A letter to Benjamin Hawes, Esq., M.P., being strictures on the minutes of evidence taken before the Select Committee on the British Museum; with an appendix, containing heads of inquiry respecting the improvement of the Museum / [Edward Edwards].

  • Edward Edwards
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to Benjamin Hawes, Esq., M.P., being strictures on the minutes of evidence taken before the Select Committee on the British Museum; with an appendix, containing heads of inquiry respecting the improvement of the Museum / [Edward Edwards]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    exist generally in foreign libraries, and your answer was, “ I do not think they do; there is none in the Royal Library at Paris, for instance, and that is a very large library; I mean none for the last half century.” Have you anything to add on that head?—Nothing that I recollect. [2400,] Do you mean to say, that from your own knowledge there is no classed catalogue existing in any foreign library ?—By no means; because I have not seen any very great number of foreign libraries ; I have only seen the chief of those in France arid Belgium. [2401.] Then why did you say that you did not believe that classed cata¬ logues exist in foreign libraries ?—Because a good classed catalogue of any great foreign library would be sure to be known in an institution like the Museum. [2402.] The question is not, whether any good classed catalogue exists in foreign libraries, but whether any classed catalogue exists, good or bad ?— I have never seen any. [2403.] Have you ever had your attention drawn to the Imperial Library at St. Petersburgh ?—I have not. [2404.] Do you know the extent of that library ?—I do not; I have un¬ derstood it is a very extensive library. [2405.] In the return that was made to the House of Commons, and printed the 18th of May, 1835, it is there stated, that in the Imperial Library of St. Petersburgh there are three catalogues: le Catalogue Alphabetique des Livres, par ordre des Matieres; le Catalogue Alphabetique des Auteurs, et le Catalogue Raisonne: are you acquainted at all with these catalogues ? —Not at all; I never heard of them in print; I conclude they are in manu¬ script. [2406.] Supposing such catalogues to exist, would they not be desirable works to have in the Museum ?—If they are in print, it might be desirable for us to have them; but I do not conceive it would be desirable for us to have a transcript made of such manuscript catalogues. [2407.] Supposing them to be in print, it would be desirable for the Mu¬ seum to possess them ?—Every book of that description is desirable for the Museum library. [2408.] Have you or the trustees made any inquiry on the subject of classed catalogues in libraries abroad ?—I am not aware that any inquiries of that kind have been made. [2409.] Is that from your not thinking it of any importance ?—No; by no means. [2410.] Why then, when the subject of a classed catalogue has been so long under the consideration of the Trustees of the Museum, have you made no inquiries as to catalogues in libraries abroad?—I think there are people in this country quite as fit to class books as in any other country; I do not know why we should go to Russia to seek for such persons. [2411.] You were not asked whether you should go to Russia to seek for c
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