his
magnificent library of over 20,000 volumes, valued at the very low
estimate of 50,000 pounds, contains two copies of the Mazarin bible, one
on vellum, a first folio of Shakespere, Caxton's "Reynard the Fox," and
countless other literary treasures and rarities. He had intended to
leave this library to the Duke of Buckingham--but, reflecting that as
most of the books had been paid for with the proceeds of a sinecure
office (Chief Justice in eyre, south of the Trent) of 2,000 pounds a
year, which he had held from 1800 to 1817, when it was abolished, he felt
it only just that they should be given to the nation, who had virtually
paid for them. With them came, as curator, his valet, Mr. Holden, who
remained with his master's beloved books until three or four years since.

On 9 March a Royal Proclamation was issued for a day of Fasting and
humiliation on account of the famine and distress in Ireland, and it was
duly kept on the day set apart for it, 24 March.

There is a curious paragraph in the _Times_ of 23 March: "BINDING OF
SATAN.--During the past two or three weeks, a number of persons have been
going round the streets, on the Surrey side of the water, wearing belts,
like those worn by the fire brigade, on which passages from the
Scriptures are painted, carrying with them an inkhorn and long sheets of
paper, soliciting signatures to what they pretend to be a petition to
Heaven, for the binding of Satan, the Prince of darkness. So eager are
those persons to get the paper signed, that men, women, and children are
stopped indiscriminately, and requested to sign. Those who are too young
to sign, or unable to write their names, have the same done for them by
the men, who do not attempt to disguise the fact of belonging to the
followers of Joanna Southcote. Upon several occasions, a great deal of
confusion has been created by the parties, for they generally manage to
go about with knots of forty or fifty persons; and, occasionally,
discussions ensue, which are calculated to bring the Scriptures into
perfect ridicule. One person, more intelligent than the persons who are
hawking the petitions about, inquired who it is that will present the
petition? when the man replied, with the greatest coolness, that as soon
as a sufficient number of names are attached to the petition, it will be
presented to the Throne of Mercy by Joanna Southcote herself. Surely it
is high time that such exhibitions were put down by the police."