498 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 212. 



is to cleave the serpent's head, Is made a distinct 

 subject of prophecy. (See Rev. xii. 7 — 10.) 



While on this subject allow me to ask, Can a 

 dolphin waft ? Can a shore wash ? 



C. Mansfied Ingleby. 



Birmingham. 



SCHOOL LIBRARIES. 



(Vol. viii., pp. 220. 395.) 



In returning thanks to those of your correspon- 

 dents who replied to my Query, I ought, perhaps, 

 to have begged to learn such of our public schools 

 that were without libraries, as the best means of 

 obtaining for them bequests or gifts that would 

 form a nucleus of a good library. For example, 

 a correspondent informs me that the governors of 

 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Wimborne, 

 Dorset, are laying by lOZ. a year towards the pur- 

 chase of books for that purpose : that having no 

 library at present, there now is a favourable oppor- 

 tunity for either a gift or a bequest : but I should 

 in any case prefer a selection of works likely to 

 prove readable for young people, as history, bio- 

 graphy, travels, and the popular works of science. 



I can quite imagine that Eton, AVinchester, 

 Westminster, Harrow, Shrewsbury, and other 

 similar great schools, would have such libraries, 

 but these are not half the number of our public 

 foundations ; the wealthy schools above mentioned, 

 and the rich men's children who go to them, would 

 be in a sad plight indeed were they not amply 

 provided for in such matters. But there are 

 others whose mission is not less important, perhaps 

 more so ; and on this head none would be better 

 pleased than I to find I laboured under an " er- 

 roneous impression," as remarked by Etonensis. 

 The English public appeared to have an " erro- 

 neous impression " that they were better provided 

 with books than any other people a short time ago, 

 till it was disproved when the agitation respecting 

 parochial libraries was set on foot, the facts ap- 

 pearing on the institution of the Marylebone 

 public library. 



It has been shown that in France and Ger- 

 many the public libraries, and the volumes in 

 them, far exceed any that we possess ; a strange 

 fact, when we are better provided with standard 

 authors than any other language in the world. I 

 should much wish these brief parallels answered. 

 The city of Lyons has a magnificent public library 

 of 100,000 vols., open to all; how many has her 

 rival Manchester ? Boulogne has a public library 

 of 16,000 vols. ; how many has Southampton ? 

 From the obliging notices of correspondents in 

 " N. & Q.," we have had several articles on pa- 

 rochial libraries, and the sum of the whole appears 

 to be most miserable ; surely some bad system has 

 prevailed either in not having proper places for 



them, or in some other fault. In one place the 

 resident clergyman sells them: surely if they 

 were combined under some enlarged plan, people 

 desirous of making bequests or gifts would do so 

 very willingly when they knew they would be 

 cared for and made use of; for it is probably the 

 case that private libraries are more numerous here 

 than abroad, and that there are altogether more 

 books In the country. I am told by a correspon- 

 dent that in his time there were no books at Christ's 

 Hospital, therefore the bequest made is, I presume, 

 a late one ; and if such is the case, it will be a favour- 

 able opportunity for the governors of that school 

 to enlarge the collection and make It available to 

 the scholars. 



If, therefore, our schools are no better provided 

 than our public libraries, the inquiry may be of 

 service ; but If they are, it cannot do harm to 

 know their condition. It is true I have heard of 

 but one public school hitherto that has no library 

 and wants one, but I shall remain unsatisfied till 

 other returns make their appearance in " N. & Q." 

 or privately, when, if it should appear I have 

 taken a wrong opinion, I shall be as pleased as 

 anybody else to find myself mistaken. 



Weld Taylor. 



Bayswater. 



In answer to your correspondent Mr. Weld 

 Taylor's Query on this subject, may I be allowed 

 to say that at Tonbridge School, where I was 

 educated, there is a very good general library, 

 consisting of the best classical works in our own 

 language, travels, chronicles, histories, and the 

 best works of fiction and poetry, and I believe all 

 modern periodicals. 



This library is under the care of the head boy 

 for the time being, and he, with the other monitors, 

 acts as librarian. Books are given out, I believe, 

 daily ; the library is maintained by the boys 

 themselves, and f&vf leave the school without 

 making some contribution to its funds, or placing 

 some work on Its shelves. 



The head master, the Rev. Dr. Welldon, ap- 

 proves of all books before they are added to the 

 library. 



There Is also what is called the " Sunday Li- 

 brary," consisting of standard works of theology 

 and church history, and other works, chiefly pre- 

 sented by the head and other masters, to induce 

 a taste for such reading. 



I am sorry that Mr.'Weld Taylor should have 

 to complain of the general ignorance of public 

 schoolboys ; but I know I may on behalf of the 

 head boy of Tonbridge say, he will be happy to 

 acknowledge any contribution from Mr. Weld 

 Taylor, which he may be disposed to give, to- 

 wards the removal of this charge. 



G. Brindley Ac worth. 



Star Hill, Rochester. 



