Bibliophile heroes turned villains and the Cottonian fire of 1731
We all know about the famous fire that destroyed parts of the Cottonian manuscript collection in 1731. The fire started at the Ashburnham House in Westminster on 23 October 1731. More than a hundred irreplaceable manuscripts were lost in the conflagration, with many others badly damaged, including one whose transcription almost cost me my eyesight. Ok, …