fe, Letters and Journals
of George Ticknor" (Boston, 1909). Ticknor's idea of a
popular library, given in a letter to Edward Everett, is
followed by Everett's answer. Some of the editor's comments
precede and conclude. Those interested may read on, in
Chapter XV, Vol. II of the "Life," and get a further idea of
Ticknor's zeal in promoting the Boston library and his
interest in making it as popular as possible, in distinction
to the idea of a library solely for scholars, upheld by John
Jacob Astor, in his New York gift of three years previous,
which Everett rather favored.

George Ticknor was born in Boston, Aug. 1, 1791 and
graduated at Dartmouth in 1807. He was admitted to the bar
in 1813 but devoted his life chiefly to teaching and to
literature, serving as professor in Harvard in 1819-35. He
died in Boston, Jan. 26, 1871. A sketch of Everett appears
on page 127 of this volume.

The endowment of a great library in New York, given by Mr. John Jacob
Astor, at his death, in 1848, was much talked about; and men of forecast
began to say openly that, unless something of a like character were done
in Boston, the scientific and literary culture of this part of the
country would follow trade and capital to the metropolis, which was thus
taking the lead. Still, nothing effectual was done. Among the persons
with whom Mr. Ticknor had, of late years, most frequently talked of the
matter, Dr. Channing was dead, Mr. Abbott Lawrence had become Minister
to England, and Mr. Jonathan Phillips was growing too infirm to take
part in public affairs. The subject, however, kept its hold on Mr.
Ticknor's mind.

His idea was that which he felt lay at the foundation of all our public
institutions, namely, that in order to form and maintain our character
as a great nation, the mass of the people must be intelligent enough to
manage their own government with wisdom; and he came, though not at
once, to the conclusion that a very free use of books, furnished by an
institution supported at the expense of the community, would be one of
the effective means for obtaining this result of general culture.

He had reached this conclusion before he saw any probability of its
being practically carried out, as is proved by the following letter,
which he wrote to Mr. Everett, in the summer of 1851. A few months
before this date Mr. Everett had presented to the city--after offering
it in va