The Care of Books Part 41

[463] This description of the library is partly from my own notes, taken 7 July, 1901, partly from Hornby's _Walks about Eton_, 1894.

[464] _Old Church and School Libraries of Lancas.h.i.+re_, by R. C. Christie, Chetham Soc., 1885, p. 76.

[465] _The last will of Humphry Chetham_, 4to. Manchester, n. d. p. 42.

[466] This bookcase stood in the National School-room when I examined it in 1885. In 1898 the books were thoroughly repaired.

[467] The front of this bookcase is figured on the t.i.tle-page of _Bibliographical notices of the Church Libraries at Turton and Gorton_.

Chetham Soc., 1855, p. 3.

[468] The architectural history of these buildings has been admirably worked out, in _Old Halls in Lancas.h.i.+re and Ches.h.i.+re_, by Henry Taylor, Architect, 4to. Manchester, 1884, pp. 31-46.

[469] These alterations probably began when the following Order was made: "Tuesday, 24 July, 1787. That a Committee be appointed to inspect the Library along with the Librarian, consisting of the Treasurer [etc.]; And that such Committee shall have power to repair and make such Alterations in the Library as they may think proper." No Order for taking off the chains has been discovered.

[470] _Sketches of English Literature_, by Clara Lucas Balfour, 12mo.

Lond. 1852. Introduction. In the description of the library there given the padlocks are specially mentioned. Compare also, _A History of Wimborne Minster_, 8vo. Lond. 1860; and Hutchins' _Dorsets.h.i.+re_, ed. 1803, Vol. II.

p. 554.

[471] _Notes and Queries_, Series 6, Vol. IV. p. 304. The library was destroyed in 1852 when the Church was restored by Mr George Street, Architect.

[472] _The History of All Saints' Church, Hereford_, by Rev. G. H.

Culshaw, M.A., 8vo. Hereford, 1892.

[473] _Old Church and School Libraries of Lancas.h.i.+re_, by R. C. Christie, Chetham Soc., 1885, p. 189.

[474] _Cam. Ant. Soc. Proc. and Comm._ Vol. VIII. pp. 11-18. In 1899 the books which remained were put in order and set on new shelves by the care and at the cost of H. A. Powell, Esq.

[475] _Old Church and School Libraries of Lancas.h.i.+re_, by R. C. Christie, Chetham Soc. p. 139.

[476] Franklin, _Anc. Bibl._ Vol. II. p. 25.

[477] Masters, _History_, p. 62.

[478] _The Guild of the Corpus Christi, York_, ed. Surtees Society, 1872, p. 206, _note_.

[479] S. John's College Audit-Book, 1563-4, _Exp. Necess._

[480] _Commiss. Docts._ (Cambridge), II. 309.

[481] _Arch. Hist._ III. 454.

[482] Sen. Burs. Accounts, 1600-1, _Recepta_.

[483] _Memorials of the Craft of Surgery in England_, ed. D'Arcy Power.

8vo. London 1886, p. 230.

[484] Herbert, _Inns of Court_, p. 303.

[485] _Doc.u.ments relating to St Catharine's College_, ed. H. Philpott, D.D., p. 125.

[486] _Voyage Liturgique de la France_, by Le Sieur de Moleon, 1718. I have to thank Dr James for this reference.

[487] _Old Church Libraries_, _ut supra_, p. 102.

[488] Eton College Minute Book, 19 December, 1719.

[489] Macray, _ut supra_, p. 86. The inconvenience of chaining had long been felt for in _The Foreigner's Companion through the Universities_, by Mr Salmon, 1748, it is objected that "the books being chain'd down, there is no bringing them together even in the Library," p. 27.

[490] King's College Mundum Book, 1777: _Smith's work_. "To a man's time 9 Dayes to take the Chains of the books 1. 7_s._ 0_d._"

[491] Churton's _Lives of Smyth and Sutton_, p. 311, _note_.

[492] Henderson's _History_, p. 237.

[493] _Voy. Litt._, ed. 1724, Vol. III. p. 24.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE WALL-SYSTEM. THIS BEGAN ON THE CONTINENT. LIBRARY OF THE ESCRIAL.

AMBROSIAN LIBRARY AT MILAN. LIBRARY OF CARDINAL MAZARIN. BODLEIAN LIBRARY AT OXFORD. WORKS AND INFLUENCE OF WREN. FRENCH CONVENTUAL LIBRARIES OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

While in England we were struggling with the difficulties of adapting medieval forms of libraries and bookcases to the ever-increasing number of volumes, a new system was initiated on the continent, which I propose to call the wall-system.

It seems so natural to us to set our bookshelves against a wall instead of at right angles to it, that it is difficult to realize that there was a time when such an arrangement was an innovation. Such however was the case. I believe that this principle was first introduced into a library at the Escrial, which Philip the Second of Spain began in 1563, and completed 13 September, 1584. I do not mean by this sentence that n.o.body ever set bookshelves against a wall before the third quarter of the sixteenth century. I have shewn above, when discussing the catalogue of Dover Priory[494], that the books stood on pieces of furniture which were probably so treated; and it is not uncommon in illuminated ma.n.u.scripts to see a writer's books standing on one or more shelves set against the wall near his desk. Further, in the accounts of the library arranged in the Vatican by Sixtus IV., shelves set against the wall of one of the four rooms are specially mentioned[495]; and in the description of the library of the Dukes of Urbino, it is expressly stated that "the shelves for the books are set against the walls (_le scanzie de' libri sono accostate alle mura_)[496]." What I wish to enforce is that before the Escrial was built, no important library was fitted up in that manner from the beginning by the architect.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 118. Bookcases in the Library of the Escrial on an enlarged scale.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 117. General view of the Library of the Escrial, looking north.]

The library of the Escrial[497] occupies a commanding position over the portico through which the building is entered. It is 212 ft. long, by 35 ft. broad and about 36 ft. high. The roof is a barrel-vault, gorgeously painted in fresco, as are the wall-s.p.a.ces above the bookcases, and the semicircular lunettes at the ends of the room. In that at the north end is Philosophy, in that at the south end is Theology, while between them are personifications of Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Music, etc. On the walls, forming a gigantic frieze, are various historical scenes, and figures of celebrated persons real and imaginary, as for instance, the first Nicene Council, the School of Athens, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Cicero, David, Orpheus, etc. The general appearance of this splendid room will be understood from the view (fig. 117). It is lighted by five windows on the east side and seven on the west side, to which is added on the east side a range of five smaller windows just under the vault. The princ.i.p.al windows are quite different from those of any other library I have been considering, for they are nearly 13 ft. high, and extend down to the floor.

The wall-s.p.a.ces between each pair of windows have bookcases fitted to them, of a very original and striking design. They are divided into compartments by fluted Doric columns supporting an entablature with projecting cornice, above which again is a sort of second entablature. The bases of the columns rest upon an extremely lofty plinth, intersected, at about three-quarters of its height from the ground, by a shelf, behind which is a sloping desk. The material used for these cases is mahogany, inlaid with ebony, cedar, and other woods. They were designed by Juan de Herrera, the architect of the building, in 1584, and I am a.s.sured that they have escaped alteration, or serious damage from the numerous fires which have occurred in the palace.

In order to exhibit the distinctive peculiarities of these remarkable cases as clearly as possible, I give (fig. 118) an enlargement of part of the former view; and further, an elevation of one of them drawn accurately to scale (fig. 119), for which I have to thank a Spanish architect, Don Ricardo Velasquez.

These bookcases have a total height of rather more than 12 ft, measured from the floor to the top of the cornice. The desks are 2 ft. 7 in. from the floor, a height which corresponds with that of an ordinary table, and suggests that they must have been intended for the use of seated readers, though seats are not provided in the library at present. The section of the shelf and desk placed beside the elevation shews that there is a convenient slope to lay the books against. The uppermost of the four shelves is at a height of 9 ft. from the ground, so that a ladder is required to reach the books. The two photographs which I have reproduced (figs. 117, 118) shew that they have the fore-edge turned outwards, according to what is, I am informed, the usual custom in Spain.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 119. Elevation of a bookcase, and section of a desk in the Library of the Escrial.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 121. Interior of the Ambrosian Library at Milan.

From a photograph taken in 1899.]

I believe that the work done in the Escrial had a very definite effect on library-fittings elsewhere; but, like other important inventions, the scheme of setting shelves against a wall instead of at right angles to it occurred to more than one person at about the same period; and therefore I cannot construct a genealogical tree, as I once thought I could, with the Escrial at the root, and a numerous progeny on the branches.