BOOK V. deeds and brave endurance, there lies one pledge the The Libraries of more that Hungary "is not dead, but sleepeth."? Chapter X. Bohemia. Library of the Pesth possesses yet a third Library which is sometimes called the Teleki Library, and sometimes the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In the Diet of 1826, Count Joseph Teleki, for himself and his brothers, presented to his fellow-countrymen the fine Library of 30,000 volumes, which they had jointly inherited from their father. He also presented the sum of 5000 florins, by way of beginning a maintenance fund. The example was followed with the old Hungarrian spirit, and amongst the earliest imitators the illustrious name of Batthyány twice occurs; Count Casimir as the donor of 2660 volumes, and Count Gustavus as the donor of a Library containing very nearly 30,000 volumes. A collection, especially rich in Hungarian history, was purchased in 1849 (5000 volumes); and, in 1852, Count Joseph Teleki increased the acquisition-fund by a handsome contribution from the profits of his well-known historical work. In the following year the Library possessed 70,660 volumes.1 § 2. THE LIBRARIES OF BOHEMIA. be The fine Library of the University of Prague may traced, in its first elements, as far back as to the year 1366, when the Emperor Charles IV., the founder of the College, called after him Carolinum, laid the groundwork of an Academical Library, which he increased four years later by the purchase, for 100 marks, of a collection of books, 114 in number, belonging to Wil BOOK V. Chapter X. Bohemia helm von Hasenburg (Decanus Wissegradensis), of The Libraries of which a very curious contemporary Catalogue has recently been published in the Transactions of the Gesellschaft des Vaterländischen Museums in Böhmen. By this Catalogue it appears that the total number of books then in the Library, the new accession included, was 192. Other acquisitions followed, some of them of considerable value, so that, before the close of the following century, the Prague University Library was already an important one. During the sixteenth century the collection of V. Salius and of S. Erichalcus were also added. University to the Jesuits. In 1622, the Library, with the University itself and Alienation of the its subordinate institutions, was by the Emperor Ferdinand II. handed over to the Jesuits. Other Libraries attached to particular colleges-as that of the Bohemian College commenced in 1391; that of the College of the Apostles, dating from 1451; and that of Nazareth College-were then incorporated with it and placed in the Clementinum (formerly the Dominican Convent of St. Clement,) which already possessed a Library, founded, about 60 years before, by the removal to Prague, from Oybin in Upper Lusatia, of a monastic Library of the Celestinians, said to consist almost entirely of Incunabula.2 The Clementine collection had received many valuable accessions, both by gift and purchase, so that it is ' Prague, 1840, 65-76. This catalogue has since been reprinted in Intelligenzblatt zum Serapeum, 1850, 57-76. 2 Petzholdt, in Serapeum (1840), 160. BOOK V. certain, that the combined Library was rich and exThe Libraries of tensive, although we have no complete record of its Chapter X. Bohemia. the alienated Library of the Clementinum. contents. It was owing, partly, to the judicious arrangements of the Jesuits, and partly to the exertions of the Academical Senate, that the collections which had been united in the Clementinum suffered little during the stormy epoch of the "Thirty years War." In the course of that period, indeed, it received some valuable accessions. Afterwards-in 1730-the Library of the Count F. von Herberstein was obtained by purchase, and made an addition of nearly 4000 volumes. Meanwhile the University had gradually laid the foundation of a new and independent Library, of which a portion of the Sternberg collection, acquired in 1726, was the nucleus. Some twenty years later, the Empress Maria Theresa added 4000 volumes of books, which the Vienna Imperial Library possessed in duplicate. In Restoration of 1773, the suppression of the Jesuits led to the restoration of the Clementine collections as the property of the newly organized University. But they remained in the Clementine Building, and with them were incorporated the books recently acquired, and also large collections from the many other Jesuit establishments Large increase of Bohemia. The Central Library' thus formed, and afterwards liberally augmented, as, for example, by the Kinsky collection of 10,193 volumes, in 1777; by the books of several monasteries, dissolved by the Emperor Joseph II., in 1781; by the Bucek Library, in 1813; by that of Krombholz, containing about 2000 volumes, purchased in 1845: and also by the appropri of the University Library. ation to new purchases of the proceeds arising from BOOK V. Chapter X. Bohemia. the sale of duplicates, contained in April 1851, The Libraries of 109,880 volumes of Printed Books, and 7762 Manuscripts in 3419 volumes. sities of the As will be expected, a considerable portion of this extensive Library consists of Roman Catholic Theology. But in other classes, also, there are many very valuable books, and some, both theological and literary, which excite surprise in those who see them there. In this Library, says Mr. Kohl, who visited it in July 1841, "are several Bibles in the Bohemian language, printed in Venice. In one, of the year 1506, is a picture of Hell, in which the Devil is treading down a whole host of Popes and Monks, to which some zealous commentator has affixed a MS. note to inform us that the picture represents 'Pope Julius II. in Hell' ....... One of the The rare curiomost curious books perhaps, is a Hussite Hymn-book Prague Library. which is written and illuminated with singular splendour .... [and was] the joint production of the Inhabitants of Prague. Every guild ... had a few hymns written and pictures painted to accompany them, and several noble families did the same, each family or Corporation placing its arms or crest before its own portion of the book. All the pictures are painted in a masterly style." Our veteran traveller, on mentioning the first book printed in Bohemia for its good print and "solid durable paper," makes a reflection which is, I am inclined to fear, in a fair way to become even more applicable to England than to Germany. "Our modern paper," he says, "is mere tinder in comparison. "If we BOOK V. Chapter X. "go on 'improving' the manufacture as we have done The Libraries of "of late, there will be nothing left in our Public Li"braries, but the solid old Incunabula and the vellum "MSS."1 Bohemia. Classification of the Prague Library. Within the last few months the University has made a very important acquisition, by the purchase of the Library of the renowned philologist Hermann of Göttingen, consisting of 7000 volumes, in addition to 4000 pamphlets.2 The Library, which is still lodged in the Clementinum, occupies two great halls, three corridors or cloisters, a Reading-Room, and seven other rooms. Books relating to, or printed in Bohemia or Moravia are arranged apart. The general classification of the Library runs thus: I.-IV. Scientific and Literary History; V. Greek Classics; VI. Latin Classics; VII. Commentators on the Greek and Latin Classics; VIII. Linguistics; IX. Poetry; X. Rhetoric; XI. Other Fine Arts; XII. Theoretical and Practical Philosophy; XIII. Political Sciences; XIV. Mathematics; XV.-XVI. Natural Sciences; XVII. Manufactures; XVIII. Medicine; XIX. Geography and Chronology; XX. Universal History; XXI. Church History; XXII. Special Civil History; XXIII. Sciences ancillary to History (Genealogy— Numismatics, etc.); XXIV. Canon Law; XXV. Civil Law; XXVI. Bibles; XXVII. Biblical Commentators; XXVIII. Greek Fathers of the Church; XXIX. Latin Fathers of the Church; XXX. Councils; XXXI. Dogmatic Theology; XXXII. Moral and Pastoral Theology; XXXIII. Liturgical Theology; XXXIV. Homiletical Theology; XXXV. Polemic Theology; XXXVI. Ascetic Theology; XXXVII. Polygraphy; XXXVIII. Polygraphy (Miscellaneous Transactions of Learned Societies); XXXIX. to XLIV. Incunabula Typographica; XLV. to LIII. National Collection. The use of the collection is still governed by the Regulations established in 1785. By these it is enacted that the Library shall be freely open to the Public five 1 Kohl, Austria, 34-36. 2 Allgemeine Zeitung, as quoted in London Athenæum (1856), 522. |