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tions are indulged of the sanction of the legislative authority.Perhaps the proposition for an agricultural seminary, now under the consideration of our own legislature, may be so modified as to embrace also this great object.* Its accomplishment in some way, is distinctly called for by the wants of the public, and would reflect distinguished honor on the government, which should effect it.

We must not forget the greatness of the responsibility, which rests on us, as the descendants of the pilgrims.

We must not forget, that the cause of education is the cause of our children, of our country, of humanity; and that its interests are closely interwoven with all the dearest sympathies of the present life, and with our services and enjoyments in the future world.

ACCOUNT OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES.

[The subject of this article is so intimately connected with the improvement of education, that no apology can be deemed necessary for its introduction in our pages. There is perhaps no topic so important to public welfare, on which the public mind is so much in need of information. Many of the most liberal endowments in this department continue to be made at random, under the general impression of doing a good deed, without a definite reference to any branch of knowledge, or to the best means of achieving a given result in the way of promoting improvement.

It would be a circumstance most auspicious to the interests of literature and science, if men of wealth could be brought to perceive that ten or twenty thousand dollars devoted to the founding of a given department in a library, will confer an immeasurably greater benefit than the same sum bequeathed for the endowment of a professorship. In the one case, the means of instruction are furnished both to the students and their teachers; and in all probability, accomplished instructers will spring up in the midst of such advantages, and their own zeal and merit will insure their support; in the other case. a salary is held up as an object to be grasped at; but there is no assurance whatever afforded of the qualifications of him who shall succeed in obtaining the office. We speak

* Governor Lincoln's ideas on this subject have been already presented to our readers in an extract from his Message; and there are other favorable circumstances, of which it would be premature to speak at present; but which furnish room for well grounded expectations of the speedy establishment of a seminary for teachers in Massachusetts.

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with no reference to individuals.-But where, we would ask, is there an institution, so fortunate as to be able to furnish any one of its professors with even the decent advantage of all the accessible English (not to say other) works in his own department of intruction?]

I.—Libraries in England.

THE Library of the British Museum contains about 200,000 volumes. It was founded in 1755; and in 1757 King George transferred to it the Royal Library collected by his predecessors, from Henry VIII, consisting of 9,000 printed books, and about 2,000 manuscripts. In 1762 the late King purchased for it a collection of pamphlets, published from 1564 to 1660, consisting of 32,000 articles, contained in 2,000 volumes. His present Majesty has recently added to this collection the Royal Library, begun by George III, soon after his accession, including the purchase in 1762, of the Library of Mr. Joseph Smith, British Consul at Venice, for the sum of L10,000. From that time it has increased by the expenditure of about L2,000 per annum, exclusive of the many presents of books to the king; and amounting, when added to the Library of the Museum, to 65,000 volumes.

TRINITY COLLEGE, Cambridge. The Library contains about 90,000; the several departments are very complete, and the collection is extremely rare and valuable. No pains have been spared in the selection and arrangement. The books are disposed in thirty alcoves finished with carved oak, and ranged along the sides of the hall, with a bust in front of each. This invaluable collection, embracing the science and literature of every country and of every age, is accessible to all the students; graduates as well as undergraduates.

The UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Cambridge, contains about two hundred thousand volumes, and is constantly receiving accessions, consisting of new works of merit, and most of the periodicals of the day.

BODLEIAN LIBRARY, Oxford. This library is one of the richest and one of the most valuable collections in Europe. It was founded by Sir Thomas Bodley, ambassador to many European courts in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It contains 400,000 printed books, and between 25,000 and 30,000 manuscripts. No books are allowed to be taken out, but every facility is afforded to those who wish to recur to them. The present income of the institution is about L3,000 sterling; and it receives, besides, a copy of every work printed in Great Britain. It lately purchased at Venice, a collection of valuable Greek, Latin and Hebrew manuscripts, amounting in number to 2,040, the cost of which, with the expense of transportation, will exceed L6,600 sterling. John Uri, a Hungarian, was employed for more than 25 years in preparing its catalogue.

II.-Scotland.

The Library of the University of Edinburgh consists of about 50,000 printed volumes, and a few manuscripts. The Advocate's Library in Edinburgh consists of about 80,000 printed works, and 1,000 volumes in manuscript. Its most copious subjects are the national history, Greek and Roman antiquities, and jurisprudence in general.

The University Library, Glasgow, contains about 30,000 volumes, besides which is the library of the late Dr. William Hunter, containing a choice collection of Greek and Latin books; many of which are of the earliest editions.

The Library of the University of St. Andrews contains about 36,000; and in the King's College at Aberdeen are 14,000.

III.-Ireland.

The Library of Trinity College, DUBLIN, contains about 50,000 classed books; besides about eleven hundred valuable manuscripts in Hebrew, Arabic, Persic, Greek, Latin, Irish, and English.

IV.--Russia.

The Library of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Petersburgh contains 60,000 volumes.

The public Library of the Academy of Sciences which some time ago exceeded 40,000 volumes, was founded with 2,500 taken by Peter at the siege of Mittau. It contains numerous diplomatic papers of the reign of that Prince, and the most extensive collection of Chinese works in Europe, amounting to 2,800 different treatises of which there is an exact catalogue; some Japanese manuscripts; and several of the Mongols and Thibet.

V.-Sweden.

The Royal Library at STOCKHOLM, contains upwards of 25,000 printed books, and 5,000 manuscripts.

The Library of the University at UPSAL, is stated to comprise 50,000 books.

VI.-Libraries in Germany.

[From the Ephemerides of WEIMAR.]

VIENNA has eight public libraries, of which three only contain more than 438,000 volumes; viz. the Imperial Library, twenty years ago, contained 300,000 printed books, exclusive of 70,000 tracts and dissertations, and 15,000 manuscripts; the University Library, 108,000 volumes; and the Theresianum, 30,000. The number contained in the other five is not exactly known.

The Royal Library at MUNICH possesses 400,000 volumes; the Library at Göttingen, (one of the most select,) presents 280,000 volumes, 110,000 tracts and academical dissertations, and 5,000 manuscripts; DRESDEN, 250,000 printed books, 100,000 disserta

tions, and 5,000 manuscripts; WOLFENBUTTEL, 109,000 printed books, chiefly ancient, 40,000 dissertations, and 4,000 manuscripts; STUTTGARD, 170,000 volumes, and 12,000 Bibles; BERLIN has seven public libraries, of which the Royal Library contains 160,000 volumes, and that of the Academy, 30,000; PRAGUE, 110,000 volumes; GRATZ, 105,000 volumes; FRANKFORT, on the Maine, 100,000 volumes; HAMBURGH, 100,000 volumes; BRESLAU, 100,000 volumes; WEIMAR, 95,000; Mentz, 90,000; Darmstadt, 85,000; CASSEL, 60,000; GOTHA, 60,000; MARBOURG, 55,000; MELL, in Austria, 35,000; HEIDELBERG, 30,000; WERNINGERODE, 30,000; NEWBURG, in Austria, 25,000; KREMSMUNSTER, 25,000; AUGSBURG, 24,000; MEININGEN, 24,000; NEW STRELITZ, 22,000; SALTSBOurg, 20,000; MAGDEBURGH, 20,000; HALLE, 20,000; LANDSHUT, 20,000. Thus it appears that thirty cities in Germany possess, in their public libraries, greatly beyond three millions, either of works or printed volumes, without taking into account the academical dissertations, detached memoirs, pamphlets, or the manuscripts. It is to be observed, likewise, that these numbers are taken at the very lowest estimate.

VII.-Poland.

The King's library at Warsaw, contains about 25,000 volumes, inost of which are modern. The university of Cracow has a library, in which are 4000 manuscripts. A valuable and extensive collection of books called the library of the republic, or Zaluski Library, was formed and devoted to the public by two brothers of that name in 1745: but no funds were appropriated, either for its enlargement or suitable preservation. Originally, it consisted of 300,000 volumes, comprising 52,000 duplicates; from the sale of the duplicates, and from other circumstances, the collection was supposed, in 1791, not to exceed 200,000 volumes, while its value was not proportioned to its size. Having suffered many depredations, it was at length sent by General Suwarrow to St. Petersburg in 1795, where it was deposited in three elegant apartments, and opened for the use of the public in 1812.

VIII.--Libraries in France.

[From Recherches sur les Bibliotheques anciennes et modernes, par M. Petit Radel.] In PARIS there are five public libraries, besides almost forty special ones. The royal library contains about 450,000 volumes of printed books, besides nearly an equal number of tracts collected into volumes, and about 80,000 manuscripts. The library of the arsenal, about 150,000 volumes, and 5,000 manuscripts; the library of St. Genevieve, about 110,000 volumes, and 2,000 manuscripts; the magazine library, about 92,000 volumes, and 3,137 manuscripts; and the city library, about 20,000 volumes.

In the Provinces, the most considerable are those of LYONS, 106, 000; BOURDEAUX, 105,000; AIX, 72,670; BESANCON, 53,000; TouLOUSE, (two) 50,000; GRENOBLE, 42,000; TOURS, 30,000; METZ, 31,000; ARRAS, 34,000; LEMANS, 41,000; COLMAR, 30,000; VERSAILLES, 40,000; AMIENS, 40,000.

The total number of these libraries in France amounts to 273; of above 80, the quantity of volumes they contain is not known. From the data given, in this work, it appears that the general total of those which are known amounts to 3,345,287 volumes; of which there are 1,125,347 in Paris alone.

IX.-Denmark.

The Royal Library at COPENHAGEN is computed to contain between 3 and 400,000 printed books, and many volumes of manuscripts. At the sale of the fine library of Count Otto Thot, amounting to 116,395 volumes, exclusive of pamphlets, manuscripts and incunabula, the Royal library obtained an accession of 50,000 volumes; and the Count, by his will, had bequeathed to it 4,154 manuscripts, with his valuable collection of 6,159 works that had been printed before the year 1530. In 1799 the Danish government bought up the library of Luxdorf, rich in classical works and in manuscripts, and it was annexed to the Royal library. It afterwards received valuable acquisitions at the sale of the libraries of Oeder, Holmskiold, Rottboll, Ancher; and others, in 1789, 90, 91, 93, 94, and 98. In 1796 an accession was made of the immense library of Suhm, the historian. He had collected in the course of fifty years, 100,000 volumes, which he left to the disposition of the public. A little before his death he presented them to the Royal Library.

X.--Switzerland.

The public library at ZURICH contains 25,000 volumes, and some curious manuscripts.

XI.-Spain.

The Royal library at Madrid founded by Philip V. in 1712, and enlarged by the succeeding monarchs, now consists of more than 200,000 volumes, besides a great number of valuable Arabic manuscripts. The library is open to the public, at stated hours, every day in the week.-The library of San Isidro, containing 60,000 volumes, is open to the public every day except holydays. The library of San Fernando is open to the public three days in a week.

The library of the Escurial is computed to contain about 130,000 printed volumes, and 4,300 manuscripts; of these latter 567 are Greek, 67 Hebrew, and 1300 Arabic.

XII.--Italy.

The Vatican Library at Rome, was founded by Nicholas IV. who was elected to the papal chair in 1477. He supplied it with

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