Sed dum haec tacitus mecum revolvo, occurrit mihi quod in Bibliotheca studiosi saecularium litterarum puer quondam, ut se aetatis illius curiositas habet, praetereundo legissem. Nam cum supra memoratae aedis ordinator ac dominus, inter expressas lapillis aut ceris discoloribus, formatasque effigies vel Oratorum vel etiam Poetarum specialia singulorum autotypis epigrammata subdidisset; ubi ad praeiudicati eloquii venit poetam, hoc modo orsus est. The last three lines of the inscription are from the _AEneid_, Book I. 607. I owe the most important part of the translation of Rusticus to Lanciani, _ut supra_, p. 196: that of Virgil is by Professor Conington. [109] I have taken the text of the inscription, and my account of Agapetus and his work, from De Rossi, _ut supra_, Chap. VIII. p. lv. [110] Cassiodorus, _De Inst. Div. Litt._ Chap. XXX. pp. 1145, 46. Ed. Migne. De Rossi, _ut supra_. [111] Versus qui scripti sunt in armaria sua ab ipso [Isidoro] compositi. _Cod. Vat. Pal._ 1877, a MS. which came from Lorch in Germany. De Rossi, _ut supra_. Chap. VII. [112] _Isidori Opera Omnia_, 410. Rome, 1803. Vol. VII. p. 179. [113] See Hen. Stevenson, _Topografia e Monumenti di Roma nelle Pitture a fresco di Sisto V. della Biblioteca Vaticana_, p. 7; in _Al Sommo Pontefice Leone XIII. Omaggio Giubilare della Biblioteca Vaticana_, Fol. Rome, 1881. [114] Signor Lanciani (_Ancient Rome_, p. 195) was the first to suggest a comparison between the Vatican Library and those of ancient Rome. APPENDIX TO CHAPTER I. DECORATION OF THE VATICAN LIBRARY. The system of decoration carried out in this Library, of which I have just given a summary description, is so interesting, and bears evidence of so much care and thought, that I subjoin a detailed account of it, which, by the kindness of Father Ehrle, prefect of the Library, I was enabled to draw up during my late visits to Rome. The diagrammatic ground-plan (fig. 18) which accompanies this description, if studied in conjunction with the general view (fig. 16), will make the relation of the subjects to each other perfectly clear. The visitor is supposed to enter the Library from the vestibule at the east end; and the notation of the piers, windows, wall-frescoes, etc., begins from the same end. Further, the visitor is supposed to examine the east face of each pier first, and then to turn to the left. I will begin with the figures on the central piers and half-piers. These figures are painted in fresco, of heroic size: and over their heads are the letters which they are supposed to have invented. 1. PILASTER AGAINST EAST WALL. ADAM. A tall stalwart figure dressed in short chiton. He holds an apple in his left hand, and a mattock in his right. Adam divinitus edoctus primus scientiarum et litterarum inventor. 2. FIRST PIER. (_a_) ABRAHAM. Abraham Syras et Chaldaicas litteras invenit. (_b_) THE SONS OF SETH. Filii Seth columnis duabus rerum coelestium disciplinam inscribunt.