One of the finest collections of early astronomical texts to be found anywhere in Europe is on display at Marsh's Library in Dublin, writes Dick Ahlstrom.
A veritable treasure chest of remarkable early books on astronomy and astrology has gone on public display at the venerable Marsh's Library in central Dublin. Included are beautifully maintained first-edition works by Isaac Newton and Tycho Brahe, Halley, Kepler, Galileo and Descartes.
The library, located next door to St Patrick's Cathedral on St Patrick's Close, holds a stunning collection including 25,000 books assembled through the efforts of Narcissus Marsh, Provost of Trinity College, later archbishop of Dublin and later still primate of Ireland in Armagh.
The library exhibition is now open and for just a few euro people can examine one of the finest collections of early astronomical texts available anywhere in Europe. Also included are rare early printings in the original Greek of the writings of Ptolemy, and records of two visits to the library in 1902 by James Joyce who, according to entries in the ledger, consulted an astrological text.
The exhibition is entitled "What is the Stars", a very appropriate title given subject and its Dublin location. The library's current keeper, Ms Muriel McCarthy, dreamt up the link with O'Casey's play, The Plough and the Stars, and hoped it would encourage people to come and view the library's superb collection of scientific, mathematical and astronomical works.
There are 59 rare and beautifully illustrated books on display, she says. "It includes astronomy and astrology because at the time they were both associated."
The library was established in 1701 and is as worth seeing itself as the books that will be on view. "The exhibition would be of interest to all those interested in seeing beautiful books and seeing not just the exhibition but the library itself which is unchanged from the day it was built," she said. The books sit on the same shelves and in the same order as when the library first opened.
"You are walking back into the 17th century when you walk into the building," she says. "Come and see where Jonathan Swift worked. See where Bram Stoker and James Joyce did research for their books."
The library exists because of the generosity of Archbishop Marsh. He paid £5,000 to construct the building, gave it his own extensive holding of books and then bought other private libraries to assemble one of the finest collections of its kind anywhere.
Marsh was from Wiltshire and was born in 1638, says McCarthy. "He was an Englishman who studied at Oxford and then became a clergyman."
He came to Dublin to become Provost and when first here lamented the fact that there was no public library of any kind in Dublin. "He thought this was a grave disadvantage for a capital city," McCarthy says, so Marsh decided to do something about it.
The library was built by 1701, but Marsh wanted it to be readily accessible to the public. By 1705 it was ready to open its doors as the first public library here and remains a public library.
"It was an extraordinarily generous thing to do," McCarthy says. His generosity continues to this day, given that a small investment put aside by Marsh as a book purchase fund still yields £20 a year, money that still goes towards book purchases.
"Marsh was in touch with all the great English scholars, astronomers and mathematicians. He corresponded with them all," McCarthy says. So too were the three other main collectors whose books were acquired or given to the library.
Marsh paid £2,500 for the library of Edward Stillingfleet (1635-99), bishop of Worcester, who was reckoned to have the best private collection in England. Dr Elias Bouhereau (1643-1719), a Huguenot refugee, became the first librarian and left his books to Marsh's library, and the bishop of Clogher, John Stearne (1660-1745), also bequeathed his books to the library. Later collections have also come to the library including that of Rev Godfrey Everth, presented by his daughter in 1918.
On display as part of the exhibition is a copy of Newton's seminal work, Philosphiae naturalis principia mathematica, published in 1726 but looking as fresh and new as if bound yesterday. The wonderful condition of the manuscripts is in large part due to the associated Delmas Conservation Bindery at the library, where repair and conservation work on these precious manuscripts is conducted.
First-edition works by Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) are well represented including a copy of his Astronomiae instauratae mechanica, published after his death in 1602. Also on display is a copy of Venus in sol visa, the first description of the transit of Venus. The observations were made by the young English astronomer, Jeremiah Horrocks (1617-41) but drawn and published in 1662 by the much more famous Polish astronomer, Hevelius.
There are books on astrology, including one by John Dee, the astrologer of Queen Elizabeth I, who earned his fame by naming an appropriate day for her coronation.
There is also an intriguing book by Richard Saunders (1613-87) showing illustrations of the lines of the face, which he thought were governed by the planets. He believed that the lines could reveal "the character of a murtherer " or the "effigies of a rough, cruel, seditious, tyrannical, deceitful person". The Government provides funding towards the upkeep and security of the library and the OPW maintains its fabric.
Access to the exhibition and library costs €2.50 or €1.50 for retired persons and students. It is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. It is closed on Tuesdays and Sundays.
More information about the library is available on www.marshlibrary.ie