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Some Notices of the Library at Stourhead. 



Next to his adopted county of Wilts, no part of the United King- 

 dom interested Sir Richard Hoare so much as Wales. His Library 

 is particularly rich in Drawings, Manuscripts, and Books, illus- 

 trative of its history ; among which the following may be noticed : — 



Three folio volumes of Drawings in South Wales, by Mr. John 

 Carter, F.S.A. 



A collection of Ecclesiastical, Monumental, and Cathedral Anti- 

 quities in North Wales, by Mr. John Buckler, F.S.A. 



Twenty-one fine drawings of St. Donat's, St. Albans, &c, in 

 Glamorganshire, by Mr. John Buckler and Mr. J. C. Buckler. 



Four volumes of Drawings in Wales, by Sir R. C. Hoare. 



Eleven volumes of Tours in Wales, by Sir R. C. Hoare. 



Of the first two collections Sir R. Hoare thus speaks : — 



"The History, Antiquities, and Scenery of North and South Wales, having 

 for a long while become*so familiar to me, and so frequently handled by my own 

 pencil, I was desirous of adding those subjects to my collection that were not 

 within the reach of my own abilities. On which account I commissioned in 

 1801, Mr. John Carter, a most able artist in the line of architecture and monu- 

 mental antiquities, to undertake a journey through South Wales, and to draw 

 every subject that might appear interesting to him. This he happily completed 

 and presented me with his valuable collection in three volumes folio. 



" Actuated by the same feeling towards North Wales, I engaged Mr. John 

 Buckler to pursue the same plan, which he also completed in one folio volume 

 much to my satisfaction. 



" Thus I have been enabled to rescue many valuable records of British Anti- 

 quities, some of which have already suffered since our visitation, and others 

 threaten a speedy decay." 



The Library at Stourhead is also rich in foreign books. But his 

 collection of Books on the History and Topography of Italy had 

 already become public property before the death of Sir Richard 

 Hoare, having been presented by him to the British Museum in 

 1825. Of this collection he printed a catalogue in 1812. 



During his long residence on the Continent, Sir R. C. Hoare 

 employed his pencil very assiduously, and has left about 1,100 

 drawings by himself and friends, bound in 18 volumes folio. Also 

 a beautiful volume of Drawings in Saxony, Italy, France, Elba, and 

 Sicily, by Mr. John Smith, from Sir R. C. Hoare's Sketches. 



In the Library are ten original Drawings, by Canaletti, of Scenes 

 at Venice. 



