Notes on the foundation and history of Marischal College / [W. Martin ].

  • Willy Martin
Date:
[1849?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes on the foundation and history of Marischal College / [W. Martin ]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    45/170 (page 41)
    “will be of more general use, than in the village of Old “ Aberdeen.5’ On the last point ( Which College should have the custody of the books?) the Members of King’s College for the time thus expressed themselves— “ The only other pretence used by the petitioners (Marischal College), why they should be preferred to the custody of said books, is that their situation [the royal burgh of Aberdeen], is more commodious than the Respondent’s,” [“the village of Old Aberdeen.”] “This pfetenceis neither relevant nor true. What is it to the purpose that they are situated in a populous Royal Burgh ? Books are not intended for the use of Burghers, but for Students; and the more retired the place is, the more fit it is for reading and studying them. “The Petitioners’ Library is a very ill place for books, being exposed to all Eastern storms and steams from the sea; whereas the Respondents have a magnificent fabric, and large precincts, well fenced, and lying to the south sun.* “The Masters of the Marischal College, having but small sala¬ ries, do generally give the office of Library-keeper to one of hemselves, who do not give such attendance as the exigence of the Students would require; whereas the Respondents have a Library-keeper, who has no other business but to attend upon the Students; and the Students of the Marischal College have had more access to the Respondents' Library these many years by-past, than their own. “ Add to these considerations, that if the matter were to be taken upon the footing of the antiquated Caroline University, the Respondents’ Library would have the preference; because, by that gift, there is a very great provision made for the support of the Respondents'1 Library, which shows that it was even then considered as The Library of that University.” We call the reader’s attention to the description here given by King’s College, of their Library, as a means of obtaining a decision * Readers at a distance can liave little idea of the power of romantic, description that is here displayed.