in the consulting library above stairs. On the retirement of Mr. Barker from declining health, Mr. Phoenix, the sub-librarian, was appointed, and filled the office till a short time before his death, having been attached to the Library thirty-nine years. Mr. Perris, the present librarian, had also been sub-librarian, and has now been in the Library, "man and boy," forty-two years. From these data it would appear that the duties of the office have not been very detrimental to life. These duties, however, have increased, and are every day increasing. The number of volumes taken out and returned averages 430 per day; and the system of book-keeping now in use requires great attention, and works exceedingly well.

In the catalogue of 1760, the fifteenth law provides—“That each subscriber shall have a medal, for which he must pay one shilling; and which must always be ready to be shown, if required, to the librarian, when a book is sent for, to prevent him being imposed upon by sham messages, or pretended servants." These medals are relics of the olden time, and are now very rare, as they have not been in use for more than sixty years.

In all the subsequent catalogues, beginning with that of 1814, there may be seen on the title-page an engraving, from a beautiful design by John Gibson, the celebrated sculptor. It represents "Wisdom elevating the Soul." Gibson was then a young man of great promise in the profession in which he is now so eminent a master. (See plate viii.)

In the year 1800 a very important event in the history of the Library took place. It had been in existence for more than forty years, and the accumulation of the books again rendering more extensive premises necessary, it occurred to some of the proprietors, that a good opportunity was thus afforded for extending the Institution into one, which should combine with the Library, a News-room and Coffee-room in the same building. At the annual meeting of the members in May, 1800, a proposal was submitted, to raise funds, by subscription, for the erection of such a building. The proposal was approved of, successfully carried into effect, and resulted in the erection of the building so well known as the LYCEUM.

* I have had the pleasure of presenting one of them to the Society this evening. On one side of it is represented a bookcase, with the words "The Liverpool Library" above it. On the other, in prominent relief, is the head of Cicero, with the initial letters M. T. C. This medal was exceedingly well engraved on the title-page of the Catalogue of 1801, long after the use of the medal itself had ceased. (See plate viii.)

To one part of this, the Library or Rotunda, expressly constructed for the purpose, the books were removed in 1803,

It is impossible, in such a paper as this, to give even a list of the names of all the eminent men, who have taken an active interest in the progress of the Liverpool Library, during its long career. Suffice it to say, that almost every mercantile or professional man, distinguished in literature or science in Liverpool, was among its members. The roll of its Presidents, during its first half century, contains, among many others who did it good service, the names of Roscoe, Dr. Currie, the Rev. John Yates, Mr. Rathbone, Dr. Worthington, Dr. Rutter, Dr. Lyon, Mr. Evans, (afterwards Sir W. David Evans and Recorder of Bombay,) Mr. Daulby, Dr. Carson, Archdeacon Brooks, and Mr. Fletcher Raincock. Not one of these now survives.

Out of the many who have presented their works to the Library, I may mention one who, in his day, was a prominent character in the town, though in a humble position. This was William Hutchinson, who for nearly forty years was dock-master in Liverpool. He presented to the Library a series of Observations on the tides, &c.*

These Observations are, I believe, of great value, and the Library has been applied to more than once, to allow them to be examined for scientific

These Observations are in manuscript, and contain the following subjects :-" On the moon's age-solar time of high water-heights of the tide in feet and inches-the tides' successive differences in minutes-the velocity of the winds calculated in miles per hour, after Smeaton-the state of the barometer at noon, and of Fahrenheit's thermometer at eight in the morning, and for the last two years at noon-the quantity of rain, and remarks on the weather, from the beginning of 1768, to August 10th, 1793, a period of twenty-five years, seven months, and ten days. Presented to the Liverpool Library, with the exception of eleven pages cut out to give to Mr. Richard Holden, to make out the 3000 observations mentioned in his preface to his Tide Table, by which he founded a theory from natural causes to agree therewith."

Speaking of these manuscripts, Mr. Hutchinson himself says, "At the request of my friend Mr. Ferguson, the astronomer, who with great labour and pains furnished me with large schemes, tables, plans, &c., relating to the tides: in the year 1764 I began and have continued observations on the time and height of the tides, flowing at the old dock gates, about three miles from the mouth of the river, which is so broad, that as a branch of the sea, no land floods have any effect on the heights of the tides in the river opposite the town, where the least flow of water that I have observed in neap tides was nine feet at the dock-gates. I had a tide clock made, that was planned by Mr. Ferguson; I kept the clock going as near as I could to solar time."

purposes. In the year 1833, Mr., now Sir J. W. Lubbock, Professor Whewell, and Mr. Dessiou, being a committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, were engaged in the investigation of the phenomena of the tides, and learning that the Liverpool Library possessed these MS. observations, they, after examining them, applied to the committee for the loan of them, to aid them in their discussion of the subject. For this purpose the Committee lent them to the Hydrographers' Office at the Admiralty, where they remained nearly three years; and the result, to which they contributed in no small degree, was a series of papers published in the Philosophical Transactions. They were afterwards required to be produced before a Committee of the House of Commons, on the question of the "Tidal standard" dispute between the River Dee Company and the Commissioners of the Admiralty; and the papers were examined with great interest by the members of the Parliamentary Committee.

Mr. Hutchinson died in 1800, after a life of much usefulness. He was a very ingenious man, and many of his inventions were turned to good

account.*

The Committee of the Liverpool Library have done their work con amore from the earliest time up to the present. They have with great care, and according to their second law, "provided a fund of literary instruction and entertainment, adapted to the various tastes of the proprietors, among whom the books are to be circulated." An absence of selfishness, and a constant desire to promote the interests of the Library, kept up a harmonious feeling amongst them, and has characterised them to the present day.

* It is stated by Mr. Brooke, in his very interesting work, "Liverpool during the last quarter of the 18th century," that "Mr. Hutchinson was accustomed to observe a particular day in each year, as one of strict devotion, in commemoration of his providential deliverance at one period of his life, when, after the loss of the vessel in which he sailed, he, and others of the crew of the vessel wrecked, being without food, had drawn lots to ascertain which of them should be put to death, in order to furnish a horrible and revolting meal to the survivors. The lot fell upon Mr. Hutchinson, but he and his fellow-sufferers were providentially saved by another vessel which hove in sight."

Mr. Brooke says that Mr. Hutchinson was appointed dock-master in 1760, but this must be a mistake, as I find in Williamson's Liverpool Advertiser,' of the date 11th May, 1759, that Robert Murphy, a joiner in the privateer New Anson, had attempted to shoot him. He is there described as dock-master."

During the latter part of the last century, the meetings of the Committee of the Library were of a more social character than of late years. They took place principally at the Star and Garter Hotel in Paradise Street, and as the members met in the evening, nothing was more natural than that they should combine pleasure with duty. Meeting at seven o'clock for despatch of business, conversation and supper followed. These meetings became in some degree celebrated. When men of letters or science visited the town, members of the Committee were privileged to introduce them, and discussions of much interest often took place. The Committee meetings of the Library, under the presidency of Roscoe, Currie, Rathbone, and others, came to be considered the most intellectual and agreeable ever held in Liverpool.*

In the year 1774 the President of the Library was allowed to nominate a Lady-patroness for his year of office. She was presented with a catalogue handsomely bound, and had for the time, all the privileges of a proprietor. This appointment continued for 54 years, until the presidency of my late esteemed friend David Stewart Wylie; who upon his appointment in 1828 declined to nominate a Lady-patroness; and all his successors have been ungallant enough to follow his example. I may remark here, that from the commencement of the Library, it has had many ladies among its proprietors. One of these, the late Miss Twentyman, of Duke Street, whose name appears in several of the old catalogues, and whose death took place a few months ago, had been a proprietor in the Library for 78 years.

The proprietors of the Library have always shown the greatest readiness in giving access to all their books, to authors or others, not proprietors,

On the 13th of August, 1799, a rather amusing resolution was passed. The entry in the Committee Book is as follows:-" This day for the first time the Committee met at four o'clock in the afternoon, and having transacted the necessary business of the Library, they dined together at five o'clock, and spent the day with harmonious pleasantry. Resolved unanimously, that the monthly Committee meet henceforward on the second Tuesday in the month, at three o'clock, and that they afterwards dine together; that dinner be on the table at four o'clock precisely, and that the bill be called at six o'clock, when such gentlemen as chuse may depart, and such as chuse may club again; that red port be the only wine allowed, and that if any gentleman prefer white wine, he pay for it, distinct from his share of the general shot; and that all the wine be brought up in the original bottles from the binn, and decanted in the Clubroom."

who might wish to consult them. Also, for many years past, by a special regulation, any proprietor, engaged in any literary or scientific investigation, has been permitted to have the use, at his own house, of a greater number of works, than the number generally allowed. This privilege has been much used, and highly esteemed; and by none, I believe, more than by our own hon. secretary, the Rev. Dr. Hume. The late Dr. Lingard used to say, "I owe a debt of gratitude to the Liverpool Library, for affording me many facilities when writing my History of England, and without those it would have cost me many journeys to London." Many works now in the Library have been presented to it by their authors, in acknowledgement of such benefits conferred on them in this way. This liberality, however, on the part of the Library has been sometimes abused, and valuable books have occasionally been lost. Among these were a very fine copy of Boccaccio, and one of "Higden's Polychronicon." The latter work was in black letter, printed by Caxton, 1495, and was often referred to by book collectors. It must have been of great value, as I understand that an imperfect copy was sold for £150, at the sale of the late Sir Mark Sykes. Every exertion was made to recover the book, but without effect.

The Library has also been liberal in making donations of its surplus copies of books to our local institutions, such as the Blue Coat School, the Northern and Southern Hospitals, the Sailors' Home, &c. The Free Public Library too, now so rich and so vigorous, received its first donation of books, amounting to more than 2000 volumes, from the Liverpool Library.

Lectures on scientific subjects, by distinguished individuals, have been frequently delivered in the lecture room of the Library. Among the names I have observed those of Garnet, Murray, Spurzheim, Webster, Dalton, Banks, Thelwall, Pemberton, Traill, and others.

In concluding this sketch of the history of this Library, during the hundred years of its existence, I may remark, that if that noble Institution, the Free Public Library and Museum, whose foundation-stone was laid the other day, with so glorious a beginning, but advance during the next hundred years in an equal ratio to the progress of the Liverpool Library, from its