am for the present at this dayes worke, which in the begining I haue mencioned; but I am fallen vpon the worke which is proper to you in your sphere to helpe you what I can in it, & I beseech the Lord to direct us to improve all our Talents & <in> due tyme to his glory and to be found reddie at all calls to imploy them for the good of others cheerefully./

[scribal hand resumes:] Motion bee but made vnto him vpon such grounds as haue beene breifely suggested, I make noe doubt but hee will be able and willing also to enlarge it towards the Houses[H capitalizes], with better Conceptions then may be suggested by mee vnto him, or by any other. For[H capitalizes] if it bee Considered that amongst many Eminences[H capitalizes] of the Kingdome that Library is one of the most Considerable for the advancement of Learneing; if rightly improoved & traded withall for the good of many at home & abroad: If this (I say) bee rightly considered & represented to the Houses[H capitalizes], that by this meanes this Nation[H capitalizes], as in other things, soe especially for Pietie[H capitalizes] and Learneing[H capitalizes], and by the advancement of both, may now be made more glorious then any other in the world; no doubt such as in the Houses[H capitalizes] know the worth of Learneing, will reddily consent vnto the motions which may bee made towards this purpose. What a greate sturr hath beene heretofore; about the eminencie of the Librarie of Heidelberg[H alters from Haidalberg], but what vse was made of it? it was ingrossed into the hands of a fewe, till it became a Prey vnto the Enemies of the Truth; if the Librarie-keeper had beene a Man, that would haue traded with it for the increase of true [catchword: (Learning]

Learneing, it might haue beene presented vnto this day in all the rarityes thereof, not so much by the shutting vpp of the multitude of bookes, and the rarenesse thereof for antiquitie, as by the vnderstandings of men, & their proficiencie to improoue & dilate knowledge vpon the grounds which hee might haue suggested vnto others of parts: and so the Librarie rarities would not onely haue beene preserved in the spiritts of men, but haue fructified abundantly therein vnto this day: whereas they are now lost, because they were but a talent digged in the ground. And[H capitalizes] y as [word deleted] they that had the keeping of that Librarie made it an Idoll, to be respected and worshipped for a raritie by an implicite faith, without any benefitt to those who did esteeme of it a farr of: so it was iust with God, that it should fall into the hands of those; that in all things follow an Idolatrous way, to blinde men with shewes without all reallitie of substantiall virtue which is only eminent in this, that it becometh profitable vnto all by dilating[altered] the light of knowledge & the loue of grace and goodnesse in the hearts of all men that are fitt to receiue the one & the other. & <H: And> where this Aim[H capitalizes] [catchword: is]

is not in those that are intrusted with public affaires places; there they in <H: the> end will be found vnproffitable servants, for the trust which God hath put into their hands to proffit withall, they discharge not. For[H capitalizes] the account which euery one is to giue vnto him of his stewardshipp, is not how carefully hee hath kept things of vse, vnto himselfe, to pride himselfe in the possession of that which others haue not (as the Custome of men is, that knowe not what true glory is) but how faithfully and dilligently hee hath distributed the same to such as were worthy thereof for their good that they might bee stirred vpp both to glorifie God for his goodnes, and <H: to> imitate him [2 words deleted] in the Communicacion of all good things vnto others for his sake freely: This[H capitalizes] was Christs worke on earth, to receiue vs vnto the glory of God, this was that which hee taught by his practise that it is more blessed to giue, then to receiue, This is that which this envious world cannot rellish; and which <H: what> stopps the Current of true loue in the hearts of men? Nothing so much as the selfe-seeking of men in the wayes of learneing, by which they Covetuously obstruct the fountaines of life & comfort, which might ouerflow and water abundantly the barren and thirstly souls of those [catchword: (that]

that perish for want of addresse vnto wisdome; which in all the wayes of humane & divine learneing might be mainly advanced, by the industrie of one man in such a place, whose trade should bee such as I formerly described, to deale with the spiritts of all men of parts, to set them a working one by and towards another vpon the subjects which hee should bee instructed <H: intrusted>, withall to keepe in the stocke of learneing: It is the glory & riches of Nations and of greate Cities to make themselues a Center of trade for all their Neighbours, and if they can finde wayes of pollicie to oblige their neighbours to receiue from their Magazines the Comodityes whereof they stand in need; it is euery way a greate benefitt vnto the state, soe it may bee in matters of learneing, and by the trade of Sciences this Church may oblige all the neighbour Churches and that Vniversitie all Forraigners that trade in knowledge, to receiue precious Commodityes, whereof they stand in need, from our Magazines and storehouses, if a painfull Steward and dispencer thereof bee imployed and mainteyned to vse industry [catchword: for]

for soe blessed a worke, from whence much glory to God in the Gospell, and honour will redound to the Nation: For although the wayes of humane learneing are almost infinite and wonderfuly various, and haue their peculiar vses in the outward life of man, for which most men affect them, yet in one that is to minde the vniuersall good of all, the whole varietie and diversitie of matters vsefull vnto this present life, as they come within the sphere of learneing must be reduced and may be subordinate vnto the advancement of the Gospell of Christ, wherein the glory of the Nation, at this and at all tymes should be thought to stand: And th truly that is the thing which takes most with mee, for which I would haue that Librarie <H: thus> improoved by a faithfull keeper, that when his trade is set on foote, with all those that all are of eminent parts in their seuerall faculties <H: wee> knowing who they are, and wherein their eminencies doe lye, may haue oppertunityes to provoke them to the right vse thereof, by giveing them Objects[H capitalizes] from our store, and furnishing them with taskes & matters to be elaborated which Cannot be diverted from the scope of Gods glory, to be made knowne vnto all in Iesus Christ. For[H capitalizes] there [catchword: (is]

is nothing of knowledge in the minde of man which may not be Conveniently referred to the virtues of God in Christ, whereby the humane nature is to be exalted to that dignity wherevnto hee hath receiued it that it should by him rule ouer the whole Creation; And the want of this[altered from thing] Aime[H capitalizes] to looke vpon things in order to him, and to sett them a working[H alters from worke] without relacion to him, is that which blasts all our endeavors, and makes them determyne in Confusion & disorder; For whatsoeuer is not directed in its owne place with some reference vnto him, must be ouerthrowne, nor is there any way left for any to prosper in that which hee vndertaketh, but to learne to know him & respect him in it, for the advancement of his Kingdome ouer the souls of Men, which by the sanctifyed vse of all knowledge is cheifely effected: If then the trade of learneing is to be set a foote in a public way, and regulated to deserve the knowledge Countenance of a Religious State, this Ayme, and the way of prosecuting of it must be intended & elaborated; For except Sciences be reformed in order to this scope the increase of knowledge will increase nothing but strife, pride & Confusion, from whence our sorrowes [catchword: (wilbe]

will be multiplyed & propagated vnto posteritie; but if hee, who is to be instructed <H: intrusted> with the mannaging of this trade be addressed in the way which leadeth vnto this Aime[H capitalizes], without partiality, his negotiacion will be a blessing[H alters from blessed] vnto this Age[H capitalizes] & to posteritie