River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-03-21
"EvANGELIA QUATUoR."
Rare and Beautiful Copy OF the Cos
peIs for Which $4,000 Was
Paid Recently.

The splendid Ms. of the "Evangelia
Quatuor" which for over 60 years has
been in the possession of the earls of
Ashburnham, was lately sold by pri-
vate treaty to a purchaser who is not
an inhabitant of England. The price
paid is 10000, probably the highest
sum ever paid for single volume, says
the London Times.
The history OF the volume, one of the
most important and beautiful exam
pies of early goldsmiths and jewelers.
art in existence, is definite and simple.
1t belonged for many centuries to the
abbey of Noble Canonesses. founded A..
ID. s34 by Emperor Lewis the Pious at
Landau, on the Lake of Constance.
There is a tradition that the MS. was
given by the emperor at the time of the
foundation of the abbey, but this can
not be correct, as the writing is of a
much later date. The abesses had the
rank of princesses of the empire, and
tradition says that this volume was car
ried before them in professions of
state, with the sword of Justice. 1t re-
manned in possession of the abbey until
its dissolution, in 1903, when pensions
were allotted to the canonesses, and
they were allowed to divide among
themselves the contents of the treas
ury of the abbey. This book, falling to
the share of Canoness Antoinette, Bar
oness Won Enzburg, after her death was
purchased by Baron Joseph de Laps
berg, who sold it TO Boone, the London
bookseller, in 1916. 1t was almost inn
mediately sold to the late Lord Ash
burnham. 1t was exhibited by the
present earl at the Society of Anti
quaries, in June, 1880.
The binding is formed Of stout
boards lined on the inside with ancient
embroidered silk and covered on the
outside with beaten gold; the upper
cover with our Saviour on the Cross,
the surface with raised borders and
lines of fretwork in gold and studded
with 327 emeralds, sapphires, car
buncles, pearls and other precious
stones The lower cover is formed into
a cross patee, with border of mosaic
enamels and set with IS precious
stones. The covers of the book date
from about the end of the eighth cen.
fury, or probably rather later, This
Eyangeliarium, or Textus, is not mere
~ interesting as a work of art; it is as
ISOLATED on the one side with the early
history of Christianity in Bavaria, and
the part which the Irish ecclesiastics
took in its introduction into that dis
trict, and on the other with that great
dynasty which played SO important
part in the history of Europe
As far as the manuscript itself is con-
cerned, it is not enriched with the fine
miniatures which adorn the best ex-
amples of the Carlovingian school,
and the inside of the book is distinctly
less interesting than the outside. 1t
consists of 220 pages of vellum, 1891
inches by ten inches, and comprises the
text of the four Gospels of Jerome's
version, preceded by their arguments
or prefaces Est. Luke having two), and
by the epistle of Jerome to Pope Da-
masus, with tables of the Eusebian
canons. The writing is of German orr
gin and the text is by several scribes.
written not earlier than $50. The ap-
pearance of an unpretentious book in
such splendid dress is explained by
the probability that the manuscript has
usurped the place Of an older and finer
copy, more in harmony with the covers.
During the whole Of the medieval pc
riod every rich church possessed one OF
these magnifcently written Textus, or
Books of the Gospel. 1t was placed on
the high altar before the celebration OF
the mass. during which it was used for
the reading Of the Gospel" 1t was also
used to serve the purpose Of Pax, be-
ing handed round among the ministers
of the altar for the ceremonial kiss of
peace, which in primitive times had
been exchanged among the members of
the congregation themselves
Frankly Admit YOuF Ignorance.