The Care of Books Part 37

[362] See _Ueber Mittelalterliche Bibliotheken_, v. T. Gottlieb. 8vo.

1890, p. 181. I have twice visited a.s.sisi and examined the Catalogue here referred to. My best thanks are due to Professor Alessandri for giving me every a.s.sistance in my researches.

[363] Inprimis facimus inventarium de libris in libraria publica ad bancos cathenatis in hunc modum. Et nota, quod omnia folia omnium librorum, qui sunt in isto inuentario sive per s.e.xternos vel quinternos aut quaternos seu quemvis per alium numerum majorem vel minorem omnes quotquot sunt, nomina quaternorum tenent, ut apparet in quolibet libro in primo quaterno in margine inferiori; quare omnes sunt ante et retro de nigro et rubeo per talem figuram intus c.u.m suo numero signati. Item lictere alphabeti, qui desuper postes ponuntur, omnes debent esse aliquantulum grosse et totaliter nigre, sicut inferius in fine cuiuslibet libri signatur. The spots round this figure are alternately black and red.

[364] Ducange s. v. _solarium_ shews that occasionally it =_armarium_.

[365] I have to thank Father C. J. Ehrle, _S. J._, Prefect of the Vatican Library, for the very great kindness with which he has a.s.sisted me in these researches during three visits to Rome in 1898, 1899, 1900; and also the officials who allowed me to examine parts of the palace not usually accessible to strangers.

Further, I wish it to be clearly and distinctly understood that my researches are based upon an essay by M. Paul Fabre, _La Vaticane de Sixte IV._, which had appeared in the _Milanges d'Archeologie et d'Histoire of the ecole Francaise de Rome_ for December 1895, but of the existence of which I had never heard until Father Ehrle shewed it to me. On reading it, I found that M. Fabre had completely antic.i.p.ated me; he had done exactly what I had come to Rome to do, and in such a masterly fas.h.i.+on that I could not hope to improve upon his work. After some consideration I determined to verify his conclusions by carefully examining the locality, and to make a fresh ground-plan of it for my own use. I have also studied the authorities quoted by M. Eugene Muntz (_Les Arts a la Cour des Papes_) from my own point of view.

There are two works to which I shall frequently refer: _Les Arts a la Cour des Papes pendant le xv^e et le xvi^e siecle_, par Eugene Muntz: Part III.

1882 (Bibl. des ecoles Francaises d'Athenes et de Rome, Fasc. 28): and _La Bibliotheque du Vatican_ _au xv^e Siecle_, par Eugene Muntz et Paul Fabre; Paris, 1887 (Ibid. Fasc. 48). The former will be cited as "Muntz"; the latter as "Muntz et Fabre." My paper, of which an abstract only is here given, has been published in the _Camb. Ant. Soc. Proc. and Comm._ 6 March 1899, Vol. X. pp. 11-61.

[366] This doc.u.ment, dated 17 December, 1471, has been printed by Muntz, p. 120. I am afraid that this order can have but one meaning: viz. the excavation and destruction of ancient buildings.

[367] This is the date a.s.signed by Platina himself. See below, p. 231.

[368] MS. Vat. Lat. 3947, fol. 118 b. Notatio omnium librorum Bibliothecae palatinae Sixti quarti Pont. Max. tam qui in banchis quam qui in Armariis et capsis sunt a Platyna Bibliothecario et Demetrio Lucense eius alumno custode die xiiii. mensis Septemb. M.CCCC.Lx.x.xI facta. Ante vero eius decessum dierum octo tantummodo. This _Notatio_ has been printed, Muntz et Fabre, p. 250, but without the catalogue to which it forms an appendix.

This, so far as I know, still remains unprinted.

[369] Muntz et Fabre, pp. 148-150, _pa.s.sim_.

[370] _Ibid._ p. 32.

[371] _Ibid._ p. 141. The catalogue is printed pp. 159-250.

[372] MS. Vat. 5008.

[373] These accounts, now preserved in the State Archives at Rome, have been printed with great accuracy (so far as I was able to judge from a somewhat hasty collation) by Muntz, _Les Arts a la Cour da Papes_, Vol.

III. 1882, p. 121 sq.; and by Muntz and Fabre, _La Bibliotheque du Vatican au xv^e Siecle_, 1887, p. 148 sq.

[374] The entries referring to these purchases are given in full, with translations, in my paper above referred to.

[375] The name is derived from the frescoes with which its external walls were decorated during the reign of Pius IV. (1559-1565). They represented palm trees, on which parrots (_papagalli_) and other birds were perching.

Fragments of these frescoes are still to be seen. The court beyond this "del Portoncin di Ferro" was so called from an iron gate by which the pa.s.sage into it from the Cortile del Papagallo could be closed.

[376] The difference of level between the floor of the court and the floor of the library is eighteen inches. An inclined plane of wood now replaces the steps.

[377] Item pro purganda bibliotheca veteri et asportandis calcinaciis duarum fenestrarum factarum inter graecam et latinam b. XX die qua supra, i.e. 20 Aug. 1480. Muntz, p. 132.

[378] A Foundling Hospital, alluding to the Ospedale di Santo Spirito founded by Sixtus IV.

[379] Fabre, _La Vaticane_, p. 464. Bunsen, _Die Beschreibung der Stadt Rom_, ed. 1832, Vol. II.. Part 2, p. 418.

[380] The following entry is curious: Habuere Paulus et Dionysius pictores duos ducatos pro duobus paribus caligarum quas petiere a domino nostro dum pingerent cancellos bibliothecae et rest.i.tuerent picturam bibliothecae graecae, ita n. Sanct.i.tas sua mandavit, die xviii martii 1478. Muntz, p.

131.

[381] Fabre, _La Vaticane_, p. 465, citing Bandini, _Bibliothecae Mediceo-Laurentianae catalogus_, I. p. x.x.xviii.

[382] Enumeravi, praesente Clemente synescalcho familiae s. d. n., Salvato librario, et Demetrio lectore, ducatos XLV Francischo fabro lignario mediolanensi habitatori piscinae urbis Romae pro banchis Bibliothecae conficiendis, maxime vero decem quae ad sinistram jacent, quorum longitudo est x.x.xVIII palmorum, vel circa, et ita accepta parte pecuniarum, cujus summa est centum et x.x.x ducatorum, facturum se debitum promitt.i.t et obligat, die XV Julii 1475. Muntz, p. 121.

[383] Item solvi eidem ducatos x.x.x pro reliquo XXV banchorum bibliothecae: pro longioribus autem qui sunt X solvebantur centum et triginta, ut supra scriptum est; pro reliquis solvebantur centum et septuaginta; quae summa est tricentorum ducatorum: atque ita pro banchis omnibus ei satisfactum est, die VII Junii 1476. Muntz, p. 126. The rest of the money had been paid to him by instalments between 15 July, 1475, and this date.

[384] Magister Joanninus faber lignarius de Florentia habuit a me Platyna s. d. n. bibliothecario pro fabrica banchorum Bibliothecae secretae, pro Armario magno et Spaleria ejusdem loci, quae omnia extimata fuerunt centum et octuaginta ducat' a magistro Francisco de Mediolano; habuit, ut praefertur, ducatos s.e.xaginta quinque et bononenos s.e.xaginta die VII maii 1477. Muntz, p. 130. There were 100 bononeni in each ducat.

[385] Habuit ultimo ducatos octo pro tribus tabulis ex nuce cornisate (?) ad continenda nomina librorum e per le cornise de tre banchi vechi ex nuce die supradicta; nil omnino restat habere ut ipse sua manu affirmat, computatis in his illis LX bononenis qui superius scribuntur. Muntz, p.

130.

[386] Dedi Joanni pictori famulo m. Melotii pro pictura trium tabularum ubi descripta sunt librorum nomina carlenos XVIII die X Octobris 1477.

_Ibid._, p. 131.

[387] Item pro XII capsis latis in bibliothecam secretam. Muntz et Fabre, p. 158.

[388] Magister Joanninus de Florentia et m. Marcus ejus frater faber lignarius habuere ducatos XXV pro parte solucionis banchorum quae fiunt in bibliotheca addita nunc a S^mo. d. nostro, die XVIII Julii 1480. Muntz, p.

134.

[389] Muntz, pp. 124-126.

[390] Magister Joannes fabricator catenarum habuit a me die XIIII aprilis 1477 ducatos decem, ad summam centum et quinque ducatorum quos ei debebam pro tribus miliaribus et libris octingentis ferri fabrefacti ad usum bibliothecae, videlicet pro quadraginta octo virgis ferreis ad quas in banchis libri connectuntur [etc.]. Muntz, p. 128.

[391] _Ibid._, p. 127.

[392] _Ibid._, p. 135.

[393] MSS. Vat. 3947.

[394] MSS. Vat. 7135.

[395] _La Vaticane_, etc., p. 475.

[396] MS. Vat. 3946.

[397] MS. Vat. 3948.

[398] For an account of what Sixtus accomplished at Santo Spirito see Pastor, _History of the Popes_, Eng. Tran. IV. 460-462.

[399] Brockhaus, _Janitschek's Repertorium fur Kunstwissenschaften_, Band VII. (1884); Schmarsow, _Melozzo da Forli_ (1886), pp. 202-207.

[400] I have taken 1 palm = metre 0223; and 1 metre = 3937 in.

[401] My calculation works out as follows. Each of 10 seats was 38 palms long: total length, 380 palms. As these 10 seats cost 130 ducats, each palm cost 130/380 ducats = 1/3 a ducat nearly.

As the total paid was 300 ducats, this first payment, viz. 130 ducats, left 170 ducats still due for the 15 remaining seats. As each palm cost a third of a ducat, 170 ducats would buy 510 palms = 11373 metres = 4477 inches (nearly) = 373 feet.

[402] Per lo tellaro del mappamondo b. 52. Muntz, p. 129. Habuere pictores armorum quae sunt facta in duabus sphaeris solidis et pro pictura mappemundi ducatos III, die XII decembris 1477. Muntz et Fabre, p. 151. This map had probably been provided by Pius II. (1458-1464), who kept in his service Girolamo Bellavista, a Venetian maker of maps. Muntz et Fabre, 126.

[403] Expendi pro cobopertura facta duobus sphaeris solidis quarum in altera est ratio signorum, in altera cosmographia, ducatos IIII videlicet cartenos XVI in octo pellibus montoninis, cartenos XXV in manifactura; sunt nunc ornata graphio c.u.m armis s. d. n., die XX decembris 1477. Muntz el Fabre, p. 152. M. Fabre quotes an extract in praise of the map and globes from a letter written from Rome in 1505, _La Vaticane de Sixte IV._, p. 471 _note_.

[404] _Ibid._