were, would indicate that there were over 500 volumes. The only bookseller in the place during the same period, had volumes printed for him for sale at his shop, and probably such as were in paying demand. All that the writer has been able to find were small, and on religious subjects. The only representatives of the modern legion of periodicals were Almanacs. A similar result follows examination of the lists of publications affixed by other early booksellers to works that they issued. A large proportion are on religious subjects, and as even the best of dealers must regard the demands of customers, we can but infer that books of this class were those that were chiefly wanted.

At the close of the Provincial period there was a very exceptional opportunity to show what a large town contained. Charlestown was burned, and the inhabitants were asked to make statements of their losses. Everyone, apparently, complied, and enumerated everything. Much had been removed and saved, but much was destroyed. In the four hundred and eighty-four statements made, about one in ten included books. As several persons mention a Bible, and as this was a volume that might be considered the most valued, we may infer that there was less attention to removal of books than of some other articles, as, for instance, silver, which must have been held in considerable amount, but which appears slightly in the losses. Neither by description nor values is there evidence that anything to be called a library was destroyed. The valuations range from Elizabeth Johnson's "one Booke, 3 s," to Elizabeth Lemmon's 1 Large Bible and sundry Books, £20, old tenor." By far the largest list is that of Thaddeus Mason, sixty-four volumes, about one-third of them religious, ten classics, four that might be called English Literature, and on Anatomy, Gazetteer, Lexicon, Travels, Rhetoric and Witchcraft, one each. Only two volumes seem to be by American authors. Of more value and present interest, it

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is probable, were, in addition, "200 Pamphlets Part of 'em valuable," and "6 Newspapers for 40 years past," the whole then called worth 8 £. 7 s. 4 d.

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Apart from this list, few titles are given, and there is little or no trace of general English Literature. There are John Chadwick's "Harvey's Meditations" (5 s. 4 d.), Richard Cary's "Trammels Books in the Garrot," Abigail Stevens's large Master Book with Cuts" (15 s.), Jas. Bradish Jr.'s "grate Bible" (12 s.), the widow Eeddey's "large bibel," Capt. John Hancock's "Grat Bible," Nicholas Hopping's 2" Bibls," Nathaniel Rand's "Larg bibill," and Abigail Williams's "Soom Quantay of Books" (£1, 4 s.), but neither Milton nor Shakespeare. They were a free and independent people, and added some proof of the fact by their spelling.

"History" tells us that Dr. Mather's library was, at the same time, lost, but long search and waiting have failed to yield to the writer any evidence that it was. If " If "History" is right, our Society shows marvellous recreative power by displaying hundreds of his volumes safe and sound.

In regard to the preservation of our early literature we can hardly fail to be impressed by the limited means and disposition to that end which, until of late, existed. There were few private libraries of any great size or scope, and few collectors; differing from England, America had few family homes permanent through generations where collections. would, or could, be kept; public libraries hardly existed, collegiate do not appear to have been large or comprehensive, and all were insecurely lodged. Here and there a minister or a layman saved what he, in a small way, gathered. Vague ideas have been held that "old families" had collections, but these seem to have been exceptions. Thoughtless disregard, junk dealers, and women who "clear up things," seem to have been more numerous and active. These, and fires, and removals of many substantial people near the beginning of the Revolution, largely

account for the later rarity of our earlier books, pamphlets and engravings. One of the books or papers that we wish we could read, would contain a detailed story of how, when and where the contents of Mr. Brinley's library were obtained. It was an extraordinary proof of wide and successful search for Americana, and never again can any man show such results.

Through all the period before the Revolution, there appears to have been a Colonial or Provincial literary centre, and at the same place that has been called a literary centre in more recent times, although there have been scoffs at the designation so applied. It may not be possible to be exact to a unit, but we can get certain rather close results. Of poetic works written and printed in British America before 1775, the writer makes out a list of one hundred and twenty-two, of which seventy-nine, or about two-thirds, hail from Boston, while of elegiac poetry, seven-eighths have the same origin and imprint. Of History published during the first eighty years of the American Press even a larger than the latter proportion was Bostonian.

In the art of bookmaking, apart from authorship, the earlier generations in our country could but show their limited resources and skill-scanty and poor indeed if we compare the products with those of only the first printers of Germany, Italy, or even England. In the two former countries the art of printing leaped at once near to perfection, proved by an array of books that, at our best, we have hardly rivalled. Bibles, Classics, Fathers of the Church, Missals, the great poets of the age of revived learning, and many a subject, indeed, were given to the world by the older countries in a style and with a profusion here unknown. Magnificent as were these achievements abroad, they were by no means always due to princely munificence, or public encouragement, but often to the struggles of real and ill-requited genius or enterprise. So

also, to some extent, it may have been with our pioneer authors and printers.

Although the products of our Early Press do not mark the World's Revival of Learning, and a rebirth of civilization, they are monuments of the coming and of the growth of a people already advanced in shaping human history.

Neglected often, at times despised, these simple monuments of a new world's life, have, in latter times, found appreciation such as exists for few others in literature. The rare and scattered remnants will now be kept as they deserve the precious heirlooms of a continental race. Happy the service and the privilege of those whose lot it is to help save them! Woe to man or woman who harms or who destroys them!

LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION CONNECTED WITH THE LAND BANK OF 1740.

BY ANDREW MCFARLAND DAVIS.

THE Act of Parliament for restraining and preventing several unwarrantable schemes and undertakings in his Majesty's Colonies and Plantations in America reached Boston in July, 1741. Although the subscribers to the Land Bank might have taken exception to some of the statements made in the preamble to this Act, yet there was no room for doubt that it was specially directed against that Company and that the phrase "sundry other schemes, societies, partnerships, or companies" was introduced to cover the case of the Silver Bank. There is no reason to suppose that Parliament could have had notice that there was under discussion at that very time a plan to establish a local Land Bank in Ipswich, nor that there were other similar propositions in the air. It was on the 27th of March that Wilks wrote:-1 "A bill has just passed the House of Commons to extend the Act commonly called the Bubble Act, passed in 1720, to the plantations in America," but it was not until April 3, that Edward Eveleth and others, representing the proposed Ipswich Bank, presented a petition to the General Court 2 setting forth that they had projected a medium of trade by bills of credit which they proposed to emit, and praying for the approbation of the Court.

The subscribers to the Land Bank reluctantly accepted the situation, and took such steps as relieved the Company

1 Archives, 53, 77.

2 Court Records,