New-York tribune., 1875-11-09
THE LIBR1RIEs or EUROPE.

LECTURE BY THE REV. r. s STORRs, D. d.
oEIGiS AND INFLUENCE OF LARGE COLLECTIONS or
BoOKs-lIBRAhIEs The SUCCESSORS OF THE
CArHEDRALs-NECEssIrY Oh SUCH COLLECTIONS
N AMERICA
An audience of culture and high character
greeted the Rev DR. r. s. storTs Of the Church Of the
Pilgrims, IN Brooklyn, last evening at the Rev Dr.
Rogerss church, IT Fifti-ave and Twentynrstst The
occasion the delivery OF lecture upon Ihe Libra
OF Europe" under the auspices Of the Association OF
Science and Art. The house hlled in every part
nearly al the standing being taken The apPrecia-
ton Of the address felt by the audience was mani
tested not ny paudits but by the closest attention
Among those present members OF the Association and
Others were the Rev Drs. John Hail, lillian Adams
Philip schah. :. IrenFus Prime, Rogers. BudingiOn,
aud Crosby The Rev. Drs. Prime and Rogers were IN
the pulpit with Dr. In the course ~ few pleas
ant words IN introducing DR. storrs Dr. Prime alluded 10
the call DR.. storrs has received from the Old Brick
Church of this city 10y saying And 1t IN our purpose
now that have him our side, 10 keep him" DE-
Storrs said among other things
am afraid you will find the subject wanting n al
those picturesque features that belong for instance 10
great crises in public affairs history or IN the career
of great, chyarOus powerful leader II VIII be en-
trely impossible TO 90 with anything OF minueness and
cmprhensvCness into the history OF those great mon-
meuts Of civilization in the Old World or course you all
understand that the of Libraries in Europe is COM
their back Of the middle Of the heenth cen
turr The Imperial LIBRARY. the N onal Library OF
Paris goes back far as Charles Y. o. Trance. The
libraries scce ded the cathedrs, and they indicate in
tcir enlargement the tendency OF European society.
Into those magnificent structures European civilization
erysalizcd i,sef in those The library, which IL
the cathedral of times viii certainly supass in
lasting and power the cathedral The contents Of the
Europeau Libraries often supposed 20 be not unlike
those American libraries Ihey dinrr from ours
n rff Il
course there arr i'm these libraries immense numbers %
r,drr nols ting hack 10 the last century and tho
preccin: century. Then there are a large number OF
hook eoin. back from 1900 20 the middle of the nictth
csnt,rv Then hend that there manuscripts going
back 70 tie tenth century the ninih. eilhth, seventh
sixth, few 10 tnc nth, aud perhaps shAil huDet 10
The sracr then sketchcd briefly the character Of the
700 manuscripts IL the Greek language found III
ian covered il was lifted from the hncient cty :" the
libraries Of Alexandria Rome by zantium and aNeit at
fure, Tpun this subject. ne said. with enthusiasm :
,,t, of tho teTt Of the Hebrew scriptures as there
is for tat al the Greek classics" Dr. sinrrs men nc-
scflhad the early method or printing by mr sions nom
separate engraved blocks Tor earh ise, INC No'' ~
manuscript copies Of the ~"rss OF e trsi and gree,,
in The Amro-an Library Milan, and tho character of
the uhrl-es OF Florence In concu-on the Lecturer
have not said a'word about the great vast Libraries
. of Europe. Take che library OF Munich, SW'o,p VOL
uiues: the ROYAL Berlin, at Berlin, 6oO"N; the Na-
total IN Paris the library OF the hftish Ause.in
l.OlOOo0 volumes with readn room as largs u, ~.
Pantheon Rome. OF course IL Is utterly die 10 AZ
forut tn de- cribe such a. thr.c. simply say that Ne
,,,f not s,,p,o. bc Ike 81 these libraries Dc pro
,ur ON tnir the Atlantic. OF course, there l. q
library this city which lf1s D IN eminent on uis coh
tref for manv wears. There 70 be another library
esfab ned l,y the munDccncc of on OF your czens,
ST.. Ltuoy. which viii pro1blL haNe ehhu p III III ii.,"
itself when n completed and thrown omen. Bnt inc
minority of our libraries merely give the resuts 81
modern nqny. without opening 10 rs the opportunity
I 0f original research among tie master WORKS oi III
auiv There arr vast opportunities for the increase oi
good libraries here bv the breaking mp o. great eslhuhn
meufs in Europe SJch library b. prctnlnently neces
zary in modern and democratic Community ~ gives
10 a l0e. community the privilege ot Nord-~iio ield
lions, II f. the briaiiZcr and euilrsrr oI Tie sthhou1
MUD nli bg trying 20 build up the LIBRARIES We
nave y DO not bnd csithedrais any more but We may
an take part huidiug these great cathedral, 81 earl
ing mo foundations which set IN The solid iacs OF
/ a.c certs,ned knowledge IN science and history"