, 1870-06-19

which would hare bean 50 valuable to scicnti-
II 1E compiler. also secured the colossal bust
~ donooldtt c1ecutsd in marble by David
rangers, andpresented to him by tho artist.
ipe d,plomx and the bust bought In Sepicm-
Der, 1850, ut The auction salo Of hs art cullec-
ton.
The other object embraced in this colleo-
ton, such ~ medals. Instruments. mi4cfals.
de.t which Herr loxenberg mentions in his
! article on the subject. mover belonged 10 tha
| lbrs4 At eu, md At this salo bccamo Tho nnane
CITY oi vaEons persons. The library I'D not
consist Of 9, 00O volumes, As las boen rc,,o1to,
but o. y, ,8eo, pot counting COLLECTION nf ON1
eeaenuhe t1eatises, made especially yaln.bIa
~ ~ re !act tnat most Of them were not inten-
ded tor gener41 circulation, but we're printed
n n limited numbers to supply private demand
a.ans 81 Aem, also, wore autliograpIcaliv d.
Mcateo TO Humboldt by the 8u.hor,. rcranns
@ Hn9ee names wete often uluktrious IN tr;enee.
ano contnned interesting notes and Comments
~ r1 s4;s;sa =! numnolads own hand There may be
~ oastence Other lbrkaes comprising ~ manv
ot e4 more Volumes Of equal value, ~ books. f,nt
enese never Has another 60 marked by the
cosmopolitan individuality Of its or1cinal own.
e. as Vas this one. 1t Is plain thst its most
.;ra n;,nns resting p!aee would hare boon tho ns-
1o1ts to compass this eud we're insdectuai
IN CERTAIN circles quite coolnesa prevailed
n 1eeGu 10 the posthumoua reputation of
humboldt, caused By publication Of his letters
70 tarnhaSen Won Emo, bu. Tho rest Of tho
MoI.o tnoaeat differently. aud mauy strangers
came g 70 See this wonderful library, Among
These was 3lE. Cogswel1, tho manager OF tho
Astory Library in. New York, who exnresaad -
strong wish to add it to that other Ibrary in
Ama1aca which owed its origin toa German. he
ma some negotiations with AIr. Stevens, he
American Library agent in London. who. At
last, toward the close Of 1850, boreh. from ns M
the whole collection consisting OF fhe I;hrnrT
cha1te, diplomas, and bust. or the latter wa
had copy taken beforoit went out OF Dos !
eeesion- Fh1eh We presented to the noyal |
Mosenm a1 I'm q Berlin; We now rejciced in the
cious hbra1J, would not be broken Up aud scat
Tered around the world. but become the prop
cry o1 an AppreciAtive country. which has
styled Humboldt it second discoyerer. But #
bad hafdly arrived in London before tbs
transfer an impoesibility.
Mr. Stevens, who thought As most people
o1d, that the disturbance would bo Of ahnrt
duration, kept the Library On hand for = conc
sadessb!e timc, but wss at last obliged to sell
H. number OF the lafger work. were dis
the diplomas and bust also went to Amerra.
The collection Of 1catises wns subjected II =
critical examination By tho British Museum.
which proposed to buy Ill Of which it did not
already posseAs copies.
hf- Steven 3 statement that thu Br;tsh
museum Il not in possession Of third Of tbe
books must be meant to apply to th;s m;nor
PIT Of the Library. But At this iupcture.
auares took fatal turn The rest Of Tie books |
Tere packed in boxes and given into Tho ~ csre
o. the a1ct1oneera, sotheby, Wilkinson i CO..
" y whom they put up for sale. But on the
shlTd day after tho opening Of The COLLECTION ar !
rsther should say the third night, which wss a.
u June, 1865, the auction rooms Of the firm
an1h,+ I9o1 hse, 39a ayeIythpg belonging to the
disposed Of, WAS destroyed. I can youeh fay
.nls .as 1of vas myself in London at the time,
.na l vel 1emsmbeE that not only the Hum. !
1oldt ldt books wele burned, bat also Lord
sha.lemont's magnificent library and collection
y MSS, IS and The books and papers compris-
pg the celebrated Antiquarian LibraT of
Fechener Of Paris, aud tho equally valuable
mo Of Ar. Offer, as well as various Other Oh. {
'sa oets Of Of 1T we're total1y destroyed. NOT one
nto tho hands Of the Auctioneer, went under {
he hammer, It IL, therefore, easy, from tho s
acts which have stated, to compute thst but !
2Tet.