at the front. It is on the first
floor--where _all_ libraries should be placed--and consists of a circular
and a parallelogram-shaped room: divided by a screen of Ionic pillars. A
similar screen is also at the further end of the latter room. The circular
apartment has a very elegant appearance, and contains some beautiful books
chiefly of modern art. A round table is in the centre, covered with fine
cloth, and the sides and pillars of the screen are painted wholly in
white--as well as the room connected with it. A gallery goes along the
latter, or parallelogram-shaped apartment; and there are, in the centre,
two rows of book-cases, very tall, and completely filled with books. These,
as well as the book-cases along the sides, are painted white. An
elaborately painted ceiling, chiefly composed of human figures, forms the
graphic ornament of the long library; but, unluckily, the central
book-cases are so high as to cover a great portion of the painting--viewed
almost in any direction. At the further end of the long library, facing the
circular extremity, is a bust of the late King of Wuertemberg, by Dannecker.
It bears so strong a resemblance to that of our own venerable monarch, that
I had considered it to be a representation of him--out of compliment to the
Dowager Queen of Wuertemberg, his daughter. The ceiling of this Library is
undoubtedly too low for its length. But the circular extremity has
something in it exceedingly attractive, and inviting to study.
In noticing some of the contents of this Library, I shall correct the error
committed in the account of the Public Library, by commencing here with the
MANUSCRIPTS in preference to the Printed Books. The MSS. are by no means
numerous, and are perhaps rather curious than intrinsically valuable. I
shall begin with an account of a _Prayer-Book, or Psalter,_ in a quarto
form, undoubtedly of the latter end of the XIIth century. Its state of
preservation, both for illumination and scription, is quite exquisite. It
appears to have been expressly executed for Herman, and Sophia his wife,
King and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia--who lived at the latter end of the
twelfth century. The names of these royal patrons and owners of, the volume
are introduced at the end of the volume, in a sort of litany: accompanied
with embellishments of the Mother of Christ, Saints and Martyrs, &c.: as
thus: "_Sophia Regina Vngariae, Regina Bohemiae_"--"_Herman Lantgrauius
Turingie, Rex Vngariae, Re
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