a long and interesting letter to
the King's Librarian on the subject of the public collections of
Europe and other bibliographical particulars.

Of the libraries above mentioned, the Sunderland, Syston Park (Sir
John Thorold), and Hamilton-Beckford collections owed their chief
importance to early typography, _editiones principes_ of the classics,
and bindings. Among the Blenheim books were a few miscellaneous
rarities in the English class. Of Beckford's volumes many contained
his MSS. notes.

The Surrenden (Dering family), Stourhead (Sir Richard Colt-Hoare), and
Hartley libraries were historical and topographical. In the Inglis,
Dunn-Gardner, and Osterley Park (Earl of Jersey) catalogues we
encounter, among a good deal that is more or less commonplace, the
rarest ancient typography, poetry, and romances.

We next approach the larger and more important Private Collections of
books, which are more or less of a permanent and hereditary character,
and which we have to content ourselves with admiring at a distance or
otherwise according to circumstances. We cannot enumerate the holders
of a few volumes or so up and down the country. The names of which we
think are Devonshire, Bute, Bath, Dysart, Bridgewater (Earl of
Ellesmere), Britwell, Huth, Aldenham (H. H. Gibbs), and Acton (or
Carnegie). The Duke of Fife is believed to possess some curious books
inherited from Skene of Skene. The Duke of Northumberland owns a few,
and a few are in the possession of Lord Robartes at Llanhydrock, near
Bodmin, Lord Aldenham, and Mr. Wynn of Peniarth. All these centres
affect the book-collector in one of two ways: in showing him what
exists, and in showing him now and then what he is never likely to
obtain. For in these repositories there are actually certain things
which have never been offered for sale, and of which the most
indefatigable research has failed to bring to light other examples.
Such is not the case, however, with Lord Acton's library at Aldenham
Park, near Bridgnorth. That is a collection made by a scholar for
scholars; it is wonderfully extensive and complete in its way, and it
were much to be desired that it should be preserved intact. It
commercial value is, relatively to its extent, inconsiderable.

The collections at Chatsworth and Devonshire House (including the
books of Henry Cavendish and many of those of Thomas Hobbes)
principally consist of early printed literature, English and foreign,
and old plays; of the l