The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-23

general access to the library by the pub
lie
The library has been collected for the
use o. students who are qualified to use
the books TO advantage, and TO appreciate
their intrinsic value.
Ii is expected however. that as soon az
the new building can be erected that IL
Will regularly be open To- the public.
The greatest value of the library to
casual visitors will probably be as an
object lesson which shall give definite
and vivid idea OF the reality OF the his
toric past
The library could show autograph let
ters written by Roger Williams and
Samuel Gorton, John Winthrop of Massa-
chusetts and William Bradford OF Ply
mouth. by each OF the governors of
Rhode Island. all the signers of the Dec
laration of Independence. together with
several letters from the hand OF Wash
ington.
The collection of books written by Will
liams and by the other founders of the
New England colonies, and printed dur
ing the first half of the 18th century, is
nearly complete.
Besides the Bay Psalm Book" famous
as the first book printed I'm English Am
erica, there are copies of books from the
earliest presses established in Newport
by James Franklin, about 1725, and In
Providence 40 years later by William
Goddard
The collection OF books printed in the
city OF Mexico between 1874 and 1900 is
one OF the most extensive anywhere in
existence, and the library contains sever
al books printed I'm Peru half a century
earlier than the first English settlements
at jamestown and Plymouth.
The library has long been noted for its
books about the Indian natives Of Am
erica.
There is surprisingly large number OF
works upon the aboriginal languages OF
the two continents. and many OF these
can be found nowhere else.
MANY PRECIOUS WORKS.
The set OF Eliots Indian Bibles is
probably the best known OF these books.
together with Roger Williams Key In
to the I.angua geS OF America"
Even more interesting and important to
students OF American histories lis the
collection OF books on the Mexican ma
tive dialect, printed three and half cen
turtles ago. which has frequently drawn
students TO Providence from Washing
ton and Philadelphia TO make researches
I'm these subjects.
OF later date, and OF much greater a.
terest 10 most people are the long shelves
filled with pamphlets printed just before
and during the Revolutionary struggle
win England. There are more than
thousand of these tracts.
From the time OF Columbus, whose own
account OF his discovery was printed at
Rome and Paris and In the low countries
before the end OF the year 1893 TO the i'm
auguration OF Presid>nt jefferson. OF
whose Notes on virginia the library
contains many OF the earliest editions.
and there are few episodes In American
history upon which light is not shed by
the books ~ this library.
The original editions OF tho writings OF
Americus Nespuccius OF Cortes and the
conquorurs OF Peru, OF Sir Francis Drake
and the other day early clrcumnaviga-
tors OF the globe: OF SIR Walter Raleigh,
for whom the earliest authentic pictures
Of the North American natives were
drawn IN 1885. ~ John Cotton and Cotton
Mather. stephen Hopkins and the Ad-
amscs Hamilton and hts collaborators
on The Federalist. all are represented
on the shelves OF this magnificent collec-
ton.