Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/390

 378 The Library. cardinal, for the remainder of his life, nearly a third of the Greek books in the Vatican, and modern rigour. 1 The books in the library at this time were chained, and the library warmed. By 1484 the library had grown to 3,650 volumes. 2 The block of buildings which was erected in 1490 by Innocent VIII. (1484-1492), and which is known to the entire world as the Belvidere gallery, next commands our attention. It has nothing to do directly with the history of the Vatican Library, but indirectly it became the cause of its subsequent site. It was built by Bramante, and afterwards altered. It was used as a summer-house by the popes ; and it is here that Benvenuto Cellini relates that he played on the cornet while Clement VII. was at table. 3 Alexander VI. (1492-1503) missed the proffered chance of having Poliziano for his librarian. Had he appointed him, his name might have been held in equal honour with the nominator of Platina. Instead, he chose the Archbishop of Barcelona, Hieronimo Paulli. 4 Oddly enough the buildings of Nicolas V. always go under the name of this Pope, the Appartemente Borgia. They were decorated by Pinturricchio at his com- mand. 6 We now come to the golden age of the Italian Renaissance (I503-I549). 6 Julius II. (1503-1513), the nephew of Sixtus IV., who began St. Peter's, enlarged his uncle's library by two large halls. It is supposed that these were in the Torre Borgia. 7 The view Julius II. took of the work of the officials in the library at the time may be judged from the terms of the brief in which he nominates one of the sub-librarians. " In order that you may have more spare time for literature," he writes. 8 Tomaso Fedra 1 The nomination of Platina (June 18, 1475) marks a turning point in the history of the Vatican Library. His salary was 120 ducats a year. It would be pleasant, at this point, to treat at some length of the character and achievements of this great man. MM. Miintz and Fabre quote one line of his most splendidly heroic epitaph, probably composed by himself: Quisquis es, si pius, Platinam et sues ne vexes ; auguste jacent et soli volunt esse. (Op. cit., pp. 136-9.) - Ibid., pp. 140-1. "Cellini, bk. i., p. 23 (Symond's Trans., p. 4*2). The plan of the building was by Antonio del Pollajuolo (Symonds, Renaissance in Italy, 2nd ed., 1880, i., 35 ' n.). 4 Muntz and Fabre, p. 311. 5 Carini, p. 139. Symonds, loc.cit. "The sentence of E. Miintz in his Bibl. du Vatican au XVI. Siecle (Paris, 1886), p. 4. 1 Ibid., p. 7. * Ibid., p. 13.