This noble room, situated at the west end of the Cathedral, immediately
above the Chapel of the Order of S. Michael and S. George, contains an
interesting and important collection of books; comprising a number of
early English Bibles, a few ritual books, a large and valuable series
of Sermons preached at Paul's Cross or in the Cathedral; a few plays
acted by the "Children of Paul's," some royal and other important
autographs, and over ten thousand printed books, besides as many
separate pamphlets.
In the view is seen a model of part of the Western Front of
the Cathedral, once in the possession of Richard Jennings, the
Master-builder of S. Paul's. In the case on which it stands is the
superb large paper copy of Walton's Polyglot Bible (large paper copies
are of great rarity); an exceedingly fine copy of the Prayer Book
of 1662, and of the Bible of 1640, both of which belonged to Bishop
Compton, the founder of the Library, whose portrait hangs upon its
eastern wall. Just to the right of this case, is a cast of an important
Danish Monumental Stone, found in 1852, in S. Paul's Churchyard: it
bears a Runic inscription.
In the glass case in the middle of the room are exposed to view a
considerable number of interesting objects: copies of episcopal seals,
a facsimile of the tonsure plate once used at S. Paul's, a chain with
which a book was fastened to the Library shelves; some medals connected
with the history of the Cathedral; and some curious books. The finely
carved brackets which support the gallery, long ascribed to Grinling
Gibbons, have been ascertained to be the work of Jonathan Maine,
carver, in 1708.
[Illustration: THE LIBRARY.]
_Of the same Series, and Uniform with this Book:_
ST. BARTHOLOMEW THE GREAT, SMITHFIELD.
WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL.
CHRIST'S HOSPITAL (THE BLUE COAT SCHOOL, since demolished).
LONDON. FAMOUS BUILDINGS AND STREET VIEWS.
_Price 6d. each, post free 7d., from the Publisher,_
FREEMAN DOVASTON, EALING, LONDON, W.
Transcriber's note:
Minor typographical errors in the original have been silently corrected.