STATE OF LITERATURE
FROM THE
EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE INVENTION OF PRINTING.
BEFORE THE CHRISTIAN ERA.
" The ancient Ronuui and Greek oraton conld only speak to the number of citizens capaliie of l>ein( assembled wiUdn the reacli of their voice i their writinga had little efftet, because the bulk of the people conld not read. Kow by the press we can speak to nations j and good boolLi, and well written pamphlets, have great and general iBflaence." — Fbakilim.
The most ancient library on record was formed by Osymandyas, King of Egypt,at Memphis. He was a contemporary of David, King of Israel.
At a very early date, the Jews attached collections of books to most of their synagogues; and we are told that Nehemiah founded a public library at Jerusalem.
Pisistratus, of Athens, was the first who instituted a public library at Greece; and is supposed to have been the collector of the scattered works which passed under the name of Homer.
When we reflect that copies of books were made by the pen alone, and that their circulation, which seems to have been extensive, could not proceed unless the pen supplied copies. From this single fact, we shall be prepared to expect that the copyists of books must, at all times before the invention of printing, have been very numerous; following a regular business, that afforded full employment, and required experience and skill, as well as legible and expeditious writing.
^ At Athens cop3rists by profession were numei^ ■ ons, and gained a steady and considerable liveli- r kood. The booksellers of Athens employed them [ principally to copy books of amusement, most of iriiich were exported to the adjoining countries on the shores of the Mediterranean, and even to tibe Greek colonies on the Euxine. In many of AkMplaccs the businessof copyingwas carried on, jBjl lionries formed. Individuals also employed aRmselves, occasionally, in copying; and there gee instances recorded of some forming their own Bbimties by copying every book they wished to put nlo them. Not long after the death of Alexander, 023) the love of science and literature passed from Athens and Greece generally , to Alexandria, where, patronised by the Ptolemies, they flourished vigorously, and, for a considerable period, seemed to have concentrated themselves.
972. In speaking of Irish manuscripts, Dr. Keating states, the Ptalter of Tara was written about this period ; and there is an ancient alpha- bet, called an Irish one, now extant, which is said to have derived its title Babelotk, from the names of certain persons who assisted in forming the Japhetian language.
606, Nov. 6. The 6th day of the Hebrew month Caslew, was observed as a fast, in memory of the Book of Jeremiah, torn and burnt by king Jehoi- akim. — Jerehiah xxxvi. 23.
322, Oct. 2. Died Aristotle. He is the first
eerson, on record, who was possessed of a private brary.
300. We possess few facts respecting the price of manuscript books among the ancients. Plato, who seems to have spared no trouble or money in order to enrich his library, especially with philo- sophical works, paid 100 minte, equal to £379. for three small treatises by Pbilulaus, the Pytha- gorean ; and after the death of Speusippus, Plato's disciple, his books were purchased by Aristotle; they were few in number; he paid for them three talents, about £675.
300. The Alexandrian library founded by Pto- lemy Soter, who reigned about this period. His successors enlarged it f" one of them seized all books imported into Egypt,giving copies of them, made by his orders, and at his expense, to the proprietors.
285, Nov. 2. Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt, so memorable as a patron of learning, commenced his reign upon this Julian day. Galen says, in his commentary upon the third of the Epidemics, and upon the first book of the Nature of Man, that Ptolemy Philadelphus gave to the Athenians fifteen talents, with exception from all tribute, and a great convoy of provisions, for the auto- graphs and originals of the tragedies of Eschylus, Sophocles, and Euripedes.
The first national library founded in Egypt seemed to have been placed under the protection of the divinities, for their statues magnificently adorned this temple, dedicated at once to religion and to literature It was still further embellished by a well-known inscription, for ever grateful to the votary of literature ; on the front was engrayen " The nourishment of the soul ;" or, accormng to Diodorus, " The medicine of the mind."
The Egyptian Ptolemies founded the vast library of Alexandria, which was afterwards the emulative labour of rival monarchs. Under the same roof with this celebrated library, were exten-
Dinitized by
