Lord Provost, 1796 to 1798, and consequently again President of the library. He was the chief promoter of the Royal Infirmary, which was established during his provostship. Richard Marshall was а director for two years, but rarely attended the meetings. He was afterwards appointed barrackmaster. Alexander Brown was Dean of Guild in 1784-5. Gilbert Hamilton succeeded Mr. M'Dowall in the provostship, holding office for the usual term of two years. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the library, and was one of the representatives of the Merchants' House on the directorate from 1802 to 1810. Robert Findlay was a director to 1796, and again from 1799 to 1802. Archibald Grahame retired in 1796. Rev. John M'Caul was minister of the Tron Church, and remained a director for four years. Rev. Alexander Balfour was minister of the Outer High Church; he filled the office of director for eight years, being returned from the Presbytery from 1791 to 1795, and 1808 to 1812. Dr. Alex. Ranken was of the Ramshorn Church, and represented the Presbytery at the library 1791 to 1795, 1804 to 1807, 1815 to 1818. He was the author of a History of France in nine volumes, regarding which a good story is told. Wishing to test the popularity of the work, he one day made the following inquiry of Mr. Pate, the second librarian of Stirling's Library:-"Pray, Mr. Pate, is Ranken's History of France in?" "It never was out," was the prompt and sarcastic reply. Dr. Peter Wright was one of the most assiduous of the early managers of the library. He was on the board from its institution till 1800, again for a year in 1802-3, and for four years from 1804 to 1808. He attended almost every meeting, and took a large share of the work. He is mentioned by "Senex" as the last who conpersonage tinued to walk the "plainstanes" (in front of the Tontine Buildings) "decked out with his scarlet cloak and cocked hat. CHAPTER II. The number of Volumes left by Mr. Stirling-Early Catalogues Reprint of the first Catalogue. Ar their first meeting the directors ordered an inventory to be made of the books left by the founder. They were found to number 804, and were valued at £160. A list of them is given in the first catalogue (issued in 1792). A copy of this catalogue is in the library, and is probably the only copy existing. It is a small quarto, printed in the "Courier" office, by William Reid & Company. The list occupies the first 29 pages; from that to page 73 is styled "Catalogue Second," and contains the titles of the books added by the directors before opening the library. "Catalogue third," and appendix-issued in 1795continues the paging to page 98. The total number of volumes in the three catalogues is 3,705. Several supplementary catalogues were printed in the early years of the present century, and in 1805 it was found necessary to issue a new general catalogue. 1,000 copies of it were printed, not one of which now remains. Supplementary catalogues were printed in 1809, 1818, 1825, and 1828. Although Mr. Stirling's private library seems but small in these days, it would probably have been impossible to match it in the houses of his neighbours. He formed his collection with care and judgment, and it may reasonably be taken to indicate very accurately his tastes and habits. The large preponderance of works of history, and the not inconsiderable number of books in Latin, quite support the received opinion that he was of an antiquarian and studious turn, which is perhaps confirmed by his dislike to fiction, although there is of course no valid reason why an antiquary should not like a novel now and again, as indeed some of our best novelists have been erudite and accomplished students of the past. Some of the books have risen much in price since Walter Stirling purchased them, and are now difficult to find, and for this reason it is perhaps a pity for the sake of the library that he did not in his buying subscribe for a copy of the first edition of Burns's poems, so easily got then, so scarce and so costly now. As a sample of the kind of books collected by a Glasgow gentleman of taste and culture in the last century, and as a reprint of a unique volume, the author begs leave to present here a reproduction of the list of books bequeathed by the founder to Stirling's Library. The catalogue is here reproduced exactly. A CATALOGUE of the Books that were in the possession of the late Mr. Walter Stirling, the founder of STIRLING'S PUBLIC LIBRARY, at the time of his death, and which he bequeathed to that institution. No. BOOKS IN FOLIO. History of the World, by Sir Walter Raleigh Fox's Martyrology, 3 vols.-black letter 5 Rushworth's Historical Collections, 8 vols. Tillemont's Ecclesiastical Memoirs, vol. 1 10 Keith's History of the Church and State of Scotland Date. Lon 1652 ib 1570 ib 1615 ib 1641 ib DY Franc 1609 Lon 1733 ib 1627 Edin 1684 ib 1734 ib 1711 Mackenzie's Lives of Scots Writers, 3 vol. ib 1708 Scots Acts of Parliament, by Sir Tho. Murray of Edin 1681 Wodrow's History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland, 2 vol. Edin 1721 15 Buchanani Opera, 2 tom. in uno Edin 1715 3 vol. Date. Lon 1725 Cam 1688 Lon 1721 ib 1720 Rome 1735 Knolles' History of the Turks, continued by Rycaut, Brandt's History of the Reformation in the Low Countries, 4 vol. Tyrrell's History of England, 2 vol. Spelman's Posthumous Works Lon 1687 ib 1720 ib 1697 Oxf 1698 25 Howel's Synopsis Canonum, 2 tom Lon 1708 Burnet's History of the Reformation, 3 vol. ib 1681 Memoirs of the Dukes of Hamilton ib 1677 Exposition of the 39 Articles of the Church of 30 Sleidan's History of the Reformation Heylin's History of the Presbyterians History of the Union, by Daniel Defoe Prince Cantemir's History of the Othman Empire Harris' Collection of Voyages and Travels, 2 vol. 35 Churchill's Collection of Voyages and Travels, 6 vol. Collection of Voyages and Travels from books in the Harleian Library Edin 1709 Lon 1734 ib 1705 ib 1744 ib 1745 Collier's Ecclesiastical History of Great Britain, 2 vol. 40 Hayne's Collection of State Papers (from 1542 to No. Godwyn's Annals of England, during the reigns of Henry VIII. Edward VI. and Mary Fuller's Worthies of England Date. ib 1630 ib 1762 Church History of Britain, till the year 1648, 2 vol. ib 1655 Titi Livii Historia, cura Fran. Modii, cum notis aliorum Franc 1588 Scapulae Lexicon Graecum Basil 1605 60 Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, translated by Hobbes Translation of Virgil's Eneid by G. Douglass Bishop of Dunkeld Ammianus Marcellinus, translated by Holland; an nexed, the History of Scanderbeg, translated froin The Holy Bible; black letter; printed by Grafton 65 Horton's Exposition of 4 select Psalms (the 4, 42, The Book of Common Prayer for Scotland History of the Reign of Henry the 5th, by Goodwin Polydori Virgilii Anglica Historia Lon 1676 Edin 1710 Lon 1596 ib 1541 ib 1585 ib 1675 Edin 1637 Lon 1655 Lon 1678 ib 1687 Cam 1640 Lon 1702 ib 1704 ib 1672 Basil 1655 75 Daniel's History of England, continued by Trussel, and The Lives of Pope Alex. the 6th, and of Cæsar Borgia, by A. Gordon ib 1739 Memoirs of the Sieur de Pontis ib 1694 80 History of the Administration of Cardinal Richelieu ib 1657 ib 1724 ib 1669 Life of Archbishop Usher, with his Letters, by R. Parr Hidden Works of Darkness, or an Introduction to the Trial &c. of Archbishop Laud, by Prynne 85 Canterbury's Doom; the History of the Trial, Condemn., &c. of Archbishop Laud, by Prynne ib 1686 ib 1645 ib 1646 |