g
the stars, and how to melt and puff 'until the green dragon becomes the
golden goose,' and all the other _arcana_ of alchemy.

Digby was a good friend to the Bodleian. When quite a youth he cut down
fifty great oaks to purchase a building-site near Exeter College. The
laying of the foundation-stone in 1634 was amusingly described by Wood.
The Heads of Houses were all assembled, and the University musicians 'had
sounded a lesson on their wind-music,' standing on the leads at the west
end of the library; but while the Vice-Chancellor was placing a piece of
gold on the first stone, the earth fell in, and the scaffold broke, 'so
that all those who were thereon, the Proctors, Principals of Halls, etc.,
fell down all together one upon another, among whom the under-butler of
Exeter College had his shoulder broken or put out of joint, and a
scholar's arm bruised.' It was at this time that Digby made a generous
gift of books, all tall copies in good bindings with his initials on the
panels at the back. Among them were early works on science by Grostete
and Roger Bacon, besides histories and chronicles. Many of these books
had belonged to Thomas Allen, who gave them to Digby as a token of
regard. Sir Kenelm wrote about them to Sir Robert Cotton, who was to
thank Allen for his kindness: 'in my hands they will not be with less
honourable memory of him than in any man's else.' He felt sure that Allen
would have wished them to be freely used: 'all good things are the better
the more they are communicated'; but the University was to be the
absolute mistress, 'to dispose of them as she pleaseth.' Mr. Macray
quotes another passage about two trunks of Arabic MSS. Digby had given
them to Laud for St. John's College or the Bodleian, as he might prefer,
but nothing had been heard about their arrival. He promised more books
from his own library, which had been taken over to France after the Civil
War broke out. The books, however, remained abroad, and were confiscated
on Digby's death as being the chattels of an alien resident; but either
by favour or purchase they soon became the property of the Earl of
Bristol, and were afterwards sold by auction in London. Two volumes were
purchased for the Bodleian in 1825 which must be regarded with the
deepest interest. The 'Bacon' and 'Proclus' had belonged to the Oxford
Friars, to Gascoigne, to the astrologer secluded in Gloucester Hall.
Digby had written a note in each that it was the book of the U