Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-08-22
The vATlCAN LIBRARY.
Due OF the Most Interesting ~ the siEhi
in ROM

Oae OF the Mo@t Interesting OF the ~-hSs
in ROM
One Of the most interesting sights in
Rome j. the Vatican library Il = said
70 contain 9.5S0 man scripts. 4 large
proportion % which are Oriental and
Greek Il practically dates from the
beginning q the seventeenth century.
when the most important collections
were embodied in II. The visitor on
first entering the Vatican finds himself
in a brightly. not TO say gaudiIy. paint
ed room. on the loor OF which. dotted
at intervals. : brightly painted cup
boards In these cupboards-safs.
eommodious. dry receptarle= thu
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-coverei
eases and tables. such As are to be
found in other libraries. contain such
Illuminated manuscripts and other
treasurers as are best suited for ex-
hfbftion-
The eases 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
Eorld-famous manuscript Of the Greek
Bible. the w~elI-known but little studied
Codez V-aficanas.
The famous manuscript has hitherto
been 80 isal0usly guarded that even
professed scholars have found il diff
cult 10 obtain more than n passing
glimpse Of il Nor liberal eounsels
have now however. come TO prevail
other treasure also tn b. found in
he same case Il the Palimpsess copy.
discovered by Cardinal Nal. of CiceruTs
GRAFTON DE RepUbIica The most in
teresting fragment i the complete S,rc-
cess with which the ancient underiv-
ing writing has been recovered IL i
hardly possible 10 believe that the
clear. weII-defined letters before y0u
have been covered mp with oth..r
writings for perhaps Que thousand
years.
The great hall which forms the maia
building u the library terminates in a
series OF corridors Of enormous length.
Oa the loor Of these ara arranged the
various presents given 70 the present
Pope last year on the attainment oil
his Jubilee All along the wall are
vases filed with countless and almost
tnsstlmable treasures. In one i a col
lection Of articles gathered from the
eataeombs and early Christian tomb-.
Ia another a collection Of chaliees and
paten=. and other early church plate.
after this n wonderful series Of speci-
mems Of the early Florentine painters.
from Cmabue downward. arranged
ehronoiogicaIIy, opposite these again
l. a small collection Of most lovely
paintings. some II them early Chris
tian paintings from the cataeomb-.
Others. heather works found from time
10 time In the neighborhOod Of Rome.
There i another series OF most in
tere=tlng ruom>-the Borgia rooms. A.
they are called. built for Alexander
VI These rooms ara 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 sing1Iariy beauti-
ful- particularly the series represent,
ing scenes from the Saviour's life
Albany N " Journal