The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-11-08
A RARE OH MISSAL.
Romantic History of an Ancient
Volume Now in California.
1t Was Brought Over the Ocean by CO.
lumbus and Again by Cortez-A
Treasured Relic OF the Late
Gov. Pho Pico.

Under lock and key, in the state Ii
brarian's office at Sacramento is a vol
ume worth more than twice its weight
in gold, says the San Francisco Chroni-
Gle.
Six centuries have rolled by since tho
pious Fra Ambrosius sat in his monastic
studio and mixed the watery blue, the
| palo green and startling crimson hues
with which he illuminated this ancient
missal. He devoted one year to the
labor of copying, with microscopic ex-
actness, the Latin prayers, the calen-
dar of the saints and hymns of praise
on selected parchment leaves. In tho
introduction he wrote in Latin: 81
have entered upon this work with a
consciousness of my shortcomings and
sinful impulses, which render me I'M
worthy of so honorable task, but
after much fasting and prayer l have
been guided by an inner voice which
bids me to write"
The history OF this missal is full of
romantic interest. The monastery in
which Fra Ambrosius worked was
broken up, and the book over which he
had spent so many weary days passed
into the possession of a sailor named
Rodrigo dc Triana, who shipped on the
Santa Maria when Christopher Column
bus started on his voyage of discovery
to the new world. Returning with the
great admiral on his second voyage, De
Triana married native woman, and
endeavored to carry the message of the
cross to the people whom he had adopt
ed as his kindred. His success as a mis-
sionary is problematical. The missal,
however, was kept by his children,
and when the Spanish padres began to
flock to the heather shores that Co.
lumbus had given to CASTLE, priest
bought the volume and made in it
note of the fact and the date. The
discovery of such work in the hands
of the natives made a strong impress
sion on the missionary, and he investi-
gated its history, making report to
the head of his order in Barcelona,
at the same time forwarding the missal.
The little volume, with its check
cred history, reposed among the ar
chives of the Barcelona convent until
Cortez fitted out his expedition to the
land of the Montezumas, taking as his
chaplain the pious Father Olmedo. Be-
fore Olmcdo set out on the dangerous
voyage the bishop of Barcelona gave
him his blessing, some good advice
and this missal. So armed, the chap
lain sailed away to the overturning of
the dread deity Quetzalcoatl whom the
jewellers of Anahuac worshiped
The bloody wars of the conquest |
placed the banner of the cross over the |
ruins of the teocalliS and made Cor
tez the governor of New Spain. Father
0lmedo soon after presented to Cortez |
the now historic missal, as founda- !
ton for library by the conqueror,
and in his diary made mention of the !
travels and adventures through which |
he had passed. Cortez afterwards took |
up his residence in Cayoacan, one of
the suburbs of the present City of |
Mexico, and carefully preserved the |
book for a number of years. When
this Cayoacan establishment was |
broken up, the conqueror gave the |
W Viz dhClSCdu DIOGllCIS, WIZ
were then waxing rich and strong in
the new world. One Of their number |
brought it to San Francisco in the
early days of the gold excitement and
it passed into the possession of the late
Gov. Pho Pico.
When the state library became an
established fact Gov Pico gave the
book to the institution, where it now
remains.
The missal is a fine specimen of IL
Elimination. 1t contains one hundred
and seventy pages of carefully painted
contents. The gold letters are made
of gold leaf firmly gummed to the
parchment. The frontispiece is gem
of medieval art. 1t represents the
crucihxion, with Mary and Martha
(who are given slightly japanese
cast of features) standing at the foot
of the cross. In the background
river flows, on the other side of which
are seen several edifices that are archi-
tectural curiosities.
This interesting volume is valued at
two thousand dollars.