JJ13RARY OP THE EFJTISH MUSEUM. 



Europe is seen in the folio wing com- 

 parative statement : 



Vols. 



Paris (1), National Library, . 824,000 



Munich, Royal Library, . . . 000,000 

 London, British Museum 



Library, 450,000 



Petersburg, Imperial Library, 440,000 



Copenhagen, Royal Library, . 412,000 



Berlin, Royal Library, . . . 410,000 



Vienna, Imperial Library, . 313,000 



Dresden, Royal Library, . 300,000 



Madrid, National Library, . 200,000 



WolfenbiUtel, Ducal Library, 200,000 



Stuttgard, Royal Library, . 187,000 



Paris (2), Arzenal Library, . 180,000 



Milan, Brera Library, . . 170,000 



Paris (3), St. G&ievieVe Library 150,000 

 Darmstadt, Grand Ducal 



Library 150,000 



Florence, Magliabeechian Lib- 

 rary, 150,000 



Naples, Royal Library, . . 150,000 



Brussels, Royal Library, . 133,500 



Homc(l), Casanate Library, 120,000 



Hague, Royal Library, . . 100,000 



Paris (4), Mazarine Library, 100,000 



Rome (2), Vatican Library, 100,000 



Parma, Ducal Library, . . 100,000 



To the books of Sir Hans Sloane, 

 forming the nucleus of the library, 

 George II. added in 1757, the books 

 collected by the Kings of England 

 from the time of Henry VII., and 

 which included amongst others the 

 library of Archbishop Cranmer. 

 The King annexed to this gift the 

 right, which the Royal Library had 

 acquired in Queen Anne's reign, to 

 a copy of every new book entered 

 at Stationers' Hall. In 1823, the 

 magnificent library of George III. 

 was presented to the Museum by 

 George IV, on condition that it 

 should for ever be kept separate 

 from the rest of the collection. This 

 library, which was commenced when 

 the establishments of the Jesuits 

 were broken up and their books 

 dispersed, was enriched from these 

 sources with some of the rarest 

 works of antiquity. It also con- 

 tains choice early editions of the 

 classics, reports of learned bodies, 

 productions of the Caxton press, 

 the histories of the European states, 

 in their respective languages, and a 



celebrated geographical and topo- 

 graphical collection, itself a great 

 curiosity. The mere catalogue of 

 the contents of this inedited Royal 

 Atlas fills two octavo volumes. For 

 state reasons, it was customary in 

 former times and the rule is not 

 yet, we believe, altogether relaxed 

 to withhold this collection from 

 the public eye, and especially from 

 the examination of foreigners. In 

 addition to the general topographi- 

 cal description of the country by 

 counties, it contains sketches of 

 every place of strength in the king- 

 dom, showing how they could be 

 put in a posture of defence, and 

 rendered available either against 

 ' : malice domestic ' ' or " foreign levy." 

 The curator favoured us with a sight 

 of the illustrations of two Scottish 

 counties ; they happened to be those 

 of Lanark and Dumbarton, and re- 

 sembled large scrap-books, contain- 

 ing maps, old pictures of towns and 

 villages, landscapes, sketches of old 

 castles and peel-houses, views of 

 mansion-houses and demesnes, plans 

 of Dumbarton Castle, statistical 

 notes, entries, and odds and ends 

 connected with the district. These 

 multifarious materials are arranged 

 with clearness and neatness, so as 

 to be of ready reference. The labour 

 of their compilation must have 

 been prodigious. The entire of the 

 King's library is in beautiful order. 

 In one apartment we were allowed 

 to examine Henry the Eighth's 

 Bible, beautifully printed on vel- 

 lum, in three volumes, w\th illumi- 

 nated initial letters, and ^un'vmu-ly 

 bound. It bears this inscription : 

 " This Bookc is presented unto your 

 most excellent highness by youre 

 loving, faith full, and obedient sub- 

 ject and daylye oratour, Anthonie 

 Master of London, haberdasher. 

 The Byble in Englyshe. 1541." It 

 is something to know that bluff 

 King Hal possessed a Bible. It 

 does not, to be sure, bear marks of 

 having been much used by its royal 



