From Messrs. Payne and Foss was bought, for £150, the famous MS. of the
Greek New Testament called, from its former possessor, the 'Codex
Ebnerianus.' It is a small quarto, containing 425 leaves of fine vellum,
in excellent condition and well written, and ornamented with eleven rich
paintings, besides occasional arabesque borders, &c. It comprehends all
the books of the New Testament except the Apocalypse, and is assigned in
date to the twelfth or thirteenth century. The former owner, whose name
it perpetuates, Jerome William Ebner von Eschenbach, of Nuremberg,
obtained it, it is said, when first brought from the East 'ex singulari
Numinis providentia.' While in his possession, a small descriptive
volume, comprising forty-four pages and an engraved facsimile, was
published by Conrad Schoenleben, under the title of _Notitia egregii
codicis Græci Novi Testamenti manuscripti_, &c. 4^o. Norib. 1738. This
was incorporated by De Murr in his _Memorabilia Bibliothecarum
publicarum Norimbergensium_, published in 1788, part ii. p. 100, who
added thirteen well-engraved plates of the illuminations, binding and
text. It was formerly bound in leather-covered boards, ornamented with
gold, with five silver-gilt stars on the sides, and fastened with four
silver clasps. This cover being much decayed, Ebner cased the volume in
a most costly binding of pure silver, preserving the silver stars, and
affixing on the outside a beautiful ivory figure (coæval with the MS.)
of our Saviour, throned, and in the attitude of benediction. Above the
figure, Ebner engraved an inscription in Greek characters, corresponding
to the style of the MS., praying for a blessing upon himself and his
family.
A MS. of Terence, of the eleventh or twelfth century, which also
belonged to Ebner, was bought from Payne and Foss, at the same time, for
ten guineas. It is described in De Murr, _ubi supra_, pp. 135-7.
Fifty Greek manuscripts were bought for £500, which had formerly been in
the possession of Giovanni Saibante, of Verona. The library of this
collector is noticed in Scipio Maffei's _Verona Illustrata_ (fol. 1731),
part ii. col. 48[301]. The MSS. purchased by the Library are described
in Mr. Coxe's Catalogue, cols. 774-808.
A collection of Arabic tracts and papers, which had formerly belonged to
Dr. Kennicott, was given by Shute Barrington, Bishop of Durham.
[301] Some MSS. which had belonged to Saibante, together with some of
the Abate Canonici's collection, which had been brought to England by
the Abate Celotti, were sold by auction, in London, in 1821. The sale of
a further portion, which had passed into the hands of P. de' Gianfilippi
(also of Verona), took place at Paris in January, 1843.