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BIBLIOTHECA 
 
 RADCLIVIANA: 
 
 OR, A SHORT 
 
 DESCRIPTION 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 RAD CL IFF E LIBRARY, 
 
 A T 
 
 OXFORD. 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 Its feveral Plans, Uprights, Sections, and Ornaments, 
 On Twenty three Copp^I Plates, neatly engraved. 
 
 With the Explanation of each P LATE. 
 
 JAMES GIBBS, Architect, 
 
 Fellow of the Royal Society, fsfc. 
 --—--- *- -- 
 
 L O N D O N, 
 
 Printed for the Author, mdccxlvii. 
 
T O 
 
 His Grace the Duke of Beaufort, 
 The Rt. Hon. Edward E. of Oxford, 
 Sir Walter Wagflaff Bagot, Bart. 
 Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart. 
 Edward Smith, Elq; 
 
 Jraftees to the Radcliffe Library at Oxford. 
 
 My Lords and Gentlemen , 
 
 T HIS fmall Performance, foewing the feveral Plans, 
 Uprights, Sections, and Ornaments of the Radcliffe 
 Library , being begun and finifoed under your Di¬ 
 rection and Care, demands your Protection. I mull in 
 Juftice declare, that in all Bufinefs of this Sort, in which 
 I have been engaged, I never obferved a Truft difcharg- 
 ed with greater Unanimity, Integrity, and Candor, during 
 the whole Time I had the Honour of ferving you, from 
 the laying the firft Stone of this Fabrick to its finifoing. 
 And all Perfons employed by you therein, do honour 
 
 you 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 you for your punctual Payments, and great Diligence 
 in feeing every Part put in Execution, with the niceft 
 Oeconomy and Equity. And I wilh you may be a 
 Pattern to Pofterity, to follow your laudable Example, 
 on any Occafion of the like Nature. And now, having 
 finifhed and completed this Work to your Satisfaction, 
 and in fuch a Manner (I hope) as to merit the Ap¬ 
 probation of all impartial Judges, I muft beg Leave to 
 dedicate this Reprefentation of it to you; being with the 
 greateft Refpect, 
 
 My Lords and Gentlemen, 
 
 Your mojl obliged 
 
 and mojl humble Servant, 
 
 James Gibbs. 
 
T H E Munificent Founder of this Building was John Radchffe, Dodor 
 of Phyfick, who was born at Wakefield in Torkfhire, in the \ car 
 One thoufand fix hundred and fifty three, and educated at the 
 School there, and afterwards in Univerfity College at Oxford, and was 
 likewife Fellow of Lincoln College. He was fo eminent in his Profefiion, 
 that he was equalled in it by few, and excelled by none of his Time. He 
 died the Firft of November One thoufand feven hundred and fourteen, and 
 by his Will bequeathed feveral very confiderable Legacies, Chanties, and 
 Donations, and, amongft others, left Forty thoufand Pounds for building 
 
 this Library, and to purchafe the Ground upon which it was erefted, which 
 he particularly diredted by his Will. 
 
 The Truftees and Executors, conftituted by his Will, were, the Right 
 Honourable William Bromley, Efq ; Sir George Beaumont, Bart. Thomas 
 Sclater Bacon, Efq; and Anthony Keck, Gentleman, with a Power, that in 
 Cafe of the Deceafe of any of them, the Survivors might chufe two or 
 more Perfons of good Repute, to be joined with them in theTruft; and 
 accordingly the following Gentlemen were chofen Truftees in the Room 
 of others, as they deceafed. Upon the Death of the Right Honourable 
 William Bromley, Efq; William Bromley,^, his Son, andfiW 
 Harley Efq; (now Earl of Oxford) were chofen. Mr. Bacon, Mr. Keck, 
 and Mr. Bromley the Son dying, Sir Walter Wagftaff Bagot, Bart. Jo m 
 Verney, Efq; and Edward Smith, Efq; were chofen; upon Sir George Beau¬ 
 monts Death, Lord Charles Noel Somerfet (now Duke of Beaufort) wascho en, 
 and the Right Honourable John Verney, then Matter of the Rolls ying 
 in the Year One thoufand feven hundred and forty one, Sir Watkin M’Uiams 
 Wynn, Bart, fucceeded him. Dr. Radchffe having particular y direfted 
 b/his Will, that this Library fhould not be begun to be built till after the 
 Death of his two Sifters (to whom he left very large Annuities) and they fur- 
 vivint* him feveral Years, his original Truftees could only prepare for the 
 fame^y purchafing, from Time to Time, the Ground on which theBuilding 
 
 was to ftand. 
 
 After the Deceafe of the Doctor’s Sifters, the furviving Truftees be- 
 
 aan to fet forward this great Work, and were pleafed “' a PP°“* 
 
 H Architeft- Mr. William Townfend of Oxford, and Mr. William Smith 
 
 Mr. George Devall to be Plumber; Mr. Townf- 
 g end 
 
 Carpenter and Joiner 
 
 
end Junior to be Stone Carver; Mr. Linel of Long-acre, London, to be Carver 
 in Wood ; Mr. A tari, an Italian, to be their Plaifterer in the FretWork 
 Way ; Mr. Michael Rrjbrack to be Sculptor, to cut the Dolor’s Figure in 
 Marble - and Mr. Bloc/dey to be Lockfmith. 
 
 The Foundation Stone was laid the fixteenth Day of June, One thou- 
 fand feven hundred and thirty feven, and in it was fixed a Copper Plate, 
 upon which was engraved the following Infcription : 
 
 Quod Felix Fauftumque fit 
 Academic Oxonienfi, 
 
 Die XVI. Kalendarum Junii 
 Anno MDCCXXXVII, 
 
 Carolo Comite de Arran 
 Cancellario, 
 
 Stephano Niblet S. T. P. 
 
 Vice-Cancellario, 
 
 Thoma Paget et Iohanne Land A. M. 
 
 Procuratoribus, 
 
 Plaudenti Undique 
 Togata Gente, 
 
 Honorabilcs Admodum D nus D nus Carolus Noel Somerfet 
 Honorabilis Iohannes Verney 
 Gualterus Wagftaff Bagot Baronettus 
 
 Armigeri 
 
 et 
 
 Edwardus Smith 
 
 Radclivii Munificentiflimi 
 Teftamenti Curatores 
 
 P. P. 
 
 Jacobo Gibbs Architecto. 
 
 And the whole Building was compleated in the Year 1747. 
 
 was impoflible to make fo exad Drawings of this large Fabrick 
 ding, as when the whole was compleated, becaufe there 
 Occidents, which occafioned a few Alterations to be 
 '0 • : iollowing Reprefentation of it is taken from the 
 
 t now Bands. 
 
 A PAR- 
 
A 
 
 ( 7 ) 
 
 PARTICULAR 
 
 SCRIPTION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 FOLLOWING PLATES. 
 
 PLATE I. 
 
 Perspective View of the South Side of the Buildings of the 
 Radcliffe Library, taken from a North Window of St. Mary s 
 Church : Shewing the Fabrick, with the Area it ftands on, and 
 fomePart of the old Buildings on each Side of it, as Brafen-Nofe College 
 on the Left Hand, and All-Souls College on the Right. 
 
 PLATE II. 
 
 This fhews the Geometrical Situation of the Library, or a general 
 Plan of the Area on which it ftands, with the Buildings round it, be¬ 
 ing One hundred and eighty four Feet, by Three hundred and fourteen 
 Feet fix Inches. The new Building A A, is placed in the Middle, be¬ 
 tween St. Mary s Church-yard IVall B B, and the Schools C C, Brafen-Nofe 
 College DD, and All-Souls College EE. 
 
 PLATE III. 
 
 This Plate contains two Plans of this Building. The loweft A, 
 is that of the arched Stone-Porch, or Ruftic Bafement, under the Li¬ 
 brary, the Ceiling of which is arched with Stone, divided in Pannels, and 
 circular concave Difhes, as is here exprefled by pointed Lines. The Difhes 
 are adorned with Mofaic Work, the Figure of which Ihall be fhewn in 
 its proper Place. Here are three Stair Cafes on this Plan. The great 
 Geometrical Stair Cafe at a, being an Oval of Eighteen Feet by Twenty 
 one Feet, goes up by two Windings to the Floor of the Library: The 
 fmall Stair Cafes b b, being Six Feet in Diameter, go up to the Library, 
 Gallery, and Leads on the Top of it. The Pavement of this Porch is 
 all laid regularly in Courfes drawn from the Center of the Building; the 
 Form of which fhall be {hewn hereafter. 
 
 2 B, is 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 B, is the Plan of the l.lb) a> y, over the Stone Porch, confiding oi two 
 Circles, one within the other. The Diameter of the inner Circle, which 
 fupports the Cupola, is Forty eight Feet. But the Extent of the Diameter 
 of the outward Circle, againft which the Preffes of the Books are placed, 
 is Eighty eight Feet fix Inches. When you Hand in the Center of the 
 Room, you fee the Book Cafes through the feven great Arches of the in¬ 
 ward Circle ; which Book Cafes are all curioufly framed of right Wain- 
 fcot, and their Mouldings neatly carved. The Room where they are 
 placed is of a circular Form, going from one round Stair Cafe to the 
 other, Fifteen Feet broad, and Twelve Feet high, raifed fix Inches above 
 the Stone Floor of the middle Circle, and floored with right Wainfcot 
 Boards all laid to the Center of the Building; its Ceiling is handfomely 
 adorned with Fret Work, and the whole Room lighted by feven Win¬ 
 dows. The Floor of the middle Circle is paved with Portland Stone, 
 intermixed with red Swedifh Stone, drawn from feveral Centers; the Form 
 of which fhall be (hewn hereafter. The feven fmall oblong Squares, mark¬ 
 ed in Lines at o, againft each Window, on the Plans of the Library and 
 Gallery Floors, fhew where the Delks are placed, and P, fhews the Preffes 
 for the Books. 
 
 PLATE IV. 
 
 This Plate contains two Plans, the loweft at C, is that of the Gallery 
 or upper Library, with its Baluftrade in Front, to which you afeend by 
 the two fmall round Stairs b b. The Book Cafes at P, are placed as be¬ 
 low. The Delks placed at each Window, marked o, are all handfomely 
 framed of Mahogony Wood polifihed. The Ceiling is coved, as is here 
 expreffed by pointed Lines, and embellifhed with Fret Work, and the 
 whole lighted by feven large Windows. 
 
 D Shews the Plan of the Leads or Flats over the Galleries, and the 
 Baluftrade that goes round the Building, aa; the two round Stair Cafes 
 going up to them, b b ; the Drum and Buttreffes of the Cupola, c c; 
 the Cupola and Lanthorn being all covered with Lead. 
 
 PLATE V. 
 
 This fhews the Geometrical Upright of the Outfide of the Build¬ 
 ing, being of the Corinthian Order, with its Baluftrade and Vafes a-top. 
 This Order has all the Members of its Entablature properly enriched, and 
 the Capitals, and Feftoons betwixt them neatly carved, all the Windows 
 
 and 
 
and Niches are regularly dreffed ; and its middle Part adorned with a 
 handfome Cupola and Lanthorn covered with Lead, the whole erefted on 
 a Rnfiic Bafement; the Plan of which is a regular Polygon of fixteen Sides. 
 But this being too fmall, I have fhewn it larger on the next Plate. 
 
 PLATE VI. 
 
 You have here a Part of the Upright of the Outfide of the Building 
 drawn larger, to fhew more diftindtly the Ornaments of the Corinthian 
 Order, the Difpofition of the Windows and Niches with their Dreffings, 
 the Entablature, with the Number of its Modilions anfwerable to their ln- 
 tercolumnations, and the Range of Pedeftals, and Baluftrade a-top of it, 
 with their Vafes. 
 
 PLATE VII. 
 
 PI e r e are the outfide Windows of this Building, with their Orna¬ 
 ments and Profiles drawn to a large Scale. 
 
 PLATE VIII. 
 
 This is one of the Iron Gates, which are placed in each of the Ru- 
 ftick Arches of the Stone Porch under the Library, to enclofe and pre- 
 ferve that Place from being a lurking Place for Rogues in the Night¬ 
 time, or any other ill Ufe. Three of the feven Gates may be opened 
 occafionally as wanted, viz. that towards St. Mary’s Chmch, that to¬ 
 wards All-Souls, and that towards Bra/en No/e Colleges ; but are to be 
 locked up always before Night comes on, both Summer and Winter. 
 
 PLATE IX. 
 
 This is a Geometrical Se&ion of the Building, through the Middle 
 of the Plan, from the Bottom to the Top, to fhew the Difpofition of its 
 Infide, the Arches which fupport the Cupola, the Cupola with its Orna¬ 
 ments, the Framing of the Wood Work, the Thicknefs of the Floors and 
 Walls. But as this is too fmall to fhew the particular Parts, I have drawn 
 fome of them on a larger Scale, to exprefs them better. 
 
 PLATE X. 
 
 ASection, on a larger Scale, through the Middle of the Ruftick Bafe¬ 
 ment, a-crofs the great Stair Cafe, (hewing the Rifing and Winding of 
 the great Stairs; as likewife the Arches, Galleries, Part of the Drum of 
 the Cupola, Cove over the great Stair Cafe, and Timber Framing, the 
 Profile of the Windows, and the Thicknefs of the Wall, Qfc. 
 
 C 
 
 PLATE 
 
( 1 ° ) 
 
 P L A T E 
 
 XI. 
 
 A Geometrical Profile through one Bay of the Building, fhewing 
 a Part of the Rufiick Bafement; as likewife of the circular Rooms where 
 the Prefibs for the Books are placed, and the Entry to them from the 
 Doors of the round Stair Cafes, on each Side of the great Stair Cafe, the 
 Framing of the Roof of the Galleries, and the upright Bearings and Abut¬ 
 ments of the Cupola. 
 
 PLATE XII. 
 
 This is the Niche, with its Ornaments, over the lomck Door Cafe 
 within the Library as you enter it, where the Dodtor’s Figure ftands in 
 his Academical Habit, curioufiy done in Marble by Mr. Michael Ryfebrack , 
 a noted Sculptor. This Niche is contained within one of the great Arches 
 which fupports the Cupola, over which there is a Marble Table with this 
 Infcription, 
 
 I O FI A N N E S R A D C L I F F E M. D. 
 
 H U I U S BIBLIOTHECA 
 
 Fundator. 
 
 PLATE XIII. 
 
 This is a Geometrical Upright of one of the great Arches within 
 the Library, to {hew the Fronts of the Gallery or upper Library, its Cor- 
 nifh and Balufirade, the Scrolls abutting againfi: the great Pilafters, for 
 the Support of the Floor of the Gallery; as likewife the Windows of 
 the Library below, and the Gallery above. 
 
 PLATE XIV. 
 
 A Perspective View through three of the Arches which fupport 
 the Dome, to fhew more diftinbfly the Book Prefies, and the reading 
 Defks, in the Library below and Gallery over it. The Point of Sight is 
 taken at a Man’s Heighth, from the oppofite Side of the Gallery. 
 
 PLATE XV. 
 
 This fhews the Form of the Iron Rail of the great Stairs, with a 
 Plan of it on a larger Scale, the Diameter of it being Eighteen Feet by 
 Twenty one Feet. This Fence is very neatly performed, all its Ornaments, 
 as Rofes, Foliage, and the Bafes of the upright Bars, are of Copper em- 
 bofied, and the Whole is capped with a handfome Hand Rail of Ma- 
 hogony Wood neatly polifhed. P LATE 
 
(”) 
 
 PLATE XVI. 
 
 Here is Ihewn one Quarter Part of each Pavement in the Build¬ 
 ing ; the loweft belongs to the Stone Porch under the Library, which is 
 of a hard Sort of Stone, all laid in Courfes, drawn from the Center of the 
 Room, as here expreffed. That above, on the fame Plate, is the Pave¬ 
 ment of the middle Part of the Library, which is of Portland Stone, in¬ 
 termixed with red Swedijh or Bremen Stone, drawn from feveral Centers. 
 This Floor was firft propofed to be of black and white Marble polifhed, but 
 was rejeded, being thought improper for the Place, becaufe the Air con- 
 denfing upon it, occafioned by its Hardnefs (which commonly, though 
 improperly is called fweating) makes the Place damp, efpecially where 
 no Fire is kept, and is fitter for Churches, Portico’s, Common Halls, and 
 Paflages, than a Library. 
 
 PLATE XVII. 
 
 Here are the Ornaments of the Circular Concave Difhes in the Ceil¬ 
 ing of the Ruftick Bafement, or Stone Porch, below the Library, being all 
 arched with Stone, and the circular Concave Difhes adorned, in this Man¬ 
 ner, alternately with Mofaick Work, the one with Odagons, and the o- 
 ther with Croffes and Odagons, having the Dodor’s Cipher in the Center 
 within a Circle : The Ceiling of the great Arch in the Middle of the 
 Porch, is grinded over, and has the Dodor’s Coat of Arms, enclofed with¬ 
 in a large Circular Moulding, going round it, handfomely carved. 
 
 PLATE XVIII. 
 
 This fhews the great Modilion Cornifh, with its Frize fully enriched, 
 which goes round the Infide of the Building, over the great Arches that 
 fupport the Cupola ; I have likewife drawn here a Part of three of the 
 Arches, to fhew the Ornaments which are put in the Spandrels, between 
 the Architraves of the Arches. 
 
 PLATE XIX. 
 
 This is one eighth Part of the Ornaments of the Dome in the Infide 
 of it, with their Profiles, letter’d and figured, the Whole curioufly done in 
 Fret Work, by Signior Artari, an excellent Artift. A, one eighth Part of 
 the Ornament extended on a ftraight Line ; B, the Profile or Sedion of the 
 Pannels. c, c, the Geometrical Profile from the Middle of the Rofe to the 
 outfide Border. 
 
 PLATE 
 
( la 
 
 PLATE XX. 
 
 A. P l a n of the Frame, or Half of the Outline, or Circumference of 
 the Cupola, {hewing the Thicknefs of the Walls, and how the Dome is 
 framed and fupported ; a a, the bearing Pieces for the Trufs, on which 
 theLanthorn is framed,- b, b, the Beam or Girder ot the Trufs; c, c, the up¬ 
 right Pods which form the Lanthorn. The four Divilions in the Plan 
 fhew the Timbers which dll up the Spaces within the trufled Frame i, r, 
 two hall Trufles ; 2, 2, the Purloins or crofs Timbers; 3, 3, the Furring for 
 the Outline of the Dome ; 4, 4, the Bridging on which the Boards are bxed 
 for the Lead Covering. 
 
 B, Shews the Upright of the principal Wooden Trufs, which forms 
 the Infide of the Dome and Outline of the Cupola and Lanthorn and its 
 Framing, all of Heart of Oak, being an excellent Piece of Carpentry well 
 conddered, and executed in the bed Manner, the Ends of the Timbers being 
 dxed in Shoes of Metal, to preferve them from any Damp that might affeft 
 them from the Stone; the Timbers here lettered refer you to the Plan 
 below it. 
 
 PLATE XXI. 
 
 Here are the Ornaments of the feveral Orders, made ufe of in this 
 Building. A, is the Bafe, Architrave, Frize, and Cornifh of the Corin¬ 
 thian Order on the Outdde of the Building. B, the lomck Pedeftal, Bafe, 
 Architrave, Frize, and Cornifh, of the Infide of the Building. C, the Pro- 
 dle of the trufled Cornifh which crowns the Arches. D, the Prodle ot 
 the Cornifh, on the Outdde of the Drum of the Cupola. E, the Prodle 
 of the Cornifh of the Indde of the Drum. F, the Architrave Moulding of 
 the Arches. 
 
 N. B. All the Mouldings, both without and within the Building, are 
 carved proper to their Order. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
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