Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
PARCHMENTS
IN THE RIGGS LIBRARY

TN the Riggs Library of GEORGETOWN
University which contains about nine
ty thousand volumes. and was the
grit OF Mr.. Francis Riggs to the univer-
sity. there are a number of old books that
were printed in the middle ages. One Of
them, a book OF sermons. bears the date
of 1470. and IT is entitled Book of Ser
mons on the Works of the Lord and Acts
of the Apostles"
This book Is printed upon leaves OF
parchment with a PEN the sheets after
ward being bound together with wax
thread and q wooden cover being put
on to hold them securely in place and to
preserve the sheets from rough usage.
Another book that may be found i'm the
curio room of the library is the Pan
dects or Law Digests OF Justinian. tie
famous old Roman jurist, whose work
forms the basis Of the common law of
England. These were in turn the basis
Of the laws Of this country. as in the col
ony days the early pilgrims adopted such
laws Of the mother country as they found
suitable to their surroundings and condi-
tons. These laws have since become
known as the common law of this coun-
try. and in nearly all of the states. unless
otherwise stated in the statutes, are still
in effect.
X
As Latin was the language Of the forum
at the time of the printing of these inter
esting books, all of these works are in the
Latin language. The work Of Justinian
in particular is closely written. two col
umns on q page. The pages themselves
are about twelve inches in length and
eight inches wide, and each paragraph is
commenced with an Illuminated letter.
illuminating
art.
The first letter of the opening word Of
q new paragraph is embellished in gold
leaf. but this gold leaf Is SO put on the
page that 1t does not cause the least
raised surface on the paper. Just how
this illuminating was done by the monks,
who were the printers during this period,
nobody knows, and experts have as Yet
never been able to discover the process.
Today books and papers are illuminated.
but the work Is not of the same superior
quality as may be found in the works OF
the middle ages. and when placed side by
side the inferiority Of the later-day work
is more apparent.
During the middle ages, owing to the
continual strife between nations and to
the fact that the most powerful rulers OF
the times were busily engaged in attempt
ing to annex new territory, little time was
given over by them to the pursuit OF
knowledge. From this fact, it is mainly
to the monks in the monasteries that the
world is indebted for Homer. Virgil. Cae-
sar, Cicero. Tacitus, Horace. Just!nian
and other authors who lived during the
period at the beginning of the Christian
era and whose works today are studied
in all colleges and universities.
1t is claimed that the monks would toll
all day in their cells over the work OF
copying some book that was already IN
existence. in order that they might have
a copy either for their own library or
that it might be put somewhere where it
would be used for the enlightenment OF
others. Day by day they would toll in
their cells, finishing perhaps one or at
the most three pages of manuscript
day And the manuscripts exhibited now
show that they took the utmost care and
that the work was OF the most tedious
and painstaking kind
At the end Of the days work the pages
would be carefully numbered and laid
aside until the entire work was completed,
when IL would be bound into one volume
wooden cover placed around ii and a
chain on the cover, TO DE attached to the
bench or shelf in the library in which II
was to be placed. AS the books were or
great value. it was necessary 10 attach
these chains in order that they might not
be stolen by the inscriptions 1t has
been found that even the hooks on the
pulpits of the churches were fastened an
this manner the priest when he ascesded
to preach opening his book TO read his
text without being able to lift 1t from
the rest.