The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-08-17

world. In the year 1872 the library OF
| Cardinal Antonio Barberini was added
to it and the manuscripts it contained
increased to the number of 5000
During the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries many precious books and
documents were stolen and shortly
afterward the entire library was sold
to the Vatican.
The Barberini Library contains,
among other priceless treasures. a
collection of autographs by Cardinal
Bembo and Calico Galilei. q Latin
translation of Plato. with a,utogra phi
notes by the poet Tasso. designs by San
Gallo and other celebrated architects,
Byzantine miniatures. &c. There are
500 Greek codices and twice as many
Latin ones. many OF which are palm
psests.
Among the Oriental codices there
is the priceless and unique Samaritan
1Si1ldtSuSH. ilCIS 10 d NSslIpiStc WI
lection of hooks dealing with the his
tory Of Roman architecture. many
manuscripts of celebrated men and
writers and all the diplomatic CORES
pondence during the pontificate Of
Urban VIII. and the sixteenth century
Since the sale of the Barberini Lii
hrary to the Vatican there are only
two important private libraries in
Rome. the Bibilotheca. Chigiana, be-
longing to the Chigi family, and the
Bibliotheca Corsiniana. the property
once of the Corsini. but now Of the
lillian State. The defendants of the
old noble families have sold their books
and rented their places. and instead
of old manuscripts and Oriental cod
ices their libraries OF to-day, if they
deserve the name. contain only French
novels and society papers, bound un-
iformly in the same color and in many
cases used only as ornaments.
The Chigi Library will in all proba-
bility be soon sold, and with it the last
Roman private library will disappear.
The Chgis were a family Of bankers
and one of the great art patrons in
Rome. It's most prominent members
were Agostino Chigi. owner Of the
famous palace called La Farnesina,
which contains some Of the most beau
tiful existing frescoes Of Raphael and
his school. and Fabio Chigi. who
mounted the papal throne as Alexand
er VII. and who was the only Pope who
refused to seek the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of
his family and acknowledged the poor
as his only relations.
These two powerful men founded the
celebrated library which is still intact
to-day in the chigi Palace at Piazza
Colonna and comprises 5000 manu-
scripts and $4,000 rare printed books.
The catalogue Of this library has never
been published. but many disting-
uished bibilogra piers have examined
and described several of the collections
existing in it and a fairly good idea of
its Importance can be gathered from
their works
The greater part Of the manuscripts
refer to the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries and especially to the time of
Alexander the VII. who represented
the Holy See as nuncio at Cologne be-
fore he was elected Pope and took a
principal part in the peace negotiations
correspondence during this period.
private and official, including many
secret letters Of the Pope and the two
Cardinals. Pancirolo and Pam1li, also
the correspondence of the papal num-
clos accredited to the Emperor and to
Louis XIV. and the Spanish and Ven
etian Ambassadors at Munster. are
collected in sixty three volumes.
There are besides copious documents
VII. and nearly all the correspondence
of the papal representatives abroad.
The certificates of Paul III. Plus w..
Sixtus ", Clement VIII. Paul V. and
Urban VIII. are represented through
autograph letters. reports and in
structions to Nuncios. German history
during the sixteenth century is min
utely described in the autograph let
tiers Of Melancthon, among which there
is the celebrated letter referring to
the marriage of Luther. The library
contains also a unique collection of
Provencal songs, which We're published
by Stengel.
The Corsini Library is in the hand
some palace of the same name on the
Lungara. 1t was built by the Riario
family. from whom it was bought by
Pope Clement XII. in 1929 for his
ponhou, rord;pa1 Neri rore;o; rL;e