, 1873-10-18
What He Saw at the British
Museum.
Rare Books and Manusoripts---An-
tique Jewelry---Anoieut
Statuary.
The 31nseum-Library-..Somc Advice to Tic
Directors Of tlle Chicago Library
-..Tllc Financial Crisis.

Public Library, but will DO gonoral1y road with
intoreBt:l
LONDON, oct.1, 1873
Ny DEAR SIN: arrived hero Took ago, in
good health and spirits, barring the depressing
effect Of tho American financial news. Wo have
industrousjy tloyotnd tho past eight days to
sightseeing, and we arc just beginning to got
eorno conception Of this gigantic, unparalleled
city. Tho weather has beon exceptionally flno.
resembling M Illinois Indian-eummer" sky
and sun; neithor too hot nor too cold; between
o hazo and a fog, with the sun shining mildly
through tho light mist and smoke.
Monday and to-day (Wedncaday) devoted to
tic British Museum. Monday o. m. spent
among the
BOOKS AND MANuson1pTs
in the great hall containing the library OF George
III. aud George 1V. aud the gront Grenvillo Ii.
brary, donatod to the Museum, together with the
irnm additions male thereto during tho paHs
forty years. cannot undertake to nnme the
raro things eaw, but will mention fow.
saw tho OIazariuo Bible, from tue press Of Gut
teuborg and Faust. dated Mentz, 1455, believed
to be the first copy over printed Ola movahn
tvpeg It war beautifully executed and
ill,u,,r.sed. I saw soorcs Of printed
1ooks bearing ditto before 1475; an
original copy Of tho "Ta1eB Of Caun-
torburyo." by Chaucer, 1476-only ono other
copy III existence. 7 saw q copy Of tho first
edition OF Colun,bua' letter or record Of his
discovery Of America, written eight months
thereafter, printed III Latin, in Rome, 1893.
saw copy Of shakspcaro'a "Romeo and Ju-
liet" London, 15o7,-tirat edition. Just look
ut the dato! Also, Of "KinG Lear" 16o8,-
first edition,-and "A[erry Wives OF Windsor,
- Il.
collected edition Of sl,akapoare'a plays, 1923
all boqueathed by David Garrick I also saw
Shakspenro's autograph to decd for tho pur-
chase Of piece OF land, and mighty poor
spocimcn Of penmanstip # was. 7 eaw tile
Usher for "paradiso Lost" aud AIlton's sig
nature thoroto. Soma of tho Englisl, manu-
scripts date back to a. D. 623. There is also
to DO sccn tho Bull Of Pope Leo x, comforting
on Henry VIII. the titlo Of .'Defcnder Of tho
10y William the Conquosor. There were auto
graph letters Of all the noted historical charac-
tors, as Kings, Queens, Princes, Dukes, Earls,
authors compoaers. orators, poets, statesmen,
britain and Europe tor thousand years pnst.
was perfectly bowilaered with the multitude Of
thoH. saw the original manuscript OF tho
Now Testament,-'' codex Aioxandrian,' of A.
there are only two older copies extnnt,-one
in the Vatican and one In St. Petersburg. I
saw the Parliamentary records since William tho
Conquoror. and tho original Magma Charta OK
torted from King John tit WIS ncarly faded out).
But weary you with the enumeration.
Tho afternoon devoted to tho galleries con-
tanning specimens Of natural history, and por-
tiou OF tho collection OF
- ANTIQUITIES, ..-
including, tho ancient coins and ,jcwe!ed orna-
mcnts. somo Of the coinB dated back to the
early days OF Greece. No jowelry store in Lon
don or fariR can equal in design or beauty these
specimens Of jowelry. Indeed, the modern oncB
aro mere limitations Of ihoso OF Groeco and
This afternoon was dovoted to tho
ANCIENT ar4TuAhY,
which fills dozen great hail6 Home OF them
2oo BY 6o rect; t; Iho collection OF Elg1n Mar,
any conception of sculpture before. It is almost
lost art to the moderns. They cannot even
copy tue originals. much less conceive originals
70 compare with thoae produced " little Greece.
sl,ipoads of works Of art IN marble md granite
Met-back granito] anu marble OF various coiors.
Ihe Egyptian statuary exceeds that OF Grecce ~
sze running into tnoanper.coloesa ana ofltB
consl1nesea OF cast H. a1tor pecunar type, %
graceful, faithful to lifo, wonderful. But nearly
all Of the specimens, thousands in number, aro
more or less brokcn or dofaced-some Of them
sad havoc with tlem,
1 came away both dara 30 tired that limbs.
eyes, and braiil achea and i was ono biz ache
from tic ton Of NV head to the Boles Of nv
feet, tell Won it Ia tho hardest kind of work.
ttin thing of aipln-neeing. If one rooa at II ia
tern,incd IA Ind Snut thinrs. ana lnol, docncr
than tic surface or euitlo-book deHc,iptions II
mover juok Ut lie luttor.)
T,lE nn1T1sH sJusErnf 11paAny
containe over / nm f00 yulumcs ami ns many
manuscripts aud pamphlets. The main rcaelins-
room ia circular. fiku The Chicago rank, Int tan
times ns large. being i'd feet III flarnntor bv tt1a