ve taken place in the institutions and in the
manners of a nation. Without speaking of the commentaries or
considerable additions which have been introduced in the various
reprints of an author, the successive editions of the same work which
appear to resemble each other the most, are often distinguished from
each other by peculiarities worthy of much attention. It has been well
said, that a public library should contain all those works which are too
costly, too voluminous, or of _too little value_ in the common
estimation to be found elsewhere, down even to the smallest tracts. An
old almanac, or a forgotten street-ballad, has sometimes enabled the
historian to verify or correct some important point which would
otherwise have remained in dispute.

With a brief extract from the evidence of one other witness we must
close our notice of the Report on Public Libraries. Charles Meyer, Esq.,
German secretary to his Royal Highness Prince Albert, had given
attention to the public libraries of Germany, having resided several
years in Gotha, Hamburg, Leipsic, and Munich. He had perused the
principal part of the evidence which had been given by Mr. Edwards upon
this subject, and found all that he stated to be quite correct. Dr.
Meyer thinks the existence of the numerous and valuable libraries of
Germany has given the literary men of that country an advantage over
the literary men of England. "It has saved a great number of our
German learned men," he says, "from the danger of becoming
_autodidactoi_--self-taught. I think that is one essential point of
difference that is visible in comparing the general character of the
instruction in this country with that on the continent: there are in
this country a great number of self-taught people, who think according
to their own views, without any reference to previous scientific works.
They make sometimes very great discoveries; but sometimes they find that
they have wasted their labor upon subjects already known, which have
been written upon by a great number of people before them; but as they
have no access to libraries, it is impossible for them to get acquainted
with the literature of that branch upon which they treat."

From the preceding quotations, it is evident that, in the opinion of the
Parliamentary Committee, and of the witnesses examined by it, there
exists in this country at once a great deficiency of public libraries
and a pressing necessity for their establishment. Our pe