Chap. II. own BOOK III, was HISTORY MUSEUM H. ELLIS. Books (now before me) is incontestably due. My experience in such matters, in the spring of 1839, small indeed. That of my friend PARRY was even less. Mr. Winter JONES possessed, already, the advantage of a UNDER SIE thorough familiarity with the Library about to be catalogued, and also an extensive and thorough general knowledge of books. Of Mr. PANIZZI's qualifications and attainments, for such a labour, it would be supererogatory and idle to say a word more, except that he had alreadyand single-handed-made so good a Catalogue of the fine Library of the Royal Society that the meddling of half-adozen revisers' failed to spoil it. But there is no impropriety in saying of Mr. WATTS, that he so delighted in the labour in hand as to make it seem, to those who worked with him, that he looked upon it in the light of a pleasant recreation rather than in the light of a dry task. But whatever the ultimate differences of opinion, amongst those concerned in such a matter, about the merits of the Museum Catalogue, begun in 1839, there was no difference at all, either in the House or out of it, as to the conspicuous merits of his performance of every subsequent duty. His stores of knowledge were put, with the utmost readiness, at the service of all sorts of readers; and he was not less admirable in the discharge of his office of Superintendent of the Reading Room than afterwards in the more prominent office of Keeper of Printed Bookswhich he held little more than three years. When Sir Henry ELLIS retired, in 1856, from the office of Principal-Librarian, the Collection of Printed Bookswhich he had found, on his accession to that office, extending to less than one hundred and fifty thousand volumes—— exceeded five hundred and twenty thousand volumes. BOOK III, Chap. II. HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM UNDER SIR H. ELLIS. MR. PANIZZI'S MEMOIR ON TION OF PRINTED Books, 1845. The annual number of Readers admitted had increased from about seven hundred and fifty to nearly four thousand. The one step which did more than aught else to promote this improvement was the systematic survey of the then existing condition of the Printed Library, in all the great departments of knowledge, which Mr. PANIZZI set on foot in 1843, and embodied in a Memoir addressed to the Trustees, on the first of January, 1845. The principle on which this Memoir was compiled lay in the careful comparison of the Museum Catalogues with the THE COLLEC best special bibliographies, and with the Catalogues of other Libraries. In Jurisprudence, for example, the national collection was tested by the Bibliotheca Juridica of LIPENIUS, SENCKENBERG, and MADAHN; by the list of law. books inserted in DUPIN's edition of CAMUS' Lettres SUT la profession d'Avocat, and by the Bibliothèque diplomatique choisie of MARTENS. In Political Economy, by BLANQUI's list given in the Histoire de l'Economie politique en Europe. The Mathematical section of the Library was compared with ROGG's Handbuch der mathematischen Literatur. In British History, the Bibliotheca Grenvilliana, and the Catalogue of the Library of the Writers to the Signet, were examined, for those sections of the subject to which they more particularly applicable, and so in the other departments. The facts thus elicited were striking. It was shown that much had been done since 1836 to augment almost every section of the Library; but that the deficiencies were still of the most conspicuous sort. In a word, the statement abundantly established the truth of the proposition that the Collection of Printed Books in the British Museum is not nearly so complete and perfect as the National Library of Great Britain ought to be. were on 6 Chap. II. OF THE and it then proceeded to discuss the further question: By BOOK III. what means can the collection be brought with all proper HISTORY despatch to a state of as much completeness and perfection MUSEUM as is attainable in such matters, and as the public service UNDER SIR may require ?' It was shown that no reliance could be placed upon donations, for the filling up those gaps in the Library which were the special subject of the Memoir. Rare and precious books might thus come, but not the widely miscellaneous assemblage still needed. As to special grants for the acquisition of entire collections, not one of ten such collections, it was thought, would, under existing circumstances, be suitable for the Museum. The Copyright-tax has no bearing, however rigidly enforced, save on current British Literature. There remained, therefore, but one adequate resource, that of annual Parliamentary grants, unfettered by restrictions as to their application, and capable of being depended upon for a considerable number of years to come. Purchases might thus be organized in all parts of the world with foresight, system, and continuity. In the letter addressed by the Trustees to the Treasury, it was stated that, for filling up the chasms which are so much to be regretted, and some of which are distinctly set forth in the annexed document, the Trustees think that a sum of not less than ten thousand a year will be required for the next ten years,' in addition to the usual five thousand a year for the ordinary acquisitions of the Library. 6 H. ELLIS. The Lords of the Treasury were not willing to recommend to Parliament a larger annual grant than ten thousand pounds, for the purchase of books of all descriptions,' but so far they were disposed to proceed, 'for some Treasury years to come;' and they strongly inculcated upon the 1845. Trustees the necessity, during the continuance of such Minutes, BOOK III, Chap. II. HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM UNDER SIR H. ELLIS. MANU SCRIPTS ADDED IN THE YEARS 1849, 1850. grants, of postponing additions to the other collections under their charge, which, however desirable in themselves, are of subordinate importance to that of completing the Library.' In 1843, an important series of modern Historical MSS., relating more especially to the South of Europe, was pur chased from the RANUZZI family of Bologna. The papers of the Brothers Laurence HYDE, Earl of Rochester, and Henry HYDE, Earl of Clarendon, were also secured. Additions, too, of considerable interest, were made to the theological and classical sections of the MS. Department, by the purchase of many vellum MSS., ranging from the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries. In 1849, the most important acquisitions related to our British History. About three hundred documents illustrative of the English Wars in France (1418 to 1450), nearly a hundred autograph letters of WILLIAM III, and an extensive series of transcripts from the archives at the Hague, were thus gathered for the future historian. In 1850, a curious series of Stammbücker, three hundred and twenty in number, and in date extending from 1554 to 1785, was obtained by purchase. These Albums, collectively, contained more than twentyseven thousand autographs of persons more or less eminent in the various departments of human activity. Amongst them is the signature of MILTON. The acquisitions of 1851 included some Biblical MSS. of great curiosity; an extensive series of autograph letters (chiefly from the Donnadieu Collection), and a large number of papers relating to the affairs of the English Mint. In the year last named Sir Frederick MADDEN thus summed up the accessions to his Department since the year 1836: ND BENEFAC to the othe Papyri BOOK III, OF THE UNDER SIR TABULAR VIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT FROM 1836-1851. And he adds :-' If money had been forthcoming, the number TO THE MSS. THE PRINTED 1851. The causes which at this period again tended somewhat to GROWTH OF slacken the growth of the Printed Collection have been DEPARTglanced at already. But during the fifteen years from MENT UP TO 1836 to 1851, it had increased at the rate of sixteen thousand volumes a year, on the average. When the estimates of 1852 were under discussion, Mr. PANIZZI stated, 'that till room is provided, the deficiency must in a great measure continue, and new [foreign] books only to a limited extent be purchased.' The grant for such purchases was therefore, in that year, limited to four thousand pounds. In a subsequent report, Mr. PANIZZI added, that he could not but deeply regret the ill-consequences which must accrue by allowing old deficiencies to con |