Treasures of the British Library II Multiple Choice Quiz | World

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of the wonderful literary treasures to be found in the British Library (J. Ritblat Gallery) is an original manuscript of 'The Iliad' in English translation. This translation was done between 1715 and 1720 by which of these remarkable British literary giants?

Answer: Pope

Along with being a cunning social satirist, an adept poet and an incisive essayist, Pope was also the translator of some ancient works of Western literature. Most prominent of his translations were his English renditions of Homer's 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey'. To see the original manuscript of Pope's 'Iliad' you have only to visit the British Library!

2. In 1805 Admiral Horatio Nelson, one of the great military heroes in British history, was in the midst of staving off Napoleon's fleet. Two days before his death during the Battle of Trafalgar he wrote his last letter. To whom was this missal written?

Answer: Lady Hamilton

Admiral Nelson's last letter to his mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton, can be viewed in the Ritblat Gallery along with a lock of his hair! He wrote the letter on October 19-20, 1805, and was killed two days later on his ship Victory by a gunshot from a French ship. Though he was killed, the British triumphed during the battle and gained mastery of the seas for over 100 years.

3. The greatest masterpiece of early Anglo-Saxon book production, the 'Lindisfarne Gospels', can also be found in the British Library. In which county of England was the Monastery of Lindisfarne to be found?

Answer: Northumberland

The 'Lindisfarne Gospels' were printed by hand 'For God and For St. Cuthbert' (a bishop of the monastery) c. 698 AD. Lindisfarne was located on Holy Island, a tidal island off the coast of Northumberland, the northernmost English county. The writing was probably made by Eadfrith who took over as Archbishop following Cuthbert's death, and the work bound by Aethelwald, Eadfrith's eventual replacement.

4. An original manuscript of George Bauer Agricola's most famous work can be found in the British Library. His work was the standard text for which of the following disciplines for several centuries?

Answer: Metallurgy

Agricola, who lived from 1494 until 1555, wrote his 'De Re Metallica' in his later years, and it was first published after his death in 1556 in Basle. This very influential work became the standard textbook for the discipline for over two centuries until new discoveries finally forced its retirement. However, it is still considered the classic of the metallurgic discipline!

5. Another very interesting letter contained within the British Library is one from Sir Isaac Newton to another scientist who had accused him of plagiarizing some of his work. Which of these scientists accused Newton of plagiarizing his work in Newton's 'Trajectory of Falling Bodies'?

Answer: Robert Hooke

It was Robert Hooke's proposal of the inverse-square law of gravitational attraction that prompted Newton to write his Principia. Hooke didn't mind Newton working off of his idea, but he did become irked at what he saw as plagiarism in Newton's work revolving around the trajectories of falling bodies. This was not Newton's only controversy involving another scientist. Newton also accused Leibniz of plagiarizing his ideas about the calculus.

6. True or false: One of the original exemplifications of the Magna Carta may be found in the British Library.

Answer: True

There are four 'original' versions of the Magna Carta still in existence (exemplifications is the correct historical term for them), and the British Library has two of them, one of which is on display at the Ritblat Gallery. The Magna Carta established the basis for Britain's Constitutional Monarchy. King John thought it was a stinker, but he was compelled to sign it by his tenacious noble subjects.

7. Not without its share of original manuscripts, the Ritblat Gallery contains the initial draft of Lewis Carroll's beloved children's story 'Alice in Wonderland'. What was his original name for this work?

Answer: Alice's Adventures Under Ground

Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson in 1832, he was a mathematician by trade, but using the pseudonym Lewis Carroll he created some of the most classic works of children's literature. 'Alice in Wonderland' is his most famous piece, it being first published in 1865. Carroll was also known for his photographic portraits, mainly of young girls...and scandal has touched his life in retrospect as some have accused him of pedophilia.

In truth, no evidence exists that Carroll was involved in such activities.

8. Another manuscript held at the Ritblat Gallery, this one of a 'History of England', was an early work of authorship from which of these famed English novelists?

Answer: Jane Austen

Jane Austen was truly a prodigy! Her 'History of England' was researched and written in 1790-1 when she was only 15-16 years old! Of course, Austen is most known for her brilliant novels of manners of which there were six in all. They included: 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Mansfield Park', 'Northanger Abbey', 'Emma' and 'Persuasion'.

Her writing desk is also included in the gallery, a gift from her beloved father when she was 19 years old...needless to say, her writing was strongly encouraged!

9. One of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks is a part of the Ritblat collection at the British Library. What is interesting about the writing style that Leonardo employed, and is evident in the examples displayed in the gallery?

Answer: He wrote from right to left

Leonardo was left-handed and, for his own convenience purposes, wrote from right to left, recalling somewhat the ancient boustrophedon style (except that he went primarily from right to left and did not alternate). He called his style 'mirror writing', for obvious reasons. Anyone who has ever seen copies of da Vinci's notes is immediately struck by the diversity of his interests and the complexity of his knowledge, the quintessential Renaissance man!

10. Here's a relatively easy question to end the quiz. In 1623 the 'First Folio', a copy of which can be viewed at the British Library was first published...whose work was contained within?

Answer: Shakespeare

The 'First Folio' was published several years after Shakespeare's death and contained all 36 of his plays. It was the first time that many of them had been published. The work was compiled and edited by John Heminge and Henry Condell and was subtitled, 'Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories and Tragedies'.

Not included in this, or my first quiz on the topic, are a number of other fascinating items, for example original song writing by the Beatles, original compositions by Mozart, Handel (his Messiah) and Beethoven's tuning fork. I highly recommend that anyone visiting London make some time to pay a visit to this wonderful gallery at the British Library! Good luck and thank you for having tried my quiz.

Source: Author thejazzkickazz

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Treasures of the British Library II Quiz

A trip to the British Library is such a pleasure for any lover of world literature, religion, music and culture. This will be my second virtual return trip to the library as I recall ten more of its wonderful treasures!

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