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margin, was printed in 1734, in the treasurership and under the superintendence of Mr. Charles Worsley, a gentleman who appears to have bestowed much pains and attention upon all matters connected with the society. This catalogue has the merit of containing a full account of the very numerous collection of tracts and pamphlets then belonging to the library, and references were for the first time made to the place of books upon the shelves; nevertheless, it must have been a matter of time and difficulty to find a great number of works from Master Worsley's catalogue. For instance-premising that in this library six, eight, or sometimes even ten works, upon divers subjects, are often bound up together-observe this specimen from the catalogue of 1734:Stephani (Hen.) Juris Civilis Fontes et Rivi. 8vo, 1580.

Hier. Eleni Diatriba ad Jus Civile, 8vo. Ant., 1576. Jac. Lectii Oratio de Vita et Scriptis Æm. Popiliani, 8vo. Gen., 1594.

-De Studiis Liberis, publica ob mala non deserendis, 8vo. Gen., 1594.

Commouefactio de Jure-consulti fine, et in Dissidiis dogmatum Ecclesiæ Officio, 8vo. Neo., 1590.

Cl. Baduelli de Ratione Vita Studiosæ ac Literatæ in Matrimonio collocandæ et degendæ, 8vo. Lips., 1581.

All the above works being comprised in one volume, and no separate reference existing in the catalogue to Elenus, Lectius, or Baduellus, their lucubrations, as well as some others of more value, similarly circumstanced, might be almost considered as lost in the library.

This catalogue abounds in clerical or typographical errors-in most cases probably the former; for there is curious internal evidence of the employment of a Cockney amanuensis. In all works emanating from Lugdunum, abridged Lugd., the penman has reversed the letters, and written Ludg. He could not get Ludgate out of his head!

The next and last catalogue was printed in 1845, and, unlike Master Worsley's, is a good finding catalogue—the most important point in such compilations. It consists of classes, and an index; but the former, although approved by earlier masters of

the library, have been found of little practical utility, the index having been almost always referred to in preference by readers. Indeed, classes, whether minutely subdivided or not, are seldom found to answer in a large library; and we hope that, as the collection has been already greatly augmented since 1845, the bench will shortly sanction the printing of a new catalogue, alphabetical, but with copious references to subjects, and upon an approved and well-considered plan.

At present

In 1738 the library numbered 3982 volumes.1 there are between 15,000 and 16,000, and this increase has chiefly been made within the last twenty-two years. The late Lord Stowell's munificent benefaction about that time was, we believe, entirely applied to the purchase of books upon civil, canon, and international law, chiefly selected by a gentleman well known for his works upon those and kindred subjects, and who has since been one of the readers on legal science. Hence the library suddenly acquired a strength upon these points somewhat disproportioned to its weakness upon others, and efforts have been gradually making of late years to supply th se deficiencies.

2

Yet, if few books were added to the library in the dark period between 1711 and 1826, very many were unfortunately lost, and especially some of the most scarce and valuable tracts of which the collection could boast. During this period flourished, amongst many other eminent men, students of the society, Yorke, Blackstone, and the brothers Scott. We know not whether the keen eyes of the commentator, or the beetle brows of Eldon, were ever actually bent over any of the volumes now forming the Society's collection; but if, as is most probable, they did actually use the library, we think they must have anathematized the carelessness which then seems to have pervaded every department connected therewith. At the fate of the missing volumes, or the degree of those who profited by their prolonged, and unfortunately perpetual absence, from the shelves, it is in vain to guess.

1 Gentleman's Magazine, October, 1798.

2 Lord Hardwicke.

The

majority of the lost books being of moderate dimensions, their abstraction would (where care was not) be a matter of comparative ease; but how are we to account for the disappearance of thirty folio volumes of Votes of Parliament?

The Middle Temple has been rich in its list of distinguished men-in men exalted not merely in station, but in intellect. This will scarcely be disputed when we remember that amongst lesser, though still brilliant luminaries, and a host of judges and other sages "learned in the law," Raleigh and Burke have both. been borne upon its books. So have Clarendon and Somers; so has Sir Thomas Smith; so have those successful candidates for other than legal glories-Rowe, Congreve, Southern, Sheridan, and Moore; and so, more recently, has Havelock, the general, the historian, and the missionary. And the Inn still numbers many persons eminent in literature or in the political world, as well as in legal acquirements.

But of the great men passed away, several were only nominally students; and of the rest (of those at least who flourished during the greater part of the last century) it may be doubted whether they derived much benefit or inspiration, legal or otherwise, from the library. Certain at least it is, that they have left no undeniable trace of their studious life behind them. No manuscript, emanating from any of the distinguished persons we have named, graces the shelves or lockers of the Middle Temple. The searcher for autographs will seek them there in vain; for although many of the older volumes contain copious marginal notes, they appear to have existed previously to the presentation or purchase of the volumes for the use of the Society. At present, and for a long time past, readers have very properly been forbidden "to write in any book" whatever; and truly, the few instances in which this prohibition has been disregarded, tend but to show the necessity for the rule. But, whatever may be the case with the books, that the present building has never been frequented by the giants of past times is, of course, absolutely certain. The former question, relating to what may have been, is however an interesting subject of speculation; and we may refer to what must have been

the pacing of the court and thronging of the hall, at least, of this ancient Inn, by the worthies of bygone ages. What a variety of costume and manner must its precincts have witnessed, even since its becoming a place of legal education! Possibly the memorable cloak, which became a foot-cloth for the "Virgin Queen”—more probably its prototype-may have figured within its boundaries; and after an endless variety of fashion in wigs, and cut of coat and beard, the costume of many of its members seems at present to approximate, the hose excepted, to that of Elizabethan times.

Altogether, the library of the Middle Temple may be safely pronounced a fine, though, for the reasons already given, a somewhat anomalous collection; containing undoubtedly some rubbish amongst its heaps of literary gold. We have sometimes heard it complained of as not being a perfect library; but this is unreasonable, for

Who hopes a perfect library to see,

Seeks what nor is, nor was, nor e'er shall be.

Such a "faultless monster" is certainly not that of the British Museum; for, although that vast storehouse of literature is maintained by coercive measures, as well as by purchase and voluntary contributions, we have frequently inquired in it for works, not always of foreign publication, or of a very recondite character, or very scarce in number, and have not discovered them. We say this not as reflecting in the remotest degree upon the librarian or trustees of the museum, but simply to show that imperfection in libraries is a part of their very nature. Indeed, unless all new publications were suppressed, or confined to one country, this could not be otherwise. Moreover, the funds of the honourable society, though great, are not, we presume, inexhaustible. And their library, in its first foundation, appears to have approached perfection for the time. With a very few exceptions, to be mentioned presently, no branch of knowledge seems to have been altogether overlooked. There are very few showy books in the Middle Temple Library. What the late Mr. Lockhart calls "the toy-shop of literature," has no place here. Sumptuous

bindings, too, have been judiciously and judicially held unnecessary. The books

"Are but volumes for the working day,

Their gayness and their gilt are all besmirch'd "

with "painful" and frequent handling, and a long endurance of the smoky atmosphere of the heart of the metropolis.

But if the binding be generally plain in one sense, it is, or till lately was, not always so in another. Some of the backs of the thousands of old books rebound, displayed eccentricities of lettering singular for their intrepid defiance of meaning. We some years ago found a volume, lettered "Idem Liber!" What could this denote? We at length discovered that it was the duplicate of another work in the library, and marked in the "Worsley Catalogue" as above; and the person intrusted with preparing books for binding, during the dark period already referred to, had taken this for the veritable title of the publication in question. Other instances, scarcely less ridiculous, we could give. Grammatical inaccuracies, such as "Sennerti de Chymicorum," abound, and seem to have been held of no importance.

We will now request our readers' attention to separate classes of works composing the collection, with reference to their comparative strength and weakness.

The manuscripts in the Middle Temple library are very few; and of those few, the subjects of several are to be found in print, and some appear to be merely copies of books already published.

The reports of cases before Lord Nottingham are supposed to be the most valuable possession, in this way, of which the library can boast. These it was once in contemplation to publish, and, indeed, they were actually placed for tsp rpose in the hands of a gentleman, who would doubtless have ably ischarged the task; but, for what reason we know not, the design was ultimately abandoned.

Another volume of Reports-Maynard's-in the time of the two Charles's, appears to be less authentic. Then there are the voluminous pleadings of the late Godfrey Sykes, an old member,

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