Evening star., 1898-06-18

that they Were underpaid. waited upon linn
TO present their woes. In the hopes OF re
dress. The aforesaid officer WAS noted for
tsle nS Sr noainr ia In way
efai way pruderce to say little or moth
Ing He listened to the address OF the
Spokesman Of the suffering empl py.s With
e. es fixed on the grol nd. and at the lose
for time kept silent as II me,lita ing.
thIs causing a hopeful expectancy. wA,ch
ne at last disoelled by asking: Have your
"iVes tried taking in washing?'
CariyIc's Bitter Criticism.
Carlyle's spicy testimony before the royal
commission appointed to inquire into the
affairs of the British Museum owed A good
deal of its venom to his implacable quar-
rels with Panizzi Carlyle's hostility grew
out OF the refusal OF the keeper of printed
books to have catalogued "A large coilcc.
tion of pamphlets. newspapers hroadsi.,s
etc. bearing on the French revolution
which Carlyle wished to use for his His
tory. Carlyle in an article In the Nest
minister Review on Histories OF the French
Revolution spoke of a vast collection of
pamphlets, newspapers. broad sheets and
even street placai DIS which were ISSUED in
the French capital day by day. as the rev
oiution itself. adding: 1t is generally
known that a similar collection. perhaps
still larger and more curious lies buried
In the British Museum here. inaccessible
Tor want OF proper catalogue Some
hfteen months ago the resDrct able sulp-lf-
brarian lPanizzD seemed To be working on
such a thing. BY respectful application to
him you could gain access TO his room and
have the satisfaction of mounting on lad
GERS and reading the outside titles OF his
books, which was great help
To be accused Of obstructinE the progress
of historical work was bad enough but To
designate man who consorted with
Brcugham and Macaulay and dined AT Hol-
land House. as a sub-librarian. was an un-
ard. l,1 n.
was never healed, and years after. when
Carlyle was writing his Frederick he re-
ceived an insolent and vindctive letter
from Panizzi in reply to a civil request he
made to have access to the books on the
shelves Of the British Museum. Carlyle's
only recourse for getting back was in writ
iEg down in his Journal that Panizzi was a
fat pedant.' IAN Italian language mas
ter
lrSfng's Impressions.
Imagine librarian of today Withholding
from a writer of Carlyle's cminence any
privilege that could be accorded him. Irv-
ing visited the British Museum in Isl5. and
in the sketch book, under the caption.
The Art of Book-makng." gives in his
mirth-inviting style an account of his cx-
periences- He thinks to have found there
an explanation of THE extreme fecundity
OF the press, and how II came to pass that
80 many heads on which nature seemed to
have inflicted the course of barrenness
should TEEN with voluminous productions"
In the reading room he saw some pale.
studious personages, poring iutertly over
dusty volumes. rummaging among mody
manuscripts and taking copious notes of
their contents. In these lean and hungry
personages Irving recognized the authors
OF the day, manufacturing their wares,
seeking in the old tones before them TO
find wherewith to swell their own scanty
rills of thought
That the British Museum has not alone
subserved the purposes of literary pirates,
but has fulfilled Il higher mission, does not
need affirmation; and so IT is not without
profit to recall that within its walls Macau-
lay wrote a considerable portion of his
great history. \. Z. c. GRIFFIN.