Cottonian LIBRARY, originally consisted of 958 volumes of original charters, grants, instruments, letters of sovereign princes, transactions between this and other kingdoms and states, genealogies, histories, registers of monasteries, remains of Saxon laws, the book of Genesis, thought to be the most ancient Greek copy extant, and said to have been written by Origen in the second century, and the curious Alexandrian copy or manuscript in Greek capitals. This library is kept in the British Museum, with the large and valuable library of Sir Hans Sloane, amounting to upwards of 42,000 volumes, &c. There are many public libraries belonging to the several colleges at Oxford and Cambridge, and the universities in North Britain. The principal public libraries in London, beside that of the Museum, are those of the College of Heralds, of the College of Physicians, of Doctors Commons, to which every bishop, at the time of his consecration, gives at least 201. sometimes 501. for the purchase of books; those of Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple, and Middle Temple; that of Lambeth, founded by Archbishop Bancroft in 1610, for the use of succeeding archbishops of Canterbury, and increased by the benefactions of Archbishops Abbot, Sheldon, and Tennyson, and said to consist of at least 15,000 printed books, and 617 volumes in manuscript; that of Red-Cross street, founded by Dr Daniel Williams, a Presbyterian divine, and since enriched by many private benefactions; that of the Royal Society, called the Arundelian or Norfolk library, because the principal part of the collection formerly belonged to the family of Arundel, and was given to the Society by Henry Howard, afterwards duke of Norfolk, in 1666, which library has been increased by the valuable collection of Francis Aston, Esq. in 1715, and is continually increasing by the numerous benefactions of the works of its learned mem-
bers, and others: that of St Paul's, of Sion college; the Queen's library, erected by Queen Caroline in 1737; and the Surgeons library, kept in their hall in the Old Bailey, &c.
In Edinburgh there is a good library belonging to the university, well furnished with books; but it is deficient in a catalogue. There is also a noble library of books and manuscripts belonging to the faculty of advocates. See ADVOCATE. The library belonging to the society of writers to the signet, although of less extent, yet in the judicious selection of the best books, and the best editions, which by the attention of the society are now kept in excellent order, is inferior to none in the kingdom.