No. 400 The Life of the Rev. Philip Henry The Life of the Rev. Matthew Henry, by W. Tong 405 Martini Martinii Sinica Historia Olai Magni Gentium Septentrionalium Historiae Severinnus de Monzambano de statu imperii Ger- Hispania & Portugallia, Commentarius de opibus, &c. Date. Lon 1712 ib 1716 ib 1763 ib 1741 Amst 1651 ib 1659 Lug 1652 1684 ib. 1641 Brus 1700 410 An Account of the Republic of Geneva, by G.Keate Brydone's Tour through Sicily and Malta, 2 vol Scraston's Reflections on Indostan Lon 1761 Dub 1775 Lon 1761 ib 1698 Martin's Voyage to St. Kilda Wallace's Account of the Islands of Orkney, with 415 Brand's Description of Orkney, Zetland, Pightland Firth, &c. The Antiquities of Durham Abbey The Muses Threnodie, by H. Adamson, first printed in 1638, with Antiquities chiefly relating to Perth, Scots Acts of Parliament, from the First Parliament 420 Stewart's Abridgement of the Acts of Parliament Notes on a Variety of Subjects in Law, by John Sir George Mackenzie's Institutions of the Law of Scotland The Grandeur of the Law, by H. Philipps 425 The Complete Copy-holder, by Sir Edward Coke Tracts on Marriage and Divorce, by Ber. Ochino, Interesting Histories and Trials, translated from the Praxis Medica Hermanni Boerhaave, 5 tom 430 Le Chirurgien Dentiste, par Fauchard, 2 tom ib 1700 Edin 1701 Durh Glas 1736 Perth 1774 Edin 1731 Edin v Y 1682 Lon 1694 ib 1684 ib 1673 Edin 1705 Lon 1736 ib 1744 Pett 1728 Par 1728 Psalterium, Manu-Scriptum, cum Literis initialibus illuminatis & deauratis The Rhemes New Testament Disputation haldin in Scotland the Zeir 1580, betwix the Praetendit Ministeris (reformed) and Nicol Date. ib 1767 Lon 1734 Edin 1743 Lon 1684 ib 1726 1749 Paris 1581 The True Crucifixe for True Catholics, by Sir W. Edin 1629 440 Comparative Theology Glas 1752 Amst 1680 ib 1643 Lug 1675 Hugo Grotius de veritate Religionis Christianae Spanhemii introductionis Epitome ad Antiquitates Spicilegia Antiq. Aegypti, &c. auctore G. Jameson 445 Fleming's Fulfilling of the Scripture, 2 vol The Success of Two Danish Missionaries in Malabar Glas 1720 1681 Lon 1718 Haye 1691 Exposition of the Book of Job, by J. Durham. Grotius de Mari Libero, & P. Merula de Maribus Huygen's Conjectures concerning the Planetary Worlds Les Aventures de Telemaque, par Fenelon Homeri Ilias, Gr. & Lat., 2 tom in uno tomo Fabellae Æsopicae & Vita Æsopi, studio Camerarii bini Ciceronis Opera Omnia, 20 tom. typis Foulis 465 Ovidii Opera, 5 tom. typis Brindley Taciti Opera ad Editionem Gronovii, 2 tom. in uno Lon 1698 Lug 1633 Amst 1687 ib 1633 Glas 1757 Lon 1755 Glas 1778 Cant 1664 Voeg 1564 Franc 1583 Glas 1777 ib 1743 Amst 1671 No. Velleii Paterculi Hist. Rom. cum notis Ger. Vossii 470 De Caesaribus, Egnatius, Dion, Vopiscus, &c. typis Aldi Lipsii Antiquitatem Romanarum Breviarium Hobbe's Translation of the Iliad and Odyssey Maronides, or Virgil Travestie, by J. Phillips Creech's Translation of Lucretius, with Notes 475 Ruddimanni Grammatica (major) 2 tom. Grammatica (minor) Boyer's French Grammar Ross's French Grammar Pamphlets, 5 vol. [Contents are set out.] Date. ib 1664 Ven 1516 Lon 1692 ib 1677 ib 1672 ib 1715 Edin 1725 ib 1771 Lon 1733 Glas 1772 CHAPTER III. Inadequacy of the Bequest-Books to be lent out-Opening of Library-First Librarian-Incidents of Early Years Mr. James Pate-Library Removed to Hutchesons' Hospital-Affairs in Confusion: Inquiry and Report-John Struthers-Alterations on the Constitution-New Buildings-Amalgamation of Glasgow Public Library-Scouler Bequest-Decline of the Library. THE inadequacy of the bequest embarrassed the directors, and they therefore set themselves with vigour to consider what means might be adopted to enable them to carry out the wishes of the founder. It was proposed to sell the house in Miller Street, also the share in the Tontine Society, and to expend the money left by Mr. Stirling on building or hiring a place suitable for the library, but the Solicitor-General declaring that to be beyond the power of the directors, the proposal was abandoned. It was finally resolved to amend the constitution, the principal alteration being the insertion of a clause authorizing the lending out of books to (life) subscribers of three guineas. Formal announcement of this arrangement was made in the newspapers, and books lay at places of public resort for the enrolment of members. The effort was crowned with success, 92 subscribers being admitted at the first meeting, and the total number enrolled during the first year amounting to 202. Mr. Stirling's house being found unsuitable for the accommodation of the library, a room was engaged in St. Enoch's Square, from the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, at a yearly rent of twelve pounds. The Rev. (afterwards Dr.) William Taylor, minister of St. Enoch's Church, was elected librarian, at a salary of thirty pounds per year, or the use of such rooms in the Miller Street house as were not let. It is hardly necessary to say that Mr. Taylor chose the thirty pounds. He was by all accounts an estimable gentleman, inclined to take things easily, as would appear from the following account of him by "Senex," in "Glasgow Past and Present":"Dr. Taylor was always glad to give out a load of books at once, as it saved him the trouble of frequent application to the shelves. The doctor in particular was very reluctant to take the ladder and mount aloft to the upper shelves of the library in search of old, dusty, cob-webbed volumes so enticing to our antiquaries, this operation causing the necessity for the application of a clothes-brush to his clerical blacks. I have known the doctor to give out books by armfuls, and he was not very particular about the period when they were returned, for the longer they were kept out so much less trouble was it to him. I must say, however, that Dr. Taylor was a polite and obliging librarian." One hundred pounds worth of books were purchased, and so popular did the library become that, in May, 1792, it was proposed to raise the subscription to five guineas, which was eventually done in March, 1793. It was further raised in 1816 to ten guineas, and six years afterwards it was reduced to seven guineas. At this it remained until 1833, when it was again fixed at five guineas, at which it has continued ever since. In 1792 a Seal of Cause was granted by the Lord Provost and Magistrates erecting the library into a corporate body. The library was opened daily from eleven to two. It is indicative of the pastoral character of the times that in one of the early minutes a complaint appears that the town bulls had run up and damaged the stairs of the Miller Street property, and the librarian was directed to get them repaired at the charge of the Corporation. The bulls would probably be in charge of the town herd who every morning collected the cattle belonging to the inhabitants and drove them to the Cowcaddens to graze, bringing them back in the evening. It is worth noting that one of the early meetings was held in the Tontine Tavern. The troublous nature of the closing years of the eighteenth century is forcibly brought to mind by an order of the directors, dated May, 1794, that Payne's "Rights of Man," and other books, having been adjudged seditious, are not to be given out. A member who did not find it convenient to avail himself of his membership card, asked leave to hand over the privilege to a young man of his acquaintance, whom he described as possessing an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. It is to be hoped that the young gentleman found other means of allaying his thirst, as the directors decided that only the subscriber could use the library. A proposal made in 1792 to admit annual subscribers at a guinea per year was approved of by three of the four bodies having an interest in the library. But the Merchants' House disapproving of it, the idea was given up, not to be resumed again in a practical shape for more than half a century. At first only persons resident in Glasgow were admitted as members, but in August, 1793, it was agreed to admit those residing within ten miles of the city, or staying in it for a part of the year. |