may be doubted if a single one is really accurate. On the other hand, the descriptions were taken bona fide from the books themselves, and thus the errors are not such as those of many of his predecessors in bibliography, who copied the accounts of others, and wrote at second hand, without having seen the books."
Block-print of St. Christopher.The collection includes the block-print of St. Christopher which was supposed to be the oldest impression from a woodblock bearing a date, this date being 1423 ; but The Athenæum of the 23rd of November, 1844, stated that an earlier print had been discovered, and on the 4th of October, 1845, gave a transcript of the Malines print which bears the date 1418. I reproduced this in 'John Francis,' vol. i. p. 79.
Basil Champneys.The building in which the Rylands treasures are placed is well worthy of them; it has been nine years in course of erection, Mr. Basil Champneys being the architect.
Dr. Fairbairn. The formation of this memorial to her husband has been to Mrs. Rylands a work of love. Not a volume has escaped her
personal examination. At the opening ceremony Dr. Green, who, with his sons, has been very helpful to Mrs. Rylands in bringing her great gift to a successful issue, received the guests. Dr. Fairbairn delivered the address, in which he said, "While the library was to have its home in Manchester, it was not to be Manchester's alone it was to be England's, it was to be the whole world's."
Death of Mrs. Rylands. Since the date of this article, October 21st, 1899, the founder and three of those who took an active part in the formation of the library have passed away. Mrs. Rylands died at Torquay on Tuesday, the 4th of February, 1908. By her will she bequeathed 200,000l. to the library. This additional sum raised the amount she had expended on it to over a million sterling.
Dr. Green.Dr. S. G. Green had died on the 15th of September, 1905. He was from the first Mrs. Rylands's adviser and guide in relation to the library, and he became the prime mover in it, every detail being submitted to him. He was born in 1822, graduated at the University of London, entered the Baptist ministry in 1844, and later became President of Rawdon College. In 1876 he took up his residence in London, becoming first editor, and then secretary, to the Religious Tract Society, where his wide knowledge of literature and liberal views soon bore fruit in the publication by the Society of books of a higher class than it had hitherto issued, and that position is still maintained. Dr. Green's works include a 'Handbook to the Grammar of the Greek Testament' ; followed by a 'Primer,' a 'Handbook to the Hebrew of the Old Testament,' 'Handbook to Church History,' and a revised edition of Dr. Angus's 'Bible Handbook.' In a revised edition of the English Bible, 1877, which prepared the way for the Revised Version, he shared with Dr. Jacob the work of revising the New Testament. To those of us who had the privilege of his friendship his kindly disposition and
