Cylchgronau Cymru

A letter from a book collector; E. R. G. Salisbury. By J. HUBERT MORGAN. IN the current number of the Welsh quarterly, T Lienor, I have attempted to give an account of the preliminary correspondence and haggling which led to the purchase, in 1886, of the collection of books owned by E. R. G. Salisbury for the Library of the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, Cardiff. Soon after the College had secured his library, which had been housed at Glan-aber, near Chester, Salisbury wrote a long letter of congratulation to the College Registrar, Ivor James,. M.A. (author of some important articles on seventeenth century Welsh Literature), who, with Professor Thomas Powel, Professor of Celtic, had been foremost in effecting the purchase and transfer of the books. The Editor of the Journal has asked me to preface Salisbury's letter with a few remarks. There is no need for me here to add to the account given in the Dictionary of National Biography about Salisbury himself. But it may be well to point out that all the books and works of art which Salisbury had collected so diligently during his life-time did not come to this College. In 1854, Salisbury, on giving up his house, 44 Finchley Road, St. John's Wood, London, disposed of a great part of his collection of books and works of art. Two catalogues were issued advertising their sale at the auction rooms of Messrs. Puttick and Simpson from 21st to 23rd of June, 1854. Some idea of the scope and value of what was offered for sale may be gathered from the title-pages of those two catalogues:- 1. Catalogue of works of modern art, the col- lection of E. G. Salisbury, Esq. (leaving London), including some charming cabinet pictures by [15 artists named] and other (mostly living) artists; a few