New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-12
THE VATICAN LIBRARY.
How It Looked in the Seventeenth Cen
fury.


From an old manuscript quoted in The London
Globe.
The Vatican library is made like a great
Roman THAT is, d great long room. borne
up by square pillars, spreads itself at the fur
Their end Of II into two wings of buildings
which also are full of great presses wherein
books are kept. At the entrance of this library
you are let intG fair chamber full Of des ks
Tor dozen writers who have good stipends for
the copying out OF books IN all languages
Round about this room hang the pictures Of all
the cardinals that have been bfbliothecarii here
since Sixtus QUintus his times. Then entering
into the library itself, I vast wide room
supported by square pillars, about which were as
many cupbOards where the manuscripts were
conserved from dust and veTmin. On the wall
on the right hand are painted in fresco the
general councils Of the Church, with the Bible
II the midst laying open upon a throne and
with the order and place Of presidency in them
IS also some notable accidents in ecclesiastical
history; and the pictures Of the fathers of the
Church. One the left hand are painted all the
Famous Libraries anciently mentioned by au-
IhOrs, and upon the sides of the square pillars
are painted the inventors and promoters Of
le4rIlng and letters This long room spreads it
self at least into two wings on each hand, both
which are full OF curious books. both manu-
scripts and printed books. divers of which man
uscrlpts MOnsignor HOlstenius showed with
particular care and affection. having known me
before; and they were these, as far as I can
remember, TO wit:
a vast Hebrew Bible too heavy almost for
any man 10 carry; old book Of sermons in
Latin, in whose margin S Thomas OF AquinO
had made some marginal notes in his own hand
writing; curious China book all in hierOglyph-
les, painted and folded up in many folds; one
Porchas. in his navigations. hath printed and
deciphered Il, as Monsignor Holstenius told me;
Polidore VirgiIs History OF England written
with his own hand little book written on bark
and leaves Of trees, hence the word folium,' for
q leaf in q book; the Acts OF the Apostles in
Greek and curiousIy written letters Of gold. and
the Gospels written by st. ChrysOstOm's hand
an old Virgil. with the pictures of the history
THu~a1 hNn.
years old. and the aucentist that ever Politian
saw, he testideth under his own handwrtt-
ing IN the inside Of the cover of the book
saw also here some letters or princes ana great
persons, as Of St. Charles BOTrOmeus his own
handwriting. to Cardinal Sirleto; OF Queen Mary
Of England: of Philip II Of Spain, her husband
styling himself King OF Spain. England and
France. though others called him only the
Queens husband This is quantity proud and
delightful enough seventy years after the Ar
mada-l
Having thus seen the library I descended
into the Pope's private garden. full OF fountains
orange trees and pleasant walks Here are three
unavoidable wetting places TO those that are
not acquainted with the garden, as that OF the
door at the entrance; that IN the midst OF the
great alley; that where the pineapple stands
q. c., the famous 'pignaD; and that at the door
as you 90 out toward the BelVedere Garden;
that also as you go down 10 the iron ship, upon
the stairs. is not TO be avoided These wet
ting places where unawares the visitor was
suddenly soused, were considered intensely
funny in the seventeenth century. No Roman
villa was perfect without ingenuities Of the
kind For saw IN this garden the pineapple
of braSs gilt which stood ancientIy upon the
ton of the Moles Hadriani castle Of s. Angelo.
which is twice as high man can reach, and
about thirty feet IN compass; and the TWO pea
cocks of brass G5ronzs) gilt also. which stood
anciently upon Scipio Africanus his tombe and
some three or four yards long
From hence I was led to see hard by the
Belvedere OF the Maschere, which Michel angelo
called his study II Is little court bulit square,
IN whose walls are great inches. where the
choice statues Of the world are conserved under
lock ana door (sicD, and free from the INJURY
- an --aatbar The chief statues are these: the
Iaoco0n Cheld 10 be the best statue In the
world; Cleopatra an incompatible piece, TOO:
Apollo Venus ana Antinous; and IN the midst OF
less statue OF marble. Of Hercules cas- gain
cred By the lions skim, yet so admired Dy
Michel Angelo and following statuarles lhat