6 ACCOUNTS, &C. OF BRITISH MUSEUM.. 



18. The additions made to the Department during the twelvemonth, are as follows : — 



To the General Collection, — > 



Manuscripts (exclusive of the Syriac fragments recently 

 acquired) - - - -<- - -- 508 



Original Charlers and Rolls _ _ _ _ 409 



To the Egerton Collection — 



Manuscripts --_-___ 330 



Among the Volumes more worthy of notice may be mentioned,— 



A Psalter of the tenth century, formerly belonging to the monastery of Stavelot, in the 

 diocese of Liege. 



A remarkably fine Greek manuscript, containing the Works ascribed to Dionysius the 

 Areopagite, and the Homilies of Gregory of Nazianzum, with scholia, written in the year 

 6480 (A. D. &72). 



Nearly lOU ancient manuscripts on vellum, containing theological, juridical, metaphy- 

 sical and miscellaneous treatises, the greater part of which formed a portion of the library 

 of the Benedictine monastery of Mount St. George (Jorgenberg), near Schwatz, in the Tyrol. 

 Among them is a copy of Clement's Recognitions and Epistles, of the tenth centuiy, and a 

 copy of Bede's Ecclesiastical History, of the same age. 



A Portolano or collection of Sea Charts, on vellum, executed at Venice in 1463, by 

 Benincasa of Ancona. This was formerly in the Pinelli Collection. 



Tables of Universal Chronology, from the Creation to the year 1308, written on vellum, 

 in the Catalan language, and illustrated with small miniatures. 



Two Books of Hours, one of French art, executed for a lady of rank in the 15th century ; 

 the other, of the same period, remarkable for the style of its miniatures, having been written 

 and ornamented in Spain. 



A Lectionary, written and illuminated for the use of Philippe de Villiers de ITsle Adam, 

 Grand Master of Malta from 1521 to 1534, containing the full length portrait of this 

 illustrious man, executed at the time. 



Twentv-three volumes of Oriental Manuscripts, presented by the Sons of the late Major 

 William Yule, as an addition to the large collection deposited by them in the Museum in 

 1847. 



An exceedingly fine copy of the Shah-Namah of Firdausi, illustrated with many large 

 miniatures, written A. H. 891 (A. D. 1485). 



A considerable number of fragments of very ancient Syriac manuscripts, forming portions 

 of the collections purchased in the years 1843 and 1847. 



A collection of Papers relating to the history and language of Madagascar, presented 

 by Sir Waiter Minto Townshend Farquhar, Bart. 



Nineteen additional volumes of a series of Transcripts from the Archives at the Hague, 

 of documents relating to Enghsh History, extending from 1588 to 1614, and from 1689 

 to 1702 inclusive, deposited in the Museum by order of Viscount Palmerston, Secretary of 

 State. 



A copy of the scarce volume intitled " A Testimonie of Antiquitie, shewing the auncient 

 fayth in the church of England touching the Sacrament," printed by John Day in 1567, 

 in which are the autograph signatures of the Archbishops and Bishops who attested the 

 genuineness of the tract. This is presumed to be the copy especially reserved by Archbishop 

 Parker. Presented by the Rev. William Maskell. 



A collection of valuable Spanish Papers (chiefly originals), relating to the proceedings 

 of the Inquisition in the reigns of Philip II., Philip III., and Philip IV. 



An extensive and very curious collection of Stammbucher or Albums, (320 in number), 

 commencing in the year 1554, and coming down to 1785, containing above 27,000 Auto- 

 graphs of Persons of Ptauk, Theologians, Jurists, Physicians, Artists, Scholars, and others, 

 chiefly natives of Germany. In one of these Albums is the signature of Milton, and m 

 another, the writing of Giovanni di Bologna (Fiamengo). 



A large folio volume, in its original monastic binding, containing a complete abstract of 

 the Great Cartulary of Fountains Abbey; it was written in 1509, by order of the Abbot 

 Marmaduke Huby. 



A collection of 75 original Charters, with Seals attached, (principally of the 12th and 13th 

 centuries), relating to Biland Abbey, in Yorkshire. 



The number of deliveries of Manuscripts to the Readers in the Reading Rooms during 

 the last twelvemonth, amounts to 18,225, and to Artists and others, in the rooms of the 

 Department, to 2,417, exclusive of 4,578 Charters, and the numerous volumes examined 

 by Visitors. 



Department 



