PREFACE

The present “Literature of Java, Catalogue Raisonné of Javanese Manuscripts” is a publication of the Library of the University of Leiden. It is no. IX of the series “Codices Manuscripti” published by this Library, and it is made available to the public by the Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology. Originally the work was only meant to be a sequel to Dr H. H. Juynboll’s “Supplement op “den Catalogus van de Javaansche en Madoereesche Handschriften der Leidsche “Universiteits-Bibliotheek” in two volumes. The second volume appeared in 1911. It soon became clear, however, that this was the opportunity to publish an English Catalogue which could be used as an introduction to the study of Javanese literature more easily than the previous Dutch catalogues could. It is a matter of fact that Dr Juynboll and his predecessors wrote their catalogues with the intention of providing information on Javanese literature in general, and for several decades their books did render excellent services to students of Javanese civilization. The differences in structure between the older catalogues and the present book will be explained in the introduction to the second volume. In two volumes the contents of the previous catalogues, increased by an equal quantity of new material, has been rearranged according to a new system. The third volume, containing illustrations, facsimiles of manuscripts, maps and a general index of names and subjects, is entirely new. The author gratefully acknowledges the facilities put at his disposal by the Curators of the State University of Leiden, the Librarian of the University Library, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (Z.W.O.) of The Hague and the Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology (Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde) of Leiden. He wishes to thank the librarians of collections outside Leiden who consented to have their Javanese manuscripts described in the present book. He expresses his great appreciation for suggestions and advice given by colleagues working in the field of Indonesian philology and for useful information found in their books. Especially he wishes to state his indebtedness to the late professor Radèn Mas Ngabèhi Dr Poerbatjaraka, of Djakarta, Java, whose text-editions and books on literature are indispensable for students of Javanese civilization. The work of Mr J. Soegiarto, for more than thirty years assistant to the professors of Javanese in the University of Leiden, has been of great use to the