EARLY BOOKS AND MSS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18211, 3 October 1922, Page 8

EARLY BOOKS AND MSS.

CITY'S RARE TREASURES.

TENTH CENTURY WRITINGS.

Reference in the New Zealand Hhuld yesterday to the collection of early books in New Zealand, and the fact that 94 out of the total of 128 were in Auckland, recalls the unique position held by tins city in respect to printed treasures. It baa been said that in this feature alone the Auckland Public Library standi! apart from municipal libraries throughout the world. . The Grey collection is a treasure-house of ancient booka and manuscripts, representing specimens of illumination of various schools. There are books written in Greek, Latin, Coptic, Arabic, Ethiopic and Persian, Italian, French, German, English and Bohemian, and in the languages of the Polynesians, Maoris and the aboriginals of Australia. . The oldest work in the Public Library is not less than about 800 years of age. Ifc is the Lectionarum Graecum (Lessons from the Gospels), a Greek manuscript of the 10th or Uth century. There is also the Code Evangelarium (The l'our Gospels), bearing the date 1123, and written in Greek. A 12th century book, considered to be the earliest copy of the Scriptures in Australia or New Zealand, ia the Biblia Sacra Latina. What has been described as the finest specimen of caligraphy contained in the Grey collection, and perhaps the finest example of manuscript work in these parts, ia the Biblia Sacra Latina Vulgata, of the 15th ce-nturv. The finest illuminated manuscript is the Missale Romanum. It is a rare work of art in the perfect formation of the letters and capitals, the regularity of the lines, the quality and richness of the red and black inks the colouring and design of the miniatures and borders, and the brilliant gilding. In addition to original historic documents of great value, the Public Library contains the following books printed over 400 years ago, the possession ot which gives Auckland a unique distincAugustine's Do Civitate Dei, 1467, printed bv Johann Mentelin, of btrassbur°" It "is the earliest printed book m the° Auckland Library, and is in the H. Shaw collection. Biblia Latina, 1479, printed by Adolf Rusch, of Strassburg. Then there are the three Cartons :— Higden's Polychronicon c. 1485; Ihe Golden Legend, c. 1484; aud The Boke of Enevdos, 1490. . There are also two books P™i te d D 7 Bicb«rd Pynson '.—The Canterbury 1 ales of Chaucer, c. 1493, and Nova.Statue Anno I.—XH., Henrici VTL, 1497.