As I have already remarked, the library at King's College was, on the whole, less fortunate than that of Marischal College. But it had at least one generous benefactor, who wisely recognised that it was not only necessary to have books in a library, but also necessary to have them properly housed and cared for. This good friend was James Fraser, an alumnus of King's College, who, after being tutor to the Duke of St. Albans (son of Charles II.), was appointed to, and for forty years held, the office of secretary to Chelsea Hospital. He was a great book collector, and under James II. was librarian of the Royal Library and licenser of printing. His gifts to his alma mater were both generous and timely. In his lifetime, in addition to many valuable books, he gave upwards of £1,200 for the purpose of repairing and completing the library building, and at his death he bequeathed a sum for the purpose, among other things, of establishing a regular library-keeper.
Coming down to more recent times, among some conspicuous gifts we ought specially to mention that made to Marischal College by Miss Melvin in 1856. This consisted of the library of her brother, Dr. James Melvin, whose name is even yet held in high honour and reverence in Aberdeen and throughout Scotland for his services as rector of the Grammar School here, and for his great repute as a Latin scholar. His library contains 6,984 volumes, relating chiefly to the Latin and Greek language and literature, but rich also in works relating to Scottish literature and history. Some years after the union of the two colleges in one university, the Melvin Library was removed to King's College, where it is now located. As commemorative of this removal, and as helping to preserve the memory of a scholar of whom Aberdeen and Scotland have reason to be proud, a stained glass window was erected in the library, which meets the eye as you enter the spacious hall. It is arranged in four lights, in three of which are figures of George Buchanan, Arthur Johnston and Thomas Ruddiman, as representative Scottish Latinists of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. In the fourth light is seen the figure of Dr. Melvin in his robes as rector of the Grammar School, and below, a device of a beehive and grapes, with the punning legend—
"Mel-vinum Natura dedit: gaudete Camenæ."
On a general review of the history of the two University Libraries at King's and Marischal Colleges, it is pretty evident that but for the gifts, great and small, which fortunately dropped
