New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-26
THE ASHBURNHAM LIBRARY.
IT'S oR1G1N-rTs rREAsUREs-ITs SALE.

u y
tho'' Inn LONDON. February 10 ,
IL has for some time been thOught probable tnas
tbe library of the late Earl Of AshbuTnham wo"iu
be sold The Times now announces that 'nc ""'-
tees Of the British Museum actually III treaty
for one part of it, and that the most ValuSo'0 P"i
the manuscripts. More accurately speaNlis' '0
present Lord Asbburnham has offered thenh 10 INC
Museum for $500, 600. and the Museum au'norl'loS'
~ so,,a NJ tber, are irving TO get the money ana
make the purchase. The sum is large one D' 'he
odro,t way in which the matter Is brought DeIore
the British public may yet convince them that the
collection is a bargain az the price named. Inc
British public or that part of II which cares ior
literary rarities has not yet recovered from the
shock of seeing the Hamilton manuscripts sofa 10
Berlin. II is not think, commonly known that the
Museum experts estimated the value OF the haihh-
toncolection at just many dollars (ooOOol rs INC
German Government afteTward paid pounds sterilng'
The Museum never thought seriously OF buying IL !;
rather scofied at the suggeS' ion; believed they
could buy all they wanted OF the manuscripts Wheh
the sale came on, and never did, in fact apply 10
the Treasury for funds When DR.. Lppman ap-
peaied on the scene his presence did not rouse inc
Museum people from their lethargy. They seem 10
have known nothing of the negotiations between
him and the aucIOneers in whose possession the
Hamilton manuscripts then were. 1t was not till
had been completed and roar of indignation had
burst out III the press that the magnates OF Great
Russeil-st woke up. 1t was then too late to save
the Hamilton treasures But there remained those
of Lord Ashburnham, and upon them the eyes OF
the Museum officials have since been fixed.
The present Lord Ashburpham, like many another
of his peers has felt the spur OF the Sunderland, the
Hamilton and the Becllford sales. No doubt 1t IS a
tempat ion to learn that for number OF ola DOCKS
written OF printed for few pieces OF furniture
or painted canvas, people stand ready to give sums
which represent good many years rent-rOll. Even
without the pressure of pecuplary need, man who
does not care for such things may prefer the money
And great many more things have been coming
into the market than the public ever hears OF. 1t
has become if not the fashion at any rate permss-
ible for people of great position TO deal In brlc-a-
.brac of all sorts. Only the other day heard the
name of a great nobleman mentioned who Is not
above selling off quietly aud piece by niece the con-
tents of a great London house. If wanted a
cabinet or a picture out of - House." said my
friend, a. am certain l could have it," The mansion
In question is not being given up, nor shut up nor
let nor sod nor is its owner parting with the vast
estate he owns. But he does not object to a little
ready money. Lord AsLbmnham has an income for
something like 10000 year. and is not known to
be in difficulties None the less is he ready to part
Il
Grht of his fat hers life to collect There people
who rejoice over the prospect of acquisition for
the British Museum, or for some other great pubic
institution. But there is much TO be said on the
other SIDE The life Of an English noble is dlgnihed
by the possession Of great library. Lord Spencer
keeps and keeps up, the precious collection ut
Althorp known widely, though vaguely and vul-
Garly,s through Dibdin's sloyenly account oft 1t
is as useful at Althorp 1t would be in the all but
inaccessible cases of the huge warehouse in Blooms
bury. 4 visitor may see the books at AlthOrp; he
will be fortunate indeed if he gains access to the
shelves III the Museum.
In the present case, it is question, not whether
the library is to be sold, but to whom 1t shall be
sold The Germans are after it, says the enthusias-
tic writer to whom the preparation of an account
for the public has been entrusted. Chicago wants
it. cries another in a tone of still more acute alarm
One would really like to know whether this last
story is true or whether Sir. Vanderbilt has q
notion of investing some of his surplus cash in
something that money can buy once, and once
only. There can be no doubt that what
Lord Ashburnham is now going to sell is pre-
esely what America ought to buy, If il can. In an
age less practical" and less than this, the
GREAT cities of America would be seen competing for
sucb library as cities of the Old World ere now,
and even now, contend for great pictures. | be-
lieye II to be the fact that Lord Ashburnham Is
ready to dispose not of the manuscripts only, but
of the printed books as well and that million and
a half of dollars would buy them all. Nothing has
vet been said about the printed books, but every
body interested in books has long known that the
late Lord Ash burDham who died little than four
years ago, as down to his death one of the great
est collectors of his time He bought with judg-
ment with very accurate knowledge, and with a
catholic taste For the present. however. it is the
British Museum which has the refusal of the first
half of the library, and Mr.. Vanderbilt and Berlin
and Chicago must wait their turn.
Once and once only, said, money can buy such
wares as are now to be sold The late Earl took
sixty wears TO get his wonders together aud he had
three chances such as can hardly occur again in
another tetime for though there nOblemen
ready to SELL the question is, what have they Gotf
photography is science of such scope that
the books of the world are pretty well included in
it. and their whereabouts accurately set down.
Lord Ashburnham bought during the years 1913
and 1919 the Stowe collection the BaTois collec-
ton and the Lbu collection. The first wGs the
property of the Duke OF Buckingham. Like the
Hamilton MSS, il had been consigned to Mesers
Sotheby, Leigh, Wilkinson d Co.. of the two
chief firms of literary auctiOneers of London, for
sale II had been advertised aud catalOgued
when Lord Ashburnham stepped in and carried off
the whole by private treaty. The price paid, which
il has not been thought worth while to mention,
was $4,000 less than One-twentieth Of the sum
now asked for the entire collection of which it is
said to form one-fourth He stipulated that the
printed catalogues should be given up 10 him, and
most of them were, which is the reason why they
are now extremely rare.
The Stowe manuscripts were chiefly English, and
they include examples which are matchess and
which, if were an Euglishmsn, should surely
hold priceless to any fOreigner-even an American
Illustrations of English history clearly belong TO
England for good and all. The volume contains
forty Anglo-Saxon charters, dating from the close
of the sevenf To the middle of the twelfth caninrr