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THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY
A BRIEF HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION
BERNARD QUARITCH
11 GRAFTON STREET, NEW BOND STREET, LONDON, W.
SHERRATT AND HUGHES
PUBLISHERS TO THE VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
34 CROSS STREET, MANCHESTER, AND
SOHO SQUARE, LONDON, W.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2022 with funding from
Princeton Theological Seminary Library
https://archive.org/details/briefhistoricald00john_0O
1. EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE LIBRARY
PHE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY
MANCHESTER: A BRIEF HISTORICAL
XESCRIPTION OF THE LIBRARY AND ITS
‘ONTENTS, ILLUSTRATED WITH THIRTY-
EVEN VIEWS AND FACSIMILES
MAY 21 1914
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ANCHESTER: AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. LONDON:
=RNARD QUARITCH, AND SHERRATT AND HUGHES.
CMXIV.
_ ABERDEEN
THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
PREFATORY NOTE.
HE object of the present volume is to provide visitors to
the library with a brief narrative of the inception, foun-
dation and growth of the institution, followed by a hurried
glance at some of the most conspicuous of the literary treasures
which have made it famous in the world of letters, and which
at the same time have helped to make Manchester a centre of
attraction for scholars from all parts of the world.
As the narrative would be obviously incomplete without
some reference to the building, which is regarded by experts
as one of the finest specimens of modern Gothic architecture
to be found in this or in any country, a brief description of the
building has been appended.
The volume is illustrated by a number of views of the
library, and facsimiles of some of the most noteworthy of the
manuscripts and printed books which it contains, several of
which are here reproduced for the first time, in the hope that
they may add to its interest and usefulness.
HENRY GUPPY.
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY,
March, 1914.
Since the above note was written, and whilst these
sheets have been passing through the press, there has come
Vv
PREFATORY NOTE.
into the possession of the library a little manuscript of such
outstanding importance as to call for, at least, some brief
notice.
The manuscript alluded to contains the original of the
Syriac version of the so-called ‘‘ Odes of Solomon,” from
which, nearly five years ago, Dr. Rendel Harris edited the
‘‘editio princeps” ; and for the benefit of those who may
yet be unaware of the importance of this document, we cannot
do better than to reproduce Dr. Harriss own words upon
the subject.
‘In this little book,” says Dr. Harris, ‘‘if my judgment
is correct, we have for the first time recovered a book of hymns
of the early Christian community, and these hymns are marked
by all the characteristics which we are accustomed to associate
with the time of that great spiritual revival which marks the
first days of the early Christian Church. That is to say, they
constitute a key to primitive Christian experience much in the
same way as the rediscovery of the ‘Olney Hymns,’ or a
volume of early Methodist hymns, or of St. Bernard’s Latin
hymns—supposing any or all of these to be lost—would
furnish the clue to the understanding of what really went on
at the Methodist revival in England, or in the great monastic
revivals of the Middle Ages.”
The date of this manuscript is probably not earlier than
the sixteenth century, but there need be no hesitation in saying
that in its first form, the little book cannot be later than 150
A.D., and may belong to the latter half of the first century.
vi
CONTENTS.
PAGE
PREFATORY NOTE ‘ Z x Vv
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS . f : 2 : : ix
BriEF HIsTORICAL SKETCH :—
Inception and Dedication . : : ; : : é : 2
Purchase of the Althorp Library . ; : 7 : : : 4
Purchase of the Crawford Manuscripts . - ° . 7
Bequests of Mrs. Rylands . : : é ‘ : : - : 8
Formation of the Althorp Library . ; ; : ; : A a
The Reviczky Collection . : : : ; : : : at | gy
Earl Spencer asa Collector . : ; A é 3 c iL 4
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTENTS :—
The Early Printed Book Room . : 2 7 3 : : A
The Aldine Room - : F : A ; ‘ 2 - sth ad
The Bible Room. : : i f ; : ‘ Sel 26,
The Greek and Latin Classics . - : ‘ 7 \ . OS,
The Italian Classics . 5 34
The English Classics . . 35
History : ; ; : : : : : : : : Aen keh)
Theology and Philosophy . or a . : : : . aeeros,
Historic Books and Bindings . : ” : - 5 : di Rhy,
The Manuscript Room ; : : ‘ : A : : aa) ie S|
Jewelled Book Covers f S 48
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING 51
PUBLICATIONS OF THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY . : p . a Go
TRUSTEES, GOVERNORS, AND PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE LIBRARY . 69
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE LIBRARY . 5 A ‘ Aue
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. EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE LIBRARY
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS
To face Page
. ° ° : ° ° . Title
. INTERIOR OF THE MAIN LIBRARY F A ; } ; i ‘ 1
. STATUE OF JOHN RYLANDS IN THE MAIN LIBRARY " ; i 2
. SECTION OF THE MAIN LIBRARY, SHOWING ONE OF THE ALCOVES. 4
. A PaGE FROM A ‘‘ Book OF HOURS” EXECUTED ABOUT 1430 FOR
KING CHARLES VII OF FRANCE . 3 ‘ ; f A 8
*,* A note in this manuscript attributes it to the same hand
that executed the famous ‘‘ Bedford Missal ”’.
. PORTRAIT OF GEORGE JOHN, SECOND EARL SPENCER, FOUNDER
OF THE ALTHORP LIBRARY, WHICH NOW FORMS PART OF THE
JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY z Z 3 A 2 12
. THE EaRLY PRINTED Book Room . 3 4 : : , x 16
8. THE ‘‘ St. CHRISTOPHER’’ BLOCK-PRINT. 1423 , : 5 18
10.
*,* The earliest known piece of European printing to arts
a date is attached, and of which no other copy is known.
A PAGE FROM THE “ BIBLIA PAUPERUM’’. ABouT 1450. : i 19
* * The “ Biblia Pauperum” or ‘“ Bible for the Poor” con-
sists of a series of pictures, printed from wood-blocks, during the
second quarter of the fifteenth century, probably in Germany.
The scheme of the work is to represent by means of pictures,
each of which is divided into three compartments, a scene from
the life of Christ, in the centre, with prefigurations, or types,
from the Old Testament on either side, accompanied by rhyming
verses and texts, with the object of familiarising the illiterate
with the principal events of the Bible.
The scenes illustrated in the facsimile are : ‘‘ The translation
of Enoch,” ‘‘ The Ascension of Our Lord,” “ Elijah received up
into Heaven”
A PAGE FROM THE First PRINTED BIBLE. [1456 ?] < . . 20
* * This Latin Bible was amongst the first productions of
the printing-press in Europe, and the earliest of any size that
has survived to the present day.
The first copy of this Bible to attract attention was one in
the library of Cardinal Mazarin, to which fact it owes its popular
name of ‘‘ Mazarin Bible”. To bibliographers it is known as
the ‘'42-line Bible,” from the number of lines to a printed
ix
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.
To face Page
column, to distinguish it from another one printed at the same
time, and styled for a similar reason the ‘‘ 36-line Bible”’.
The city of Mainz has been generally recognised as the place
where both Bibles were printed, although there is still a differ-
ence of opinion upon the point.
There is also a difference of opinion with regard to the
printer. The name of Johann Gutenberg has been suggested by
some authorities; by others it is assumed that Johann Fust,
to whom Gutenberg was originally indebted for financial assist-
ance, and his son-in-law, Peter Schoeffer, were mainly respons-
ible for it.
The book itself contains no definite information as to the
names of the printers, the place of printing, or the date, but from
the evidence of a note left by the rubricator of a copy preserved
in the ‘‘ Bibliothéque Nationale,’’ Paris, it is assumed that the
work was completed sometime before August 24, 1456.
11. ‘‘ DEATH-BED PRAYERS,” PRINTED BY WILLIAM CAXTON. ABOUT
1484 e e e e e e ° e e e e e e 22:
** Of this broadside, or single sheet, printed only on one
side of the paper, no other copy is known to exist.
From the language of the two prayers it seems evident that
they were intended fot use at the bed-side of a dying person.
They were probably printed in this portable form for priests,
and others, to carry about with them.
12. A PAGE FROM CAXTON’s ‘GOLDEN LEGEND’’. 1483 . ° calypse are attributed
to Lucas Cranach. In this (September) issue the Dragon and
the Scarlet Woman are each depicted wearing a tiara in the
manner of the Popes. This gave such offence that in the second
issue of December, 1522 (of which there is a copy also in the
library) the offending illustrations were cancelled, and an
ordinary crown was substituted for the tiara in both instances.
PAGE FROM AN EARLY WICLIFITE ‘‘NEW TESTAMENT’”’ MANU-
SCRIPT. About 1400 ; A : A ¢ ‘
** The earlier version of the Wiclifite Bible was partly made
by Wiclit himself, and partly prepared under his supervision by
Nicholas de Hereford, and others. It was completed about 1382,
two years before Wiclif’s death. It gave so literal a rendering
of the Latin Bible, from which it was translated, as to be in many
places obscure. Soon after its completion a thorough revision
was undertaken, which was carried to a successful issue by John
Purvey, the friend of Wiclif’s last days.
A PAGE FROM WILLIAM TINDALE’S ‘‘ PENTATEUCH”’. [1530-34.]
*,* This volume containing the five books of Moses was the
first portion of the Old Testament to be translated directly from
the original Hebrew, and printed in English.
The translator, William Tindale, having completed and issued
his version of the New Testament in 1525 or early in 1526, settled
down to the study of Hebrew, in order to qualify himself for the
translation of the Old Testament. In 1527 he took refuge in
“Marburg,” where in the intervals of study he found time to
prepare his two most important controversial works, which con-
stituted his manifesto, and early in 1530 his translation of the
““Pentateuch”’ made direct from the Hebrew, with the aid of
Luther’s German version, was ready for circulation.
There are grounds for believing the place-name of ‘ Marburg,”’
or ‘ Marlborow,” which is found in the imprint to indicate the
place of printing to be fictitious, being adopted in order to con-
ceal the place of printing which was not improbably Antwerp.
This copy has the marginal glosses intact. With few excep-
tions these are found to be cut away, as ordered by the Bishop,
at least the ‘‘ most pestilent ” of them. The reason for the order
is obvious from the gloss on the page reproduced.
x1
26
29
30
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS. —
To face Page
18. TITLE-PAGE OF THE FrirRST PRINTED COMPLETE ENGLISH BIBLE
(COVERDALE’S), 1535. ; : , s : : 31
*.* The translation was made not from the originai Greek
and Hebrew, but from the Vulgate and other versions, by a
Yorkshireman, Miles Coverdale, afterwards Bishop of Exeter.
Nothing definite is known as to the place of printing, but certain
features point to Zurich and to Christopher Froschover.
There is a curious reading in Jeremiah iii. 22, where “ Balm
in Gilead” is rendered “ Triacle at Galaad ”’.
The Psalter in the “Book of Common Prayer” is sub-
stantially the same as that printed in the ‘‘ Coverdale Bible” of
1535, and actually the same as that printed inthe ‘‘ Great Bible ”
of 1539.
19, TITLE-PAGE OF THE * GREAT BIBLE”. 1539 . 3 A 4 on 132
*, The first edition of the ‘‘Great Bible,” so called from its
size, and from the fact that it is referred to, in the Injunctions
issued to the clergy by Thomas Cromwell in 1538, as: ‘the hole
byble of the largyest volume ” ordered to be “set vp in sum con-
uenient place wythin the said church that ye haue cure of,
where-as your parishoners may most cOmodiously resorte to the
same and reade it”’.
It is a revision by Coverdale of “ Matthew’s Bible” of 1537,
by the aid and with the assistance of Thomas Cromwell. It was
printed partly at Paris and partly at London.
The *‘ Psalter” in the ‘‘ Book of Common Prayer ” is the same
as that printed in this Bible.
20, TITLE-PAGE OF THE ‘‘ AUTHORISED VERSION” OF THE BIBLE. 1611. 32
*» The first edition of “King James’s Bible,’ commonly
called the ‘‘ Authorised Version”.
The idea of this new translation was due to John Rainolds.
President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, the Puritan leader
at the Hampton Court Conference, 1604. The King took up the
proposal warmly, and its achievement was due to his royal
interest and influence. The translators numbered about fifty,
and were divided into six companies, each company being re-
sponsible for a certain section of the Scriptures.
21. A PAGE FROM THE First PRINTED EDITION OF Boccaccio’s ‘IL
DECAMERONE”’’. 1471 . ? ‘ : ; : : . 34
.
“x The first edition of “ Il Decamerone’ was printed at
Venice in 1471, by a printer named Valdarfer. This is the only
perfect copy extant, the rarity of which is attributed to its
having formed part of an edition committed to the “ bonfire of
the Vanities ” in 1497, by the Florentines, through the teaching
of Savonarola.
It became famous in 1812, when, at the sale of the Duke of
Roxburghe’s library, it was sold to the Marquis of Blandford for
the, at that time unprecedented, price of £2,260. Emerson in
one of his essays makes allusion to this incident in the words
‘‘at the tap of the auctioneer’s hammer Boccaccio turned in his
grave”. It was in honour of this volume and its sale that the
famous ‘ Roxburghe Club ” was founded.
XL
22. TiIrLE-PAGE OF SHAKESPEARE’S ‘‘SONNETS”’, 1609
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.
*,”* The first edition of Shakespeare’s ‘“‘ Sonnets’? was sur-
reptitiously sent to the press by T. Thorpe. The licence for its
publication was obtained on May 20, 1609, and the volume
appeared in June, in which month Edward Alleyn (the founder
of Dulwich College) paid 5d. for a copy, the same figureias
appears in manuscript on the title-page of this one.
23. TITLE-PAGE OF HENRY VIII.’s “AssSERTIO SEPTEM SACRAMEN-
24.
TORUM”, 1521
*,” This is the work written by Henry VIII. against Luther,
for which he received the title ‘‘ Defensor Fidei”’.
Three copies printed on vellum are known. The one under
description was a presentation copy to Louis II., King of
Hungary, and bears the inscription in Henry’s handwriting
‘Regi Daciae””. On the binding are the arms of Pope Pius VI
A PAGE FROM ELIZABETH Fry’s BIBLE
*,* The following note, in the handwriting of Richenda Rey-
nolds, the eldest daughter of Mrs. Fry, appears in the Bible:
‘‘Richenda Reynolds, 1845. This Bible was used daily by my
beloved mother, Elizabeth Fry, for many years when she was at
home. She died October 13th, 1845. The marks and comments
are all her own.”
The markings are of extreme interest, revealing something of
the beautiful character and spirit of the writer. The pathos of
the note on the page which has been reproduced will be felt
when it is understood that it was written at a time when the
family had been plunged suddenly from affluence into poverty.
25. THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OF HEBER’s Hymn, “FROM GREEN-
LAND’S Icy MounrtTAINS”’ : ‘
*,* On Whit-Sunday, 1819, the late Dr. Shipley, Dean of St.
Asaph, and Vicar of Wrexham, preached a sermon in Wrexham
Church, in aid of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
in Foreign Parts. That day was also fixed upon for the com-
mencement of the Sunday evening lectures intended to be estab-
lished in the Church, and the late Bishop of Calcutta (Heber),
then Rector of Hodnet, the Dean’s son-in-law, undertook to
deliver the first lecture. In the course of the Saturday previous,
the Dean and his son-in-law being together at the Vicarage, the
former requested Heber to write “‘ something for them to sing in
the morning,” and he retired for that purpose from the table
where the Dean and a few friends were sitting, to a distant part
of the room. In a short time the Dean enquired, ‘‘What have
you written”? Heber having then composed the three first
verses read them over. ‘‘ There, there, that will do very well,”
said the Dean, ‘‘No, no, the sense is not complete,” replied
Heber. Accordingly he added the fourth verse, and the Dean
being inexorable to his request of ‘‘ Let me add another, oh, let
me add another,” thus completed the hymn which has since
become so celebrated; it was sung the next morning in Wrex-
ham Church for the first time.
xl
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To face Page
‘ La OG
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39
40
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.
To face Page
26. THE GLasGow AESCHYLUS OF 1795, BOUND BY ROGER PAYNE . sh AL
* * In this volume are contained the original drawings of John
Flaxman, executed expressly for the first Countess Spencer,
in illustration of the tragedies of Aeschylus. These reveal a
freedom, yet delicacy of touch, of which the plates engraved
after them fail to give any adequate idea.
The binding forms a worthy covering to the book, being the
recognized masterpiece of Roger Payne, whose work at the
end of the eighteenth century entitles him, in the opinion of
booklovers, to the highest position amongst the followers of his
craft in this country.
27. St. JOHN FROM A GREEK MANUSCRIPT OF THE ‘* GOSPELS”’.
28.
29.
30.
A
A
A
11TH CENTURY - : : . . : . : :
*.* The miniature which is reproduced from a Byzantine
copy of the Gospels, executed in the early part of the eleventh
century, represents St. John the Evangelist holding in his right
hand the pen with which the sacred volume upon his knees is
being written. In front of him is a scholar’s cabinet, with the
key in the hasp-lock, of which this miniature gives probably the
earliest known representation. On the desk above the cabinet
are displayed the various implements used by the ancient scribe
in the exercise of his craft—inkpot, dividers, knife for erasure,
etc. Apillar at the back of the desk supports a mirror evidently
intended to act as a reflector to the hanging lamp, which is
suspended from it.
PAGE FROM THE ‘‘ TRIER PSALTER”’. 9TH CENTURY . F
* .* The Latin Psalter from which this page has been repro-
duced was written in Germany, in the early part of the ninth
century, and is a very fine example of the Celtic style of art.
From a manuscript note, apparently coeval with the text,
inserted in the margin of the calendar for May we gather that
the volume was originally in the possession of the abbey of St.
Maximin of Trier. This note records how Ada, sister of Charle-
magne, left much property to the monastery of St Maximin, and
on her decease was buried there. She also bequeathed a ‘‘ copy
of the Gospels written with gold and decorated with gold,”
which volume is still preserved in Trier in its Stadtbibliothek.
PAGE FROM THE ‘‘ EMPEROR OtTo’s GosPEL Book”. 10th
CENTURY . . ‘ . . ° , . : : : :
*,* The copy of the Gospels in Latin, from which this page
is reproduced, was written and illuminated for the Emperor
Otto the Great (a.p. 912-973), whose portrait is here shown
painted on small medallions with inscriptions around them.
The style of the work indicates Cologne as the place of prove-
nance.
PAGE FROM THE ‘‘ COLONNA MissAL’’. AsouT 1517 . s -
*,* This manuscript was executed for Cardinal Pompeo
Colonna, who was elected a member of the Sacred College in
A.D. 1517, and died in a.p. 1532.
The tradition handed down by the family was that the large
full-page illuminations were executed by Raphael about 1517 on
the elevation of the owner to the cardinalate; but recent in-
vestigations have shown that there is a close similarity in style
to that of the ‘‘ Farnese Psalter,” which is commonly associated
X1V
42
44
45
46
34,
35.
36.
37.
eke
A
A
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS.
To face Page
with the craftsmanship of the painter Clovio, but was more prob-
ably the work of Vincenzio Raimondi and his associate copyist.
PAGE FROM ‘‘ LyDGATE’s SIEGE OF Troy”. Asour 1420.
*,” At the beginning of this stately English manuscript,
measuring nearly 17 by 13 inches, and having upwards of seventy
pages illuminated in the style of the one reproduced, is an illus-
tration of the author presenting his work to King Henry V. At
the end are the arms of William Carent of Carent’s Court, in the
Isle of Purbeck, who was born in 1344, and is known to have
been alive in 1422. It was for him doubtless that the manu-
script was written.
PAGE FROM ‘‘ JOAN OF NAVARRE’S PSALTER”. ABOUT 1260
*,” This beautiful French manuscript was written in Paris,
probably by the same person who executed the manuscripts
given by St. Louis to the Sainte Chapelle.
It belonged at one time to Jeanne de Navarre (Queen Consort
of Henry IV., King of England), whose autograph appears on one
of the blank leaves.
PAGE FROM A ‘* Book OF Hours” OF THE ‘SCHOOL OF JEAN
Foucguet”. Asout 1490 a.v. . > : 4 F ° °
*,* This manuscript was executed, probably in the South of
France, by an artist of the school of Jean Foucquet, for Jacques
Galliot de Gordon de Genouillac, grand-écuyer de France and
grand maitre d’artillerie.
PAGE OF A MANuScRIPT ‘‘ APOCALYPSE”. 14TH CENTURY.
*,* This manuscript consists of a series of ninety-six minia-
tures on twenty-four leaves, illustrating the scenes of the Apoca-
lypse, with explanatory legends in Latin written in red and
black. It was executed in Flanders about the middle of the
14th century.
VIEW OF THE East CLOISTER . ‘ x b Zz
VIEW OF THE MAIN STAIRCASE . : . : 5 r
VIEW OF THE GALLERY CORRIDOR IN THE MAIN LIBRARY ; A
xv
47
48
49
50
2. THE MAIN LIBRARY
Toe
JOHN
RYLANDS
LIBRARY.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
O the booklover and to the genuine student there is no
more attractive place of pilgrimage in the North of England
than the John Rylands Library, situate though it be in the busiest
part of that mighty centre of the cotton industry, which is some-
times slightingly referred to, by those who are unacquainted
with the intellectual activities of Manchester, as ‘‘a city of ware-
houses”.
During the last half-century this metropolis of the North has
made determined efforts to place herself in the front rank of cities
which are true cities—efforts in which she has been eminently
successful. She has raised herself to university rank. Her
schools and training colleges are amongst the largest and most
efficient in the kingdom. Her love and patronage of art, music,
and the drama is unrivalled, whilst in the matter of libraries she is
splendidly equipped, possessing as she does upwards of a million
of volumes, to which students and readers have ready access, and
amongst which are many of the world’s most famous literary
treasures,
It was customary not many years ago, to separate culture from
business and industry. It was contended, that great libraries
were well enough for such university cities as Oxford and Cam-
bridge, but that Manchester existed to supply the world with
cotton, and for that reason there was no need to provide such
places with the instruments of higher culture. This divorce of
culture from trade was found to be not only singularly unwise, but
»pposed to the best traditions of European history. Venice was
Tt
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
not simply an emporium; she was also the centre of art, and the
home of the finest printing the world has ever seen. Her art was
the better for her commerce, just as her commerce was the better
for her art.
Thus it was that the great cities of the Middle Ages, finding
it impossible to live by bread alone, built up the grand monuments
of culture and art which call for our admiration to-day ; and thus
it was that Manchester, aided by the benefactions of many of the
citizens whom she has delighted to honour, and whose names have
become household words, has raised herself to the proud position.
of being as great a city of culture and art as hitherto she has been
of commerce.
The John Rylands Library, one of the youngest, but certainly
the most famous, of Manchester’s literary institutions, was formally
dedicated to the public on the 6th of October, 1899.
It owes its existence to the enlightened munificence of
Enriqueta Augustina Rylands, the widow of John Rylands, by
whom it was erected, equipped and liberally endowed, as a
memorial to her late husband, whose name it perpetuates.
It was on the 6th of October, 1875, that Miss Tennant, the
daughter of Stephen Cattley Tennant, a Liverpool and Havannah
merchant, became Mrs. Rylands, an event which was commemor-
ated twenty-four years later, when the library was formally dedi-
cated to the public, and to the memory of John Rylands. For
thirteen years Mrs. Rylands shared her husband’s strenuous life in
all its varied activities, with a devotion which evoked the admira-
tion of all who came within the sphere of its influence.
Mr. Rylands took a deep and constant interest in all that re-
lated to literature, but the absorbing cares of business necessarily
prevented him from living as much as he would have wished
among books. He was always ready, however, to extend his aid
and encouragement to students. He took an especial interest in
adding to the studies of the poorer Free Church ministers gifts of
books which were beyond their own slender means to provide,
but which were necessary to keep them in touch with the trend of
2
3. STATUE OF JOHN RYLANDS IN THE MAIN LIBRARY
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
modern religious thought, since, in many cases, they were stationed
in rural districts remote from anything in the nature of a library.
There are many ministers living to-day who preserve a feeling of
profound gratitude to John Rylands for the help which he ex-
tended to them in this, as in many other ways.
When, therefore, upon the death of Mr. Rylands, which took
place on the IIth of December, 1888, Mrs. Rylands found her-
self entrusted with the disposal of his immense wealth, she resolved,
after careful deliberation, to commemorate the name and worth of
her husband by dedicating to his memory an institution devoted to
the encouragement of learning, which was to be placed in the very
heart of the city which had been the scene of the varied activities
and triumphs of Mr. Rylands. She recalled the little library at
Stretford, which Mr. Rylands had watched over with so much
care, and which in its time and measure had been of incalculable
benefit to many a struggling minister. She also remembered how
great an interest he had taken in theological studies, and accord-
ingly resolved to establish a library in which theology should
occupy a prominent place, where the theological worker should
find all the material necessary to his study and research. From
such modest beginnings has the present library arisen.
With this idea of the library in view, Mrs. Rylands in 1889
entered upon the collection of the standard authorities in all de-
partments of literature, and in the year 1890 the erection of the
splendid structure in Deansgate was commenced from the designs
of Mr. Basil Champneys.
The scheme was conceived in no narrow spirit. Thanks to
the contact with foreign countries which travel had yielded her,
Mrs. Rylands was a woman of catholic ideas, and did not confine
herself to any one groove, but allowed the purpose she had in
view to mature and fructify as time went on. It was fortunate
that she proceeded in a leisurely manner, since various unforeseen
circumstances helped to give a shape to the contemplated fnemorial
which neither she nor any one else could have anticipated.
While the building was rising from the ground, books were
§)
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
being accumulated, but without ostentation, and few people wer:
aware that a great library was in process of formation.
The only interruption of the perfect quiet witl
CHASE 6- which this project was pursued occurred in 1892
THORP, some two years after the builders had commencec
their work of construction, when there came to Mrs
Rylands the opportunity of giving to this memorial a grandew
which had not been at first contemplated. In that year the an-
nouncement was made of Earl Spencer’s willingness to dispose of
that most famous of all private collections, “ The Althorp Library ”
When Lord Spencer found himself compelled to surrender the
glory of Althorp, he wisely stipulated with the agent that a pur-
chaser should be found who would take the whole collection, and
so prevent the famous library from being dispersed in all direc-
tions. For some time this object appeared to be incapable of
realisation, and the trustees of the British Museum were therefore
tempted with the Caxtons, but the owner would not consent to
have the collection broken up by any mode of picking and choos-
ing, and so the negotiations fell through. Negotiations in other
directions were then entered into, and it is almost certain that
the collection would have been transported to America if
Mrs. Rylands had not become aware that it was for sale. Re-
cognizing that the possession of this collection would be the
crowning glory of her design, Mrs. Rylands decided to become
the purchaser.
While these negotiations were proceeding, scholars through-
out the country were in a state of great suspense. As soon, how-
ever, as it was announced that the collection had been saved from
the disaster of dispersion, and was to find a permanent home in
England, a great sigh of relief went up. The nation was relieved
to know that so many of its priceless literary treasures were to be
secured for all time against the risk of transportation, and the
public spirit which Mrs, Rylands had manifested was greeted
with a chorus of grateful approbation. |
Although the Althorp collection, of rather more than Bie
4
SHOWING A READING
’
4. SECTION OF THE MAIN LIBRARY
ALCOVE
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
volumes, is but a part of the John Rylands Library, which to-day
numbers nearly 200,000 volumes, it is, by common consent, the
most splendid part. Renouard, the French bibliographer, de-
scribed it as “the most beautiful and richest private library in
Europe,” and another writer has called it ‘‘a collection which
stands above all rivalry”. It is true that other private libraries
have possessed more printed books, but none could boast of
choicer ones.
But Mrs. Rylands did much more than this. She had ac-
quired for Manchester a collection of books which in many
respects was unrivalled, but in doing so she had enlarged con-
siderably the scope of her original plan, and decided to establish
a library that should be at once ‘‘a place of pilgrimage for the
lover of rare books,” and a “live library” for genuine students,
whether in the departments of theology, philosophy, history, philo-
logy, literature, or bibliography, where they would find not merely
the useful appliances for carrying on their work, but an atmosphere
with a real sense of inspiration, which would assist them to carry
it on in the highest spirit.
After ten years of loving and anxious care the building was
ready for occupation. Only those who were associated with Mrs.
Rylands know how much was put into those ten years. From
the very inception of the scheme Mrs. Rylands took the keenest
possible interest in it, devoting almost all her time, thought, and
energy to it. Not only every detail in the construction of the
building, but every other detail of the scheme in general, was
carried out under her personal supervision. Nothing escaped
her scrutiny, and it would be impossible to say how many ad-
mirable features were the result of her personal suggestion. No
expense was spared. ‘The architect was commissioned to design
a building which should be an ornament to Manchester, and in
the construction of which only the very best materials should be
employed. It is not too much to say that stone-mason, sculptor,
metal-worker, and wood-carver have conspired under the direction
of the architect, and under the watchful care of the founder, to
5
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
construct a building in every way worthy of the priceless collection
of treasures which it was intended to house.
On the 6th of October, 1899, the twenty-fourth
ING OF THE anniversary of Mrs. Rylands’s wedding-day, the build-
Sethi ing and its contents were formally dedicated to the
public, in the presence of a large and distinguished gathering of
people from all parts of Europe. The inaugural address was
delivered by the Rev. Dr. Fairbairn, Principal of Mansfeld
College, Oxford—an address in every sense worthy of a great
occasion, from which a few passages may be appropriately quoted’
here :-—
“It would have been a comparatively simple and easy thing
for Mrs. Rylands, out of her large means, to set aside a sum
ample enough to build this edifice, to equip and endow this institu-
tion. She had only to select an architect and choose a librarian,
to summon to her side ministers and agents capable of carrying
out her will, saying to them: ‘Here is money, spend it in the
princeliest way you can, and, if more be needed, more will be at
your command’. But she did not so read her duty. The ideal
created in her imagination, by the memory and character of her
husband, was one she alone could realise. And she proceeded
to realise it, with the results that we this day behold. Nothing
was too immense, or too intricate to be mastered, nothing was too
small to be overlooked. The architect has proved himself a
genius. He has adorned Manchester, he has enriched England ;
with one of the most distinguished and the most perfect archi-
tectural achievements of this century. . . . The library will be |
entitled to take its place among the deathless creations of love.
To multitudes it will be simply the John Rylands Library, built by
the munificence of his widow. . . . But to the few, and those the
few who know, it will for ever remain the most marvellous thing
in history, as the tribute of a wife’s admiration of her husband,
and her devotion to his memory. ‘The opening of this library
calls for national jubilation, All citizens who desire to see
England illumined, reasonable, right, will rejoice that there came —
6
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
into the heart of one who inherited the wealth of this great
Manchester merchant, the desire to create for him so seemly a
monument as this. It stands here fitly in a city where wealth is
made, to help to promote the culture, to enlarge the liberty, to
confirm the faith, to illumine the way of its citizens, small and
great.”
Mrs. Rylands’s interest in the library did not end there. She
endowed it with an annual income of upwards of five thousand
pounds for its maintenance and extension, and again and again,
when rare and costly books, or collections of books, came into the
market which were beyond the reach of the ordinary income of
the library to secure, she readily and generously found the money,
if only she could be assured that the usefulness of the library
would be enhanced by their possession.
guine In the month of August, 1901, another instance of
FARE on the munificence of Mrs. Rylands, and of her continued
interest in the library was made public, with the an-
nouncement that the celebrated collection of illuminated
and other manuscripts belonging to the Earl of Crawford, number-
ing upwards of six thousand, had been purchased for a very con-
siderable sum. The purchase came as a great surprise to all but
a very few. The negotiations had been conducted in the quiet,
unostentatious, yet prompt manner which was characteristic of all
Mrs. Rylands’s dealings.
The importance of the collection cannot easily be overesti-
mated. ‘This, however, may be said, that it gives to the John
Rylands Library a position with regard to Oriental and Western
manuscripts similar to that which it previously occupied in respect
of early printed books through the possession of the Althorp
Library.
Just as the distinguishing mark of the Althorp Library was the
early printed books, so the distinguishing mark of the “Bibliotheca
Lindesiana,”’ as the Crawford Library is known, was the manu-
scripts. ‘To some of these the bindings impart a character and a
value of a very special kind. The rarity of such jewelled bind-
7
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
ings in metal and ivory, dating from the twelfth and thirteentl
centuries, as are found here, may be gauged by the fact that th
John Rylands collection, which contains only thirty, yet rank
third among the collections of the world. By far the richest col:
lection is in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, next comes the
one in the Royal Library at Munich, and then comes that pre-
served in Manchester.
In order to make known the value and contents of this collec-
tion Mrs. Rylands undertook to defray the cost of cataloguing it
_ iN a manner commensurate with its importance. To this end
arrangements had been entered into with a number of leading
scholars to deal with the manuscripts in their own special line of
research, and although several of these catalogues have since
appeared, and others may be expected shortly, it is to be regretted
that Mrs. Rylands did not live to see this part of her scheme
carried through.
From first to last Mrs. Rylands’s interest in the library was
unflagging. Until within a few weeks of her death she was mak-
ing purchases of manuscripts and books, and one of her last cares
was to provide accommodation for the rapid extension of the
library, so that the work should in no wise be hampered for want
of space. A fine site adjoining the library had been acquired, and
it was her intention, had she lived, to erect thereon a store build-
ing that would provide accommodation for at least half a million
volumes. Unfortunately death intervened before the arrrange-
ments in pursuance of her intentions could be completed.
PROVISIONS Mrs. Rylands made additional provision in her will
FOR LIBRARY |
IN aRS. RY- for the upkeep and development of the library. She |
WiLL ‘ bequeathed £200,000 in four per cent. debentures,
yielding an annual income of £8,000. This sum added to the ex-
isting endowment gives to the trustees and governors an income
of upwards of £13,000 per year, sufficient to enable them to ad-
minister the institution in a manner worthy of the lofty ideals of
the founder,
In addition to the monetary bequest, Mrs. Rylands bequeathed
8
5. A PAGE OF “KING CHARLES VII’S BOOK OF HOURS”
About 1430
French MS
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
to the library all books, manuscripts, and unframed engravings in
her residence at Longford Hall, numbering several thousand
volumes. It must suffice to say that the collection is very rich
in modern ‘“éditions de luxe,’ such as the great galleries
of paintings of ‘‘Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle,”
‘Bridgewater House,” ‘‘ Ham House,” ‘The Wallace Collec-
tion,” ‘‘ The Louvre,” and ‘‘ The Hermitage”; Sir Walter Arm-
strong’s monographs on Sir Joshua Reynolds, Turner, Raeburn,
and Gainsborough; Mrs. Frankau’s ‘‘ Eighteenth Century Colour
Prints,” ‘“‘ William Ward,” and ‘John Raphael Smith’”’; Mrs.
Williamson’s ‘ Books of Beauty ’’ ; Goupil’s series of ‘‘ Historical
Monographs,’’—these and many similar works are included, most
of which are in the choicest possible state. Of such series as the
“Doves Press,” and the ‘‘ Essex House Press’’ there are sets
printed on vellum. Of ‘ Grangerized,”” or extra-illustrated,
books, we may call attention to the following: Forster’s ‘“ Life
of Dickens,” 10 vols.; ‘‘ The Book of the Thames,” 4 vols. ; Bos-
well’s ‘‘ Life of Johnson,” 4 vols.; ‘The Works of Sir Walter
Scoit,’’ 67 vols., etc. Other noteworthy books are; Ongania’s
** Basilica di San Marco,” 15 vols. ; Bode’s edition of Rembrandt,
‘with Hamerton’s work on the same master; the facsimiles of the
‘*‘Grimani Breviary,” and the ‘‘Hortulus Anime’”’; the copy of
Tissot’s ‘‘ Old Testament,” which contains the whole of his orig-
inal pen drawings; and a set of the four folios of Shakespeare.
The illuminated manuscripts include: two ‘‘Books of Hours,”
attributed to Hans Memling ; two French ‘‘ Books of Hours,” one
of which was executed for King Charles VII, and several beautifully
decorated Bibles and Chronicles. In the matter of bindings, there
is a fine collection of examples of work by the great modern
masters of the craft. There is also a very large number of
autographs and historical documents, including the greater part of
the collection formed by the Rev. Dr. Thomas Raffles, of Liverpool,
an the first half of the last century.
These are but a few items taken at random, and intended
merely to indicate the character of the books which Mrs. Rylands
9
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
gathered around her during the last twenty years of her life, not
alone for her own pleasure, but with a view to the ultimate en-
richment of the library on a side where it was but indifferently
equipped.
These remarks, of necessity, are almost exclusively confined to
Mrs. Rylands’s relations to the library, which she looked upon with
pardonable pride as her great achievement. But her munificence
did not end there, nor with her gifts to numerous other public
objects, in which she took a keen interest. The full extent of her
benefactions will probably never be known. She was naturally:
reserved, and delighted to do good by stealth, but those who take
an active part in charitable work in Manchester could testify to her
unfailing readiness to assist any good cause of which she approved.
She did not simply give money out of her great wealth, she also
gave care, thought, and attention to all that she was interested in.
Personally Mrs. Rylands was little known, but to those who |
did know her she was most kind and generous. She was a woman.
of very marked ability and of gieat determination, and those who |
had the privilege of assisting her in any of her numerous and ab-
sorbing interests can testify to her wonderful business capacity, and
to her mastery of detail. She possessed truly, and in a marked
degree, “the genius of taking pains”.
Mrs. Rylands’s death occurred on the 4th of F ebruary, 1908, to.
the irreparable loss not only of the institution which she had founded, -
but to the entire city of Manchester.
It is impossible within the limits of a brief sketch like the
Present to attempt to convey anything like an adequate idea of the
interest and importance of the contents of the library, comprising
as they do nearly 200,000 printed books, and 7,000 manuscripts.
The utmost that can be done is*to take a glance at some of the
outstanding features of the various sections, commencing with the
special rooms and in passing to notice some of the more conspicu-
ous among the books which hold a predominant position in the
fields of history or literature, and which have made the library”
famous in the world of letters.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Before commencing this survey of the contents, it will not be
out of place to sketch very briefly the fascinating history of the
formation of the Althorp Library, which, although but a part of
the John Rylands Library, is, by common consent, the most
splendid part.
FORMATION. Lhe formation of the collection was substantially
SttHore the work of George John, second Earl Spencer, who
rIPRARY. was born Ist September, 1758, and succeeded to the
earldom in 1783. Few men have entered life under happier
auspices. At seven years of age he was placed under the tutor-
ship of William Jones, the famous Orientalist, who was afterwards
knighted, with whom he made two continental tours, visiting
libraries as well as courts in their progress. Jones resigned his
charge in 1770, when Lord Althorp was sent to Harrow; but
tutor and pupil were in constant correspondence, and maintained
an intimate acquaintance until | 783, when the former left England
for his Indian judgeship.
As a collector, Lord Spencer did not begin seriously until he
was thirty years of age. He had made occasional purchases
before'that time, but the broad foundation of the Althorp Library,
as we now know it, cannot be said to have been fairly laid until
Lordi Spencer acquired the choice collection of Count de Reviczky
in 1790. The possession of that collection at once raised the
Althorp Library‘into importance, and influenced the character of
the acquisitions which were most eagerly sought in after days.
In justice to the memory of the first Earl Spencer, some refer-
ence must be made to the part he played in the foundation of the
library. He was undoubtedly a book-collector, since he bought
the library of Dr. George, Master of Eton, consisting of 5,000
volumes. Many of these volumes were collections of the smaller
pieces of Elizabethan literature, which, although looked upon at
that time as “‘ tracts ” or ‘‘ miscellanea,’’ have come to be regarded
as works of considerable importance, and are now eagerly sought
after. The George ‘‘tracts”’ are still preserved in the John
Rylands Library, and may be distinguished by the arms of the
II
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
first Earl, which he caused to be stamped upon all the books then
at Althorp. But the separately bound works, which Dr. George
no doubt prized more highly, were gradually weeded out by the
second Earl, and replaced by finer copies.
The old Althorp collection was of little importance when
compared with the magnificence it ultimately reached under the
fostering care of the second Earl. Yet it could not have been
without interest, since it won the admiration of Sir William Jones
in 1765, and was instrumental in awakening young Spencer’s love
for books. It remains, however, to be said that the event which,
more than anything else, determined the ultimate character and
scope of the Althorp Library, was the acquisition of the Reviczky
collection,
ae Charles Emanuel Alexander, Count Reviczky, was
COU a Hungarian nobleman of considerable fortune, born in
Boat Hungary in 1737, and educated at Vienna. He seems
to have possessed an exceptional aptitude for acquiring languages,
and to have cultivated it during extensive travels both in Europe
and in Asia. Besides the great languages of antiquity, and the
modern tongues of ordinary attainment, he is said to have acquired
thorough familiarity with the languages of Northern Europe, and
with a majority of the languages and chief dialects of the East.
He had not long returned rom the travels he had planned for
himself when the Empress Maria Theresa sent him as her am-
bassador to Warsaw. The Emperor Joseph II gave him similar |
missions, first in Berlin, and afterwards in London. Everywhere
)
he made himself renowned as a collector of fine books, and especi- -
ally of the monuments of printing, and won many friends. Some
idea of his character and of his eminent accomplishments may be
derived from his correspondence with Sir William Jones, who
entertained a strong affection for him, and to whom his frst intro-
duction to Lord Spencer was probably owing.
The chief characteristic of the Reviczky Library was its extra-
ordinary series of the primary and most choice editions of the
Greek and Latin classics, No collector has ever succeeded in
I2
6. GEORGE JOHN, SECOND EARL SPENCER.
OF THE ALTHORP LIBRARY
FOUNDER
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
amassing a complete series of first editions ; but Reviczky, whose
researches in this direction were incessant, is believed to have
made a nearer approximation to completeness than any previous
or contemporary collector.
Next to the “‘ editiones principes et primarize,” it was his aim
to gather such of the fine productions of the presses of Aldus,
Stephanus, Morel, and Turnebus as were not already included in
the primary series, then the Elzevirs, the “ Variorum”’ classics,
the Delphin classics, the choice editions of Baskerville, Brindley,
Foulis, Tonson, and Barbou, and the curious small-typed produc-
tions of the press of Sedan.
Of his classics, Reviczky himself printed, under the pseudonym
of ‘“Periergus Deltophilus,’ a catalogue entitled “ Bibliotheca
Greeca et Latina,” copies of which may be seen in the library.
This catalogue appeared at Berlin during his embassy in 1784,
and, like the three supplements to it subsequently printed, was
restricted to private circulation. Ten years later it was published
with additions.
If it be true that Reviczky’s health was already failing him
when he sold his library to Lord Spencer, he gave an unusual
instance of disinterestedness in the conditions upon which he
insisted. He stipulated for £1,000 down, and an annuity of
£500. The bargain was made in 1790, and in August, 1793,
the Count died at Vienna, so that, for the moderate sum of
£2,500, Lord Spencer acquired the collection of books which was
to determine the character of the Althorp Library.
One of Count Reviczky’s peculiarities as a collector was an
abhorrence of books with manuscript notes, no matter how illustri-
ous the hand from which they came. To hima “liber notatus
manu Scaligeri” excited the same repugnance which he would
have shown to the scribblings of a schoolboy on the fair margins
of a vellum Aldine. What he prized in a fine book was the
freshness and purity which show that the copy is still in the
condition in which it left the printer. A copy on vellum had
a great attraction for him, and he was not insensible to the
T3
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
charms of a “large paper” copy, or of a copy in the original
binding.
Lord Spencer was by no means so intolerant of manuscript
notes as was Reviczky, but he shared his appreciation of the
external beauties of a choice book with a just and keen estimate
of its intrinsic merits. And the almost unrivalled condition of
many of his later acquisitions make them quite worthy to occupy
the same shelves with the cherished volumes of Count Reviczky.
matt The accession of Count Reviczky’s books was an
ASA’ — epoch-making event in the history of the Althorp
COMECTOR: Library. It gave direction to Lord Spencer's taste ,
in collecting, and at once placed his library amongst the most
important private collections of the time. From this time onward,
for something like forty years, Lord Spencer is said to have
haunted the sale-rooms and booksellers’ shops, not only in this
country but throughout Europe, in his eagerness to enrich his
already famous collection with whatever was fine and rare—even
to the purchase of duplicates in order to exercise the choice of
copies. In this way he purchased in 1813 the entire library of
Mr. Sitanesby Alchorne, so that he might improve his collection
of early English books by the addition of some specimens of the
presses of William Caxton and Wynkyn de Worde, and in some
cases by the substitution of copies of the productions of these
printers which were better than those he had previously possessed.
After the few advantageous exchanges and the few additions to
the Althorp collection already referred to, the bulk of the Al-
chorne books were sent to Evans, for sale by auction, in the same
year in which they had been purchased. Some idea of the rapid
growth of the Althorp Library may be formed, when it is pointed
out that this was Lord Spencer’s fourth sale of duplicates.
Thus, by liberal dealings with booksellers, and by spirited
competition at the sales, Lord Spencer continued to enrich his
collection. There was yet another way in which he added to the
riches of his collection: if the guardians of a public or of a semi-
public library were of opinion that they better discharged their
14
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
duty, as trustees, by parting with some exceedingly rare, but in
their present home, unused books, and by applying the proceeds
to the acquisition of other much needed works of modern dates, he
was willing to acquire the rarities at the full market value, and so
supply the means of multiplying the desired books of reference
and of reading. Three of the rarest of the Spencer Caxtons were
obtained in this way, and in writing to Dr. Dibdin in 1811, when
the transaction was completed, Lord Spencer speaks of it as ‘a
‘
great piece of black letter fortune,” and as “a proud day for the
library”. The authorities from whom the purchase was made
also thought it a proud day for their library when between 400
and 500 well-chosen volumes took the place of the dingy little
folios which had made Lord Spencer’s eyes to glisten and his
pulse to beat faster as he tenderly yet covetously turned over their
leaves.
Another and still more striking instance of Lord Spencer's
bold yet successful attempts to enrich the Althorp collection is
of sufficient interest to be recorded here. Among the many
attractions of the Royal Library at Stuttgart were two editions of
Vergil, so rare as to be almost priceless. One was the second of
the editions printed in Rome by Sweynheym and Pannartz in 1471 ;
the other was an undated edition, printed at Venice, probably
in the same year, by the printer ‘“‘ Adam” of Ammergau. Lord
' Spencer coveted these volumes, and commissioned Dr. Dibdin to
go to Stuttgart in quest of them, despite their royal ownership.
After many conferences with the librarian of the King of Wirtem-
berg, the scheme was submitted to the King, and Dibdin was
received in audience, when he dwelt adroitly upon the magnificence
of the Stuttgart Library in theology and its comparative insignifi-
‘cance in classics, as affording a reason why a judicious exchange,
which should give the means of supplying what was still lacking
in the former class at the mere cost of a couple of Vergils, would
"strengthen his Majesty’s library rather than weaken it. ‘The King
gave his assent, provided the details of the exchange were made
satisfactory to his librarian. The terms were settled, and Dibdin
TS
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
bore off the volumes in triumph to Althorp, where they swelled
the number of distinct editions of Vergil printed prior to the year
1476 to the number of fifteen.
In 1819 Lord Spencer made 7 bibliographical tour of the
Continent, one of the special objects of which was the perfecting of
his fine series of the productions of the first Italian press of Sweyn-
heym and Pannartz. He experienced some difficulty in finding
the Martial of 1473, but at last succeeded, and so carried his
number of works from that famous press to thirty-two. The most
notable event of the tour was the acquisition of the entire library
of the Duke of Cassano-Serra, a Neapolitan who had trodden
much the path of Reviczky, with special attention to the early
productions of the presses of Naples and Sicily. As early as
1807 the owner had printed a catalogue of the fifteenth-century
books in this collection. The three books in the collection that —
had special attractions in Lord Spencer’s eyes were an unique
edition of Horace, printed by Arnoldus de Bruxella at Naples in
1474, an undated Juvenal, printed by Ulrich Han at Rome before
1470, and an Aldine Petrarch of 1501, on vellum, with the
manuscript notes of Cardinal Bembo. Could he have obtained
these three volumes, there is reason to believe he would have been
willing to forgo the rest of the Cassano Library, fine as it was,
but the fates decreed otherwise.
So thoroughly did Lord Spencer know his own collection that
while he was at Naples he made a list of the principal duplicates
which the Cassano acquisition would cause. A\ll these were sold _
in 1821, to the enrichment of the Grenville, Sussex, Heber and
Bodleian Libraries, as well as of many minor collections.
In the course of his tour Lord Spencer visited the principal
libraries, both public and private, that came in his path, and in
correspondence with Dibdin he dwelt with particular satisfaction
on the choice books he had met with in the collections of Counts
Melzi and d’Elci. But he had now little to covet. From the
Remondini collection he had obtained some fine Aldines, and he
had made many occasional purchases, some of which improved
16
|
7. THE EARLY PRINTED BOOK ROOM
PO foery fd
4
>
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
his library without increasing it. To make a fine but imperfect
book complete, he would not hesitate to buy two other imperfect
copies. And if fortune put it in his power to benefit the collection
of a friend, as well as to improve his own, his pleasure was in-
creased. He never cherished the selfish delight of some eminent
collectors in putting two identical copies of an extremely rare
book on his own shelves, expressly in order that neither of them
should fill a gap in the choice library of another collector.
_ Thanks, therefore, to the scholarly instincts possessed by Count
Reviczky and by Earl Spencer, and to the munificence of Mrs.
Rylands, Manchester is now in proud possession of a library
which in many respects is unrivalled. It is not too much to say
that seldom if ever before has there been brought together a col-
lection of books illustrating so completely as this does the origin
and development of the art of printing. There are larger collec-
tions, it is true, but in point of condition the collection in the John
Rylands Library is peerless, for, as we have already remarked,
Earl Spencer was not satisfied merely to have copies of the best
books, he was intent upon having the finest copies procurable of
the best books.
Be a ery Turning now to the brief survey of the contents of
pRINT ED the library one of the most noteworthy features is its
ie unrivalled collection of books printed before the year
1501, numbering upwards of 2,500 volumes. ‘These books have
been arranged upon the shelves of the room specially constructed
for their accommodation in accordance with what Henry Bradshaw
described as the ‘“‘natural history method,’ the arrangement
adopted by Mr. Proctor in his “Index to the Early Printed Books
in the British Museum”. By this method of arrangement it is
ssible to show upon the shelves the direction which the art of
printing took in the course of its progress and development.
Commencing with the specimens of block-printing—the im-
mediate precursors of the type-printed book, the stepping-stones
io that remarkable development in the methods of transmitting
knowledge which took place in the middle of the fifteenth century
wy 17 2
{
¥
\
‘
y)
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
with the invention of the printing press, and which furnishes one of
the most fascinating chapters in the history of the evolution of books
—-the first object of interest is the famous block-print of “St.
Christopher,” bearing an inscription of two lines, and the date
1423. This, the earliest known piece of printing to which a date
is attached, and of which no other copy is known, is alone sufficient
to make the library famous. The print has been coloured by hand,
and is pasted on the inside of the right-hand border of the binding
of a manuscript entitled ‘‘Laus Virginis,”’ written in 1417 in the
Carthusian Monastery of Buxheim, near Memmingen, Swabia,
where the volume was carefully preserved until towards the end of
the eighteenth century. These religious prints, consisting of out-
lines of figures of saints, copied no doubt from the illuminated
manuscripts, were printed wholly from engraved blocks or slabs
of wood, upon which not only the pictorial matter, but any letter-
press was carved in relief. ‘The manner of printing was peculiar,
since the earliest examples were produced before the printing
press was introduced. It may be described as follows: The block
was thinly inked over, and a sheet of damped paper was then laid
upon it, and carefully rubbed with a dabber or burnisher. From
the single leaf prints to the block books was the next step in the
development. The block books were made up from single sheets,
printed only on one side of the paper, and then, in most cases,
pasted back to back and made up into books. The reason for
printing the sheets only on one side is obvious when the manner of
printing is recalled. To have turned the sheet to receive a second
print would have resulted in the smearing of the first, by reason
of the friction necessary to secure the second impression. Four-
teen of these block books are preserved in the library, of which
nine may be assigned conjecturally to the period between 1430
and 1450, while the others are of a somewhat later date. There
are two editions of the ‘‘ Apocalypsis S. Joannis,” two editions of
the “Ars Moriendi,” two editions of the ‘‘ Speculum humanee
salvationis,” two editions of the “Biblia pauperum,” the “Ars
memorandi,” the ‘Historia Virginis ex cantico canticorum,”
18 |
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9.54. PAGE OF THE “BIBLIA PAUPERUM ”
Circa 1450.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
** Die Enndkrist,” “ Die fiinfzehn Zaichen kimen vor dem hingsten
Tag,” the ‘‘ Mirabilia urbis romee,” and “ Die Kunst Ciromantia ”’.
The library also possesses one of the original wooden blocks from
which the second leaf of an edition of the “‘ Apocalypsis S. Joannis ””
was printed, about 1450.
Coming to the productions of the press by means of movable
types, we find the arrangement to be first by country, then by
towns in the order in which they established presses, then by
presses or printers in the order of their establishment, and finally
a chronological arrangement of the works in the order in which
they came from the respective presses, as nearly as can be deter-
mined.
Claims to the honour of having first made use of separate
letters for printing in the Western world have been put forward
in favour of Germany, France and Holland. It is true that from
contemporary documents it appears that experiments of some kind
were made at Avignon as early as 1444, and there are refer-
ences to other experiments at about the same date in Holland,
which have been connected with the name of Coster of Haarlem.
But the only country which is able to produce specimens in support
of her claim is Germany, although the last word in this controversy
has not yet been said.
Commencing then with Germany, and assuming that the first
_ press was set up at Mainz, we have of the earliest printed docu-
_ ments to which can be assigned a place or date—the “ Letters of
Indulgence,” granted by Pope Nicolas V. in 1452 through
_ Paulinus Chappe, Proctor-General of the King of Cyprus, and
re ae oe
conferring privileges on all Christians contributing to the cost of
the war against the Turks. The earliest was printed in 1454,
the other before the end of 1455. Then follow the two splendid
Latin Bibles, one with thirty-six lines to a column, sometimes re-
ferred to as the ‘‘ Bamberg Bible,” because the type in which it
is printed was afterwards employed by a printer of Bamberg,
named Albrecht Pfister; the other, with forty-two lines to a
column, commonly referred to as the “‘ Mazarin Bible,” from the
19
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
accident of the copy in the library of Cardinal Mazarin, at Paris,
being the first to attract attention. Whether these two Bibles
were printed at one and the same press, or at different printing
offices, is a subject of controversy. By some authorities it is thought
that the first-named was commenced about 1448, but was not com-
pleted until about 1461, whilst the other was commenced in 1450,
and completed some time before August, 1456. That Gutenberg |
was the printer of one of the Bibles, if not of both, is generally con-
ceded, although his name is not found in any piece of printing
which has been attributed to him. Unfortunately it is only by the
aid of conjecture that we are able to link together the few facts we
possess concerning the early presses at Mainz. It seems probable,
however, that Gutenberg was ruined at the very moment of success
through an action, brought against; him by Johann Fust, for the re-
_ payment of loans advanced to him for the purpose of carrying out
his projects.
The earliest book to contain particulars of the name of its
printers, and the date and place of printing was the “ Psalmorum
Codex” or “« Mainz Psalter,” of which there issues seem to have
been printed in 1457 at Mainz by Johann Fust and Peter Schceffer.
Peter Schoeffer had been an illuminator, and to his influence has
been ascribed the beautiful initials, printed in two colours, with
which the book is embellished. Of this majestic folio the library
is in proud possession of the only known perfect copy of the first
issue. Side by side with it stands a copy of the second Psalter,
printed in 1459, also like the first on vellum; and a copy of the
third Psalter on paper, printed by Peter Schoeffer alone in 1490.
Of the productions of the press or presses at Mainz with which
the names of the three printers, Gutenberg, Fust and Schoeffer,
are associated, the library possesses no fewer than fifty examples,
several of which are the only copies of which there is any record,
notably, the German edition of the “ Bul zu dutsch . . . der babst
Pius II.,”’ printed in 1463 or 1464, which is distinguished as being
the first printed book in which a title-page was employed.
From Mainz the art of printing migrated to Strassburg, a city
20
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mut {up mera Ft fact fuifpe 2 mane
Diks quitus, Hiri quays deus. Pro-
Ducae revva atam wiuence in gene fuo-
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betias rare iuxta [perits fras-inme-
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uidit deus sp eller bowt-ec air. fracia-
mus hot ad pmagine + fitteubing
nobra-3 prefie piftibs marie-r vola-
rilibs rei + bettiys unitifen; rore-omig;
repeili qd mouctur trea. Mt ecaute
Dag hota ad pmagine + itieupine
{ud-ad pimagine do meauit illii-ma-
fault + fraud neste cog, Houedigic-
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mini ¢ replereeoea-tt [hiteiee £4-er Dita-
mnt pifabs maris-e volarilibs eei-
euiuedis aimMabs que mount
{up ma. Dizi; ae? Lec oedivoby
pint hich afferanee fener frp rea-
rroniiifa iqna que hic in feaueripie
femenre gears fir fine uobis i eta
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10. A PAGE OF THE FIRST PRINTED BIBLE
(Mainz, 1456 2]
7 >
_ ‘ : 7 - ®
' 7
of ¥ 4
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
where Gutenberg appears to have made experiments as early as
1439, and where in, or before, 1460, Johann Mentelin had printed
another great Latin Bible, a copy of which is to be found in the
library. It also found its way to Bamberg, to Cologne, where
Ulrich Zel, the disciple of Schceffer, was the first printer, to
Augsburg, to Nuremberg, to Speier, to Ulm, and to forty-three
other towns in Germany, where printing was carried on during the
latter part of the fifteenth century by not fewer than 215 printers.
By means of the examples of the various presses to be found on
the shelves of the room, it is possible to follow the art step by step
in its progress through Germany. Of the works printed by Pfister
at Bamberg, the printer who employed the same type as that found
in the thirty-six line Bible, only four books and part of a fifth are
known to exist in this country, all of which are in Manchester.
Though the printing press was born in Germany, the full
flower of its development was first reached in Italy, at that time
the home of scholarship. The first printers of Italy were two
migrant Germans—Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz—
who set up their press in the Benedictine Monastery of Saint
Scholastica, at Subiaco, some twenty miles from Rome, where
many of the inmates were Germans. Here, between 1465 and
1467, they printed four books. In the latter year they removed
from Subiaco into Rome, where a compatriot, Ulrich Han, was
also just beginning to work. Han’s first production was “‘ Medi-
tationes seu contemplationes,” of Turrecremata, the first illustrated
book to be printed in Italy, of which the only known perfect copy
is in this room. Of the works printed by Sweynheym and Pan-
nartz, and enumerated in their famous catalogue of 1472, the library
contains copies of every one save the “Donatus,” of which not
even a fragment is known to have survived of the 300 copies there
recorded to have been printed.
The progress of the art in Italy between 1465 and 1500 was
quite phenomenal. In 1469 John of Speier began to work in
Venice. He was followed by Wendelin of Speier, and in 1470
by a Frenchman named Nicolas Jenson, whose beautiful roman
21
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
type has never been surpassed and seldom equalled. Within the
next five years printing was introduced into most of the chief towns
of Italy, and before the end of the century presses had been
established in seventy-three towns. In Venice alone not fewer
than 151 presses had been started, and something approaching
2,000,000 volumes had been printed before the close of the
fifteenth century—an output which exceeded the total of all the
other Italian towns put together. These presses are well repre-
sented in the John Rylands collection, and it is possible in most
cases to exhibit the first work produced by the printers. Of one
specimen of early Venetian printing mention may be made; it is
the first edition of ‘Il Decamerone” of Boccaccio, printed by
Valdarfer in 1471. It is the only perfect copy extant, the rarity
of which is attributed to its having formed part of an edition
committed to the flames by the Florentines through the teaching
of Savonarola. Of the early productions of the Neapolitan
presses the library possesses many examples, several of which are
the only known copies. The printers of Basle are well repre-
sented, as also are the printers of Paris, Lyons, and the other
centres of printing in France and Holland and Belgium. The
library possesses a very fine copy of the “ Epistole ” of Gasparinus
Barzizius, the first book printed in France by the three Germans,
Gering, Krantz and F riburger, who, in 1470, at the invitation of
two of the professors of the Sorbonne, in Paris, set up a press
within the precincts of the college.
Turning to the shelves devoted to England, we find that of
genuine Caxtons the library possesses sixty examples, of which
thirty-six are perfect, and three are “unique”. The unique
copies are: ‘“ The Four Sons of Aymon, Blanchardyn and Eglan-
tyne,” and the broadside, “Death Bed Prayers”. It was in
assisting Colard Mansion to print “‘ The Recuyell of the Histories
of Troye,” which Caxton had himself translated from the French
of Raoul le Févre, that he learned the art of printing, as he tells
us in his beautifully quaint epilogue to that work. The volume :
appeared in or about the year 1475, and was followed by “ The :
22 '
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we Hurqh He gdrpous felpe of hp Sleffyd, morr of merep ore
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tke holy Hdy of Cpt Beef & mp faluacoy of fody and fouls
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BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Game and Playe of the Chesse,” which for many years was re~
garded as the earlier of the two, and also as the first book printed
at Westminster. In 1476 Caxton returned to England from the
Low Countries, probably in consequence of the disastrous defeat
of Charles the Bold by the Swiss in July of thatiyear. He set up
“his press at Westminster within the precincts of the Abbey, and
*n the autumn of 1477 he published “The Dictes or Sayengis of
the Philosophres,” the first book to be printed in England. From
that year until the time of his death, in 1491, his press was never
idle. Including the broadsides and new editions of certain works,
his publications at Bruges and in England number about 100, in
the printing of which eight different founts of type were employed.
In addition to the works already enumerated, the library possesses
of the rarer of the Caxtons one of the two only known copies of
each of: “ Malory’s Morte d’ Arthur,” the “‘ Advertisement of pyes
of two and three comemoracios of salisburi use,” “‘ The Curial of
| Alayn Charetier,” and the “ Propositio Johannis Russell,” with
others less rare to the number, as already stated, of sixty.
Of the works printed by Wynkyn de Worde, Lettou, Mach-
linia, Pynson, Julian Notary, and the Schoolmaster printer of St.
Albans, the library possesses many examples, a fair proportion
of which are believed to be unique. Of the early Oxford books
there are nine, including the ‘“‘ Exposicio Sancti leronimi-in simbolo
apostolorum ” of Rufinus, with the date M.CCCC.LXVIIL, a mis-
print for 1478, which, in consequence, has been put forward from
time to time as the first book printed in England.
These are a few of the monuments of early printing which,
to the number of 2,500, three-fourths of which were printed
before 1480, are to be found upon the shelves of the Early
Printed Book Room. The majority of them are remarkable for
their excellent state of preservation.
Another noteworthy feature of the library is the
collection of books printed at the famous Venetian
press, founded by Aldus ‘1 or about the year 1494. The collec-
23
THE ALDINE
ROO
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
tion is considered to be the largest ever brought together, num-
bering as it does upwards of 800 volumes. These have been
arranged, like the ‘‘Incunabula,” in a room specially constructed
for their accommodation. It is fitting that Aldus Manutius, or, as
he afterwards styled himself, “ Aldus Pius Manutius Romanus,”
should be thus honoured, for few men in his own, or indeed in
any, age have done more for the spread of knowledge than this ;
scholar-printer of Venice. His earliest aim seems to have been to
rescue the masterpieces of Greek literature from the destruction
ever impending over a few scattered manuscripts. The master-
pieces of Latinity had, for the most part, been exhausted by his
predecessors, and it was natural that some scholar and printer
should turn his attention to the wide field offered by the Greek
classics. Ass yet no one had seriously undertaken the task. In
six cities only had Greek books been issued, at Brescia in 1474,
at Vicenza in 1475 or 1476, at Milan in 1476, at Parma in 1481
at Venice in 1484 and 1486, and at Florence in 1488. Only
one great Greek classic, ‘‘ Homer,”’ had been issued from the
press when Aldus began to print. There was, therefore, an
abundant field for Aldus to occupy, and to prove how well he
occupied it it is only necessary to say that when he ceased his
work Aristotle, Plato, Thucydides, Aristophanes, Euripides,
Sophocles, Homer, Demosthenes, fEsop, Plutarch and Pindar
had been given to the world, most of them for the first time. But
to carry out his scheme he required ready access to manuscripts,
and this, in all probability, was the consideration that induced
him to settle at Venice. Venice, free, enlightened, already the
great centre of printing, the repository of unpublished manuscripts,
and the home of the refugee Greek scholars who would be capable
of assisting Aldus in his enterprise, would naturally appear to him
the place most suitable for the establishment of his press, and so
from Venice proceeded that stream of Aldine editions which have
always been prized by book-lovers,
The first productions of Aldus were the ‘“Erotemata” of
Laskaris, the “Galeomyomachia,” and “ Muse opusculum de
24
P.V.MMANTVANIBV |
: COLICORVM
TEETER V S.
Y Melibaus-Tityrus-
Iryre tu patulerecnbasfub Me,
te gine fage
§ Stlucftrem tenuimufam meditaris
wap THEN»
‘gd Nos patriz fines,et dulaa linqui
| MMs aruda,
| © Meliboce,deus nobis hac ocia feat: Tie
N ang eritillemihi femper deus,illins aram
| S cepe tener noftris ab ouilibus imbuet agnus.
7 I Ue meas errarebowes,ut cernis,ct ipfum
_| Ludere,quae nellem,ctlamo permifit agrefh.
‘Nonequideminuideo,mnror mais wndigstotis Me.
4 V {queadeo turbatur agris-eni ple etpellas
2) DP rotimes ager ago,hanc etiam nix Tityre duce
Ai” )\ Hic mter denfas orylos modo nang: gemellos,
FIRS) S pem greges ahfilicein med. connix.a reliquits
a | S epemalumboc nobis,fi mens non lena fuffe,
Deceelo tects menuni predicre querns.
S apefiniftractua predixit ab ilice cornix.
gy S edtamen,ifte deus quifit,da Tityre nobis.
Gv rbem,quam dicint Romam,Meliboce putui Ti. y
S tulus egohuicno fire fin lem,quofepe folemus
\ }
tu re 7
* 4
13. A PAGE OF THE “ALDINE VERGIL,” 1501
ee)
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Herone et Leandro,” all of which appeared in 1495. In the
same year he issued the first volume of the folio edition of Aristotle,
the work with which he inaugurated his great series of the Greek
classics. In 1502 the ‘‘ Tragoedize” of Sophocles appeared, fol-
lowed in 1518 by the first printed ‘‘ Greek Bible,” of which
Aldus was himself the projector and chief editor, though he did
not live to see it completed, and in 1525 by the “ editio princeps ”
of Galen. Aldus did not confine his attention to the Greek
classics, though the achievements of his Latin press are not so
distinguished as those of his Greek press. The year 1501 marks
a real innovation in the art of typography which Aldus effected.
The famous italic type which he first employed in the “ Vergil”’
of 1501 is said to be a close copy of the handwriting of Petrarch.
It was cut for the printer by Francesco Raibolini, and it is so fine
and close as to be ill-suited to the large page of the folio or
guarto. Accordingly, Aldus began to make up his sheets into a
size that could easily be held in the hand and readily carried in
the pocket. This new type allowed him to compress into the
small dainty format, by which the press of Aldus is best re-
membered, as much matter as the purchaser could heretofore buy
in a large folio. The public welcomed the innovation, which not
only meant reduction in size, but considerable reduction in price.
The result was a wide diffusion of books and the popularisation of
knowledge at which Aldus aimed. The ‘“ Vergil”’ of 1501 was
followed in the same year by ‘“‘ Horace,” and “Petrarch.” It is
perhaps of interest to remark that the three earliest books to be
printed in the type said to have been copied from the handwriting
of Petrarch were the two favourite authors of Petrarch, Vergil
and Horace, and his own sonnets. In 1499 Aldus published the
most famous of Venetian illustrated books, the ‘‘ Hypnerotomachia
Poliphili,” the wood engravings of which are supposed to have
been designed by Giovanni Bellini.
After the death of Aldus, which occurred in 1516, the busi-
ness of the press was carried on by his father-in-law, Andrea
Torresano of Asola, and his two sons, by Paolo Manuzio, the son
25
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
of Aldus, whose enthusiasm for Latin classics equalled that of his
father for Greek, and by Aldus Junior, the son of Paolo and the
grandson of Aldus. In this way the printing establishment founded
by Aldus continued in active operation until 1597, a period of
102 years. | |
In addition to the collection of genuine Aldines which the
library possesses, many of which are printed on vellum, whilst
many others are large paper copies, there are a considerable
number of counterfeit Aldines. The fame of the Aldine italic
must have spread over Europe with extraordinary rapidity, for in
the same year that Aldus issued his “ Vergil ” (1501) a forgery of
it was published in Lyons. Aldus complained bitterly of the
constant forgeries to which his works were subjected, and by
means of public advertisement warned his customers how they
might distinguish the forgeries from the genuine Venetian editions.
Upwards of 100 of these forgeries are shelved by the side of the
genuine copies.
THE BIBLE Not less remarkable than the “Incunabula” and
a the “‘ Aldines ” are the Bibles that have been brought
together in the Bible Room, comprising, as they do, copies of all
the earliest and most famous texts and versions, together with the
later revisions and translations, from the Mainz edition of the
Latin Vulgate of 1455 to the Doves Press edition of the Author-
ised Version, which was completed in 1905. Indeed, the Bible
collection may be looked upon as the complement of the other
collections, since, between the printing of the first and the last
Bibles—an interval of four centuries anda half—it shows the pro-
gress and comparative development of the art of printing in a
manner that no other single book can.
As the art of printing made its way across Europe, the Bible
was generally the first, or one of the first, books to be printed by
many of the early printers. Some half-dozen folio editions of the
Bible in Latin and in German, and two great Latin Psalters had
26
hii.
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14. THE BIBLE ROOM
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BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
appeared in type before a single volume of the classics had been
dealt with in a similar way.
The earliest printed Bibles were of the Latin Vulgate. Of
this version alone upwards of 100 editions had appeared before
the close of the fifteenth century. The most important of these
editions, to the number of seventy, are to be found in the Bible
Room. There are the two first printed Mainz editions, with which
the name of Gutenberg is associated ; the first Strassburg edition,
printed by Mentelin between 1459 and 1460; the first dated Bible,
printed by Schoeffer at Mainz in 1462, and on vellum; the three
editions printed by Eggesteyn at Strassburg in 1466; the Bible
printed by the “ R”’ printer, probably at Strassburg, in 1467 ;
the first Bible printed at Rome by Sweynheym and Pannartz in
1471; the first quarto edition printed by John Peter de Ferratis
at Piacenza in 1475; the first edition printed in Paris, by Gering,
Krantz and Friburger, in 1476; three editions printed in 1476
by Moravus of Naples, Jenson of Venice, and Hailbrun of
Venice, respectively, all of which are on vellum; the first octavo
edition printed by Froben of Basle in 1491; and the most im-
portant of the editions of the sixteenth and later centuries.
The collection also includes the four great Polyglots printed
at Alcala (Complutum), Antwerp, Paris, and London. The
« Antwerp Polyglot” is De Thou’s large-paper copy, bearing
his arms, whilst the ‘‘ London Polygot,”’ also a large-paper copy,
bears on its binding the arms of Nicholas Lambert de Thorigny.
The Greek texts comprise the Aldine editio princeps of the
Septuagint of 1518, the six editions of the Erasmian Testament
of 1516 to 1542, facsimiles of the principal codices, and a group
of the finest and most valuable editions, from that of Strassburg
of 1524-26 downto the revised text of Westcott and Hort, issued
in 1881.
Of the Hebrew texts there are: the Soncino printed portions
of 1485, the Bologna Psalter of 1477, and the Pentateuch of
1482, the Naples edition of 1491, the Brescia edition of 1494,
27
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY. —
and a long series of successive editions down to and including
the current editions of Ginsburg and Kittel.
The translations into German include seven editions printed
before 1484, the rare first New Testaments of Luther, issued in
September, and December, 1522, and his incomplete Bible of
1524, printed on vellum.
In French there are, among others: the Lyons editions of
1475 and 1500, Vérard’s Paris edition of 15] 7, three editions of
Olivetan’s translation, of which the first is of 1535, and Calvin's
revision of the same, printed at Geneva in 1565. |
In Italian there are: the first edition printed at Venice in
1471 by Wendelin of Speier from the version of N. di Malherbi,
and another Venetian edition of the same year, containing six en-
gravings illustrating the story of the creation, which are found in.
no other copy, besides a number of other rare editions.
Of the other older translations there are: the Icelandic of
1584, the Danish of 1550, the Basque of 1571, the Bohemian of -
1506, the Dutch of 1528, the Scottish Gaelic of 1690, the New |
England Virginian of John Eliot of 1661-63 and 1680-85, the -
Polish of 1563, the Slavonic of 1581, the Spanish New Testament
of 1543, the Spanish Bible of 1553, one of the few known complete —
copies of Salesbury’s Welsh New Testament of 1567, Morgan’s —
Welsh Bible of 1588, the Manx Bible of 1771-73, the Chinese ©
Bible printed at the Serampore Mission Press in 1815-22, which
preceded the translation of Dr. Morrison, and others too numer- _
ous to be specifically mentioned. Before turning to the English
Bibles it is perhaps of interest to remark that in the Psalter of —
Giustiniani in five languages, printed at Genoa in 1516, is to be —
found, in a long Latin note on the nineteenth psalm, the first life of
Columbus, in which are given some important particulars of his _
second voyage along the coast of Cuba.
That brings us to the English section, which fully illustrates
the history of the English Bible from Wiclif to the present day.
It is a matter of surprise to most people when they learn for —
the first time that the presses of Caxton and of his successors had _
28
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September, 1522
A PAGE OF LUTHER’S FIRST NEW TESTAMENT
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EARLY WICLIFITE NEW TESTAMENT
MANUSCRIPT, ABOUT 1400
Se eS
il BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
: been in operation nearly fifty years before a single chapter of the
Bible, as such, had appeared in print in the English language.
It is true that Caxton, in his English version of the “Golden
_ Legend,” had printed in 1483 nearly the whole of the Pentateuch
and a great part of the Gospels, under the guise of lives of Adam,
' Abraham, Moses, the Apostles and others, and that in the same
year, in “ The Festival” of John Mirk, he printed some Scripture
_ paraphrases, but they are all mingled with so much medieval
gloss that, though they may have been read in the churches, they
" were never recognised as the Holy Scriptures. They were, how-
"ever, the nearest approaches that the English people made to a
_ printed Bible in their own tongue until the year 1525.
' It is also true that many copies of the Bible and of the New
- Testament, translated into English by Wiclif and his followers,
were scattered throughout the country in manuscript,’ and had
given educated people and persons of quality a taste for the volume
of Holy Writ. But such was the attitude of the Church of that
_ day towards the circulation of the Bible in the language of the
_ country, when it was declared to be a dangerous thing to place
the Bible in the hands of the common people, that Caxton adopted
a prudent, business-like course, and printed only such books as
_ were likely to be allowed to circulate in peace.
! It was not until 1523 that any serious attempt was made to
" give to the people of England the printed Bible in their own
' tongue. In that year William Tindale, under the influence of
' reflections growing out of circumstances of his life at Oxford,
' Cambridge, and Little Sodbury, contemplated the translation of
the New Testament into English, as the noblest service he could
render to his country. Happening one day to be in controversy
with one of the reputed learned divines of his day, he was led to
_ give utterance to the declaration with which his name will ever be
) associated: “*. . . Jf God spare my life, ere many years yi
will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the
i Scriptures than thou dost > — He went to London in the hope of
Nr 1 A dozen such manuscript copies are in the library.
29
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
)
finding a sympathetic patron in the person of the Bishop of London
(Cuthbert Tonstall), under whose protection he might carry out hig
project. He was forced, however, slowly to the conclusion that
not in England, but amid the dangers and privations of exile
should the English Bible be produced. After a short residence
in London he crossed to Hamburg, there completed his translation
of the New Testament from the original Greek, probably with the
aid of Erasmus’s Latin version of 1518, and Luther’s German
version of 1522. He then proceeded to Cologne to arrange for
the printing, probably at the press of Peter Quentell. The work
had not proceeded far when the Senate of Cologne were per-
suaded to issue an order prohibiting the printing. Before the
order could be carried into effect Tindale took flight to Worms, —
where the enthusiasm for Luther was at its height, providing him >
with a safe retreat. Once at Worms, the work commenced and
interrupted at Cologne was continued and finished. We have
no evidence that the edition commenced at Cologne was ever
completed. If it were, as some writers contend, then another
edition in octavo must have been simultaneously issued, and large
consignments were without delay smuggled into England. This _
“invasion of England by the Word of God,” which Cardinal _
Wolsey did everything in his power to prevent, commenced early
in the year 1526, probably in the month of March. In that same —
year the Testament was publicly and vigorously denounced by |
Bishop Tonstall at Paul’s Cross and burned. It was publicly |
burned a second time in May, 1530.
So rigorously was the suppression of this first “ New Testa-
ment” carried out that only one small fragment of the Cologne
quarto edition, and two imperfect copies of the Worms edition jn
octavo, have survived. The former is preserved in the British
Museum, one of the latter is in St. Paul’s Cathedral Library,
whilst the other is in the Baptist College at Bristol. We have,
perforce, to be content with a facsimile of the Bristol copy on
vellum, the more perfect of the two octavos, made by Francis
Fry, and a facsimile of the quarto fragment by Professor Arber.
30
—
ee
KXXV. Chapter.
apo his face. But whéhe went before the Lor
de to {peak with him,he toke the couerige of
| vntill he came out.And he came out and {pase
ann hy Prove 4 Ke vito the childern of Ifrael that which he
spatcae he 18 yas commaunded. And the childern of Ifrael
» “mor commae
ried. faethe face of Mofes,that the fixynne of his
face fhone with beames: but Mofes put a cos
uerynge vppon his face, vntill he went in, to
comen teith him.
The.xxxv.Chapter.
| Nd Mofes gathered all the companye
mY. of the childern of Ifrael together, and
fayde vnto them: thefeare the thinges tehich
the Lorde hath commaunded to doo : Sixe
dayes ye fhall worke,but the feuenth daye fhal
be vnto you the holy Sabbath of the Lordes
reft:{o that whofoeuer doth any worke there
in,thall dye. Moreouer ye fhall kyndle no fyre
thorow out all youre habitacyons apo the Sab
bath daye. .
And Mofes fpake onto all the multitude
of the childern of Ifrael fainge:this is the thin
ge which the Lorde cmatided faynge:Geue
frd amdge you an heueoffringe, onto theLore
de. All thatt are willynge in their hartes, fhall
bryngcheueoffringes vnto the Lorde:golde,
fyluer,braffe:Tacynéte,{carlet,purpull,bylfe ad
~-gootes hare:tams fkynnes red and taxus fkyn
ew nes and
17. A PAGE OF TINDALE’S PENTATEUCH, 1530-34
* = hei a
Foe Sobe Bible thacyas
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M.D-XXXV.
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19) TITLE:-PAGE: OF THE “GREAT, BIBLE,” 1539
ay 2 e
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Conteyning the Old Tetta- i i) j
ment,and the New:
» a Newly Tranflated out of Aveps
the Originall Tongues:and with §N@
the former Tranflations diligently
i compared and reuifed, by his
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mandement,
© Appormtediobe read m (Churches,
qIMPRINTED
. at London by Robert
Barker, aR ae
Kings moft Excellent
Maieltic.
Anno Dom. 1611,
20. TITLE-PAGE OF THE FIRST EDITION OF THE
‘AUTHORISED VERSION,” 1611, OF THE
ENGLISH BIBLE
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BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
they had scribbled upon its margins their corrections, emendations
and conjectural readings. The famous Ravenna codex of Aris-
tophanes was actually used in this way.
The Ciceros include all the early editions of the “ Officia,”’
from that of Mainz, printed in 1465, to the Naples edition of
1479; six separate editions of ‘‘ De oratore” from 1465 to 1485;
five of the “‘Orationes,” anterior to 1474; ten of the ‘‘ Epistolz
ad familiares,” earlier than 1480; the ‘‘ Opera philosophica’’ of
1471; and several impressions of minor works of great rarity.
Of Horace there are eight editions prior to 1480, including the
‘rare first edition printed at Venice, probably in 1470. Of Ovid
there are the editions of Bologna of 1471, of Rome of 1471, of
Venice of 1474, of Parma of 1477, Vicenza of 1480, and
‘numerous early editions of the separate works, including the first
‘edition of ‘‘ De arte amandi,” printed at Augsburg in 1471, and
a copy of Churchyarde’s English translation of “ De Tristibus’” of
1578. Of Livy there are eight fifteen-century editions, including
the first, printed at Rome in 1469, and that of 1470. Of Pliny’s
‘Historia naturalis” there are seven editions before 1500, in-
cluding the first, printed at Venice by John of Spire in 1469, a
“magnificent copy on vellum of the Rome edition of 1470, and an
equally magnificent copy of Landino’s Italian translation, printed
“at Venice by Jenson in 1476. Indeed, with scarcely an excep-
‘tion, the collection contains not only the first, but the principal
“editions of such Latin authors as Czesar, Catullus, Quintus Cur-
tius, Lucan, Lucretius, Martial, Quintilian, Sallust, Seneca, Sue-
‘tonius, Tacitus, Terence. Of the Greek writers there are the
“only known copy of the first Greek text ever printed— an edition
‘of the ‘Batrachomyomachia,” printed at Brescia by Thomas
a errandus about 1474; the Florentine Homer of 1488; the Milan
“editions of Theocritus and Isocrates, both printed in 1493; the
“Milan FEsop of 1480; the Venetian Plautus of 1472, and the
long series of Aldines to which reference has been made already.
The later presses, such as those of Bodoni, Didot, and Baskerville
and the modern critical editions are also very fully represented,
33 3
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THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
together with all the facsimiles of the famous codices which have
been issued within the last few years.
THE Of the great masters of Italian literature the library
CLASSICS, possesses a considerable collection. The Dante section
alone numbers some 6,000 volumes, and is specially rich in early
editions of the ‘‘ Divina Commedia”. There are: three codices;
the three earliest printed editions of 1472, issued respectively at
Foligno, Jesi and Mantua; two copies of the Florentine edition of
1481, with Landino’s commentary, one of which contains the twenty:
engravings said to have been executed by Baldini in imitation of
Sandro Botticelli, and eight other editions of the fifteenth century ;
a large number of editions of the sixteenth and the succeeding
centuries, including the Aldine edition of 1502, on vellum, and a
large number of critical works. The collection of Boccaccio’s “Il
Decamerone”’ consists of eight fifteenth-century editions, including
the only known perfect copy of the “editio princeps,”’ printed
at Venice by Valdarfer in 1471, and along series of the sixteenth.
century and later editions. Of the other works of Boccaccio
there are many of the early and much prized editions. There is
a vellum copy of the French translation of “ De Mulieribus claris ”
printed by Vérard of Paris in 1493. Also the extremely rare
edition of the “ Teseide,”’ printed at Ferrara in 1475, and Pynson’s
two editions of the ‘‘ Fall of Princes,” translated by John Lidgate,
and printed in 1494 and 1527. Of the various works of Boccaccio’s
friend, Petrarch, there is an equally large number of early editions,
including the first edition printed at Venice in 1470, that rarest of
all editions printed by Laver of Rome in 1471, and eleven other.
editions printed before 1486. Of Ariosto there are twenty-five
editions of his “ Orlando furioso” anterior to 1585, including the
first edition of 1516 printed at Ferrara, the rare Venetian editions
of 1527 and 1530, the Ferrara edition of 1532—the last which
was edited by Ariosto himself, the Roman edition of 1543, and
the “‘ Giolito edition” of the same year. Many other names could
be mentioned, but these must suffice,
34
21. A PAGE OF THE
VMANA.COSA.E.LHAVER.
COMPASSION B.AGLAFFLICTI.
_ ecome cheadciafcuna pféa {tia bene:adcolora
maffimamenteeé richefto ; liquali gia hanno
diconforto haouto miftier1.& hinolotrouato
inalcuno,fra iquali fe alcuno mai nhebbe:ogli
— fu caro o gia nericiuette piaciere:lo fono una
cas memes) di quellipcio che dala mia prima giouanezza
in fino adquefto tempo: oltra modo effendo {tato accefo da altilfime
} & nobile amore fuorfe piu affai chelamia bafla céditione no parebbe,
narrandolo fo firichicde{Te: quatunque appo colora,che difcreti erino
&Kala cui notizia peruenne. lo nefuflilodato & damolro pit: reputate:
Non dimeno,mifu egli digrandiffima faticha ailoffrire : cette non
per crudelta deladonna amata: ma perfuperchio amore nela mente
conciepto dapocho regolato xppetito ilgaal,percio aniuno regolato,a
céuencuole termine milafcia cotenco {tare piu dinoia, che dibifogno
nocra {pele uolte fentire mifaceua. Nelaqual nota,tito refriggierio
miporfero ipracieuolt ragionamenti dalcuno amico,& le dilecteuoli
fue confolationi.che io porto fermiflima oppinione per quello effere
aducnuto, che non fia morto. Ma ficome adcolui piacque ilquale
effendo egli infinito,diede perlegge inconmutabile adtutte lecale
mondane havere fine : [mio amore oltre adognaltro feruéte, ¢ slquale
ninna forza diproponimento odiconfeglioyo diuergogna euldente,o
pericolo che {eguire ne poteile haucua polluto ne ropere nepieghare
per {emedefimo improcei[o dite po {idiminu1 inguifachefolo dife
nela méte miaalprefente ma la{ciato quel psacereche nfato diporgiere
adchi troppo no {imettelle nefuo1 piu cupt pelaghi nauicado: perche
douc faticofo effere foleua ogni aflanno, toglendomt dilecteuole mi
_ fento effere rimafu: Ma quantuque cieffata fia lapenaynon perctoe¢
lamemoria fuggita debeneficti gia recieuotidatimt dacholoro : dav
guali perbeninolenza daloroadme portata erano graut lemic fatiche:
nepaflerando mat ficomio credo fenon permorte : Et petcio,chela
gratitudine fectido chio credo fra laltre uirtu ¢ fomaméte dacomédar,
ct ilcontrario dabiafimare per non parer igratoo mecho fteflo,ppolto
dinon noler inquel pocho che pet me fipuo incambio dicto,cheto
ricienetti hora che libero dite mipoflo:& {e ndacolora cheme aiuta-
rono:Aiquali per aducntura perlor {enno.o per laloro buona uenuta
“VALDARFER BOCCACCIO,” 1471
N
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
THE ENGLISH Lhe department of English literature is remarkable
CLASSICS. for its richness. It is not possible to do more than
mention a few names, and therefore the extent of the collection
must not be estimated by the limited number of works to which
reference is made. Of Shakespeare there are two sets of the four
folios printed in 1623, 1632, 1664 and 1685 respectively. One
of the first folios is interesting as being the actual copy used by
Theobald in the preparation of his edition of the poet’s works,
which was issued in 1733. It was purchased by George Steevens
in 1754 for the modest sum of three guineas. Of even greater
interest than the first folio is the copy of ‘Mr. Shakespeare's
Sonnets,” printed in 1609, consequently during the lifetime of the
poet, upon the title-page of which is a contemporary mark in manu-
script, ‘5d.”. The copy of the edition of the plays edited by S.
Johnson and G. Steevens in 1793 is Steevens’ own copy, which he
himself enriched by the insertion of some thousands of engravings,
many of which are of extreme rarity. Chaucer, the father of
English poetry, is represented by all the earliest editions, com-
" mencing with that printed by Caxton in 1478. Gower’s ‘‘ Con-
" fessio Amantis” of 1483 is there, with Spenser’s “ Faerie Queene ”’
of 1590-96, and his very rare “ Amoretti and Epithalamion”’ of
1595; Milton’s “Paradise Lost” in six editions of 1667 to 1669 ;
_ two copies of each of his “Comus,” 1637, and his “ Lycidas,”’
1638: the ‘Poems: both English and Latin,” 1645, in two
issues; the first edition of Walton’s ‘‘ Compleat Angler,” 1653 ;
Bunyan’s “Pilgrim's Progress,” 1678; «Pilorim’s Progress”;
"second part, 1684; “The Holy War,” 1682; his first pub-
lished book—‘‘ Some Gospel Truths Opened,” 1656, and several
other works of the sturdy Puritan in the form in which they
i first made their appearance. Of “ Pierce Plowman” there is
“a vellum copy printed in 1550; Burton’s ‘‘ Anatomy of Melan-
i choly,” 1621 ; Drayton’s “ The Owle,”” 1604, and “ Polyolbion,””
1613; Ben Jonson’s “ Works,” 1616; Sir Thomas More's
~ “ Works,” 1557; his “Utopia,” 1551; the Earl of Surrey’s
_ *Songes and Sonettes,” 1567, and a long series of the original
35
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
editions of other great classics of England, including a large
number of the smaller pieces of Elizabethan literature. On the
modern side there is a remarkable collection of the original issues
of the works of Ruskin and Tennyson amongst others too numerous
to mention, together with the modern critical literature.
VOYAGES In the room known as ‘‘ The Map Room” there
TRAVELS. are a number of early maps and atlases, amongst which |
may be mentioned Saxton’s ‘“ Atlas of England and Wales,” of
1579, Blaeu’s ‘‘ Atlas Major,”’ 1662, in eleven volumes folio, and
a very extensive series of the early voyages and travels, including
such collections as Hakluyt, De Bry, Purchas, Smith, Cook,
Bougainville and Clark, together with the more modern works of
geographical science.
HISTORY. The student of history will find the library well
equipped in the matter of the great historical collections, such
as: Rymer, Rushworth, Montfaucon, Muratori, the ‘‘ Monumenta
Germaniz historica,’”” ‘‘ Le Recueil des historiens des Gaules,”’
‘Gallia Christiana,” ‘‘ Les Documents inédits sur l'histoire de
France,” ‘‘ Commission Royale d'histoire de Belgique,” ‘‘ Chron-
iken der deutschen Stidte,” the various ‘‘ Collections des mémoires
relatifs a l’histoire de France,” the Rolls Series of ‘ Chronicles
and Memorials,” and of the “Calendars of State Papers,” the
Reports of the “‘ Historical Manuscripts Commission,” the ‘‘ Acta
Sanctorum ”’ of the Bollandists, the collections of Wadding, Man-
rique, Holstenius-Brockie, the principal editions of the medieval
chroniclers, together with the publications of the most important
of the archeological and historical societies of Europe, and the —
principal historical periodicals of this and other countries. The
collection of pamphlets, numbering upwards of 15,000, is of ex-
treme importance, especially for the Civil War, the Popish Plot,
the Revolution of 1688, the Non-Juror Controversy, the Solemn
League and Covenant, for English politics under the first three
Georges, and, to a lesser extent, for the French Revolution. The
36
AT. LONDON
f B G. Eld for T- 7, and are
ti : tobe folds by 4 pba wrightsdweling
: : “at ¢ ae TAT G hh ure g gates be ‘
ee
22. TITLE-PAGE OF SHAKESPEARE’S “ SONNETS”
London, 1609
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
few titles mentioned are only intended to indicate the wide scope
of the library, covering as it does the whole field of history, from
the ancient empires of the East, through the Greek and Roman
periods, down to the present day. The topographical and genea-
logical collections should be mentioned as of importance. Every
effort is being used to make this department of the library still
more efficient to serve the requirements of the students and re-
search workers who resort to it.
THEOLOGY Theology occupies a prominent place in the library
PHILOSOPHY. by reason of the special character that was impressed
upon it from its inception. The original intention of the founder
was to establish a library, the chief purpose of which should be
the promotion of the higher forms of religious knowledge. It is
true that the scope of the institution was enlarged by the purchase
of the Althorp collection, but in their selection of the 100,000
volumes that have been acquired since 1899, the authorities have
steadily kept in view the founder’s original intention. As a re-
sult, the student of theology, whether in church history, textual
criticism, dogmatic theology, liturgiology or comparative religion,
will find that full provision has been made for him.
Sufficient has been said elsewhere about the Biblical texts,
but it may not be without interest to make incidental mention of a
few of the rarer works in patristic and scholastic theology, liturgi-
ology and other sections. There are fourteen works of St.
Thomas Aquinas, all printed before 1480; thirty editions of St.
Augustine, ranking between 1467 and 1490; seven editions of
St. Chrysostom anterior to 1476 ; two editions of the ‘‘ Epistola”’
of St. Cyprian, printed in 1471 ; ten editions of various works of
St. Jerome printed before 1500, and copies of the Benedictine
editions of the Fathers, mostly on large paper. The collection of
early Missals and Breviaries is noteworthy: there are twenty
printed Missals, beginning with that of Ulrich Han of Rome,
printed in 1475 on vellum, and ending with that printed by Giunta
at Venice in 1504, including the famous Mozarabic Missal of
37
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
1500, printed by command of Cardinal Ximenes, and the two
Sarum Missals on vellum, printed by Richard Pynson in 1500
and 1504. There are eight Breviaries printed before 1500, of
which six are on vellum, including the rare Mainz edition of 1477,
and the Ambrosian Breviary of 1487. There are also a numbe ,
of the early sixteenth-century editions, including the copy of the
Sarum use on vellum, printed in 1508 by Richard Pynson. The:
‘* Codex liturgicus ecclesize universae” of Assemanus, 1749-63, is
upon the shelves, together with a set of Mansi’s “ Sacrorum con-
ciliorum nova et amplissima collectio”. Of the “ Book of Common |
Prayer’ the series of editions is both long and interesting, includ-.
ing two of the first printed editions, issued in London in 1549,
and the rare quarto edition printed at Worcester in the same year,
followed by all the important revisions and variations. There are.
a number of the early Primers, and about fifty editions of the
dainty books of Hours printed in the fifteenth and sixteenth cen-
turies. The works of the reformers are well represented, with a
large number of Martin Luther’s tracts, including the original
edition in book form of the famous “ Theses ” against the system
of indulgences, printed in 1517, and affixed by him to the gate of
the University of Wittemberg, and his “ Deudsch Catechismus”’ of q
1529; a number of the earliest printed works of Erasmus, Ulrich —
von Hutten, Philipp Melanchthon, Girolamo Savonarola, Ulrich |
Zwingli, William Tindale, John Frith, William Roy, Miles Cover-.
dale, Jean Calvin, including ‘‘ The Catechisme”’ of 1556, and the
first edition of the “ Actes and Monuments” of John Fox. The
great devotional books, such as: St. Augustine’s ‘‘ Confessions,”
the “Imitatio Christi,” the ‘Speculum Vitae Christi,” Hylton’s |
“ Scala perfectionis,” the “ Ars Moriendi,” and the “ Ordinary
of Christian Men,” are all to be found in the earliest and in the
later editions of importance. In philosophy, the ancient, the
medieval, and the modern schools are fully represented, including j
the latest and best works in experimental psychology, and in the
psychical sciences, . ;
38
PARIASSERTIO SEPTEM SAAB
MW) cramentorum aduerfus Martin. |B
Luthertjrditaabinuichié |
fimo Anglia et Fran-
cize rege, et do. Hy-
bernix Henri-
co ec1us No
minis
Oz
ctauo,
23, TITLE-PAGE OF HENRY VIII’S “ASSERTIO SEPTEM
SACRAMENTORUM ”
London, 1522
% The Book of the Prophet ISAIAH.
CHAP: I
3 Yaiak complaineth of Judah's revellion; 5 their.tetal e-v-
ruption and defelation: 10 be upbraideth their whsle vee
ligtous forvice: 16 be exhorteth to reperitaricey enfor ced by
premifes and threatenings: 21 be beawaileth their wicked.
neft, and denounceth God's judgments, mixed with pro-
mifes of mercy. 28 The wicked’s deftruicn.
Hefore HE vifion of Ifaiah the fon of Amo4, which
pier as he faw concerning Judah and Jernfalem in
the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and He-
zekiah, kings of Judah.
aDet. 2 |“ Hear, Oheavens; and give ear, Ocearth; for the
3** Lorp hath fpoken: [have nourithed and brought up
children, and they have rebelled againft me.
3° The ox knoweth his owner, and the af his
maiter’s crib: ut Ifrael doth not know, my people
doth not confider. . :
4 Ah, finful nation, a people taden with iniquity,
a feed of evil-doers, children that are corrupters! they
have forfaken the Loxn, they have provoked the holy
t Heb. One of lrael wuto anger, they are t gone away back-
b Jerem.
oe
+ Ucb. of
deavinifin
alienate,
. OF, fepa=
riled.
rd.
5 1 Why fhould ye be ftricken any more? ye will
tHeb. trevolt more and more: the whole head is fick, an
ier the whole heart faint,
6 From the fole of the foot even unto the head there
is no foundnefs in it; ut wounds, and bruifes, and pu-
trifyingores : they have not been clofed, neither bound
f Or, ci up, neither mollified with !! ointment.
Seevuz, 7 Your country is defolate, your cities are burnt with
“fire: your land, henge devour it in your prefence,
+Hcb.cr and it is defolate, tas overthrown by ftrangers.
UceG, 8 And the danghter of Zion is left as a cottage in
ies a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as
a befieged city.
alamo "Except the Lorn of ho’ts had left unto usa very
G2.ng {mall remnant, we fhould have been as Sedom, and
9.20. | we fhould have been like unto Gomorrah.
Span, 10" Hear the word of the Lorn, ye rulers of So-
Gomorrah :
1 To what purpofe i: the multitude of your ‘ fa-
2127, crifices unto me? faith the Lorn: I am full of the
Chap. burnt-offerings of tams, and the fut of fed bealts; and
faan I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or
0.20. Of the-goats.
Amoss: 12 When ye come t to appear before me, who hath
Ferns required this at your hand, to tread my courts ?
gv, ~ 43 Bring no more vain oblations; incenfe is an
Heb. abomination unto me ; the new-moons and fabbaths,
ze é fen. the calling of aflemblies, I cannot away with ; i is
wo ll iniquity, even the folemn necting.
. 14 Your new-moons, and your appointed feafts, my
foul hateth : they are a trouble unto me ; Jam weary
to bear them, 4
g Prov...» 15 © And when ye fpread forth your hands, I will
Jeem hide mine eyes from you ; yea, when ye t make many
z
eae prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of *tblood.
34 . * % .
+He, your doings from before mine eyes : 'ceale to do evil;
=ubtiply prayers Bb Chap. $9.3. + Hed. blots, it Pet. 3 tL
NO An the Musil pl aire Fine bh & 1K
dom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of |
16 {Wath you, make youclean ; putaway the evil of
17 Leara to do well: feek judgment, {relieve the Before
opprefled, julye the fatherlelS, plead for the widow: penatt Be
18 Come now, and let us reafon together, faith thé BA
‘Lornp: Though your fing be as fearlet, they shall be 4.9%,
las white as fhow ; though they ‘be red like crimfon,
ithey fhall be as wool,
1o If ye be willing and obedient, ye fhall eat the
i good of the land ;
' 20 Bur if ye refufe and rebel, ye fhall be devoured
with the {word: for the mouth ef the Lorn hath
{poken it. °
21 | How is the faithful city: become an harlot! it
was full of judgment: righteoufhels lodged in it; but
now murderers !
22 Thy filver is become drofs, thy wine mixed
with water: Y
23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions’ of
thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after
rewards: they * judge not the fatherlefs, neither doth pays
the caufe of the widow come unto them. |“ Zech,
hand upon thee, and | purely J tte.»
ake away all thy tin, “fees
and mf
ful city. a
27 Zion. fhall be tedeemed with judgment, and | her ||, 9%,
ednverts with righteoutnefs. ies : ey
28.4 And the ' tdeftrudtion of the tranfgreffors and
‘of the finners /bai de together, and they that forfake JP
the“Lorp fhall be confumed. TS ois Seven Di fra
29 For they fhall be afhamed of the oaks which ©% ©
ye have defired, and ye fhall be confounded for the
redcrn
bers
73-27. &
gardens that ie have chofen. 95 Aa
30 For ye fhall be as an oak whole leaf fadeth, and i Heb.
¢: a garden that hath no water. ; veahing.
31 And the ftrong fhall be us to. , land the maker y Ons 4,
fitasa {park, and they shall both burn together, and ae: ae
none fhall quench t4on. WA
DHAPS I
1 Yaiah prophefieth the coming of Chrift’skingdam. 6 Wicked
nefe is the caufe why God bath Jorfaken bis people. 10 The
prophet forewarneth then: of the terrible day of the Lird.
HE word that Haiah the fon of Amoz fiw con-
cerning Judah and Jernfalem.
2* And it fhall come to pafS in the lat days, that a Micsh
the mountain of the Loxn’s houfe {hall be li effablith- Peake
ed in the top of the mountains, and fhall be exalted pron
above the hills; and all nations fhall flow unto it.
3 And many people fhall go and fay, Come ye,
ate let us go up to the mountain of the Lorn, to the
houfe of the God of ede and he will teach us of
his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of
‘Zion thall go forth the law, and the word of the Lonp
from Terufalem. (
4 And he fhall judge among the nations, and fhall
rebuke many people: and they fhall beat their fwords
juto plovgh-fhares, and their {pears into |] praning-
-7
hee
%
24. A PAGE OF “ELIZABETH FRY’S BIBLE”
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Ber ORIC The library possesses a large number of books
he: which have an interest in themselves as coming from the
libraries of such famous collectors as De Thou, Grolier, Thomas
- Maioli, Canevari, Marcus Laurinus, Comte d’Hoym, Duc de la
Valliére, Loménie de Brienne, Diane de Poitiers, Pope Sixtus the
Fifth, Michael Wodhull, Cardinal Bembo and others. The copy
of the work of Henry VIII., ‘‘ Assertio septem sacramentorum
adversus M. Lutherum,” for which he received the title ‘* De-
fensor Fidei,” is one of the very few copies printed on vellum for
presentation. The copy here referred to was presented to Louis
IL, King of Hungary, and bears an inscription in King Henry's
handwriting, “Regi Dacie”’. On the binding are the arms of
Pope Pius VI. The Aldine edition of Petrarch of 1501 is from
the library of Cardinal Bembo, and contains notes and marginalia
in his handwriting. The copy of the first edition of “ Epistolee
obscurorum virorum,” the tract which caused so great a stir at
the time of the Reformation, belonged to the reformer, Philipp
~ Melanchthon, and contains many marginalia from his pen. Martin
Luther’s “ In primum librum Mose enarrationes,” 1544, has upon
the title-page an inscription in Hebrew and Latin in Luther's
_ handwriting, presenting the book to Mare Crodel, Rector of the
College of Torgau. The Bible which Elizabeth Fry used daily
for many years is full of marks and comments in her own hand-
writing. The markings are of extreme interest, revealing, as they
do, the source of ‘her inspiration, strength and comfort. The
_ Bible from Hawarden Church, recently acquired, is of interest as
PSs
4
a
: being the identical copy from which the Right Hon. W. E.
Gladstone frequently read the lessons in the course of divine ser-
vice between the years 1884 and 1894. The original manuscript
of Bishop Heber’s hymn, ‘‘ From Greenland’s Icy Mountains,”
is in the library, bearing the pencil note, “‘ A hymn to be sung in
Wrexham Church after the sermon during the collection”. The
“Valdarfer Boccaccio,” to which reference has been made al-
ready, came into prominence at the sale of the Duke of Roxburghe’s
39
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
books in 1812, when it realized the sum of £2,260. It was in —
honour of the sale of the volume that the Roxburghe Club was —
founded. ‘The copy of the Glasgow Azschylus of 1759 has bound |
up with it the original drawings of Flaxman, and is clothed in a
binding by Roger Payne, which is always spoken of as his master- —
piece. Such are a few of the many books with a personal history —
which the library contains.
NOS If the books themselves excite interest and admira-
BINDINGS.
the magnificence, of their bindings. Of the many specimens in
the library illustrating the history of the art from the fifteenth —
century to the present day, we need only refer to the productions
of the great artists who worked for Francis I., Grolier, Maioli,
Canevari, Laurinus, Henry II., Diane de Poitiers, Charles IX.,
Henry IV., Marie de Medicis, Lamoignon, De Thou, Loménie
de Brienne, Colbert, Louis XIV., Louis XV., Madame de Pom-
padour, James I., Charles I. and Thomas Wotton—who has come
to be known as the English Grolier—as figuring in the collection,
with examples of the work of Clovis Eve, Nicolas Eve, Padeloup,
Le Gascon, the two Deromes, Mearne, the English masters of the
seventeenth century, whose names unhappily have been forgotten,
and of Roger Payne, the man who by native genius shines out
among the decadent craftsmen of the late eighteenth century as the
fnest binder England has produced. The library possesses quite —
a large collection of Payne’s bindings, including the Glasgow
eschylus in folio, a binding which was considered by his con- |
temporaries as his finest work, and the unfinished Aldine Homer,
which he did not live to complete. Several of Payne’s bills are
preserved in the library. They are remarkable documents, con-
taining in many cases interesting particulars as to his methods of _
workmanship. The tradition of fine binding which Roger Payne —
had revived was continued after his death by certain German
binders, Kalthoeber, Staggemier and others who settled in London :
also by Charles Lewis and Charles Hering, who especially imitated
40
tion, not less striking is the appropriateness, and often ©
owes
, f / j yy 4 :
oF ea hy antarta Jey Mow/rarnts,
rt ‘ o oa .
Fern. nds (122K v Mo a Akay 5
eo Z a
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Ukr thi Gether. Sond t
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area An At es ie Sarees
a ome Gane fog Cpt
They tah ue G phere
ey ZL his co ee, eh atari”
qth. horry He ificey L rears
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plas soft Pa NE
25. Original Manuscript of “ HEBER’S HYMN”
‘From Greenland’s Icy Mountains”
[See over
,
hee fletes
VF y Pe Gusts Dall :
a bbu és Whe ie
og epee pom Oo Cs So Kee :
IL , poe: Pua Psp Pera (mame
SPRY Pe / is Men hind ae CBG
y if PP, ay
F ; j /
ae f -— Z See i ae
Is. tO Se el Pe re
Aaa (eres
7
yf
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es i
7 é ~
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4 ff J ~
(/ f
Lg y : ,
* ! LA
A
™%\
i
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est
Original Manuscript of “ HEBER’S HYMN”
“From Greenland’s Icy Mountains ”
(Reverse)
[See over
Se ee Ee Ge Re se ce he se the he se the she he che she she ce he he +
a a er ee a ee ie oe ee he mal +e le Oe
: Maat te
feee ete ete CE he ee ce se ee Me vie +t
tei rhe ke she see rhe be ne fe ee
~
Terk Tere ler eh
SRO
o)
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cQ
aa
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sa)
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26.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
his manner, but lacked the original genius of Payne and his deli-
_ cacy of finish. Many specimens of the work of these successors of
Payne are to be found scattered throughout the library. We may
perhaps permit ourselves to refer to one piece of Hering’s work
which, more than any other, enables us to draw a comparison
between his work and that of Payne. It is the Aldine Homer
left by Payne in an unfinished state. The second volume was
entrusted by Lord Spencer to Hering, evidently with instruc-
tions to match the work of Payne. A careful comparison of
the two volumes reveals the interesting fact that Hering did
not use Payne’s tools, but evidently had others cut to match
them. These lack the delicacy of design of the early tools, and
indeed the forwarding and finishing throughout will not bear
comparison with the work of the master hand of England’s greatest
binder.
MaNuscriPtT dnother of the outstanding features of the library
ne is the interesting collection of Oriental and Western
manuscripts, numbering at the present time nearly seven thou-
sand items, and illustrating in a remarkable manner most of
the more important materials and methods which have been em-
ployed from the earliest times for the purpose of recording,
preserving, and transmitting to posterity the knowledge of past
achievements.
The nucleus of the collection was formed by the manuscripts
contained in the Althorp Library, which was added to from time
to time by other purchases. But the present magnificence and
special character of the collection were given to it by the acquisi-
tion, in 1901, of the manuscripts of the Earl of Crawford, consist-
ing of nearly six thousand rolls, tablets, and codices.
On the death, in 1908, of the founder of the institution, the
collection was further enriched through the bequest of her private
library, which contained many manuscripts of great importance.
~ Since then every effort has been employed with a view to building
"up the collection in such a way as to cover the history of writing
41
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
and illumination in the principal languages and characters, and at the
same time to offer to students in the many departments of literary
and historical research, original sources which may be of real
service to them in the prosecution of their studies. Within the
last two years a number of very important cartularies, and other
manuscripts of interest to the student of English history, were
secured at the sales of portions of the manuscripts of Sir Thomas
Phillipps, with the result that the importance of the collection at
the present time cannot easily be over-estimated.
Many of the manuscripts are well known to scholars, who have
always had ready access to them; but to the world at large, and
to many of the readers of these notes, they are yet unknown. A
few remarks, therefore, upon some of the most noteworthy and
characteristic features of these interesting literary and historical
records may not be deemed inappropriate.
EASTERN Beginning with the Eastern section, it must be said
SCRIPTS. at once that the wealth of Oriental manuscripts, of all
ages, and in a variety of languages, can only be indicated in the
briefest manner in an introduction like the present. Armenian,
Ethiopic, Sanskrit, Pali, Panjabi, Hindustani, Marathi, Parsi,
Burmese, Canarese, Singhalese, Tamil, Telugu, Chinese, Japanese,
Malay, Javanese, Achinese, Mongolian, Balinese, Tibetan, Bugi,
Kawi, Madurese, Makassar, and Mexican manuscripts are well
represented. There are examples of those curious and rare
productions, the ‘medicine books” of the Battas, inscribed on
the bark of the alim-tree, or on bamboo poles. Of more general
interest are the great number of very precious Persian, Arabic,
and Turkish manuscripts, numbering nearly two thousand volumes.
The examples of the Koran, dating from the eighth and ninth
centuries, are, in many cases, of extraordinary beauty and value.
One copy, written on 467 leaves of thick bombycine paper, of the
date of A.D. 1500, must be one of the largest volumes in the
world, measuring, as it does, 34 by 21 inches. |
42
4
; te oa! ,
s SOAMtOCtusotesAriog:
47
iF
rel
ak
a
iy
>
fa
P.
27. ST. JOHN FROM A GREEK GOSPEL BOOK
Byzantine MS. 11th Cent.
| BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
_ PAPYRUS Of papyrus rolls and fragments there are examples
BETS. of the ‘‘ Book of the Dead” in Egyptian Hieroglyphic
and Hieratic. The Demotic papyri, the catalogue of which,
compiled by Dr. F. Ll. Griffith, Reader in Egyptology in the
_ University of Oxford, appeared in 1910, after about ten years of
"persistent labour, form probably the most important collection of
documents in this script at present extant. ‘There are a large
_ number of Greek papyri, the literary portion of which was de-
_ scribed.by Dr. A. S. Hunt, in the catalogue issued in the early
' part of 1911, revealing a new fragment of the recently dis-
- covered Greek historian, Theopompus, and what is probably the
earliest known manuscript of the Nicene Creed. The remaining
' portion, consisting of the non-literary documents, are at present
- under arrangement and description by Dr. Hunt. The result of
the examination by Professor D. S. Margoliouth, of a considerable
' collection of Arabic papyri, is awaited with interest.
i In Coptic the papyri and the codices, ranging from the sixth
| } to the sixteenth century, have been described by Dr. W. E. Crum,
- in the catalogue which also appeared in 1910. In Samaritan
" there is an interesting, though not large, group of Biblical and
liturgical texts, including an important vellum codex of the ‘‘ Pen-
tateuch,” written in A.D. 1211, which are at present being de-
a scribed by Dr. A. E. Cowley, Sub-Librarian of the Bodleian.
In Syriac there are amongst others a vellum codex of the ‘‘ Gos-
iq pels” of the sixth century, and what is probably the earliest known
i complete Syriac ‘‘ New Testament,” written about A.D. 1000, the
4 description of which has been undertaken by Dr. Rendel Harris.
’ The Hebrew manuscripts comprise many “ Rolls of the Law,
i and several illuminated codices of the “ Haggadah,” or “ Service
_ for Passover.”
- Among the Greek manuscripts there are several beautiful
Gospel books, but the:most important member of the group 1s a
llum codex’ of the ‘‘ Odyssey,
d consequently one of the earliest
NY considerable fragment of a ve
' possibly of the third century, an
~ vellum books known to be extant.
)
‘a ‘
{
43
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
;
WESTERN When we turn to the Western manuscripts and
SCRIPTS. attempt to choose among the large number of finely
written and magnificently illuminated examples, the very wealth of |
material at our disposal constitutes a difficulty. Of the Latin”
manuscripts, whether produced in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, |
Flanders, or England, there are some hundreds. One of the most
important texts, though quite unadorned, is a manuscript of the}
letters and minor works of St. Cyprian, written in a bold clear
hand in what are known as pre-Caroline minuscules of the eighth.
century, which originally belonged to the Abbey of Murbach in”
Alsace. Of manuscripts produced in the famous writing schools
of the middle ages there are several. One is a magnificent
‘Psalter’ written in the latter part of the eighth, or the early
part of the ninth, century at Trier. Great interest centres in the
remarkable interlaced capital letters, completely filling certain
pages and exhibiting the characteristics of the Celtic art, which
seems to have spread over the whole of Europe about this time.
Another is a ‘‘ Gospel Book,” written and illuminated at Cologne,
for the Emperor Otto the Great, about A.D. 970, and containing
his portrait. There are two ‘Gospel Books,” written in the
monastery of St. Gall, in the ninth or tenth century ; a “ Lection--
arium,’ executed about 1060 by Ruopertus, Abbot of Prim, a
monastery on the Moselle, and a volume of ‘‘ Preces et officia
varia,” by a member of the Guild of Illuminators of Bruges, in
A.D. 1487.
Of the Spanish manuscripts, perhaps the most interesting is a
twelfth-century copy of the “‘ Commentary on the Apocalypse,” by
an abbot of Valcavado, in Castile, known as “ St. Beatus.”” It
is a great folio containing 110 very large miniatures, painted on
grounds of deep and vivid colour, including a map of the world,
as conceived by the mediaeval geographer.
From the thirteenth century there is a very important pre-
Reformation English service-book in the shape of a “ Sarum
Missal,” probably the most venerable manuscript of this service in
existence. A very beautiful book, valuable both for its exquisite
44
OINETO PAG PeRIs CUM AMX NTUS puenrr. er
CORAM. OHO EC Fk pu oe WIT pre CREAN. SUAKO. © Cr:
DI SP. age YN#
™mea™ CVeLAMOR MIKaS
ADYG Ve Bl ay’
28. A PAGE OF THE “TRIER PSALTER”
German MS. 9th Cent.
ie
a rs
29. A PAGE OF THE “EMPEROR OTTO’S GOSPELS”
German MS. 10th Cent.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
illuminated capitals, and its five pages of miniatures, as well as
for its historical associations, is a ‘‘ Psalter,” written in Paris,
about 1260, probably by the same person who executed the manu-
script given by St. Louis to the Sainte Chapelle. On a blank
leaf, at the commencement of the volume, we find, in very deli-
cate handwriting, ‘“ Royne Jehanne,” the autograph of Joan of
Navarre, the second Queen Consort of Henry IV. of England,
into whose possession the volume must have passed a century and
‘ahalf after its production. Another volume which is of great
jnterest on account of its historical associations, is the copy of
Wiclif and Purvey’s translation of the Gospels, written about
1410, and presented to Queen Elizabeth, by Francis Newport, as
‘she was passing down Cheapside, on her way to St. Paul’s
‘Cathedral. Of equal, and yet of more pathetic, interest is the
“dainty little ‘‘ Book of Hours,” of Flemish origin, which belonged
to Mary, Queen of Scots, and on one of the leaves of which she
‘has written with her own hand: ‘Mon Dieu confondez mes
ennemys M.” Then there is a little ‘‘ Book of Hours,” written
for King Henry VII., by John Islip, Abbot of Westminster, and
builder of the Chantry Chapel of Henry VIL. which bears upon
‘the illuminated borders of its pages the rebus of the abbot’s name
“in the form of an eye and a slip of a tree. Another very beauti-
ful “Book of Hours,” every page of which is surrounded by a
most elaborate lace-like border, with here and there charming
miniatures, was written for King Charles VII. of France, and is
"attributed to the same hand that executed the famous *‘ Bedford
Missal”. Two of the later acquisitions are ‘‘ Books of Hours, ”
of Flemish workmanship, possessing, it is thought, evidence of the
work of that masterhand, Hans Memling.
i
a
i
ae
Ss ree
a RP RTIAN One of the finest of the Italian books is dated
; Naa 1407, and consists of the “ Postilla”’ of Nicholas de
Lyra in three volumes, full of marvellous borders and miniatures,
and made historically interesting by the portraits of members of
- the Gonzaga familv, which have been introduced into the minia-
if
i
oa)
:
45
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
tures. A manuscript like this, perfect in condition, and certain in
date and origin, is naturally a: most important monument of Italian
art at the end of the Trecento. More splendid even than the
Gonzaga manuscript, but belonging to an epoch when art had
become too self-conscious and conventional, is the celebrated
“Colonna Missal,’’ in six large volumes of different dates, and
by different hands. The first volume was probably executed
about 1517 for the Cardinal Pompeo Colonna, and adorned with
a multitude of Raphaelesque illuminations. Many of these have
been attributed to a certain Philippus de Corbizis, by whom there
is a signed illustration in a missal at Siena; by other authorities
it is considered safer to group them generally under the title
** School of Raphael,”’ whilst, as the result of the most recent
examination, it is suggested that there is evidence of the same
workmanship as that contained in the ‘‘ Farnese Psalter,” which is
commonly, but erroneously, attributed to Clovio. It was more pro-
bably the work of Vincenzio Raimondi, and his associate copyist.
PRET icr In addition to the English manuscripts already re-
Noe ferred to, there are others of which some mention must
be made. The finest is the copy of John Lydgate’s “Siege of
Troy,” executed about A.D. 1420. It is a large folio volume con-
taining richly illuminated borders and seventy miniatures, furnishing
a mine of pictorial information on the social customs of the period.
At the commencement of the volume is a picture of the author on
bended knee presenting his work to King Henry V. Another is
Lydgate’s translation of Boccaccio’s ‘‘Falle of Princes,’’a plainer but
still a very important volume. There are a dozen manuscripts of the
Wiclifite Bible, or parts of the Bible, ranging from 1382 to 1450,
Amongst the cartularies the most important is that of the Benedictine
Monastery of St. Mary’s, York, written in the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries. The cartulary of the Cistercian Abbey of Melsa, or
Meaux, which is in the handwriting of the nineteenth abbot, Thomas
Burton (1396-1399), is also of great interest, furnishing, as it does,
authority for English history during the reigns of the Edwards,
46
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30. A PAGE OF THE “COLONNA MISSAL”
Italian MS, About 1517
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English MS. About 1420
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
whilst tracing the history of the abbey from its foundation in 1150
to the year 1406. Other noteworthy volumes are the thirteenth-
century cartulary of the Cistercian Abbey of Warden; the cartu-
lary of the Manor of Tolethorpe, Rutland, in the form of a roll;
the Chronicle of Wigmore ; Wardrobe books of Edward I. and
Edward II.; and a thirteenth-century manuscript of the famous
itinerary of Richard I. to the Holy Land. One other volume calls
for special mention since it contains the earliest known copies of the
charters granted to London by Henry I. and Henry II. respectively.
The volume was written within a few years of the granting of
Henry II.’s charter (1155-1161). Of other known copies the earliest
cannot be less than a century later in date.
PRENCH The French manuscripts, though not numerous, are
I bhets of great beauty and interest. Perhaps the most im-
portant is a ‘‘ Bible Historiée,” or ‘‘ Picture Bible,” consisting of
a series of forty full-page paimtings, representing stories from the
‘Book of Genesis,” resplendent on a background of burnished
gold, and written in the South of France about 1250, at a time
_ when the illiterate read by means of pictures. ‘There is a fine and
_ important copy of ‘ Lancelot du Lac,’’ with seventy-two miniatures
and numerous illuminated initials written about 1300; an early
- fifteenth-century copy of the ‘‘Chroniques’’ of Jean de Courcy ;
an illuminated manuscript of the ‘‘Chroniques de Saint Denys,”
in which one miniature depicts Edward I. paying homage to Philip
the Fair of France, as his overlord, for the Duchy of Aquitaine
in A.D. 1286; and a very beautiful manuscript of Guillaume de
Guilleville’s “‘ Pélerinage de la Vie,” written in a clear hand in the
fourteenth century, and enriched with 173 miniatures, which are
illustrative of the poem, and display a wonderful fertility of inven-
tion, whilst they are valuable for the costume of the time, and for
" the ways of life of the people. It would be possible to describe
»
a
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‘
others of almost equal interest, such as the “Vie et Passion de
Nostre Seigneur Jésus Christ,” written about 1350, and ornamented
with twenty-six paintings of Our Lord’s Passion, executed in
47
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
“ grisaille”’; and the “ Book of Hours ” beautifully illuminated in
the South of France by an artist of the school of Jean Foucquet,
for Jacques Galliot de Gourdon de Genouillac, grand-écuyer de
France and grand-maitre d’artillerie, but sufficient has been said to:
‘ndicate the nature of the manuscripts in this particular section.
JEWELLED Turning now from the manuscripts themselves to
BOOK- :
Covers. the jewelled covers with which some of them are
adorned, and which impart to them a character, and a value, of a
very special kind, we find that there are thirty examples. The
extraordinary rarity of these metal and ivory bindings may be
gauged by the fact that this collection, containing only thirty
examples, yet ranks third among the collections of the world. By
far the richest is that in the Bibliothtque Nationale, at Paris,
which contains a large number of the books of this class, seized
and saved from dispersion at the time of the Revolution. Next
comes the Royal Library at Munich; and then comes the John
Rylands collection. One example, perhaps the finest in the world,
remained until a few years ago in English hands. It was the
famous “Lindau Gospels,” in cover of pure gold and gems,
which Lord Ashburnham sold for £10,000, and which is now in
the possession of Mr. Pierpoint Morgan. Many of the covers are
of great beauty and interest, none the less so for the process of
building-up which they have undergone in long-past centuries.
The normal course of things seems to have been as follows: A
monastery owned a precious tenth-century ‘“‘textus,” or manu-
script of the Gospels; it also possessed an ivory “ pax,” or tablet
carved with one or more scenes from the life of Christ, of, perhaps,
a century later. A century later still it occurred to some rich abbot
to have the second made into a cover for the first; and he would
call in some jeweller or metal-worker from Cologne or Liége, who
would encase the ivory tablet in a richly jewelled metal frame,
and make the whole into a cover to protect the manuscript.
Often, therefore, as in the case of some of the examples ex-
hibited, the manuscript, the ivory or enamel centre, and the
48
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S72 AUPAGE OF.“ JOAN OF NAVARRE’S PSALTER”
French MS. About 1260
-*
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33. A PAGE OF A “BOOK OF HOURS”
French MS. Late 15th Cent.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
- jewelled or chased borders are of different centuries. But in
_ nearly all cases the result of the joint work of the carver and the
_ goldsmith is of singular richness and beauty. One of the finest
has for its centres two plaques of twelfth-century Limoges enamel,
its background is of silver stamped from dies of the thirteenth cen-
tury, whilst surrounding these are figures of saints in ivory, the
whole being enclosed in a border of finely carved and gilt wood.
Another is a ‘‘ Gospel Book” in a German hand of the twelfth
century, encased in a cover from which the central ornament on
one side has disappeared, but of which the heavy borders of gilt
- copper enriched with Limoges enamels, representing the Apostles,
the Virtues, etc., are intact. The most important consists of the
double cover of a manuscript which has become separated from
its binding. The ivory carvings, which serve as panels, are of the
finest workmanship of the tenth century; the metal work, which is
very fine, was probably executed at Trier, which was for a long
_ period the great rival of Cologne in the realm of ecclesiastical art
and culture. Many of the other examples in the collection bear
indications of having been executed, or preserved, in the “ stately
~ tower of Trier,” while Cologne, and Liége can claim an equal
_ share.
: The jewels with which many of the covers are enriched form
"a very varied collection. There are a number of ancient Roman
jl gems, both in intaglio and cameo. One, cut on red jasper, repre-
_ sents Hermes wearing a chlamys and holding the caduceus, copied
_ from an antique Greek statue resembling the Farnese Hermes in
ki the British Museum. Two of the covers have had fitted at each
} of the four corners large rock crystals in claw settings. e
"filigree and repoussé work in general is very chaste.
; We have already greatly exceeded the number of pages we
had allotted to ourselves for the purpose of this hurried glance
"at the contents of the library. And yet only the fringe of a few
"of the most important collections has been touched, whilst many
_ sections of the library have had to be passed over entirely.
Much might have been written about the large and growing
49 4
eS
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
collection of ‘‘ unique” books, that is to say, printed books of
which the only known copy is in the possession of the library, but —
we must content ourselves with this passing reference to it. Of ©
books printed on vellum the collection numbers upwards of 300,
many of which are of extreme rarity and also of great beauty. —
The ornithological collection includes the magnificent works of ©
Audubon, Gould and Dresser. The botanical works range from }
the Latin and German editions of the ‘Herbarius,” printed at —
Mainz in 1484 and 1485, to Sander’s ‘‘ Reichenbachia ” of 1888- :
q
94, including the original or best editions of Gerard, Parkinson, —
a
. ” . ; “
‘* galleries,’ a complete set of the works of Piranesi, a set of ©
Turner’s ‘‘ Liber studiorum” in the best states, and so forth. |
There are a number of very fine “ extra illustrated ’’ works, such :
4
as Rapin’s “History of England,” in twenty-one folio volumes,
Curtis, Jacquin, etc. The art section comprises many of the great
Pennant’s “ Some account of London,” in six volumes, Clarendon’s —
« History of the rebellion and civil wars in England,” in twenty-
one volumes, Chalmer’s ‘‘ Biographical Dictionary,” in thirty-two —
volumes. There is a complete set of the astronomical works of —
Hevelius, seldom found in a condition so perfect. The biblio- ©
grapher will find a very extensive collection of working tools,
especially rich in works dealing with the history of the early
presses. The students of Greek and Latin palzeography will find
a collection of from 200 to 300 works dealing with their subjects,
including facsimile reproductions of many of the great codices.
In the periodical room some 200 of the leading English, American
and Continental periodicals in theology, history, philosophy and
philology are regularly made available to readers.
The library has so many sides and contains such a wealth of
rare and precious volumes which merit extended notice, that to do
justice to the magnificence of any one of the sections would re-
quire a volume of considerable length. We venture to hope, -
however, that in these hurriedly written and necessarily discursive |
pages we have succeeded in conveying some idea of the import-
ance of the library, which already is attracting scholars from all
50
pr tc ee meer pe
sateen t= ne ns st arpa = et
34. A PAGE OF A MANUSCRIPT APOCALY PSE
14th Cent.
Flemish MS.
tr}
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
parts of the world, and of which Manchester people are justly so
proud.
A LIVING In concluding this survey it may be well to say
LIBRARY. that whilst the library is a “ place of pilgrimage ’’ for
the lover of rare books, it is at the same time an excellent working
library for students, whether in the department of theology, history,
philosophy, philology, belles-lettres, art, or bibliography. It is
designed to assist all who desire to know more than can be found
upon their own private shelves or in the public library. There
are, in every great city, a number of persons of education who
desire to carry their researches to a point beyond the resources of
their own private library. Such students receive every encourage-
ment in the John Rylands Library; their requirements and their
suggestions receive constant and careful attention, with the result
that during the thirteen years that have elapsed since the opening
of the library, upwards of 100,000 volumes have been added to
its shelves, including many works of extreme rarity.
The property has been vested in trustees, and the government
of the institution has been entrusted to chosen representatives of
the city of Manchester in all its manifold activities and life, while
certain other bodies which are not local have also been associated
in the government.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.
Any sketch of the library, however brief, would be obviously
incomplete without some reference to the building which is re-
garded by experts as one of the finest specimens of modern Gothic
architecture to be found in this or in any country.
The special requirements of the building, which were necessary
_ in order to fulfil generally the intention of the founder, dictated, to
a very considerable extent, its general style and conformation.
The form and style selected was that of a college library in
the later Gothic, but the scope of the undertaking was obviously
more extensive than that of any known example. There were
51
ae ee
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
‘special requirements to be fulfilled which college libraries do not
include. In the first place, a very large number of books‘ had -
to be accommodated—provision was to be made for 100,000
volumes, Three large rooms had to be provided, one specially
near the entrance for the purpose of lectures, and two smaller
rooms for council and committee purposes. A suite of rooms
for the librarian, near the entrance, and in close communication
with the principal library. Rooms for unpacking, and the other
necessary offices and workrooms. A caretaker’s house, detached |
from, but in close communication with the library. Accommoda-_
tion for the engines and dynamos for electric light, residences for
the engineers and an extensive basement for hot-water warming,
ventilation and storage.
It was urged upon the architect that the vestibule should be
of very considerable size and importance, and the main staircase
ample and imposing. A further obvious requirement was that the
building should be made, as far as possible, fireproof. Though
when it was designed/there was no idea that the collection of
books would be of so high.a value as that to which, by the
purchase of the Althorp Library, it attained, it seemed desirable
that risks from fire should be, as far as possible, minimised ; and
owing to the close proximity of large warehouses, the situation
suggested an element of danger to the fabric and its contents.
Stone-vaulting, especially if the usual timber weather-roof can be
dispensed with, is as safe a mode of building as can beused. As
the position made it impossible that any but the steepest roof could
be rendered visible, and there was therefore no loss of architectural
effect involved, timber roofs were omitted over almost the whole of
the building. The stone-vaulting has been covered with concrete,
brought to a level and then covered with asphalt.
Another condition which had to be taken into account was the
existence of ancient lights on almost all sides of the site. This
consideration to a large extent dictated the general conformation
of the building. The most important lights being opposite to the
main front, the more lofty features, the high towers, are set back
52
ens tte ET a ar
Pr ae .
atte ab nti
Sn noire emetic
ear
35. THE EAST CLOISTER
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
at a considerable distance from the frontage line, resulting in
securing architectural character out of a mere practical necessity,
and for the same reason the side walls of the boundary lines are
generally kept low.
Such were the conditions under which the architect had to
work, and in the estimation of those competent of expressing an
opinion upon the subject, Mr. Basil Champneys has succeeded in
designing a building, than which no finer has been erected in this
or in any other country during the present generation.
Nine years was the library in building, but the cause of the
delay is not far to seek when once within its walls. It is so large
and so very elaborately decorated, and the internal fittings are so
perfect of their kind, that even a period of nine years seems none
too long for the completion of such a work. It is not too much
to say, that stone-mason, sculptor, metal-worker, and wood-carver
have conspired, under the direction of the architect, to construct
a casket in every way appropriate to the priceless collection of
treasures which it was intended to enshrine.
Messrs. Robert Morrison & Sons, of Liverpool, were the
builders, and Mr. Stephen Kemp acted as clerk of the works.
CLOISTERED The principal and only conspicuous front of the
CORRIDORS. cite faces Deansgate, one of the chief thoroughfares of
Manchester; and oneither side the site is bounded by two narrow
streets Wood Street and Spinningfield—both containing buildings
of considerable height. With a view to obtain adequate day-
i
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light for the library itself, to avoid unnecessary interference with
the rights of adjoining owners, and to secure quiet, the library is
placed on the upper floor, some thirty feet from the pavement
level, and is set back about twelve feet from the boundary line at
the sides. On the lower floor on either side a beautiful stone-
vaulted cloistered corridor, which gives access to the ground-floor
rooms, occupies the remaining space, and is kept low, some nine
feet internal height, so as to allow of ample windows above it for
lighting the ground-floor rooms, which are about twenty-one feet
high.
53
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
VESTIBULE. The main entrance is from Deansgate, and the
whole of the front is occupied by a spacious stone-vaulted vesti-
bule, the ceiling of which is carried on shafts. These are placed
at unequal intervals, the greatest width being given to the central ©
passage. Above part of the vestibule are placed the librarian’s
rooms. ‘The vestibule floor is considerably below that of the
ground-floor rooms, and a short flight of wide steps leads up the
centre, and parts towards left and right, leading to the ground-
floor level, and giving access to the cloistered corridors, whence
the ground-floor rooms are entered.
From the vestibule level stairs on either side descend
to lavatories in the basement. The basement may also
be reached from the ground-floor landing. A wide staircase leads
to the first floor, giving immediate access to the librarian’s rooms
and to the main library. This staircase is crowned by a lantern,
contained in an octagonal tower on the left side of the main front,
around which a narrow gallery runs. It is stone-vaulted through-
out, the height from vestibule floor to top of lantern being fifty-
nine feet. The staircase leads into a vestibule opening to the
library. This vestibule occupies one of the larger towers, and
the vaulted ceiling is some fifty-two feet from the first floor.
GROUND The ground floor contains one large lecture room,
fend one smaller lecture room, and the council chamber,
which occupy the portion of the building under the library nearest
to Deansgate. These roomsare panelled in oak and have ceilings
of modelled plaster. Behind these, the ground floor is divided
by a vaulted cross corridor, which gives access to two large rooms
in the rear of the main building, still under the library. These
rooms, which are in communication, and around which a gallery
runs, are fitted and shelved to give accommodation for about
40,000 volumes. In addition to the shelving accommodation they
provide a welcome retreat for students engaged in special research
work, to whom freedom from interruption is a boon.
Behind these rooms, and in communication with them, and
with a hydraulic lift running from the basement to the upper floors,
MAIN
STAIRCASE.
54
36. THE MAIN STAIRCASE
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
are receiving and packing rooms, connected with the cart entrance
from Wood Street, and these again communicate with a basement
co-extensive with the main buildings. Behind is a large chamber
on the basement level, in which are placed the engines and
dynamos for the electric lighting.
On the first floor, with direct access from the main
staircase and with a door opening into the library, is
LIBRARY
FLOORS.
the librarian’s department, consisting of a small vestibule and two
rooms. These rooms have modelled plaster ceilings divided by
oak ribs, and are fitted throughout in oak and bronze.
The library consists of a central corridor, twenty feet wide
and 125 feet long, terminating in an apse at the end farthest from
Deansgate. These together give an extreme length of 148 feet.
The central hall is forty-four feet from the floor to the vaulted
ceiling, and is throughout groined in stone. It is divided into
eight bays, one of which is on one side occupied by the main
entrance, while the rest open into reading recesses.
There are, therefore, on this floor fifteen recesses, or studies,
occupied by book-cases. Coextensive with the end bay on either
side are projections to the limits of the boundary of the site, which
form, as it were, transepts to the building. On the Wood Street
side the space obtained by this projection is added to the recess,
and gives on both floors increased space for books of reference.
On the Spinningfield side the extra space forms separate rooms,
that on the lower level being the “ Map Room,” and that on the
higher containing the ‘ Early Printed Book Room "The recess
opposite to the main entrance gives access to a cloak-room, and
to a separate room of considerable size, the “Bible Room”.
Above this, contained in an octagonal tower, is the ‘‘ Aldine
Room”. ‘The apse at the end ‘s lined with book-cases, and
adjoining it is, on the one side, the ‘entrance to the lift-room and
the “Periodical Room”. The latter is a stone-vaulted and
panelled chamber, beneath which are various workrooms, with
staircase leading to the lower floors, and a service lift. On the
55
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
other side of the entrance to the apse is a sink-room and a spiral
staircase for attendants. Two staircases, one at either end of the
main library, lead from the lower to the upper floor. The upper
or gallery floor is arranged on somewhat similar lines to the lower.
A gallery runs completely round the central space, giving access
to the book recesses and other rooms. ‘The reading spaces on
both floors have bay windows; on the lower floor the ceilings of
the recesses are of oak ribs and modelled plaster; on the upper
floor they are vaulted.
The two tiers of chambers together reach to a height of about
thirty feet, and leave space above for a large clerestory beneath
the main vaulting.
At the rear of the building is a house for the caretaker, separ-
ated from, but in immediate connection with the main building. —
Adjoining the caretaker’s house is a spiral staircase which leads
to all the floors of the main building, and under the house are the
boilers and furnace for the heating apparatus.
Mery The material used is mainly stone from quarries in
OF BUILDING: the neighbourhood of Penrith. That used for the’ in-
terior throughout in Shawk, a stone that varies in colour from
grey to a delicate tone of red. Much care has been used in the ©
distribution of the tints, which are, for the most part, in irregular
combination. Many of the stones show both colours in a mottled
form and serve to bring the tints together. As, however, towards
the completion of the building it proved impossible to obtain a
sufficient quantity of mottled stone, the main vaulting of the library
had to be built in a way that gives a more banded effect than had
originally been contemplated.
STATUARY Appropriate carvings decorate the several parts of
CARVING. the exterior. Above the centre of the doorway are
the initials “‘J. R.,” with, on the left hand, the arms of St.
Helens—the birthplace of Mr. Rylands—and on the right the
combined arms of the Rylands and Tennant families—Mrs.
Rylands belonging to the latter. Different parts of the front
56
Ee
nS
37. GALLERY CORRIDOR IN THE MAIN LIBRARY
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
elevation also display the arms of several universities—Oxford,
Cambridge, Durham, London, the Victoria University, Aberdeen,
Edinburgh, Dublin, the Royal University of Ireland, together with
those of Owens College, Manchester.
Facing the main doorway in the vestibule is a symbolic group
of statuary, carved in the stone employed throughout the interior
of the building. The group is intended to represent Theology,
Science and Art. Theology, the central standing figure of a
woman, clasps in her left hand the volume of Holy Writ, and
with her right hand directs Science, in the guise of an aged man
seated, and supporting in his hand a globe, over which he bends
in study and investigation. On the left-hand side of Theology is
the seated figure of a youthful metal-worker, as representing Art;
he has paused in his work of fashioning a chalice, and with up-
turned face listens to the words which fall from the lips of Theo-
logy. The lesson which this group is designed to symbolise and
teach is, that Science and Art alike derive their highest impulses
and perform their noblest achievements, only as they discern their
consummation in religion. The sculptor of the group was Mr.
John Cassidy, of Manchester.
By the side of the western stairway are the arms of the city of
London ; by the eastern those of the city of Liverpool.
A series of portrait statues, designed by Mr. Robert Bridge-
man, of Lichfield, has been arranged so as to represent many of
the most eminent men of different countries and ages in the several
departments of literature, science and art. These are placed, for
the most part, in pairs, marking both correspondences and contrasts
in character and achievement. The statues, to the number of
twenty, are ranged in niches along the gallery front. Those at
the two end galleries represent the chief translators of the Bible
~ into English ; statues of John Wiclif and William Tindale being
placed at the north end; whilst facing them, at the south, are:
Myles Coverdale and John Rainolds (or Reynolds)—the great
Puritan scholar who originated the revision of 1611, commonly
. ° 9°
known as “‘ King James's Version .
au
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
The rest of the statues are arranged to face each other in
pairs. Beginning from the northern end of the library, and in|
closest proximity to the ‘ Early Printed Book Room,” and re-
presenting the art of printing, John Gutenberg, on the left or
western side, stands opposite to William Caxton on the eastern
side. Next to these Sir Isaac Newton and John Dalton stand for —
Science. The connection of Dalton with Manchester, as well as
his eminence as a natural philosopher, renders the introduction of
his statue in this place especially appropriate. Herodotus, the
‘‘ Father of History,” is opposite to Gibbon, historian of the ‘‘ De-
cline and Fall’”’. Next to these, Philosophy : ancient and modern, —
is represented by Thales of Miletus, and Francis Bacon, Lord
Verulam. Two pairs of statues represent Poetry: Homer op-
posite to Shakespeare, and Milton to Goethe. The chief phases
of the Protestant Reformation are symbolised by Luther and
Calvin, whilst John Bunyan and John Wesley stand for British
Evangelical theology.
STAINED- The twenty statues just enumerated are supple-
WINDOWS. mented by a series of pictured effigies in the two
stained-glass windows, designed and wrought by Mr. C. E.
Kempe, of London. Each window contains twenty figures,
taken, wherever possible, from contemporary sources. Thus the
whole number—statues and pictures—present, in the sixty person-
ages delineated, no inadequate suggestion of all that is greatest in
the intellectual history of mankind.
The great north window is symbolical of Theology. The
upper compartments in the centre contain representations, accord-
ing to the accepted conventions of sacred art, of Moses and Isaiah
for the Old Testament, and of the Apostles John and Paul for
the New Testament. Below these are figures of the four great
Fathers of the Church: Origen, St. Chrysostom, St. Jerome, and
St. Augustine. On the left hand the upper divisions represent
Medizval Theology, in the persons of St. Anselm, St. Thomas
Aquinas, and Duns Scotus; the lower divisions represent the
58
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Theology of the Reformation, by portraits of Erasmus, Beza, and
Melanchthon. On the right hand: the upper compartments
represent the age subsequent to the Reformation, in the persons
of the Anglican—Richard Hooker, the Puritan—Thomas Cart-
wright, and the Jurisconsult and Theologian—Hugo Grotius; the
lower compartments represent the philosophical and critical side
of a later Protestant Theology by portraits of Bishop Butler—
author of ‘ The Analogy,” the American, Jonathan Edwards—
Metaphysician and Calvinistic Divine, and F. E. D. Schleier-
macher—precursor of modern German critical thought.
The south window represents Literature and Art. Philosophy
occupies the central division, in which the upper compartments
exhibit the effigies of Plato, Aristotle, Lucretius, and Cicero,
among the ancients ; the lower compartments, those of Descartes,
Locke, Kant, and Hegel, among the moderns. On the left the
great Moralists of the ancient and modern world are represented
in the upper compartments by Socrates, Epictetus, and Marcus
Aurelius; in the lower compartments, by Dr. Johnson, William
Wordsworth, and Thomas Carlyle. The right-hand division is
dedicated to Poetry and Art, of which the selected representatives
are: in the upper compartments, AEschylus, Raffaelle, and Beet-
hoven—Poetry, Painting, Music—corresponding, in the lower
compartments, with Dante, Michel Angelo, and Handel.
feat The main design of the library in its bearing upon
MOTTOES. philosophy, ethics, and intellectual culture is further
illustrated by a series of Latin mottoes, culled from many sources,
and carved on ribbon scrolls between the windows of the clere-
story. A printer's device is placed below each motto. The
mottoes are as follows :—
East side (right hand), from the Deansgate end :—
Otium sine litteris mors est.
Nemo solus sapit.
Tendit in ardua virtus.
Integros haurire fontes.
59
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
Est Deus in nobis.
Humani nihil alienum.
Nescia virtus stare loco.
O magna vis veritatis.
Quod fugit usque sequar.
Per nos, non a nobis,
Veritatis simplex oratio est.
Omnia mutantur, nihil interit.
Securus judicat orbis terrarum.
Non multa, sed multum.
West side (left hand), from the Apse :—
Perpetui fructum donavi nominis.
Tolle, lege.
Turris fortissima nomen Domini.
Nescit vox missa reverti.
Nullius in verba magistri.
Abeunt studia in mores.
Possunt quia posse videntur.
Vivere est cogitare.
Ratio quasi lux lumenque vite.
Credo ut intelligam.
Lex sapientis fons vite.
Sapere aude : incipe.
Virtus repulse nescia sordide.
Quod verum est meum est.
FITTINGS, The rooms are panelled throughout in Dantzig oak.
TION, ETC. ‘The floors are of polished oak blocks. The whole of
the metal work, such as the gates, railings, coil cases, electric
fittings, etc., were carried out in wrought gun-metal and bronze
by Messrs. Singer, of Frome, Somerset. As has been already
pointed out, the building is almost entirely vaulted in stone, but
where this has not been admissible, fireproof construction is used
after Messrs. Homan & Rodgers’ system, the main floors being of
a double thickness of fireproof with space between. The heating
60
ey I Se ee i i tie
BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH.
is by batteries of hot-water pipes through which air is passed
after filtration. The filtration of the air is effected by drawing it
in through ducts, and passing it through screens loaded with coke,
over which water sprays are constantly playing. In this way the
particles of dust with which the air is impregnated are removed.
The vitiated air is extracted through ducts placed at the highest
points of the various rooms, which lead up to central chambers,
in which powerful electrical fans are constantly running at a high
speed. Gas, the most fatal thing in a library, has been completely
excluded, the lighting throughout the building being by electricity.
BOOK-CASES, The system of the book-cases may be briefly de-
SHELVES
scribed as follows: large sheets of plate glass, some of
which are nine feet nine inches by two feet, are contained in gun-
metal frames about one inch square. ‘The exclusion of dust, so
prevalent in Manchester, is provided for by rolls of velvet made
elastic by the insertion of wool, which, when the doors are closed,
are pressed between the door and a fillet. ‘The arrangements for
locking are somewhat elaborate. A key releases a trigger, which
cannot be grasped until it is released. The trigger works espag-
nolette bolts, which shoot upwards and downwards at the top and
bottom of the frame with intermediate clasps at the side. The
internal fittings of the book-cases are of Dantzig oak, the shelves,
which are panelled in order to secure the maximum of strength
with the minimum of weight, and to prevent warping, are made
easily adjustable by means of Tonk’s fittings, which have been
specially carried out in gun-metal to secure greater strength. The
cases for large folios are fitted with adjustable, felt-covered, steel
rollers, in which the volumes are placed on their sides, and can
be inserted or withdrawn with ease, and with very little friction
upon the binding, a matter of no small importance, when the
character of the bindings and the weight of the books are con-
sidered.
61
PUBLICATIONS OF THE JOHN RYLANDS
LIBRARY.
Tue Joun Rytanps Lisrary: Memorial of the inauguration, 6th
October, 1899. [Printed for private circulation.] _8vo, pp. 24,
CaraLocus of the manuscripts, books, and bookbindings exhibited
at the opening of the John Rylands Library, Manchester,
- 6th October, 1899. 8vo, pp. 42. Out of print.
CaraLocur of the printed books and manuscripts in the John
Rylands Library, Manchester. 1899. S3vols. 4to. 31s. 6d.
net.
CATALOGUE of books in the John Rylands Library . . . printed in
England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of books in English
printed abroad, to the end of the year 1640. 1895. Ato, pp.
iii, 147. 10s. 6d. net.
Tue Enouisu Breve in the John Rylands Library, 1525 to 1640.
With 26 facsimiles and 39 engravings. Printed for private
circulation. 1899. Folio, pp. xvi, 275. In levant Morocco,
5 guineas net.
Tue Joun Rytanps Lisrary: A brief description of the building
and its contents, with a descriptive list of the works exhibited
in the main library. Printed for private circulation. July,
1902. 8vo, pp. 48. Out of print.
Joun Rytanps Lisrary... . Johann Gutenberg and the dawn
of typography in Germany. Lecture by the Librarian, 14th
October, 1903. (Synopsis of lecture.—List of works ex-
hibited . . . to illustrate the work of the first typographers
in Germany. . . .—A selection from the works in the John
Rylands Library bearing upon the subject.) 1903. 8vo,
pp. 15. Out of print.
Tyr Joun Rytanps Liprary: The movement of Old Testament
scholarship in the nineteenth century. [Synopsis of] a
63
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
lecture by Prof. A. S, Peake, . . . 11th November, 1903.— —
Some leading dates in Pentateuch criticism, 1903, 8vo, pp. 8. —
Out of print.
Works upon the study of Greek and Latin palzography and ~
diplomatic in the John Rylands Library. . . . Reprinted from
the “ Quarterly Bulletin of the John Rylands Library”. 1903.
Ato, pp. 16. Out of print.
Tue Joun Rytanps Liprary. .. . Catalogue of an exhibition of —
Bibles illustrating the history of the English versions from
Wiclif to the present time. Including the personal copies of
Queen Elizabeth, General Gordon, and Elizabeth Fry. 1904.
8vo, pp. 32. Out of print.
Tue Joun Ryvanps Lisrary. . . . Catalogue of the manuscripts
and printed books exhibited on the occasion of the visit of q
the National Council of the Evangelical Free Churches.
1905. 8vo, pp. 38. Out of print.
Tue Joun Rytanps Lisprary. ... A brief historical description
of the library and its contents, with catalogue of the selec-
tion of early printed Greek and Latin classics exhibited on
the occasion of the visit of the Classical Association. . .
1906. 8vo, pp. 89. Illus. Is. net.
*,* Pull bibliographical descriptions of the first printed
editions of the fifty principal Greek and Latin writers; of the
first printed Greek classic (‘‘ Batrachomyomachia,”’ 1474)
the only known copy is described.
Tue Joun Rytanps Lisrary. ... Catalogue of an exhibition of
Bibles illustrating the history of the English versions from
Wiclif to the present time, including the personal copies of
Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth Fry, and others. 1907. 8vo,
pp. vii, 55. Out of print.
Tuer JoHn Rytanps Liprary. . . . Catalogue of the selection of
books and broadsides illustrating the early history of print-
ing exhibited on the occasion of the visit of the Federation
of Master Printers and allied trades. 1907. 8vo, pp. vi, 34.
Out of print.
THE JOHN Ry anps Lisrary. ... A brief historical description
of the library and its contents. 1907. 8vo, pp. 53. Illus.
Out of print.
64
PUBLICATIONS.
Tue JoHN Rytanps Lisrary. .. . Catalogue of an exhibition of
illuminated manuscripts, principally Biblical and liturgical,
on the occasion of the Church Congress. 1908. 8vo, pp.
vi, 82. 6d. net.
Tue JoHN RyLanps Lisrary. . . . Catalogue of an exhibition of
original editions of the principal works of John Milton ar-
ranged in celebration of the tercentenary of his birth, 1908.
8vo, pp. 24. 6d. net.
Tue JoHn Rytanps Lisrary. . . . Catalogue of an exhibition of
© the works of Dante Alighieri [with list of a selection of
works on the study of Dante]. 1909. 8vo, pp. xii, 55. 6d.
net.
Tue Joun Rytanps Liprary. . . . Catalogue of an exhibition of
original editions of the principal English classics [with list of
works for the study of English literature]. 1910. 8vo, pp.
xvi, 86. Gd. net.
A CLAssIFIep CaTALocuE of the works on architecture and the
allied arts in the principal libraries of Manchester and
Salford, with alphabetical author list and subject index.
Edited for the Architectural Committee of Manchester by
Henry Guppy and Guthrie Vine. 1909. 8vo, pp. xxv, 310.
3s. 6d. net, or interleaved 4s. 6d. nez.
Tur Joun Rytanps Liprary. . . . An analytical catalogue of the
contents of the two editions of “An English Garner,” com-
piled by Edward Arber (1877-97), and rearranged under the
editorship of Thomas Seccombe (1903-04). 1909. 8vo, pp.
viii, 221. 1s. net.
Buiietin of the John Rylands Library. Vol. I. (1903-08). 4to,
pp. 468. 6s. nel.
_ An Account of a copy from the fifteenth century [now in the
John Rylands Library] of a map of the world engraved on
metal, which is preserved in Cardinal Stephen Borgia’s
Museum at Velletri. By A. E. Nordenskidld (copied from
“Ymer,” 1891). Stockholm, 1891. to, pp. 29, and facsimile
of map. 7s. 6d. net.
Caratocus of the Coptic manuscripts in the John Rylands Library.
By W. E. Crum. 1909. 4to, pp. xii, 273. 12 plates of fac-
similes, in collotype. 1 guinea net.
65 5
THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY.
** Many of the texts are reproduced 77 extenso. The col-
lection includes a series of private letters considerably older
than any in Coptic hitherto known, in addition to many MSS.
of great theological and historical interest.
CaTaLocug of the Demotic Papyri in the John Rylands Library.
With facsimiles and complete translations. By F. LI. Griffith.
1909. 3vols. 4to. 3 guineas net.
1. Atlas of facsimiles in collotype.
2. Lithographed hand copies of the earlier documents.
3. Key-list, translations, commentaries, and indexes.
*,* This is something more than a catalogue. It includes
collotype facsimiles of the whole of the documents, with
transliterations, translations, besides introductions, very full
notes, and a glossary of Demotic, representing the most im-
portant contribution to the study of Demotic hitherto pub-
lished. The documents dealt with in these volumes cover a
period from Psammetichus, one of the latest native kings,
about 640 B.c., down to the Roman Emperor Claudius, a.p. 43.
CaTALoGuE of the Greek Papyri in the John Rylands Library.
By Arthur S. Hunt. Vol. 1: Literary texts (Nos. 1-61). 1911.
4to, pp. xii, 204. 10 plates of facsimiles in collotype.
1 guinea net.
*,* The texts are reproduced in extenso. The collection
comprises many interesting Biblical, liturgical, and classical
papyri, ranging from the third century B.c. to the sixth century
A.D. Included are probably the earliest known text of the
‘« Nicene Creed,” and one of the earliest known vellum codices,
containing a considerable fragment of the ‘‘ Odyssey,” pos-
sibly of the third century a.p.
CatatocuE of the Greek Papyri in the John Rylands Library. By
_ Arthur S. Hunt. Vols. 2 and 3: Non-literary documents.
In preparation.
THe JoHN RyLanps Lisrary. . . . Catalogue of an exhibition of
manuscript and printed copies of the Scriptures, illustrating
the history of the transmission of the Bible, in commemora-
tion of the Tercentenary of the ‘‘ Authorised Version ” of the
English Bible. a.p. 1611-1911. 1911. 8vo, pp. xiv, 128, and
12 facsimiles. 6d. net,
66
PUBLICATIONS.
*,* Pp. 1-35. A brief sketch of the history of the transmis-
sion of the Bible.
Tue Joun Rytanps Lisrary. ... Catalogue of an exhibition of
medizeval manuscripts and jewelled book-covers [exhibited on
the occasion of the visit of the Historical Association], in-
cluding lists of palzographical works and of historical
periodicals on the John Rylands Library. 1912. 8vo, pp.
xiv, 134, and 10 facsimiles. 6d. net.
*,* Pp, 1-20. The manuscripts in the John Ryland
Library. The characteristic features of the manuscripts of
the Middle Ages.
Tur Joun Rytanps Lisrary. .. . A brief historical description
of the library and its contents, with catalogue of a selection
of manuscripts and printed books exhibited on the occasion
of the visit of the Congregational Union of England and
Wales, in October, 1912. 8vo, pp. xii, 144, and 21 facsimiles.
Out of print.
BisuiocrapuicaL Notes for Students of the Old Testament,
by S. A. Peake, M.A., D.D. Specially prepared to ac-
company his lecture on “ How to Study the Old Testament $i
[delivered in the John Rylands Library, 26th November,
1913]. 8vo, pp. 8. Gratis.
Tue Joun Rytanps Facsimites: A series of reproductions of
unique and rare books in the possession of the John Rylands
Library.
The volumes consist of minutely accurate facsimile produc-
tions of the works selected, preceded by short bibliographical
introductions.
The issue of each work is limited to five hundred copies, of
which three hundred are offered for sale, at a price calculated
to cover the cost of reproduction.
1. Proposirio JOoHANNIS RUSSELL, printed by William Caxton,
circa a.p. 1476. Reproduced from the copy preserved in the
John Rylands Library. . - - With an introduction by Henry
Guppy. 1909. 8vo, pp- 36, 8. 3s. 6d. vet.
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