Ancient Manuscripts. PAPYRUS. A Fragment of the "Ritual of the Dead." A Roll in the Hieroglyphical Characters, in good state of preservation, about 3000 years old. Such specimens of the art of writing in its infancy were hardly known until some were brought to Europe by Belzoni, Salt, and other Eastern travellers. The Egyptian Papyrus, now so scarce that its disappearance from the vegetable kingdom is believed by many, was once produced in such great quantities in Egypt, that "Cassiodorus compared it to a forest." It is an aquatic plant, growing as high as nine feet above the water. The latest description of it was given by Bruce, the celebrated traveller. It is quite a different plant from the Papyrus of Calabria, which cannot be manufactured into paper. GREGORII MAGNI (S.) Moralia in Job. Written in Ro man hand, on parchment, in fine preservation. Folio. Monastic binding. "The oldest manuscript in his library, is one executed in the 9th century. It is a copy of the 'Moralia in Job,' written in the 6th century, by Gregory the 1st, surnamed, from his character, 'the Great,' and canonized, from his piety, 'a Saint.' It is a large folio, written in Latin, on vellum, in double columns, with clear and easily deciphered letters. The covers are very thick, and worm-eaten, with brass clasps and conical side studs, in the old monastic style of binding. On the fly leaf, in a different hand, is a prayer for the rest of the soul of Charlemagne. "The work before us is not an exegesis of the Book of Job, but, rather a carrying out and illustrating of its sentiments, by moral effusions of his own. "Gregory the Great was a more voluminous writer than any other Pope; and his ability and erudition give peculiar value to his productions. One of the most interesting incidents in the life of Gregory has especial reference to us, the children of English ancestors. A Observing, one day, about the year 594, in the market-place of Rome, some Anglo-Saxon boys offered as slaves, he inquired concerning their country, religion, and condition, and became so much interested in their story, that he resolved to send a mission to Britain, to convert the Pagans to the faith of the Church: which resolution he accomplished: and thus, according to some authors, became the introducer of the Christian religion into that ancient realm. The character of Gregory is marked with many sterling virtues. None have filled the Papal chair with more dignity, few with more honesty, and all with less modesty and humility."-Rev. Dr. W. Bacon Stevens. GUILLAUME DE LORRIS and JEAN DE MEUNG. Le Ro man de la Rose. With nearly One Hundred curious Paintings and Rubricated Capitals. 1323. There is on the fly-leaf, a long bibliographical note, in the hand-writing of Dr. Adam Clarke. "The next in chronolgical order, is the beautiful manuscript of 'Romant de la Rose.' It is a large quarto, double columned, with the initial letters of each line rubricated, and set out a little distance from the stanza, the top letter of each column being ornamented with curious heads, arabesques and devices. It is written on vellum, in Gothic French characters, and illuminated with ninety-two pictures, embracing a variety of figures designed to elucidate the text. The history of this work is exceedingly rich in literary interest, being probably the most ancient allegorical poem in the Romance langnage. * * The Romance of the Rose was the joint production of two authors, at different times; the first 4150 verses being written by Guillaume de Lorris, a student of jurisprudence, in 1245, and the remaining 18,000 by Jean de Meung. * "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 Poésie Françoise) 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 power and charms of fiction, so little known to his contemporary poets. The plot of Lorris seems to make the Rose the reward of love, which he is inspired to seek by Dame Oiseuse, or Idleness. In its pursuit, however, he is opposed by contending emotions, under the name of Danger and Male-Bouche, who mislead him; and Haîne, Félonie, Avarice and Bassesse, who retard his progress. This theme is sustained by his continuator, Jean de Meung, who was born at Meung (Meun), 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. * * "From a partly obliterated colophon, it appears that the copy possessed by Mr. Smets was expressly written for Lady de Coucy, in 1323. "Mr. Smets has, also, a copy of one of the first printed editions of the * * * * |