БООК У. Chapter IX. Sweden and Norway. But the MSS. at Upsal, and those at Stockholm, are almost the only MSS. in the kingdom of Sweden and The Libraries of Norway which possess interest of a high order for strangers, as well as for natives. The Upsal collection includes the famous Codex Argenteus, containing the Gothic Gospels of Ulfilas. It was amongst the spoils seized by the Swedes at the storming of Prague, in 1648; and after passing successively through the hands of Queen Christina, of Isaac Vossius, and of the Count de la Gardie, was presented by the latter to the University of Upsal. It is, and in modern days has always been, imperfect; but ten leaves of it are said to have been recovered at the end of 1856. It has been recently and ably edited by Dr. Massmann. Amongst the surviving treasures of Stockholm (the Royal Library suffered severely by fire in 1697), is a golden book which has had even stranger vicissitudes than the silver book of Upsal. The Latin Evangeliary, which is called Codex Aureus, bears an inscription in Anglo-Saxon, recording its rescue "from a heathen war-troop, with our pure treasure," by "Alfred, and Werburgh, his wife." Long after this incident it found its way to Madrid, where, in 1690, it was purchased by Sparvenfeldt, and carried into Sweden. Another biblical MS. (Codex Giganteus) contains nearly all the Old Testament, much of the Apocrypha, all the New Testament, except the Pauline Epistles and the Apocalypse; the greater part of Josephus; and a strange treatise on magic, adorned with a gilded portrait of the arch-enemy. Here is also a most curious English medical MS., apparently of the eleventh century, somewhat after the fashion of the Regimen BOOK V. Chapter IX. The Libraries of Norway. Sanitatis of the famous school of Salerno. Appended to this part of the Codex, which is metrical, are various Sweden and prescriptions and clinical memoranda, which have sometimes led to its description as a physician's case-book. There are other choice MSS., which cannot here find mention. Of the Library, there is a printed catalogue by Aurivillius up to 1814, since continued in MS. Of the MSS. given by Sparvenfeldt, a catalogue was printed in 1706. Of the Oriental MSS., the first part of a catalogue, by Toruberg, was printed in 1849.* 2 1 Comp. Travels of Dr. E. D. Clarke, vi, 279-283; Elliot, Letters from the North of Europe; Von Schubert, Reise durch Schweden, etc. (1817-20); Stephens, Extracts from an old English Medical MS. at Stockholm (Archæologia, 1844, xxx, 399-429). • Catalogus librorum impressorum Bibliothecæ Regiæ Academiæ Upsalensis, 1814, fol. 3 Catalogus Centuriæ Librorum Manuscriptorum Rarissimorum, etc, 1706. This catalogue was drawn up by Celsius and Benzelius. 4 Codices Arabici, Persici, Turcici, Bibliotheca Regia Acad. Upsalensis. Upsal., 1849. CHAPTER X. THE LIBRARIES OF HUNGARY, BOHEMIA, Although the Imperial Library [of Russia], like other large Libraries, is a monument of the development of human intellect in all its various phases, yet the officers delight to remember that it is at the same time a REMARKABLE TROPHY OF MILITARY GLORY, owing the principal and most precious part of its treasures to the success of Russian arms. The names of Suwarrow and Paskewitch are inseparably attached to the foundation and increase of this vast institution, while to Field-Marshal Volkhonsky was reserved the work of its definite organization. ... BOOK V. Chapter X. The University Library of Pesth was originally the The Libraries of Library of the High School of Tyrnau (founded by the Hungary. Vol. II. BOOK V. Chapter X. celebrated Primate of Hungary, Peter Pázmáni, in The Libraries of 1655,) and accompanied the School in its successive Hungary. removals,first to Buda, in 1777, and thence to Pesth, Conversion of in 1784. the Tyrnau Li brary into the University Li It was reorganized by the Emperor Joseph II., shortly brary of Pesth. after its establishment in Pesth, and owing to this circumstance that period has been sometimes erroneously stated to be the date of its foundation.1 Miss Pardoc. who visited Pesth in 1839, says, in her vivacious book The City of the Magyar: "the Library was in sad confusion, for many of the books had been damaged by the inundation [this was the terrible inundation of 1838]... while, to increase the disorder, the nation had just made a new purchase, consisting of several thousand volumes, and the huge cases were yet unopened. It is very rich", she adds, "in MSS., principally local and historical, the remains of an immense collection, contributed by the different Religious Houses, but partially destroyed by the Turks."2 In 1851, the number of printed volumes was 65,000;3 in 1853, nearly 72,000; that of MSS. was (at the latter date) 1510. The Széchényi National Library But the chief literary glory of Pesth is its "National of Hungary. Museum", which contains a Library of nearly 180,000 volumes, founded by Count FrancisSzéchényi,HighChamberlain of Hungary, who, in 1802, gave as its ground work, a very noble collection of Hungarian books, both printed and MSS., to be perpetually preserved for public use. In 1804, the collection was brought to Pesth, was ar 1 Kohl, Austria, 243, 244. 2 City of the Magyar, ii, 212. 3 Petzholdt, ut supra. BOOK V. Chapter X. Hungary. ranged in the former Convent of St. Paul and was opened to the Public. The patriotic foundation laid by The Libraries of Széchényi was so quickly built upon by men of like mind, that within two years a larger building became necessary, and accommodation was found in part of the edifice appropriated to the general Seminary of Pesth. The gifts continuing to pour in, it was soon determined that the institution should receive a new organisation and wider aims. The "National Museum of Hungary" was constituted by law in 1808; a sum of 500,000 florins was raised within a few months, and a suitable building was purchased, enlarged, and adapted to the accommodation, as well of the rapidly increasing Library, as of the other scientific and artistic collections. The former includes, in addition to the general collection, a very complete and well-arranged series of printed books, maps, and charts, specifically relating to Hungary, which series, several years ago, amounted to 7577 volumes; another series of works partially relating to and illustrative of the History and Geography of Hungary, in 2222 volumes; and a collection of MSS., containing 21,210 distinct pieces or articles. About the year 1847, the valuable Library of Professor von Horváth was purchased for 120,000 florins. The present total number of volumes is stated to exceed 180,000, of which 36,000 are Hungarian books, and about 20,000 others are foreign works, which more or less relate to Hungary. May it not be said, without rashness, that in this brief narrative of peaceful enterprise, scarcely less than in many a narrative of heroic |