236 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 



exception of an hour devoted to the library, which one 

 of the chief officers very kindly showed me through. 

 They have about half a million books, excluding dupli- 

 cates, and about 16,000 manuscripts. The librarian 

 took much pains- to explain to me the arrangement 

 and classification of the library, which is in excellent 

 order, and to show me as many of the rarities as I 

 desired to see : very ancient Greek and Latin manu- 

 scripts of the Bible or the Evangelists ; a number of 

 very old and richly illuminated German manuscripts ; 

 the collection of printed books without date, of which 

 they had 6000 (these early printed books being many 

 of them intended to pass for manuscripts) ; a copy of 

 Faust's Bible again (the first book printed), they 

 have two ; Luther's Bible, beautifully printed on 

 vellum, and illuminated, in the frontispiece his ori- 

 ginal portrait, a sturdy-looking old fellow, who looks 

 as if he might have been as fearless as indeed he was ; 

 the portrait of Melanchthon, by the same artist, whose 

 name I forget, is given on the next leaf. I saw also 

 a manuscript letter of Luther, and many other things, 

 too tedious to trouble you with now. 



Dined with Martins and his very pleasant family ; 

 stayed until six o'clock, looking over plants, etc. ; took 

 a little walk, now that it is a little cooler, for the day 

 has been exceedingly sultry, and am now going to 

 bed, as I have to rise at half past four and meet the 

 pedestrian portion of the Linnaan party at half past 

 five. If it be as sultry a day as this has been we shall 

 have warm work of it. 



15th June, 1839. We had a tridy German fete 

 champetre, and I have learnt more of German life 

 and manners in one day than I could otherwise have 

 obtained in a long time. I was at the place of rendez- 



