twelve thousand pounds, as soon as the college had ceased to use the building, in 1829; and since 1826 a tax of eighteenpence a quarter had been levied upon members of the University for the further support of the library. What was really needed was an organising head to direct and give a unity to all these movements for increase, and to turn the additional room to a proper account when granted by the University. It is the want of this which has rendered the library that chaos which is so often and so justly complained of, and which it will require stronger hands than the University is likely to have for some time in any way to remedy satisfactorily. A little more than thirty years ago a grand plan was conceived of erecting a large quadrangle on the site of the old buildings. One side was really built, what is now known as Cockerell's building; but instead of mapping out the building for various definite classes of books, the spare room was seized at once, one of the rooms temporarily emptied into this, and the emptied room at once employed to hold the Fitzwilliam Collection. This want of organisation had the effect of destroying any arrangements that might have been contemplated for both of the rooms in question. Soon after this, in 1853, the Syndicate was re-constituted on a new basis; instead of consisting of all the officials of the University, it was to consist of sixteen picked men, distinguished and active in different branches of literature, who might be a material assistance in directing the choice of books to be added to the library, and in giving advice and directions as to the general administration of the place. The idea was excellent; the fresh activity of the new body was considerable; the only misfortune was that it was new wine put into old bottles. No care at all was taken to increase the strength of the real executive of the library; and for many years this fermentation only resulted in a constant fluctuation of places made and unmade, and orders made and unmade or else left to lie neglected in the records of the proceedings of the Syndicate. It must be many years before the evils of this state of things can be got rid of from the place, with much greater energy and organising power than the University now has at its disposal. Let us only hope that the undoubtedly good elements in the new constitution will bear fruit more effectually than the bad; and that the larger the library grows, the larger may be the circle of those who find it an indispensable and at the same time an increasingly available source of supply for their literary needs. HENRY BRADSHAW. BY THE SAME. MEMORANDA No. 1. February 1868. The printer of the Historia S. Albani. IS. A CLASSIFIED INDEX OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY Books in the Collection of M. J. de Meyer, which were sold at Ghent in November 1869. (Memoranda No 2. April 1870.) Is. LIST OF THE FOUNTS OF TYPE AND WOODCUT DEVICES used by printers in Holland in the fifteenth century. (Memoranda No. 3. June 1871.) IS. THE SKELETON OF CHAUCER'S CANTERBURY TALES: an attempt to distinguish the several fragments of the work as left by the author. Printed 1868. (Memoranda No. 4. Issued November 1871.) IS. NOTICE OF A FRAGMENT OF THE FIFTEEN OES and other prayers printed at Westminster by W. Caxton about 1490—91, preserved in the library of the Baptist College, Bristol. (Memoranda No. 5. November 1877.) IS. |