Welsh Journals

The Hengwrt Library of Printed Books. Collectors of Welsh books have often been puzzled by the appearance on the inside cover, or on the fly leaf of a rare Welsh book, of the two capital letters, B. L., followed by a number in four or five figures. In nearly every case the book on which this legend appears is one of consider- able rarity, and it is evident that the library from which it came was very rich in Welsh books. The explanation is interesting. The letters stand for the words, Bristol Library,' and all the books came from the stock of the famous second-hand bookseller, Thomas Kerslake, of Bristol. After his death his library came into the possess- ion of Mr. J. E. Cornish, of Manchester, and were sold by him. Mr. Cornish, we believe, is responsible for the mark, B. L. Some time in the seventies, or possibly at an earlier date, Mr. Kerslake purchased what he described as the Remains of the Renowned Library collected at Hengwrt during the reigns of K. James and K. Charles I., by Robert Vaughan, Esq., author of British Antiquities Revived. Many books in bindings of their times, with autographs of English Reformers and others. RARE WELSH BOOKS.-Several unique and nondescript books, Old Mathematics, some privately printed books, Manuscripts, &c.' Kerslake issued two catalogues of the books in this famous collection, and they contain between them about 1500 entries, of which about 276 relate to Wales. Many of the Welsh books are of recent date, but amongst them are a few of the greatest rarity, such as the 1567 Book of Common Prayer, the 1595 Edition of Deffiniad y Flydd, and Perl mewn Adlyd, 1595. It would take too much space to give a complete list of the Welsh books, but a reference to some of the rarer ones and those having interesting descriptions attached will, we hope, be welcomed by Welsh book-lovers. We