Palace and Hovel; Or, Phases of London Life

by Daniel Joseph Kirwan

There are also the Hellenic Galleries of Marbles, the second Elgin Room, the Assyrian Galleries, 300 feet in length, and thirty other galleries, and innumerable saloons crowded with the most wonderful and valuable objects of art and science.

There is a Newspaper Saloon with the finest collection of newspapers in England. The catalogues of the libraries and collections of the Museum alone amount to 620 volumes. The collections are valued at £15,000,000. By act of Parliament, a copy of every book, pamphlet, sheet of letter-press, sheet of music, chart, plan or map, issued in Queen Victoria's dominions must be delivered to the British Museum. There are three libraries in the Museum: the King's Library, presented by George IV, consisting of 80,000 volumes; the Greenville Library, 21,000 volumes; and the General Library of 730,000 volumes, and which is inferior only to those of Munich and Paris.

Magna Charta, if not the original, a copy made when King John's seal was affixed to it, was acquired by the British Museum with the Cottonian Library. It was nearly destroyed in the fire of Westminster in 1731; the parchment is much shriveled and mutilated, and the seal is reduced to an almost shapeless mass of wax. The MS. was carefully lined and mounted; and in 1733 an excellent fac-simile of it was published by John Pine, surrounded by inaccurate representations of the armorial ensigns of the twenty-five barons appointed as securities for the due performance of Magna Charta.

An impression of this fac-simile, printed on vellum, with the arms carved and gilded, is placed opposite the Cottonian original of the Great Charter, which is now secured under glass. It is about two feet square, is written in Latin, and is quite illegible. It is traditionally stated to have been bought for four-pence, by Sir Robert Cotton, of a tailor, who was about to cut up the parchment into measures! But this anecdote, if true, may refer to another copy of the Charter preserved at the British Museum, in a portfolio of royal and ecclesiastical instruments, marked Augustus II, art. 106; and the original Charter is believed to have been presented to Sir Robert Cotton by Sir Edward Dering, Lieut.-Governor of Dover Castle; and to be that referred to in a letter dated May 10, 1630, extant in the Museum Library, in the volume of Correspondence, Julius C. III. fol. 191.

In the Museum, also, is the original Bull, in Latin, of Pope Innocent III, receiving the kingdoms of England and Ireland under his protection, and granting them in fee to King John and his successors, dated 1214, and reciting King John's charter of fealty to the Church of Rome, dated 1213. Also, the original Bull, in Latin, of Pope Leo X, conferring the title of Defender of the Faith upon Henry VIII.

ADMISSION TO THE MUSEUM.

The Reading Room is open every day, except on Sundays, on Ash Wednesdays, Good Fridays, Christmas-day, and on any Fast or Thanksgiving days ordered by authority; except also between the 1st and 7th of May, the 1st and 7th of September, and the 1st and 7th of January, inclusive. The hours are from 9 till 7 during May, June, July, and August (except on Saturdays, at 5), and from 9 till 4 during the rest of the year. To obtain admission, persons are to send their applications in writing, specifying their Christian and surnames, rank or profession, and places of abode, to the principal Librarian; or, in his absence, to the Secretary; or, in his absence, to the senior Under-Librarian; who will either immediately admit such persons, or lay their applications before the next meeting of the Trustees.

Every person applying is to produce a recommendation satisfactory to a Trustee or an officer of the establishment. Applications defective in this respect will not be attended to. Permission will in general be granted for six months, and at the expiration of this term fresh application is to be made for a renewal. The tickets given to readers are not transferable, and no person can be admitted without a ticket. Persons under eighteen years of age are not admissible.

The Reader having ascertained from the Catalogue the book he requires, transcribes literally into a printed form the press-mark, title of the work wanted, size, place, and date, and signs the same. Readers, before leaving the room, are to return the books or MSS. they have received to an attendant, and are to obtain the corresponding ticket, the reader being responsible for such books or MSS. so long as the ticket remains uncanceled. Readers are allowed to make one or more extracts from any printed book or MS.; but no whole or greater part of a MS. is to be transcribed without a particular permission from the Trustees. The transcribers are not to lay the papers on which they write on any part of the book or MS. they are using, nor are any tracings allowed without special leave of the Trustees. No person is, on any pretence whatever, to write on any part of a printed book or MS. belonging to the Museum.

The persons whose recommendations are accepted are Peers of the Realm, Members of Parliament, Judges, Queen's Counsel, Masters in Chancery or any of the great law-officers of the Crown, any one of the forty-eight Trustees of the British Museum, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London, rectors of parishes in the metropolis, principals or heads of colleges, eminent physicians and surgeons, and Royal Academicians, or any gentleman in superior position to an ordinary clerk in any of the public offices.