The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-11-07
TINE VATICAN LIBRARY.
One of the Most Interesting of the Sigh
m Roma.

0ne of the Most Interesting of the Sights
In Rome.
One of the most interesting sights in
Rome is the Vatican library. 1t is said
to contain 23,580 manuscripts, large
proportion of which are Oriental and
Greek. 1t practically dates from the
beginning of the seventeenth century.
when the most important collections
were embodied in it. The visitor on
first entering the Vatican finds himself
in brightly, not to say gaudily, paint
ed room, on the floor of which, dotted
at intervals, are brightly-painted cup
boards. In these cupboards-s safe,
commOdious, dry receptacles - the
great mass of manuscripts which form
the glory of the library are stored.
Every here and there among the cup
boards are various works of art, gifts
to different Popes, and glass-covered
cases and tables, such as are to be
found in other libraries, contain such
illuminated manuscripts and other
treasurers as are best suited for eX-
hibition.
The cases and tables are carefully
covered up with wooden shutters.
Among the treasures in these cases are
not only the famous Terence, several
famous Virgils. the Palentine Virgil
among them, and many other manu-
scripts of the classics. but also the
world-famous manuscript of the Greek
Bible, the well-known but little studied
Codez Vaticanas.
The famous manuscript has hitherto
been so jealousy guarded that even
protested scholars have found it diff
cult to obtain more than a passing
glimpse of it. More liberal counsels
have now, however, come to prevail
One other treasure also to be found in
the same case is the Palimpsest copy,
discovered by Cardinal Nal, of Cicero's
Grafton De Republica. The most in
teresting fragment is the complete sue
cess with which the ancient underly-
ing writing has been recovered. 1t is
hardly possible to believe that the
clear, well-defned letters before you
have been covered up with other
writings for perhaps one thousand
years.
The great hall which forms the main
building of the library terminates in
series of corridors of enormous length.
On the floor of these are arranged the
various presents given to the present
Pope last year on the attainment of
his jubilee. All along the wall are
vases filed with countless and almost
inestimable treasures. In oneis col
lection Of articles gathered from the
catacombs and early Christian tombs;
in another collection of chalices and
patens, and other early church plate;
after this wonderful series of speci-
mems of the early Florentine painters,
from Cimabue downward, arranged
chronologically; opposite these again
is small collection of most lovely
paintings, some of them early Chris
tian paintings 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 for Alexander
vi These rooms are now devoted to
printed books, which, as in an ordinary
library, are here arranged on shelves
along the wall. The ceilings are most
beautifully painted by Pinturicchio.
The pictures seem singularly beauti-
full, particularly the series represent
ing scenes from the Saviour's life.-
Albany On. Y journal.