A FAMOUS LIBRARY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 120, 7 February 1918, Page 9

A FAMOUS LIBRARY

DR. MORRISON'S WONDERFUL COLLECTION ' SOLD FOR £35,000 (By M. Meagher, in the "Sydney Morning Herald.") Dr. Morrison's famous library, which" has recently been sold to Baron Iwasaki, of tho Mitsubishi Company, and ot tho Yokohama Specie Bank, for the sum of £35,000, is probably the finest of its kind in existence. It is'some consolation to English students that this iino collection of books relating to China is to remain intact. A building will bo especially erected to house it in its new homo in Tokio, which will go by the name of tho "Dr. G. E. Morrison Library." This magnificent rcfereneo library has never been what tho elder Disraeli would call "a tomb of books," for the possessor was always anxious to make tjhem available. In accordance with tho courteous custom in vogue in Peking, the library in Tokio will always be open to serious students.

As Dr. Morrison is one of the most niodcst of Australia's famous sons, eery few _ references to this wonderful collection of hooks linvo ever appeared. In fact, this brief sUet> from notes taken by the writor during a- recent visit to the Library in Morrison Street, Peking, is the first description that has ever been published in an English newspaper. Dr. Morrison lias spent about 25 years in getting his library together—he began collecting his books about China before lie baa set foot in that country. While he was "Times" correspondent, Dr. Morrison spoilt something like £400 per year on making purchases for bis library. During the tirao he has been adviser to the Chineso Government he has spent a still larger sum. It has been his rule to buy any book that ho thought necessary, regardless of cost. Ala collection consists of about 20,000 volumes, and Dr. Morrison's book plats—an Australian scene-is on every book. This does not include- a great mass of missionary literature- in the shape of pamphlets, etc., and a remarkable collection of articles cut from reports and periodicals which haye been considered to be not worth keeping as sets. Tho missionary literature is of tho greatest importance in things Chinese. Tho "Lettres Edifiantes," which Dr. Morrison says are the chief source of information of conditions in China during two centuries, date- back to 1602 and havo been continued down to the present day, although now appearing under tho title of "Annales de la Propagation de la Foi." They are published in Lyons.- A complete set is to be found in Morrison Street. One notices on a shelf the "Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe," which is a. very accurate" account of China, and is told by Dr. Morrison that this is because it is taken from the "Lettres Edifiantes." In his "Curiosities of Literature" Isaac .Disraeli refers to tho monumental work on China, of Pero du Halde, which is also compiled from tho memoirs of tho missionaries, the French priest Du Halclo never having travelled ten leagues from Paris, though he appears by his writings to be familiar with China and its scenery. There is also a great assembling of tho reports of the Belgian and Dutch missionaries, the most important being the "Missions en Chine et au Cougo" and tli3 "Missions Catholiques." Wo readily understand the importance of this .literature when Dr. Morrison tells us that our knowledgo of Mongolia is mainly derived from tho reports of the Belgian missionaries, and that our knowledge of Chinese Turkestan is due largely to tho Dutch missionaries. Dr. Morrison further points to the letters of Pere Courrojolles, published in the missionary collection, which contain the first complete account of the manufacture of Chinese porcelain, and to an important series of monographs, published by tho Jesuits, both Chinese and foreign, at Siccawci, entitled ''Varietes Sinologiques." They number upwards of forty volumes, and deal with such questions as marriage customs, the Ncstorian tablet, superstitions, etc., all of which, says Dr. Morrison, are of tho highest value. Thero are few books in tho Chinese language in the collection, but there are no fewer than four hundred dictionaries, amongst them being the greatest dictionary yet published in China, which is the work of Pero Seraphiii Couvreur, S.J., of Hokienfu. The author is still alive at the ago of 85. Dr. Morrison called my attention to a completed manuscript dictionary 'in Chinese and Latin, dated 1706. It is the work of au Italian Franciscan friar, tbo learned loxicographer, Basilo do Glemonn. A. copy of this manuscript dictionary was given to tho first Protestant missionary in China, Robert Morrison, on his arrival i« Canton in 1807, and was an important help to him in the compiling of his monumental encyclopaedia dictionary, published in six volumes, between 1815 and 1822. There aro many shelffuls of Euglisu, French,'Gorman, Latin, Dutch, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, and Spanish volumes. There aro probably thrice as many volumes in English as in French, and'moro than four times as many in English as in German.' The most prolific author seems to be Dr. H. A. Giles, Professor of Chineso at the University of Cambridge. Marco Polo is well represented, for wo find his first Latin edition of 1485, and the first Italian of 1495. In all thero aro 15 editions bearing dates before 1700. There aro also the first editions of Mendes Pinto's famous "Peregrination" in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. It is Interesting to see tho log" book's of tho Lion frigate, which brought Macartney on' his important mission to China. And also the diary and other manuscript volumes in the handwriting of tho statesman and diplomatist, George Macartney, afterwards Earl Macartney, who embarked on tho Lion—ol guns—as pleuipotentiarv, in which capacity ho visited Peking in 1702. Sir John Mandeville's description (1485) of Asia, and his history of the Mongols and their manners and customs is also to be seen. It is interesting to find in tho library a- letter from the imposter, George Psalmannzar, who faked the Formosa Grammar and tho History of Formosa so well that ho deceived Dr ' Johnson.

An interesting section of the library is works of fiction which contain scones laid in China. At times one wonders why certain books arc in tho collection, but soon learns that tho particular liook has a chapter or chapters on Chinese- affairs. Take Dr. Nitobc's well-known "Thoughts and Essays" for example. Its presence is justified by its chapter on Confucius; and Dr. Morrison has heon thoughtful enough to help the student by drawing attention to the particular chapter in the card index. A. noteworthy item in tho collection is a full set of the "Canton Register," tho first newspaper published in English in China, 1827. Dcsides the books tho library contains a surprising number of plates and scenes in China, and a most interesting collection of photographs taken by Dr. Morrison himself at the time of his famous walk through China. [It is to be noted with regret thai, nows has been received that serious damage has been done by a typhoon and rain to this precious library just as it was landed at Tokio.]