Monte Cavallo, South Carolina.
_Royal Library_ (Vol. iv., p. 69.).--The letter addressed by King George
IV. to the Earl of Liverpool, referred to in the above page, will be
found in the _Gentleman's Magazine_ for February, 1823, page 161. It is
dated from the Pavilion, Brighton, on the 15th of the preceding month.
The Committee, in their Parliamentary Report, state that the king had
accompanied his munificent _donation_ of this library to the public,
"with the _gift_ of a valuable selection of coins and medals;" and they
close their Report in the following words:
"The Committee would not do justice to the sentiments with which
they are affected, if they failed to express in the strongest
terms the gratitude they feel, in common with the nation, _for the
act of munificent liberality_ which has brought this subject under
their consideration, and for the disposition which is so strongly
evinced by that act, on the part of his Majesty, of promoting, by
the best means, the science and literature of the country."
Would all this have been said, if the value of the library, in "pounds
sterling" was, as has been alleged, to be made good by the country to
its late owner?
When urging that this library, containing about 65,000 volumes, might
have been preserved at Whitehall, or in some other part of Westminster,
as a _distinct_ collection, it may be stated, that on its removal to the
Museum, 21,000 duplicates were found in the united libraries, but that
"it was not considered advisable _to part with more_ than 12,000; which
should be taken from books in the Museum." Why should not the Museum
have _retained_ its duplicates, leaving those in the royal library for
the benefit of readers in another part of the metropolis? Was the
expense of a separate establishment the great obstacle?