New-York tribune., 1901-02-24

From The London Telegraph.

I
! Some interesting particulars bearing on Queen
Nlct0rlas taste in books are given in the Febru-
ary issue of The BOokman." The writer states
that the royal libraries, they stand to-day,
show clearly that the taste of Her Majesty in
books was distinctly three-sided taste, denot-
ing the breadth of her interests and her sense
of the obligations of empire. The volumes which
she collected. treasured and read were. first
those which We're valuable to her as curos; sec
ond, those which. by their sentiments or the les
sons they taught pleased her wOmany and hui
name heart; and. third, those which bore on the
questions of the day and of serious i'm
portance to her a ruler.
1t was the Queens delight to recover or ac-
qulre every book which had been the actual
property of an English sovereign. Original bind
lnSs, designed and made for royal readers were
more usual in Tudor or Stuart times than in our
own, and the Queen always eager that any
such which had fallen into private hands should
II possible, be restored royal Keeping herself
sanctioning considerable expenditure that some
volume bearing the Tudor arms or Stuart badge
might be placed among other relics in her own
libraries NO great while before her DEATH
states the author referring to the Windsor Lii
brary, she added To this collection the book
written by Henry VIII defending the seven
sacraments. the historic book which gained for
him the title of Defender of the Faith. This vol
ume was Henry Wits own copy in which his
autograph is written twice. The price was high
-tbuo and the decision to purchase hung
for some little time in the balance: but-and
We thlnk n" confidence is betrayed by the telling
or the lncdent-oHe dag one # the private
apartments opened. ami small royal Grand
uduEHter hurried out To- the librarian delighted
t
buy it! She must have it"
As reEards the second class of books which
ciiimrd Her Majesty's interest" it is added.
one I't'S !1StInctlVCly that her taste was formed
IN earlier, happier days ana that she did mol
greatly wander from H. Dickens TEackerav
SCI i!'ck. Mrs. Oiphant, George Elirt-these
"'f' nor iaN rites; and though not. perhaus L
anoctiouate one" $50
r. Queen NiGt"ria.s appreciation Of all that Lord
IehhyS"i, her Poet Laureate, wrote has often
h"rh mentioned. and she once told Browning
thtt she much enjoyed some Of his Wif-'s poems
/ beautiful descriptive passages noble senti-
ments and fearless uttcranccs for the rigbting
or wrongs or the brttrfiu,c Of the oppressed
these says the writer i'm .rha Rnolrr.,n 20
IN" things which appealed To Queen Victoria
H"r interest in bickcnS's work is we'll known
inns authors popularity was as old as Her
MdJrSiyS reign. hut picAens did not actually
meet MS |u"rn ull the year of his death IL
was a long and gracious interview when it did
TAX rlac", and at the close the queen took
from IN" tahl" her own journal If Highland
Life. with an autograph inscription To charles
Dickens. and gave it To- him with her own
hands, saying that the humblest Of writer's
would be ashamed T. offer il To- one Of the
greatest. hut that Mr. Helps had said il would
be- valued most il given 10y herself"
IL vas in tn" third class Of books-thosc bear
!hf on questions OF TN" day-that, perhaps. the
queens hardest reading was done These.
an" N" books. II is added. by which she mas
tered the details ot the great events which were
taking p.aC. i'm her empire the books which
could teach her the salient points concernin;
IN" c'un'fl'S which We're important To her As
far back as the days foIiowin; clos. on the
truodn war. great soldier said ii friend
that not even among his fellow soldiers or the
. r. ST1uSitlo statesmen had he found a more
thorough Know edge Of the Crm"an country, the
war its cause and effect than in his converse
ucn wiki Her Maj sly. III is said that the same
tirr!rSS attention to- her Country'S veal was
shown 10y the Queen ia the present South Nfri-
can war. V hen book after book he subject
was .ad u hc:. until every point dealing with
the lu=t and The II, mt vas familiar To- her
II was with such books as thcsc-bouks hearing
~ pn tn constitution and government of her
tNf ire that th greater part of the Queens
r,adn- ti:Er was - mt" Ter Majesty also
took great interest III medals. seals and coins
and in h't rare collection of miniatures is u
IictuI"l history Of al! the English sovereigns.
except Nary. sine. Horny Wiz
TIM LLTERiHN 1UILNER