ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. I3 



of one of the only two editions of this invaluable liturgical monument, four of the 

 others being in public or college libraries. Another very important acquisition is the 

 Salisbury Primer, printed at Eouen by Robert Valentin, 1555, a very fino copy of a 

 hitherto unknown edition, with numerous woodcuts. To these are to be added : The 

 " Heures de Nostre Dame," in Latin, of the use of the Diocese of Poitiers, printed on 

 vellum by Gillet Hardouyn, at Paris, between 1509 and 1521; the "Aurea Expositio 

 Hymnorum, Seville, 1499," purchased at the Turner sale, a beautiful copy of an edition 

 unknown to Panzer, Hain, and Brunet: " Missale Halberstatten^e " [Mentz ? 1500 ?J, of 

 which only two other copies are known; "Breviarium et Psalterium Moguntinense," 

 2 vols., printed by the Brothers of Conmion Life in the Monastery of Marienthal near 

 Mentz, 1474. All productions of the Marienthal press are of the greatest rarity. 



A remarkable feature of the year has been the number of purchases, principally from 

 Mr. Bernard Quaritch and Messrs. Dulau, of rare and valuable books relating to the 

 East. Among these are chiefly to be named : Rodriguez, " Vocabulario de Japon," 

 Manila, KiSO, a work which preserves the system of transcribing Japanese used by the 

 Jesuits in the early partof the seventeenth century ; Varo," Arte de la lengua Mandariua," 

 Canton, 1703, of which only four co])ies are known ; the great collection of letters 

 from Jesuit missionaries, principally in Japan, from 1549 to 1588, Evora, 1598 : four of 

 the five copies of this work known to Cordier are in public libraries In Portugal. The 

 original Portuguese text of Antonio de Almeida, the first published narrative of travel in 

 Tibet, Lisbon, 1626. Mesqulta's Relation of the proclamation of John IV., Goa, 1643: 

 the only other copy known is in the public library of Evora. Five of the seven volumes 

 of Taj-ut-Lughat, the Crown of Languages, an Arabic-Persian lexicon by Ghazi-ud-DIn 

 Haidar Padshah, seventh King of Oude, partly printed, partly lithographed at his private 

 press, Lucknow, 1830-35 : almost the most voluminous Arabic lexicon extant, and ex- 

 cessively scarce, even In an imperfect state, nearly the whole impression having been 

 destroyed by white ants. A number of rare and curious books In the languages of the 

 Philippine Islands, or relating to that archipelago. A large collection of tracts In Malay, 

 Japanese, and the Polynesian languages. 



An acquisition of an entirely exceptional character Is that of 76 books pui'chased from 

 M. Delay, of Geneva, formerly belonging to the library of H. I. H. Prince Napoleon 

 Jerome at the Palais Royal. They narrowly escaped being burned during the insurrectiou 

 of the Paris Commune, and all bear the marks of fire. Some have the cipher of Jerome, 

 King of Westphalia, and Queen Catharine. 



The Library has received three valuable donations during the year: Three years' files 

 of 71 colonial newspapers, presented by the Royal Colonial Institute; A collection of 

 Playbills of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, from 1744 to 1862, with other bills, presented 

 by the lessee, Mr. Augustus Harris ; Vols. 3-40 of thcMemoIres of the Academic Royale 

 de Belgique, presented by the Academy. 



The collection of printed music has received several highly Important additions during 

 the past year. Among these may be particularly mentioned Este's Third set of Madrigals, 

 1610, of which only one other complete copy Is known. A set of eight part-books of a 

 collection' of church music by Vittoria, published at Madrid in 1600, and hitherto unknown 

 to bibliographers; " Muslcali ConcentI " by Nicolo Borboni, Roma, 1618 ; the Abate 

 StefFani's rare German opera "Roland"; Sousa Vlllalobos, " Arte de Canto chao," 

 Coimbra, 1688 ; a most beautiful copy of Vicente Lusitano's " Inlroduttione di Canto 

 Fermo," Venice, 1558, purchased at the Turner sale; one of the only two known copies 

 of the first edition of Hans Gerle's " Musica Teatrale," Niirnberg, 1532 ; a book of great 

 Importance as containing the earliest known instructions for playing on the lute and viol. 

 But the most important acquisition has been the purchase of 88 part-books, chiefly 

 consisting of madrigals and motets ju-Inted between 1575 and 1688. By this 

 purchase" several sels of part-books already In the Library have been completed, and 

 copies of such rare works as Archadelt's first book of madrigals, Venice, 1597, the 

 undated edition of Bvrd's Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs, and parts of Piersou's Private 

 Musicke (1620) have' been added to the collection. But the chief acquisition made on 

 this occasion has been that of Byrd's Masses for three, four, and five voices, which were 

 discovered interleaved in a set of part-books of the same composer's '■ Gradualia." Single 

 copies had been traced from the end of the seventeenth to the beginning of the nineteenth 

 century, when the two masses for three and four voices disappeared, that for five passing 

 somewhat later Into the possession of the Museum. The mass for three voices existed In 

 MS., but that for four was supposed to have been lost, until recovered in the copy now 

 obtained. Several other valuable acquisitions have been made. Including two of great 

 literary interest, Corona Schroter's " Fiinf und zwanzig Lieder," Weimar, 1780, and 

 SeckendorflPs " Volks-und andere Lieder," Weimar and Dessau, 1779-82, both contalmng 

 the first Impressions of various songs by Goethe. 



_ George Bulleii. 



0.81, 



