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leggende dei SS. Martiri Mena e Trifone. b. Delia
legenda di S. Pancrazio Romano, c. Intorno ad alcune
reminiscenze classiche nelle leggende agiografiche del
secolo IV"; (6) "Note agiografiche, fascicolo
terzo".
Giovanni Mercati published the fascicles 5, 7, 11, 12, and 15: (1) "Note di letteraturabibhcae cristiana antica"; (2) "Antiche reliquie ambrosiano-romane, con un excursus sui frammenti dogmatic! ariani del Mai"; (3) "Varia Sacra: Fasc. 1. a. Anon\-mi Chilias- tae in Mattha>um Fragmenta. b. Alcuni supplementi agli scritti dei Dottori Cappadoci e di S. Cii'illo Ales- sandrino"; (4) a. "Un framniento deUe ipotiposi di Clemente Alessandrino. b. Paralipomena Ambrosiana con alcuni appunti sulle benedizioni del Cereo pas- quale"; (5) "OpuscoU inediti del Beato Cardinal Giuseppe Tommasi tratti in luce". Enrico Carusi published fascicle 21: "Dispacci e lettere di Giacomo Gherardi, nunzio Pontificio a Firenze e Milano 1487-1490". Eugene Tisserant published fascicle 23: "Codex Zugninensis rescriptus Veteris Testa- menti. Texte grec des manuscrits Vatican Syriaque 162 et. Mus. Brit." Additionel 14665, ^dite avec intro- duction et notes. Of the published fascicles there still remains: "Catalogo sommario deUa Esposizione Gregoriana aperta nella Biblioteca Vaticana dal 7 all' 11 Aprile, 1904, a cura della Direzione della medesima Biblioteca. Ediz. seconda." In the press is: Mercati and Ferrini, "Basihcorum paratitla". The following are in preparation: (1) Mercati, "Psalmoruni hexaplorum reliquiae e codice rescripto Ambrosiano"; (2) Vatasso, "Cronache Forlivesi di Maestro Giovanni de Pedrino (1411-1464). Una versione in dialetto del secolo XIV deUe Armonie evangeUche d'Ammonio"; (3) Carusi, "Diario di Fiorenza dall'anno 1482, di Giusto d'Anghiari"; (4) Nogara, "II libro XXXII deUa Storia d'ltaha di Flavio Biondo dai codici Vatic. 1940-1946". All these collections may advantageously be used as works of reference on the Vatican Libary. The Vatican stands at the head of the world's libraries in its number of scientific publications, despite its com- paratively small staff and insufficient funds.
(7) The Administration of the Vatican Library. — Since the time of Marcello Cervini, the first cardinal who was named (1548) librarian of the Apostohc Library, this official has borne the honorary title of Protettore della Biblioteca Vaticana. In him is vested in general the supreme direction of the library, which he represents in all questions and under all circumstances relating to the library as a whole or to the administration in general. LTnder him there is, for the technical and scientific management of the library, a prefect — formerly there were two — who has to decide all questions referring to the ordi- nary administration and to issue such instructions as these questions may demand. The position of assis- tant librarian, revived by Leo XIII, is at present vacant. For the cliief language or groups of languages represented in the Vatican manuscripts there are six ordinary and five honorary scriptores, to whom is en- trusted the scientific cultivation of the departments committed to them. Thus, including the prefect, there are twelve scientific general officials. For the collections connected with the library, e. g. the Cabi- net of Coins and Medals ( II Mcchigficre) and the Chris- tian Museum (M\is(() Sacm), there are four directors, whose duty is the scientific supervision of their collec- tions. Under the sujiervision of one of the scrii>lor<s, six assi.stants discharge all the duties connected willi the printed books, besides superintending special portions of the library. The jjrefect is assisted by a secretary, who has in a<l(hl ion 1 he duty of keeping the accounts. Seven hiihUi (hhrarv attendants) bring the manuscrii^ts and books to the re:iilers, transfer the departments to tlieir new quart <ts when a change has been determined on, and keep everything in order in
the Consultation Library. In the repair-shop and
book-bindery four men are permanently employed.
The salaries of the officials are exceedingly modest.
No official, not even the prefect, receives more than
fifty dollars a month. The title of "Scriptor of the
Vatican Library" has been held by such men as
Giovanni de Rossi, Mariano RampoUa del Tindaro,
Stevenson, and many others, and is to-day borne by
such world-famous scholars as Mercati, Franchi de'
Cavaheri, Vatasso, etc. The annual budget of the
library is the ridiculously smaU sum of 6000 dollars.
On extraordinary occasions great loans have been
secured — e. g., $100,000 when the Barberini Library
was purchased. During his term of office. Father Ehrle
raised the budget to about 7000 dollars by obtain-
ing contributions from his friends and acquaintances.
In all financial questions the library is subordinate
to the Prefecture of the Apostolic Palaces. The
archives of the library contain no acts extending back
beyond the time of the first cardinal fibrarian; more
recent administrative acts are, however, complete.
In earlier times all manuscripts whose pubhcation
was adjudged untimely, dangerous, likely to cause
misunderstandings etc., were marked on the back with
a small black cross. When such a codex was asked for,
the prefect decided whether or not it should be dehv-
ered to the particular scholar. This custom led to
distinctions not always of a very agi-eeable kind, and
was entirely discontinued by Father Ehrle, so that
any scholar can procure without further ceremony any
manuscript, which he desires. In the case of the
exceptionally valuable codices or those which have to
be handled with .special care, the readers must observe
all the directions which the prefect has found it
necessary to impose.
The administration shows the greatest complaisance in its dealings with scholars, and admits outside the regular four-hour period of study those whose time is very limited. The same rule applies to Thursday, which is a free day, and to the holidays proper. The hbrary is open from 1 October to 27 June — in winter from 9 a. m. to 1 p. m., and in summer from 8 a. m. to 12 noon. On all Thursdays, feasts, certain memo- rial days, the holidays of Christmas, the Carnival, and Easter, and on some other occasions, it is closed. The library ordinances issued by Sixtus V are carved in marble at the entrance. These have received timely alterations in the "Chirographa" of Clement XII, Benedict XIV, and Clement XIII, as well as in the Decree "Ex audientia Sanctissimi" of Pius IX; in particular, a nimiber of the holidays which proved especially burdensome to strangers have been abohshed. By Motu Proprio of 9 September, 1878, Leo XIII made further alterations, among others the revival of the office of assistant fibrarian. Finally, on 21 March, 1885, the same pontiff issued a new "Regolamento della Biblioteca Vaticana" together with a "Calendario per I'apertura e per lo studio e servizio della B. Vaticana". After these regulations had remained in force for a three years' trial, they were revised and raised to a permanent law by Motu Proprio of 1 October, 1888, which is still binding.
(8) The Collections connected with the Library. — The exhibition in the hbrary halls of the costly presents received by the popes in the course of the last hundred years from emperors, kings, princes, and rich private persons, has converted some of these lialls into a musevmi, which, while possessing great attraction for strangers and decorating the rooms, is without any real scientific value. Counties.* other objects, however, have been collected for scientific reasons. A beginning was made by Benedict XIV (1740-5S), when in 1744 he bought the magnificent collection of old (Christian gla.>*ses belonging to Cardi- nal Gaspare Carpegna and transferred them to the library. This collection forms the basis of the cele-
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