Library, Library, Museum

 

Because the "Secrett Inventiones" manuscript of Napier is something I'd been waiting years to see, and because I'm trying to get a real sense of him for the novel I'm writing, I asked the librarian to keep it reserved for me for an additional day.  First thing this morning I headed right back over to Lambeth Palace Library.  Until very recently I didn't know anything about the library itself - just that they had this manuscript that I wanted to see.  I've since learned that Lambeth Palace is the largest religious archive in Europe after the Vatican.  Yes, I realize I already posted some pictures of my reading yesterday, but accessing this Napier document has been huge for me, so I'm going to post a couple more before moving on.  Again, thanks to Lambeth Palace Library for permission to post (shelf mark MS 658 f. 58).

That's my hand - right there - by John Napier's signature from 1596!!  OK, ok, moving on.  Next stop was another library, so I hopped on the tube at Westminster Station.

I decided to hop off at Baker Street Station because I remembered that as being close to the British Library.  Whoops, memory can be deceptive.  It was a half-hour walk - OK, but I didn't want to lose that much library time, alas.

Here she is, the British Library!!

First on the agenda: renew my reader's card

Second on the agenda: get some lunch at the Terrace Restaurant

Back inside to look into bookings for Monday - am set up to access Jacopo Silvestri's Opus Novum that had belonged to John Dee, Girolamo Cardano's Three Books of Consolation Englished, and the Dee Genealogical Scroll from the Cotton Collection.  More about those Monday.

I love the forecourt of the British Library. Below is Newton by Eduardo Paolozzi, a smaller version of which can be found on the grounds of Modern 2 in Edinburgh.

And then on to the British Museum - about a 20-minute walk, which took me through Russell Square.

Russell Square

I can't get enough of the Great Court of the British Museum.

Though I often drift back to the same beloved displays over and over, I did seek out something that was new to me this time.  When I had visited previously I had not heard of the Lewis Chessmen.  How did I not know about these?!

These pieces have SO MUCH personality!  Fun fact: when the first Harry Potter movie was being filmed they wanted to use a replica of this chess set, which used to be sold in the gift shop here.  At that time these were no longer available, so curator Dr. Irving Finkel allowed them to use his set, the pieces of which he'd been given one at a time over many years during his childhood for special occasions.  I think I'll finish out the British Museum part of this post with pictures of my favorite things that I always visit but without too much more commentary.

John Dee's items used in angelic communications

Ramesses II (or "Ozymandias" if you're of a poetic disposition)

The first decent picture I've ever been able to take of the Rosetta Stone!

Elgin Marbles

Winged bull of Nineveh - with a game board carved into the base in ancient times!

The game board scratched into the base is a very popular game of ancient times whose rules were only recently deciphered.  The board below is from a tomb in Ur and dates back to about 2500 BC.

Here are the rules, the board, the pieces, and the "dice."

OK, one more thing - while I was in the British Library I took a picture of a musical score in the Treasure Room.  A piano teacher friend of mine is going to be in London next month, and I wanted to share with her the types of musical treasures that can be found here on display.  Once I got back to my hotel I looked into this piece further in order to tell her about it, and it turns out that it is called My Ladye Nevills Booke (consisting of 42 pieces for keyboard by William Byrd 1591) and that Lady Nevill is thought to be Elizabeth Bacon, who is a half sister to Sir Francis Bacon and Anthony Bacon, whose papers I was reading earlier today! I didn't even know they had a sister. Yet another new connection has been made for me, and that completely serendipitously!