The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-11
The Libraries of Europe.

Rev. Dr. Richard S. S;orrs delivered
lecture in New York city, Monday even
ing, of "The Libraries of Europe" He
said the era of libraries in Europe was COM
paratively recent, as very few were estab-
lshed anterior to the beginning of the fif-
teenth century. Libraries succeeded the
cathedrals of the Old World. Since their
birth no immense cathedrals have been
built in Europe. Just as books will outlast
buildings, SO will the library outlast the
cathedral. There are some people who
imagine that the contents of great Europe
an Libraries are similar to those in this
country. To such people he would say
there was great difference. There were
in European libraries immense numbers of
modern books, large number of books
gong back from 1900 to 1850, then behind
these manuscripts to the fifth, and possibly
few to the fourth, century. The lecturer
explained That volume, as applied to
manuscript works, does not mean the same
as when applied to books. 1t means roll,
not a history, and perhaps it might take
many hundreds of rolls to make a complete
book. They must also remember that not
all the manuscripts of ancient times are
valuable. The l,700 rolls found in one of
the houses in Hercuaneum were mentioned
as an example.
In Rome there was no public library up
to the commencement of the Christian era.
Julius Caesar founded one, but his assassin
alton prevented his finishing it. Augustus
founded two, one of which was in existence
until the sixth century. Constantine's
great library of 100, 900 rolls was destroyed
in the eighth century. This was about the
beginning OF the time when, as Gibbon
says, the "soul of genius evaporated in
smoke" One of the oldest manuscripts in
existence is copy Of the Scriptures, dis
covered in the fourth century, near Mount
Sinai, and now in the library at st. Peters
burg. The difference between it and the
Vatican Codex was pointed out. The
Alexandria Codex given by the Patriarch
of Egypt to Charles |. is now in the British
Museum. The speaker said there were ten
times as many authorities in existence upon
the Scriptures as there is for all Greek liter
AZURE.
In the middle of the fifteenth century
printing came into existence. The speaker
spoke of it as the art which was at the
same time the privilege and the plague of
modern civilization. In 1855 theorst book
was printed from movable type Subse-
quently it was discovered, and is now
known as the Mazarin Bible, because of Its
being found in that Cardinals palace In
Paris. In lat tine first printing press was
set up in England. The speaker said it
would DO impossible for him to describe
great library. He might as well undertake
to describe whirlwind in breath. One
of the first libraries in Europe is at Milan.
Among ITS many valuable manuscripts was
one once owned by Petrarch, bearing mar
ginal notes relating to his adored Laura.
There were also the love letters written by
Lucretia Borgia, and above 5000 sketches
by Raphael, Michael Angelo, Leonardo da
Vinci, and others of the masters. In the
library of Florence was the manuscript of
the first complete known copy of Virgil
also, copy Of Ciceros familiar letters
transcribed by Petrarchs own hand. The
speaker agreed with the distinguished
Englishman who observed that "of all the
sepulchres on the face of the earth the
Vatican is the most impressive" No one
10 ever permitted to touch the valuable
books and manuscripts In this library. He
called attention to the fact that the letters
of King Harry VIII. to Anne Boleyn are
preserved in the Vatican.
OF the English libraries he need make
but brief mention. Que popularity of them
was they all grew to large proportions
from small beginnings. The library at
Munich contains 100000 volumes one at
Berlin, 100000 the Imperial library of
Russia, 100000 books, 100000 manu-