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
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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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    V0I9. of Printed Books Vols. of MSS. In the in the Principal Library. Principal Library. Population. Munich. 500,000* .16,000 . (95,718) Parisf. 700,000+ 80,000 (890,431) London, British Museum 220,000 about 22,000 (1,528,301) And this is the only really public library in England ! But, again, of some of these great libraries, their mere extent is their least recommendation; what they have, having been well-selected; a point far more important than mere numbers. This fact may be illustrated by reference to the first on the list,—the Library of Gottingen. The following is the testimony of Mr. Russell, who visited it recently :— “ The Gottingen library is not only the most complete among the Uni¬ versities, but there are very few royal or public collections in Germany, which can rival it in real utility [and if not in Germany where else?]. It is not rich in MSS., and many other libraries surpass it in typographical rarities and specimens of typographical luxury ; but none contains so great a number of really useful books, in any given branch of knowledge. The “principle on which they proceed is, to collect the solid learning and literature 1811, says respecting it in his “ Tableau de St. Petersbourg, ou Lett res sur la Russie (8vo, Paris, 1814), pp. 140-141. * Stein, ii, 410. Munich has, besides, its University library, containing 160,000 printed books. A more particular account may be found in Von Schaden’s Beschreibung der Hauptstadt Munchen, 2d edit. (1833), p. /8. f I believe there are several other libraries—some in Italy, for instance— which should be added to this first list; but I have not just now at hand the means of verifying the conjecture. The library of the Vatican is certainly very extensive; but I have not been able readily to find its number of volumes. Vasi, after describing its rarities, &c. speaks of it as *f arrichita collo spoglio di moltissime librerie di Europa; e di altrove ancora; tanto die in oggi non vi b una simile.”—Itinerario di Roma (1777)> p* 503. This library is divided into three portions; the first, open, I understand, very freely to every one; the second, kept somewhat more privately; and the third, a sort of sanctum sanctorum, only to be visited with special permission. | Report to Appendix, pp. 525, et seq. Paris has five other public libra¬ ries (exclusive of those of the University, the Chambers, &c. &c.) which contain 476,000 printed books, and 18,000 MSS.; so that there are in Paris at least 1,300,000 volumes, open to all who desire to consult them. In the various departments of France there are nearly 250 provincial public libraries: among the most considerable are those of Bordeaux (115,000), Lyons (100,000), Aix (75,000), Besan^on (56,000), Amiens (48,000), Versailles (40,000) Marseilles (35,000), Toulouse (30,000), &c.
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