FINE COLLECTION OF BOOKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15174, 13 December 1912, Page 8

FINE COLLECTION OF BOOKS

PRESENTED TO AUCKLAND

CITY.

GENEROSITY OF MR. II- SHAW.

LIBRARY VALUED AT £2500.

A MAOxn-icF.ST gift has been made to the t citizens of Auckland by Mr. Henry Shaw, a, member of the City Council. In a letter to the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. JPair), the donor says that he has almost completed arrangements for passing his collection of hooks on to the city, and that after the Christmas holidays will formally communicate with the City Council on "the matter. The offer was announced by tile Mayor at last evening s meeting of tho CouncilIn commenting on the gift, the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr) remarked that leaving out the Grey library, tliero was no such collection in tho whole of Australasia. The 15th century books were all fine copies of important works, and were particularly valuable, he considered, in that they had appeared just after the invention of printing. In the collection would be found the Edition Princeps of Saint Augutsine's City of God, printed in 1467 and of St. Jerome's Epistles, 1468, both volumes being extremely rare. Then there was the famous Chronicle of Vicentius Bellovaconsis in three largo folio volumes, with tho initial letters illuminated in gold and colours, printed at the monastery of Saint Ulrich and Saint Afra,. Augsburg, in 1474, together with the Catholicon, printed at Strasburg in 1482. Both were now practically unobtainable. _ An interesting item. Mr. Parr continued, was the great Bible, printed at Strasburg in 1479, by Adolf Ruscb. This had a double commentary, and was in .lour big _ folio volumes, the bindings being the original oak boards, covered with _ pigskin. Amongst the MBS. was a Bible in folio of the end of the 12th century. That was a rare item, being the oldest copy of the Scriptures in the Dominion, and probably in Australasia. There were also a fine Italian MS. of the Roman History of Appianus, a French MS. of Boethius Consolation of Philosophy the original Persian texts of the works of Hapiz, Sadi, and Jami, and the Koran in Arabic. _ It would, said the Mayor, be impossible to detail all the rareties, or indeed a tithe of them, but suffice it to say that they were such as were only to be found m the great libraries of the world. The early printed books and MSS. would, in combination with the Grey Library, make a collection such as no other city in the Dominion could ever hope to obtain. The modern books provided a good collection of work on the fine arts, costume, archaeology, travel, etc. Finally an interesting item in the collection was one of tho original Parliamentary proclamations appointing Oliver Cornwell protector. That was a very rare paper. In money value, the Mayor stated, the gift was worth from £2500 to £3000. Mr. Shaw's nrfmG would be added to the already long list of Auckland's benefactors men who loved the city so well that they had remembered it by splendid gifts. He moved, " That the City Council places on record its grateful thanks to Mr. Henry Shaw for his magnificent gift of books,. and his library generally, to the citizens of Auckland.' Mr. J. Court seconded the motion. Mr. Entrican suggested that a suitable plate should be placed in some conspicuous position in the library to commemorate the gift. He paid a tribute to Mr. Shaw's love of the city, which, he said, had I prompted him to give the fruits of his i labours to the citizens.

Other members of the Council spoke of Mr. Shave's generosity. Hie motion of the Mayor was pawed, and the suggestion of Mr. Entrican! adopted. The , collection is to be stored along with the Grey collection.