New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-04
ALTHORP LIBRARY.
MR. AND MRS RYLANDS-IMPECUNI0U
PEERS.
Westminster, August 2


thorp it ran the risk Of meeting in the Long
Room the other day person who would strangely
puzzle it. 1t was homely figure, not precisely
Of the kind accustomed TO frequent place "heIo
nearly forty-three years ago Lord Macauiay spent
some rapturous days The visitor was MrS.
Rylands. relct Of the eminent hanerdaAhef WIN
died three years ago. leaving her with an en-
Jowment Of worldly goods understood TO fall not
far below the value of a million sterling. MIS-
Rylands as all the world knows, conceived lhe
pious desire of perpetuating the name OF her
husband, and casting about for adequate means
was advised that there was nothing equal 10 'nc
'bcstowal upon Manchester, the scene OF MS per
II sonal labors, of a rich and rare library. While
she was looking for an opening, and had even
made some preliminary miscellaneous purchases IL
WAS made known that the Althorp Library, which
Macaulay no mean judge, declared to be the
finest in England, was in the market MI
Smalley. patriot and book lover, promptly sug-
cested that here was an opportunity for rich
American to do a great service TO his country.
If such an one had with equal prompttude re-
eponded to the challenge he might have secured
the treasure in spite Of the stipulation made ny
Lord Spencer when he first placed the library IN
the hands of Messrs Sotheby Wilkinson, that
it should not leave the country in which it was
garnered But Mrs Rylands did not walt Tor
competitors to come in. Her agents waited upon
Lord Spencer's, ascertained what was the lump
sum demanded for the whole contents of the
library, and being Informed. straightway chnched
fKs bargain.
= The library. which the first Lord Spencer
founded, purchasing the collection OF Dr. George
Head, sometime master Of Elton. Is ALREADY Oh
ito way to its new home in Manchester. MIS-
Rylsnds's visit to Althorp was made in adj
A. Gx-x milo no
naturally desiring to see the library as it
originally stood. What she thought of it as
che wandered through the Long Room, across
tie Old Book Room, and fingered in the large
library, will probably never be told. To her
"The Dictcs and Sayings of the Philosophers
would perchance be dry, and she would never
understand why the Mazsrin Bible is worth
~, coo in the market. or why Lord Blandford
had paid 42,250 for precious copy OF the
Valdarfcr Boccaccio, which was at Althorp when
Mrs Rylands visited the library. She would
learn from the inventory that Alhorp contains
ffty-seven works of tie CaXton Press. and would
doubtless be told that in all the world there arc
only forty-two others. Cations successor at the
printing press, Wynkyn de Worde, also contributed
sUne of his now priceless works to Althorp.
She would see a COPY of the Bible printed on
pure vellum, illuminated with gold and once
rich coors, that had been fading for 400 years
There certainly seemed 70 he money in that, but
not the $4,000 which is the last market quotation
for the Mcntz Psalter Of l457. Mrs. Rylands.
like wise woman, probably did not puzzle her
head with these details. Going going. The
auc:ioncer's ivory hammer was uplifted; the
price of some OF the books perfectly rdicu-
lous compared with that demanded for much
cleaner and newer-looking volumes exposed on
Smiths bookstall. But people who knew all
about IL said there was moneys worth, that the
world coutaineH no parallel 10 such private col
lection and that transferred to Manchester, and
set up within a brand new hall, bearing her hus
bands name. the fame Of her goodman. the de-
funct haberdasher, would echo forever through
the corridors Of Time.
1t is q kindly thought, a noble gift. and very
nice for Manchester. But there is about 1t
something of fin de steele tragedy. Earl
Spencer II may we'll be supposed, parts with the
lSjrloom only Through the pressure OF dire
necessity. 1t is fair to suppose that he would
rather cut off his hand part with his leg at
the knee, il it would spare him the reproacb OF
making away with this treasure trove, pa
tently collected and passionately possessed by
his ancestors How the necessity arises is not
clear outside the family circle. 1t is enough
to understand why Savernske is in the market,
while its owner, the most noble the Marquis of
Ailesbury, is kept in daily dread by the discreet
munificence Of a money lender who holds mas
ave mortgage on his estate 1t seemed quite natural
that before the Duke Of Marlborough married in
the American mart he should temporarily fill his
purse by dsposng Of the herlooms of Blenhem
In quite different circumstances, Lord Granville,
some years before his DEATH sold his famous house
on Carlton Terrace and went to live in fur
nished lodgings further west. Il was like all
other records Of his life, honorable to him tina,
when his Stafordshirc mines ran out he should
find himself without other sources Of revenue, and
compelled to economic in company with other
distressed tronmahters. During long career
spent in the Tuner circles Of State affairs, more
than once Foreign Minister, be had enjoyed OPP
portunities of making money reflections upon
which make the mouths OF city gentlemen wafer
lord Granville, having given the greater part Of
his life and oil his wide knowledge and best
abilities to the service of his country, died poor
man. Earl Spencer has no mines, coal or ron
but he is large landowner, and it Is doubtless
the fall in rents and the depreciation in the
value Of land that have made Mrs Ryland's OPP
portunity.
i suppose one will be surprised at the
use made of his hardly earned money than would
nthe late Mr.. Rylands He was the type Of the
honest pedler, who begins with Q basket and
ends with warehouse. lie was over eighty when
he died, and had been at work ever since a little
boy proud Of the possession of jacket and trousers
he began to Z" go errands.' lie made his way up
rung by rung Of the ladder slowly and laboriously
at first, but by the time he had reached his prime
he had succeeded in establishing business, whose
flag was carried by an army Of commercial trav-
alIsrs through every town and village Of the King
dotaL There is pathetic story of the old man
told by one who had business connections with
him Up TO the very end. wasting in body and
enfeebled in mind, he insisted upon taking the
DISCRIMINATING share in the direction of his colossal
Business, which for more than seventy years had