THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 9

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

: The; "Westminster Gazette" "has, an. interesting article,on: the British Mu'soumj-which was 150 gears'of age last-month; We give extracts relating to the library; ;,';-' ;,:Kihg .George III.—one; of - the last rulers who- might: have .been suspected'of. literarv tastes—had, in 1765,, begun to ' form 'a library;'. As Sir Henry Ellis, . the Principal' Librarian, told a Select-.Committee, that, inquired into- the-.latfaira of- the/Museum in 1835;.:"he.laid the .foundation of it by: the purchase'of;a library of; very eminent cbarabter'at belonging -to. Consul Smith. , :Abbiit ; . the /year 1767, two -years afterwards, the /suppression of .the 'Jesuits'/houses began;; their; libraries were turned out' upon the : world,; and the King bought spnie of the greatest rarities;in literature'/ at 'the /smallest price,that a collector 'could- expect." ~ George 111. spent £130,000 on: his library, which numbered 65,000 books .and 15,000. volumes of tracts; and.in 1835 —long , before the days of Pierpont- Morgan—it was valued; at'£2oo,ooo., .George; I?., when ho came: into "his.own,; decided,, in what was regarded at the"'time as a burst of unwonted generosity, to., hand ..the; collection, over, to ;the;nation;'/ahdin .1823 it; was' transferred to' the .Museum.- - There .is little; doubt,' how:ever/,(though, the: transaction .is .not easy to trace),-.that;-.the-transfer \ ehabled;him :to ■ pay. off;a'few-importunate creditors arid : to, T'etain',"soriibthing' to go on: with.''... :: : :Sir Anthony- Panizzi,. by whom the present .fine :reading-room;;-with its; accommodation for, 300 readers',; was;planned,; was;responsible for 'ebm'mencing ,the ; compilation of the catalogue; and it was through his irifluenco' 1 that his friend, the Right;. Hon. ' Thomas Greville,./bequeathed:his valuable library to tho, iMiiseum. : ■■' When''he : first •;■' joined,'.the' Museum- staff,'the': original 50,000; voluines had;boeh increased,to about.a quarter of a millibn.':i;.-Iri , 1881;/' two .years, after-;he'.died,' the ; ; hhrary:contained--a ,'million'and .a:.:lialfj of.'bobks and 50,000: manuscripts'; arid I it'pbssesses "well over two million' books; and. nearly, 6p;ooo.:;mahuscripts, '.besides.;';charters ' aridV'roUs:;.'-?- 1 .-,;-';,' I .'' .';':'.';/■;-,;/ ';;'-'/. -;y.. '/; ;'; : :;,-;-: ;.'.lt may;be ■■worthy "• of- recbllebtibh;that, one] of ; ; the -earliest, 'of 'visitors to -' tho ■; rea'dingroprii:' bf, ! :that;.day.;.-.was/no; less notable, a -person -thai': the" pbet.Gra'yi -Settled; for.atime: in'-.'rbbms' in Southampton 'Bow, /from which; as:he. v wrot'e to .his friend :Browri, he had •.tne./cbmmand:of Highgate, Hampstead, Bedford : .Gardens,/:and,,the- Museum,.-he .reyelled '-in;; :the, contents-; of ".'the : latter./'/..1u ,tlie"sairib' letter, ho- writes; that the Museum; 1 .'"isi;ihy;'.favourite do'rnainj.where,l:often/'pas's fourjnpurs; in/the :day ; iri':the l .stillness/ arid.solitude of.th^e.reading-rooriij : ■ whicn;.is'!un,interrupted; v by anything, .but: Dr... Stiikeley; ;the'antiquary, who;comes there'to .talk hpn'sens6: .reat;.-;of /the. learrifed -are.'d.'suppose) the.;'country, :at.:least"; hone"of 'them'" cbme'-there;''.-exbept two;/Prussians' arid, a'.Vma'n;.who';,writes,:for ;, : './.IA-,;,-;; ";'/■';;"■:;';•:' »I'lnvse'vefal; [oi ';his;'letters.^Gra'y: Tefers' -to the : '."disputes .'/then .'.rampant '-.between ,the ■ pfinoipal;,'librarian : and'"the... staff, ; and,': he cbrijectures from ; this "andHhe 1 extravagaiice' :of v the _-.that, "all: :tb.q,,.,bpoks,!.',and, the'crPbbdile's. .will;;soon> he'put';up tb'.aucT tibn.";' Happily,, this;prophecy has not yet ,bben;'fullilled'l;,i,;,:- ! ,/';-;;;;.;■ | 'i.-'. ! >. : -. i , '■:. '■': ' : ' : : g-. •;iSiribe,',;.Gray,'s.day.'many^.a'. famous mahii'of .letters ,ha's'",toilbd' :iii'- the' of the /British .Museum.: , Lamh, after he'-,' retired from-v the..; India / Hous'e;; found solace and:-'material -for/ work -on'; the nholvea of the; great-library:/■ Carlyie; ,at;;.a ; still'-later i.date, worked:occasionally' there;; but, as ho was so-.contihually. disturbbd./'hy '80irie';:read'efs/: who. blew//their' noses /"like, a Chaldean .trumpet in/the .new//nioori;'' /'arid '.by./bthers who;- would fall .peacefully': asleep"';over;/their folios, and .then.:. suddenly', /.aw.ake '--snorting; he-was ultimatblyi- forced' into- initiating the 1 London Library", ;/sb /that;' hp' ; could V study peacefully /at/ horno./:;;Macauiay,, as'-/'might be' expected,. took■fulli advantage:•'of /- the great /stores.;that,;the.,'Museum',operis,, to; tho student; / and' Thackeray,"-, who. ;.''! also ah habitue of "the/ feading-rbo'm, '.'-paid/an "'.■: erii.thusiastio'" tribute 'to."tho.' unrivalled- collcc-' tibn' of literature: at /Blooingbury. .:'-.,;. , .'