“This paper was received by me from Mr. Panizzi, sealed up, on the 3rd of November, 1845, and opened and read at his desire by me on the 18th of December, 1846.
W. R. Hamilton.”
Mr. Grenville died on the 17th of December, 1846; therefore, the above document was read by Mr. Hamilton on the following day. The ”codicil” made to his Will is dated 28th of October, 1845, exactly a week before the incident narrated in the above memorandum.
Space does not allow us to make public a long and minute direction, given by Panizzi to his Assistant, Mr. Rye, for the removal of this Library to the British Museum; suffice it, therefore, to observe that it enters into all the details respecting the handling and removal of these treasures of typography.
The books now having safely reached the Museum, Panizzi made the following official report respecting them:—
“Feb. 10, 1847.
“Mr. Panizzi has the honour to report that the removal of the Library bequeathed to the Trustees by the Right Hon. T. Grenville has been accomplished in five days without any injury whatever to the books, the number of which, counted one by one, and without any regard to the number of works, is 20,239.
“About five hundred of them are, for want of room on the shelves, lying on the floor of the galleries of the room into which the books have been removed from Hamilton-place. With respect to their preservation from dust, Mr. Panizzi begs to suggest as the most economical, as well as most expedient arrangement, that, for the present, the doors of the presses be lined, or rather covered, inside with green calico, or some such cheap material.
“Mr. Panizzi begs to state that the removal of the collection has been effected in so short a time by his keeping at work the persons who assisted him considerably after Museum time. He hopes that the Trustees will, in consequence, approve of the remuneration and gratuities which he has promised to the servants of Mr. Grenville who assisted, as well as to the attendants and workmen for their extra time and exertions, as detailed in the accompanying statement of expenses, which he begs the Trustees will order to be paid.”
In vain did Panizzi urge the Trustees to provide adequate room for the books; many of them lay for nearly two years on the floor of the gallery, where they had been originally placed, exposed to the dust, and to injury in various forms. Lord Fortescue, on one occasion, asked to see his uncle’s books, and was not a little astonished to find them thus uncovered and unprotected.