Item 6 - Draft or copy of a letter from W. Aldis Wright to Sir T. Duffus Hardy

1 folded sheet

Trinity College, Cambridge.—Gives an account of the progress of his edition of Robert of Gloucester’s Chronicle.

(Headed ‘Circular’.)

—————

Transcript

Trinity College Cambridge
7 December 1872

My dear Sir,

I am not surprised that the Master of the Rolls should enquire about the Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester which I have undertaken to edit. But I am surprised at receiving a summary notice that it must be completed by the end of the present financial year, if by ‘completed’ be meant printed and published. If however it be taken to mean ‘made ready for press’, I can undertake to have it in that condition by the time specified. To shew that, although I have been engaged upon it for upwards of four years, my time has not been misspent I may state that I have made full collations of six MSS. with the Cotton MS. which I propose to make the basis of my text. I am now only waiting for an opportunity of collating Add. MS. 19677 in the British Museum, but as this is a work of ten days at least and I have not been able to get any holiday for the whole of the year I have hitherto been unable to finish it. My intention was to have devoted the last Long Vacation to the preparation of the book for press but this was frustrated by the Royal Commission for Inquiring into the property of the Universities and Colleges which has thrown upon my hands as Bursar the gratuitous task of drawing up a report of the property belonging to Trinity College, thus completely destroying the only leisure which I can look forward to with any certainty in the course of the year.

I trust that the Master of the Rolls will understand that I have not for any purposes of my own neglected work which I have undertaken for him, and I beg that you will assure him of my desire to have it completed by the date assigned, if by ‘completed’ I am to understand ‘ready for press’. By ‘ready for press’ I mean in such a state that the printers can straightway print off text and notes; for the Glossary which is one of the most important parts of the book cannot be completed till the text is in type.

If the Trustees of the British Museum had the power to transfer their MSS. for a time to such public places as the Bodleian at Oxford or the University Library here for the purpose of being consulted and collated it would be a great advantage to many who like myself could secure a leisure hour or two now and then but cannot spare the time necessary for examining them in London. This plan has for a long time been in operation here and has now been adopted at Oxford and I have never heard that the privilege has been abused. I would not ask the British Museum authorities to lend their MSS. to private persons as we do, but to deposit them for a time in one of the University Libraries. Had this been possible, Robert of Gloucester would have been ready three years ago.

Believe me, my dear Sir,
Yours truly
W. Aldis Wright

Sir T. Duffus Hardy

This description was created by A. C. Green in 2022.