plication to the Town Clerk, who will supply a Form to be filled up by
the applicant and forwarded to the Chairman of the Libraries Committee."
Now the books are issued by and at the discretion of the City Librarian,
for use in the Reference Library, in accordance with the rules of the
Public Library.

The City Committee, which is responsible for the City Library, provided
in 1912 a large exhibition case in the Reading Room for the display of
some of the more rare and interesting books.

DONORS.

The Library was formed almost entirely by donations, principally from
local residents, including bishops, deans, and other clergy, magistrates,
merchants and tradesmen. The donations from the inception of the Library
in 1608 to 1737 are enumerated in the Vellum Book provided for the
purpose in 1659, to which reference is made on page 46. The first
donation was a gift of fifteen volumes from Sir John Pettus who was Mayor
during the year of the foundation of the Library, viz., Severinus Binius'
"Concilia generalia et provincialia," 4 vols. in 5, (Cologne, 1606),
"Centuriones Magdeburgh," 7 vols., (Basel), and Bellarmine's
"Disputationes de controversiis Christianae Fidei," 3 vols., (Paris,
1608). His gift was followed by one in the same year from Susannah
Downing, wife of Alderman George Downing, who had been Mayor in the
previous year. She gave Hieronymus Zanchius' "Opera theologica," 8 vols.
in 3, 1605 (Excudebat Stephanus Gamonetus). In the following year Thomas
Corye, merchant, gave Luther's Works in 7 vols. and three volumes of
Ludwig Lavater's Commentaries, (Zurich); Sir Thomas Hirne, the Mayor,
gave ten volumes of Calvin's works, and a polyglot Bible--Biblia Sacra,
Hebraice, Graece, et Latine (1599), 2 vols.; Thomas Corbett gave St.
Augustine's Works (Basel, 1569); and Henry Doyly gave St. Bernard's Works
(Paris, 1586).

The three chief benefactors to the Library were Richard Ireland, who at
the time of his death was rector of Beeston, Norfolk; Thomas Nelson,
rector of Morston, Norfolk; and John Kirkpatrick, a linen merchant, of
Norwich, the eminent antiquary.

Ireland's bequest was made in 1692, and the entry in the Vellum Book is
as follows:

"Mr Richard Ireland, Formerly Rector of Beeston and sometime also of
St Edmonds in the Citty of Norwich where he was born, gave by his
last Will all his Bookes to the publick Library of the Citty: where
they are set up on Shelves, and accordingly sp