THE LIBRARY. 
325 
Library hours. It cannot be expected (knowing the nature of a Druggist’s 
business) that the Library will ever be much patronized as a Reading-lloom. 
The experiment has been already tried by the late Mr. Jacob Bell, and he was 
known to have expressed his disappointment at the failure of the arrangement. 
There was the Librarian, the gas, a good fire, and every accommodation ; but 
there were no readers. The scheme signally collapsed, and I do not see any just 
ground for anticipating a different result. 
The growth of the Library must be exogenous, from within outwards. The 
books must be brought in contact with the readers; the readers, for obvious rea¬ 
sons, can never be brought in contact with the books. Nor do I think we can 
reasonably expect Members, still less Assistants, who have been confined for suc¬ 
cessive hours by the imperative exactions of long trade hours, to spend their one 
spare evening in literary pursuits. Many a weary worker will hail with pleasure 
the reception at his own home of standard works and of first-class scientific 
periodicals, which will serve the double purpose of breaking up the routine mono¬ 
tony of his occupation, and of keeping his mind well stored with the current in¬ 
telligence of the day. But I cannot help putting a most lenient construction, if 
not confessing the profoundest sympathy with the Assistant, who, on the welcome 
advent of his weekly holiday, sees greater attraction in an evening walk than in 
mental culture, and who He Pleasure versus Science, gives his verdict for the 
Plaintiff. 
Let me now subjoin a few plain suggestions:— 
I. That the first clause of Rule IV., u The scientific Journals shall not be cir¬ 
culated until the volumes are completed and bound” be rescinded as far as Lon¬ 
don members are concerned, and that the whole of the Periodicals issued weekly 
or at other intervals be circulated seven days after receipt, among such town 
members as may desire to read them. But that no one Periodical be so issued 
unless the said Member agree to receive it regularly for no shorter period 
than three months, and either forward the requisite amount of postage, or make 
some other convenient arrangement; otherwise the Librarian would be con¬ 
tinually annoyed by frivolous applications, and the object contemplated by the 
Library would be frustrated. No member caring to obtain a particular periodical 
would fail to require it for less than the three months specified. Local 
Secretaries would find it to their great advantage to have down a sufficient 
number of books to furnish two to each member, in their respective localities, 
and to carry on an interchange of them until a fresh supply might be needed. 
But they must not feel hurt that single numbers of current Periodicals can¬ 
not circulate. It would be manifestly absurd to send one number of the 
Lancet down to Liverpool, and they can readily help themselves from local 
sources. There must always be some gain from a residence in town. The Com¬ 
mittee are not responsible that London should be the Metropolis; the centre 
both of attraction and advantage. Else what man on the safe side of an asylum 
would exchange green fields and 4 the liberal air ’ for streets and smoke ? 
Non cuivis homini contingit adire Corinthum. 
Ov TTCIVTOS dvdpos els K opivdov ecr & 6 irXovs * 
IL That the Library and its interests should be more warmly advocated in the 
Editorial department of the Journal. Members should now and then be re¬ 
minded of its existence, and of the facility with which books may be obtained. 
Many country members are deterred from using the Library from an ignorance 
of this fact; they are deterred still more by the absence of any direct encourage¬ 
ment, and by never having either its operations or its value brought prominently 
before their eyes. The ship may be in excellent trim, but it must be steered. 
III. It is desirable that some of the current Scientific Literature, such as the 
4 Popular Science Review,’ and the 4 Intellectual Observer,’ should be added to the 
* Dictionaries are provided in the Library. 
