The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-11
n. vatican Library.
AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF IT'S PRINCIPAL
TREAsuREs--A GREAT COLLECTION.
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from reliable on-Catholic source, OF the
principal treasures In the Vatican library
will be interesting at the present time,
when Pope Leo's re cent letter again calls
attention to the treasures OF that great
storchouse Of learning:
The Vatican library may be considered
10 have been founded by Nicholas V.
n440. who transferred to his new pal
ace the manuscripts which had been
collected In the tateran. The library
AT the death OF Nicholas Is said 10 have
contained nine thousand manuscripts, but
many of them were dispersed by his sue
cessor. Calxtis III. These losses were not
repaired until the time OF Sixtus w.,
whose zeal in restoring and augmenting
the library Is celebrated by Ariosto and by
Pladelatina, who was appointed its libra
Ran about 1880. The present building was
erected by Sixtus V. in 1888 from the de-
signs OF FoEtana, new department hay
| Ing become necessary 10 receive the collec-
ton made by his immediate predecessors,
and particularly by Leo X, who, like his
father, Lorenzo the Magnificent, had sent
agents into distant countries 10 collect
manuscripts.
The celebrity Of the library dates pro-
perly from the close OF the sixteenth cen
tury. when the munifcence OF the popes
was aided by the acquisition OF other inn
portant collections. The first was that OF
Fulyius Ursinus in 1900, followed by the
valuable collections OF the Benedictine
monastery OF Bobbio, composed chiefly
of palimpsests-tha Is, manuscripts which
have been written upon twice. the first
writing having been erased to make place
for the second. The library then contain
ed 1860 manuscripts, Of which $50 were
Latin. and 2,IGO were Greek. The Pala-
tine library, belonging to the elector Pala-
tine. captured at Heidelberg by De Tilley.
and presented TO Gregory Nv. in 1921 by
Duke MaximlliaD, OF Bavaria, was the
next accession. IL contained 4,38S manu-
scripts. 1866 OF which were Latin and
432 Greek. In 1868 the Vatican received
the library OF Urbino, founded by Duke
FEDERICO, whose passion for books was 40
great that at the taking OF Volterra. in
l742. he reserved nothing but Hebrew
Bible for his share Of the spoil. This col
lection enriched the Vatican with LII
Greek and Latin manuscripts. In 1900
the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. the collection
Of Christina, Queen OF Sweden. was added
TO the library il comprehended all the lite
rary treasures taken by her father Gustavus
Adolphus at Prague Wortzburg, and
Bremen, and amounted TO 1921 manu-
scripts. OF which 2,101 We're Latin and 100
Greek. Clement NJ, in the beginning OF
the last century, presented 80 Greek manu-
scripts to the collection, and In 1746 1t re-
ceived the splendid library OF the Ottobu-
oni family, containing 3,S62 manuscripts,
OF which 1891 were Latin and 474 were
Greek; about the same time it was aug
mented by 1866 manuscripts from the libra
ry of the Marquis CappOni. The last edl-
ton OF importance was that OF 162 Greek
manuscripts from the library OF the Marquis
Cappan. The last addition OF importance
was that OF 1872 Greek manuscripts from
the convent Of San Basiio at Grotto Ferra-
II. At the peace Of 1915 the late King Of
Prussia, at the suggestion OF Humboldt,
applied 10 Plus VII. for the restoration Of
some OF the manuscripts which had been
plundered from the Heidelberg library
by De Tiley. a more favorable moment
for this request could not have been chosen.
The service rendered TO the Church by the
restoration of the Pope to his throne was
acknow lodged by that enlightened and
yirtuous pontifl on all occasions, and in
this instance the request OF the King OF
Prussia was Immediately answered by the
restoration OF many manuscripts OF great
importance to the German historian. AT
the present time-for we do not know OF
any additions certainly since twenty-five
vears-the Vatican library contains in the
oriental collection $50 Hebrew, 7S Arabic,
so CoDtic, II Ethiopic. 4j9 Syriac, "a
Turkish, CD Persian, | Samaritan. IL Ar
menian, 2 Iberian. - Indian, 10 Chinese.
and lS SlavOnic manuscripts. The amount
OF the whole collection OF Greek, Latin,
and Oriental manuscripts is 23,jS0, the
finest collection in the world. The number
OF printed books is estimated at 10000, and
includes the collection OF Cardinal Mai, a
insufficient donation Of Plus TX. to the
library of the vatican.
The principal manuscript treasures Of
the library are the following The cele-
brated =" COdeX Vaticanus." or &" Bible OF
the End Of the Fourth or Beginning OF the
Fifth Century," in Greek. containing the
oldest version OF the Septuagint and the
first Greek one OF the New Testament
This most important document i'm biblical
literature was published by the late Cardi-
nal Mai in 1857. The Virgil" OF the
fourth or fifth century, with City minia-
iultf, bOI VI HEll, htli-
known by the engravings of Santo BartOli /;
the Terence" OF the ninth century, with
miniatures; "Terence" of the fourth or
fifth century. the Oldest known; Frag-
ments OF Virgil :" Of the Twelfth century.
The - Cicero de Republica," the celebrated
palimpsest discovered by Cardinal Mai, un-
der a version Of :" st. Augustine's Com
mentary on the Psalms" This is consid-
cred the oldest Latin manuscript eXtant.
The Palimsest Of Livy, lib. 81" from the
library of Christina. Queen OF Sweden.
The @ Plutarch" from the same collection,
with notes by Grotius. The "Seneca - OF
the fourteenth century, with comments
ries by the English dominican monk Tn
veth. A "Pliny" with interesting fig
ures of animals. "a Menelogia Graca,
or Greek Calendar of the Tenth Century,"
ordered by the Emperor Basil; fine ex-
ample Of Byzantine art, brilliantly ilumi-
mated with representations Of baslllcas,
monasteries, martyrdoms Of various saints
% the Greek church. The Homilies OF ST.
Gregory Nazianzen OF the year 1868. and
Four Gospels Of the year 1928. both By
Zantine manuscripts Of great interest. A
Greek version OF the % Acts OF the Apos-
ties" written III gold, presented to limo
cent VIII. by Charlotte, Queen Of Cyprus.
The large Hebrew Bible" in folio, from
the library Of the Duke of Urbino. for
which the Jews Of Venice offered ia
weight in gold. The Commentaries on
the New Testament" with miniatures of
the fourteenth century, by Nicola da Bo-
logna. The I" Breviary OF Matthias Coryi-
nus" Of the year 1892, beautifully written
and illuminated by AIlavanti. The parcb-
ment scroll Of Greek manuscript of the
seventh century, thirty-two feet long, with
miniatures OF the history OF Joshua. The
"Officium Mortis," with beautiful minia-
lures. The "CodeX Mexicanus," calen.
dar Of immense length. The dedication
copy OF the " Assertio Septem Sacramento
rum adversus Maximum Lutherum," by
Henry WILL, printed on vellum at London