A VALUABLE LIBRARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13640, 9 July 1906, Page 8

A VALUABLE LIBRARY.

It is not generally known (says the Auckland Herald) that, in the library at, Bishopscourt are the books and papers of the late Bishop Selwyn. The Rev. W. G Monckton, M.A., diocesan librarian, who has been engaged for the last 12 months in classifying and arranging them, gave an interesting explanation of some of the contouts of the library. Mr Monckton explained that many of the lrooks were valuable because of their ago, whilst others derived their importance from their association with the life of Bishop Selwyn, and the early days of the colony. On the tablebefore him were a few of the interesting volumes. One of these was the family Bible of Bishop Selwyn, a. facsimile of th'o vellum copy of the edition of the Scriptures specially printed for the use of William IV. The fly-leaf contains entries of particulars of the marriage of Bishop Selwyn m 1839, and of the baptism of his S on, William, to whom the lato Mr Gladstone was godfather, and whoso signature is among those appended. Another interesting work is Jhe manuscript copy of one of llie earliest attempts to translate the New Testament into the Maori language. This work was undertaken- in 1843 by Archdeacon Williams (afterwards Bishop of Waiapu), the Rev. E, (afterwards Archdeacon) Maunscll, Mr Hamlin (secretary to Bishop Selwyn), and Mr Puckoy, an early missionary. The pages of the book are divided into six columns, the first of which contains tho verse, the four succeeding ones Uie respective intcqiretations placed upon the text by the four translators, the sixth division being reserved for general remarks. The work was done on separate sheets in the first place, the whole result of tho joint labours being aftenvards entered in tho book •by Mr Hamlin, whose handwriting, which could scarcely bo surpassed by the finest copperplate, is a striking specimen of what is now to a large extent, becoming a lost art,

The lettering on (he title page is also the product, of Mr Hamlin'.s pen. and as au example of beautiful—one might- well say perfect—penmanship, it, would lie difficult, as tho lecturer remarked, to find an equal. _ Among the books which derive their principal value- from their age is a. copy of the original edition of Archbishop Cranrner's reply to Gardiner, which hears the date 1551. and is printed in the halfblack letter of what may bo termed the transit iou period in the history of the printing art. Amongst, other volumes the library contains presentation copies from the authors to Bishop Selwyn, nf various ■works, including those of Manning and Newman, witb autographs inscribed, and liooks presented to the late Bishop by Mr Gladstone, these containing the autograph of "the Grand Old Man." Then, again, thero arc various sets of books presented to Bishop Selwyn for the library by the Fellows of Eton, with Latin inscriptions, a complete set of the Bainplon let-lures, sots of the "Dolpiiin," and other editions of the classics, and (he testaments used by Bishop Selwyn. These axe only a few specimens of the many literary treasures contained in what is a most interesting hikl valuable collection.