South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-28
DANTE COLLECTION
AT NOTRE DAME Is
RIYALED BY BUT 2
Zahm Collection at University
Adds Much to Compile
ton of Library.


haps that only two other collections
Of the works and literature on the
great italian poet Dante. rival that
now housed in the university library
az Notre Dame
ia 1892 there was started az Cor
nell. one OF the most famous Dante
Libraries 20 be found anywhere in this
hemisphere Willard FIske. at thar
time sent 20 Ithaca. Ms first rare ana
costly editions OF the Italian poet
This nucleus was added 10 from
time 20 time and the gathering of
more books soon became a passion
Tor the more This blblophile searched
FOR rare editions and works about
Dante. the more interesting and en-
easing the task became.
Second az Cambridge.
Another collection Of note was be-
gun little earlier az Harvard. This
was later combined with that OF the
Dante Society OF America and Isl now
housed In the Widener Library at
Cambridge
Tho writings about Dante and the
number OF editions that have app
peared in every century would make
a very volumous photography. In
fact the Fiske collection has a print
cd catalogue OF over six hundred
pages. Or. Moore. a great Dantean
scholar. observed that no work.
probably in the world except tho
bible. has given rise to so large "a
literature fSot even our own inn
mortal Shakespeare. nor tho Homer
or the Greeks when judged from the
photographer standpoint, can equal
Dante. Expeditions. interpretations.
illustrations. pOlemics. Biographies,
histories. and romances have appear
ca without number. all OF which
evinces the homage paid by the world
in all ages TO the great Tuscan mas
ter.
Big Selection Here.
The superiority Of the Zahm coll
lection Of Dantiana dests not so much
in an accretion Of works about the
poet. but rather in the number Of
rare and costly editions OF the "Di-
vine Comedy" itself, in almost every
living language from the years of
printing 90 our own day Scholars.
lnguists. and library experts. who
have seen the Dante collection at
Notre Dame. are Of the opinion that
il texts alone are considered, the col
lection is equal to the best in the
United States The lacunae to be
found IN the incunabula and later
editions OF the Fiske collection, are
in some measures supplied in tho
Zahm collection. The student Of re-
search in Dante cannot therefore at
ford &c neglect an examination Of the
Dante collection at the university
II was the interest awakened by
the celebration Of the sixth centen-
airy OF Dante's birth that also gave
birth 10 the Dante movement in
America. In 1866 and for many
years thereafter. public institutions
and proprietary Libraries in this
country, made liberal purchases of
Dante books. From that time to this,
there has been an increasing inter-
est In the study OF the Divine
Comedy" encouraged 10 a great ex-
tent by the Dante society which has
numbered among its active mem
bers. many authors and literateurs
Of national fame. James Russell
Lowell. for many years associated
with the Dante society, has this TO
say about the Dante cult. Almost
an the poets have their seasons. but
Dante penetrates 20 the moral core
of those who once fairly come with
I'm his sphere. and posses them
wholly His readers turn students.
his students. zealots. and what was
taste becomes a religionl"
Zahm Library Donated.
This marvellous influence OF the
great Italian poet caused DR.. John
a. Zahm, himself a profound Dante
scholar. to donate his entire library
so that others might come 20 gather
Inspiration and learning Thus the
memory OF the donor and that Of
the immortal bard himself. are for
ever enshrined at Notre Dame. This