Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/156

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information go hand in hand with the gradual pro- gress of wealth ; blending the generous spirit which generally accompanies intellectual cultivation, with the ability of gratifying its dictates. The con- tents of the library, which is a noble one, may be known from the catalogue of its books, comprised in two thick octavo volumes. They are in excellent order and well preserved, though offered to the be- nefit of even strangers, who are allowed to peruse any of them in a most cmofortable room, three hours every morning, and as many in the afternoon. We were shewn a curious ancient MS. roll, con- taining the Pentateuch in Hebrew, bequeathed by Dr. Byrom to the library. That diffusion of science and literature which such an institution as this, as remarkable for the liberality as the extent of its plan, would produce, is aided and increased by another establishment, whose object also is the promotion and extension of useful knowledge the Philosophical and Literary Society of Manchester , the proceedings of which, regularly given to the public, are the best comments upon the ability of its members, and the utility of the institution.

l>ut the most remarkable feature in the cha- racter of Manchester is its trade, which, with a success hitherto unknown in the history of com- merce, has spread itself over all the civilized world;

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