The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-07-27
Correspondence Journal sf Commerce
Rufus ChOate's Ltbary.

Mr.. Choate was a most industrious man,
hard student, and q great lover Of books.
When he was not in his law office, or in the
Court House, he might generally be found
in his fine library at home; where he forgot
the toll of his profession. The account of
his library, taken from little work published
by Croker Il Brewster of Boston, and en-
titled "a Glance at Private Libraries may
now be read with interest.
"One of the most attractive libraries is
that of Mr.. Rufus Choate, that embraces
including professional books, seven thousand
volumes, many of which are quite rare, and
in the best editions. His books are scientif-
ically arranged, and present themselves in
the most inviting manner. No one could
live in his library, we dare say, without be-
coming a reader, it he had no previous
taste, and he would stand more than an
even chance of becoming scholar. Indeed,
a person can hardly fail of being edu a, d
by and according to his daily surroundings.
The library room, or rooms of Mr.. Choate,
(for the entire second story of good sized
house is devoted to such guests us Homer,
Demosthenes, Pindar, Livy, Bacon, Shakes
pearc, and to such worthless, or to what are
popularity called bookS) are extremely at
tractive, since, though not originally built
for the purpose, they appear to entertain
their undying guests gracefully, and yet
with no sort of art or pretence.
"The library is particularly rich in the
Greek and Latin classics, for which the
owner had passion, and has read, for their
own sake, more, perhaps, than any other
| professional gentleman In this country. His
| shelves exhibited five or six editions of Pin
dar, Horace, Livy, and of other Latin and
! Greek authors. The library abounds with
political volumes, and is full in the depart
ment of history; and in theology and &C.
| cleSiastical history we know of no layman
who has such treasures. Amoag rare books
we noticed Rymer's FGdera-Du Cange's
| GloSsarium and Athenasius. What pleas
ant change this library, after the conflicts OF
the Court House"
How much Mr.. Choatc loved that library
he well described in an address at the open
ing of the Peabody Institate at Danvers
/" Let the case of Il busy lawyer testify TO
the priceless value of the love Of readihg.-
! lie comes home, his temples throbbing, his
nerves shattered from a trial Of al week sur
priSed and alarmed 10y the charge of the
judge, and pale with anxiety about the yer.
dict Of the next morning; not at all salts.
fed with what he has done himself, though
he does not yet see how he could have i'm.
proved it; recalling with DIRE I'D and self dis.
arrangement, if not with envy, the brilliant
effort of his antagonist, aud tormenting
himself with tie vain wish that he coul(
have replied TO it-and altogether a very
miserable subject, and in as unfayorable
condition to accept comfort from wife ant
children as poor Christian in the first tire,
pages of Religious Progress. With su
perhuman effort he opens his book, and il
the twinkling Of an eye he is looking int,
the full "orb of Homeric and Mitoni,
song;" or Pope or Horace laughs him int
good humor, &c.