appoynting
the time for ye Ministers Meeting at the Library for future to be uppon
the first Tuesday in every moneth." The request was granted. On 29th
March, 1673, the Court ordered "36s. to be paid for six Russia leather
chairs for City Library." {8}

The library receipts from fees and charges are not regularly entered, but
throughout the Minute Book there are occasional records of receipts and
payments, and under date March 3, 1684, is the following: "This day ye
account of ye Last year was stated. The Library keeper had received 4ll
3s & 4d and had expended 4l 11s 10d--due to Him 8s 6d."

Either as a means of raising additional money for the Library or of
securing a better attendance of members at the meetings it was ordered on
Jan. 15th, 1677 "that all persons that will continue the use & benefitte
of the librarie shall pay for every omission of meeting upon the day
appointed the forfeiture of 2 pence, no excuse to be admitted for
absence; & the said forfeitures are to be dispos'd of every halfe year
according as the major part of psons at yt meeting shall determine." The
Minute Book does not show that the fines for absence were usually
disposed of half-yearly, but the following memorandum was made therein on
April 1st, 1690: "That this day we present cast up ye forfeitures of ye
two last years, viz. 1688, 1689 And the several persons are indebted in
all two pounds, ten shillings & four pence as appears by ye particulars
in ye Book of forfeitures."

For the first 108 years of the Library's existence it remained a
reference library, and books were not lent, but surreptitious borrowing
probably took place occasionally. At any rate on December 2nd, 1684, the
following memorandum was made: "That BP J. Ushers treatise de Macedonum
et Assyriorum [Asianorum] anno solari was missing this meeting yt was, by
ye under-library-keepers attestation here the last meeting and has bin
missing this three weeks, 'tis desired that he that has it would be
pleased to restore it, and not to do any such thing as is contrary to wt
he hath subscribed." By 1716 the members had considered it desirable to
allow the borrowing of books for home reading, and on May 7th, 1716,
occurs the following record of the petition of the members to the City
Court:

"This Society having requested ye Court to give leave yt an order
might be made to render ye Library more usefull it was accordingly
ordered by ye Court

"Norwich. At