A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Eton College

M. R. James (1862–1936) is probably best remembered as a writer of chilling ghost stories, but he was an outstanding scholar of medieval literature and palaeography, who served both as Provost of King's College, Cambridge, and as Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, and many of his stories reflect his academic background. His detailed descriptive catalogues of manuscripts owned by colleges, cathedrals and museums are still of value to scholars today. This volume, first published in 1895, contains James' catalogue of the manuscript holdings of Eton College, where he himself was educated. No catalogue had been published since 1697, when 115 manuscripts were briefly noted; by James' time the collection had grown to 193. James provides information on the donors and the library building before going on to describe the manuscripts and their contents. His book is still sought after and this reissue will be welcomed by librarians and researchers alike.