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THE CARDIFF LIBRARIES' REVIEW. Vol. i. No. ;. April, 1910. CONTENTS Library Notes and News - Recent Additions to the Reference Library- Recent Additions to the Welsh Department - Recent Additions to the (-'enteral Lending Library ------- Page 53 54 57 READERS' REVIEW. Page Plain Chats on Reading, V"., The Mechanics of Reading : Nine Points Omarians ------ American Prose Masters From a Teacher's Bookshelf, III The Ethics of Travel - Confessions of St. Augustine Library Notes and News. The Cardiff Libraries' Review is published by order of the Libraries Committee of the Cardiff Corporation. All communica¬ tions should be addressed to " The Librarian, Central Library, Cardiff." Olor Iscanus. The Library has for a long time been on the look-out for a copy of the first edition of "Olor Iscanus " (The Swan of Usk), by Henry Vaughan, the Silurist, pub¬ lished in 1651. On the few occasions when copies of this rare work came into the market, unsuccessful attempts were made to secure them. Quite recently, however, the Committee had an opportunity of acquiring a perfect copy, and this has now been purchased. The second edition, 1679, is also in the Library. Henry Vaughan, as is well known, was a Breconshire man, who flourished between 1622-1695. He holds a high place in English literature, and his chief work, " Silex Scintillans, or Sacred Poems," ranks with the "Temple" of George Herbert. # # * # Mount Etna. Mr. T. H. Thomas, R.C.A., has lent for exhibition in the Reference Library a number of photographs and sketches of Etna which will be paiticularly interest¬ ing while the volcano is active. The photographs are mostly unpublished, and were taken by members of a travel-party which Mr.Thomas joined some years ago. The sketches are rough travel sketches which Mr.Thomas himself did at the time. Both comprise Etna itself and the Lipari Islands. # * * * Shakespeare Recital. A public reading and recital will be given by members of the Shakespeare Reading Circles at the Canton Branch Library on Wednesday, April 27th, at 8 p.m. An interesting programme has been arranged, including: Selections from "Twelfth Night." The Dagger Scene from "Macbeth " "Falstaff and Prince Hal." " Dogberry and Verges." Musical renderings of the Songs, etc. The Book of Aneirin. The greatest treasure which the Library possesses has just been reproduced in facsimile, with a text, etc., by Dr. Gwenogvryn Evans in his series of Old Welsh Texts. The MS. known as the "Book of Aneirin " was purchased with the Phillipps Collection in 1896. It is a fine specimen of mediaeval craftsmanship and beautifully written in black, rubri¬ cated and ornamented in red and green. The date assigned to the MS. by Dr. Gwenogvryn Evans is circa 1250. The book itself is a fine piece of work, and was printed at the editor's private press. It will bear comparison with the best printing of modern times. In order to place these old Welsh texts at the service of students, a set of the special edition for students will be placed in the Central Lending Depart¬ ment.