By its antiquity, as well as by its magnitude and value, the University Library claims our first attention. Of its earlier history there is little to tell, for like that of most institutions which are the growth of a slow development through many ages it exists in but a shadowy and fragmentary form. The University itself, or at least that portion of it which was called King's College and University, was founded in 1494, but apparently it possessed no library till some forty years after that date, when it stands recorded that "Bishop William Stewart built the librarie hous, and with a number of bookes furnisht the same." After this there is almost a complete blank for about a century, during which, however, we are to suppose that the library grew and increased in numbers and usefulness, for at the end of that period, namely, in 1634, there is a distinct college minute to this very business-like effect—"It is ordainet be the rectour and memberis that the keeper of the bibliotheck sall, about the tyme of Michaelmese yeerlie, wpone fourtie-aucht houris advertisement, delyver the key of the bibliotheck to the rector of the universitie, that he may imploy two or thrie of the memberis for visitting the said bibliotheck to see giff all the buikis and instrumentis belonging thereto be present in the librarie ipsa corpora; with certificatioun against the said keeper, that in caice aney be amissing without and nocht within the dooris of the said librarie at that tyme, he salbe lyable not onlie to furnische ane wther buik of the samen kynd wpon his awen expenssis, bot also to pay for his negligence the sowme of ten merkis for ilk book that bees wanting as said is, by the pryce of the samen."
After the establishment of this stringent rule we come upon several references to gifts of small collections of books and to the existence of a catalogue or catalogues. In this matter of gifts, however, greater good fortune was the portion of the sister institution at Marischal College and University, founded in 1593. To it we find that, in 1613, Dr. Duncan Liddell bequeathed his library and also a sum of 6,000 merks, the balance of the interest of which after paying for a professor of mathematics was to be devoted to the purchase of "new books of most ancient mathematicks." Last year the balance amounted to £10 10s. 9d. A still more noteworthy and valuable gift was that which came to it in 1624 from Thomas Reid, secretary to His Majesty James I. for "the Latine tongue." Reid was a native of these parts and a member of the family which subsequently produced the founder of Scottish philosophy. He was educated at Marischal College,
