BOOK IV. Chapter II. Libraries of the be remembered by all lovers of books for his keen enSubscription joyment of them up to the age of eighty-six. "Books," United States. said he, "give me a downy pillow.") It now numbers nearly 18,000 volumes; is, of course, especially wellprovided in American history, and continues to be a Library for reference, not for lending. the Boston Athenæum. The Library of the Boston "Athenæum" stands sa[9] Library of liently out from amongst its compeers, alike for its extent, its liberality of access, its richness in departments not usually well-filled in American Libraries, and for a precious remnant which it includes of the Library of George Washington. Founded in 1806, it has, within half-a-century, amassed more than 60,000 well-selected and well-arranged volumes, and these are lodged in a noble building which is already capable of accommodating half as many more. For books and building together, a sum of fifty-four thousand pounds sterling has been raised by subscription and donation (independently of the annual subscriptions for maintenance and ordinary expenses). This has been done quietly and without ostentation; and the greater part of the sum has been raised within the last ten or eleven years. Of such an indication of public spirit Boston may well be proud. As may be expected under such circumstances, the bulk of this fine collection has accrued from systematic purchases. George Watson Brimmer gave, in 1838, a "magnificent series of books on the Fine Arts;" and, between the years 1823 and 1826, three several small and special Boston Collections--theological, medical, LIBRARY OF THE BOSTON ATHENEUM. 195 and scientific-were wisely merged in the Athenæum; but almost everything else has been bought. BOOK IV. Chapter II. Subscription Libraries of the This Library is rich in the Transactions of learned United States. Societies. It has complete sets of those of the Royal Society, of the French Institute, and of the Academies of Berlin, Göttingen, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Turin, Lisbon, Madrid, and St. Petersburgh, with many others of less note. In Natural History, also, it has many fine works. When Bushrod Washington died, the Library which he had inherited from his uncle, along with the Mount Vermont estate, was divided. Part was left, and still remains there. The other part fell to Colonel Washington,-and came eventually into the market. The public papers were bought by Congress, but the books and pamphlets were declined. These were then purchased by Mr. Henry Stevens, and offered to the Boston Athenæum. With the public spirit which is characteristic of the place, a few Boston gentlemen, whose liberality was far from being exhausted by the many previous subscriptions above-mentioned, made the acquisition, and presented it to the Library. It consists of about 450 bound volumes, and of nearly 1000 pamphlets, as yet (or lately) unbound. About 350 contain his autograph, and some of them his notes. One of the books has his autograph in a school-boy hand, written about his ninth year. Several have the autographs of his father and mother. Several others are presentation copies from distinguished authors. "The regulations of the Boston Library," says Professor Jewett, "are framed with the design that it shall BOOK IV. Chapter II. Libraries of the Libraries. the answer the highest purposes of a Public Library. PractiSubscription cally it is such, for each proprietor, besides the right for himself and his family to use the Library, may grant to two other persons constant access to it, free of all assessments; and tickets for a month to any number of strangers. Any person, indeed, strangers or residents, may be introduced for a special purpose by a note from a proprietor. Thus the bye-laws open doors of the institution to a large number of persons: so that the proprietor who bestows on others the free use of all the rights he can impart, renders himself thereby a public benefactor." Nor is this all; the principal civil authorities of Massachusetts, the clergy of Boston, and the resident graduates of several colleges, may have access, and may borrow books, on the same terms as proprietors. It remains to give some brief description of the building which contains this excellent Library. Its style is Palladian, and its material freestone and brick. The façade is 100 feet in length and 60 in height. The principal floor comprises two reading-rooms, a committee room, and a sculpture gallery. The floor above contains the Library, which is arranged in a large room (109 feet by 40 feet), filled with bookcases to the height of 19 feet, and two smaller ones. The upper story comprises a series of rooms for pictures. The entire cost of the building has been about £27,000 sterling.1 1 Bibliotheca Sacra, Jan., 1850 (article written by the late lamented Rev. B. B. Edwards), 176, 177. Jewett, Notices, ut supra, 19-23. LIBRARY OF THE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. 197 The Library of the AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY was founded at Worcester, Massachusetts, in October, 1812. It now contains nearly 21,000 volumes, and has been formed (as the Society's name denotes) for the special cultivation of American history. Its founder was Dr. Isaiah Thomas, the historian of printing, who gave as its ground-work his own collection of about 3000 bound volumes, a large number of pamphlets, and the best series of newspapers existing in America. This last-named collection begins with the first number of the first paper printed in the United States. By his instrumentality a precious remnant, perhaps the greater portion, of the oldest Library which had been formed in Massachusetts--that of Increase and Cotton Mather -was presented by their descendant, Mrs. Hannah Mather Crocker. It amounted to 900 volumes, and included MS. papers, diaries, and correspondence of considerable value, as well those of the two John Cottons, as of the Mather family. Dr. William Bentley, of Salem, Mr. Thomas Wallcut, of Boston, and Mr. Thomas L. Winthrop, its present President, have all been liberal donors to the Society's collection. The founder made the aggrandizement of this Library the main object of his latter years. Although he was sixty-three years old when it began its useful career, he was permitted to preside over it for nearly twenty years more, and marked every one of them by some valuable gift. At the time of his decease he had, on the whole, presented about 9000 volumes, and he left the Society a perpetual endowment towards the expenses of maintenance. BOOK IV. Chapter II. Libraries of the Amongst the Society's MSS., other than those alSubscription ready mentioned, there are many possessing considerable importance for the early history of New England. There is also a curious series of old prints, maps, and charts. United States. [11.] Library of the American Academy of Na tural Sciences. [12.] Mercantile Library of The AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES was originated at Philadelphia, in 1812, and incorporated in 1817. The Library is especially rich in works of Natural History. Of books relating to Ornithology— a most costly department—it was said, in 1850, to possess a complete series.1 It also possesses-what would not there be looked for a curious collection of the revolutionary literature of France. This formed part of a liberal present of books from Mr. William Maclure, amounting in the whole to 5233 volumes. The Zoological collections of this Academy are the best in the United States, and the Ornithological' section of them is one of the largest in the world. It was stated to contain, eight years ago, about 25,000 specimens." Of all those Subscription Libraries which bear the name "Mercantile," that of New York is foremost, though not quite earliest in point of date. The first meeting for its establishment was held in Nov., 1820, about six months after the commencement of that at Boston. Both began on a very humble scale; but the former has grown until it possesses 48,000 volumes. The latter counted in 1854, but 15,247 volumes.3 |