Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-29
LITERARY TREASURE HOUSE
Christian World May Again Have Ae
cess to Ancient Records.

Christian World May Again Have Ao-
T cess to Ancient Records.
Anti -quarians and historians are
now to have for the first time since
the Turks took possession of Constan-
tinople the opportunity for making a
thorough investigation Of the literary
treasures stored away in the great lib
raries there.
The contents Of the bookshelves Of
the st. Sophia and palace libraries
are known, but in the cellars under
the palace library there are many
manuscripts in Arabic, Greek, Latin
and Eastern languages. These manu-
scripts are in hopeless confusion and
no person with special aptitude for re-
search work has been permitted to
examine them in recent years. About
thirty years ago a German dragoman
obtained permission from the sultan
to spend a week in those cellars. In
that time he was able to make only
very superficial examination Of the
manuscripts, but his search, short as
1t was. revealed many books in Greek
ard Arabic Of great value. Among
the discoveries he reported were the
lost books of Livy. the great Roman
historian.
Among celebrated British scholars
who are planning to go to Constanti-
nople to delve among the long hidden
manuscripts is Sir Edwin Pears, the
historian, who has spent many years
in Constantinople. Sir Edwin told the
Associated Press correspondent that
at least six months would be required
for the investigation. He does not
think the libraries have been damag-
ed by the Turks, who, he says, are
utterly Indifferent to their value. His
only fear is that the manuscripts
will be found in a sad state as re-
suit Of neglect
The fine libraries Of the Byzantine
empire were taken by the Turks in
1853. The greatest number of books
are deposited, not in st. Sophia's, as
popularity believed, but in the I'm
perial palace about quarter of mile
from the church. Under Turkish rule
these libraries were added to from time
to time, the most notable acquisition
resulting from the defeat by the Turks
of the king Of Hungary, whose col
lection of books was brought to Con-
stantinople and placed either in st.
Sophia or the palace library.
'Ths shelves Of the palace library"
said Sir Edwin, have been constantly
picked over and the most important
manuscripts probably have been stolen
erasdestroyed. At present, what is
fHhownt to visitors is a room about 80
Feet long and Is wide, nicely fitted up
with glass cases containing books with
well polished bindings. But there is
not book displayed which an archeo-
logist would consider worth having.
The cellars, however, contain hundreds
Of manuscripts which have nexer yet
been satisfactorily examined.s
"The library in st: Sophia's also
contains many .pnclassifed works ana,
N MY BE- tfat they Include manu-
scripts Of Importance
The greatest finds Of manuscripts
made in the vicinity of Constantinople
during the last half century were not
in the palace or st. Sophia Libraries
but in local libaries belonging to the
Greek church. One of these, which
Sir Edwin terms the most important
theological find of the century, was a
book containing the teachings Of the
Twelve Apostles, document fire.
quently quoted in the early centuries
of Christian literature. The last half
of the text had been copied and pre-
served, but the complete copy was lost
until about 40 years ago.
at that time" Sir Edwin said, "the
grand old scholar, Bishop Briennius
of Nicomedia, the modern Ismid, one
of the few Greek scholars who not
only knows Greek well but is an au-
thority on photography, was locking
for the epistles of st. Clement.
I'm the library of the church of the
Holy Sepulcher in Constantinople he
came across a small volume entitled
simply Saint Clement" 1t contained
not only the epistles of st Clement
but the teachings of the Twelve Aros-
ties, lost since about 1850. Some au-
thorities date the book as early as 70,
some as late as 120.
Another book Of equal value was dis
covered in the library of st. Sophia
in about 1875; called The Manuscripts
of Critobolus.' This Is the only re-
cord we possess containing an account,
from the Greek side Of the siege OF
Constantinople. was the first TO
take advantage Of this find in my
writings of the siege. The book m
earthed by Critobolus was life Of
Mahommed. 1t revealed how the
Greeks turned Romans to save their
skins"
Another library which Sir Edwin
plans to explore is at Mt. Athos,
peninsula devoted to the Greek church
since 100. 1t is situated between
Constantinople and Saloniki. About
fifteen years ago q Greek made some
interesting discoveries there. Sir Ed
win visited it shortly after the dis
covery Of the teachings Of the Apos-
tiles, and learned from the librarian
that none of the books were properly
classified.
st. Athos escaped molestation by
the Turks. The only time the IL
brary was violated was in 1924 when
large number Of manuscripts were
cut up for haversacks for Turkish SOL
ders.
Monks only live there, nothing fem
mime being allowed on the place, not