George Ticknor, Life, letters and journals of George Ticknor
George Hillard, Ed.

Among the copies on parchment is one of the four, known to exist, of the Ximenes Polyglote, and indeed, if a rarity is wanted, it may almost be assumed to be here, whether it can be found or not. But as to anything modern, anything useful, anything practical, it is not to be thought of. The nearest approach to it is probably the beautiful library of Count Cicognara, of 4,800 different works, bought a few years since. But they all relate strictly to the arts of design, sculpture, painting, etc. One thing struck me very much. In two places I saw the Edict of Sixtus V. posted up, threatening with excommunication any one—librarians inclusive—who should, without a written permission of the Pope, take any volume away. Can anything more plainly show the spirit of the government and religion? . . . .

April 20.—Prince Borghese invited me, last evening, to come this morning and see three frescos which he has lately had taken from the walls of one of his villas, where they were painted by Raffaelle, who occasionally lived there. I went, and found him ill in bed with the grippe, now prevalent here, and his two sons with him; all very agreeable, and as it should be. The Prince of Sulmona went with me to the frescos. They are small, extremely graceful representations of the marriage of Venus and Mars, and have been taken down and put in frames under glass with wonderful skill.

April 21.—. . . . . . To-day is the accredited anniversary of the foundation of Rome, and the Archaeological Society celebrated it with a solemn sitting, and the Prussian Minister gave a dinner afterwards to about twenty artists, diplomats, and men of letters. I went to both, and enjoyed them in their respective fashions not a little. At the Society a report was made of the doings of the last year, and several papers read, the best being one by Dr. Lepsius . . . . . At the dinner were the Bavarian, the Saxon, the Baden Charges, Kestner, Thorwaldsen, Wolff the sculptor; . . . . in short, the full representation of German intellect and talent now in Rome, with no foreign admixture but myself. The talk, of course, was of a high order. . . . .

April 22.—I went by appointment this morning to Thorwaldsen's, and had a long talk with him about sundry matters connected with the arts, in continuation of a conversation begun yesterday at dinner. He was very interesting, for he talks well, and seems, at least, to have a good deal of earnestness and unction. Just now he is much troubled at being obliged to go to Copenhagen to superintend the putting up his great works there. . . .