Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-02
THE VATICAN LIBRARY
Manuscript Treasures to Be
Found Nowhere Else. .
FATHER EHRLE'S CARE
HE WILL HAVE CHARGE OF
PAPAL EXHIBIT AT ST. LOUIS.
The Earliest Known Copy of the Bible
Facsimile May Be Presented to
Washington University.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

By w LILLIAN 1CI
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald
ROME, December %, 1893.
Father Francis Ehrle project of the pom
tiical library. who will have charge of the
papal exhibit at the st. Louis exposition, is
famous scholar and a high authority on
historical and ecclesiastical subjects. He
was born at Isny, in the kingdom of Wur-
temburg Germany, October II, 1915, and
educated at the Gymnasium of Feldhirch,
Borolberg, Austria, and at the Jesuit Col
lege at Munster, Westphala. His first
work was done in England in the missions
of Liverpool and Hull, where he had charge
of the spiritual affairs OF workhouse and
made study of pauperism, the suppression
of mendacity and the relief OF distress. He
has written q great deal upon these sub
jects. including history of the English
method of caring for the poor. entitled The
History and Reform of the Poor Laws
After spending several years in mission
work he was transferred to Brussels. and
afterward to Rome where he engaged in
historical studies. and produced in German
a learned and exhaustive History of the
Church and Its Literature in the Middle
Ages This was an enormous task. there
being seven volumes of 100 pages each. con-
tanning almost entirely new material, which
archives of Germany. England. Spain and
Italy. This work made him famous among
historians. for il is looked upon as one of
the most important contributions to history
of recent years. He has also written a
Latin History of the Papal Library from
the year 1900 to l417, most important pc
Rod for during those 21T years the Catholic
Church was almost the only patron of art
and letters This is a work of 800 pages
He has also written, in connection with the
late Mr.. Stevenson, history of the Vatican
palace and descriptions of the frescoeS of
the BorSla apartments, now occupied by
the new secretary of state. These are
among the most celebrated of the artistic
treasures of the Vatican. and have been the
subject of several authors
Father Ehrle has been a frequent con-
u1butor to the reviews and other periOdi-
calls. both secular and ecclesastic and has
attained an eminent position in science as
well as letters. He was called to the Vati-
can by Leo XIII, in 1895, to become project
of the library, where he has distinguished
himself by his learning, his taste and execu-
tive ability, and has won the esteem and
gratitude of all the many students and
scholars who have been digging in that
last eight years.
Since Leo XIII came into power the ar
chiveS of the Vatican and the manuscripts
of the library have been accessible to his
tCrians. During the last eight years, since
Father Ehrle has been in charge they have
been open to all serious students and every
possible assistance is given to those who are
engaged upon important works. 1t Is only
necessary for an applicant to bring a letter
of credentials from some bishop or the fac
uity of a university certificate of char
acter, and the treasures are at his disposal
with a desk for reading and writing and
such advice as is necessary and useful in
persuading his inquiries. At the same time
II is necessary to take every precaution for
the protection Of the priceless manuscripts
deposited there.
Fla
broken heart because a very valuable and
beautiful volume was mutilated by a visitor
TO whom he had intrusted 1t. The man had
been accustomed to come to the library al
most daily Tor several months and was a
familiar figure there He was furnished
with such books and manuscripts as he APP
piled for, and was treated like every other
reader and student. And 1t appears that he
took advantage of the liberty allowed him
and cut out from the pages Of an ancient
missal some extremely rare illumina lions in
oolors and gold Fortunately he offered
them Tor sale to conscientious collector
VINO identified them at once, and through
his instrumentality the thief was convicted
and sent to the penitentiary, where his SEN
tence is about to expire. But the librarian
never recovered from his remCrse and NOR
uhcation. a few weeks after he was taken
i'll and did not long survive While the doe
tors gave medical name to his disease his
friends knew that his heart was broken.
Treasures of Vatican Library.
Esther Ehrle has already begun to pre-
pare exhibit for the St Louis exposition
which will include facsimiles of some of
the most important objects in the library.
AS / told you the tther day the pope him
self is taking deep interest in the matter
and is giving it personal attention. The
manuscript treasures in the Vatican surpass
in number, value and interest those of all
other libraries combined because they have
been accommodating since the Christian era
began, and for centuries the art of reading
and writing was limited almost entirely to
the clergy. Collections of books and writ
1ngs were rare outside the churches and
mona steries, and every work of value was
usually sent to the pope.
Here they have the most precious book
in the world, which is known as the Codex
Naalcano, the earliest known COPY OF the
Bible, and the only one that is anywhere
near perfect. Thre, or four pages of one
of the epistles of St Paul are missing in
the original, but they have been supplied
by copies from other texts. The manu-
script is in Greek and once belonged to the
Emperor Constantine the Great From this
manuscript the ordinary TRANSACTIONS of
the Bible have been made, and In the re-
cent revision by committee of scholars II
was constantly consulted. Its value is be-
Fond computation. No amount of money
could buy it, and the cardinals will NOT
permit 1t to go to St Louis although it
was the first thing l asked for; but if we
cannot nave the original are going TO
have an exact facsimile, which has already
been ordered by the pope, and Father EhrIe
is making 1T. 1t is probable too that the
facsimile sent to st. Louis will be per-
mitted to remain there a gift to the library
of Washington University. whose buildings
are occupied by the officials of the expo
sition
The next most important COPY of the
scriptures was discovered in an old mon
astery on the summit of Mount Snia. and
Is now in the Imperial Library at St Pc
tersburg.
1t fs probable also that Father EhrIe will
reproduce for st. Louis the earliest known
copy or virgins Aeneid which dates back
to the second century, and is I'm very good
condition. He has also the original mann
script of Cicero's DE Republica" the most
important of the literary and legal works of
that great Roman, and 1t is now being pre-
pared for publication by Miss Ballou of
Chicago, as l wrote you the other day She
Is a student at the American School of
Classical Studies, and is working here I'M
der the direction of Father Ehrle
The Vatican. 1t seems to me- is the last
place that one would look for relics of Mar
tin Luther, but in one of the cases in the