Arthur Capel, Earl of Essex, served as statesman in various capacities during the reign of Charles II and died in the Tower of London after being implicated in the Rye House plot. During his lifetime, Capel amassed a great library at his estate in Cashiobury. John Evelyn writes, "No man has been more industrious than this noble lord in planting about his seate [Cashiobury], adorned with walks, ponds, and other rural excellencies; while the library is large, and very nobly furnished, and all the books richly bound and gilded; but there are no manuscripts except the parliament rolls and journals, the transcribing and binding of which cost him 500l" (18 Apr. 1680).
From the description of An account of all [th]e books of [th]e right honorable Arthur Earle of Essex's library at Cashiobury, taken an. 1681, 1682, 1683 : [manuscript], 1681-1683. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84051896
