, 1880-01-24
THE VATICAN LIBRARY.
To Be cataloged and Opened to
Explorers.
What Golden Eggs May % Founa-A Literary
Danaala for tht World.

create nsltvcly expectation rs Il we wore told
that the AlGxnndrtnn Llbrnry had been found
hidden III tho sands, or that the town library
nf Polnpcit had been discovered with some
thing better worth tlcciperlng than a waste
paper basket full of school exercises
fnr nll tho literary ylofa Of tho buried city.
Len XIII. contcmplates publishing tic va
riouH catalogs Of the Vatican Library, and
Inns named q Commission to consider the
best means Of carrying his intention Into
effect. The eminent arohnologist, De
Isoss', is associated for t1,is purpose with the
existing statr Of the library, md nobody can
doubt the honesty Of the design. CAtalogs,
however, nro very tedious and difficult
operations To be Of much service they
ought 10 be In the order Of tho nanea both
Of tho nuthors and Of tic books, or Mt least
Of t}ia subjects. They ought to be moro or
less descriptive. like nets, they ought 10
have largo meshcs for the bly, books, and
small meslies for tho little ones; they
ought to dive into volumes containing
different books bound together, or with mis-
leading titles. Perhaps all TINT Is Intended
fs tho publication Of tie existing catalugs rs
they are. More ttnn this, certainly any at
tempt to produce n comprehensive calalog
Of Il tfat Ut tfs British Museum would require
many hatids, ,mnny years, and perhaps larger
| funds than tl.o Pope cnn command for thls
purpose. II ,this were allI we. might
reycintions re- desttlled Tor those that como
| after III. But something like 4 readL1g-ronm
ia added to the plnu,-R consolation for tho
living md q help to tha future work. The
Of lie Vatican Archives sllall 10 set apart for
TIC convenience of those who, provided with
tic reqn'slt permission, wish te consult
tlio DOCUMENTS; IL we we ep9ld ecu or,,, %naer.
sense, It would 10 enough to drlye
mnny scholar nnd Investigator wild
viii hope. 70 b. ablo to take your seat In
tho Vatican, to have nccess to \ catalog, or,
lnnl with lts chief contents, to have tile
power Of ordering q book Or manuscript
nMl sitting for the llycl9nE day porlng over
Its contents, Is n drcuni beyond hope, Expe.
largely anticlpalions Of tl1fs iloritt character.
No doubt 1t will still require great merit,
some fayor aud considerable effort to psns
trate INTO n tho t1 san1ctnrn, ,, OF even INC lnaer
Tfs ge,Icral TEXTURES Of Tho Librnry arc
familiar to most travelled Engltsmon. The
VNtlcan, US is well known, Is one Of the
largest masses Of architecture ~ the worii.
Coonintlc ii lwarfnd by st.. Peters, and st.
Peters is dwarfcd by the Vatican. Its rooms
Sra eonted by thoaHn,s It's VI stalrsases ~
il NJ, 1taiiam NJ palace ia soarins 10 tic skies In
htnd htMdt' X t,su nnMnat H. hnYO lcss Hail i Mia Of
marbles from The h!1n,blest ii 0hris(lan
eMs rhos s. Luz ~ tSs w. asnassed ~ ncturo
ly farx orc fTeouantc u sv and Iefgited H. Ws
ft"rs from IN ali nations como r. and conc asnin,
n IL nat tha lest % tjmc, Tho fbtarv % tiley Visit
nnre re- for nII. They wished to seo it. md
uy ,ox ti,ev hnye seer, II. The famous Vn,lcuIi
VIM brarv ,e ro nv iniarninabfo a,!iso of nnart
'n"nts }ofiy fi rs rs ali roon,s are in ituly, deco
r,tnd wtth' iii IL ~ frcscoes sufcicntly Ilrhted.
nnH ami vii ~ urac @ nressss canna o2 ho1dns'
not not To- TO say M m 5ufylnr. % N,ly Gtlantlty Of books
n,lm arncd .yif6 sncc,aI iMtr9auctInmss mass
t t,roish @ raplly. N'ti ioting only What cntcles
nhot,sft u ,ESe' rena m ~. Wcn H. thoy hnvE nassau
Gpesh y ara II ~ Ha t,a sAg Eg9,y Sn,v penta
tha,, a, y w st,,,ts sn,rnulv n" aIntti
nHi oofnnn,,ih' tfnv |,9va tcen az
@ nlortnr. I Thorc y are, indeed: @ gidc doors and
, pnss"Fcs. hmt tl,Sy r rreycml not6ing. Tho I'M.
r11 !pds ~ chattcr ~ m A,morIran nartv evI