The Pulaskian., 1919-05-09
Entrance Hall of British Museum.

TIT HAS become customary to start
 the history of the British Museum
 library with transaction which took place between the British government and Sir Hans Sloane in 1753, but, as a matter of fact, the genesis of this library should be re- corded 20 years earlier. The event chronicled upon this date of October 23, 1731, is q fire at Ashburnham house which partly destroyed the fa- nous Cottonian library, and empha- sized in the minds of influential pa irons of learning the absolute neces- sity of properly housing the great col leetions which as yet had escaped the same fate, says the Christian Science Monitor.
 That portion of the Cottonian col lection which was saved from the flames still exists as an important and valuable part of the present British museum. Sir Robert Cotton was a real bookloyer and a natural collector. When summoned by Queen Elizabeth to Calais as royal commissioner in arranging a treaty between England and Spain, it was with sincere regret that he accepted the appointment, be- cause it took him away from his li- brary and from the research in which he found the greatest delight of life. Later Cotton's political activities aroused the suspicious of Charles I, and. as a result, his beloved library was sealed up and he himself arrested. When later a royal messenger came to him with the message that under certain conditions he might be re- stored to court favor, Cotton replied :: You come too late, my heart is broken
 The famous library was restored years later to Sir Roberts son and successor, Sir Thomas Cotton, who in- herited, also, his fathers love of books. From Sir Thomas it came down to Sir John Cotton, who presented the col lection to the nation in HOO. The Cotton library, therefore, should be considered the nucleus to which the other collections were added.
 Money Raised by Lottery.
 This brings us to Sir Hans Sloane, where the chronicle usually begins. Sir Hans was physician, naturalist, and antiquary, and during his life time accumulated an extraordinary collection of books, manuscripts, drawings, prints, together with col lections of natural and artificial curi- osities. Toward the end of his life he offered them to the British nation, provided the government paid his executors some f20,000, which he esd- mated to be one-fourth of the intrinsic value of his collections. The real value was probably somewhat less than his estimate, but the price at which the British nation acquired his treasures was surely less than half their value, which made the contribu- tion of Sir Hans a princely one under any circumstances.
 To persuade King George II, so in- different to the importance of letters and so miserly regarding the expendi- ture of money save for his own pleas ures, that so large sum should be paid was no easy task, and when the memorial was first presented to him he remarked: "I do not think there are f20.000 in the treasury" Fortunately, however, there was influence enough of this important collection to push the matter to q conclusion. As a re- suit, an act was passed through parlia- ment authorizing the holding of a lot tery to raise f300,000, out of which E30,000 should be paid to the executors of Sir Hans and the countess of Ok ford. and an additional f3O,000 invest ed at interest in the public funds to provide for salaries and other ex- penses. Beyond this. an adequate sum was to be devoted to a suitable build ing for the collections. This act passed parliament in 1753, and marks the definite foundation of the British museum.
 Early Restrictions on Users.
 The records show that the first build ing containing the collections which went to make up the British museum was thrown open to the public on January 15. 1759; but the words "thrown open" require some explana- tion Today there IS no library in the world where the visitor or student is able to inspect and make use of it's wonderful contents with greater ease IT freedom than the British Museum