ably the most ancient allegorical poem in the ro- A variety of commentaries were written upon The French invented the it, and it was contended by some, that its outward garb but masked a divine allegory and that under the terms of terrestrial love were portrayed the grace of God, and the beatitude of Heaven. While, however, the mass of the learued admired it as the perfection of poetry, there were others, who were alarmed at its influence, and decried its worth. Petrarch criticised it with cruel severity, and returned it to the friend who sent it to him as unworthy the name of Poetry. Jean Gerson, one of the erudite Fathers of the council of Constance and Chancellor of the University of Paris, wrote a Latin treatise upon the dangerous character of the book, “which if I only had," said he, "and there were no more in the world, if I might have five hundred pounds for the same, I would rather burn it than take the money." And the good Chancellor, carrying his wrath beyond the grave, remarks that if he thought its author did not repent of writing it before he died, "he would vouchsafe to pray for him no more than he would for Judas, who betrayed Christ." Martin Frank also inveighed against it in a work entitled "The Champion of the Ladies," and though many of the Clergy denounced it from the pulpit, others openly cited its passages in their sermons, and "mingled the verses of William de Lorris, with the texts of holy writ." William of Lorris was born in that town, in the province of Gatinois and died in 1260 or '62. Massieu, (in his Hist. de la Poesie Francois,) says of him that he possessed most of the qualities of a poet an agreeable spirit, a quick imagination and much invention. He knew the powers and the charms of fiction, so little known by his contemporary poets. The plot of de Lorris seems to make the Rose the reward of love, which he is inspired to seek by Dame Oiseause, or Idleness. In its pursuit, however, he is opposed by contending emotions under the name of Dangier and Male-bouche, who mislead him: and Haine, Felonie, Avarice and Bassasse who retard his progress. This theme is sustained by his continuator Jean de Mung, who was born at Mung upon the Loire near Paris in 1280: and at the early age of 22 began to complete what de Lorris had commenced, which he accomplished by 1305. At the conclusion of the first part there is in the manuscript before me, a notice of the death of de Lorris and at the caption of Clopinel's portion, (as Jean de Mung was usually called from a halting in his feet,) is a coffin of de Lorris uuder a green pall, striped with white and red, marked with black crosses and surrounded with seven candlesticks. The character of the work has been variously estimated. Sismondi says no book was ever more popular than the Romance of the Rose. From a partly obliterated colophon it appears that the manuscript possessed by Mr. Smets, was expressly written for Lady de Coucy in 1323, and recently belonged to Dr. Adam Clarke, the celebrated scholar and divine. Mr. Smets has also a copy of the first printed edition of the work, struck off in Paris in 1537, and also a superb copy in four large 4to volumes issued in 1799. The next manuscript we shall mention is a splendid octavo copy of "Rabanus Machabeorum libro duo," from Lord Egmont's celebrated collection. Lord Egmont is himself an interesting historiIn the preface to the Paris edition of 1799, it cal character to Mr. Smets' fellow-citizens of is elegantly said, The number of manuscripts Georgia, as under the title of Lord Percival, he more numerous than the printed copies, prove it was the President of the Common Council of to have been the book of our Fathers, and but Trustees for the settlement of that State, and for the fact of its language being so different through life was devoted to her interests. By his from our present views of delicacy, sometimes powerful appeals in her behalf, he caused the tratoo affected, it might be still the book of their ducer of her fame to retract upon his knees before children. Clement Marot, one of the most emi- the assembled Peers of England, the slanders nent of the early French Poets, termed de Lorris which he had promulgated against the Trustees. the Eunius, and others have esteemed him the The full title of the MS. is " Libri Propheta Homer of Gallic poetry. Reguier imitated it in rum et Libri Regum-cum explanatione locorum his 66 Macette," the most beautiful and brilliant difficilliorum." It was written between 14 and of his satires, and Chaucer the father of English | 1500 upon very delicate vellum, and the chirogpoetry, trauslated nearly eight thousand of its raphy is the most exquisitely fine we have ever seen; it is the perfection of writing in the 15th verses. century. It is richly illuminated with a variety | Gothic French, and what adds peculiarly to its of pictorial devices of the most brilliant colors value and gives to it an intrinsic merit far above The initial letters are elegantly embellished with curious devices, and are mostly in gold and blue. The margins also are beautifully wreathed with flowers, spangled with silver and gold, which give a beautiful and magnificent appearance to the double-columned page which they encompass. The author, Rabanus Maurus, was in 847 Archbishop of Mentz and one of the most learned divines in the ninth century. He was born at Mentz in 785 and died in 856, leaving behind a vast number of works on a variety of subjects, mostly of a scriptural character. A number of manuscript missals, in Latin, grace his collection. These missals were collections of separate liturgic services for the convenience of the priests, and contain many of the oraisons and ceremonies of Gregory I., and even earlier Popes. The oldest in Mr. Smets' library was written in 1380, and is a small quarto, of superior execution. It contains twelve miniatures of grouped figures, one of which represents a lady, with a gaily-attired knight; while Death, in the form of a skeleton, steals up behind transfixing her with his dart: designed, doubtless, to represent the uncertainty of life. The costume is of the time of Charles V. of France, and seems as outrè to us, as our fashions would have appeared then. The large letters in this, also, are in gold, and the whole profusely ornamented. Another, the "Autiphonarium Sanctum," a work of the 15th century, is very neatly written on vellum, and contains fifty-four miniatures of Saints, the production of some Flemish artist. On the first page is a large painting of our Saviour, as described by Josephus. that of any other in his collection, is the fact of its being entirely in the autograph of the author, Robert Cybole, who styles himself in the colophon, "Docteur en theologie, et chancellier de notre Dame de Paris." Another French manuscript of more modern date, however, is a transcript made in 1627 from the original records, viz. "The Register of the Parliament of France," &c., detailing the marriage ceremonies of all the Royal personages of France, from the reign of Louis XII. to 1626, and is entitled "Ceremoniea de marriage de Roy et autre grand," &c. These historical collections commence with the marriage contract of Louis XII. with Anne de Bretagne in 1498 and are exceedingly minute in their details. Many a fascinating story might be woven from the diversified narratives contained in these pages. The reader who has not made himself familiar with the history of the art of illuminating manuscripts, would suspect us of practising upon his credulity, if we should tell him with what labor one of these curiosities was produced. Years were sometimes consumed in the preparation of a single work. The worthy old ecclesiastics who chiefly devoted themselves to the pursuit, had need certainly to exercise the Christian virtue of patience, in the prosecution of their tasks, for not unfrequently the whole aspect of the material world underwent a change, while the parchment lay unfinished before them. When we consider this striking fact, it will appear still more incredible that thousands and even millions of these MSS.-some of them of a voluminous character-were written before the invention of printing. The famous Library of Alexandria which was burnt by the Saracens A. D. 642, contained so immense a number of such works, that we are told the baths of the Caliph Omar were heated six months from the fires that were made of them. But the most costly and splendid of these devotional works written about 1420, is an elegant octavo volume, containing fourteen of the most finished paintings, representing the Annunciation the appearing of the Angels to the Shepherds, It may, perhaps, be thought an idle speculathe visit of the Magi, the flight into Egypt, &c., tion, at this late period of the world's history, &c. The coloring of these drawings is brilliant, when the clatter of the printing press is heard by and exhibits the freshness of yesterday, while the day and night, all round the globe, to dwell upon lining is accurate and sprightly. The grouping the immense loss to science and literature occaof figures is graceful, the perspective faultless, sioned by this bigoted act of the besotted Easand the whole beautiful beyond description. The tern monarch. We may, however, venture to initials are superbly colored with gold and silver, say that other causes have since worked as dire and blue and carmine; the letters are clear and distinct, the vellum fine, and the work altogether incomparable. a destruction of the records of ancient learning as this great conflagration itself. War, that saddest ordeal through which nations have passed Among his French manuscripts is one written since time began, and the consuming touch of in 1442 entitled "Liure de sainte maditacyone decay have reft us of much of the highest wisen coquois-sance de soymesmes." It is a large dom and the profoundest research of the ancients. thick folio, with parchment leaves, gold and col- Dr. Stevens mentions, with the regret of the acoured letters, flower embellished margins, and complished and liberal scholar, a few of those the whole elegantly executed. It is written in irretrievable losses which the world has thus ex 1 VOL. XVII-80 perienced. The history of Polybius was origin- of Voulvant-and the Monks there present, alially written in forty books, but the first five books enate, and cede to Blomon and his wife, Steonly, and a few other fragments have reached phania, for the consideration of two-pence us. Of the forty-five books of Diodorus Siculus, (" quoudam ad censum duorum") the house near but fifteen are extant. Of the eighty volumes of the monastery, in front of the old Almonry, the Dion Cassius, twenty-five remain. Of the one which house has been ceded by her parents on hundred and forty books of Livy, thirty-five only the marriage of the said Stephania to Blomon," are left. The greatest part of Appian's Roman written in 1160. It is in Latin, written in large History is lost; and the five hundred volumes of letters on parchment, about 10 inches square. Varro, "the most learned of the Romans," have dwindled down to a few fragments. A poet, whose own regrets had been excited by the contemplation of these sad losses, thus celebrated the triumph of type over the accidents of time and fate: Science on books now dreads no holy war, The prey of worms and popes, of Goths and Huns; Pursuing the train of thought suggested by the ravages that time has made upon the literature of the past, Dr. Stevens indulges in these excellent reflections on the remarkable preservation of the Bible The next we shall specify, is an original deed of gift of certain pasturage from Manasses, Count de Rethel, to the Abbey of Ligny, written in 1194. The next is a neat and prettily written note, under the seal of St. Peter of Megieres, certifying that Stephen, of St. Marcel, knight, and Ade, his wife, give to Gaucher, Earl of Ethel, Garot de Viler, a woman in their service, in exchange for Bertha, daughter of Hiete, who was woman servant of the Earl of Æthel, dated May, 1255. But the most valuable of these single papers of which he has many elegant and curious specimeus, is an original Bull of Pope Innocent the III., written at Rome on the 24th February, 1212, in the 15th year of his Pontificate. It is six inches square, written in small angular letters, on thick parchment bearing the original fold of the Epistle. This edict was addressed to the Abbots of St. Peter of Laigny, and of Chailly, and to the Dean of Seulis, desiring them to inquire into the matter relative to the expulsion of the Can"Is it not a proof of the peculiar care of God ons, from the monastery of St. Cornelius, at for his own revelation, that that inspired volume Campeigne, it having been charged against them, has survived every revolution, outlived every de- that they had destroyed the privileges and other vastation, remained unharmed in every change, prerogatives of that Church. These written inin each age, and in all countries; and when every struments of the Roman chancery, derive their other work of antiquity is either lost or mutila- name Bulls, from the Latin Bullæ, a seal or round ted, is still presented to us the same original, drop; some times, however, in the shape of a entire, unpolluted book, which Prophets and heart worn by the young nobility of Rome round Apostles wrote, as they were moved by the Holy their necks, and the edicts of the Pope being Ghost? The wisdom of the world, its philoso-sealed with lead hanging in that form from the phy, its science, its literature, its arts, its history, parchment, obtained the same name. If the all that constituted the glory and greatness of the Bull was one of grace or favour, the seal was suspast, are known to us only through the imperfect pended with silken threads, but if one of justice or fragments which have descended to our times; execution it was hung by a hempen cord. These the Bible only has been preserved entire, the seals bore two aspects, one inscribed with the pure light which has shone from the days of name and title of the Pope, the other bearing the Moses, and which will shine onward undimmed profiles of St. Peter and St. Paul with a cross till lost in the eternal glory of its divine Author." between them and the letters "S. Pa. and St. But it is proper that we should now recur to Pe." above it. Bulls were not, however, confinMr. Smets' treasures, from which we have been ed to the Roman pontiff, but many documents of led away many paragraphs back. State from Emperors, Princes and Nobles were Safely packed away in chests of drawers, un-issued under that name till the 13th century, the derneath the book-shelves, are many old parch- Popes only having continued the use of metal ment deeds, grants, &c., which are interesting in seals to the present day. Sometimes the Bullæ, themselves and valuable for their associations. or seals, were of gold, as was the case with the Of the many, we shall notice but a few, and the Bull of Clement VIII., conferring the title of first and oldest is an autograph deed, by which "Defender of the Faith," on Henry VIII., and William, Abbot of Mielleray-and Ralph, Prior the instrument of the German Emperor, Charles IV., made in 1356, with the consent of the Prin- and golden crozier; to the poor Hermit, with ces of the Empire, is called the Golden Bull, from the seal appendant to it. The one possessed by Mr. Smets, is a consistorial bull, or one made in full consistory, such as are confined wholly to religious affairs, those of a secular nature being termed Pancarer, or confirmation of grants to the Church; while those relating to the immunities of cathedrals and monasteries, were called Bulls of privilege. Mr. Smets has also a number of interesting Albums. Not such as loving lasses and sighing swains, deposite their amorous doggrels in; but the Albums of scholars, two centuries old, bearing the inscriptions of some of the most distinguished men in the 17th century. worn sandal, and black cowl, and unshorn beard. It is full of interest, and the drawings are spirited and accurate. There is the Abbot of the St. Norbert-of Ansewyck-of the Holy Trinity and of St. Bernard. There is depicted the Cordelian-the Dominican-the Capuchin the Carmelite and the Benedictine. They are all beautiful, but the most excellent are the pictures of the Pasteur-the Chapelain, and L'Abbè. Descending to modern times, we notice first, an elegant autograph MS. of the Rt. Hon. Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford. This manuscript, contains his " Postscript to the Royal and Noble Authors of England"-Questions proposed to the Antiquarian Society-Garrick's verses on Mr. Gray's ode-Miller's poem to Lady H. Waldegrave on the death of the Duke of Ancaster, verses to Lady Charles Spencer, and a catalogue of books, and detached pieces, which were printed at the Strawberry Hill press; all in the hand writing of Horace Walpole. The first we shall notice, is the Album of Enrieus Stauffer, containing about seventy autographs of illustrious personages. It numbers, also, a few exquisite drawings and two emblazoned coats-of-arms. It is an oblong duodecimo, and was begun in 1632. There are passages in it in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Italian and What an autographic treasure! The mere sigGerman; written by Frederic, Duke of Wur-nature of Walpole, would be interesting;—a temburgh, dated 1640; John, Count of Hainault, common letter from his pen, invaluable—but the 1633; John Freinshemmus, a very learned clas-"Postscript, to his noble authors," in nineteen sical scholar and the author of many works; folio pages, his own chirography is a treasure of Mathias Bernegger, Professor of History at Stras-no ordinary worth. burgh; George Stewart, London; Henry Har- The 1st edition of "His Royal and Noble Aurison, Anglicus Cantabrigiensis, 1633, with many others. thors," was printed at Strawberry Hill, in 1758, and the Postscript in 1790. It is a work of great There is also the interesting Album Amicorum interest and research, as he carefully gathered Familiarum Aldari et Fabricii, an oblong quarto. up every literary memorial of the Peers and in original binding, containing the autographs of Monarchs of England. Strawberry Hill was the Frederic Spanheim, Professor of Divinity at name of a beautiful villa, at Twickenham, which Leyden; John Fabricius, 1645; John Schmidt, he erected and adorned, in the most recherche 1635; Mathias Nicolai, 1634. The devices which style of Gothic architecture. Devoted to literait contains, are as interesting as its autographs. ry pursuits, he, in 1757, set up a printing press One represents Juno in queenly state, with a at his residence, for his own private purposes, at peacock on one side, and a gazelle on the other. which he published over forty volumes, of fugiAnother is a tilt between two cavaliers, one tive pieces, mostly for private circulation. The armed cap-a-pie with coat of mail-helmet of penmanship is fair, but not beautiful, though the brass and pointed lance; the other, habited in a monk's cloak, and scholar's hat, and writer's bag, with a quill in rest, instead of a lance. The knight of the quill is about unhorsing the knight of the spear, whose staff is broken by the encounter, while three angelic beings proclaim the victory of the scholar, and crown him with triumph. It fills 400 pages and has 41 devices, some to the full size of the page. He has another Album, dated 1560, in which are painted ten armorial bearings, and heraldic designs. One of the unique volumes of his library is a beautiful vellum duodecimo, containing fifty illuminated paintings, representing the dresses of the different orders of ecclesiastics in the Papal Church; from the Pope, with his scarlet rob general appearance of the page is clear, and the sentences easily read. An original MS. of Laurence Sterne, the author of the "Sentimental Journey," "Tristram Shandy," &c., next demands attention. It is an entire autograph of his "Fragment, in the manner of Rabelais," one of the most singular, of his singular works. The manuscript varies materially from the copy, published by his daughter, Mrs. Medall, in 1775, as it contains expressions too coarse for publication. The autograph of this celebrated and eccentric writer is of great rarity. His published works, however, are numerous, but of a very unequal character; mingling with charity and assize sermons, "Yorick's Meditations" on noses and "hobby horses;" on quacks, and "the man in the moon." His life and writings were totally at variance with the profession he espoused, and the sacred things in which he ministered. In 1822, the wig of Sterne was sold in London, at public auction for two hundred guineas, nearly a thousand dollars! II. Had I words that could reveal it We now notice a volume of wonderful value-a MS. copy of Addison's poems, IN HIS OWN HAND WRITING. On a fly leaf, are the signatures of Charlotte Warwick, and Charlotte Addison, the elegant essayist having married, August 24, 1716, Charlotte, Countess of WarAmong other unique volumes of the character wick, grand daughter of Sir Orlando Bridgman. to which we have been referring may be found The first poem in the book is entitled "Van's Sir John Herschel's Astronomy, Sir David Brewhouse built, from the ruins of white hall, that ster's Optics, Sir James Macintosh's Life of Sir was burned," written in 1703, referring to the new Thomas More and Sir Walter Scott's History playhouse in the Haymarket. The minor poems of Scotland, all in the hand writing of their rein the volume are Upon Love;" "When will spective authors. Of the latter work Mr. Smets thy heart grow tender?" written in 1715, during has (if we may use what may seem a paradoxihis courtship; for Addison experienced more cal expression) two unique copies, one being the than the common share of a lover's difficulties original MS., and the other a bound volume of in obtaining a bride, and more than the com- the first proofs, with very wide margins which mon share of a lover's disappointment in retain-are filled with autorial notes. 46 ing her "Love's a Dream;" "To Mr. Pope We may also notice a little volume, curious in on his second subscription of Homer;" "A Rid- itself and invaluable as containing the autograph dle upon Coals;" "Death makes all equal;" of Allan Ramsay, the Scotch Poet, entitled, "A Riddle upon a shadow;" " Apollo once to Journal of the Easy Club.” This Club was Venus sued;" A beautiful apologue on Love in established in Edinburgh in 1712, and numbered the autograph of his daughter, who writes in the among its members many of the chief wits and margin "Papa's works," and an inscription upon poets of the time. the tomb of Edward, Henry; Earl of Warwick, and Holland, who died August 15th, 1721, aged 24 years. no less a person than Robert Southey. There is not an erasure nor an interlineation from the title page to the end of this MS., and the text may be read with as much ease as if it were in the boldest type of the Longmans. One of the most exquisite specimens of caligraphy we have ever seen Mr. Smets possesses in the shape of a book of travels-Memoire de During Addison's life, Warwick was a disso-la Campagne en Portugal L'an 1762—copied by Jute and intractable pupil, but the death bed of his tutor in 1719, who, calling him to his side, said, “I have sent for you, that you may see how a Christian can die," produced a happy reformation, which death soon sealed. Had we room, we would gladly copy several of these pieces, Lastly, of the MS. works we shall mention a but shall merely give one which is at this mo- series of thirty-one volumes of autograph notes ment before us, Mr. Smets having, with charac- and letters of distinguished men and women, teristic generosity, given us a leaf from the vol- which series came from the immense collection ume, which, of course, we treasure most highly. of the late Mr. Upcott. Each volume contains The poem we give seems to have been written the portraits of the individuals, and an index to hastily, though the penmanship is legible and the letters which are arranged in alphabetical fair throughout. It is, as the reader will perceive, a madrigal and by consequence can not express any of the more striking features of the author. I. Chaste Lucretia, when you left me, order. But we must stop. Our limits have been exceeded even before getting through with those treasures of Mr. Smets which are in writing. We shall be compelled to defer a notice of his other volumes, which illustrate the rise and progress of the art of printing, until some future time. PEDIGREE. Thierry derives this word from pedes, feet, and grus, a crane; on account of the resemblance of genealogical trees to the feet of a crane. The "proud duke" of Somerset, as he was called, used to say that he pitied Adam, because he had no ancestors. |