The Portland daily press., 1863-06-06
COMMUNICATIONS.
Private Libraries of Portland.
THIRD PAPER


THIRD PAPER.
To the Editor Of the Press:
The Library of the Rev. WIN. STEVENS
PERRY, A. NJ, contains upwards Of two thous-
and volumes and five thousand pamphlets, the
latter being collected with view of illustra-
ting the history of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in this country. This library is rather
historical and liturgical than strictly theologi-
cal, though il is far from being deficient in the
standard theology of the English and Ameri-
can Church. A large number OF volumes of
bellies lettres and history are also embraced in
its numbers.
There are nearly one hundred and fifty vol
umes of liturgie or works illustrative of the
Book of Common Prayer. The various early
editions of the American Prayer Book, with
hardly an exception, are to be found here, en-
bracing the very rare edition of the Proposed
Book" printed in Philadelphia in 1885, the
reprint of this volume issued in England in
1889, of which it is asserted that only fifty
copies were printed for the use of English
prelates who had but little before given the
episcopal succession TO the American Church,
and the later reprint in the Rev. Peter Halls
valuable ReGQuig Liturgicg, published in
Bath, England, in lS47. Mr.. Perry has in
course oipublication fac siBaite edition of this
rare liturgical compilation, to be issued
with historical introduction and notes in an
elegant volume by G. b. Richardson of New
York, at the cost of five dollars per copy, the
edition being limited to two hundred copies.
The rarity of the first edition of this work
may be inferred from the fact that copies of it
well thumbed and worn have sold at auction
in Philadelphia for SIG. In addition to these
interesting volumes the library contains sets
of the loose sheets of alterations from the En-
glish Prayer Book in folio and duodecimo, is
sued when the work was undergoing revision
at the time OF the reorganization OF the Amer
lean Church, TO serve as guides to the printer
OF the standard copies and to supply the
clergy with Information Of the changes de-
signed. A copy of the duodecimo edition of
these rarities is in Harvard College Library.
This folio is probably unique. To these must
be added copies OF the first editions in folio
1.-THE only one ever issued in octave and duo
decimo, of the present American Prayer Book,
with number of other editions published in
different portions OF the country prior to the
year 1900 Besides these the collection EN-
braces the celebrated Kings Chapel Liturgy
In its original form, with a number OF the En-
glish Arian Liturgies from which this compi-
lation was prepared.
Since the organization OF the ProtestantEpis-
copai Church IN this Country, which was i'm
medlateiy subsequent TO the Revolution, there
have been in the various dioceses which gen.
orally correspond in territorial extent to the
States, annual Conventions Of the Clergy and
Laity, and triennial gatherings of the Church
at large in General Council. The proceedings
of these conventions are almost invariably
published and have in addition to the legisia-
tive doings of these bodies, tables Of statis
tics and histories OF parochial progress and de-
tails of church work throughout the respec-
tive dioceses. These documents dating from
the year 1874, form library in themselves
Their value, when gathered in sets of the DIFF
ferent dioceses, or Of the general conventions