New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-11
SPIRIT OF MORGAN IN
FAMOUS LUTHER LETTER
Realization of Generosity of
FinanCier to Church Will
Come in Rare Exhibit.
COPY OF GOLDEN GOSPELS
Example of Self Sacrifice Pre-.
sented in Restoration to Ger
man Nation of Document
Bought in Italy.

The spirit of J. Pierpont Morgan stu
caresses the Church he loved
few weeks before he died. while he
was I'll in Rome he arranged with Pro-
lessor Vladimir G. Smkhovitch. of CO.
lumbia. to have his priceless collection
of early Church manuscripts and printed
books put on exhibition at the General
Convention here.
with the opening of this rare exhibit
to the public this afternoon in the Avery
Library at Columbia will come a realiza-
ton Of the generosity of the famous coll
lector in giving back to Kaiser Wilhelm
and the German people the letter written
by Martin Luther 10 Emperor Charles V
In 1871
The value Of the exhibition 10 his fell
low communicates will lie as much there
fore in the example OF self-sacrihce pre-
sented by what it lacks as In the biblo-
graphical gems it contains.
A private view of the collection was
given TO the press yesterday. It consisted
Of about four hundred ancient illuminated
manuscripts mis- sails and old prayer
books, ranging I'm date Of origin over the
thousand years between the beginning Of
the eighth century and the beginning OF
the eighteenth century. Included IN IL was
a copy Of The Golden Gospels" a book
bound In gold, with Illuminated covers set
In rubies, emeralds and pearls. Mr.. Nor
gan bought it from Lord Ashburton in
London for $4,000
Another almost priceless specimen was
The Purple Gospels which was pre-
scented by Pope Leo X to Henry VIII Of
England in 1872 Then there was the il
Eliminated manuscript with miniatures.
formerly the property of Cardinal Far
nese. bound in gold chseled by Ben
venuto Cellini, not to mention the Caxton
and Gutenberg Bibles.
The feature Of the collection which IL
lustrated Mr.. Morgan's generosity in the
instance alluded to above, however, was
the fact that IL was divided into two
parts, and that the Luther letter was the
link which bound these parts together.
That letter represented a great deal more
to a passionate collector like the financier
than the price he paid for it, which was
So, 500.
Roughly, a half OF the collection con-
D
the history of the Roman Church in the
middle ages. The other one-half. dating
| from the Reformation, was made up OF
manuscripts and early printed books deal
/ ing with the history of the English
/ Church after its break with Rome.
Luthers letter. written on his Journey
! home from the Diet of Worms 10 describe
the proceedings there TO the Emperor and
to explain ami defend mis- Uuther's) stand,
constituted the most valuable documen-
! tary evidence of the beginning Of the
| Reformation.
! Mr.. Morgan, acting through Floren-
| tine dealer bought the letter in Leipslc
at an autograph sale in May 1911. For
a month the German press lamented and
/ ragged over the loss Then Mr. Morgan
presented il personally Ia the Kaiser at
! Kiel. He received the decoration IF the
] Grand Cross Of the order of the Red
| Eagle and the undying gratitude If the
| German nation.