28 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



18. Acquisitions. — The number of Manuscripts and Docu- 

 ments acquired during the year is : — 



General Collections of MSS. - - - - 85 



Rolls and Charters - - ^ - _ 45 



Detached Seals and Casts - - - - 84 



Papyri -.-_-__. 7 



Egerton MSS. .-.___ 2 



The largest acquisition d uring the past year has been a further 

 portion of the papers and correspondence of Admiral Viscount 

 Nelson (of which a previous portion was purchased by special 

 grant in the year 1895). The collection now acquired consists 

 of several pressed-letter books of his autograph letters, three 

 autograph diaries, log-books of H.M.S. " Victory" and of other 

 vessels, with numerous miscellaneous papers. 



Among the other acquisitions are : — 



The Poems of Bacchylides, on papyrus, of the first century 

 B.C. This is the only known manuscript of this poet, whose 

 works have been lost for over a thousand years. It is written 

 in a fine uncial hand, and contains twenty poems (six belonging 

 to a class of Greek poetry of which no complete specimen 

 has hitherto been extant) ; six of the poems are com- 

 plete, and eight are represented by substantial portions, 

 while six are mere fragments. An annotated edition of the 

 poems has been published, together with a jDhotographic 

 facsimile of the papyrus. 



Homer's Iliad, books XIII. and XIV., on papyrus, of the 

 first century, written in a neat uncial hand. 



Evangelistarium, in Greek ; early 12th century. Vellum. 



Octateuch, in Greek, with a copious marginal catena ; early 

 13th century. Vellum. 



Sallust's Catilinarian and Jugurthine Wars ; written in 

 Italy in 1192. Vellum. 



Lives of Saints, in Latin, including St. Cuthbert, St. 

 Columba, St. Aidan, and St. Edward the Confessor. Vellum. 

 Belonged to the " Fratres Heremitse " of St. Augustine, at 

 Newcastle. 



" Mariale " : a collection of miracles, hymns, etc., in Latin, 

 relating to the Virgin, with Bede's verses on St. Etheldreda, 

 etc.; compiled in the 12th century, and formerly belonging to 

 the Abbey of St. Martin, at Tournai. Vellum. 



Romance of Barlaam and Josaphat, in Latin ; 12th century. 

 Vellum. Belonged to the Abbey of Weissenau, in Suabia. 



Vision of Tundal, Bernard " de contemptu mundi," and 

 other Latin works in prose and verse ; 13th century. 

 Vellum. 



Facsimile of an Irish MS. at Stockholm, containing a copy 

 of " Imram Brain," or the Voyage of Bran, etc. Presented 

 hy Prof. Whitley Stokes, cs.i. 



