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to be general, are now printed in Dutch and English. The signs in our streets have inscriptions in both languages, and in some places only German. They begin of late to make all their bonds, and other legal instruments in their own language, which (though, I think, it ought not to be) are allowed good in our courts, where the German business so increases, that there is continued need of interpreters: and, I suppose, in a few years, they will also be necessary in the Assembly to tell one half of our legislators what the other half say. In short, unless the stream of their importation could be turned from this to other colonies, as you very judiciously propose, they will soon so outnumber us, that all the advantages we have, will, in my opinion, be not able to preserve our language, and even our government will become precarious. The French, who watch all advantages, are now themselves making a German settlement, back of us in the Illinois country, and by means of these Germans they may in time come to an understanding with ours; and, indeed, in the last war, our Germans showed a general disposition that seemed to bode us no good. For when the English, who were not Quakers, alarmed by the danger arising from the defenceless state of our country, entered unanimously into an association, and within this government and the low countries, raised, armed, and disciplined near ten thousand men, the Germans, except a very few in proportion to their number, refused to engage in it: giving out, one amongst another, and even in print, that if they were quiet, the French, should they take the country, would not molest them; at the same time abusing the Philadelphians for fitting out privateers against the enemy: and representing the trouble, hazard, and expense of defending the province, as a greater inconvenience than any that might be expected from a change of government. Yet I am not for refusing to admit them entirely into our Colonies. All that seems to me necessary is, to distribute them more equally, mix them with the English, establish English schools, where they are now too thick settled: and take some care to prevent the practice lately fallen into by some of the ship-owners of sweeping the German gaols to make up the number of their passengers. I say, I am not against the admission of Germans in general, for they have their virtues;their industry and frugality is exemplary. They are excellent husbandmen; and contribute greatly to the improvement of a country.

"I pray God to preserve long to Great Britain the English laws, manners, liberties, and religion. Notwithstanding the complaints so frequent in your public papers, of the prevailing corruption and degeneracy of the people, I know you have a great deal of virtue still subsisting among you; and I hope the Constitution is not so near a dissolution, as some seem to apprehend. I do not think you are generally become such slaves to your vices as to draw down the justice Milton speaks of, when he says, that"

[Here most unfortunately at this critical juncture, when the imagination is worked up to the highest pitch, to hear, upon our future destinies, the

apprehensions of Franklin, in the words of Milton, the manuscript breaks off abruptly, nor will the remainder, it is probable, be ever recovered. What is the passage, curiosity eagerly inquires, which Franklin was about to quote? I take it, beyond all question to be this:

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Franklin, at the date of this letter, must have been in the full vigour of his powers, and forty-seven years old.]

KING'S LIBRARY IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

No monarch of England is known to have been an extensive collector of books (in the modern acceptation of the term) except George the Third: or, if the name of Charles the First should be added, it must be in a secondary rank, and with some uncertainty, because we have not the same evidence of his collection of books as we have of his pictures, in the Catalogue which exists of them.

A Royal Library had, indeed, been established in the reign of Henry the Seventh; it was increased, as noticed by Walpole, by many presents from abroad, made to our Monarchs after the restoration of learning and the invention of printing; and naturally received accessions in every subsequent reign, if it were only from the various presents by which authors desired to show their respect or to solicit patronage, as well as from the custom of making New-Year's Gifts, which were often books. There were also added to it the entire libraries of Lord Lumley (including those of Henry Earl of Arundel and Archbishop Cranmer), of the celebrated Casaubon, of Sir John Morris, and the Oriental MSS. of Sir Thomas Roe. Whilst this collection remained at St. James's Palace, the number of books amassed in each reign could have been easily distinguished, as they were classed and arranged under the names of the respective Sovereigns, In 1759 King George the Second' transferred the whole, by letters patent, to the then newly-formed establishment of the British Museum ; the arrangement under reigns was some time after departed from, and the several royal collections interspersed with the other books obtained from Sir Hans Sloane, Major Edwards, and various other sources.

The valuable collection of Manuscripts which accompanied the same Royal donation may still be regarded as distinct, as they are now known by the numbers they bore when in the Royal possession, and are described in a Catalogue of their own, compiled by David Casley, and printed in quarto 1734. They had, however, been kept separately from the printed books, and were at that date, together with the Cottonian MSS. deposited in the old dormitory of Westminster school.

George the Third, on his accession to the Crown, thus found the apartments which had formerly contained the library of the Kings of England

Queen Caroline, consort of George the Second, was an ardent collector of books. Her Library was preserved until recently in a building adjoining the Green Park, called the Queen's Library, and latterly the Duke of York's. An interior view of the building will be found in Pyne's Royal Residences.

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vacated by their ancient tenants. We are not informed whether he had. whilst Prince of Wales, commenced the formation of any private collection, or whether any such had been formed by his father Prince Frede rick but Sir F. A. Barnard states that "to create an establishment so necessary and important, and to attach it to the Royal residence, was one of the earliest objects which engaged his Majesty's attention at the commencement of his reign;" and he adds that the library of Joseph Smith, Esq. the British Consul at Venice, which was purchased in 1762, "became the foundation of the present Royal Library." Consul Smith's collection was already well known, from a Catalogue which had been printed at Venice in 1755, to be eminently rich in the earliest editions of the Classics, and in Italian Literature. Its purchase was effected for about 10,000l. and it was brought direct to some apartments at the Queen's Palace, commonly called Buckingham House. Here the subsequent collections were amassed; and here, after they had outgrown the rooms at first appropriated to them, the King erected two large additional libraries, one of which was a handsome octagon. Latterly the books occupied no less than seven apartments.

At an early period his Majesty appears to have placed the control of the Library under the superintendence of the late Sir Frederick Augusta Barnard, who is well known to have been his natural brother. This gentleman, who survived the King,5 continued to hold the appointment of Librarian until the collection was presented to the public by his late Majesty; and he was the writer of the preface to the Catalogue which was printed in 1820. He states therein that one of the earliest and most zealous promoters of his Majesty's views was Dr. Samuel Johnson. "His visits to the Library were frequent; during which he appeared to take pleasure in instructing youth and inexperience, by friendly advice and useful information. At one of these visits he was surprised by the sudden and unexpected appearance of the King; and his Majesty was pleased to enter into a long conversation with him upon the Library, and various other subjects, which from recollection has been so frequently and even minutely detailed, that it is only necessary to add that the forcible impression which such a distinguished attention left upon his mind, disposed him readily to embrace any opportunity of manifesting his zeal for the accomplishment of the plan."

2 Preface to Catalogue, fol. 1820.

3 The Rev. Charles Godwyn to Rev. John Hutchins, Sept. 22, 1762 :-"The King has just purchased a Library, which contains the most valuable private collection of books to be found in Italy. They belonged to Consul Smith, who resided at Venice. Their value consists chiefly in this, that there is among them a great number of the scarce first-printed editions of the Classics. I have seen a Catalogue of them, which makes a volume in 4to." Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, vol. viii. p. 230.

Consul Smith afterwards formed another valuable Library, which after his death was sold in London in 1773, by Messrs. Baker and Leigh.

4 Interior views of the octagon and the principal square room will be found in Pyne's Royal Residences, published in 1817 and 1818, and similar views, on a smaller scale, form the head and tail pieces to the Preface of the Catalogue. The octagon room is still preserved in the new Palace, though the walls have been considerably altered if not rebuilt; the upper part is intended for a chapel and the lower part for the kitchen.

5 He died at St. James's Palace, Jan. 27, 1830, aged 87. He was made a Knight Commander of the Guelphic Order a short time before his death, and was a Fellow of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies; and for many yrars a Vice President of the latter. A portrait of him, engraved in mezzotinto by S. W. Reynolds, from a picture by John Knight, was attached to those copies of the Catalogue which were dispersed by himself.

6 Alluding to the several accounts assembled by Boswell in his Life of Johnson. GENT. MAG. VOL. 1. C

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