The closing year of these memorials is distinguished by the acquisition
of a volume described by Archdeacon Cotton, in his _Typographical
Gazetteer_, as being 'of the very highest rarity.' It is a fine copy of
the _Breviarium Illerdense_, printed at Lerida, in Spain, in 1479, by
Henry Botel. Besides being remarkable from its rarity, there is special
interest attaching to the volume from the fact that it was printed at
the sole expense of the bell-ringer of the cathedral! The colophon
states that 'Antonius Palares, campanarum ejusdem ecclesiæ pulsator,
propriis expensis fieri fecit.' The volume was bought from Mr. Boone
for £36.
A somewhat imperfect copy of the rare Bible printed at Edinburgh by
Arbuthnot and Bassandyne in 1579, being the first edition printed in
Scotland, was another purchase of the year; as were also two thick
volumes of recent transcripts of the Stuart correspondence, preserved in
the Imperial Library at Paris.
Within the last few years considerable attention has been paid by the
Librarian to the formation of a series of editions of the English Bible.
The number now collected is very large, and approaches very nearly to a
complete gathering of every edition before 1800, which has any claim to
regard either from date, imprint, variety of size, correctness, or
incorrectness. Early Quaker tracts have also been largely collected,
together with editions of Cotton Mather's works and those of John
Bunyan.
A portrait of the Prince of Wales, in academic dress, painted by Sir J.
Watson Gordon, was presented towards the close of the year to the
University by the Prince, in memory of his academic days, and now hangs
conspicuously at the entrance of the Picture Gallery, to which it forms
the latest addition.
Prof. Max Müller having resigned his Sub-librarianship on account of
health, the Rev. J. W. Nutt, M.A., Fellow of All Souls' College, was
approved by Convocation, on June 25, as his successor in the charge of
the Oriental department.
The number of printed _volumes_ at present in the Library may be
estimated at nearly 350,000. It was returned to Parliament, in 1848, as
about 220,000; and with a view to this return a calculation as nearly
accurate as possible was then made. An estimate has now been made of the
additions received since that date; and from this it appears that some
79,500 volumes have been placed in the old Library and 45,000 in the
_Camera Radcliviana_, making a total for the whole collection of about
345,000 volumes. Within the same period about 5000 additional
manuscripts have been obtained, making a total of nearly 25,000. The
number was returned in 1848 as being about 21,000, but this appears to
have been somewhat in excess of the fact. The proportion was singularly
overestimated in 1819, for Clarke, in his _Repertorium Bibliographicum_
published in that year (p. 68), states that the Library contains upwards
of 160,000 volumes, of which 30,000 are manuscripts! The annual rate of
ordinary increase of printed books at present, apart, of course, from
the accession of any entire collection or special purchase, may be
reckoned at about 3000 volumes, exclusive of magazines, of which
two-thirds come from Stationers' Hall under the provisions of the
Copyright Act.
Floreat Bibliotheca.