DEPAETMENT OF MSS. 33 



Museum, 1856-1866. These were purchased in 1892, but by 

 order of the Trustees were held back until now. They fill 

 sixteen volumes, and cover nearly the whole of Panizzi's life, 

 dealing not only with his official work in the Museum, but 

 also with his connection, which was very intimate, with 

 Italian politics. Among his correspondents were Lord 

 Brougham, Lord Jeffrey, IJgo Foscolo, Thiers, Guizot, Prosper 

 Merimee, the Due d'Aumale, Gladstone, Grote, and others. 

 Together with these was acquired a volume of the corre- 

 spondence of Robert Fagan, Consul - General in Sicily, 

 1812-1814. 



Another stage in the history of the Museum is illustrated 

 by the correspondence of Sir Frederic Madden, Keeper of the 

 Manuscripts, 1837-1866. This was purchased in 1873, but has 

 been withheld until now. It occupies twelve volumes, and 

 includes letters from Sir W. Scott, Lord Macaulay, Thomas 

 Carlyle, Ruskin, H. O. Coxe, Sir Thom.as Phillipps, &c. 



The diaries of Sir Henry Ellis, Panizzi's predecessor as 

 Principal Librarian (1833-1856), together with the diplomas 

 of learned societies presented to him on his retirement from 

 the post of Secretary to the Society of Antiquaries, have 

 been presented to the Department by his grandson, H. J. 

 Ellis, Esq. 



Other important acquisitions are the following : — 



Lives of Saints for the month of October, in Greek, written 

 A.D. 1103, of considerable palseographical interest. 



Lectionary, in Greek ; 12th cent. 



Hymns for use in the Greek Church ; early 17th cent. 



St. Augustine's " Tractatus decern in epistolam Joannis ad 

 Parthos," his treatise " de Babtismo," and the " Vita Sancti 

 Brendani Abbatis " ; 10th cent. From the Abbey of St. 

 Maximin at Trier. Probably the earliest extant copy of this 

 form of the legend of St. Brendan. 



Lives of Saints, including that of St. Edward, King and 

 Confessor, by Osbert, Prepositus of Westminster ; 12th cent. 

 Of this life of St. Edward only an abbreviation has been 

 hitherto known, which is preserved in a single MS. at Corpus 

 Christi College, Cambridge. It is the foundation of the 

 better-known life by Ailred of Rievaulx, and an important 

 authority for the period. 



Book of Hours, from St. Omer ; early 14th cent. A beauti- 

 fully illuminated little volume, formerly in the library of 

 John Ruskin. Every page has a tastefully-executed border, 

 abounding with charming miniatures and grotesques. From 

 the artistic point of view, this is the most important 

 acquisition of the year. 



Prymer, with Calendar and Psalter, in English, with illumi- 

 nated border-initials; 15th cent. The text of the Biblical 

 passages is that of the later Wycliffite version, with some 



