340 The Library. fessio" and among the archives of St. Peter's, as also of books more especially liturgical of both Latin and Greek rites, belong- ing to the various basilicas, titles, deaconries, and monasteries of the Eternal City, has altogether perished. It is now beginning to be understood and recognised that from this destruction scarcely anything has been saved. For the opinion used to prevail that a great or by no means despicable part at least of the ancient MSS. of the Roman Church had been received into the library and treasury of the Vatican Palace. Mabillon, Tiraboschi, and following them Blume, persuaded themselves that the libraries which were said to have been founded by Hilary in the 5th century in the baptistry of the Lateran had been submerged among the Vatican collections, either by Pope Zacchary (741-752) who drew up the Lectionaries, or by Sixtus IV., who commenced the new library. But not one single MS. earlier than the 8th century came from the libraries either of Hilary, of Agapetus or of the Lateran, to the Vatican. Even the authentic regesta do not commence before the pontificate of Innocent III. (1178-1181). All earlier have perished. By what civil tumult, or hostile outbreak, fire, or other tale of calamities so complete a devastation of the chests and library of the Holy See, and of all MSS. earlier than the 8th century, and nearly all earlier than the nth, was caused at Rome, the annals of succeeding ages are silent. Gaiseric and his Vandals when they took, and pillaged, the Eternal City in 455 left it, as we know, a mere shell. 1 And in 535, when the statues round the Mausoleum of Hadrian were used as missiles, there was little chance of things less perishable living. 2 The calamities which the city underwent especially in the nth century, certainly caused the greatest losses to the treasuries and libraries of the churches. But the library of the Lateran at the end of that century was still in existence. This is known from a book made by Deusdedit, a cardinal of the years 1086-7, which consists of excerpts from tomes, regesta, and privileges preserved in the chests of the Holy See. So careful and critical a judge as De Rossi, after weighing all the evidence, is satisfied that this is a sufficient proof of the existence of the library at this time. 3 Deusdedit also mentions some volumes that he saw " by the Palladium," "in the muniment tower by the Palladium" (juxta See H. Bradley, The Goths, p. 115. 2 //,/,/., p. 241.
- Pp. xc.-xciv.
