Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-01-13
SIR WALTER SCOTTS LIBRS

WIN, A"o PuoAiolOu tiS otiuOAOu @VAt4ktl
of his Library.
j The library is really noble room. 4
is an oblong of some fifty feet by thirty
with projection in the centre, opposite
the fire place, terminating in grand
bow window, fitted up with books also
and, in fact, constituting a sort of chapel
to the church. The roof is of carved
oak-a very rich pattern-I believe chief
ly a la Rosin, and the book cases, which
are also of richly carved oak, reach high
up the walls all around. The collection
amounts, in this room, to some fifteen or
twenty thousand volumes, arranged ac-
cording to their subiects-British history
and antiquities filling the whole of the
chief wall English poetry and drama,
classicks and miscellanies, one end !;
foreign literature, chiefly French and Ger
man, the other. The cases on the side,
opposite the FIRE aie wircA and docked,
as containing articles very precious and
very portable. One consists entirely Of
books and MSS. relating to the insurrec-
tons of IT'S and 1745 and another
within the recess of the bew-window) of
treatises ab re mQgica, both of these being
Il am told, and can we'll believe, in their
several ways, collections Of the rarest Gu
rloslty. My cicerone pointed out, in the
corner, magnificent set of Montfaucen,
ten volumes folio, bound in the richest
manner in scarlet, and stamped with the
royal arms, the. gift of his present Majesty.
There are few living authors of whose
works presentation copies are not to be
found here. My friend showed me in
scriptions of that sort in, ! believe, every
European dialect extant. The books are
in prime condition, and in bindings that
would satisfy Mr.. Dibdin. The only pic
ture is Sir Walters oldest son, in hussar
uniform, and holding his horse, by Allan,
of Edinburg, noble portrait over the fire
place and the only bust is that of Shaks-
peare, from the Avon monument, in a
small niche in the centre of the east side.
On rich stand of porphyry, in one cor
ner, reposed full silver urn filled with
bones from the Piseus, and bearing the
inscription" Given by George Gordon,
Lord Byron, to Sir Walter Scott, Bart"
1t contained the letter which accompanied
the gift till lately--it has disappeared; no
one guesses who took it (; but whoever he
was, as my guide observed, he must have
been thief for theving's sake truly, as he
burst no more exhibit his autograph than
tip himself bare bodkin. Sad, infamous
tourist, indeed Although l saw abund-
ance of comfortable looking desks and
arm ohairs, yet this room seemed rather
too large and fine for work, and
found accordingly, after passing double
pair of doors, that there was sanctunl
within and beyond this library. And
here, you may believe, was not to me the
least interesting though by no means the
most splendid part of the suite.
1.-THE lions own den, proper, then, is
room of about five and twenty feet
square by twenty feet high, containing, OF
what is properly called furniture, nothing
but small writing table in the centre, a
plain arm chair covered with black leath-
era very comfortable one though, for l
tried it-and single chair besides, plain
symptoms that this is no place for COM
pany. On either side Of the fire place
there are shelves filled with duodecimos
and books of reference, chiefly, of course
folios but except these there are no
books save the contents of light gallery
which runs round three sides of the room,
and is reached by a hanging stair of oak
in one corner. You have been both at
the Elisee, Bourbon and Malmaison, and
remember the library of one or other of
those places, forget which; this gallery
is much in the same style. There are
only two portraits; an original of the
beautiful and melancholy head of Claver-
house, and a small full length of Rob
Roy. Various little antique cabinets
stand round about, each having bust on
it: Stothard's Canterbury Pilgrims are
on the mantelpiece and in one corner |
saw collection of really useful weapons,
those of thu forest craft, to wit-axes and
bills and SO forth of every calibre. There
is only one window, pierced in a very
thick wall, SO that the place is very
sombre; the light tracery work of the
gallery over head harmonizes with the
books well. 1t is very comfortable
looking room, and very unlike any other
| ever was in. should not forget some
Highland claymores, clustered round a
target over :he Canterbury people, nor a
writing box of carved wood, lined with
crimson velvet, and furnished with silver
plate of right venerable aspect, which
looked as if it might have been the imple-
ment of old Chaucer himself, but which
from the arms on'the lid must have be-
longed to some Italian prince of the days
of Leo the Magnificent at the furthest.
"In one corner of this sanctum there
is little holy of holies, in the shape of a
closet, which looks like the oratory O
some dame of old romance, and opens in
to the gardens; and the tower which fur
nishes this, forms above private staircase
accessible from the gallery and leading t.