Thackeray's, Dickens', Trollope's, and George Eliot's novels. There is also a copy of the Villon Society's Thousand and One Night's Entertainment."

66

Classics remind us most nearly of theology in the thoroughness of the selection. The editions are good whether early or modern, and are not limited to one. Of most of the ancient writers there are two, three, and sometimes half-a-dozen editions. Under Aeschylus there are ten entries in the catalogue, under Aristophanes five, under Catullus six, under Cicero ten, under Demosthenes two, under Euripides five, under Herodotus six, under Hesiod two, under Homer four, under Horace nine, under Juvenal four, under Livy five, under Lucretius three, under Plato seven, under Plautus two, under Sophocles five, under Tacitus six, under Thucydides three, under Virgil seven, under Xenophon eleven. There are also such accessories to a classical collection as Du Cange's "Glossarium Mediae et Infiniae Latinitatis," seven volumes, quarto, the "Facciolati Lexicon," Sophocles' Greek Lexicon of the Roman and Byzantine Periods, the Classical, Biographical, and Geographical Dictionaries of Dr. Smith, and the magnificent volumes of the Palaeographical Society, including both the general and oriental series.

Coming to the last of our divisions-Miscellaneous -we find yet many books to notice. Going over the catalogue we first come across a page and a half devoted to almanacks, some of which we noted under Glasgow, and the early ones of those remaining we now give :

1724. Almanack de Milan. Brussels.

1744. Rider's British Merlin. With MS. Notes by a Judge on Circuit. 1768. Edinburgh Almanack.

Do.

do.

do.

do.

do.

1809. General Almanack of Scotland and British Register, Edin. 1810. 1812. Edinburgh Almanack and Imperial Register, Edin. 1813. General Almanack of Scotland and British Register, Edin.

Sixteen entries appear in the catalogue at Arnold (Matthew), fourteen appear at Helps (Arthur), eight at Hone (William), ten at Johnson (Samuel), nine at Mill (John Stuart), and under the names of Landor, Lockhart, Muller (Max), Swift, and Voltaire are entered the most important of their writings, and of the works about them. Bibliography is present in the well-known works of Allibone, Beloe, Brunet, Brydges, Burton, Lowndes, and Watt; in the "Retrospective Review," and in the catalogues of the Advocates' Library in Edinburgh, and the Royal Institution and London Libraries. Dr. M'Grigor has sets of some magazines, including the "Edinburgh Review," and has also a most extensive collection of pamphlets. They number close on 800, and are bound in 69 volumes. The subjects of these books in miniature are very various. Two volumes relate to the Holy Sepulchre, several volumes are of a political character, some are ecclesiastical, one concerns the establishment of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in England, two or three are on the Sabbath question, a number relate to the movements in which Frederick Denison Maurice took part, some are legal, some statistical, and many local. The whole of their titles are printed in the catalogue and occupy sixty-three pages.

This brings us to the end of our survey of this very important and valuable library.

CHAPTER XX.

LIBRARY OF THOMAS ADAM MATHIESON, ESQ., GROSVENOR

Mr. Mathieson's connection with Hutchesons' HospitalGeneral remarks on his Library-Ruskin-PoetryScottish Books-Glasgow Books-Strang's Progress of Glasgow Glasgow Looking-Glass-Herald to the Trades' Advocate-Wynd Church Case-Interesting and amusing Pamphlets-Conclusion.

MR. MATHIESON is well known as a former prominent member of the Town Council of Glasgow, where he sat as one of the representatives of the third ward during six terms of office-1866 to 1884. He was made River Bailie in 1868, a Magistrate in 1870, and in 1878 elected to the office of Preceptor of Hutchesons' Hospital, an educational charity founded in 1641 by two Glasgow writers, George and Thomas Hutcheson, brothers.

During Mr. Mathieson's tenure of office the noble volume in which Mr. William Henry Hill, the muchesteemed clerk to the institution, has told its history so admirably, was published. It is dedicated to Mr. Mathieson, who took much interest in its compilation. Several books have been written about the Hospital, in the course of the two hundred and forty-two years of its existence, but none with the fulness and ability characteristic of Mr. Hill's, which, in respect to historical accuracy and comprehensiveness, as well as material bulk, eclipses all its predecessors. It must therefore be a circumstance of much pleasure to Mr. Mathieson that his name is inseparably associated

with so monumental a record of an institution in which he took so very great interest.

The writer may be permitted in this place to express his unfeigned regret that he has been unable to include in this volume an account of Mr. Hill's fine library, and if anything would tempt him to inflict on a suffering public another volume of Glasgow library history it would be the prospect of placing on record the extent and richness of Mr. Hill's collection, the gatherings of three generations of antiquaries.

Mr. Mathieson was a member of the Libraries Committee of the Glasgow Corporation from its first appointment on the reception in 1874 of the Mitchell bequest until he left the Council in 1884, and from 1878 he was sub-convener. He took a keen and intelligent interest in the library, and rendered it much ungrudging service. He was also a member of the board of directors of Stirling's Library from November, 1883, to November, 1884, being one of the representatives elected by the Town Council.

Counted by volumes, Mr. Mathieson's library is not very large (fully 2,000 volumes)-estimated by the intrinsic worth of its contents it is valuable. It is not remarkable for tall copies or rare first editions unless they happen to be the best, but consists mainly of the works of authors of acknowledged repute, in good editions and appropriately fine bindings. We say

mainly because, as will hereafter be shown, it has some curiosities which do not fall under the above category. It strikes one as the library of a gentleman who has no hobby-in literature at least-save, indeed, it be a liking for all good books, and a weakness for an artistic piece of binding. Selecting his books with care, paying a good price, and in the matter of binding considering the labourer worthy of his hire, Mr. Mathieson has much reason to be pleased with his library. We like the deliberate, well-planned method of forming a library. It gives the owner time to

become acquainted with his purchases, to read his books, to appreciate or reject them, and is after all the true way in which to make a good collection. Indiscriminate buying with haste is certainly efficacious in quickly amassing a large number of books, but in the process, the great purpose of every book— to be read-is overlooked, and there is a danger that, wanting this acquaintance and affection between the books and their possessor, he may tire of them as rapidly as he acquired them.

But to return to the present collection. It is arranged in three large mahogany bookcases, one of which is of very fine workmanship. Mr. Mathieson is an ardent Ruskinian, and perhaps the most prominent feature-certainly the one he regards with greatest pleasure of his collection is a large and handsome array of the works of the great art critic. They number over one hundred volumes, are all in original editions, with fine impressions of the plates, and are bound in the beautiful fashion sanctioned by the master. Not content with Ruskin's own works, Mr. Mathieson has also many of the works incidentally mentioned in his writings. Chief amongst these are "Engravings of the Frescoes of Giotto in Padua," Twenty-five beautiful quarto photos. of Amiens Cathedral, which form a complete body of illustrations for "The Bible of Amiens"; Ludwig Richter's charming illustrations of the Seasons, the Lord's Prayer, and Sunday.

The library contains some other fine books in this class-Fine Art. Philip Gilbert Hamerton's beautiful works are here-" Etchers and Etching," the "Graphic Arts," "Landscape," his latest volume, and all the other works which have proceeded from the same pen. Fine copies (first editions) of Mrs. Jameson's "History of our Lord," "Sacred and Legendary Art," "Legends of the Monastic Order," "Legends of the Madonna," Lavater's essays on "Physiognomy," 5 volumes, quarto;