240 



Bibliorum Codex Siuaiticus. 



quently called Codex Cottonianus), six leaves are in the 

 Vatican, and two are in the Imperial library at Vienna. 

 Its date is the end of the sixth century. This manu- 

 script was written on purple vellum (whence it derives 

 its name), in letters of silver. 



These once bright silver letters are now all blackened, 

 the effect of the fire which consumed a portion of the 

 Cotton library. But the words God, Christ and Holy 

 Ghost, having been written in letters of gold, remained 

 unaffected by the sulphurous fumes, retaining their origi- 

 nal luster, these sacred words now illumine the blackened 

 mass, just as in Moses's day the Shekinah illumined the 

 dark clouds of Sinai. 



