The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-08
TO RESTORE
LOUVAIN LIBRARY
International Committee to
Undertake the Task Of
Reconstruction.
PRICELESS WORKS LOST
Special Correspondence TO TnE STU

Special Correspondence TO THE STU.
LONDON. Oct. 1S.--The reconstruction
Of the famous library OF Louvain, de-
stroyed In part by the Germans, will
be undertaken by an international COM
mittee OF distinguished savants, artists
and men OF letters Of allied and neutral
countries. Viscount Bryce IL at the
Q of the British committee.
Nj. Delannoy, the librarian to the
University Of L%ouvain. during "a visit
to London In connection with the pro-
jected rebuilding Of the library gave to
the London STANDARD the following de-
tails OF the loss 1t is hoped to repair (:
1925 and was "a veritable child OF
the Renaissance. No less "A celeb
rity than the great Erasmus him
self made two consecutive %sojourns
there. In the days of Justus Lipsius
t54I-l579) " boosted 1000 students
and had "A worldwide reputation. At
the dawn of the following century II
had Cornelius Jansen as professor and
rector.
Before the war the university en-
joyed great prosperity and new institu-
tlons. covering all branches OF human
knowledge. were springing into being,
There were five faculties-theology, law,
philosophy and letters. science and
medicine. The number OF students APP
preached 5000. They came from all
parts OF the world and largely from
America. but the majority were Bel
gians, Before his elevation to the arch
hishopric Of :alines Cardinal MERCER
was professor OF philosophy there.
"As to the library itself, 1t contained
$50 manuscripts. between 500 and 1000
incunabula and more than $50 900 vol
nmes. Among its more notable ROM
tents were a little manuscript from the
hand OF Thomas a Kempis, the c.le-
brated work OF Andreas Nesalius tl5l4-
1850, the father of human anatomy.
given to the university by Charles V.
and many beautiful miniatures and cdi-
lions rare and uniqu-.
1T was PARTICULAR. rich in theo-
logical works. In "A unique collection OF
letters, documents and pamphlets 1t pre-
served al tina was vital of the great
religious controversies OF the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries-controver-
sizes with which the university was init
inately associated
The library also contained many
beautiful specimens from the celebrated
presses .stablishednt AT LouVaiu imme-
dilte,y after tho invention Of printing.
The records OF the university itself were
a priceless possession. Among them
was the papal bull of 1i25 authenticate
ing its foundation. The library, which
wits HlStfileu III 'ht ail'l'it = ION Mar
ket. dating from the early fourteenth
century, to which building had been
added a superb "difice IN the styl" of
the Renaissance, conserved a precious
gallery OF portraits Of the professors
and doctors associated with the univcr-
! sity from the earliest times"
NJ Delinnoy was a personal witness
of the destruction that ov.rcam. the
famous city. n" inspected the ruins
Of the library nothing had been spared
all the volumes has disappeared IL the
streets of the and far away into
the surrounding country. the wind bor.
about at it's will III. half consumed
pages Of the precious volumes and the