The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-07-27
THE PoPE's LIBRARY.

Some Of the Treasures to be Found Upon
the Vatican Book shelves.
One Of the most interesting sights In
Rome, well known for the most part to
students. but generally passed over by
the ordinary sightseer, is the Vatican
library. Nothing in Rome gives such
an impression of the wealth of the
Papal treasures as this matchless Ii
brary, and visit to it would help peo-
pie to form q more just estimate OF the
contributions made at least by some OF
the Popes to the cause OF learning than
that which is sometimes taken. The
library. which is now extraordinarily
extensive, particularly in its collection
of manuscripts-it is said to contain
at the present time $3.50 manuscripts
in all, large proportion of which are
Oriental and Greeks not very an
cient. 1t practically dates from the
beginning of the seventeenth century.
when the most important collections
were embodied in it. There had been
indeed an earlier nucleus transported
from the Lateran by Pope Nicholas V.
in 1447; but it was the additions which
were made in and about the year 1000
that raised the Vatican to its place
among the great libraries of the world.
The visitor on first entering the Vat
lean will probably be most struck with
its extreme unlikeliness to any other
library he has before seen. He finds
himself in brightly, not to say gaud-
lily, painted room. on the floor of which,
dotted at intervals, are brightly
painted cupboards. 1t is in these cup
boards-safe, commodious, dry recep-
tacles-that the great mass of the
the manuscripts which form the glory
OF the library are stored. Every here
and there among the cupboards are
various works of art, gifts to different
Popes, and glass-covered cases and
tables, such as are to be found in other
libraries, containing such illuminated
manuscripts and other treasures are
best suited for exhibition. The cases
and tables OF theVatican differ, how
ever. from the cases and tables of most
other libraries in being carefully COW
cred up with wooden shutters.
Among the treasures to be met with
in these cases are not only the famous
Terence, several famous Virgils. the
Palatine Virgil among them. and
many other manuscripts of the classics,
but also what most students will turn
to first, the world-famous manuscript
of the Greek Bible. the well-known, but
little studied. Vodex Vaticanus.
The great hall which forms the main
building of the library terminates in
corridor, or series of corridors, of
enormous length, On the floor of these
are arranged the various presents given
to the present Pope on the attainment
of his jubilee. All along the walls are
cases filed with countless and almost
inestimable treasures. In one is col
lection of articles gathered from the
catacombs and early Christian tombs;
in another series of jeweled looms
brought from Russia; next comes a
collection of chalices and patens and
other early church plate; after this
wonderful series Of specimens of the
early Florentine painters, from Clam
bue downward, arranged chronology
cally; opposite these again is a small
collection of most lovely paintings,
some OF them early Christian paint
ings from the catacombs; others
heather works found from time to time
in the neighborhood of Rome.
There is another series of most in
teresting rooms-the Borgia rooms, as
they are called, built by Alexander vi.
These rooms are now devoted to printed
books which, as in an ordinary library,
are here arranged on shelves along
the walls. The ceilings are most
beautifully painted by Pinturiccho.
The pictures seem singularly beautiful.
particularly the series representing
scenes from our Saviour's life.-Lon,
don Guardian.