ON THE LIBRARIES OF GREECE. 
There is no doubt that Constantinople and 
Athos have contributed the greatest number of 
the Manuscripts we possess in different parts 
of Europe. There were monasteries full of 
learned men at Byzantium, to a late period; and 
every monastery had its library. The Turks, 
on their conquest, did not occasion that indis- 
criminate destruction which idle declamation 
has sometimes imputed to them. Mahomet the 
Second secured the Library of the Greek Em- 
perors, which was preserved by his successors, 
until it was destroyed by Amur at IV. 4 At 
Byzantium, Constantine Lascaris transcribed many 
of those works which were afterwards placed 
in the MADRID LIBRARY. In this city were 
procured those Manuscripts which were left to 
the ESCURIAL LIBRARY by Hurtado de Mendoza; 
and which had been presented to him by 
Soliman the Second. Possevin has given partial 
Catalogues of some of the Libraries at Constan- 
tinople; and a traveller in 1597 mentions a valu- 
able collection which he had seen in that city*. 
With respect to Athos, we find that two hun- 
dred Manuscripts are deposited in one library 
(4) Hist, de 1'Acad. IV. Jortin't E. H. vol. V. 
CS) G. Dowa. It, Contt. 71. 
B 2 
