CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 47, 22 May 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

MUNIFICENT DONATION BY SIR GEORGE GREY TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. (I* rom the Cape Argus, December 21.) The following letter, in which His Excellency Sir George Grey announces to Mr. Justice AYaterineyer his intention of presenting to the South African Library, Cape Town, the whole valuable collection of books and manuscripts, will be read with great interest throughout the Colony;— “ Government House, Auckland, October 21, ISGI. “ My dear Wotermoyer,—For thirty years one of the chief delights of my life has been to collect a library which I hoped would form the recreation of my middle life and of my old age. Thus I have gone on indulging dreams of a tranquil and literary life, which was to be a compensation lor the constant activity of my early years. A part of this plan was to publish from aneieut manuscripts new editions of works which f regarded as being capable for great improvement. As my views extended, like a foolish man, I prepared for the last of one life more work 'than' several men could have accomplished m several long lives. At the same time, 1 have ever found that the period of rest and tranquillity I was to enjoy Hies further and further from me as I advance in life. I have, in truth, become involved in duties from which I cannot escape—what 1 had laid up for myself I can neither use nor enjoy, yet it is selfishly shut up from other men, who might pro- ’ fit ably use it and greatly enjoy it. I had hoped' that after my death this library, being .left to some new country, might prove to it treasure of great value, to some extent helping to form the mind of each of its generations'as they came following on. But I now feel it to be useless to wait for the period of my own death to render of use to my fellow men that which events have rendered ot little or no use to me. Many circumstances attach me to (lie Cape,—to the beautiful public gardens of Cape Town, to the Public Library there, the site for which I chose, the first stone ot which 1 laid, which a great Queen’s son opened in my presence—which I may yet bo permitted to visit in my old ago. I believe South Africa will be a great country ; that Cape Town or its vicinity will, for many reasons, be the point of chief education for its young men. There can, therefore be no more fitting or worthy resting place for treasures which I have accumulated with so much care. I propose, therefore, by degrees to send my whole library to the South African Public Library at Capo Town, there to be deposited, subject to the following conditions.—-That I may a* any time remove from the library, as long as 1 require them, any books or manuscripts for my own use ; that 1 may give the like privilege to occupants of any institution I may hereafter found in South Africa ; that during my lifetime all other persons shall he admitted under the rules and regulations of the library to use the books and manuscripts in the library, but that no person shall, without my consent, be permitted to remove anv of them from the librarv. After my death the trustees of my collection shall make such regulations on this last subject as they think proper, as I do not wish to attempt to bind posterity by any unalterable rule. I propose that, for the purpose of seeing these conditions fnlfiled, I should in the first instance, appoint eight trustees, and that, when any vacancy occurs, (he remaining trustees should from time to .time fill it up. The first eight trustees I should wish to be, —yourself, the Hon. AY. Porter, Sir T. Maclear, Mr. J. do Whet, Mr. J. Fairburn, sen., Mr. C. A.. Fairbridgo, Mr. AY. Tasker Smith, and Mr. AYm. lliddingh. AYould ■■you ask them if they would act for me? I shall feel much obliged to you if you would do this. You arc aware that nearly all my library is in England, and it will take some time to get it moved to the Cape. I have, however, with mo here some very valuable books and manuscripts. These I send at once by the Cossack in two cases. You will find what they are from the enclosed list. The eases are addressed, ‘ South African Public Library, Cape Town.’ Will you see that they are received, and look after them? “ A'cry truly yours, “ G. Grey.” The “Argus” of December 31st says:—“The Library Committee met yesterday at the Library to confer with the trustees of Sir George Grey’s munificent gift. The Committee in the first instance, accepted the donation on the conditions imposed by Sir George, and, in compliance with the suggestion of the trustees, agreed that, tlie collection should be kept distinct, from the rest of the Library. The librarian offered to give up bis claim to the librarian’s quarters, in order that they may bo devoted to tile reception of Sir George Grey’s books. Messrs. Prere Longmore, and R. Noble were appointed a sub committee to confer with the trustees on the means of maintaining-the library, and preparing rooms to receive the collection. It' was resolved that an appeal bo made to the public for subscriptions to prepare the rooms for the reception of the books, for which purpose £I,OOO or £1,200 will be required - Subscription-lists will be placed this afternoon at the Commercial Library, the Exchange, and the various city banks.” The same paper, in another issue, says:— “It is difficult to convey a just idea of the value of tins magnificent donation, worthy of a Sovereign. Our readers may form some notion of its nngnitndo when they Icaru that Sir George Grey’s library is the united collection of two very eminent wealthy bibliomaniacs, from whom ho inherited them, formed without regard to cost and considerably added to by himself. It comprises most of the rarest first editions, in the very choicest condition, of all tho early printers, both English and continental. There are tomes -which at the present day, would, if put up to sale, be enaerlv bought at their weight, Vi _ ii . • t A, i. _/» 77,, 1 xu-vnxuy m goiu. ol Jinropc, and very few in it, possesses a nobler general collection of .specimens of presses of the fathers of printing ; many specimens, indeed are unknown in the British and Imperial Museums of Paris and Vienna, Earl Spencer’s famous collection at Althropo and other celebrated libraries. The united libra-

ries of tho United States cannot match the I’aro volumes contained in this one collection. Sir George used to relate, with some humour, an anecdote of an American collector who had been tor someyears engaged in tho vain task of endeavouring to procure for the United States a copy of the first folio of Shakspeare’s works. Only 14 copies of this book, so precious to all families of tho Anglo-Saxon stock, are known. The American was informed that a gentleman recently from the Cape of Good Hope was tho possessor of one of these inestimable and unattainable volumes. Jonathan forthwith posted to Sir George, had a hearty good stare at him, and then took himself off, saying, “It was something, anyhow, if he could’nt get the Shakspeare, to see a gentleman who, though residing at the Capo, had been able to secure what all tho States could’nt get.” “But besides the printed books, Sir George Grey’s library is rich in choice and rare in manuscripts, amongst them is the finest manuscript of Dante known, and recently acquired by Sir George at a price exceeding £SOO. _ “The present generation will scarcely appreciate the extent of a donation which,at once elevates the. South African Public Library to the position of a first-class library ; but posterity will acknowledge with gratitude the value of-the gift which will create a taste in South Africa for learn-' ing and literature to all future time.