The Washington herald., 1910-07-03
TREASURES LITTLE KNOWN
Manuscripts Hidden Away in the Library of Congress of
Value to Students.

twenty-four hours Sometimes the quail
ity of the ink will not allow the paper
10 be dampened. In that case, II must
remain in the boards for longer time.
Now the manuscript is ready for re-
pair. II is imperative that paper Of the
same texture and color of the original
manuscript must be obtained. Owing 10
the great age of many Of the manu-
scripts. this is often a task of great
magnitude. The paper is hand made and
so precious and costly that no small
bit can be wasted. For the tiniest piece
of odd shaped paper may be the very
piece that will mend the manuscript.
A patch the size OF the hole in the
original manuscript is cut. the edges of
both hole and patch carefully beveled and
scraped and the patch held in place by
the use of a thick -four paste. Then the
manuscript is heavily pressed.
When dry the line of union between
patch and paper is again scraped and
the first stage is completed.
Provided with Covering.
The manuscript is now protected from
/ further loss No attempt is made to
supply words that have been lost from
the manuscript, but its preservation is
provided for. It is covered with a fine
! silk yelling (crepellne) Tracing paper
| is sometimes used. It gives frmness, but
/ impairs the legibility and the yelling is
much TO be preferred. This covering IS
pasted on either side OF the manuscript
| that the tendencies of the paper to curl
in any direction may be neuualized. At
| ter this is dry, the manuscript is again
pressed and mounted for drying.
The strength of the collection is in its
manuscripts relating to colonial and
! Revolutionary periods. The library has
little of literary as distinguished from
I historical manuscript material II pos
! sesses practically no manuscripts of for
/ eign countries. or. indeed, of the days
before the invention of printing. The
manuscripts Of the preprinting period
are what give the peculiar distinction to
| the British and other museums abroad.
Various of these, important in histori-
cal and critical research, have been re-
produced in facsimiles. and the Library
is endeavoring to secure facsimile re-
productions of such as may interest the
student Of history, theology, phllology,
archaeology. or photography. Notable
examples of recent acquisitions OF this
| character are DE Goddess Graeci ct
Latini'' and the facsimiles of national
manuscripts Of Scotland from the Brit
| ish Museum. Time and oceanic separs-
ton from the historic world render it
| inevitable that we must depend on re-
productions OF historical documents. For
| all essential purposes. they are as good
and have the added virtue Of being very
reasonable in price.
One Rare Bible.
An illuminated thirteenth century Bible
and a few books Of Hours" make UP
the collection antedating the printing
press. The 'Roomsche Getiden Missal,"
1477, is in the collection. It Is on parch-
ment. of course, and the work Is so faith
fully done that the lines the monks drew
to space their letters can be family dis
/ cerne6 to-day. The reflection of the
Greek and Latin studies of these fathers
is evlnced In the strange sstyr-like crea-
lures that age hidden everywhere in the
illumination. peer out from the lily cuI