236 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 



exception of an hour devoted to the library, which one 

 of the cliief 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 jirinted), — 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 Martius 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 Linnsean 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 truly 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- 



