The Sun.
London, England, 1827-11-17 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

DUKE OF SUSSEX'S LIBRARY.
The literary world has been just gratified with
the appearance of a ivorksentitkA; " BIBLIOTHEca.
SUSsEXIANA ; or, a Descriptive Catalogue of the
MSS. and Printed Books contained in the Library
H. R. H. the Duke of Sussex, at Kensington
Palace," from the pen of Mr. Pettigrew, who holds
the two-fold office of Surgeon and librarianliete,to literary
r toy
i
Royal Highness. Whenever the state of political
intelligence has permitted us-to devote a few of our-
columns to topics of literary interest, we have never
failed to direct attention to those works which we
o
conceive
Irobdoucti
repleteotn ospossess
of th with
e presente t; d m
publics
ut
so
daye
fu public
inaeresß
more. patronage,
entitledreo:viag
p
this distinction than the one now introduced to
public notice. In the first place, we cannot but
view this publication as one of peculiar importance,
from the high quarter with whose intellectual taste
and treasures it makes us so tharoughly acquainted.
Few things can be more -Valuable, or ought to be
more gratifying to a people, than to have their
Princes distinguished as the friends of learning, and
the promoters of pure religion ; for such a distinc-
tion can scarcely be disunited from a spirit, of
genuine patriotism, and a correct notion of the rights
as well as duties of mankind. We do not, how-
ever, mean to assert that:the mere fact of a Prince
or Monarch being possessed of a magnificent collec-
tion of books and manuscripts, will alone constitute
either the cause or the proof of a great and enlight-
ened mind. A man may have a splendid library
without having read a single volume in it. Libraries
have sometimes been the prize of conquest, some-
times the heir-loom of inheritance, and oftener still
got together from motives of idle pomp and ostenta-
tion. Xerxes profited but little by the noble collec-
tion of Pisistratus, which he carried away from
Athens. The magnificent libraries of the Kings of
France at Paris, and the Pontiffs in the Vatican,
have often been possessed by owners far removed
from cherishing sentiments worthy of the masters of
such concentrated masses of science and philosophy,
Ind we have amongst us a considerable class of
book-collectors,
_who know and care but little for any
thing more than the date and title of what they
purchase. On the other hand, however, let us not
forget how Egypt was fast rising into eminence and
glory, under the enlightened rule and literary genius
of the Ptolemies; how, even amidst the civil broils
and the constant press of danger from surrounding
enemies, she still maintained a proud situation; and
that" the great City of the West" was the resort.
of all that was celebrated in arts and learning, a
well as commerce, till a barbarous army, led by a
till more barbarous commander, consigned her store.
of wisdom to the flames, and hurled her back into
her sad condition of primeval darkness. We know
also how, in later days, the literary taste and
patronage of the House of Medici, could lift up
small republic, in the north of Italy, almost to a
level in fame with the most celebrated of ancient or
modern nations. Is it not then unquestionable that
a people ought not, cannot be indifferent,to literary
character of the higher orders in society; that a love
of science in a ruler, is always seen to act as a main-
spring to its general advancement through all the
inferior orders, and that, even in the least promising
of such cases, the public at large are deeply in-
terested. Those only who have been engaged in
works of extensive erudition, can appreciate fully the
benefit of having the records of learning carefully
areserved and easily accessible. That such a public
advantage is really existing in the magnificent collec-
tion of the Duke of Sussex, no one who has the
honour and happiness of having seen it will for a
moment doubt, and who knows also the feelings and
purposes under which that collection has been made.
It has not been won by conquest, nor inherited as a
legacy, nor got together for purposes of idle osten-
tation. It has been purchased volunie by volume, at
the sacrifice of many an object of princely luxury
and indulgence, and from a pure love of knowledge,
and a desire to secure the best means of acquiring it
for himself and imparting it to otherS who may seek
it. It is not, therefore, peculiarly distinguished by
those literary rarities which are sought after and
valued like a Queen Anne's Farthing, though spe-
cimens of the best and most precious kind, both of
transcription and illumination in MSS., and of
printing and engraving in every stage of their pro-
gress towards maturity, are not wanting. But it is
now time to say something of the Catalogue itself.
The purpose.of 34r. Pettigrew, is to give an account
in the first instance, only of the Theological part of
the collection, comprising from 50,000 to 60,000
volumes, and of this part, an account only of the
ASS., and the Polyglott, Hebrew, Greek, and
Latin Bibles, is contained in the two parts compos-
ing the first volnmeS which are already printed. But
the pains that have been taken, and the accuracy as
',tell as minuteness of detail manifested throughout,
cannot be praised or appreciated too highly. To
the biblical collector, those volumes present a body
of information unequalled in any former work of the
same kind, and to the biblical student a mass of
matter culled from the very highest authorities, and
brought together in a form peculiarly inviting. We
cannot hesitateto say, that-the knowledge they con-
tain, is essential to every accomplished scholar, and
especially to every -clergyrean, as a part of his pro-
fessional acquirements. • The matter concerning the
Hebrew Rolls, their peculiar requisites, their cha-
racter as divided into Spanish, Italian, and German,
the History of the principal Jewish MSS., &c., is
what no theological student should omit to read.
The same .may be said, and perhaps still more
strongly, of the account given of the several
Polyglotts, and of the able criticisms supplied by
Dr. Adam Clarke, for this part of the work before
us. The notices of Walton's Polyglott, that
" glory of the English Church and nation," are more
full and satisfactory than had ever yet been given to
the public. We shall only instance further, the pre-
liminary observations on the subject of missals,
breviaries, and books of offices, as well as the illus-
trations of ancient armour, as connected with some
of
jatietlhee lissttalia
ateidt MSS.,
tobe andforid whichl
n the
m
est
accurateento
ine(l
in-
formation of Dr. Meyrick. In short, Mr. Pettigrew,
like a man of sense and candour, with n work in
hand, to which no single individual is fully com-
petent, has neither oniii-ted to seek information
wherever it could best be found, or candidly to
declare
suonl undertaking;
objectta kt the eg has;
aextentbnedea to
we
of
do(1 assistanceorio
full
t
scruple
pi given
el
ee
ttoo is
syi r
weighty His
thats gone,
he
has produced a work worthy, as far as it has
of the illustrious Prince who has entrusted that
office to his hands, worthy' of the British public, even
in this intellectual age, and worthy of himself as the
custos and supetintendant of Such a library.
But, as has been already intimated, the pnbtic ere
bound to recollect, that one part only of this great
work has been yet placed within theis reach.
Nothing of the English part of this tru)se princely
and, interesting collection has been yet noticed,
though, as we happen to know, tot only are the
literary treasures of this department infinitely curious
and important, but that the matter already collected
for their history and'telucidation, will be found, to a
very great extent, new to the great bulk of readers,
and entitled to the best attention of every one
studious of theological knowledge, and the eccle-
siastical history of these realms. The public records
have been ransacked, valuable communications have
been kindly furnished, much light has been thrown
on our most important controversies, on' religious
points of faith or discipline; and it only remains for
that pubic, in whoie cause Mr. Pettigrew has so
industriously laboured, to show their readiness to
receive, and their willingness to profit by his labours.
We cannot permit ourselves to doubt that such a'
work will be hailed with eagerness, and, in an age
like this, meet the encouragement it deserves.—
Works of • distinguished merit have sometimes failed
f'greonmerailaci:.,coofnspualttreod by
ye ; but they have been of a
kind' less popular, and we may add less generally
useful, than that now before us. To suppose that
this work would not be wid6ly circulated and
scholars, would be indeed a
libel up9n,EngliSh taste, and gratitude, and learning.