[113] See the note at [p. 29], ante. "It is a pity," says Morhof, "that the Dutch had such little curiosity about the literary history of their country—but the English were yet more negligent and incurious."—And yet, Germany, France, and Italy, had already abounded with treasures of this kind!!
[114] Senebier, who put forth a very useful and elegantly printed catalogue of the MSS. in the public library of Geneva, 1779, 8vo., has the following observations upon this subject—which I introduce with a necessary proviso, or caution, that now-a-days his reproaches cannot affect us. We are making ample amends for past negligence; for, to notice no others, the labours of those gentlemen who preside over the British Museum abundantly prove our present industry. Thus speaks Senebier: 'Ill sembleroit d'abord étonnant qu'on ait tant tradé à composer le Catalogue des Manuscripts de la Bibliothéque de Genéve; mais on peut faire plus raisonnablement ce reproche aux Bibliothécaires bien payés et uniquement occupés de leur vocation, qui sont les dépositaires de tant de collections précieuses qu'on voit en Italie, en France, en Allemagne, et en Angleterre; ils le mériteront d'autant mieux, qu'ils privent le public des piéces plus précieuses, et qu'ils ont plusieurs aids intelligens qui peuvent les dispenser de la partie le plus méchanique et la plus ennuyeuse de ce travail,' &c.
Phil. Hear him, hear him![115]
[115] This mode of exclamation or expression, like that of cheering (vide [p. 20], ante) is also peculiar to our own country; and it is uttered by both friend and foe. Thus, in the senate, when a speaker upon one side of the question happens to put an argument in a strong point of view, those of the same party or mode of thinking exclaim—hear him, hear him! And if he should happen to state any thing that may favour the views, or the mode of thinking, of his opponents, these latter also take advantage of his eloquence, and exclaim, hear him, hear him! Happy the man whom friend and foe alike delight to hear!
Lis. But what is become, in the while, of the English, Italian, and Spanish bibliographers—in the seventeenth century?
Lysand. I beg pardon for the digression; but the less we say of these, during this period, the better; and yet you must permit me to recommend to you the work of Pitseus, our countryman, which grows scarcer every day.[116] We left off, I think, with the mention of Du Chesne's works. Just about this time came forth the elegant little work of Naudæus;[117] which I advise you both to purchase, as it will cost you but a few shillings, and of the aspect of which you may inform yourselves by taking it down from yonder shelf. Quickly afterwards Claude Clement, "haud passibus æquis," put forth his Bibliothecæ tam privatæ quam publicæ[118] extructio, &c.; a work, condemned by the best bibliographical judges. But the splendour of almost every preceding bibliographer's reputation was eclipsed by that arising from the extensive and excellent publications of Louis Jacob;[119] a name at which, if we except those of Fabricius and Muratori, diligence itself stands amazed; and concerning whose life and labours it is to be regretted that we have not more extended details. The harsh and caustic manner in which Labbe and Morhof have treated the works of Gaddius,[120] induce me only to mention his name, and to warn you against looking for much corn in a barn choked with chaff. We now approach the close of the seventeenth century; when, stopping for a few minutes only, to pay our respects to Cinelli, Conringius, and Lomeier,[121] we must advance to do homage to the more illustrious names of Labbe, Lambecius, and Baillet; not forgetting, however, the equally respectable ones of Antonio and Lipenius.
[116] Pitseus's work "De Rebus Anglicis," Paris, 1619, 4to., vol. i., was written in opposition to Bale's (vid. [p. 31], ante). The author was a learned Roman Catholic; but did not live to publish the second volume. I was glad to give Mr. Ford, of Manchester, 1l. 16s. for a stained and badly bound copy of it.
[117] "Gabriele Naudæo nemo vixit suo tempore ἐμπειρίας Bibliothecariæ peritior:" Polyhist. Liter., vol. i., 187. "Naudæi scripta omnia et singula præstantissima sunt," Vogt, p. 611. "Les ouvrages de Naudé firent oublier ce qui les avoient précédé." Camus, Mem. de l'Institut., vol. i., 646. After these eulogies, who will refuse this author's "Avis pour dresser une Bibliothéque, Paris, 1627, 1644, 8vo." a place upon his shelf? Unluckily, it rarely comes across the search of the keenest collector. The other, yet scarcer, productions of Naudé will be found well described in Vogt's Catalog. Libror. Rarior., p. 610. The reader of ancient politics may rejoice in the possession of what is called, the "Mascurat"—and "Considerations politiques"—concerning which Vogt is gloriously diffuse; and Peignot (who has copied from him, without acknowledgement—Bibliogr. Curieuse, pp. 49, 50,) may as well be consulted. But the bibliographer will prefer the "Additions à l'Histoire de Louis XI.," 1630, 8vo., and agree with Mailchelius that a work so uncommon and so curious "ought to be reprinted." See the latter's amusing little book "De Præcipuis Bibliothecis Parisiensibus," pp. 66, 67, &c. Naudæus was librarian to the famous Cardinal Mazarin, the great Mæcenas of his day; whose library, consisting of upwards of forty thousand volumes, was the most beautiful and extensive one which France had then ever seen. Its enthusiastic librarian, whom I must be allowed to call a very wonderful bibliomaniac, made constant journeys, and entered into a perpetual correspondence, relating to books and literary curiosities. He died at Abbeville in 1653, in his 53rd year, on returning from Sweden, where the famous Christian had invited him. Naudæus's "Avis, &c.", [ut supr.] was translated by Chaline; but his "Avis à Nosseigneurs du Parlement, &c." 1652, 4to.—upon the sale of the Cardinal's library—and his "Remise de la Bihliothéque [Du Cardinal] entre le mains de M. Tubeuf, 1651," are much scarcer productions. A few of these particulars are gathered from Peignot's Dict. de la Bibliolologie, vol. ii., p. 1—consult also his Dict. Portatif de Bibliographie, p. v. In the former work I expected a copious piece of biography; yet, short as it is, Peignot has subjoined a curious note from Naudé's "Considerations politiques"—in which the author had the hardihood to defend the massacre upon St. Bartholomew's day, by one of the strangest modes of reasoning ever adopted by a rational being.
[118] This work, in four books, was published at Lyons, 1635, 4to. If it be not quite "Much ado about nothing"—it exhibits, at least, a great waste of ink and paper. Morhof seems to seize with avidity Baillet's lively sentence of condemnation—"Il y a trop de babil et trop de ce que nous appellons fatras," &c.
[119] Le Pere Louys Jacob published his "Traicté des plus belles Bibliothéques publiques et particulières, qui ont esté, et qui sont à présents dans le monde," at Paris, in 1644—again in 1655, 8vo.—in which he first brought together the scattered notices relating to libraries, especially to modern ones. His work is well worth consultation; although Baillet and Morhof do not speak in direct terms of praise concerning it—and the latter seems a little angry at his giving the preference to the Parisian libraries over those of other countries. It must be remembered that this was published as an unfinished production: as such, the author's curiosity and research are highly to be commended. I have read the greater part of it with considerable satisfaction. The same person meditated the execution of a vast work in four folio volumes—called "La Bibliothéque universelle de tous les Autheurs de France, qui ont escrits en quelque sorte de sciences et de langues"—which, in fact, was completed in 1638: but, on the death of the author it does not appear what became of it. Jacob also gave an account of books as they were published at Paris, and in other parts of France, from the year 1643 to 1650; which was printed under the title of Bibliographia Parisina, Paris, 1651, 4to. Consult Polyhist. Liter., vol. i., pp. 189, 202: Bibl. Creven., vol. v., pp. 281, 287. Jugemens des Savans, vol. ii., p. 151.