The Lenox Library has a remarkable collection of works, which will always be an honor to America. Its early American newspapers bear dates from 1716 to 1800, and include examples of nearly every important gazette of the Colonial and Revolutionary times. The library received in 1894 over 45,000 papers. The Boston News Letter, the first regular newspaper printed in America, is an object of interest. Several of the newspapers appeared in mourning on account of the Stamp Act in October, 1765.
The library has large collections in American history, Bibles, early educational books, and old English literature. "The Souldier's Pocket Bible" is one of two known copies—the other being in the British Museum—of the famous pocket Bible used by Cromwell's soldiers. Many of the Bibles are extremely rare, and of great value. There are five copies of Eliot's Indian Bible. There are 2,200 English Bibles from 1493, and 1,200 Bibles in other languages.
One of the oldest American publications in the library is "Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes in Either England," by John Cotton, B.D., in 1656. An old English work has this title: "The Boke of Magna Carta, with divers other statutes, etc., 1534 (Colophon:) Thus endyth the boke called Magna Carta, translated out of Latyn and Frenshe into Englyshe by George Ferrers."
There are several interesting books concerning witchcraft. The original book of testimony taken in the trial of Hugh Parsons for witchcraft at Springfield, in 1651, is mostly in the handwriting of William Pynchon, but with some entries by Secretary Edward Rawson. The library possesses the manuscript of Henry Harrisse's work on the "Discovery of America," forming ten folio volumes. The library of the Hon. George Bancroft was purchased by the Lenox Library in 1893.
The Milton collection in the library contains about 250 volumes, nearly every variety of the early editions. Several volumes have Milton's autograph and annotations. There are about 500 volumes of Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," and books relating to the writer, containing nearly 350 editions in many languages. There are also about 200 volumes of Spanish manuscripts relating to America. The set of "Jesuit Relations," the journals of the early Jesuit missionaries in this country, is the most complete in existence.
Many thousands of persons come each year to see the books and pictures, as well as to read, and all are aided by the courteous librarian, Mr. Wilberforce Eames, who loves his work, and has the scholarship necessary for it.
MARY MACRAE STUART.
At her death in New York City, Dec. 30, 1891, gave the Robert L. Stuart fine-art collections valued at $500,000, her shells, minerals, and library, to the Lenox Library, on condition that they should never be exhibited on Sunday. To nine charitable institutions in New York she gave $5,000 each; to Cooper Union, $10,000; to the Cancer Hospital, $25,000; and about $5,000,000 to home and foreign missions of the Presbyterian Church, hospitals, disabled ministers, freedmen, Church Extension Society, aged women, etc., of the same church, and also the Young Men's Christian Association, Woman's Hospital, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Society for Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children, City Mission and Tract Society, Bible Society, Colored Orphans, Juvenile Asylum, and other institutions in New York.
Mrs. Stuart was the daughter of a wealthy New York merchant, Robert Macrae, and married Robert L. Stuart, the head of the firm of sugar-refiners, R. L. & A. Stuart. Both brothers were rich, and gave away before Alexander's death a million and a half. Robert left an estate valued at $6,000,000 to his wife, as they had no children; and she, in his behalf, gave away his fortune and also her own. She would have given largely to the Museum of Natural History and Museum of Art in New York, but from a fear that they would be opened to the public on Sundays.