New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-08
A LITERARY LOSS.

,vcrrox BURNED-UNIvERsAL SORROW AT Ihh
Az EFFORT TO DE MADE TO REPLACE the
LITERARY TREASURES.
rnoy TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRtBuNEI
LONDON Jan. 1.-THE burning of the BlrmihH
nam Library is q considerable loss to birmingham
The bnrning Of the Shakespearcan collection "hich
forned mart of # is n loss and in some respects an
,rrenarablc one TO the world. In the general Oh
reference library there were about $4,000 volumes;
more iudiciously selected believe, than most pun
lie libraries of that size. but containing no very
rare or remarkable volumes Remarkablo OF not
no rcader can hear of the destruction of 80 many
vood hooks without pain The Shakespeare coHcc-
lion of 7 600 TO s 600 volumes is much moro seil-
ma matter In was begun twelve years ago IN
monument TO ShakcSpeare's memory, ana WIS
suitably placed in Birmingham as the largest 'o""'
though not the capital. of Shakespearos county
Worwickshire A few scholars started IT; the la'o
Mr. George ID lwSOn. with his great enthusiasm anu
Influence made il popular; ITS cher urecli"h WAS
with Mr.. Samuel Timnns. the devoted ana accom-
plshed president of the local Shakespeare society.
II was their ambition to collect every edIUoh u
Shakespeare ever published in every language unu
70 include the vast mass OF literature oe'ui"S
nnon the plays and their author. They had
amassed 500 editions IN Enghsh, - III
French ~ in German. 3 III Danish, IN
Italian. IN Polish, in Russian, and one eaeh III
Dntch. Spanish, Swedish and Bohemian, besides
translatons of separate plays into other tongues.
Two "IIalnlets" in Welsh and HindOstanee had
lately been added-perIaps also the version OF the
same plav by tho King of Portugal. Fa-
mons scholars and editors enriched the library
nv their gifts and made use of it for their work.
Charles Knight gave 400 volumes which ne hau
gathered IN preparing his own edition. PROFESSOR
Leo. of Berlin came To Birmingham in search OF
material unObtainablc elsewhere for his new
criticism. He signifcd his gratitude by glft OF
q costly collection of German portraits OF SHAKE
speare which he had been many years getting TO-
pctLer. Lady Burdott COutts was among inc
donors and it had become the fashion III DirmlnS-
ham to make presents to this collection. 1t had
grown rapidly; it had an admirable catalogue
threc-parts of which had been published, the work
Of Mr. Mullins the librarian. 1t possessed certain
number Of the seventeen original quartos OF
separate plays, and very varied asSembla8e
of ana, extracts, contemporary cnu"lsn'
lot Of posters. piacaTdS, pamphlets, carcatWeS'
and the garnering of all the details OF the Ter
centenary celebration. Out of this repertoTy lew
volumes have been saved; the rest Is smoke ana
ashes. We have to thank once more the dense
,tupidity and gross carelessncss and ignorance of
the British workman for this calamity. The mis-
chief was done in repairing a gas-plpc.
Sympathizing heartily with Birmingham, and
regrettng its loss may yet add that the value oil
this collection, except from the numerical point of
view, was perhaps a little Overratcd. The most
precious treasures were simply those which were
uniOue. Books which contain notes, books which
have belonged to famous editors, rare portraits
and pamphletS-thcse are impossible TO re-
place Bat with respect to great portion,
il is only a question of money-and some OF
the money may be better spent second tine. !
saw this library some years ag0-l shonid think IN
n quite early stage of its formation. The principles
which regulated its purchases seemed TO me open
20 criticism considering that it was avowcdly
Memorial Library of Shakespeare. 1t contained
good many books which had no business there. 1t
contained good many at that tmc-ccrtainly
great maiorty-in very inferior condition. L
thought it pity that a library founded to do honor
TO Shakespeare should load its shelves with poor
copies of some Of the most common and some
of the most valuable editions. 1t needed
nj that time some care from man who
valued books a little for their own sake
md who woald not be content with the refuse of
London bookshops. with foxed and cropped and i'll
bound and-I suspect in some cases-imperfect
sets. Perhaps they bought little too eagerly in
those DAYS and may have Wccdcd out their mis-
fakes later. don't know how that is. But down
10 the last this library never possessed First
Folio That must be called fundamental crror-an
error of conception as to the method by which such
q library should be got together. correspondent,
whose letter is in some particulars valuable, writes
to London paper that among the lost treasures
was "a nearly complete d copy of the rare first folio
which contained twelve PLAYS whole. and the re-
mainder partly photo-lithographod tac-smcs."
hope that is not a specimen of the Birminc CHAM
standard of critical accuracy. The First Folio Of
1923 contains thrtr-siX plays, and 1t Is bold to
describe copy that has only twelve of them as
"neary complctc.' The fac-similcs may be OF
Stanton reproduction, but IL IS no matter what
they are The book as described is not worth shelf
room III the poorest Shakespeaean collection ever
formed, and one is sorry to it mentioned
respectfully among consumed treasures over which
a nation is invited to mourn. Let birmingham lay
fine foundation of its new library with a First Folio,
genuine throughout, and as sound and large as
money can buy. They will have 10 pay
81, 800 OF more for it. They might get
copy with inlaid portrait and fac-simile verses,
aud other grave faults, for much less. But
there is neither economy nor good sense in hagglne
about the cost of the one book which Is the
sary cornerstone of every library which pretends
10 be ShakcSpearcan. II Lady BurdcttC 0utts has
still an interest in Birmingham. she might think it
n graceful act T. bcstow her copy on the new
library. She j. TN" owner of the famous DAME"
copy one of the finest known, for which she had
the pleasure Of paying about $500, some years
ago.
There was burned also a collection OF MSS, pam
phlets books prluts and other antiquities relating
10 Warwickshrc, collected during three genera
lions by the Saunion family, and bought
lately for $4,000. This Is among those things
which money cannot restore Not less dcplorablc,
perhaps Is thc destruction of Mr. Bragge's Ccryantes
collection OF 1000 volumes; including, it is as
serted, editions which arc not in the Escurfal
Library. Mr.. Bragge had travelled much in Spain,