Page:On the Vatican Library of Sixtus IV.djvu/7

 OF THE

WITH

COMMUNICATIONS MADE TO THE SOCIETY.

1898—1899.

, 6 March, 1899.

Professor, President, in the chair.

Mr J. W. made the following communication:

THE VATICAN LIBRARY OF SIXTUS IV.

I. Introduction.

entering on the subject of this paper, I feel it necessary to make a short personal explanation.

In the course of my work on Libraries, I naturally paid a good deal of attention to the splendid room which Sixtus V. constructed for the Vatican collection in 1588; and I often wondered whether it would be possible to find out anything about the libraries of his predecessors. I knew that there was a Library attached to the old Basilica of Constantine, but I did not feel sure whether it belonged to the Pope or to the Chapter