pass and repass; their sayings and doings are interwoven with the sayings and doings of the fictitious characters; and all read like a genuine memoir of the time. The rock ahead of historical novelists is the danger of reproducing too much of their raw material; making the art visible by which they construct their image of a by-gone time; painting its manners and the outside of its life with the sense of contrast with which men of the present naturally view them, or looking at its parties and its politics in the light of modern questions: the rock ahead of Mr. Thackeray, in particular, was the temptation merely to dramatize his lectures: but he has triumphed over these difficulties, and Queen Anne's Colonel writes his life, - and a very interesting life it is, just as such a Queen Anne's Colonel might be supposed to have written it." Half a century has sustained that earlier estimate. In his De Libris (1908), Austin Dobson says that this novel "is still unrivaled as the typical example of that class of historical fiction, which, dealing indiscriminately with characters real and feigned, develops them both with equal familiarity, treating them each from within, and investing them impartially with a common atmosphere of illusion. No modern novel has done this in the same way, nor with the same good fortune, as Esmond; and there is nothing more to be said on this score." If Thackeray succeeded in keeping his literary workshop from view in his novel, the revelation of some of the bases of his process, as discovered in his little notebook, cannot fail to have an interest to the literary historian. T MANUSCRIPT DIVISION OTHER RECENT ADDITIONS HE November Bulletin mentioned a military diary and account book of Captain Henry True, of Salisbury, Mass. The Library has since purchased another account book of Captain True, 1712-1725, with accounts by Samuel True relating to the first church of Salisbury, 1774-1803. Of peculiar interest for the early period of the American Revolution is an orderly book kept principally by Captain William Mason and Captain William Charnock, of Colonel (afterwards General) William Moultrie's command, from June 20, 1775 – December 8, 1776. It contains data in regard to the building of Fort Sullivan (now Fort Moultrie) in Charleston harbor, South Carolina, and the attack thereon by the British fleet on June 28, 1776. To the same period there also belongs a “Journal of the Canadian Campaign, 1775," kept by Henry Brockholst Livingston, from August 25 to December 19, of that year. The later period of the war is represented by two orderly books kept by Lieutenant Libbeus Loomis, adjutant of the First Connecticut Regiment of the Line, in General Heath's command, mostly in The Highlands of the Hudson, from February 5 - April 9, and May 30 - July 14, 1782. tireppper Heilory of Grape Japan. Statice of the t? in Stocks marked. The neatly wrought Conduil in the masked place: allu berl End of Lombard St., whereupon is placed a bay magnificcal Statue of K.C. 11 an troback Izaumpling reporu an enemy all in lolule marble alllu sole carl of that worthy Celizen & Batta Sin R Viner kat a Bt. kingi Square - Soc. Hoc. Field, Wuldings is another Balue of the king very find. Heet Broob. The ruughty chargeable and beautiful wort rendering navigable the Flest Drak a bilde for the river Thames up to Holborn widgus the curious tove bridge oveists! ts tu quay king. Vaults an each side thereof to Iecarwre if Newcarte coals for the use of the poor. Exchanges an Leridou beside quarkits alle Royal Exchange-al theat & Exeter Change bolle in the there he many exchange whique ate allure for ladies x pullericii ale new Exchang Hee Cloysters of Saint Bartholomews & dien. Sirand-not to speak of Jalary of 2000. Prucru ware Newgale Ludgate 9 Dunch. Alt. Maukalica - Newforeion white claffeld Galetters keeping a Christmas. Chamberdaya (1704) 413, a cururu account of the manner of the Kuple Students. In 1694 Churchile send an expres leller to k. James warning hum of K. burleans design to alled Deest. Ju Macph. 1.487. 1.456. 499.500 Lord Areau dou in law of Sunderland & S allo in the plot. I won whit by P'aumental Gordore of the Scode coll. al Paris that auring the hostilities between the Dod Surlborough whs had helligner of llu D.Oxford. wear the end of l zeigu, diceford a pretended at that hume to to in the cuteness of that family applied fou and got a pupif the reginal war in his hands was the cason of the bi going into a aced that his making the B kurw that his lifs The bike sich was in England in 1695. br Tillotion b. Patrick to of Pelaborow Dr. Shhungfuel of o' Pack Dr. Tumis en of Si Martins. Dr. Sherlock Master of the Kuple. les Wake in the wonderfulles quring man in her wald & he most popular divine now in England. Butul to lom PAGE FROM THACKERAY'S NOTEBOOK The War of 1812 is represented among the recent additions by an orderly book of General Green Clay, of the First Brigade of Kentucky Militia detached. This has entries from March 19 - August 25, 1813, written mostly in the hand of his aide, Joseph H. Hawkins, at Lexington, Cincinnati, Camp George Town, Dayton, Piqua, St. Marys, Fort Winchester, Fort Meigs, etc. It includes an original "plan of march" and an autographic roll of General Clay's officers, dated at Camp Meigs, September 16, 1813, agreeing to continue with the army to Malden. The Texas revolution and Mexican War are represented by a most important purchase of more than three-fourths of the correspondence of Commodore David Conner, U. S. N. It consists of more than 2,600 pieces, including secret diplomatic papers, official instructions and correspondence from the Navy Department, secret intelligence, communications from the commanders of the ships in his squadron, and drafts of his own correspondence. The Library has also acquired a small number of official reports and letters to Rear Admiral L. M. Goldsborough, U. S. N., commander of the European squadron in 1866-1867, during the rebellion of Crete against Turkey, showing the part played by our navy in succoring refugees. New York history has been enriched by a volume of “General Observations on the Brantingham Tract," in Lewis County, accompanied by a large map of the tract as surveyed into lots in 1806 by P. Benjamin Wright, with colored drawings of the Black River Falls, the Canal Lock, and Hell Gate on Black River. But the most important accession of interest to students of the history of New York is the original manuscript report of February, 1811, of the first commissioners appointed by the legislature of New York to explore the route from the Hudson River to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie for an inland navigation. It was presented to the senate on March 2, 1811. This primary document in the history of the Erie Canal bears the signatures of Gouverneur Morris, Stephen Van Rensselaer, W. North, De Witt Clinton, Thomas Eddy, Peter B. Porter and Simeon De Witt. The Library has secured a portion of the papers of John Tayler, acting governor of New York for some months in 1817. Tayler had a public career of half a century, during which period he held many important posts. The papers acquired extend from 1787-1849. The Honorable Charles S. Fairchild, Secretary of the Treasury in the cabinet of President Cleveland, has given to the Library a number of financial papers and account books of the Third Great Western or Cherry Valley Turnpike and of the Utica and Syracuse Railroad. New acquisitions of British naval and military documents include a contemporary manuscript volume giving a record of the grants of the British Parliament for the army and navy, 1689-1698; abstracts of accounts of public revenue, taxes and loans, 1688-1697, with an estimate of the cost of the war; a general and particular state of the army in 1697; grants in 1698; list of the navy royal of England, 1688-1697, with interesting particulars. There is also the original letter copy-book of Captain A. H. Hoskins, R. N., while in command of H.M.S. "Sultan," from December 3, 1873, to September 25, 1874. NEWS OF THE MONTH GIFTS NE of the most interesting gifts received by the Library during the month of November, was "The History of the Welcome to the North Atlantic Fleet of the United States Navy, October 12-15, 1912, by a Committee of citizens appointed by the Honorable William J. Gaynor, Mayor of the City of New York, collated by George Frederick Kunz," New York, 1914, consisting of six volumes bound in full morocco. This work was presented to the Library by the Mayor's Committee, through Dr. George F. Kunz. Capt. Newton H. Chittenden of Brooklyn gave the Library the "Official Report of the Exploration of the Queen Charlotte Islands for the Government of British Columbia by Newton H. Chittenden, 1884." This report is made up of manuscript notes, pamphlets, photographs, etc., bound in one volume. From Mr. Isaac Roberts of Jersey City came a collection of one volume and 118 pamphlets of anti-slavery literature. The anti-slavery pamphlets cover the period from 1832 to 1863, and were presented to Mr. Roberts by Aaron M. Powell, who had received them from Wendell Phillips. Mr. William G. Watt of New York gave the Library a wood-engraving of "The Trousseau" by Charles W. Hawthorne, engraved on wood by William G. Watt. The following authors presented copies of their works to the Library: - Mr. Arthur M. Curry of Newton Highlands, Mass., Mrs. C. M. Greenman of Westerly, R. I., Mr. F. Gray Griswold of Roslyn, L. I., Mr. C. G. Hine of New York, Mr. George Edward Ide, of New York, Rev. Frederick Lynch of New York, Mr. Walter H. McClenon of Los Angeles, Mr. Edward T. Newell of New York, Comm. Luigi Ravani of Genoa, Italy, Mr. W. C. Van Antwerp of New York, and Mrs. William E. Verplanck of New York. The following interesting miscellaneous collections were received: - from Herr Wilhelm Clausen of Partenkirchen, Bayern, the Kriegs-Chronik der Münchner Neuesten Nachrichten nos. 1-50, München, 1914; from Dr. William Paul Gerhard of New York, a collection of documents and land maps pertaining to British Columbia; from Mr. Conrad G. Goddard of New York, a collection of aeronautical and motor journals, 446 in number; from Mr. Samuel B. Massa of New York, volumes 2-5 of the "Publications of the Naval His tory Society"; from Mrs. Herbert Parsons of New York, a collection of United States statutes at large; revised statutes, codes, and general laws of New York, etc., 60 volumes in all; from Mr. Nicholas Rosenhauer of New York, 19 volumes and 1 pamphlet, consisting of reports of proceedings of the International Typographical Union; from Prof. John J. Stevenson of New York a collection of 5 volumes, 83 pamphlets, and 1 map, relating to geology and archæology; from Brentano's, New York, 81 pamphlets, mainly from the "Books for the bairns" series; and from the Education Committee of Birmingham, England, 18 pamphlets published by the Central Care Committee and Board of Trade, relating to employment in Birmingham. Additions to the Library's collection of genealogical material were received from the following donors:- Dr. Waldo E. Boardman, of Boston, Mr. William M. Clemens of New York, Mr. George A. Tripp of Chicago, Mr. Harold Vizard of New York, and Dr. James Clarke White of Boston. A NEW EXHIBITIONS N exhibition of etchings and other prints by Félix Bracquemond is being held in the Stuart Gallery. M. Bracquemond, famous for his etchings of birds. died on October 27, 1914. He is represented in the Avery Collection by nearly 800 pieces. The Prints Division has drawn on this Collection to present an interesting review of the work of him whom some one has called the "Michael Angelo of ducks." Peter Moran, an American etcher prominent in the revival of etching in this country toward the end of the past century, died on November 13. An exhibit of his etchings has been arranged in the Stuart Gallery. READERS AND VISITORS IN November the total number of readers in the Central Building was 72,522. They consulted 198,186 volumes. Visitors to the building numbered 243,492. |