Two other copies of the Greek gospels, written in the 12th century, and another of the same age, adorned with the pictures of the Holy Virgin and Evangelists.

An elegant transcript of the four gospels in Greek, written in the 13th century, illuminated and adorned with paintings, and two others of the same century.

A most venerable exemplar of the four gospels of St. Jerome's version, with the prefaces and canons of Eusebius; the whole written in capitals, and allowed to be 1200 years old. In this MS. it is observable, that the genealogy of our blessed Saviour appears to be distinct, and separated from St. Matthew's gospel. The following words, in two independent lines, occurring after the 17th verse of that chapter: Genealogia Hucusque,

Incip. evangl. secd. MATT.

So that the gospel begins at the 18th verse of the first chapter, in the same manner as in the famous copy of the Evangelists written in Ireland, and in another MS. of the same kind, and of the twelfth century; which MSS. are both preserved in this library. It is also observable, that the like distinction or separation of the genealogy of our blessed Saviour, from the other part of St. Matthew's gospel, is made in the famous copy of the four gospels, formerly belonging to King Ethelstan, and now preserved in the Cottonian library (Tiberius, A. II.) which book was by him appointed to be used by the succeeding kings of England, at the time of their taking their coronation oath.

A noble exemplar of the four gospels, in capital letters of gold, written in the eighth century. Every page of the sacred text, consisting of two separate columns, is inclosed within a broad and beautifully illuminated border. The pictures of the Evangelists, with their symbolic animals, are curiously painted in the front of their respective gospels; the initial letter of each gospel is richly illuminated, and so large as to fill an entire page. To the whole are prefixed the prologues, arguments, and breviaries; two letters of St. Jerome to Damasus, the canons of Eusebius, his letters to Carpian, and a capitular of the gospels for the course of the year, all of them written in small golden characters.

A transcript of the Latin gospels, with their usual accompaniments; of the same age with the last MS. written in letters of gold, but of a small alphabet; and remarkable for the singular manner in which the genealogy of our Saviour is placed.

An exemplar of the holy gospels, likewise written in the 8th century, and formerly belonging to the church of St. Ciricius at Soissons. To this manuscript are prefixed the epistle to Damasus, and the usual arguments, prologues, &c. with an interpretation of Hebrew names, a catalogue of the books and vestments belonging to that church, and a list of its saints.

Two other copies of the four Latin gospels, also written in the 8th century. In the latter of these, the reading of the 23d verse of the last chapter of St. John's gospel is, "Si sic eum volo manere donec veniam ;" and that of the 24th verse is, "Si eum volo manere."

The four gospels of St. Jerome's version, with his prologues, arguments, &c. the canons of Eusebius, and the parallel passages, written in letters of gold in the 10th century. This MS. is adorned with pictures of the following subjects, painted on purple grounds, viz. before the gospel of St. Matthew, in a circle, are, the representation of our Saviour, sitting as enthroned; holding in his right hand the book of the new law, that of the old law lying in his lap; with the four evangelists in the angles, kneeling. 2dly, Our Saviour standing, with St. John resting his head on his bosom. 3dly, The portrait of St. Matthew. And 4thly, The salutation of the virgin. Before St. Mark's gospel are the portrait of that evangelist, and the dormition of the Virgin Mary. At the beginning of St. Luke's gospel are his portrait, and the crucifixion of our Saviour. Before the gospel of St. John, are the picture of that evangelist, and the ascension of our Lord.

Two other copies, written in the same century; one of them finely decorated with the pictures of the Evangelists and St. Jerome; and having the rubrics written in silver letters.

A very rare and valuable exemplar of the Latin gospels of the vulgate edition, once belonging to the abbey church of St. Edmund's Bury; elegantly written in the 10th century, but unhappily despoiled of the initial leaves of the gospels of St. Matthew, St. Luke, and St. John, probably for the sake of the illuminations. At the beginning of this volume is a syllabus of the evangelical lessons, according to the usage of the Roman church; and at the end is inserted the memorable contest between Gundulphus, bishop of Rochester, and Picote, sheriff of Grandbruge.

The Latin gospels, written with red ink, about the beginning of the 11th century, and in the Anglo-Normanic character. In this MS. the genealogy of our Saviour is also

detached from the other part of St. Matthew's gospel; as is likewise the first part of the 18th verse of the first chapter, "Christi autem generatio sic erat." All the rubrics are written in gold capital letters; and the initial letter of each gospel is also of gold, and fills an entire page.

The four Evangelists, written in the Irish character, by Brigidianus, or Maol Brighte, for the use of Gilla, coarb, or vicar of the church of St. Patrick, supposed by Father Simon to be at least 700 years old. It is one of the most authentic copies of the Latin gospels, which the Irish have ever sent out of their island. To this exemplar are added, St. Jerome's prologue of the canons of the four gospels, an explanation of such Hebrew and Syriac names as occur in the gospels, a Hebrew, Latin, and Irish vocabulary, the usual prefaces, an interlineary gloss, and a Catena Patrum. A transcript of the four Evangelists of the Latin vulgate, with various readings, in Irish characters.

The epistles of St. Paul, the Catholic epistles, and the Apocalypse in Latin, with the arguments, &c. above 1000 years old; prior to St. Jerome's corrections. The reading of the 8th verse of the 5th chapter of the first epistle to St. John, is in the manuscript, "Et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus, aqua, et sanguis, et tres unum sunt." St. Paul's epistles in Arabic. The canonical epistles of St. Paul in Latin, with a gloss; his epistle to the Laodiceans, and an exposition of the gospel of St. John, written in the 12th century.

A Roman psalter of St. Jerome, written about the time of our King Edgar; illuminated; and each psalm elegantly embellished with a most curious historical drawing, illustrating the text. A psalter, with the litany, calendar, &c. elegantly written; illuminated and decorated with beautiful miniature paintings of the 11th century. A most curious and finely preserved psalter, in Greek, Latin, and Arabic, written in the 12th century. King Henry III.'s psalter, curiously illuminated; and written for his use by Thomas de Langley, A Greek psalter, with sacred hymns, of the 11th century. An extremely fine Greek psalter, of the 12th century; and another of the same age, once belonging to the monks of Monte Oliveto. A Latin psalter, with sacred hymns, written in the 13th century. Two Arabic psalters, to one of which are subjoined a psalm composed on the slaying Goliah, and ten sacred canticles, extracted from the scripture. A Greek and Russian psalter. A Sclavonic psalter. An exposition of the psalter in Latin, illuminated

and most accurately written in a hand of the 10th century; and a great variety of other valuable transcripts of the different biblical books, written in the 10th, 11th, and 12th

centuries.

Cabbalas, Talmuds, and Talmudical books, Targums, Expositions, Glosses, and Commentaries on the Pentateuch, and other books of the Old Testament, in Hebrew, Chaldee, and other languages, compiled by the most celebrated Rabbins. Amongst these are, a very fine copy of Maimonides, de Lege, in Hebrew, and without points, written in 1472, by Salomon Bel Alzuk; and the Sepher a Misvot of Rabbi Moses Ben Jacob de Cosi; written in the beginning of the 15th century. A very beautiful transcript of Maimonides's Moreb Nebuchim, in Hebrew, written in small character's by a Spanish hand, and finely illuminated. R. Levi's Hebrew commentary on Job, written in the 14th century. Sundry very elegant and ancient copies of the liturgies of the German and other Jews; particularly a liturgy, &c. of the German Jews, written in the 13th century. The Machazor, or office of prayer, composed for their greater feasts, differing from the common printed liturgy, and written in the 14th century. The order of prayer, in which the rubrics are more ample than in the printed books. Transcripts of R. Jacob Ben Asher, and R. Ben Ezra's four orders; containing all the rites, customs, and ceremonies, as used by the Jews in their present dispersion.

Near 200 volumes of the writings of the Fathers: parti'cularly a copy of part of the works of St. Hilary, written in the 9th century, and formerly belonging to the church of St. Mary and St. Nicholas of Arenstein. A fine transcript of St. Augustine's sermons on the gospel and first epistle of St. John, written in the 12th century, belonging to the same monastery. A beautiful exemplar of the same father's discourses on the book of Genesis, written in the 12th century; and another, containing his books" De Civitate Dei, et de Trinitate," written in the 13th century. St. Chrysostom's Greek homilies on the epistle to Timothy, written in the 13th century. The works of St. Athanasius in Greek, of the 14th century. The homilies of St. Basil, Ephraim Cyrus, and John Chrysostom, in Greek, written in the 14th century; and another copy of the same, with St. Gregory's encomium on St. George and St. Marina, likewise of the same age. As also ancient councils, canons and constitutions ecclesiastical, great variety of annotations, commentaries, expositions, harmonies of the four gospels, paraphrases,

histories of the Old and New Testament, &c. with a multitude of theological treatises, many of which are highly worthy to be consulted.

Liturgies and liturgical books; as the liturgies of SS. Chrysostom, Basil, and Nazianzen, of which there are in this collection two very fair copies in Greek, one with the prayers and evangelical and epistolical lessons, written in the 11th century, and the other written in the 14th century. The liturgy of the church of Syria. Two fair volumes, containing the Samaritan liturgy. The Russian liturgy. The liturgies of the Roman and Greek churches; particularly a most valuable exemplar of that of the latter; wherein the several offices, chants, hymns, and antiphones, are marked with Greek musical notes, according to the present usage of that church. A curious liturgy, adorned with beautiful paintings and illuminations; which, from the calendar of German saints inserted in it, is supposed to have formerly belonged to some church in Germany.

Missals, breviaries, and hours of the Holy Virgin, according to the use of the Roman, English, and Gallican churches; rituals, ordinals, books of offices, processionals, and graduals; many of them curiously illuminated, and richly adorned with fine historical paintings; among these is, the missal of the church of Toul, in Lorrain, which, besides its exquisite paintings, is remarkable for having in the litany of saints, after the three holy archangels, one to the angel Uriel; notwithstanding several councils had strictly forbidden the invocation of more than the three first. A missal adorned with exquisite paintings, wherein the figures are represented of a larger size than usual; and to which is added a calendar, ornamented with several curious. miniatures, wherein the several labours of the farm and vineyard throughout the year are curiously delineated. Two breviaries, painted in a most exquisite manner; to each of which is prefixed a calendar finely decorated with miniatures of saints, country sports, and employments, &c. As also many others.

Ancient evangelisteria and lectionaries; amongst which are, an evangelisterium, written in Greek capitals in the 9th century. An evangelisterium, in Greek capitals, written in the year 995, by Constantine, Presbyter: the first page thereof, and the references to the chapters, are in letters of gold. Another evangelisterium, adorned with pictures of the four evangelists finely painted, and the rubric written in letters of gold. At the end is a certificate, signed on the 10th of March, 1699, by Laurence Alexander Zacagnius,