was cut through the garden of John Miller, a maltman, after whom it takes its name, who resided at what is now the south-east corner of the street. When it was first opened it had only an entry from Argyle Street.

None but gentlemen's houses were allowed in it, and when fully built it presented a fine appearance, and was a very fashionable street. It is interesting to note that the lots were taken up very slowly, the principal objection to the site being its distance from the centre of the city. It was then on the outskirts, and in the vicinity of green fields. The population of Glasgow was 66,578.

On 3rd January, 1785, Mr. Stirling executed a will bequeathing one thousand pounds, his house in Miller Street, his own collection of books, and a share in the Tontine Society, to the City of Glasgow for the purpose of forming and maintaining a public library for the use of the citizens. He made another will in 1789, but in nowise disturbed the library bequest. He left the bulk of his estate to Mary Nisbet, eldest daughter of his sister Janet, subject to several annuities. To discourage litigation he directed that should any of the legatees question Miss Nisbet's right, the challenger's portion was to be suspended until the case was settled, and the defence expenses of Miss Nisbet were to be met out of the challenger's portion. Needless to say there was no dispute.

Mr. Stirling's personal appearance is thus described by Senex," Robert Reid, who remembered him"He was a man of pleasing address, and of gentlemanly manners. I remember him with cocked hat, ear curls, and a respectable pigtail." Another authority says he dressed very plainly, but with neatness and precision. He was hunchbacked, and formed one of a party similarly deformed invited to dinner by an eccentric gentleman popularly called "Jemmy Wardrop." Mr. Stirling gave the would-be wit a sharp rebuke for his cruel jest, and the town taking Mr.

Stirling's part, Wardrop was long unpopular. Mr. Stirling was never married. On 17th January, 1791, he passed quietly away, in his house in Miller Street, having attained the ripe age of sixty-eight. As will be seen from his will which is given below he directed the library to be managed by a board of directors chosen from the following four public bodies:-The Town Council, the Merchants' House, the Presbytery of Glasgow, and the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, three from each, which with the Lord Provost of Glasgow (President ex officio) made a directorate of thirteen, commonly supposed to be an unlucky number, the evil effects of which were doubtless averted by the difficulty shared in common with most other public institutions of getting a full meeting. He desired the library to consist of rare and curious books, rather than of the common and ordinary kinds, and it is said that he hated novels so heartily that he had not read one for forty years. The librarian was to allow all proper persons access to the books for at least three hours each lawful day, and no rule or regulation that might be made was to interfere with the chief or primary view of the donation, viz.-" The constant and perpetual existence of a public library for the citizens of Glasgow." The high integrity of the man comes out strikingly in the stipulation that should any director become insolvent he shall at once cease to be a director. In choosing a librarian the directors were to prefer one of the name of Stirling "should he be equally qualified for the office with any other candidate." Either there has been no desire on the part of the Stirlings for the librarianship, or having applied they have not been found equally qualified with other candidates, for no one bearing the name of Stirling has as yet filled the office. The time to be allowed for reading the books was to depend on the size of the work-a very reasonable provision, if all books were equally well worth reading and equally digestible.

Eight weeks were to be allowed for a folio, four for a quarto, and two for an octavo.

DEED OF MORTIFICATION by Mr. WALTER STIRLING, Merchant in Glasgow, of a Fund for establishing a PUBLIC LIBRARY for the benefit of the inhabitants of Glasgow.

I, WALTER STIRLING, merchant in Glasgow, considering that as a Public Library kept in a proper place in the City of Glasgow will be attended with considerable advantage to the Inhabitants; Therefore, and in order to establish such a Library, and in exercise of the power which I reserved to myself by my deed of settlement, I hereby Dote and Mortify, to and in favour of the present Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow, and to his successors in office, the sum of one thousand pounds sterling money, and my tenement lying on the east side of Miller Street in the said city, and whole pertinents thereof, and my share, right, and interest in the Tontine Society of Glasgow, with the whole benefit, profit, and advantages which may arise therefrom, during the natural life of Elonora Lee, daughter of Robert Lee, merchant in Greenock, upon whose Life my subscription proceeded, for the sole and only purpose of purchasing a Library, and supporting a Librarian for taking charge of the books which may belong to me at my death, as well as those which may be purchased in future, from the fund abovementioned, appropriated and set apart for that purpose and which sum of one thousand pounds sterling money, I Bind and Oblige myself, and my heirs and successors, to pay, at the first term of Whitsunday or Martinmas after my death, to the then Lord Provost of Glasgow, or his successors in office, to be by him and the persons afternamed applied in the purchase of lands, or other proper security, the yearly rent and produce of which to be by them applied for the uses and purposes aftermentioned, and

for no other uses whatever, and in the Manner, and Subject to the regulations aftermentioned.

And, First, The books of my present Library, and all those to be purchased in future out of, or from the fund hereby appropriated, shall, in all time coming, be vested in thirteen managers who are to be elected and chosen from among the following Corporations or Societies, viz.:-From the Town Council of the City of Glasgow, three of their number (besides the Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow for the time, who is and always shall be a Director ex officio); from the Merchants' House of Glasgow, three of their number; from the Presbytery of Glasgow, three of their number; and from the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, three of their number; the Provost to be constantly Preses at the meeting of the said Directors; and in case of his absence, the Preses to be chosen by the majority present at each meeting.

Second, Each Corporation or Society are to Elect their three Directors at their first meeting after Candlemas subsequent to my Death, and thereafter at their first meeting after Candlemas yearly; and the persons so chosen may, if their constituents see proper, be elected for any period not exceeding five years, but they may be re-elected as oft as their constituents please, provided, at the time of their election, they are members of the Society electing them, not exceeding five years at once, without re-election. And in case any of the said Societies shall neglect, at their first meeting after the Candlemas subsequent to my Death, or at any subsequent Candlemas thereafter, or at least before the first Tuesday of May yearly (being the time when the Directors are to enter upon the execution of their office) to make choice of three Directors.

Such Society so neglecting are to omit and lose their right of Election for that year. And the Directors from the other Societies shall, at the first meeting thereafter, intimate the same to their constituents

respectively, each of whom shall, at their first meeting after said intimation, chuse their proportional number out of their own members to fill up the vacancy. And in case any of the said Societies shall neglect to chuse their quota for filling up the vacancy, the Directors chosen shall, at their next meeting, chuse any person or persons whom they think proper for completing the Directors to the number of thirteen as aforesaid.

Third, In any case any Director shall become insolvent, he shall, ipso facto, cease to be a Director, and the Society who chose him shall, at their first meeting after such insolvency, elect another in his place. Nor shall such Director so becoming insolvent be again eligible, unless he shall have paid all his debts. And in case the Society who chose him shall neglect to chuse one to succeed him, the other Directors shall, at their first periodical meeting thereafter, chuse one instead of such insolvent Director.

Fourth, The Directors are to meet the first Tuesday of every second month, beginning with the first Tuesday of May yearly; and may meet at any other time or times which the majority at any former meetings shall judge proper, and the Preses is hereby empowered to summon a meeting of the other Directors when he pleases, upon twenty-four hours' previous warning; and five of said Directors to be a quorum.

Fifth, The Directors at their meeting on the first Tuesday of July yearly, shall chuse a Librarian, preferring one of the name of Stirling to any other of the candidates (provided he be equally qualified for the office with any other candidate), and the person so chosen may be elected for any number of years, not exceeding four years, and may be re-elected thereafter, if the Directors shall think fit, as oft as they please.

Sixth, The Librarian so chosen shall be obliged to find sufficient security in a sum equal to the value of the books, to be ascertained by the Directors; and he shall allow all proper persons to consult and read the books