BOOK III. Chapter XX. Town Libraries of Scotland. Medicine, respectively. Large powers were given both to these Incorporations at large, and to the chosen Di- University and rectors to make Regulations for the new institution. "It being understood," says the Deed of Mortification, "that no Regulations.. which may be made.. shall be inconsistent with or strike against the chief or primary view of this donation, viz. the constant and perpetual existence of a Public Library for the Citizens of Glasgow."1 Unfortunately, the benefaction was of too small amount for its purpose, consistently with the express direction of the Testator, that the sum to be laid out in the purchase of books "shall never be less than Twenty pounds yearly." There is no evidence that any the smallest effort was made at the time to excite the wealthy citizens of Glasgow to an emulation of Mr. Stirling's liberality. Instead of this, the Directors (31st October 1791) restricted the loan of books to such Citizens and inhabitants of Glasgow as should pay a life-subscription of three guineas, which sum was increased to five guineas in 1794, and to ten guineas in 1816, but reduced to five guineas again in 1833. During the first three years, the total number of persons who subscribed was 390; during the subsequent fiftyfour years, 275. The total amount subscribed, during the fifty-seven years ending with 1848, was £2779. 1 Report of the Commissioners on the Universities of Scotland, ut supra, 284; Repertorium Bibliographicum, § Hunterian Library, 140-144; Strang, Glasgow and its Clubs (Second Edition, 1857), 84, 85; Report on the measures that should be adopted to render Stirling's Library more useful to the Citizens of Glasgow (1848), passim. Dibdin, Northern ̧ Tour, ii, 722-742. BOOK III. Chapter XX. The number of volumes at the last-named date was University and about 10,000. Town Libraries of Scotland.. The Library of the University of Edinburgh is, as a Library of Edin- public possession, two years older than the University burgh University. itself. It was in 1580 that Clement Littill, described as "Commissary in Edinburgh," bequeathed his books "to Edinburgh and the Kirk of God," under the trusteeship of the Town Council. By this body the collection was transferred to the infant University, founded in 1582. It consisted but of some three hundred of the portly volumes of the day,-chiefly, it need scarcely be added, in Theology,—but was soon augmented by many liberal gifts, amongst which those of James Nairne and Dr. Robert Johnston are conspicuous. Still more remarkable was the donation by William Drummond of Hawthornden, of a choice collection of Greek and Latin classics, of curious works in the early literature of Scotland, and of a few books in other departments.1 Sir John Chekeley gave, in 1650, a precious vellum Codex of the Greek Gospels, apparently of the 13th century. No very noticeable accession seems to have occurred until the incorporation with the University Library, in 1763, of the small collection of books-about five hundred volumes-which belonged to the College of Surgeons. Shortly before this transfer the number of volumes was stated at 13,000. 1 "Drummond bequeathed his whole Library," is the Statement of the Commissioners on the Scottish Universities, but this seems to be an error. The Auctarium Bibliothecæ Edinburgenæ, printed in 1627, contains a list of books given by the poet. The Registers record other gifts in 1628 and 1635. Drummond's death, (said, it will be remembered, to have been hastened by grief for the execution of Charles I.,) occurred in 1649. UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AT EDINBURGH. 31 BOOK III. Chapter XX. Town Libraries of Scotland. duced to the use Library by the At this period the University Library of Edinburgh was one of the institutions privileged to claim books University and by Copyright-Tax. The right was very irregularly enforced or complied with. But, whatever its productiveness, it is obvious that, to some extent, it must have given a public character to the Libraries so favoured. The more singular, therefore, will it appear that the access of the Members of the College of Surgeons has been magnified into a grievance. So distinguished a man as Professor Leslie expressed himself on this point to the Crown Commissioners in these combative terms: "The Library of the Surgeons, if exposed to sale tomorrow would not, I am sure, bring fifty pounds. But to trim the balance nicely, the Surgeons promised to objections adpay yearly five pounds, which they have generously of the University raised lately to twenty pounds. It thus appears that by transferring to the Library the fiftieth part of its stock, and scarcely the fiftieth part of its annual revenue, they claim the whole of the privileges. Thirty was the number of Surgeons when this wretched contract was made, but they now amount to ninety, of whom above sixty are in the daily habit of frequenting the Library; they roam about the different rooms, distracting the attention of the Under-Librarians, and demanding their services; and they borrow more than six hundred volumes of all kinds for themselves and their apprentices. .... The transaction was clearly unwarrantable and illegal from the beginning. Neither the Senatus nor the Town Council had any power to barter away the rights of the University, or to communicate the privileges of the Library, which was formed mainly out of College of Surgeons. BOOK III. the funds contributed by the Students, to any other University and body." Chapter XX. Town Libraries of Scotland. Later accessions. General charac ter of the Uni Of the more recent accessions by gift or by bequest, the most noticeable is that of about 600 volumes which accrued by the legacy of Dr. William Thomson (a member of the College of Surgeons), in 1808. In common with other branches of the University, the Library has also benefited by the munificent bequest of General Reid. The number of volumes which had been received under the Copyright Act is not, I believe, now ascertainable. The yearly amount of compensation money assigned, (under the 5 and 6 of William IV., c. 110,) since 1837, is £575. The other sources of income are (1.) Matriculation fees; (2.) Graduation fees in Theology, in Medicine, or in Arts; (3.) A donation of five pounds from each Professor on his induction; (4.) The annual payment of twenty pounds by the College of Surgeons. At the date of the Commissioners' Report (1830), the sum yearly applicable to purchases was stated as about £500. The whole number of volumes in the Library was about 70,000. The rate of annual increase, from 1200 to 1400 volumes. As to the general character of the collection at this versity Library period, the Commissioners cite the opinion of a Professor conversant with Libraries, alluding, I believe, to as reported on in 1830. the late Mr. Macvey Napier, who describes it to contain much that is valuable, and not a little that is both curious and rare; but adds that, viewed as a Repertory of varied information in Science and Literature, it is defective and unequal; its redundancies in some branches being as great as its deficiencies in others. It is emi UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AT EDINBURGH. 33 BOOK IT. Chapter XX. Town Libraries of Scotland. nently wanting in that character of generality, founded upon the possession of all that is most useful and inter- University and esting in every branch of knowledge, which the witness regarded as constituting "the best recommendation of an extensive Library," but which assuredly it needs the combination of wealth and time to achieve. The Natural Sciences, it was further stated, were well supplied with the publications belonging to them. With the Metaphysical, Ethical, and Political Sciences, the case was very different. In all of them the deficiencies. were great; and "Politics," especially, was nearly a total blank. In Classical Literature few great Libraries, it was thought, were more defective, including under that head, "all that relates to the exposition and illustration of the Ancient Classics; all to which a scholar, in the more enlarged sense of the term, may be supposed anxious to direct his inquiries.” Since the investigation by the Royal Commissioners, much has been done for the improvement of the Library, although the expenditure for books, so far as concerns the funds of the University, has been reduced. During the twelve years, 1837-1848, the amount received from the Consolidated Fund was £6900, and that received from the College of Surgeons, £240; leaving but about £300 to be defrayed from the University Chest, since the total amount spent in purchases was but £7453. The number of volumes so obtained was 9283. The aggregate number of volumes which the Library possessed in 1849 was 90,854 printed, and 310 MSS. The present contents of the Library amount to nearly 100,000 volumes. 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