The Washington times., 1901-12-22
/ POINTS ONT OF INTEREST
ABOUT THE LIBRARY,
DETAILS 1T PAYS TO NOTICE.
Inscriptions From Great Authors.
Signs of the ZOdinc Found i'm
Several PIaces-AIIcgoricnI
Representations.

There are many curious points to be
noted about the Library of Congress
building. matters Of detail which might
easily escape the notice of the casual in
spector. but Which are very interesting
nevertheless. In the first place, there are
the inscriptions On the walls OF the en-
trance hall, which are sentences taken
from works of great authors. Among
these one notes the following:
TOO low they build who build beneath
the stars.'-Young.
"There is but one temple in the uni
verse and that is the body OF man
Novalis.
''Beholding the bright countenanGe OF
Truth in the quiet and still air OF delight
full studies. Milton.
THE true university Of these days is a
collection of oks."-Cariyie.
Nature is the art OF God. Sir Thomas
Browne.
There is no mark of genius which has
not been the delight OF mankind. Lowell.
"It is the mind that makes the man,
and our vigor is in our immortal soul. -
Ovidus
panied BY noble thoughts. .'-Si1ney.
Man is one world and has another to
| attend him.'-HeThert.
Tongues in trees. books in the run
ming brooks, sermons in stones, and good
in everything. g.'-Shakespeare.
statues of Great Men.
Along the balustrade Of the galleries
are sixteen bronze statues. representing
men distinguished in the different forms
Of thought, the names being placed in such
positions that the are rather difficult to
distinguish. Religion is represented by
Moses and St Paul; commerce by Colum-
bus and Robert Fulton; history by He
rodotCs and Gfbbon; art by Michael An
geio and Beethoven; philosophy by Plato
and Lord Bacon; poetry by Homer and
Shakespeare: law by Solon and Chancellor
Kent; science by Newton and Prof. Joseph
Henry.
The signs Of the zodiac arc repeated In
the decorations of the Library in various
ways On the facade. and directly over
the main entrance. is female figure hold
ing a globe on which the twelve zodacal
signs are depicted. On the floor of the
entrance hall the same emblems are re-
peated in figures of brass, q large round
disc in the exact centre of the floor prob
ably representing the sun. On the mosaic
background of the clock over the entrance
of the reading room are the signs Of the
zodiac again.
1t is not generally known perhaps that
the female figure representing England
on the ceiling of the dome of the main
reading room is a portrait of Miss Ellen
Terry. the actress.
A variety of Marbles.
There is a great variety Of marbles in
the building, and it has been enormously
stated that they have all come from this
country. The red and yellow marbles are
from Verona and Sienna, the pure white
from Carrara. and a dark red. richly mot
lied species from France.
Almost everything is persa0iied in mar
BILE or painting mosaic, or stucco. Nth-
ing that cxCmplifies mythology, or real
ism has been omitted, AMI the learned
visitor may astonish his less verscd COM
panion by descanting on the hidden mean
ing that lies in mystic symbol or ale
CORY; Literature. science. art, the senses
taste, sight. smell. hearing. touch-im-
agiration, memory. intellect. humanity,
comedy, poetry, tragedy. the continents
Europe, Asia, Africa, America-architec-
turc. sculpture. painting, rest. LABOR.
recreation, religion. music, good admins
tration. anarchy, the seasons, justice, pa
triotism. courage. prudence, industry.
concord. temperance, and so on al In
iinitum.