CICERONIS OPERA OMNIA. Printed by the Giunti, 1534. Folio. 4 vols. I introduce this copy to your notice, because there are four leaves of Various Readings, at the end of the fourth volume, which M. Van Praet said he had never observed, nor heard of, in any other copy.[86] I think also that there are two volumes of the same edition upon LARGE PAPER:--the rest being deficient. Does any perfect copy, of this kind, exist?

POETÆ GRÆCI HEROICI. 1556. Printed by H. Stephen. Folio. De Thou's own copy--and, upon the whole, perhaps MATCHLESS. The sight of this splendid volume would repay the toil of a pilgrimage of some fourscore miles, over Lapland snows. There is another fine copy of the same edition, which belonged to Diana and her royal slave; but it is much inferior to De Thou's.

The frequent mention of DE THOU reminds me of the extraordinary number of copies, which came from his library, and which are placed upon the shelves of the fourth or following room. Perhaps no other library can boast of such a numerous collection of similar copies. It was, while gazing upon these interesting volumes along with M. Van Praet, that the latter told me he remembered seeing the ENTIRE LIBRARY of De Thou--before it was dispersed by the sale of the collection of the Prince de Soubise in 1788--in which it had been wholly embodied, partly by descent, and partly by purchase. And now farewell ... to the BIBLIOTHÈQUE DU ROI. We have, I think, tarried in it a good long time; and recreated ourselves with a profusion of RICH AND RARE GEMS in the book-way--whether as specimens of the pencil, or of the press. I can never regret the time so devoted--nor shall ever banish from my recollection the attention, civility, and kindness which I have received, from all quarters, in this magnificent library. It remains only to shake hands with the whole Corps Bibliographique, who preside over these regions of knowledge, and whose names have been so frequently mentioned--and, making our bow, to walk arm in arm together to the

LIBRARY OF THE ARSENAL.

The way thither is very interesting, although not very short. Whether your hackney coachman take you through the Marché des Innocents, or straight forward, along the banks of the Seine--passing two or three bridges--you will be almost equally amused. But reflections of a graver cast will arise, when you call to mind that it was in his way to THIS VERY LIBRARY--to have a little bibliographical, or rather perhaps political, chat with his beloved Sully--that Henry IV. fell by the hand of an Assassin.[87] They shew you, at the further end of the apartments--distinguished by its ornaments of gilt, and elaborate carvings--the very boudoir ... where that monarch and his prime minister frequently retired to settle the affairs of the nation. Certainly, no man of education or of taste can enter such an apartment without a diversion of some kind being given to the current of his feelings. I will frankly own that I lost, for one little minute, the recollection of the hundreds and thousands of volumes--including even those which adorn the chamber wherein the head librarian sits--which I had surveyed in my route thither. However, my present object must be exclusively confined to an account of a very few choice articles of these hundreds and thousands of volumes.

BIBLIA LATINA. Printed by Fust and Schoiffher, 1462. 2 vols. There are not fewer than three copies of this edition, which I shall almost begin to think must be ranked among books of ordinary occurrence. Of these three, two are UPON VELLUM, and the third is upon paper. The latter, or paper copy, is cruelly cropt, and bad in every respect. Of the two upon vellum, one is in vellum binding, and a fair sound copy; except that it has a few initials cut out. The other vellum copy, which is bound in red morocco--measuring full fifteen inches and a half, by eleven inches and a quarter--affords the comfortable evidence of ancient ms. signatures at bottom. There are doubtless some exceptionable leaves; but, upon the whole, it is a very sound and desirable copy. It was obtained of the elder M. Brunet, father of the well-known author of the Manuel du Libraire. M. Brunet senior found it in the garret of a monastery, of which he had purchased the entire library; and he sold it to the father of the present Comte d'Artois for six hundred livres ... only!

ROMAUNT DE JASON, Supposed to be printed by Caxton. Folio. Without date. This is a finer copy than the one in the Royal Library; but it is imperfect, wanting two leaves.

Here is a copy of the very rare edition of the MORLINI Novella Comoediæ et Fabulæ, printed in 1520 in 4to.:--also of the Teatro Jesuitico--impresso en Coimbra, 1634, 4to.:--and of the Missa Latina, printed by Mylius in 1557, 8vo. which latter is a satire upon the mass, and considered exceedingly rare. I regretted to observe so very bad a copy of the original Giunta Edition of the BOCCACCIO of 1527, 4to.

MISSALE PARISIENSE. 1522. Folio. A copy UPON VELLUM. I do not think it possible for any library, in any part of the world, to produce a more lovely volume than that upon which, at this moment, I must be supposed to be gazing! In the illuminated initial letters, wood-cuts, tone and quality of the vellum, and extreme skilfulness of the printer--it surely cannot be surpassed. Nor is the taste of the binding inferior to its interior condition. It is habited in the richly-starred morocco livery of Claude d'Urfé: in other words, it came from that distinguished man's library. Originally it appears to have been in the "Bibliothèque de l'Eglise à Paris."

Mozarabic Missal and Breviary. 1500, 1502. Folio. Original Editions. These copies are rather cropt, but sound and perfect.