Phil. Hear him, hear him![146]
[146] Vide note at [p. 37], ante.
Lysand. From my heart I pity and forgive you. But only look upon the bust of De Bure; and every time that you open his Bibliographie Instructive,[147] confess, with a joyful heart, the obligations you are under to the author of it. Learn, at the same time, to despise the petty cavils of the whole Zoilean race; and blush for the Abbé Rive,[148] that he could lend his name, and give the weight of his example, to the propagation of coarse and acrimonious censures.
[147] The works of Guillaume-François de Bure deserve a particular notice. He first published his Musæum Typographicum, Paris, 1755, 12mo.; of which he printed but twelve copies, and gave away every one of them (including even his own) to his book-loving friends. It was published under the name of G.F. Rebude. Peignot is very particular in his information concerning this rare morçeau of bibliography—see his Bibliographie Curieuse, p. 21. Afterwards appeared the Bibliographie Instructive, in seven volumes, 8vo., 1763-68—succeeded by a small volume of a catalogue of the anonymous publications, and an essay upon Bibliography: this 8th volume is absolutely necessary to render the work complete, although it is frequently missing. Fifty copies of this work were printed upon large paper, of a quarto size. Its merits are acknowledged by every candid and experienced critic. In the third place, came forth his Catalogue des Livres, &c., de L.J. Gaignat, Paris, 1769, 8vo., two vols.: not, however, before he had published two brochures—"Appel aux Savans," &c., 1763, 8vo.—and "Reponse à une Critique de la Bibliographie Instructive," 1763, 8vo.—as replies to the tart attacks of the Abbé Rive. The Catalogue of Gaignat, and the fairness of his answers to his adversary's censures, served to place De Bure on the pinnacle of bibliographical reputation; while Rive was suffered to fret and fume in unregarded seclusion. He died in the year 1782, aged 50: and was succeeded in his bibliographical labours by his cousin William; who, with Mons. Van-Praet, prepared the catalogue of the Duke de la Valliere's library, in 1783, and published other valuable catalogues as late as the year 1801. But both are eclipsed, in regard to the number of such publications, by their predecessor Gabriel Martin; who died in the year 1761, aged 83—after having compiled 148 catalogues since the year 1705. This latter was assisted in his labours by his son Claude Martin, who died in 1788. See Peignot's Dict. de Bibliologie, vol. i., 221, 422: vol iii., 277.
[148] The mention of De Bure and the Abbé Rive induces me to inform the reader that the Chasse aux Bibliographes, Paris, 1789, 8vo., of the latter, will be found a receptacle of almost every kind of gross abuse and awkward wit which could be poured forth against the respectable characters of the day. It has now become rare. The Abbé's "Notices calligraphiques et typographiques," a small tract of 16 pages—of which only 100 copies were printed—is sufficiently curious; it formed the first number of a series of intended volumes (12 or 15) "des notices calligraphiques de manuscrits des differens siécles, et des notices typographiques de livres du quinziéme siécle," but the design was never carried into execution beyond this first number. The other works of Rive are miscellaneous; but chiefly upon subjects connected with the belles lettres. He generally struck off but few copies of his publications; see the Bibliographie Curieuse, pp. 58-9; and more particularly the Dictionnaire de Bibliologie, vol. iii., p. 277, by the same author, where a minute list of Rive's productions is given, and of which Fournier might have availed himself in his new edition of the Dict. Portatif de Bibliographie. From Peignot, the reader is presented with the following anecdotes of this redoubted champion of bibliography. When Rive was a young man, and curate of Mollèges in Provence, the scandalous chronicle reported that he was too intimate with a young and pretty Parisian, who was a married woman, and whose husband did not fail to reproach him accordingly. Rive made no other reply than that of taking the suspicious Benedick in his arms, and throwing him headlong out of the window. Luckily he fell upon a dunghill! In the year 1789, upon a clergyman's complaining to him of the inflexible determination of a great lord to hunt upon his grounds—"Mettez-lui une messe dans le ventre"—repiled Rive. The clergyman expressing his ignorance of the nature of the advice given, the facetious Abbé replied, "Go and tear a leaf from your mass book, wrap a musket-ball in it, and discharge it at the tyrant." The Duke de la Valliere used to say—when the knowing ones at his house were wrangling about some literary or bibliographical point—"Gentlemen, I'll go and let loose my bull dog,"—and sent into them the Abbé, who speedily put them all to rights. Rive died in the year 1791, aged seventy-one. He had great parts and great application; but in misapplying both he was his own tormentor. His library was sold in 1793.
Next to the bust of De Bure, consider those of the five Italian bibliographers and literati, Haym, Fontanini, Zeno, Mazzuchelli, and Tiraboschi; which are placed in the five consecutive niches. Their works are of various merit, but are all superior to that of their predecessor Doni. Although those of the first three authors should find a place in every bibliographical collection, the productions of Mazzuchelli,[149] and especially of the immortal Tiraboschi, cannot fail to be admitted into every judicious library, whether vast or confined. Italy boasts of few literary characters of a higher class, or of a more widely-diffused reputation than Tiraboschi.[150] His diligence, his sagacity, his candour, his constant and patriotic exertions to do justice to the reputation of his countrymen, and to rescue departed worth from ill-merited oblivion, assign to him an exalted situation: a situation with the Poggios and Politians of former times, in the everlasting temple of Fame! Bind his Storia della Letteratura Italiana in the choicest vellum, or in the stoutest Russia; for it merits no mean covering!
[149] We may first observe that "La Libraria del Doni Fiorentino;" Vinegia, 1558, 8vo., is yet coveted by collectors as the most complete and esteemed of all the editions of this work. It is ornamented with many portraits of authors, and is now rare. Consult Bibl. Crevenn., vol. v., p. 275. Numerous are the editions of Haym's Biblioteca Italiana; but those of Milan, of the date of 1771, 4to., 2 vols., and 1803, 8vo. 4 vols., are generally purchased by the skilful in Italian bibliography. The best edition of Fontanini's Biblioteca dell' Eloquenza Italiana is with the annotations of Zeno, which latter are distinguished for their judgment and accuracy. It was published at Venice in 1753, 4to., 2 vols.; but it must be remembered that this edition contains only the third book of Fontanini, which is a library of the principal Italian authors. All the three books (the first two being a disquisition upon the orgin and progress of the Italian language) will be found in the preceeding Venice edition of 1737, in one volume 4to. In the year 1753-63, came forth the incomparable but unfinished work of Count Mazzuchelli, in two folio volumes, [the latter vol. being divided into four thick parts] entittled: Gli Scrittori d'Italia, cioé Notizie Storiche e Critiche intorno alle Vite e agli Scritti dei Letterati Italiani. The death of the learned author prevented the publication of it beyond the first two letters of the alphabet. The Count, however, left behind ample materials for its execution according to the original plan, which lay shamefully neglected as late as the year 1776. See Bibl. Crevenn., vol. v., p. 274. This work is rare in our own country. If the lover of Italian philology wishes to increase his critico-literary stores, let him purchase the Biblioteca degli Autori Antichi Greci, e Latini volgarizzati, &c., of Paitoni, in five quarto volumes, 1766: the Notizie Istorico-Critiche &c., degli Scrittori Viniziani, of Agostini, Venez., 1752, 4to., 2 vols.: and the Letteratura Turchesca of Giambatista Toderini, Venez., 1787, 8vo., 3 vols.—works nearly perfect of their kind, and (especially the latter one) full of curious matter.
[150] The best edition of his Letteratura Italiana is that of Modena, 1787-94, 4to., in fifteen volumes, as it contains his last corrections and additions, and has the advantage of a complete index. An excellent account of the life and labours of its wonderful author appeared in the fifth volume of the Athenæum, to the perusal of which I strongly recommend the reader.
The range of busts which occupies the opposite niches represents characters of a more recent date. Let us begin with Mercier;[151] a man of extraordinary, and almost unequalled, knowledge in every thing connected with bibliography and typography; of a quick apprehension, tenacious memory, and correct judgment; who was more anxious to detect errors in his own publications than in those of his fellow labourers in the same pursuit; an enthusiast in typographical researches—the Ulysses of bibliographers! Next to him stand the interesting busts of Saxius and Laire;[152] the latter of whom has frequently erred, but who merited not such a castigation as subsequent bibliographers have attempted to bestow upon him: in the number of which, one is sorry to rank the very respectable name of Audiffredi[153]—whose bust, you observe, immediately follows that of Laire. Audiffredi has left behind him a most enviable reputation: that of having examined libraries with a curious eye, and described the various books which he saw with scrupulous fidelity. There are no lively or interesting sallies, no highly-wrought, or tempting descriptions—throughout his two quarto volumes: but, in lieu of this, there is sober truth, and sound judgment. I have mentioned Audiffredi a little out of order, merely because his name is closely connected with that of Laire: but I should have first directed your attention to the sagacious countenance of Heinecken;[154] whose work upon ancient printing, and whose Dictionary of Engravers (although with the latter we have nothing just now to do) will never fail to be justly appreciated by the collector. I regret, Lisardo, for your own sake—as you are about to collect a few choice books upon typography—that you will have so much to pay for the former work, owing to its extreme rarity in this country, and to the injudicious phrenzy of a certain class of buyers, who are resolved to purchase it at almost any price. Let me not forget to notice, with the encomiums which they deserve, the useful and carefully compiled works of Seemiller, Braun, Wurdtwein, De Murr, Rossi, and Panzer, whose busts are arranged in progressive order. All these authors[155] are greatly eminent in the several departments which they occupy; especially Panzer—whose Annales Typographici, in regard to arrangement and fulness of information, leaves the similar work of his precedessor, Maittaire, far behind. It is unluckily printed upon wretched paper—but who rejects the pine-apple from the roughness of its coat? Get ready the wherry; man it with a choice bibliomanical crew, good Lisardo!—and smuggle over in it, if you can, the precious works of these latter bibliographers—for you may saunter "from rise to set of sun," from Whitechapel to Hyde-Park Corner—for them—in vain!
[151] Barthelemy, Mercier de St. Leger, died in the year 1800, and in the sixty-sixth of his age, full of reputation, and deeply regretted by those who knew the delightful qualities of his head and heart. It is not my intention to enumerate all his publications, the titles of which may be found in the Siécles Littéraires, vol. iv., p. 350: but, in the present place, I will only observe that his "Supplement à l'Histoire de l'Imprimerie, par P. Marchand," was first published in 1773, and afterwards in 1775, 4to., a rare and curious work; but little known in this country. His Bibliothéque des Romans, traduit de Grec, was published in 1796, 12 vols. 12mo. His letter concerning De Bure's work, 1763, 8vo., betrayed some severe animadversions upon the Bibliogr. Instruct.: but he got a similar flagellation in return, from the Abbé Rive, in his Chasse aux Bibliographes—who held him and De Bure, and all the bibliographical tribe, in sovereign contempt. His letter to Heinecken upon the rare editions of the 15th century, 1783, 8vo., and his other works, I never saw in any collection. The imperial library at Paris purchased his copy of Du Verdier's and La Croix du Maine's Bibliothéques, covered with his marginal annotations, as well as his copy of Clement's Bibl. Curieuse. Le Blond, member of the Institute, obtained his copy of De Bure's Bibliographie Instructive, also enriched with MS. notes. Mr. Ochéda, Lord Spencer's librarian, who knew well the Abbé de St. Leger, informed me that he left behind him ample materials for a History of Printing, in a new edition of his Supplement to Marchand's work, which he projected publishing, and which had received from him innumerable additions and corrections. "He was a man," says Mr. Ochéda, "the most conversant with editions of books of all kinds, and with every thing connected with typography and bibliography, that I ever conversed with." The reader may consult Peignot's Dict. de Bibliologie, vol. i., p. 452, vol. iii., p. 212.