1850.]

Libraries at Worcester and Andover.

181

LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY AT

WORCESTER.

There are more than 18,000 volumes in this Library, besides a mass of unbound pamphlets and MSS., and other deposites of interest and value. The permanent funds of the society amount to $29,538,33, divided into three funds, viz: the librarian's $13,351,78; a fund originally intended in part for researches among the aboriginal tribes in the West, which has accumulated to $12,056,20; and a residuary fund which may be employed for any of the necessary purposes of the society and which amounts to $4,130,35. The first volume of the Society's Transactions is on the fortifications, mounds and other antiquities of the West, by Caleb Atwater, with some letters from other sources. The second volume comprises a Dissertation on Indian History and Languages, by Albert Gallatin, and Gookin's History of the Praying Indians. A third volume, now in press, comprises the early records of the Massachusetts Bay company and colony, from the original MSS. The Society have published a catalogue of its library, an expensive and valuable work. This institution will be an enduring monument of the munificence of its founder, the venerable printer, ISAIAH THOMAS. The library is rich in works pertaining to or illustrating American antiquities, history, politics, local history, typography, church history, the condition, character, languages, etc. of the aborigines. Its files of newspapers are very extensive and complete. Samuel F. Haven, librarian.

LIBRARY OF THE ANDOVER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.'

This library was commenced in 1808. In 1819, a catalogue of 160 pages was printed; in 1838, an elaborate catalogue was published in a volume of 531 pages, and a supplement was added in 1849, of 67 pages. The whole number of volumes, including some works which have been ordered, but not yet received, amounts to about 17,000. This total embraces some duplicates. Of the works used as text-books and the more important books of reference, there is a considerable number of copies. Six or seven hundred dollars per annum, the income of a fund devoted to this purpose, are expended for the purchase of books. The library is a lending library to all connected with the Seminary, and, on certain conditions, to others. A great part of the books were purchased. The most important gift was that of the theological library of the late Rev. Dr. John Codman of Dorchester, amounting to 1250 volumes. Among the more VOL. VII. No. 25.

16

important works in the library are the following: Grævius' Thesaurus Antiquitatum, etc. 45 vols. in 24, fol.; Gronovius' Thesaurus Antiquitatum Græcarum, 13 vols. fol.; Gruter's Inscriptions, 2 vols. fol.; Sallengre Nov. Thesaurus, 3 vols. fol.; Scriptorum Veterum Nova Collectio, Rome, 1825 - 31, 10 vols. quarto; The Benedictine edition of many of the Fathers, folio, in many vols.; Martianay's ed. of Jerome; Martene and Durand's Vet. Scriptor. et Monument. Collectio, 9 vols. fol.; Harduin's Conciliorum Collectio, 12 vols. fol.; Mansi's Conciliorum Nova Collectio, 30 vols. fol.; Odespun's Concilia Novissima, 1 vol. fol.; Fleury's Histoire, with the continuation, 36 vols. quarto; Schroeckh's Church History with the continuation, 45 vols. ; the Magdeburgh Centuries, 9 vols. fol.; Fabricius' Bibliotheca Græca, 10 vols. quarto; Latina, 6 vols. quarto; Assemani Bib. Orientalis, 4 vols. fol.; Koran ed. Marracci, 2 vols. fol., St. Petersburgh ed. 1792, Hamburgh ed. 1694; Castell's Lexicon Heptaglotton, 1 vol. fol.; Walton's Polyglott, 6 vols. fol., 2 copies; the Paris Polyglott, 10 vols. fol.; the Antwerp Polyglott, 8 vols. fol.; Haye's Biblia Maxima Versionum, 19 vols. fol.; Bibliotheca Frat. Polonorum, 8 vols. fol.; Moreri's Dictionaire, 8 vols. fol.; Bartolocci Bibliotheca Rabbinica, 5 vols. fol.; Bayle's Dictionaire Historique, etc. 4 vols. fol.; the same in English, 10 vols. fol. ; Ducange's Glossarium, 3 vols. fol. ; Memoires des Chinois, 16 vols. quarto, Paris, 1776-1814; Du Halde's Description de la Chine, 4 vols. fol.; Grossier's Histoire de la Chine, 13 vols. quarto; Works of Venema, 24 vols.; of Apb. Usher, 13 vols.; H. Stephens' Thesaurus Ling. Gr., 3 vols. fol., 1672, Appendix, Lond. 1745, 2 vols. fol.; ed. Hase, Paris incomplete; R. Stephens' Thes. Ling. Lat. 4 vols. fol.; Works of Erasmus, 10 vols. fol., Leyden, 1703-6; of Luther, ed. Walch, 24 vols.; of Calvin, Amst. 1667-71, 9 vols. fol., 2 copies; of Zuingli, 11 vols. quarto, Zurich, 1828-42; Halle Allg. Litt. Zeit. from 1785 to 1840, 142 vols. quarto; Ersch and Gruber's Encyclopædie, 98 vols. quarto; Paris Journal Asiatique, 50 vols. 8vo.; Biographie Universelle, 1st Series, 52 vols. 8vo.; Oxford Library of the Fathers, 30 vols. 8vo.; complete Works of Dr. Priestley in 58 vols.; complete Works of Hegel, 1832 – 42, in 20 vols. ; do. of Herder, 60 vols. in 30, Stuttgard 1827-30; Byzantine Historians, ed. Niebuhr, 44 vols. 8vo.; Codex Ephræmi Syri, 1 vol.; Fac-Simile of the Codex Alexandrinus in Brit. Museum, etc. The library has ordered a collection of between 2000 and 3000 small books and pamphlets relating to or written by the Puritans and published in England in the time of Charles I., the Commonwealth, and Charles II. The department in the library, which is most fully supplied, is that relating to the Christian Fathers and Church history generally. It has also a good collection of works relating to biblical commentary, criticism and antiquities. It possesses also many of the best early editions of

18.50.]

Library of Brown University.

183

the Greek and Roman Classics and works illustrative of them. It is quite deficient in works on the English language and standard English literature; in the productions of the English and American Puritans; in general works of science, which would be suitable to a theological library; in the best later editions of the Classics, etc. Edward Robie, librarian.

LIBRARY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY.

This library, though not among the largest, is among the most select and valuable in the country. A part of it was selected with great pains and with excellent judgment by Professor C. C. Jewett, now librarian of the Smithsonian Institution, who devoted a large part of several years to the purchase of books in several countries of Europe. The library now contains about 23,000 bound volumes. At the time the Catalogue was printed in 1843, the number of books was only 10,000. The library fund yields $1500 per annum, $1200 of which are devoted to the purchase of books. A new Catalogue is in the process of formation. Among the more important works are the following: The Moniteur Universelle, complete from its commencement, 1789 to 1826, 77 vols, folio; Description de l'Egypte, 26 vols. of text, and about 500 folio engravings; complete set of the new series of the Memoirs of the five Academies of the French Institute, in 111 quarto volumes; a collection of Memoirs relative to the history of France, edited by Guizot and Petitot, in 162 vols. 8vo.; a complete set of the Allgemeine Deutsche Bibliothek, in 130 vols. 8vo.; the Allgemeine Literatur Zeitung, now numbering about 140 volumes; Ersch and Gruber's Encyclopaedie, now amounting to 100 vols. 4to.; Canina's work on Architecture, 9 vols. 8vo. of text and 3 large folio vols. of plates; Il Vaticano, in 8 vols. folio; Museo Borbonico, 13 vols. folio; the Musee Francais and Musee Royale, 6 folio vols. of engravings, with letter-press; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, from 1665 to 1848, in 66 vols. 4to; Hansard's Parliamentary Debates, in 178 vols. 8vo.; a selection from the Reports of the British Parliament, in 100 folio vols.; a collection of works relating to Shakspeare, in 196 vols. ; Corpus Byzantinae Historiae, 30 vols. fol.; Graevius' Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae, 23 vols. fol.; Dugdale's Monasticon Anglicanum, 8 vols. 8vo.; Montfaucon's Antiquité Expliquée, 15 vols. folio; Choiseul's Voyage Pittoresque de la Grecé, 3 vols. fol.; Howell and Corbett's State Trials, 21 vols. 8vo.; nearly 200 vols. folio of Works of the Fathers, e. g. Chrysostom 13 vols., Thomas Aquinas 10 vols., Harduinian Collection of Councils 12 vols., Bibliotheca Veterum Patrum 28 vols., etc. : this Patristic Collection was purchased by the churches of various denomi

nations in the city of Providence, $1200 being raised for this purpose. The pastors have free access to the library, in virtue of this donation. R. A. Guild, librarian.

The library of the Athenaeum in Providence is very well selected, embracing the most important works in all those departments of English literature which are adapted to the general wants and tastes of an enlightened community. The institution is admirably conducted, and is a model for all similar establishments. It has lately received the liberal donation of $10,000.

The number of valuable private libraries in Boston and its neighborhood is large. We may be permitted to refer to a few of them. Mr. George Ticknor, of Boston, author of the History of Spanish Literature, has a very choice collection of works in Spanish literature and in early English literature, amounting to more than 12,000 volumes. His collection of the editions of Shakspeare and Milton and of works illustrative of them, is very large and valuable. It is stated that his Spanish library is unsurpassed out of Spain, and probably by only a very few there. Mr. E. A. Crowninshield of Boston, has a very choice collection in Belles Lettres; many of the volumes are printed on large paper. Mr. Prescott, the historian, has a well selected library, rich in Spanish literature. Mr. Thomas Dowse of Cambridgeport has a library of several thousand volumes, finely selected and of choice editions. Mr. Z. Hosmer of the same place possesses a valuable library in general literature, including some classical works and an admirable collection of early

1850.]

Private Libraries.

185

English poetry. The library of the Rev. Dr. Sears of Newton, Secretary of the Board of Education, contains several thousand volumes, selected with great care. In the department of history, secular and church, especially of the German States, it is extremely valuable, and contains many works not found, probably, in any other library in this vicinity. Mr. Charles Deane of Cambridge has a very good collection of choice books on early American history. The principal feature in the collection of Mr. Brown of Providence is the early books on American history. Of books on American history, prior to 1700, his collection is perhaps the best in the country. He has choice copies of the Complutensian, Antwerp, Paris and Walton's Polyglott, and a nice collection of the Aldine editions of the classics.

Mr. George Livermore of Cambridge has a library of about 3,000 volumes, of rare value, as will be seen in the sequel. It has been his object to collect, first, the works of the best English authors in History, Biography, Poetry, etc.; second, works relating to or illustrating Typographical and Bibliographical Antiquities; third, the varying versions and editions of the Bible. In this rich collection, among others, are the following books and Mss.: In the department of Typographical and Bibliographical Antiquities, 1. "The Catholicon." "A huge folio volume printed at Mentz in 1460 by GUTTENBERG, the inventor of printing. [This is believed to be the oldest printed volume in the country bearing the date, the Psalter of 1457 being the first book ever printed with the date, but no copy of that work is to be found in this country. A copy of the Mazarine Bible, supposed to have been printed about 1455, and to have been the first book ever printed, is now in the library of Mr. James Lenox of New York. It cost in London £500.] 2. "Higden's Polychronicon." A small black letter folio volume, printed in 1482, by CAXTON, the first printer in England. [Mr. L. has also works from the press of Wynken de Worde and Richard Pynron, the successors of Caxton.]-3. "The Bay Psalm Book." The first book from the New England press; printed at Cambridge by Stephen Daye in 1640. [Mr. L. has also specimens of printing by most of the principal printers of the 17th and 18th centuries in this country. Several by Dr. Franklin and his brother James, etc.] He has also quite a large number of black letter English books, including an early black letter Chaucer, Piers Ploughman, Roger Ascham, etc.

In the class of Biblical Manuscripts, a Hebrew Ms. synagogue roll, being the book of Esther, from the Duke of Sussex's library. The date not ascertained. - 2. The Latin Vulgate, entire. A very beautiful Ms., written during the 12th century on the most delicate vellum, and elaborately illuminated in colors. Also a similar but much smaller copy of