-2. .2 34
ERECTING OF A LIBRARY
INSTRUCTIONS
Concerning Eredling of a
LIBRARY:
Prefented to My LORD
The PRESIDENT
De MESME.
BY
GABRIEL NAUDEUS,P.
And now Interpreted
BY
Jo. EVELYN, Efquire.
CAMER ID G ,
Printed for Houghton, Mifflin & Company,
at the Riverfide Prefs,
l 903.
Ill
INTRODUCTION
GABRIEL NAUDE, the author of
"Advispour DreJJer une Biblio-
theque," was a medical ftudent of twenty-
two, in Paris, when Prejident Henri de
Mefmes made him his librarian in 1622.
He had already gained repute asfcholar
and bibliophile. He foon returned to his
medical Jludies ; but his librarian/hip
under de Mefmes hadjhown him where
his tq/tes and talents lay, and determined
his career. The " Advis " was written
and printed in 1627 tofave the labour of
writing out the many copies ajkedfor by
his friends, of his opinions and advice on
books and libraries. It is an indifpenfa-
ble document in the hijtory of the Maza-
rin
Introduction
rin library, for, as Sainte-Beuve Jays,
that library has " thefeal o/* Naude over
it all." It embodies, in fat, the very
fpirit of Naude; itforecafts his career;
itfuggejls by its many allujions the young
mans learning ; and above all, it fets
forth the principles its brilliant author
was to follow twenty years later, firft in
building, next in making " open to all the
world, without excluding a living foul,' 9
the great library of Cardinal Mazarin.
{^ Naude completed his medical Jiudies
with honour, was librarian fuccejjively to
Cardinals Bagni & Barberini in Italy,
was recalled to Paris by Richelieu jujl
before the latter s death, and at forty-
two was engaged by Mazarin to form his
library. For Jive years he vijited the book
markets of Europe and gathered treafures,
and,
Introduction
and, as Sainte Eeuvefays, " attained the
accompli/hment of the dream and the la-
bour of his whole life.' 9 Naude died on his
way home from ajbortftay in Stockholm,
where he was librarian to Queen Chrif-
tina, at Abbeville, July 29, 1653. Gui
Patin, his moft intimate friend, defcribes
him as tall and fpare, and lithe in his
movements. Patin, with others, te/ttfies
that he w as wife,far-feeing 9 and of well-
balanced mind ; and that he led a chq/te
and fober life. He wrote much in both
French and Latin . Of himfelf he f aid, in
his " Refined Politics," " I have addreff'd
my f elf to the Mufes, without being too
much enamour 9 d of them ; I was pleqf'd
with my Studies, but not too much ad-
diStedto them ; Ipaff'd through a Courfe
of Scholqftick Philofophy, without med-
dling
Introduction
dling with the contentious part of it, and
through that of the Ancient and Mod-
erns, without being partial to any SeSl.
. . . Pedantry might have gained fome-
thing upon my Behaviour and Carriage,
during f even or eight Tears that IJtaidin
the Colleges, but lean ajfure myjelf that
it obtained no Advantage overmyfpirit. "
{ The "Advis " appeared in an edition
revifed by the author in 1 644 . It has been
feveral times reprinted in French, and
once in Latin . The tranflation here given
is that of John Evelyn, and is referred to
more than once in the better known " Di-
ary." Under the date, November 16,
1661, occurs the entry : " I prefentedmy
tranflation of' Naudaeus concerning Li-
braries' to my Lord Chancellour, but it was
miferablyfalfe printed; " and another en-
try
Introduction vii
try a few days later defcribes the vote of
thanks from "our philofophic affembly,"
in recognition of "the honourable men-
tion I made of them by the name of Royal
Society " in the dedication to " my Tra-
duStion of Naudeus "as " too great an
honour for a trifle." This " TraduEtion,"
to life Evelyn's quaint word, has been
here followed exaffily, with the exception
of a few obvious typographical errors.
JOHN COTTON DANA.
IX
To the Right Honourable EDWARD,
Earl of CLARENDON, Vijcount CORN-
BERY, Baron HTDE of HYNDON ;
Lord High Chancellour of England,
Chancellour of the Univerfity of Ox-
ford, and one of the Lords of His
Majefties Privy Council.
MT LORD,
I HAVE had fo great a thirft to tefti-
fie to your Lordfhip, and to publifh
to the World the extraordinary Zeal
which I have for your fervice ; that pre-
tending to fo little merit of my own, and
yet having fo many obligations upon
me, I am to be excuf 'd, if in making
ufe of anothers Labours to accomplifh
my deiign, I take occafion by this Ded-
ication,
x Dedication
ication, to declare to the world, how
immenfe your favours are, and how
prone I am to acknowledge them to the
utmoft of my Talents : And perhaps it
will be more acceptable to your Lord-
fhip, that I exprefs this rather by put-
ting an excellent Authour into your
hands (of which I pretend onelyto have
been the Interpreter] than, whilft that
learned perfon difcourfes fo well of ex-
cellent Books, to have multiplied the
number of the ill-ones, byfome produc-
tion of my own. I have made choice
(my Lord) of this Argument to pre-
fent to your Honour, becaufe I efteem
it the mod appofite, and the moft be-
coming, as it has an afpe6lto your Lord-
fhips nobleft Character, which is to be as
well L. Chancellour of the moft famous
Univerjity
Dedication xi
Univerfity of the World, as L. High
Chancellour of England; and, becaufe
I think, worthily to prefide over Men
of Letters, is a greater dignity than to
be born to the name of Empire ; fo, as
what was faid of the great Themiftius
in the Epigramm, may with equal truth
be applied to your Lordfhip in all the
glorious fteps which you have afcended
v\)v yap aw /carets, That you were
never lefs than now you are; efpecially,
fince your Lordfhips Titles are not fo
much the produ6t of your Fortune, as
the effeft of your Merits; verifying by
your univerfal knowledge, the Rank
you hold over the Learned Republique,
as well as over the Political; which is,
in fumm, to be the greateft and moft ac-
complifh'd Mini/ter, that this Nation has
ever
Dedication
ever celebrated. But in nothing does
this appear more confpicuous, and for
which your Lordfhip has greater caufe
to rejoice in, then that God hasenlight-
n'd your great Mind, with a fervour fo
much becoming it in the promoting and
encouraging of the ROYAL SOCIE-
TY; which is in one word, to have dared
a nobler thing, than has been donethefe
fifty Ages and more, that the Knowledge
of Caiifes,a.nd the Nature of Things have
layn concealed from us ; and that the
World has continued, without once hav-
ing aflum'd the Courage and Refolu-
tion, which our Illuftrious Prince, and
your Lordfhip, have fhewed in eftablifh-
ing, and cultivating a Defign fo worthy,
and perfe6live of Humane Felicity, as
far, at leaft, as in this life men may hope
to
Dedication xiii
to attain it. My Lord, This is your Hon-
our, and this is truely to fix and to merit
it. For let men talk what they pleafe
of the Laurells of Conquerours,the Ti-
tles of great men, illuftrious and am-
ple Pofterity ; all the pleafures of the
lower fenfes how exalted foever by the
effe6ls of Opulence, & Fortune; which
make indeed a great noife, and ftir for
the time ; and, whilft the World is in
the Paroxyfme, bear much before them;
dazling the eyes of the Vulgar, & flat-
tering the weaker difcernements; They
arrive not to the leaft perceptible de-
gree of that Dignity, and true honour
which a man may raife to himfelf by
noble and virtuous A6lions; Becaufe
there is nothing folid in them, they laft
but for a moment, in their ufing lan-
guifh
xiv Dedication
guifh and expire. He that would lay a
Foundation of true & permanent Hon-
our, that would place it beyond the reach
of Envy, muft qualifie it with fomething
more noble and intelleftual, and which
is not obnoxious to the common vicif-
fitudes ; becaufe, by whatever circum-
ftances fuch a worthy Defign may hap-
pen to be difcompof 'd, it will neverthe-
lefs be celebrated as long as Virtue
fhall have an Advocate here ; and when
the World fhall become fo deprav'd,
that there is nothing fincere remaining
in it, God himfelf will remunerate it
hereafter. If the Soveraignes and Pu-
iflances of the Earth (having fated
themfelves with their Triumphs over
Men and Provinces, enlarged their Do-
minions, and eftablifh'd their eftates)
would
Dedication
would one day think (as our glorious
Prince has begun to them) of extend-
ing, and amplifying the Bounds & Em-
pire of real Philofophy, in purfuite of
thofe Magnalia Nature, to the glory
and contemplation of the Maker, and
the univerfal benefit of Mankind; how
happy would fuch Princes be, how for-
tunate their People ! And truely this has
made me frequently to confider, where-
in the felicity of that great Monarch con-
fifted, whofe heart was fo enlarged with
knowledge, improv'd to the good of his
Subje6ls, where filver was as the ftones
of the ftreets for abundance, and the
conveniences of life fo generally afflu-
ent: Certainly it is by fuch a Defign as
our own Solomon, and your Lord/hip, is
about to favour, that even We may
hope
xvi Dedication
hope for thofe glorious times again, &
by which the publique health may be
confirm 'd, our Lives produced, know-
ledge and converfation improved, and
joy and contentednefs become as uni-
verfal as the Air which gives us breath :
For my Lord, what can be more glori-
ous, and worthy a Prince, to which God
himfelf has faid, Dixi, Dii eftis, I have
J aid ye are Gods, then by this means to
aid, and to comfort Mankind, which is
environ'd with fuch variety of Miferies ?
And to emancipate, & redeem the reft,
who by the utmoft of their endeavours
afpire to more happinefs, to be freed
from the Preffures,Errours and infinite
Miftakes which they fall into, for want
of Experiences, and competent fubfid-
iaries to eflay them. But to accomplifh
this,
Dedication xvii
this, my Lord, There is certainly no-
thing more expedient, than in purfuite
of that ftupendious Idea of your Illuftri-
ous Predecefjbr, to fet upon a Defign no
way beneath that of his Solomons Houfe;
which, however lofty, and to appear-
ance Romantic, has yet in it nothing of
Impoffible to be effected, not onely con-
fidering it as Himfelf has fomewhere
defin'd the Qualifications, but as your
Lord/hip has defign'd the Inftruments
(and may in time, the Materials} as all
the World muft needs acknowledge,
that fhall but caft an eye over the Cat-
alogue of fuch as have already devoted
themfelves; Becaufe (but for the mif-
take which they made in honouring me
with their fuffrages) I fhould not blufh
to pronounce the Royal-Society furnifh'd
with
xviii Dedication
with an Affembly as accomplifh'd for
that noble and great Attempt, as Eu-
rope, or the whole World befides, has
any to produce ; And that, my Lord,
becaufe it does not confift of a Company
of Pedants, & fuperficial perfons ; but
of Gentlemen, and Refined Spirits that
are univerfally Learn'd, that are Read,
TravelVd, Experiencd and Stout; in
fumm, my Lord, fuch as becomes your
Honour to cherifh, and our Prince to
glory in. Thefe are the Perfons, my
Lord, that without the leaft of fordid,
and felf intereft, do fupplicate the con-
tinuance of your Lordfhips Prote6lion,
and by your Influences to put them into
a farther capacity to proceed in that glo-
rious Work of Reftoring the Sciences,
Interpreting Nature, unfolding the ob-
ftrufities
Dedication *ix
ftrufities of Arts, for the Recovery of
the Loft; Inventing, and Augmenting
of new and ufeful Things, & for what-
foever elfe is in the Dominion of infe-
riour Agents. For my own part, my
Lord, I profefs it, that were it in my
power to choofe, I had rather be the
Author of one good and beneficial In-
vention, than to have been Julius Cte-
far, or the great Alexander himfelf; &
do range the Names of a Gilbert, a Ba-
con, a Harvey, a Guttemberge, Columbus,
Goia, Metius, Janellus, Thyco, Galileo
(not to mention Hippocrates, Proclus,
Hieron, Archimedes, Ctejibes, Boetius, &
what more of the Antients) who gave
us the Ufe of the Load-ftone, Taught us
the Art of Printing; found out the Circu-
lation of the Blood, detected new Worlds,
invented
xx Dedication
invented the Telefcope, and other opti-
call GlaffeSy Engines and Automates, a-
mongft the Heroes, whom they Dejfi'd,
and placed above the Stars; becaufe
they were the Authors of ten thoufand
more worthy Things, than thofe who
had never been named but for their
blood-fhed and cruelty, pride and pro-
digious lufts ; nor would any memory
of them have been preferv'd from ob-
livion, but for the Pens of fuch great
GeniuJ's & learned men, of whom fome
of them did the leaft deferve. The no-
ble Verulam your Lordfhips Predecef-
for, as he out-ftripp'd all who went be-
fore him ; fo is he celebrated as far as
knowledge has any Empire ; and (mau-
gre the frowardnefs of his latter For-
tune) the Learned rife up at the found
of
Dedication
of his very Name ; And for what is all
this ? But his great and fhining endea-
vours to advance the excellency of
mens Spirits, cultivate humane Induftry,
and raife an Amphitheatre of Wifdom,
without which this publique Soul of his
had flept as much negle6led and forgot-
ten, as thofe who onely became great by
their power, & perifh'd with it. All this
your Lordfhip knows ; and therefore as
your Education has been amongft the
moft refin'd, you burn with a defire to
improve it alfo amongft others ; fo that
the Chancellours of France fhall not for
ever bear away the Reputation of hav-
ing rendred that Spot the envy of Eu-
rope, for being Fautors and Macenaf's
to fo many rare Witts, and laudable So-
cieties, as are amongft that Mercurial
people
Dedication
people ; fince there is that left for your
Lord/hip and our Nation, which is as far
beyond the polifhingof Phrafes, & cul-
tivating Language, as Heaven is fupe-
riour to Earth, & Things are better than
Words; Though even thofe alfo will not
be negle6led in their due Time & Or-
der: But it is prodigious onely to eon-
fider, how long thefe fhells have been
plai'd with, & pleafed the World; That
after fo many Revolutions, in which
Learning has been feen as it were at its
higheft Afcendent, there never yet ap-
peared any man of Power, who pof-
feff'd a Soul big enough, & judgement
fuitable, to ere<5l fome confiderable
Foundation for Practical Philofophers, &
for the Aflembling of fuch whofe united,
and affiduous Endeavours, might pen-
etrate
Dedication xxiii
etrate beyond the Walls of what is yet
difcover'd, or receiv'd upon truft
Atque omne immenjum peragrarent
mente, animoque
That might redeem the World from the
Infolency of fo many Errours as we
find by daily experience will not abide
the Teft, and yet retain their Tyranny ;
and that by the credit onely & addrefs
of thofe many Fencing- Schools which
have been built (not to name them Col-
ledges} and endow'd in all our Univer-
Jities : I fpeak not here of thofe rever-
end, and renouned Societies which con-
verfe with Theologie, cultivate the Laws,
Municipal, or Forreign ; But, I deplore
with juft indignation, the fupine negle6l
of the Other, amongft fuch numbers as
are
xxiv Dedication
are fet apart for empty, and lefle fruit-
ful Speculations ; efpecially, fince I find
the pretences of fo many fober & qual-
ified perfons as have deplor'd this ef-
fe6l, fo very reafonable, and fo emi-
nently beneficial. Butwhy dol abound?
Your Lord/hip who is already pofleff'd
with all this, is not to be inftru6led, with-
out prefumption & impertinence, which
cannot be the leaft defign of this Epiftle;
fince thofe who know both your Lord-
fhips affe6lion, and inclination to pro-
mote fo glorious a Work, know alfo,
that there is none more able to make it
attain to its defired prote6lion. And this
is, my Lord, worthily to confult your
Fame, & to eternize your Name in the
World amongft the Good & the Virtu-
ous; which will make you live not onely
in
Dedication xxv
in the Mouths & Pens, but in the Hearts
of gallant Perfons, and fuch as beft fkill
to make Eftimates of the Favours you
fhall confer upon them ; becaufe they
feek it not out of private advantage,
fordid purpofes, or artificially ; but to
the ends propof 'd ; The enlargement
of real knowledge, and for the publique
benefit; in fum, my Lord, for the moft
ufeful and nobleft eflfe<5ls, and for the
Glory of God. And thus, my Lord, I
have taken the boldnefs in prefenting
your Honour with this little Difcourfe
of Books and Libraries, to put thefe Re-
fle6lions of mine into your Lordfhips
hands ; Becaufe, as having my felf the
honour to have fome Relation to that
AJJembly, who make thefe their pre-
tences to conciliate your Efteem, I
think
xxvi Dedication
think my felf obliged to acknowledge
with them likewife, your Lordfhips fa-
vourable Reception of their late Ad-
drejjes; and becaufe I am for fo many
other obligations in particular, to pub-
lilh to the world, how perfe<5lly I am,
My Lord,
Tour mo/t humble, and mo/t
obliged Servant,
]. EVELYN.
Instru6lions
XXV11
Inftru6lions concerning Ere6ling of a
Library, prefented to my Lord the
Prefident De Mefme, by Gabr. Nau-
deus P.
TO THE READER
THIS Advice occajion'd by a cer-
tain difpute, which was fome
monethsjince controverted in his Library ,
who was thenpleaf'd to accept of it, had
never been drawn out of the duft of my
ftudy, and expof'd to the Light; till not
finding my f elf able to render a better, or
more fpeedy fatisfaStion to the curiofity
of many of my Friends, who defired
Copies of it, I at loft refolv 'd to print it :
as well that it might deliver me from the
charge and inconveniency of the Tran-
fcribers,
xxviii To the Reader
fcriberSy as for my natural propenfity to
oblige the publique ; zvhom, if this Ad-
vice be not worthy tofatisfie, it may yet
ferve as a Guide at leaft to thofe who de-
Jire tofurnifh the world with better ', that
it may no longer be deprived of a piece
which feems wanting to its felicity ; and,
for which refpeffi alone I have beenjirjl
conflraind to break the Yce, and trace the
way curforily for thofe who may render
it more perfpicuous at their leafure; This
if you Jhall accept , IJhall have caufe to
acknowledge your civility, & good will;
Ifotherwife, IJhall, at leaft, requejt you
to excufe my faults, and thofe of the
Printer.
A Table
XXIX
A Table of the principal Matter s,
treated of in thefe InftruElions.
CHAP, i . One ought to be curious
in ere6ling of Libraries, and why?
Chap. 2. How to inform ones felf, and
what we are to know concerning
the ere<5ling of a Library.
Chap. 3. The Number of Books which
are requifite.
Chap.^. Of what quality and condition
they ought to be.
Chap. 5. By what expedients they may
be procured.
Chap. 6. The difpofition of the Place
where they fhould be kept.
Chap. 7. The Orders which it is requi-
fite to affign them.
Chap.
XXX
A Table
Chap. 8. Of the Ornament and Deco-
ration neceffarily to be obferved.
Chap. 9. What ought to be the principal
Scope, and end of fuch a Library.
In
XXXI
In primum Jlruenda ordinatim Biblio-
theca: AuEtorem, Gabr. Naudaeum.
Epigramma.
Compofuiffe Libros^promptum & trivia le cuique eft ;
Librorum Auttores compofuijfe, Tuum eft.
EJUSDEM LUSUS.
Bibliotheca licet tot fts Naudaee librorum,
Cufa heec non tamen eft Bibliotheca tua.
Non etenim veluti plantam parit altera planta^
Bibliotbecam aliam Bibliotheca parit.
Si tamen ifta Tua eft^ mihi credito non nifi mon-
ftrum eft,
Cum Bibliothecam aliam Bibliotheca parit.
At monftrum ejfe negas ; quod doff a lutetia laudat :
Ergo divints fabrica mentis erit.
Non divum eft, inquis, humana conditum ab arte :
Die ergo tua tu Bibliotheca quid eft ?
J. C. FREY, Doft. Medic. & Philofoph.
in Academia Paris. Decanus.
JANUS
XXX11
' JANUS C^CILIUS FREY.
Invia ad artes & Scientias. Pars 4.
praecepta continet ordinandi Biblio
thecas.
SCRIPSIT AUREUM NUPER DE HAC
RE LIBELLUM GALLUM GABRIEL
NAUD^EUS. EGO FAUCIS REM DIFFI-
CILLIMAM ORDINATIM PROFERAM.
INSTRUCTIONS
INSTRUCTIONS
Concerning Ereting
of a Library, /V*/#ta/
to My Lord the Prefi-
dent DE MESME.
.... Juvat immemorata ferentem
Ingenuis oculifq; legi,manibufq; teneri.
MT LORD,
SUPPOSE it will not ap-
pear unreafonable, that I
give the Title & Quality
of a thing unheard of to
this Difcourfe, which I
prefent you with as much aflfeftion, as
your favour, & the fervice which I owe
you, oblige me to do: fince it is certain,
that
2 Erecting of
that amongft the almoft infinite number
which have to this day taken the Pen in
hand, there never arrived any yet ( to my
knowledge) upon whofe advice a man
might regulate himfelf concerning the
choice of Books, the means of procuring
them, and how they fhould be difpof 'd
of, that they might appear with profit
and honour in a fair & Sumptuous Bib-
liotheque.
C,For though we have indeed the Coun-
fell which is given us by John Baptift
Cardon, Bifhop of Tortofa, touching the
ere6ling and entertainment of the Roy-
al Library of the Efcurial ; yet he hath
fo lightly pafled over this fubje6l, that
though we did not efteem it as good
as nothing, yet at leaft ought it not to
retard the happy defigne of thofe who
would
a Library 3
would undertake to impart fome great-
er light and dire<5lions to others, upon
hope, that if they fucceed no better, the
difficulty of the Enterprife will not ren-
der them lefle excufable then him, and
exempt from all fort of blame and re-
proch.
C,As true it is, that it is not every
mans Talent to acquit himfelf happily
in this affair, and that the pains and the
difficulty which there is in acquiring a
fuperficial knowledge only of all the
Arts and Sciences, to deliver ones felf
from the fervitude & flavery of certain
opinions, which make us fpeak & gov-
ern all things according to our Fancy,
and to judge difcreetly, and without
paffion, of the merit and quality of Au-
thors ; are difficulties more than fuffi-
cient
4 Erecting of
cient to perfwade us, that what Jujtus
Lipfius elegantly fpake, and much to
the purpofe, of two other forts of per-
fons, may be truly verified of a Library-
keeper: Confulesfiunt quotannis,&novi
Proconfules : Solus aut Rex aut Poeta
non quotannis nafcitur.
CL And if I, my Lord, affume the bold-
neffe to prefent you thefe Memoires &
Inftrudlions ; it is not, that I fo much
value and efteem my own Judgment,
as to interpofe it in an affair of fo much
difficulty ; or that I am fo far tranfported
with felf-love to imagine there is that
in me, which is fo rarely to be encoun-
tred amongft others : But the great af-
fe<5lion which I have to perform a thing
which may be acceptable to you, is the
folecaufe which excites me to joyn the
common
a Library
common fentiments of divers perfons,
Learned, and extreamly verfed in the
knowledge of Books, & the feveral ex-
pedients pra6lifed by the moft famous
Bibliothecaries, to that which the little
Induftry & Experience I have my felf
obtained, may together furnifh me with-
all ; that I may with this Advice, re-
prefent unto you the Precepts and the
means on which it is neceflary to reg-
ulate ones felf, and attain a fortunate
fuccefle in this noble and generous en-
terprife.
C[And therefore, my Lord, after I have
made it my moft humble requeft, that
you would rather attribute this tedious
difcourfe to the candor and fincerity of
my affeftion, then to the leaft prefump-
tion of being capable to acquit my felf
"of
6 Erecting of
of it more worthily then another; I (hall
freely tell you, that unlefle your de-
fignes be to equall the Vatican Library,
or the Ambrofiane of Cardinal Borro-
meus, you have already fufficient to give
your minde repofe, to be fatisfied, and
contented in pofleffing fuch a quantity
of Books, and fo rarely chofen, that
though it be not arrived to thofe dimen-
fions, it is yet more than fufficient, not
only to ferve your particular content-
ment, and the curiofity of your Friends ;
but to conferve likewife the reputation
of being one of the moft confiderable,
and beft furnifhed Libraries of France ;
fince you there enjoy all the Principals
in the chief Faculties, and a very great
number of others, which may minifter
to the various rencontres of particular
and
a Library 7
and lefs obvious fubje6ls. But if your
Ambition be to render your name il-
luftrious by that of your Bibliotheque,
& to joyn this expedient alfo to thofe
which on all occafions you praftife by
the Eloquence of your Difcourfes, the
Solidity of your Judgment, & the glory
of the nobleft Dignities and Magiftra-
tures which you have fo fuccefsfully
borne, to render an eternal Luftre to
your Memory, and affure you whilft
you live, that you may with eafe difin-
velopeyour felf from the innumerable
volumes and Scrowles of Ages, to live
and be famous in the Memories of men ;
it will then be needfull to augment, and
every day to perfeft what you have fo
happily begun; and infenfibly to give
fuch, and fo advantageous a Progrefs to
your
8 Erecting of
your Library, that it may become as
unparallePd as your felf, without equal ;
and as fair, perfe6t and accomplifh'd,
as it can be made by the Induftry of
thofe, who never effe6l any thing with-
out fome fpot and imperfe6lion. Adeo
nihil eft ab omniparte beatum.
CHAP.
a Library
CHAP. I.
One ought to be curious in ereSling of
Libraries, and why ?
ND now, my Lord, fmce all the
difficulty of this Defigne confifts,
in that (being able to execute it with
facility) Tou think fit to undertake it.
It will be requifite, that, before we arrive
at thofe Precepts which may ferve to
put it in execution, we firft deduce,
& explain the reafons which are moft
likely to perfwade You, that it is to
Your advantage, and that You ought
by no means to negleft it. For not to
go far from the nature of this Enter-
prife, common fence will informe us,
that
10 Erecting of
that it is a thing altogether laudable,
generous, and worthy of a courage
which breathes nothing but Immortal-
ity, to draw out of oblivion, conferve, &
ere6l (like another Pompey] all thefe
Images, not of the Bodies, but of the
Minds of fo many gallant men, as have
neither fpared their time, nor their In-
duftry, to tranfmit to us the moft lively
features and reprefentations of whatfo-
ever was moft excellent & confpicuous
in them. And this is alfo a thing which
the younger Pliny (who was none of
the leaft ambitious amongft theRomans)
would feem particularly to encourage
us in, by that handfome expreffion in
the firft of his Epiftles ; Mihi pulchrum
in primis videtur, non pati occidere qui-
bus aternitas debetur: fince this curious
paflage,
a Library n
paflage, not trivial & vulgar, may le-
gitimately pafs for one of thofe lucky
prefages, of which Cardan fpeaks in his
Chapter de Jignis eximice potentia; for
that being extraordinary, difficult, and
of great expence, it can no wayes be
effe6led without giving every man oc-
cafion to fpeak well of it, and with Ad-
miration, as it were, of him who puts
it in Execution : Exiftimatio autem &
opinio (fayes the fame Author) rerum
humanarum regince funt. And in ear-
neft, if we finde it not ftrange that Deme-
trius made a fhew and Parade of his Ar-
tillery, vaft and prodigious Machines ;
Alexander the Great of his manner of
encamping; the Kings of JEgypt of their
Pyramides; nay Solomon of his Temple,
and others of the like : fince Tiberius
well
12 Erecting of
well obferves it in Tacitus, cateris mor-
talibus in eo flare con/ilia quidjibi con-
ducere putent, principum diverfam ejje
fortem, quibus omnia ad famam diri-
genda : How much ought we then to
efteem of thofe, who have never fought
after thefe fuperfluous inventions, and,
for the moft part, unprofitable; well
judging and believing, that there was
no expedient more honeft and affur'd,
to acquire a great reputation amongft
the people, than in eredling of fair &
magnificent Libraries, to devote and
confecrate them afterward to the ufe
of the Publick ? As true is it, that this
Enterprife did never abufe nor deceive
thofe who knew how to manage it well,
and that it has ever been judg'd of fuch
confequence, that not only particular
perfons
a Library 13
perfons have made it fuccefleful to their
own advantage, as Richard de Bury, Bef-
farion 9 Vincentim Pinelli, Sirlettus, Hen-
ry de Mefme your Grandfather of moft
happy memory, the Englifh Knight
Bodley, the late Prefident Thuanus, and
a world of others ; but that even the moft
ambitious would ftill make ufe of this, to
crown and to perfe6l all their glorious
atchievements, as with the Key-ftone of
the Arch, which adds luftre & ornament
to all the reft of the Edifice. And I pro-
duce no other proofs and teftimonies of
what I fay, than thofe great Kings of
JEgypt, & ofPergamus, Xerxes, Auguf-
tus, Lucullus, Charlemain, Alphonfus of
Arragon, Matth. Corvinus,& that great
Prince Francis the Firft, who have all
of them had a particular aflfe<5tion, and
fought
14 Erecting of
fought (amongft the almoft infinite
number of Monarchs and Potentates,
which have alfo pra<5lif d this Strata-
gem ) to amafs great numbers of Books,
and ere<5l moft curious and well fur-
nifht Libraries : not that they flood in
need of other fubje6ls of recommenda-
tion and Fame, as having acquired fuffi-
cient by the Triumphs of their great &
fignal Vi6lories ; but becaufe they were
not ignorant, that thofe perfons, quibus
fola mentem animofque perurit gloria,
fhould negleft nothing which may eaf-
ily elevate them to the fupream and
Sovereign degree of efteem & reputa-
tion. And truly, fhould one enquire of
Seneca, what are to be the a6lions of
thefe gallant and puiflant GeniuJ's,
which feem not to have been fent into
the
a Library 15
the world but to do Miracles, he would
certainly anfwer us 9 Neminemexcel/iin-
genii virum humilia deleStant &fordida,
magnarum rerumjpedes adje vocal &
allicit. And therfore, my Lord, it feems
very much to the purpofe, fince you
govern & prefide in all fignal A6lions,
that you never content your felf with a
Mediocrity in things which are good &
laudable; and fince you have nothing
of mean & vulgar, that you fhould alfo
cherifh, above all others, the honour
and reputation of poflefling a Biblio-
theque, the moft perfe6l, the beft fur-
nifh'd and maintained of your time. In
fine, if thefe Arguments have not power
fufficient to difpofe you to this Enter-
prife, I am at leaft perfwaded, That of
your particular fatisfa<5tion will of it felf
be
16 Erecting of
be fufficiently capable to make you re-
folve upon it : For if it be poffible in this
world to attain any fovereign good, any
perfedl and accomplifht felicity, I be-
lieve that there were certainly none
more defireable than the fruitful enter-
tainment, and moft agreeable divertife-
ment which might be receivedfrom fuch
a Library by a learned man, & who were
not fo curious in having Books, ut illi
Jint ccenationum ornamenta, quam ut
Jludiorum injtrumenta, fince from that
alone he might with reafon name him-
felf Cofmopolitan, or Habitant of the
Univerfe ; that he might know all, fee
all, & be ignorant of nothing. Briefly,
feeing he is abfolute Mafter of this Con-
tentment, that he might manage it after
his own fancie, enjoy it when he would,
quit
a Library 17
quit it when he pleaf 'd, entertain him-
felf in it at his liberty ; and that with-
out contradi6lion, without travail, and
without pains, he may inftru6l himfelf,
and learn the exa<5left particulars
Of all that is, that was, and that may be
In Earth, thefarthejl Heavens, and the
Sea. \
I fhall only adde then, for the refult of
all thefe reafons, and of many other;
that it is eafier for you to conceive, than
'tis for any other to exprefle it, that I
pretend not hereby to engage you in a
fuperfluous & extraordinary expence,
as being not at all of their opinion, who
think Gold and Silver the principal
nerves of a Library, and who perfwade
themfelves, (efteeming Books only by
the
18
Erecting of
the price they coft) that there is nothing
good to be had but what is dearly pur-
chafed. Yet, neither is it my defigne
to perfwade you, that fo great a provi-
fion can be made with a fhut purfe, and
without coft; very well knowing that
the faying of Plautus is as true on this
occafion, as in many others, Necejfe eft
facere fumptum qui qucerit lucrum: but
to let you fee by this prefent Difcourfe,
that there are an infinity of other expe-
dients, which a man may make ufe of
with a great deal more facility and lefle
expence, to attain at laft,the fcope which
I propofe to you.
CHAP.
a Library 19
CHAP. II.
How to inform ones J elf \ and what we
ought to know concerning the eretf-
ing of a Library.
A MONGST thefe now, my Lord, I
y \ conceive there are none more
profitable & neceffary, than to be firft
well inftru6ted ones felf, before we ad-
vance on this enterprife, concerning the
order, and the method which we ought
precifely to obferve to accomplifh its
end. And this may be eflfe6ted by two
means, fufficiently eafie & fecure. The
Firft is, to take the counfel & advice of
fuch as are able to give it, concert & ani-
mate us viva voce: fuppofing that they
are
Erecting of
are capable to do it; men of Letters,
fober and judicious, and who by being
thus qualified, are able to fpeak to the
purpofe, difcourfe & reafon well upon
every fubje6l; or for that they alfo are
purfuing the fame Enterprife with the
efteem & reputation of better fuccefie,
and to proceed therein with more in-
duftry, precaution, and judgment than
others do ; fuch as are at prefent MM.
de Fontenay, Hale, du Puis, Rzber, des
Cordes, and Moreau, whofe examples
one cannot erre in following; fince
according to the faying of Pliny the
younger : Stultiffimum effet ad imitan-
dum, non optima quceque Jibi proponere:
& for what concerns you in particular,
the variety of their procedures may
continually furnifh you with fome new
addrefle
a Library si
addreffe and light, which will not be,
perad venture, unferviceable to the pro-
grefle and advancement of your Li-
brary ; by the choice of good Books,
and of whatfoever is the moft curious
in every one of theirs. The Second is,
to confult, & diligently to colle6l thofe
few Precepts that maybe deduc'd from
the Books of fome Authors, who have
written but fleightly upon this matter ;
as for inftance, The Counfel of Baptifta
Cardonius 9 the Philobiblion ofRichardus
de Bury, the life of Vincentius Pinelli,
the Books of PoJJevine, de cultura inge-
niorum, of that which Lipjius has made
concerning Libraries, and of all the
feveral Tables, Indexes , and Catalogues;
and govern ones felf by the greateft
& moft renowned Bibliotheques which
were
Erecting of
were ever ere<5led : fince to purfue the
advice & precept of Cardan, His max-
ime in unaquaque re credendum eft, qui
ultimum de fe experimentum dederint.
In order to this, you muft by no means
omit, and negle6l to caufe to be tran-
fcrib'd all the Catalogues, not only of
the great and moft famous Libraries,
whether ancient or modern, publike or
private, with us, or amongft ftrangers ;
but alfoof the Studies & Cabinets, which
for not being much known, or vifited,
remain buried in perpetual filence : A
thing which will no way appear ftrange,
if we confider four or five principal rea-
fons, which have caufed me to eftablifh
this propofition. The firft whereof is,
That a man can do nothing in imitation
of other Libraries, unlefle by the means
"of
a Library 23
of their Catalogues he have knowledge
of what they contain. The fecond, For
that they are abletoinftru&us concern-
ing the Books themfelves,the place, the
time, and the form of their Impreffion.
The third, Becaufe that a minde which
is generous and nobly born, fhould have
a defire and an ambition to aflemble, as
in one heap, whatfoever the others pof-
fefle in particular, ut quce divifa beatos
efficiunt, infe mixtafluant. The fourth,
For that by this means, one may fome-
times do a friend fervice and pleafure ;
and when we cannot furnifh him with
the Book he is in queft of, fhew and
dire<5l him to the place where he may
finde fome Copie, a thing very feafible
by the afliftance of thefe Catalogues.
Finally, Becaufe it is altogether impof-
fible,
24 Erecting of
fible, that we fhould by our own induf-
try, learn, and know the qualities of
fo vaft a number of Books, as it's re-
quifite to have, it is not without rea-
fon, that we follow the judgments of the
moft intelligent and beft verfed in this
particular, and then to deduce this In-
ference; Since thefe Books have been
collected and purchaf 'd by fuch and
fuch, there is reafon to believe, they
deferv'd it for fome circumftance un-
known to us : And in effe6l, I may truly
fay, that for the fpace of two or three
years, that I have had the honour to
meet fometimes with M. de F. amongft
the Book-fellers, I have frequently feen
him buy Books fo old, ill bound, and
wretchedly printed, that I could not
chufe, but fmile and wonder together,
till
a Library 25
till that he being afterwards pleaf 'd to
tell me the caufe and the circumftances
for which he purchaf 'd them ; his rea-
fons feemed to be fo pertinent, that I
fhall never otherwife think, but that he
is a perfon the beft verfed in the know-
ledge of Books, and difcourfes of them
with more experience and judgment,
than any man whatfoever, not only in
France, but in all the world befides.
CHAP.
26 Erecting of
CHAP. III.
The Number of Books which are requifite.
THE firft Difficulty having been
thus deduced & explain'd,that
which ought to follow and approach us
neereft, obliges us to enquire, if it be to
purpofe to make any great provifion of
Books, to render thereby our Library
famous, if not by the quality of them,
yet atleaft by the unparalleFd and pro-
digious quantity of its Volumes ? For it
is certainly the opinion of very many,
that Books are like to the Laws & Sen-
tences of the Jurifconfults, which (as
one fayes ) aftimantur pondere & quali-
tate, non numero; & that it appertains
to
a Library 27
to him only, to difcourfe handfomely
upon any point of Learning, who is leaft
converfant in the feveral Readings of
thofe Authors which have written upon
it: and really, it feems that thofe gal-
lant Precepts, & Moral Ad vertifements
of Seneca, Paretur Librorum quantum
fatis ejt,nihil in apparatum: Onerat dif-
centem turba,non inftruit, multoque fa-
tius eftpauciste auSloribus tradere; quam
err are per multos. Quum legere non pof-
Jis quantum habeas, fat eft te habere
quantum legas, and divers other like it,
which he gives us in five or fix places
of his Works, may in fome meafure
favour, and fortifie this opinion, by the
authority of fo great a Perfon : But if
we would entirely fubvert it, to eftab-
lifh our own as the moft probable, we
need
28 Erecting of
need only fix our felves upon the great
difference which there is between the
Induftry of a particular man, and the
Ambition of him who would appear
confpicuous by the Fame of his Biblio-
theque : or 'twixt him that alone defires
to fatisfie himfelf, & him that only feeks
to gratifie and oblige thePublique. For
certain it is, that all thefe precedent
reafons point only to the Inftruftion of
thofe who would judicioufly, and with
order & method, make fome progrefs
in the Faculty which they purfue; or
rather, to the condemnation of thofe
that Ihewthemfelves fufficiently know-
ing, & pretend to great abilities, albeit
they no more difcern this vaft heap of
Books, which they have already aflem-
bled, then did thofe crooked perfons
"(to
a Library 29
(to whom King Alphonfus was wont to
compare them ) that huge bunch which
they carried behind their Back; which
is really very feafonably reproch'd by
Seneca, in the places before alledged;
& in plainer terms yet, where he fayes,
Quo mihi innumerabiles libros &Biblio-
thecas, quarum dominus vix tola vitajua
indices perlegit? As by that Epigram
alfo which Aujonius fo handfomly ad-
dreffes ad Philomufum.
Emptis quod libris tibi Bibliotheca re-
ferta ejl,
Dotfum & Grammaticum te Philo-
mufe putas?
Hoc genere et chordas, et pletra,et bar-
bita conde,
Omnia mercatus,cras Ciiharcedus eris;
That
30 Erecting of
That thou with Books thy Library haft
fill'd,
Think'ft thou thy felf learn'd, and in
Grammar fkilPd?
Then ftor'd with Strings, Lutes, Fiddle-
fticks now bought;
To morrow thou Mufitian may'ft be
thought.
<[But you, my Lord, who have the re-
putation of knowing more then can be
taught you, and who deprive your felf
of all fort of contentments, to enjoy, &
plunge your felf, as it were, in theplea-
fure which you take in courting good
Authors ; to you it is that it properly at-
tains, to poffefs aBibliotheque, themoft
auguft, and ample, that hath ever been
ere6ted: to the end it may never be faid
hereafter,
a Library 31
hereafter, that it was only for want of a
little care which you might have had,
that you did not beftowthis Piece upon
the Publique; and of your felf, that all
the a6lions of your life had not furpaffed
the moft heroick exploits of the moft
illuftrious perfons. And therefore I
fhall ever think itextreamly neceffary,
to colle6l for this purpofe all forts of
Books, (under fuch precautions, yet, as
I fhall eftablifh) feeing a Library which
is ere<5led for the publick benefit ought
to be univerfal, but which it can never
be, unleffe it comprehend all the prin-
cipal Authors that have written upon the
great diverfity of particular Subjects, &
chiefly upon all the Arts & Sciences ; of
which, if one had but confidered the vaft
numbers which are in the Panepiftemon
of
Erecting of
ofAngelus Politianus 9 or in any other ex-
a6l Catalogue lately compiled : I do not
at all doubt, but that you will be ready
to judge by the huge quantity of Books
( which we ordinarily meet with in Li-
braries ) in ten or twelve of them, what
number you ought to provide, to fatif-
fie the curiofity of the Readers upon
all that remains. And therefore I do
nothing wonder, that Ptolemy King of
JEgypt did not for this purpofe colle6l
one hundred thoufand Volumes, as Ce-
drenus will have it ; not four hundred
thoufand, as Seneca reports ; not five
hundred thoufand as Jojephus afiures
us ; but feven hundred thoufand, as wit-
nefle, & accord, Aulus Gellius, Ammia-
nus Marcellinus, Sabellicus Volaterran.
Or that Eumenes the fon of Attains had
collected
a Library 33
collected two hundred thoufand; Con-
ftantine a hundred and twenty thou-
fand : Sammonicus ( Preceptor to the
Emperour Gordian the younger )fixty
two thoufand. Epaphroditus, a fimple
Grammarian only, thirty thoufand. And
that Richard of Bury, Monjieur de Thou,
and Sir Tho. Bodley have made fo rare
a pro vifion, that the Catalogues only of
either of their Libraries do amount to a
juft Volume. For certainly there is no-
thing which renders a Library more re-
commendable, then when every man
findes in it that which he is in fearch of,
and could no where elfe encounter ; this
being a perfect Maxime, That there is
no Book whatfoever, be it never fo bad
or decried, but may in time be fought for
by fome perfon or other; fince accord-
ing
34 Erecting of
t
ing to that of the Satyrift,
Mille hominumfpecies, & rerum dif color
ujus,
Vellefuumcuiqueeft>nec voto vivitur uno.
And that it is commonly amongft Read-
ers as it was with Horace's three Guefts,
Pofcentes vario nimium diverf a potato.
There being no better refemblance of
Libraries, then to the Meadow of Sen-
eca, where every living creature findes
that which is moft proper for them :
Bosherbam, Cants leporem, Ciconia lacer-
tuih. And befides, we are to believe, that
every man who feeks for a Book, judges
it to be good ; and conceiving it to be fo,
without finding it, is forced toefteem it
curious and very rare ; fo that coming
at
a Library 35
at laft to encounter it in fome Library,
he eafily thinks, that the Owner of it
knew it as well as himfelf : and that he
bought it upon the fame account that
excited him to fearch after it ; and in
purfuit of this, conceives an incompar-
able efteem both of the Owner, and of
the Library ; which coming afterwards
to be publifhed, there will be need but of
few like encounters, joyn'd to the com-
mon opinion of the Vulgar, Cui magna
pro bonisfunt, to fatisfie & recompence
a man that accounts it never fo little
honour and glory in all his expences &
pains. Andbefides,fhould one enter into
the confideration of times, of places, &
new inventions, no man of Judgement
can doubt, but that it is much eafier at
prefent,to procure thoufands of Books,
then
36 Erecting of
then it was for the Antients to get hun-
dreds ; and that by confequent, it would
be an eternal fhame and reproch in us,
to come beneath them in this particular,
which we may furmount with fo much
advantage and facility. Finally, as the
quality of Books does extreamly aug-
ment the efteem of a Library amongft
thofe who have the means, and the lea-
fure tounderftand it; fo muftit needs be
acknowledged, that the fole quantity of
them brings it into luftre, & reputation,
as well amongft Strangers and Travel-
lers, as amongft many others, who have
neither the time, nor the conveniencyof
exa<5lly turningthem over in particular ;
as may eafily be judged by the prodi-
gious number of Volumes, that there
muft needs be an infinity of good ones,
fignal,
a Library 37
fignal, and remarkable. Howbeit, nei-
ther to abandon this infinite quantity
without a definition, nor to put thofe
that are curious out of hopes of being
able to accomplifh, and finifh fo fair an
enterprife ; it would, me thinks, be very
expedient to do like thofe Phyfitians,
who prefcribe the quantity of Drugs ac-
cording to their qualities ; & to affirm,
that a man can never fail in collecting
all thofe which fhall have the qualities
& conditions requifite & fit to be placed
in a Library. Which that you may dif-
cern, one muft be carefull to take with
him divers Theorems, and precautions;
which may with more facility be re-
duc'd to practice as opportunity hap-
pens, by thofe who have the routine, &
are verf 'd in Books, and who judge of
aft
3 8 Erecting of
all things maturely & without paffion,
then poffibly be deduced, and couch'd
in writing, feeing they are almoft infi-
nite ; and that, to fpeak ingenuoufly,
fome of them combat the mod vulgar
opinions, and maintain Paradoxes.
CHAP.
a Library 39
CHAP. IV.
Of what Quality and Condition Books
ought to be.
I WILL now fay notwithftanding,
that to omit nothing which may
ferve us for a Guide, & in this Difqui-
fition, that the prime Rule which one
ought to obferve, is, in the firft place
to furnifh a Library with all the chief
& principal Authors, as well antient as
modern, chofen of the beft Editions, in
grofs,or in parcels, & accompanied with
their moft learned, & beft Interpreters,
& Commentators, which are to be found
in every Facultie ; not forgeting thofe
which are lefle vulgar, and by confe-
quent
40 Erecting of
quent more curious : As for Example,
with the feveral Bibles, the Fathers, &
the Councels, for the grofs of Theology :
with Lyra, Hugo, Toftatus, Salmeron, for
the poiitive: with S. Thomas, Occhus,
Durandus, Peter Lombard, Henricus
Magnus, Alexander of Hales, JEgidius
Romanus, Albertus magnus, Aureolus,
Burleus, Capreolus, Major, Vafques, Sua-
rez, for the Scholiaftick: with the Body
of the Courts Civil and Canon Laws ;
with Baldus, Bartholus, Cujas, Alciat,
du Moulin for the Law : with Hippoc-
rates, Galen, Paulus Mginetus, Oriba-
Jius, TEtius, Trallian,Avicen, Avenzoar,
Fernelius, for Phyfick : Ptolomy, Firmi-
cus, Holy, Cardan, Stoflerus, Gauricus,
JunStinus, for Aftrologie : Halhazen,
Vitellio, Bacon, Aguillonius, for the
Opticks :
a Library 41
Opticks: Diophantes, Boetius, Jordan,
Tartaglia, Silifcus, Lucus de Burgo,
Villefranc for Arithmetick : Artemido-
rus, Apomazar, Sinejius, Cardonius, for
Dreams : And fo with all the other,
which it would be too long, and trou-
blefome, to fpecifie and enumerate pre-
cifely.
Cjn the fecond place; To procure all
the old and new Authors that are wor-
thy of confideration, in their proper Lan-
guages, and particular Idioms : The Bi-
bles and Rabbies in Hebrew; the Fathers
in Greek & Latine ; Avicenne in Arabick ;
Bocacio, Dantes, Petrarch, in Italian ;
together with their beft Verfions,Ldtfm,
French, or fuch as are to be found :
Thefe laft being for the ufe of many
perfons who have not the knowledge of
forrein
42 Erecting of
forrein Tongues; &the former, for that
it is very expedient to have the fources
whence fo many ftreams do glide in
their natural chanels without art or dif-
guife; and that we ordinarily meet with
a more certain efficacy, and richnefs of
conception, in thofe that cannot retain
& conferve their luftre fave in their na-
tive languages, as Pictures do their col-
ours in proper lights : not to fpeak of
the neceffity alfo which one may have
for the verification of Texts & paflages
ordinarily controverted, or dubious.
C. Thirdly, Such Authors as have beft
handled the parts of any Science or Fac-
ulty, whatever it be : As Bellarmine for
Controverfies, Tolet, and Navarr 9 Caes
of Confcience, Vejalius Anatomie, Afdtf-
thiolus the Hiftory of Plants, Gefner &
Aldrovandus
a Library 43
Aldrovandus that of Animals, Rondole-
tius and Salvianus that of Fifties, Vico-
mercatus that of Meteors, &c.
C. In the fourth place, All thofe that
have heft commented, or explained any
Author or Book in particular; as Pere-
rius upon Genejis; Villalpandus, Eze-
chiel; Maldonat, the Gofpels; Monlorius
and Zabarella the Analyticks; Scaliger,
Theophrq/tusHiRoYy of Plants; Proclus,
& Marfilius Ficinus upon Plato ; Alex-
ander, & Themiftius upon Arijtotle; Flu-
rancius Rivaultius, Archimedes; Theon
and Campanus 9 Euclide; Cardan, Ptolo-
mie : And this fhould be obferved in all
forts of Books and Treatifes, antient or
modern, who have met with Commen-
tators and Interpreters.
f^Next, all that have written & made
Books
44 Erecting of
Books and Trails upon any particular
fubjeft ; be it concerning the Species or
Individuals,^ Sanchez, whohath amply
treateddematrimonio: SainStes & Perron
of the Euchari/t; Gilbertus of theLoad-
ftone ; Maier, de volucri arborea ; Scortia,
Vendelinus, and Nugarola concerning
the Nile : the fame to be underftood of
all forts of particular Treatifes in mat-
ter of Law, Divinity, Hiftory, Medicine,
and what ever elfe there may be : with
this difcretion neverthelefle, that he
which moft approches to the profeffion
which he purfues, be preferred before
any other.
^Moreover, All fuch as have written
moftfucceffefully aga.mfta.ny Science, or
that have oppof 'd it with moft Learning
and animofity ( howbeit without chang-
ing
Library
45
ing the principles ) againft the Books of
fome of the moft famous and renowned
Authors. And therefore one muft not
forget Sextus Empiricus, Sanchez, and
Agrippa, who have profeffedly endeav-
oured to fubvert all the Sciences: Pi-
cus Mirandula, who has fo learnedly re-
futed the Aftrologers : Eugubinus, that
has dafhed the impiety of the Salmones,
& irreligious : Morifotus, that has over-
thrown the abufe of Chymifts : Scaliger,
who has fo fortunately oppof 'd Cardan,
as that he is at prefent in fome part of
Germany more followed then Anftotle
himfelf : Cafaubon,who durft attaque the
Annals of that great Cardinal Baronius :
ArgenteriuSy who hath taken Galen to
tafke : Thomas Erq/lus, who has fo per-
tinently refuted Paracelfus : Carpenter,
who
46 Erecting of
who has fo rigoroufly oppof 'd Ramus:
and finally, all thofe that haveexercif 'd
themfelves in the like confli<5ls, & that
are folinkttogether, that it were as great
an error to read them feparately, as to
judge and underftand one party without
the other, or one Contrary without his
Antagonift.
'{[.Neither are you to omit all thofe
which have innovated or chang'd any
thing in the Sciences; for it is properly
to flatter the flavery, and imbecillity of
our wit, to conceal the fmall knowledge
which we have of thefe Authors, under
the difdain which we ought to have, be-
caufe they oppofe the Antients, and for
that they have learnedly examined what
others were ufed to receive, as by Tra-
dition : And therefore, feeing of late
more
a Library 47
more than thirty or fourty Authors of
reputation have declared themfelves
againft Ariftotle; that Copernicus, Kep-
ler, Galiltfus, have quite altered Aftron-
omie ; Paracelfus, Severinus the Dane,
Du Chefne, & Crollius, Phyfick : & that
divers others have introduced new Prin-
ciples, and have eftablifhed ftrange &
unheard of Ratiocination upon them, &
fuch as were never forefeen : I affirm,
that all thefe Authors are very requi-
fite in a Library, fince according to the
common Saying,
Eft quoque cunStarum novitas gratif-
fima rerum;
and (not to infift upon fo weak a rea-
fon) that it is certain, the knowledge of
thefe Books is fo expedient, & frugifer-
ous
48 Erecting of
ous to him who knows how to make
reflection, and draw profit from all that
he fees, that it will furnifh him with a
million of ad vantages, and new concep-
tions ; which being received in a fpirit
that is docile, univerfal, and difingag'd
from all interefts,
NulliiisaddiStusjurare in verba Magiftri,
they make him fpeak to the purpofe
upon all fubje<5ls, cure the admiration
which is a perfe6l figne of our weak-
neffe, & enables one to difcourfe upon
whatfoever prefents it felf with a great
deal more judgment, experience, and
refolution, then ordinarily many per-
fons of letters and merit are ufed to do.
C.One fhould like wife have thisconfid-
eration in the choice of Books, to fee
whether
a Library 49
whether they be the firft that have been
compofed upon the matter on which
they treat. Since 'tis with mens Learn-
ing, as with water, which is never more
fair, pure, and limpid, then at its fource;
All the Invention comeing from the
Firft, and the Imitation with repetition
from others: as 'tis eafy to perceive that
Reuchlin who firft writ of the Hebrew
Tongue, and the Cabal ; Budeus of the
Greek, and of Coyns; Bodinus of a Re-
publique ; Codes of Phyfiognomie ; Pe-
ter Lombard, S. Thomas, of Scholaftical
Divinity, have done better than thofe
many others, which ingag'd themfelves
in writing fince them.
{ Moreover ought one alfo to take no-
tice, whether the Subje6ls of which they
treat be trifling or lefs vulgar ; curious or
negligent;
50 Erecting of
negligent ; fpinie or facil ; feeing what
we ufed to fay of all things elfe that be
not common, may be fo appofitely ap-
ply ed to curious new Books;
Rara juvant, primisjic major gratia po-
mis,
Hibernce pretiumfic meruere rofce.
CL Under the notion then of this pre-
cept we (hould open our Libraries, and
receive them therein, who firft wrote of
Subje6ls the leaft known, and that have
not been treated of before, unlefs in
Fragments, and very imperfe6lly; as
Licetus, who hath written defpontaneo
viventium ortu, de lucernis antiquorum ;
Tagliacotius, how to repair a decayed
Nofe ; Libavius & Goclinus of the Mag-
netickOyntment ; Secondly, All curious
and
a Library 51
and not vulgar Authors ; fuch as are the
books of Cardan, Pomponacius, Brunus,
and all thofe who write concerning the
Caball, Artificial Memory, the Lullian
Art, the Philofophers Stone, Divinations,
and the like matters. For, though the
greateft part of them teach nothing but
vain and unprofitable things, and that I
hold them but as Humbling blocks to
all thofe who amufe themfelves upon
them, yet not withftanding that one may
have wherwithalto content the weaker
wits, as well as the ftrong; and at the
leaft fatisfie thofe who defire to fee them,
to refute them, one fhould colle6l thofe
which have treated on them, albeit they
ought to be accounted amongft the reft
of the Books in the Library, but as Ser-
pents and Vipers are amongft other liv-
ing
52 Erecting of
ing Creatures; like Cockle in a Field
of good wheat; like Thorns amongft
the Rofes: and all this in imitation of
the world, where thefe unprofitable
and dangerous things accomplifh the
Mafter-piece, and the Fabrick of that
goodly compofition.
<L And this Maxime fhould lead us to
another of no lefs confequence, which
is, not to negle6t the works of the prin-
cipal Herejiarchs or Fautors of new Re-
ligions different from ours, more com-
mon, & revered, as more juft & veritable:
For it is very likely, fince the firft of
them, (not to fpeak of the new ones)
have been chofen, and drawn out from
amongft the moft learned perfonages of
the precedent Age, who by I know not
what Fancie, and exceffi ve love to nov-
elty,
a Library 53
elty, did quit their Cafjbcks, & the Ban-
ner of the Church, to enroll themfelves
under that of Luther and Calvine; and
that thofe of the prefent time are not
admitted to the exercife of their Minif-
try till after a long and fevere Examen
in the three Tongues of the Holy Scrip-
ture, and the chief points of Philofophy
and Divinity: There is a great deal of
likelihood, I fay, that excepting the
paflages controverted, they may fome-
times hit very luckily upon others, as
in many indifferent Treatifes they have
done, on which they often travail with
a great deal of Induftry and Felicity.
And therefore, fmce it is neceflary that
our Do6lors fhould finde them in fome
places to refute them; fmce M. de T.
has made it no difficulty to colle6l them;
that
54 Erecting of
that the antient Fathers & Do6lors had
them, that divers religious perfons pre-
ferved them in their Libraries; that we
make it no Scruple to have a Thalmud
or an Alcoran, which belch a thoufand
Blafphemies againft Jefus Chrift, and
our Religion, infinitely more danger-
ous than thefe : that God permits us to
make profit of our enemies, and ac-
cording to that of the Palmift,Salutem
ex inimicis no/Iris, &demanu omnium qui
oderunt nos; that they are prejudicial
but to them onely, who deftitute of a
right condu<5l, fuffer themfelves to be
tranfported with the firft puff of wind
that blows.
CAnd to conclude in a word, fince the
intention which determines all our ac-
tions to good or evil, is neither vitious
nor
a Library 55
nor cauterifed, I conceive it no extrav-
agance or danger at all, to have in a Li-
brary (under caution neverthelefs of a
licenfe & permiffion from thofeto whom
it appertains ) all the Works of the moft
learned and famous Hereticks, fuch as
have been, and divers others of lefler
confequence, Quos fama obfcura recon-
dit.
C.This alfo ought to be retained as a
Maxime, that all the bodies and aflfem-
blies of feveral Authours writing upon
the fame fubje<5l; fuch as are the Thai-
mud, the Councels, the Biblotheques of
the Fathers, Thefaurus Criticus, Scrip-
tores Germanici, Turcici, Hifpanici, Gal-
lid, Catalogus teftium veritatis, Monar-
chia Imperil, Opus magnum de Balneis,
Authores Gyneciorum, De Morbo Nea-
politano,
56 Erecting of
politano, Rhetores antiqui, Grammatici
Veteres 9 Oratores Grcecice, Flores DoSto-
rum, Corpus Poetarum, and all thofe
which contain fuch like Collections,
ought of neceffity to be put into Libra-
ries ; forafmuch as they fave us, firft of
all, the labour of fearching an infinity of
Books extreamly curious and rare: and
fecondly, becaufe they fpare abundance
pf other, and make room in a Library.
Thirdly, for that they handfomly com-
prehend in one Volume, what wefhould
be otherwife long in fearching with a
great deal of pains, & in divers places ;
and finally, becaufe they are lefs expen-
five, they being nothing fo chargeable
to purchafe as they would be,fhould one
buy feparately all the Authours which
they contain. I hold it alfo for a tenent
as
a Library 57
as neceffary as any of the precedent,
that one Ihould draw out & make elec-
tion from amongft the great number
of thofe who have written, & do daily
write, thofe who appear as an Eagle in
the Clouds, and as a Star twinkling and
moft refulgent in the midftof obfcurity;
I mean thofe great Witts, which are not
of the common alloy ;
Quorumque ex ore prof ufo
Omnis pojteritas latices in dogmata duett;
C, And of whom one may make ufe, as
of Matters the moft expert in the know-
ledge of all things, and of their works
as of a Seminarie, perfe6lly fufficient to
enrich a Library not onely with all their
Books, but even of the leaft of their
Fragments, Papers 9 looje Sheets, and the
very
38 Erecting of
very words which efcape them. For as
it would be amifs to employ the place &
the money in amaffing all the world, &
I know not what gallimauphry of cer-
tain vulgar and defpicable Authours; fo
would it be a notorious oblivion, & fault
unexcufable in thofewho make profef-
fion of having all the beft Books, to
negle6l any of Them; for example, of
Erafmus, Chiaconus, Onuphrius, Turne-
bus, Lipjius, Genebrard, Antonius Au-
gu/tinus, Cafaubon, Salmafius, Bodinus,
Cardan, Patricius, Scaliger, Mercurialis,
& others, whofe works we are to wink
& take, & without choice; carefull, that
we be not cheated in Books rampant,
with Authours infinitely more rude and
grofs: iince, as one cannot poflefs too
much of that which is good, and exqui-
fitely
a Library 59
fitely chofen; fo neither can one have too
little of that which is bad, & of which we
have no hopes of receiving any profit or
utility.
C, Neither muft you forget all forts of
Common places, Dictionaries, Mixtures,
feveral LeStions, Collections of Sentences,
and other like Repertories; feeing it is as
fo much way gone, and Matter ready
prepared for thofe who have the induf-
try to ufe them with due advantage ; it
being certain, that there are many who
fpeak and write wonderfull well, who
have yet feen but very few Volumes,
befides thofe which I have mentioned ;
whence it is, that they commonly fay,
the Calepine, which they take for all
kind of Dictionaries, is the livelyhood
of the Regents; And if I fhould affirm it
"of
so Erecting of
of many, even amongft the moft famous
perfons, it would not be without reafon,
fince one of the moft renound amongft
the laft had above fifty of them, which
he perpetually ftudied; and who having
encountred a difficult word at the firft
offering of the Book of Equivocals, as it
was prefented to him, he had recourfe
immediately to one of thefe DiStionaries,
and tranfcribed out of it above a page of
writing, upon the margent of the faid
Book, and that in prefence of a certain
Friend of mine and of his; to whom he
could not abftainfrom fay ing, that thofe
who fhould fee this remark, would eaf-
ily believe that he had fpent above two
dayes in compofingit; though he had in
truth butthe pains onely of tranfcribing
it: And in earneft, for my part, I efteem
thefe
a Library 6l
thefe Colle6lions extreamly profitable
and neceflary, confidering, the brevity
of our life, and the multitude of things
which we are now obliged to know, e're
one can be reckoned amongft the num-
ber of learned men, do not permit us to
do all of ourfelves; befides, feeing it is
not granted every man, nor in all ages,
to have the means to labour at his own
coft and charges, and without borrow-
ing from others, what ill is there in it, I
pray, if thofe who are fo induftrious to
imitate nature, and fo to diverfifie and
appropriate to their fubje6l what they
extra<5l from others, ut etiam,Ji apparu-
erit unde fumptum Jit, alind tamen efje
quam unde fumptum eft appareat, do
make bold with thofe who feem not to
have been made but to lend, and draw
out
62 Erecting of
out from the Refer vatories & Magazines
which are deftin'd for this purpofe : fince
we ordinarily fee that both Painters &
Architects, make excellent and incom-
parable pieces by the affiftance of Col-
ours and Materials which others grinde
and prepare for them.
C,Laftly, we fhould upon this occafion
reduce to pra6lice that fame Aphorifme
of Hippocrates, which advertifes us to
yield fomething to time, to place, & to
cuftom ; that is to fay, that fome kinde
of Books be fometimes in vogue & re-
putation in one Countrey, and not fo in
another; and in the prefent age, which
were not in the paft: it is more expedi-
ent to make a good provifion of thefe,
than of the other; or at leaft to have fuch
a quantity of them, as may teftifie we
comply
a Library 63
comply with the times, and that we are
not ignorant of the mode and inclina-
tion of men : And hence it proceeds, that
we frequently find in the Libraries of
Rome, Naples, and Florence, abundance
ofPofitive Theologifts; in thofe of Milan
and Pavia ftore of Civil Law; in thofe
of Spain, and antientones of Cambridge
and Oxford in England, a number of
Scholafticks ; and in thofe of France a
world of Hi/lories & Controverfies. The
fame diverfity may be alfo obferved in
the fucceffion of ages, by reafon of the
vogue which have had the Philofophy
of Plato, that of Ariftotle, the Scholaf-
tique, the Tongues and Controverfies;
which have every one had their turns,
domineered in feveral times ; as we fee
that the ftudy of the Ethlcks & Politicks
~do
64 Erecting of
do at prefent employ the greateft part
of the moft vigorous witts of this our
age, whilft the weaker fort amufe them-
felves with FiStions and Romancies, of
which I fhall onely fay, what has for-
merly been verified by Symmacus upon
the like narration, Sine argumento re-
rum loquacitas morofa difplicet.
C^Thefe ordinary precepts &maximes
being fo amply explain'd, there remains
now no more to accomplifh this Title
of the Quality of Books, then to propofe
two or three others , which will undoubt-
edly be received as very extravagant, &
very fit to thwart the common & invet-
erate opinion which many have taken
up, that efteem no Authours but by their
number or bulk of their Volumes, and
judge onely of their value & merit, by
that
a Library 65
that which ufes to make us defpife all
other things, viz. their age & caducity,
like that of the old man in Horace, who
is reprefented to us in his works ;
.... Laudator temporis ati,
Prafentis cenfor, cq/tigatorquefuturi:
C. The nature of thefe prepoffeffed
fpirits being for the moft part fo taken
& in love with thofe Images & antique
pieces, that they would not fo much as
look at the greateft upon any Book what-
ever, whofe Authour were not older than
the Mother of Evander, or the Grand-
firs of Carpentras; nor believe that time
could be well imployed, which was fpent
in reading any modern Books, fince ac-
cording to their maxime, they are but
Rapjodifts, Coppiers, or Plagiaries ,& ap-
proach
66 Erecting of
proach in nothing to the Eloquence, the
learning and the noble conceptions of
the Antients ; to whom for this refpe6l
they hold themfelves as firmly united
as the Polypus does to the Rocks with-
out departing in the leaft, or from their
Books, or do6lrine ; & which they never
think to have fufficiently comprehend-
ed, till they have chewed them over all
their life time; & therefore it is nothing
extraordinary, if in conclufion of the
whole fum, and when they have fuffi-
ciently fweat & tired themfelves, they
referable that fame ignorant Marcellus,
who vaunted up & down in all places
where he came, that he had read Thud-
dides eight times over; to that Nonnus
of whom Syidas fpeaks, that he had read
his Demofthenes ten times without ever
being
a Library 67
being able once to plead, or difcourte of
any thing : And to fpeak really, there is
nothing more apt to make a man a Ped-
ant, & banifh him from common fenfe,
then to defpife all Modern Authors, to
court fome few only of the Antient; as
if they alone were, forfooth, the fole
Guardians of the higheft favours that
the wit of man may hope for; or that
Nature, jealous of the honour & reputa-
tion of her elder fons, would to our pre-
judice put forth all her abilities to the
extreams, that fhe might Crown them
alone with all her graces & liberality:
Certainly I do not imagine that any ex-
cept thofe Gentlemen the Antiquaries,
can fatisfie themfelves with fuch Opin-
ions, or feed themfelves with fuch Fa-
bles; fince fo many frefh Inventions,
~ "fo
68 Erecting of
fo many new Opinions & Principles, fo
many feveral and unthought of Altera-
tions, fo many learned Books of famous
Perfonages, of new Conceptions ; and
finally, fo many Wonders as we daily
behold tofpring up, dofufficiently tefti-
fie, that the wits are ftronger, more po-
lite, and abftra<5ted than ever formerly
they were ; and that we may truly and
affuredly affirm at this prefent day,
Sumpfenwt artes hactempeftate decorem,
Nullaque non meliorquamprius ipfafuit.
CL Or make the fame judgement of our
age as Symmachus did of his own, Ha-
bemus fteculum virtute amicum, quo ni/i
optimus quifque gloriam parity hominis eft
culpa, non temporis. From hence we
may infer, that it would be a fault un-
pardonable
a Library 69
pardonable in one who profefles toftore
a Library, not to place in it Piccohmini,
Zabbarell, Achillinus, Niphus, Pompo-
nacius, Licetus, Cremoninus, next the
old Interpreters ofAri/lotle; Alciat,Ti-
raqueaneus, Cujas, du Moulin, after the
Code and Digeft ; the fumof Alexander
of Hales, and Henry of Gaunt, next that
of S. Thomas ; Clavius, Maurolicus and
Vutta after Euclide and Archimedes ;
Montagne, Charon, Verulam, next to
Seneca & Plutarch ; Fernelius, Sylvius,
Fujthius, Cardan, next to Galen & Avi-
cen ; Erafmus, Cafaubon, Scaliger, Sal-
majius, next to Varro; Commines, Guic-
ciardin, Sleiden, next to Titus Livius
& Cornelius Tacitus ; Ariojlo, TaJJb, du
Bartas, next to Homer and Virgil, and
fo confequently of all the Modern moft
famous
70 Erecting of
famous & renouned Authours; fince if
the capricious Boccalinihad undertaken
to ballance them with the Antients, he
had haply found a great many of them
more inconfiderable, and but very few
which do at all furpafs them.
CLThe fecond Maxime, & which haply
will not lefs feem a Paradox than the
firft, is dire6lly contrary to the opinion
of thofe who efteem of Books onely
as they are in price & bulk; and who
are much pleafed, & think themfelves
greatly honoured, to have Toftatus in
their Libraries, becaufe it is in fourteen
Volumes ; or a Salmeron, becaufe there
are eight; negle6ting in the mean time
to procure & furnifh themfelves with an
infinity of little Books, amongft which
there are often found fome of them fo
rarely
a Library 71
rarely & learnedly compofed, that there
is more profit and contentment to be
found in reading them, than in many
others of thofe rude, heavy, indigefted
& ill polifhed maffes, for the moft part;
Atleaft,fo true is that faying of Seneca,
Non eft facile inter magna non dejipere;
and that which Pliny faid of one of Cic-
ero's Orations, M. Tullii Oratio fertur
optima qucemaxima, cannot be apply ed to
thefe monftrous and Gigantine Books ;
as in effe<5l it is almoft impoffible, that
the witt fhould alwayes remain intent
to thefe great works, & that the heaps
and grand confufion of things that one
would fpeak choak not the fancy, and
too much confound the ratiocination;
whereas on the contrary, that which
ought to make us efteem fmall Books,
which
72 Erecting of
which neverthelefs treat of ferious
things, or of any noble & fublime fub-
je6l, is, that the Authour of them does
perfe6lly command over his fubje<5l,as
the Workman and Artift does over his
matter ; and that he may chew, conco6l,
digeft, polifh and form it according to
his fancy, then thofe vaft colle6lions of
fuch great&prodigious Volumes, which
for this caufe are often times but the
Panfpermia, Chaof's & AbyflTes of Con-
fufion;
.... rudis indigeftaque moles,
Nee quicquam niji pondus iners conge-
Jlaque eodem,
Non bene junStarum difcordia Jemina
rerum.
C,And hence it is that there refults a
fuccefs
a Library 73
fuccefs fo unequal as may be obferved
between the one and the other; for
example, 'twixt the Satyrs of Perjius
and Philelphius ; the Examen of Witts
of Huarto, and that of Zara; the
Arithmetick of Ramus, and that of For-
cudel; Machiavels Prince, & that of
more than fifty other Pedants; The
Logick of du Moulin, & that of Vallius ;
The Annales of Volufius, & the Hiftory
of Saluft: EpiStetus Manuel, and the
moral Secrets of Loriotus; The works
of Fracaftorius, & an infinite of Phi-
lofophers and Phyficians; fo true is
that which S. Thomas has well fpoken,
Nufquam ars magis quant in minimis
tot a eft; & what Cornelius Gallus was
wont to promife himfelf, of his fmall
Elegies ;
Nee
74 Erecting of
Nee minus eft nobis per pauca volumina
famce,
Quam quos nullafatis Bibliotheca capit.
C.But that which on this encounter
makes me moft to admire, is, that fuch
perfons fhould negleft the Works and
Opufcles of fome Authour whilft they
remain fcattered and feparated, which
afterwards burn with a defire to have
them when they are colle<5led & bound
together in one Volume : Such will neg-
Ie6l ( for example ) the Orations of James
Cnfrw,becaufe they are not to be found
Printed together, who will neverthelefs
be fure to have thofe of Raymondus,
Gallatius, Nigronius, Bencius, Perpini-
anus,&divers other Authours in his Li-
brary; not that they are better, or more
difert
a Library 75
difert and eloquent than thofe of this
learned Scotchman; but becaufe they are
to be found in certain Volumes bound
up together: Certainly, fhould all little
Books be negle6led, there were no
reckoning to be made of the Opufcles
of S. Auguftin, Plutarchs Morals, the
Books of Galen, nor of the greateft part
of thofe of Erafmus, of Lipjius, Turne-
bus, Mazaultius, Sylvius, Calcagninus,
Francifcus Picus, and many like Au-
thours ; no more than of thirty or fourty
minor Authours in Phyjick & Philofo-
phy, the beft,and moft antient amongft
the Greeks ,and of divers other amongft
the Divines; becaufe they have all of
them beendivulgedfeparately, & apart,
one after another, and in fo fmall Vol-
umes, that the greateft of them do not
frequently
76 Erecting of
frequently exceed half an Alphabet : &
therefore, fince one may unite under
one Cover, that which was feparate
in the impreffion, conjoyn with others
what would be loft being alone, and in
effe<5l we may meet an infinity of mat-
ters which have never been treated of
but in thefe little Books onely, concern-
ing which it may rightly be faid, as Vir-
gil does of Bees,
Ingentes animos angujlo in corpore ver-
fant;
C. It appears to me to be very expedi-
ent, that we fhould draw them out of
their Stalls and old Magazines, & from
all places wherever we encounterthem,
to bind them up with thofe which are of
the fame Authour, or treat of the fame
matter,
a Library 77
matter, to place them afterwards in our
Libraries, where I aflame myfelf they
will make the induftry and diligence of
thofe Efculapiuf's to be admir'd, who
are fo well fkilFd to joyn and reaflem-
ble the fcattered & feparated members
of thofe poor Hippolituf's.
C,The third (which at firft appearance
one would conceive to be contrary to
the firft) does in particular combat the
opinion of thofe who are fo wedded and
befotted to all new Books, that they to-
tally negle<5t, and make no efteem, not
onelyof all the Antients,butof the Au-
thours which have had the vogue, & ap-
peared flourifhing and renouned fince
fix or feven hundred years ; that is to
fay, fince the age ofBoetius, Symmachus,
Sydonius, and Cqffiodorus, down to that
of
78 Erecting of
of Picas, PolitianuSy Hermolaus, Gaza,
Philelphus, Pogius, and Trapezontius ;
fuch as are divers Philofophers, Divines,
Jurifconfults,PhyJitians andAftrologers,
who by their black and Gothick impref-
fions difguft our moft delicate ftudents
of this age, not fuffering them fo much
as to caft an eye upon them, but with a
blufh, and to the difdaining of thofe who
compofed them : All which properly
proceeds from hence, that the ages or
thofe witts which then appeared, have
had final Geniuf's and different inclina-
tions, not long harping upon the fame
firing of like ftudy or affe6tion to the
Sciences ; or having nothing fo affured
as their viciffitude or change; as in ef-
fe<5l we fee, that immediately after the
birth of the Chriftian Religion (not to
take
a Library 79
take things any higher) the Philofophy
of Plato was univerfally followed in the
fchools; and the greater part of the
Fathers were Platonifts : and fo contin-
ued till Alexander Aphrodifeus gave it a
forceable juftle to inftal that of thePeri-
pateticks, & traced the way to the Greek
and Latine Interpreters, who were fo
wedded to the Explication of Anftotles
Text, that a man fhould yet erre in it
without much benefit, if the Queftions
& Scholajticks introduced byAbelardus
had not put themfelves amongst the rari-
ties, to domineer over all, with the great-
eft and moft univerfal approbation, that
was ever given to anything whatfoever;
& that for the fpace of about five or fix
ages, after which, the Hereticks did re-
cal us to the interpretation of the Holy
Scriptures,
so Erecting of
Scriptures, and occafioned us to read
the Bible and the Holy Fathers , who had
continually been negle<5ledamidft thefe
Ergotifmes; & in purfuite whereof Con-
troverlie comes now in requeft as to
what concerns Theologie, and the Ques-
tionaries with the Novators, who build
upon new Principles, or elfe reeftablifh
thofe of the antients, Emptdoclts, Epi-
curus, Philolaus, Pythagoras, andDemoc-
ritus, for Philofophy. The reft of the
Faculties being not exempted from like
alterations ; amongft which, it has ever-
more been the cuftom of the Witts who
follow thefe violences and changes, as
the Fifh do the Tyde, to think no more
of what they have once quitted ; and
to fpeak rafhly with the Poet Calphur-
nius,
Vilia
a Library si
Villa funt nobis quczcunque prioribus
annis
Vidimus, &fordet quicquid fpedtavimus
olim.
C, Infomuch as the greateft part of good
Authours, by this means, remain on the
funds, abandon 3 d& negle<5led by every
man ; whilft our new Cenfors or Plagi-
aries poflefle their places, and enrich
themfelves with their fpoils. And it is
in earneft a very ftrange and unreafon-
able thing, that we fhould follow & ap-
prove (for example) the Colledges of
Conimbre and Suarez in Philofophy, and
fhould come to negle6l the works of Al-
bertus Magnus, Niphus,Mgidius 9 Saxo-
nia, Pomponacius, Achillinus, Hervicus,
Durandus, Zimares, Buccaferrus, and a
number
82 Erecting of
number of the like, out of which all the
great Books which we now follow, are
for the moft part compiled and tran-
fcribed word for word : That we fhould
have an incomparable efteem of Ama-
tus, Thrivierus, Capivaccius, Montanus,
Valejius, and almoft of all the modern
Phyfitians, & be afhamed to furnifh our
Libraries with Books of Hugo Senenjis,
Jacobus de Forlivio, Jacobus de Va-
lejius, Gordonus, Thomas, Dinus, and all
the Avicenifts, who have really followed
the Genius of their Age, rude and dull as
to what concerned the barbarity of the
Latine tongue ; but who have yet fo far
penetrated into the profundities of Phy-
fick, according to Cardans own confef-
fion, that divers of our modern for want
of fufficient refolution, conftancy, and
affiduity
a Library 83
affiduity to purfue & imitate them, are
conftrained to make ufe of fome of their
Arguments to re veft them a la mode, &
make their braggs and parade, whilft
they themfelves dwell onely upon the
topps of flowers, &fuperficial language,
or without advancing farther.
Decerpunt flores, & fumma cacumina
captant.
C. What fhall we then fay, that Scaliger
and Cardan, two of the greateft per-
fonages of the laft age, consenting both
in the fame point concerning the pre-
mifes of Richard Suiflent, otherwife
called the Calculator, who lived within
thefe three hundred years, to place him
in the rank of ten of the rareft witts that
ever appeared ; whilft we are not able
to
84 Erecting of
to find his works in all the moft famous
Libraries ? And what hope is there that
the SeSlators of Occham Prince of the
Nonunah, fhould eternally be deprived
of once feeing his works, as well as all
Philofophers, thofe of the great and re-
nouned Avicen ? In earneft, me thinks
that it is wholly for want of judgement
in the choyce and cognizance of Books,
tonegle6l all thefe Authours, which are
fo much the more to be fought after,
as they are more, and may hereafter
challenge the place of Manufcripts ;
fince we have almoft loft all hopes that
they fhould ever be printed.
C, Finally, the fourth and laft of thefe
Maximes concerns onely the choice &
ele6lion, which one ought to make of
Manuscripts, in oppofition of that cuf-
tome
a Library 85
tome receiv'd and introduced by many,
from the great reputation of our prefent
Criticks, who have taught & accuftom'd
us to make more account of one Manu-
fcript of Virgil, Suetonius, Perjius, Ter-
ence, or fome others amongft the old
Authours, than of thofe gallant perfons
who have never yet been either feen,or
printed; as if there were any likelyhood
that men fhouldprefently purfuethe ca-
pricioufnefs, imaginations or cheats of
thefe modern Cenfurors and Grammari-
ans, which ufelefly apply the flower of
their age in forging of empty conjec-
tures, & begging the corrections of the
Vatican, to alter, corre6l or fupply the
Text of fome Authour,who hath haply
already confirmed the labour of ten or
twelve men, though one might very
eafily
86 Erecting of
eafily be without it.
C. Or that it were not a miferable thing,
and worthy of commiferation to fuflfer
to be loft and rot amongft the hands of
fome ignorant poffeflbrs, the elucubra-
tions and labours of an infinity of great
perfonages, who have fweat & wrought
perhaps all their lives long, to impart us
the knowledge of fomething that was
never known before, or elucidated fome
profitable and neceflary matter; And
yet neverthelefs, the example of thefe
Cenfors have been fuch, and their au-
thority fo ftrong & forceable, that not-
withftandingthe difguft which Robortel
and others amongft them hath given us;
nay, even of thefe Manufcripts them-
felves ; yet have they fo far bewitched
the world in fearch of them, that they
are
a Library 7
are the onely things now in requeft, &
judged worthy of being placed in our
Bibliotheques.
Tanta eftptenuria mentis ubique,
In nugas tamprona via eft!
Q And therefore, fince it is the very Ef-
fence of a Library, to have a great num-
ber of Manuscripts ; becaufe they are at
prefent in moft efteem, and lefs vulgar;
I conceive, my Lord, with refpeft to
your better judgement, that it would be
extreamly requifite for you to purfue as
you have begun, in furnifhing your Li-
brary with fuch as have been compofed
dearly, and full, upon any gallant fub-
je6l, conformable to thofe which you
have already made fearch of, not onely
here, but at Conjlantinople, and what-
foever
88
Erecting of
foever is to be obtained of many other
Authours Antient & Modern, fpecified
by Neander, Cardan, Gefner, and all the
Catalogues of the beft Libraries; & not
of all thofe Copies of Books which have
been already printed, and which at beft
are onely capable to affift us with fome
vain and trifling conje6lures: and yet it
is not my intention that men fhould un-
dervalue and negle6l all thefe kind of
Books, as well knowing by the exam-
ple of Ptolomy, what efteem one fhould
alwayes have ofAutographes,or of thofe
two forts of Manufcripts which Robortel
(in relation to Criticifm} prefers before
all others.
C, Laftly, to clofe this point concerning
the quality of Books,! add, that, as well
concerning Books of this fort, as printed
ones,
a Library 89
ones, you muft not onely obferve the
aforefaid circumftances, & choofe them
accordingly; as for inftance,bethequef-
tion about Bodins Republique, to infer
that he ought to be had, becaufe the Au-
thour has been the moft famous and re-
nouned of his age, & who amongft the
moderns has firft treated on this fubje<5l,
that the fubje6l is exceedingly necef-
fary, and in much requeft in the times
wherein we live, that the Book is com-
mon, tranflated into feveral tongues, &
printed almoft every five or fix years ;
but this we are alfo to obferve, viz. to
buy the Book, if the Authour be good,
though the matter it felf be but vulgar
& trivial; or, when the fubje6l of it is
difficult & little known, though the Au-
thour thereof be not much efteemed; &
thus
90 Erecting of
thus pra6tife a World of other Rules, as
upon occafionwe encounter them,fmce
it were impoffible to reduce them to an
Art or Method ; which makes me con-
ceive fuch a man worthily to acquit him-
felf of fuch a charge, who has not a
perverted judgement, temerarious, ftuft
with extravagances, and preoccupied
with thefe childifh opinions, which ex-
cite many perfons to defpife & fuddenly
to reje<5t whatfoever is not of their own
gifts, as if every one were obliged to
govern himfelf according to the ca-
prices of their fantafies, or as if it were
not the duty of a difcreet and prudent
man, to difcourfe of all things indiffer-
ently, & never to judge according to
the efteem which both one or the other
admits of them, but rather conform-
able
Library
able to the fentiment which we ought
to have in refpe6l of their proper nature
and ufe.
CHAP.
92 Erecting of
CHAP. V.
By what Expedients they may be
procured.
HAVING now, my Lord, {hewed
by thefe three firft Points, what
one ought to purfue to inform himfelf
in the ere6ling of a Library; with what
quantity of Books it is expedient to fur-
nifh it, and of what quality they ought
to be chofen : That which now enfues,
is to enquire, by what means a man may
procure them, & what we are to do for
the progrefs & augmentation of them :
Upon all which, I fhall truly affirm, that
the firft precept which is to be given on
thisfubje6l, is, that a manftudioufly pre-
ferve
a Library 93
ferve thofe which are a<5lively acquired,
and that he yet obtain new ones every
day; not fuffering any to be loft or em-
bezled at any hand. Tolerabilius enim
eft,faciliufque (fayes Seneca] non acqui-
rere,quam amittere, ideoque Icetiores vide-
bis quos nunquamfortuna rejpexit, quam
quos deferuit. Add, that it will never be
this way toaugmentmuch, if that which
you have colle6led with fo much pains
and induftry, come to be loft, & to per-
ifh for want of care : And therefore Ovid
&the wifeft men had reafon to fay, that
it was no lefs vertue to prefervea thing
well, than to acquire it fo : Nee minor ejt
virtus quam quarere part a tueri.
C.The fecond is, that we negle<5l no-
thing which is worth the reckoning, &
which may be of ufe, be it either to
our
94 Erecting of
our felves or others; fuch as are Libels,
Placarts, Thefes, Fragments, Proofs, &
the like, which one ought carefully to
unite, and gather according to Titles, &
fubje<5ls of fuch they treat ; becaufe it
is the onely expedient to render them
confiderable,and fo order it, Ut qua non
profuntJingula,junStajuvent. Other-
wife, it ordinarily comes to pafs, that
whilft we defpife thefe little Books,
which appear onely as mean baubles,
and pieces of no confideration, we hap-
pen to lofe a world of rare colle<5lions,
and fuch as are fometimes the moft cu-
rious pieces of the whole Library.
CL The third may be deduced from the
means that were pra6lif 'd by Richard
de BuryEiihop of Durham, great Chan-
cellour & L. Treafurer of England, which
confifts
a Library 95
confifts in publifhing & making known
to every body the aflfe6lion which we
have to Books, and the extraordinary
defire which we have toere6l a Library;
for this being once divulged and com-
municated, it is certain, that if he who
defignes it be inefficient credit and au-
thority to do his friends pleafure; there
will not be a man of them but will take
it for an honour to prefent him with the
moft curious Books that come into his
hands ; and that will not voluntarily ad-
mit him into his Study, or in thofe of
his friends; briefly, who will not ftrive
to aid and contribute to his intention all
that he can poffibly ? as it is very well
obferved by the fame Richard de Bury,
in thefe proper terms, which I there-
fore the more willingly tranfcribe, be-
caufe
96 Erecting of
caufe his Book is very rare, and of the
number of thofe which are loft through
our negle<5l. Succedenttbus (fayes he)
profperis, Regice majejlatis confecuti no-
titianiy & in ipjius acceptati familia, fa-
cultatem fufcepimus ampliorem, ubilibet
vijitandipro libitu, &venandi qua/if altus
quojdam delicatiflimos,tumprivatas, turn
communes, turn regularium, tumftecula-
rium Bibliothecas: & a little after, Pm-
Jlabatur nobis aditus facilis, regalisfa-
voris intuitu, ad librorum latebras libere
perfcrutandas, amoris quippe noftrifama
volatilisjam ubique percrebuit, tantum-
que librorum & maxime veterum fere-
bamur cupiditate languejcere, pojje vero
quemlibetper quaternos facilius quamper
pecuniam adipifcifavorem. Quamobrem
cum fupradiSti Principis auStoritate fuf-
fulti
a Library 97
fulti pojjemus obejje &prodeffe,proficere
&officerevehementertam majoribus quant
pujillis, affluxerunt loco Enceniorum &
munerum, locoque donorum &jocalium.
Ccenulenti quaterni, ac decrepiti Codices
nojtristam afpeftibus quamaffeftibus pre-
tioji, tune nobiliffimorum Monafteriorum
aperiebantur armaria, referabantur fcri-
nia, &ciftulcefolvebantur 9 &c. To which
he yet adjoyns, the feveral Voyages
which he madehimfelf in quality of Am-
baflador, & the great number of learned,
& curious perfons, ofwhofe labour &in-
duftry he made ufe of in this refearch ;
and what yet induces me to believe that
thefe pra6lifes would have fome effe<5l,
is, that I know a perfon, who being cu-
rious of Medalls, Pictures, Statues, In-
taglias and other Cabinet pieces, hath
collefted
98 Erecting of
collected by this fole induftry, above
twelve hundred pounds worth, without
ever having difburfed four. And in ear-
neft, I hold it for a Maxime, that every
civil and good natur'd man, fhould al-
wayes fecond the laudable intentions
of his friends, provided they be not pre-
judicial to his own: So that he that has
Books, Medalls, PiStures 9 which comes
to him by chance, rather than out of
aflfe<5lion to them, may eafily be per-
fwaded to accommodate fuch of his
friends whom he knows to defire, & is
curious of them. I fhall willingly add to
this third Precept, the craft which Ma-
giftrates and perfons of authority may
pra6life, and exercife by means of their
dignities : but I would not more nakedly
explicate it, than by the fimple narra-
tion
a Library 99
tion of the Stratagem which the Vene-
tians made ufe of, to obtain the beft Man-
ufcriptsofPinellus immediately after his
deceafe ; for upon the advice which they
had, that they were about to tranfport
his Library from Padua to Naples ,they
fuddenlydifpatched one of their Magif-
trates, whofeifed upon a hundred Bales
of Books, amongft which there were
fourteen of them that contain'd Manu-
fcripts, & two of them above four hun-
dred Commentaries on all the affairs of
Italy ; alledging for their reafons, that
though they had permitted the defun6l
Seigneur Pinelli y in regard of his condi-
tion, his defign, his laudable and irre-
proachlefs life, & principally, thefriend-
fhip which he ever teftified towards the
Republique, to have Copies of their Ar-
chives,
ioo Erecting of
chives, & Regifters of their affairs ; yet it
was neither fit nor expedient for them,
that fuch pieces fhould come to be di-
vulged, difcovered and communicated
after his death ; whereupon at the in-
ftance of the Heirs and Executors of
the Teftament, who were powerful & au-
thorifed, they retained onely two hun-
dred of thefe Commentaries, which were
placed in a Chamber apart, with this in-
fcription, Decerpta hcec Imperio Senatus
e Bibliotheca Pinelliana.
dThe fourth is,toretrench & cut off all
the fuperfluous expences, which many
prodigally and to no purpofe beftow up-
on the binding and ornaments of their
Books, and to employ it in purchafing
fuch as they want, that fo they may not
be obnoxious to that cenfure of Seneca,
who
a Library 101
who handfomly reproaches thofe, Qui-
bus voluminum fuorum /routes maxime
placent titulique; & this the rather, that
the binding is nothing but an accident
& form of appearing, without which ( at
leaft fo fplendid and fumptuous ) Books
become altogether as ufeful, commode
& rare ; it becoming the ignorant onely
to efteem a Book for its cover; feeing
it is not with Books, as it is with men,
who are onely known and refpe<5ted for
their robes and their clothes, fo that it
is a great deal better, and more necef-
fary, for example, to have a good quan-
tity of Books, well & ordinarily bound,
than to have a little Chamber or Cab-
inet full of wafhed, gilded, ruled, and
enriched with all manner of nicity, lux
and fuperfluity.
CThe
102 Erecting of
fifth concerns the buying of
them, & that may be divided into four
or five Articles, fuitable to the feveral
expedients which maybe obferved in the
pra6life. Now, amongft thefe, I fhould
willingly fet down for the firft, the
fpeedieft, eafie and advantagious of all
the reft, that which is made by the ac-
quifition of fome other entire and undif-
fipated Library. I call it prompt, and
fpeedy ; becaufe thatin lefs than a dayes
time one may have a goodly number of
Books curious and learned, which one
fhall not be able to amafs and colle6l
together during a mans whole life. I
call it facil, becaufe one fpares both the
pains and the time which would be con-
fumed in purchafing them feparately ;
In fine, I name it advantagious, becaufe,
if
a Library 103
if the Libraries which we buy be good
and curious, they ferve to augment the
credit and reputation of thofe who are
enriched by them ; whence we fee that
Paffemnus fo much efteems that of Car-
dinal de Joyeufe, for that it was com-
pofed of three others, one whereof had
beenMonfieurPitheus,&t for that all the
moft renouned Libraries have received
their augmentation in this manner ; as
for inftance, that of S. Mark at Venice by
the donation of Cardinal Beffarions;
that of the Efcurial by that great one
which Hurtado de Mendoza had col-
lefted; The Ambrofian of Milan,bythe
ninety Bales which were added to it at
once by that one fole naufrage & ruine
of Pinellis ; that of Ley den, by above
two hundred Manufcripts in the Ori-
ental
104 Erecting of
ental Languages, which Scaliger be-
queathed to it by his Teftament; and fi-
nally, that ofAfcanius Colomna, by that
incomparable one which Cardinal Sir-
let tus left it ; whence I conje6lure, my
Lord, that yours cannot but one day
emerge one of the moft famous and re-
nouned amongft the greateft, by rea-
fon of that of your Fathers, which is al-
ready fo famous and univerfally known
from the relation which has been left to
pofterity by La Croix, Fauchet, Marjil-
lius, Turnebus, Pafjeratius, Lambinus, &
by almoft all the gallant perfons of that
ftrain, who have not been [unjmindfull
of the benefit & inftruftions which they
have received of them.
C. After all which, me thinks, the means
which neareft approaches to this firft, is,
to
a Library 105
to rummage and often to revifite the
fhops of frippery Bookfellers, & the old
Stores and Magazines as well of Books
bound up, as of thofe which have fo long
remained in waftefheets,fo many years,
that there are many, not much know-
ing & verfed in this kind of fearch, who
conceive they can be of no others ufe
then to hinder.
toga cordylis, ne pcenula dejit olivis,
albeit we often encounter very excellent
Books amongft them, and that (the ex-
pence well managed) one may chance
to purchafe more for ten crowns, than
one can other wife buy for fourtyorfifty,
(hould one take them in feveral places
& pieces ; provided neverthelefs, a man
have a fufficient ftock of care and pa-
tience,
ice Erecting of
tience, confidering that one cannot fay
of a Library what certain Poets faid of
our City,
Quo primum nata eft tempore, magna
fuit:
It being impoffible fo fpeedily to ac-
complifh a thing, of which Solomon tells
us there is no end ; Libros enimfaciendi
non erit finis; & to the finifhing where-
of, though Monfieur Thuanus has la-
boured twenty years, Pinelli fifty, and
divers others all their lives long, yet are
you not to believe, that they are arrived
to that utmoft perfection which were to
be wifhed one might attain to, in point
of a Library.
f^Butfince itis neceflary forthe growth
& augmentation of fuch a piece, to fur-
nifh
a Library 107
nifh it diligently with all the new Books
of merit and confideration that are
printed in all parts of Europe; and that
Pinellus and the reft have for this pur-
pofe entertained correfpondency with
an infinite number of friends, ftrangers,
and forreign Merchants; It would be
very expedient, to put the fame in prac-
tice, or at leaft to make choice of two or
three rich Merchants kno wing & expe-
rienced in their vocation, who by their
various intelligences, & voyages, might
furnifh us with all kinds of novelties, &
make diligent perquifitionof what ever
we demand by Catalogues; which thing
it is not fo neceflary to pra6life for old
Books, forafmuch as the fureft expedi-
ent to ftore ones felf good cheap with
them, is, to feek for them indifferently
amongft
Erecting of
amongft the Stationers, amongft whom
the length of time, & various occaiions
is uf 'd to difperfe and fcatter them.
C.I will not yet infer, for all the good
hulbandry which we have propofed a-
bove, that it is not fometimes necefiary
to exceed the limits of this Oeconomy,
to purchafe at extraordinary prices
fome certain Books that are very rare,
and which one fhall hardly get out of
their hands who underftand them, but
by this onely means. But the temper
which is to be obferved in this difficulty,
is, to confider that Libraries are neither
built nor efteemed but for the fervice
& benefit which one may receive from
them, and therefore one fhould negle6l
fuch Books & Manufcripts as are only
valuable in refpeft of their Antiquity,
figures,
a Library 109
figures, paintings, binding, and other
weak confiderations ; Such as were
the Froijfard, which certain Merchants
would have fold not long fince at three
hundred Crowns ; The Bocace of the un-
fortunate Nobles, which was eftimated
at a hundred; The Mtffal and Bible of
Guinart ; the Howres, which they are
wont to fay was ineftimable for its curi-
ous figures and copartiments, The Titus
Livius, and other Hiftorians in Manu-
fcripts & painted in miniature; Chinefe
and Japan Books, fuch as are drawn in
Parchment, ftained Paper, of extream
fine Cotton, and with large Margents,
and feveral others of the like fluff; to
employ the great fums which they coft,
upon Volumes more ufeful in a Library
than all thefe we have mentioned, or fuch
as
no Erecting of
as refemble them, which fhall never
make the paffionate Colle6lors of them
fo much efteemed, as was Ptolomeus
Philadelphus for giving fifteen talents
for the works of Euripides; Tarquinius,
who bought the three Books of Sibyll,
at as great a price as would have pur-
chafed all the nine ; Ariftotle, who gave
threefcore and twelve thoufand Sefter-
cies for the works of Speujippus; Plato,
who employed a thoufand denarii for
thofe ofPhilolaus; Eeffarion, who bought
thirty thoufand Crowns worth of Greek
Books; Hurtado de Mendoza, who pro-
cured a great Ships fraight, out of
the Levant; Picus Mirandula, who ex-
pended feven thoufand Crowns in He-
brew Manufcripts, Chaldean, & others;
& in brief, that King of France who en-
a Library m
gaged his Gold & Silver Plate to have a
Copy of LacertiuSj a Book belonging to
theLibraryof the Phyfitiansof this City,
as it is teftified at large in the antient
Patent and Regifters of their Faculty.
C[To thefe I add, that it would be expe-
dient alfo to know of the Parents and
Heirs of feveral gallant perfons, wheth-
er they have not left fome Manuscripts
which they would part withall, feeing it
frequently comes to pafs, that the great-
eft number of them never print half of
their works ; being either prevented by
their death, or hindred by the expence,
the apprehenfion of many cenfures &
judgements, the fear of not coming well
off, the liberty of their difcourfe, their
modefty, & other the like reafons which
have deprived us of many Books of Pof-
tellus,
us Erecting of
tellus 9 Bodin, Mar/illius, Pafferatius,
Maldonat, &c. whofe Manuscripts are
frequently lighted upon in particular
mens ftudies, or in Bookfellers fhops.
In like manner alfo ought one to know
from year to year, what TraSls the moft
learned Regents of the neighbouring
Univerjities are to read, as well in their
publique Clafles, as in particular, there-
by to procure Copies to be written ; &
by this means eafily obtain a world of
pieces, as good & eftimable as are many
Manufcripts which are dearly bought
for their age and antiquity ; for inftance,
theTreatife of the Druides of M. Mar-
Jillius; The Hiftory and Treatife of the
French Magiftrates of M. Grangier;
The Geography of M. Belurgey; the fun-
dry writings of M. M. Dautruy, Ham-
bert 9
a Library
bert, Seguin, ofdu Val 9 of Artis; and in
a word, of the moft renouned Profef-
fors of all France.
C. Finally, one that had as great an af-
feftion for Books as the Sieur Vincen-
tius Pinellij may alfo, as he did, vifit the
Shops of thofe who often buy old Pa-
pers or Parchments, to fee if there no-
thing chance into their hands that may
be worthy the colle<5lion for a Library ;
And in truth, we fhould be much en-
couraged in this particular, by the ex-
ample ofPogius, who found Quintilian
upon the Counter of a Cooks Jbop, dur-
ing the time that he was at the Councel
of Conftance, as alfo by that of Papirius
MaJJbnius, who encountred Agobardus
in a Stationers fhop, who was ready to
cover his Books with it; & ofAfconius,
which
H4 Erecting of
which has been given to us by a like
chance : But forafmuch, nevertheleffe,
that this expedient is alfo as extraordi-
nary as is their aflfe<5lion who make ufe
of it ; I fhall rather choofe to leave it to
their difcretion, than prefcribe it as a
general and neceflfary rule.
CHAP.
a Library
CHAP. VI.
The Difpojition of the place where they
Jhould be kept.
THIS confideration of the place
which ought to be made choice
of to corre6l and eftablifh a Library in,
would well take up as long a difcourfe
as any of the precedent, could the Pre-
cepts which one might give be exe-
cuted with as much facility, as thofe
which we have already deduced & ex-
plicated above: But, forafmuch as it
onely appertains to thofe who would
build places exprefly for this purpofe,
precifely to obferve all the rules & cir-
cumftances which depend on the Archi-
teSture,
116 Erecting of
teSlure, many particularities being nec-
eflarily obliged to fubmit to the divers
fhapes of their dwellings, to place their
Library as conveniently as they can ;
and to fpeak ferioufly, I conceive it the
fole occafion which has perfwaded Ar-
chiteSls to add nothing to what Vitruvi-
us has faid thereupon. Howbeit, not to
publifhthis advice lame and imperfeft,
I fhall offer you my opinion in fhort, to
the end that every body may make ufe
of it according to his power, or as he
fhall judge it to his liking.
4L As to what concerns then the fitua-
tion, where one would build, or choofe
a place convenient for a Library, it
feems that this common faying
Carmina fecejjum fcribentis & otia qute-
runt,
would
a Library
would oblige us to take it in a part of
the houfe the moft retired from the noife
& difturbance, not onely of thofe with-
out, but alfo of the family and domef-
ticks ; diftant from the ftreets, from the
kitchin, the common hall, & like place ;
to fituate it ( if poffible ) within fome fpa-
cious Court, or fmall Garden, where it
may enjoy a free light, a good & agree-
able profpe6t; the air pure, not near to
marfhes, finks or dung-hills, and the
whole difpofition of its edifice fo well
conduced and ordered, that it partici-
pate of no kind of indecorum or appar-
ent incommodity.
41. Now to accomplifh this with more
pleafure, & leffe pain, it will be alwayes
fit to place it in the middle flages, to a-
void the dampnefs of the ground, which
engenders
us Erecting of
engenders mouldinefs, and is a certain
rottennefs that does ataque Books infen-
fibly, and that the Garrets and Cham-
bers above may preferve it from intem-
peratures of the air; as thofe whofe
roofs are low quickly refent the incom-
modity of the rain, fnow, and heats;
Which if there be no means eafily to
avoid, yet ought one at leaft to be care-
ful that they afcend to them by four or
five fteps, as I have obferved in the
Ambrojian at Milan ; & the higher the
better, and that as well in refpe6l of its
beauty, as to avoid the named incon-
veniences ; otherwife, the place being
humid, and ill fituated, you muft of ne-
ceffity have recourfe to mats or tapif-
tries, to line the walls withall, and to
the ftove or chimney, in which nothing
muft
a Library 119
muftbe confumed fave wood, which will
burn without fmoke, to heat & dry the
room during the winter, and other wet
feafons of the year.
L But all thefe difficulties and circum-
ftances are nothing to thofe which are
to be obferved for the giving light, and
conveniently placing the windows of a
Library, as well for beingoffo great im-
portance, that it be fully illuminated to
the very fartheft corners, as in refpe<5t
likewife of the feveral natures of the
winds which ordinarily blow, & which
produce effe6ls as different as are their
qualities and the places through which
they pafs ; upon which, I fay, there are
two things to be obferved ; the firft, that
the tranfum and the windows of the Li-
brary (if they mull be through-lights)
120 Erecting of
be not diametrically oppofite, unlefs
thofe onely which give day to fome ta-
ble; thatfo the lights paffingnotthrough,
the place be fufficiently fupplyed. The
fecond, that the principal overtures be
alwayes placed towards the Eaft, as well
becaufe of the early light which the Li-
brary may receive in the morning, as in
refpe<5t of the winds which fpire from
that quarter, which for being hot & dry
of nature, do wonderfully attemper the
air, fortifie the fenfes, fubtilize the hu-
mors, depure the fpirits, preferve a good
conftitution, corre6l the bad, & in a word,
are very healthy and falubrous: where-
as on the contrary, thofe which blow
from the Weft are more troublefom &
noxious, and the Meridional more dan-
gerous than all the reft, for that being
hot
a Library
hot and moift they difpofe things to cor-
ruption, thickentheair,nourifhwormes,
engender vermine, foment and create
fickneffes, difpofing us to new ones;
whence that of Hippocrates, Auftri audi-
tum hebetantes, Caliginofi,caput gravan-
tes,pigri 9 diflblventes; for that they fill
the head with certain vapors & humidi-
ties which cloud the fpirits, relax the
nerves, obftrudl the conduits, obfufk the
fenfe,&render us dull & almoft unfit for
all forts of a6lions; Therefore, in defe6l
of the firft, you fhould have recourfe to
thefeptentrionall, and which by reafon
of their qualities, cold, and drye, ingen-
ders no humidity, and do well conferve
both their Books and Papers.
CHAP.
122 Erecting of
CHAP. VII.
Of the Order which it is requijite to
affign them.
\JU C-7
THE feventh point, and which
feems abfolutely neceflary to be
treated of after the precedent, is that of
the Order and Difpojition which Books
ought to obferve in a Library; for with-
out this, doubtlefs, all inquiring is to no
purpofe, and our labour fruitlefs ; feeing
Books are for no other reafon laid & re-
ferved in this place, but that they may be
ferviceable upon fuch occaiions as pre-
fent themfelves ; Which thing it is not-
withftanding impoffible to eflfe6l, unlefs
they be ranged, and difpofed according
to
a Library 123
to the variety of theirfubje6ts,or infuch
other fort, as that they may eafily be
found,asfoon as named. I affirm, more-
over, that without this Order and difpo-
fition, be the colle6tion of Books what-
ever, were it of fifty thoufand Volumes,
it would no more merit the name of
a Library , than an aflembly of thirty
thoufand men the name of an Army,
unleffe they be martially in their fever-
al quarters, under the conduft of their
Chiefs and Captains ; or a vaft heap of
ftones and materials, that of a Palace or
a houfe, till they be placed and put to-
gether according to rule, to make a per-
fe<5l and accomplifhed ftru6ture. And
juft as we fee Nature, Qua nihil unquam
fine ordine meditata e/t vel effecit, does
govern, entertain, and conferve, by this
onely
124 Erecting of
onely way, fo great a di verfity of things,
without the ufe whereof we could not
fuftain & preferve our bodies; fo ought
we to believe, that to entertain our
fpirit, it is fit that the objefts and things
which it makes ufe of, be in fuch fort
difpofed, that it may alwayes and at
pleafure difcern the one from the other;
draw, and feparate them at his fantafie,
without labour, without pains, without
confufion. Which yet it could never
accomplifh in the affairs of Books, if
one fhould range them by a defign of a
hundred Prefles, as la Croix du Maine
propofes towards the conclufion of his
French Bibliotheque ; or the Caprices
which Julius Camillus expofes in the
Idea of his Theatre ; and much lefs yet,
fhould one purfue the triple divifions
which
a Library 125
which John Mabun infers from thefe
words of the Pfalmift, Difciplinam, bo-
nitatem, & fcientiam doce me y for the
diftribution of all forts of Books under
the three ClaJJes, & principal heads of
Morals, of the Sciences, and of Devo-
tion ; For as the Eele efcapes, by being
too hard preffed, that Artificial Memo-
ry fpoils and perverts the natural, and
that we frequently fail of accomplifhing
many affairs, by crouding them with
too many circumftances and precau-
tions ; fo is it certain, that it would be ex-
treamly difficult for any fpirit, to regu-
late, & accuftom itfelf to this Oecono-
my, which feems not to have any other
fcope but to torture & eternally cruci-
fie the Memory, under the Thorns of
thofe frivolous Punctilios & Chymerick
fubtilties ;
126 Erecting of
fubtilties ; fo far is it from rendring us
the leaft aid, & verifie the faying of Ci-
cero, Ordo e/t maxime qui memories lu-
men qffert. And therefore making no
more efteem of an order that can onely
be followed by an Author, which will
not be underftood, I conceive that to be
alwayes the beft which is moft facil, the
leaft intricate, moft natural, pra<5lifed, &
which follows the Faculties of Theologie,
Phyjick, Jurif prudence, Mathematicks,
Humanity, & others, which fhould be
fubdivided each of them into particulars,
according to their feveral members,
which for this purpofe ought to be rea-
fonably well underftood by him who has
the charge of the Library ; as for exam-
ple, in Divinity, you fhould ever place
the Bibles firft, according to the order
a Library 127
of the tongues,next thefe, the Councells,
Synods, Decrees, Canons, & all that con-
cerns \heEccleJiaftical constitutions; for-
afmuch as they retain the fecond place
of authority amongft us ; After thefe,
the Fathers, Greek & Latine ; then the
Commentators, Scholafticks, Mix'd Doc-
tors, Hiftorians, and finally, the Here-
tiques. In Philojophy, to begin with that
of Trifmegiftus as the moft antient, fol-
low by that of Plato, of Ariftotle, of
Raymondus Lullius, Ramus, and finifh
with the Novators, Telejius, Patricius,
Campanella, Verulamius, Gilbert, Jor-
danus Brunus, GaJJendus, BaJJbnus, Go-
mejius, Carpenter, Gorleus, which are the
principal amongft a thoufand others:
and fo to obferve the like in all Facul-
ties; with thefe cautions, feduloufly ob-
ferved :
iss Erecting of
ferved: the firft, that the moft univerfal
& antient, do alwayes march in front ;
the fecond, that the Interpreters & Com-
mentators be placed apart, & rang'd ac-
cording to the order of the Books which
they explicate ; the third, that the par-
ticular Treatifes follow the rank and
difpofition of their matter and fubjeft,
in the Arts and Sciences; the fourth &
laft, that all Books of like argument &
fubje<5l be precifely reduced, and difci-
plin'd in their deftin'd places ; fince in
fo doing, the memory is fo refrefhed,
that it would be eafie in a moment onely
to find out whatever Book one would
choofe or defire, in a Library that were
as vaft as that of Ptolomy ; to eflfe6l
which yet with more eafe and content-
ment, care muft be had, that thofe Books
which
a Library
which are in too fmall Volumes to be
bound alone, be joyned onely with fuch
as treat upon the like or very fame fub-
je6l ; and yet it were better to bind them
alfo {ingle, then to make fo great a con-
fufion in a Library as joyning them with
others of fubje<5ls fo extravagant and
wide, that a man fhould never imagine
to find them in fuch Companies. I
know well, that one may reprefent to
me here two notable inconveniencies,
which accompany this order ; viz. the
difficulty of handfomly reducing and
placing of certain mixed Books in any
ClaJJes or principal Faculty, and the
continual pains which attends the dif-
turbing of a Library when one is to
range a thirty or fourty Volumes into
feveral places thereof: But to this I
reply,
130 Erecting of
reply, Firft, that there are but very few
Books but what are reducible to fome
order, efpecially when one has many
of them ; being once placed, a very
fleight memory will ferve to admonifh
one where they Hand ; and at the worft,
it is but to deftine a certain place to
martial them in altogether : And as to
the fecond Obje6lion, It is true, that a
man might avoid fome trouble by fet-
ting the Books loofe,or in leaving fome
fmall place at the extreams of the
fhelves, or places, where every faculty
ends : but it would yet, me thinks, be
much more advantagious, to choofe
fome place deftin'd for fuch Books as
fhould be purchafed during every fix
moneths, at expiration whereof they
fhould be ranged amongft the reft, each
in
a Library
in their proper ftages; fince by this
means alfo they would be the better,
being dufted and handled twice a year;
And however, I conceive, that this or-
der being the moil pra6lifed will ever
be efteemed much better & eafier than
that of the Ambrojian Library, & fome
others, where all the Books are indif-
ferently ranged pellmejle, according to
the order of their Volumes and Ciflfers,
and onely diftinguifhed in a Catalogue,
wherein every piece is found under the
name of its Author; forafmuch as that
to avoid the precedent inconveniencies,
it draws along with it an Iliad of others,
to many whereof one may yet prefcribe
a remedy, by a Catalogue faithfully com-
piled according to the Claffes, and each
Faculty fubdivided to the moft precife
and
132 Erecting of
and particular of their parts.
C, There now remains only Manu-
fcripts to be fpoken of, which cannot
be better placed then in fome quarter
of the Library, there being no occafion
to feparate and fequefter them from it ;
lince they compofe the beft part & the
moft curious, & efteemed ; to this add,
that divers eafily perfwade themfelves,
when they do not fee them amongft the
reft of the bookes, that all thofe Cham-
bers where we ufe to fay they are lock't
up, are onely imaginary, and only def-
tin'd to excufe fuch as indeed have none.
There we may fee one intire fide of the
Ambrojian Library which is filled with
nine thoufand Manuscripts , which have
all been aflembled by the care & dili-
gence of the Sieur Jovanni Antonio Ol-
giati;
a Library 133
giati; And in that of M. the Prejident
Thuanus, there is one Chamber of the
fame floor with the reft, deftin'd for this
purpofe. And therefore, in prefcribing
the order which one might thence ob-
ferve, you muft confider that there are
two forts of Manuscripts, & that thofe
which are of a juft Volume & Bulk may
be martial'd as other Books are; with
this precaution neverthelefs, that in cafe
there be any of great confequence, pro-
hibited, and defended, they be placed
upon the upmoft fhelves, & without any
exteriour Title, that fo this may be the
fartheft diftant both from hand and eye,
& fo neither to be known nor handled
but at the difcretion of him which hath
the charge of them ; the fame which
ought alfo to be put in pra6lice with the
other
134
Erecting of
other fort of Manuscripts which confift
in fheets, & fmall loofe pieces ; which
fhould be united by bundles & parcels
according to their fubje<5ls, and placed
upmoft of all the reft, becaufe being
fmall, & eafily tranfcribed, they would
be daily obnoxious to be taken away or
borrowed, if they fhould be placed in
any part where they might be feen &
handled by every one, as it frequently
happens to Books which lye upon dejks
in antient Libraries: And this isfufficient
to have been fpoken upon this point on
which there is no farther need of en-
larging, fince the order of Nature which
is alwayes uniform & like her felf, not
being to be exa<5lly imitated, by rea-
fon of the extravagancy & diversity of
Books, there onely remains that of Art,
which
a Library 135
which every man will for the moft part
eftablifh according to his own fancy,
and as he finds beft to fuite his purpofe,
by his own judgement and underftand-
ing, as well to fatisfie himfelf, as be-
caufe he will not follow the tracks and
opinions of others.
CHAP,
Erectin of
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Ornament and Decoration
neceffarily to be obferved.
I SHOULD willingly difpenfe with
this laft Confideration, to pafs to
that which ought to clofe and fhut up
thefe InftruStions, were I not advertif 'd
by that excellent faying of Typotius, Ig-
notapopulo eft & mortua pene ipf a virtus
fine lenocinio, to fpeak a word by the
way concerning the exteriour parade &
ornament which is requifite to a Libra-
ry, confidering that this fard & decora-
tion feems to be neceflary, fince accord-
ing to the faying of the fame Author,
Omnis apparatus bellicus, omnes machine
forenfes,
a Library 137
forenfes, omnis denique fupellex domef-
tica, ad oftentationem comparata sunt: &
to fpeak truth, that which makes me
the more eafily excufe the paffion of
thofe who at prefent feek after this
pomp with a great deal of expence &
ufelefs coft, is, that the Antients have
therein been more prodigal than we ;
for let us firft of all confider, what the
ftru6lure & building of their Libraries
were ; IJidorus will tell us, that they
were all paved with Serpentine marble,
& the roof overlaid with Gold ; Boetius,
that the Walls were lined with Glafs &
Ivory ; Seneca, that the Prefles & Defks
were of Ebony & Cedar: If we enquire
what rare and exquifite pieces they put
into them; Both the Plinies, Sueton,
Martial , & Vopifcus, will teftifie through
aU
Erecting of
all their works, that they fpar'd neither
Gold nor Silver to decore them with
the Images, and lively Statues of all the
gallant men. And finally, if you would
know what was the Ornament of the
Books ; Seneca does nothing elfe than
reprehend the lux and exceffive ex-
pences which they were at in painting,
gilding, limming, covering and binding,
with all kind of bumbaft, miniardife and
fuperfluity. But that we may extraft
fome inftru6lions from thefe diforders,
we ought to choofe and draw out of
thefe extreams that which is fo requifite
for a Library, that we may at no hand
negleft it, without avarice, nor exceed
without prodigality ; I fay, firft of all,
That as to the binding of Books, there
is no need of extraordinary expence ;
it
a Library 139
it were better to referve that mony for
the purchafing of all the books of the
faireft and beft editions that are to be
found ; unlefs that to delight the eyes
of Spe6lators, you will caufe all the
backs of fuch as fhall be bound as well
in Rough, as in Calvejkin, or Morroccin,
to be gilded with filets, and fome little
flowers, with the name of the Authors ;
for which you may have recourfe to
the Guilder that is ufed to work for
the Library, as alfo to the Binder, to re-
pair the backs and peeled covers, re-
ftitch them, accommodate the tranfpofi-
tions, new pafte the Mapps & Figures,
cleanfe the fpoiled leaves, and briefly,
to keep all things in a condition fit for
the ornament of the place, and the con-
fer vation of the Books.
L Nor
Erecting of
CNor is there any neceffity of feeking
for, and amaffing in a Library all thefe
pieces and fragments of old Statues,
Et Curios jam dimidios, humeroque mi-
norem,
Corvinum, & Galbam auriculis nafoque
carentem ;
It being fufficient to have good Copies
drawn from fuch as are moft famous in
the profeffion of Letters ; that thereby
a man may at once make judgement
of the wit of the Authours by their
Books, and by their bodies ; figure, and
phyfiognomy by thefe Pi6lures and
Images, which joyn'd to the defcription
which many have made of their lives,
may ferve, in my opinion, as a puiflant
fpurre to excite a generous and well-
born
a Library
born Soul to follow their track, and to
continue firm and ftable in the wayes
and beaten paths of fome noble enter-
prife and refolution.
L Much lefs ought one to employ fo
much gold on the Cieling, Ivory and
glafs upon the Walls, the Cedar Shelves,
and Marble Floors, feeing this is not
now in ufe; nor do they now place
their Books upon Defks, as the antients
did ; but upon Shelves that hide all the
Walls ; but in lieu of fuch gildings and
adornings, one may fupply it in Math-
ematical Inftruments, Globes, Mapps,
Spheres, PiStures, Animals, Stones, and
other curiofities as well Artificial as
Natural, which are ordinarily colle6led
from time to time, with very little ex-
pence.
C Finally,
142 Erecting of
CL Finally, it would be a great forget-
fulnefs, if after we have thus furnifht
a Library with all things requifite, it
fhould not have the Shelves garnifh'd
with fome fleight fearge, buckrom or
canvas, fitted on with nails filvered or
gilt, as well to preferve the Books from
duft, as to render a handfom ornament
and grace to the whole place ; and alfo,
fhould it be unprovided of Tables, Car-
pets, Seats, Brufhes, Balls of Jafper,
Conferves, Clocks, Pens, Paper, Ink,
Penneknifes, Sand, Almanacks, and
other fmall moveables, and fuch like
Inftruments, which are of fo little coft,
and yet fo neceflary, that there is no
excufe for fuch as neglecSl to make this
provifion.
CHAP.
a Library 143
CHAP. IX.
What ought to be the principal J cope and
end offuch a Library.
A<L things being in this equipage,
there remains nothing more for
the accomplifhment of this difcourfe,
than to know what ought to be its prin-
cipal end and ufe ; for to imagine that
after all this pains and expence, thefe
lights are to be fet under a Bufhel, and
condemn fo many brave witts to a per-
petual filence & folitude, is ill to under-
ftand the fcope of a Library 9 which nor
more nor lefle thanNature herfelf,P^r-
ditura estfrulumfui,Ji tarn magna, tarn
prceclara, tamfubtiliterdita 9 tarn nitida,
144 Erecting of
&non unogenereformofa 9 folitudine of-
tenderit, fcias illam fpeStari voluifle, non
tantum afpicL Therefore, I fhall tell
you, my Lord, with as much freedom
as affeftion, for your fervice, That in
vain does a man ftrive to put in execu-
tion any of the forefaid Expedients,
or be at any notable charge for Books,
who has not a defign to devote and con-
fecrate them to the publick ufe, or de-
nies to communicate them to the leaft,
who may reap any benefit thereby ; fo
true is that faying of the Poet ,
Vile latens virtus, quid enim demerfa
tenebris
Proderit 9 obfcuro velutijine remige pup-
pis,
Vel lyra qua reticet, vel qui non tenditur
arcus.
a Library 145
So far was it one of the principal M ax-
imes of the moft fumptuous and fplen-
did amongft the Romans, or of thofe
who were moft affefted to the publique
good, to enrich many of thofe Libraries,
to bequeath & deftine them afterwards
to the ufe of all the learned men ; fo that
even according to the calculation of
Peterus ViStor, there were nine & twen-
ty at Rome, and as Palladius reports,
thirty feven, which were fo evident indi-
cations of the grandieur, magnificence,
& fumptuofity of the Romans, that Pan-
cirolus had reafon to attribute to our
negligence, & to range amongft thofe
memorable things of Antiquity, which
defcended not to our times, thefe af-
fured teftimonies of the opulency, and
good affe6lion of the Antients towards
thofe
146 Erecting of
thofe who made profeffion of Letters ;
and that with fo much more reafon, as
that there are at prefent, as far as I
can underftand, none fave thofe of the
Knight Bodley in Oxford ; of Cardinal
Borromeus at Milan, of the Auguftine
Fryers at Rome, where one may freely
enter, and without difficulty; all the
reft, as that ofMuretus 9 Fulvius Urfinus,
Montalto, and the Vatican; OfMedicis,
and Petrus ViStor, at Florence ; of Bejfa-
rion, at Venice ; of St. Anthony ofPadoua;
of the Jacobins, at Boulogne; of the Au-
guftines, at Cremona ; of Cardinal Siri-
pandus, at Naples; of Frederick, Duke
of Urbin ; ofNunneJius, at Barcelona; of
Ximenes, at Complutum; of Ranzovius,
at Brandeburg; ofFoulcres, at Aujbourg;
and finally, the King's at S. ViStor, &
of
a Library 147
of M. de T. at Paris, which are all of
them fair and admirable; but neither
open to every one, nor fo eafie of accefs,
as are the three precedent : for tofpeak
of the Ambrojian of Milan onely, and
fhew how (by the fame means) it fur-
pafies as well in greatnefs and magnifi-
cence, as in obliging the publique, many
of thofe that were even amongft the
Romans ; is it not a thing altogether ex-
traordinary, that any one may come
into it, almoft at all hours he will, ftay
as long as he pleafes, fee, read, extra6l
what Authors he defires, have all the
means & conveniences to do it, be it in
publique or particular, & that without
any other labour, than vifiting it him-
felf at the ordinary dayes, and hours,
placing himfelf in the feats deftin'd for
this
148 Erecting of
this purpofe, & afking of the Bibliothe-
cary for thofe Books which he defires to
make ufe of, or of any three of his fer-
vants, who are well ftipendiated, & en-
tertain'd as well for the fervice of the
Library, as of all thofe who come every
day thither to ftudy in it.
C. But to regulate this liberty with ci-
vility, and all thofe precautions which
are requifite, I fuppofe it would be ex-
pedient to make ele<5lion & choice in
the firft place of fome honeft perfon,
learned, & well experienced in Books,
to give, together with the charge and
requifite ftipends, the title & quality of
Bibliothecary unto, as we fee it has been
pra6lif 'd in all the moft renoun'd Li-
braries, where divers gallant men have
alwayes thought themfel ves much hon-
oured
a Library 149
cured in executing this charge, & have
rendred it mod illuftrious and recom-
mendable by their great learning and
capacity; as for inftance, Demetrius
PhaleriuSy Callimachus, Apollonius, Al-
exandrinus, Ariftoxenus, & Zenodotus,
who had the charge heretofore of that
of Alexandria ; Varro & Hyginus, who
govern'd that on Mount Palatinus at
Rome ; Leidratus and Agobardus, that
of the Ifland Barbe near Lyons under
Charlemaine ; Petrus Diaconus that of
Mount Coffin ; Platina, Eugubinus and
Sirlettus, that of the Vatican ; Sabellius
that of Venice ; Wolphius ofBqfil ; Greu-
ter that of Heidelburgh; Douza and
Paulus Merula that of Ley den, whom
the learned Heinjius has fucceeded ; as
after Budteus, GoJJelinus, & Cafaubon,
150 Erecting of
M. Rigaultius does at prefent govern
the Bibliotheque Royal eftablifhed by
King Francis thejirfl, and exceedingly
augmented by the extream induftry &
diligence which he ufed.
C. After all which it fhall be very re-
quifiteto make two Catalogues of all the
Books contained in the Library, in one
whereof they fhould be fo precifely dif-
pof'd according to their feveral Matters
and Faculties, that one may fee & know
in the twinkling of an eye, all the Au-
thors which do meet there upon the
firft fubje6l that fhall come into ones
head ; and in the other, they fhould be
faithfully ranged and reduced under an
Alphabetical order of their Authours, as
well to avoid the buying of them twice,
as to know what are wanting, & fatisfie
a Library 151
a number of perfons that are fometimes
curious of reading all the works of cer-
tain Authours in particular. Which be-
ing thus eftablifhed, the advantage to
be gained is in my opinion extreamly
important ; be it in refpe<5l to the par-
ticular profit which the Owner & Bib-
liothecary may thereby receive, or in
regard of the renown to be acquired
by their communication with every-
body ; that we may not be like to thofe
avaritious perfons, who take no felicity
in their riches ; or to that malicious Ser-
pent, who fuffered none to approach
and gather the fruits of the Garden of
Hefpendes; efpecially confidering, that
there is nothing eftimable, but as it be-
comes profitable & ufeful : & for that,
concerning Books in particular, they
are
152 Erecting of
are like to the Man of whom Horace
fpeaks in one of his Epiftles,
Odifti claves & grata Jigillapudico
Faucis oftendigemis,&communia laudas.
However, fince it were unreafonable to
profane that indifcreetly which (hould
be managed with judgement, we ought
to obferve; that feeing all Libraries
cannot continually be fo open as the
Ambrojian; it were yet at leaft wife
permitted, that whoever had occafion
for it, fhould have free acceffe to the
Bibliothecary, whofhould introduce him
with the leaft delay or difficulty ; fec-
ondly,that thofe which were altogether
ftrangers, and all others that had ufe
onely of fome paffages, might fearch &
extra<5l out of all printed Books, what-
ever
a Library
ever they flood in need of: thirdly, that
perfons of merit & knowledge might be
indulged to carry fome few ordinary
Books to their own Lodgings, never-
thelefs yet with thefe cautions, that it
fhould not be for above a fortnight or
three weeks at moft, & that the Library-
keeper be careful to regifter in a Book
deftin'd for this purpofe, & divided by
Letters Alphabetically, whatfoever is
fo lent out to one or other, together with
the date of the day, the form of the
Volume, & the place & year of its im-
preffion ; & all this to be subfcribed by
the Borrower, this to be cancel'd when
the Book is returned, & the day of its
reddition put in the margent, thereby
to fee how long it has been kept ; and
that fuch as fhall have merited by their
diligence
154 Erecting of
diligence and care in conferving of
Books, may have others the more read-
ily lent to them. Affuring you, my
Lord, that if it fhall pleafe you to purfue
what you have already begun, & aug-
ment your Library to make this ufe of
it, or fome other which you fhall judge
to be better, you fhall obtain praifes
incomparable, infinite acknowledge-
ments, not vulgar advantages, and in
brief, a fatisfaftion indicible, when by
running over this Catalogue, you fhall
confider the courtefies which you have
done, the gallant men you have obliged,
the perfons which fhall have feen you,
the new friends & fervants which you
fhall have acquired, & in a word, when
you fhall have judged by the finger &
the eye, how much glory & reputation
your
a Library 155
your Library fhall have produced you ;
Towards whofe progrefs and augmen-
tation, I proteft I would willingly, and
whilft I live, contribute all that I could
poffible ; as I have already taken the
boldnefs to render you fome teftimo-
nies of it by thefe Inftru6lions, which I
hope in time fo to polifh and augment,
that it fhall not blufh the publication,
to difcourfe & fpeak more at large on a
fubje<5t not hitherto treated of, & let-
ting the world fee, under the Title of
Bibliotheca Memmiana, what has been
fo long wifhed for, An ample & particu-
lar Hiftory , both of Letters & of Books ;
the Judgement & Cenfure of Authors,
the Names of the beft & moft neceffary
in each Faculty; the Scourge of Pla-
giaries, the Progrefle of the Sciences,
the
156 Erecting of
the Diverfity of SeSts, the Revolutions
of Arts and Difciplines, the Decadence
of the Antient, the feveral Principles of
the Novators; & that Excellent Law of
the Pyrrhenians founded upon the igno-
rance of all men ; under the umbrage
whereof I do moft humbly, my Lord,
befeech you, to excufe my own, and to
receive thefe Render Inftrutfions, though
courfe and ill woven, as pledges of my
good will, and of that which I promife
to prefent you one day, with a greater
attendance, and better equipage.
Nunc te marmoreumpro temporefecimus,
at tu
Sifceturagregemfuppleverit, aureusejlo.
FINIS.
a Library 157
The Copy of a Letter fent to the Learn-
ed, my moft honour'd and worthy
Friend, Dr. Barlow, D.D. Provoft
of Queens Colledge, and late Proto-
Bibliothecary of the Bodleian Libra-
ry in Oxford.
Reverend Sir,
"\) whatpurpofe Ihaddejigrid the
Copy which you were longjince
pleaf'd to favour me with accepting, I do
nowpubli/h; & by this acknowledgement
exprefs my obligations to you; that though
there was nothing of mine in what I
transmitted to you bejide the pleafure of
putting afubjeSt into Englifh, which I
thought might be acceptable to you; you
would yet honour me with Printing at
Oxford ; and where, Jince it was loft, it
is
158 Erecting of
is here retriv'd, and by the fame hand
prefented again to you ; but not as a thing
which can in the leaft pretend to inftruSl
you, who not onely haveprejided over one
of the mojl illuftrious Libraries in the
World; but are alfo of your f elf (as
Eunapius would exprefs the merits of
the Sophift Longinus) /Ji/SXio^'joj ^v
X<>9, fcal TrepiTTdTovv /xoucretoj/ ; and to
whom, with no lefs reafon 9 may well be
apply ed what S. Hieromfaid once of
Origen ; Auxerunt aliorum ftudia Bib-
liothecas, ac per partes compleverunt :
unus tamen ( Barlous ) ingenii facilitate,
Bibliothecam unam quamvis ingentem,
implere potuit. JVbr do I believe that I
Jhall hereby inform you of a thing un-
known to you, by telling you that the per-
fon who publi/hed thefe InJlruStions, P.
Ludovicus
a Library 159
Ludovicus Jacobus, a Monk, hasfet forth
a larger Treatife or Hiftory of the mo/t
famous Libraries, as well publique, as
particular, which have either been hereto-
fore, or are at prefent extant in all the
World; where, what he hathfpoken in
commendation of this Piece, & the learned
Authour of it ; what honourable mention
he makes of the Bodlean especially, & of
all thofe ofthefeveral Colledges in both
our Univerfities, cannot but extreamly
affeft you, and be very acceptable to all
thofe that delight in the progrefs & ad-
vancement of Learning. But Sir, I do
but touch it, and, after my AddreJJes to
my L. Chancellor, fubmit thefe papers to
your favourable cenfure; becaufe I know,
if they receive it now afecond time, they
will be doubly fortified; if not for the fub-
jeSt,
Erecting of a Library
jet,for the great Names which compre-
hend them. But, if from hence alfo the
Gentlemen of our Nation derive fuch
encouragements, as may any way incite
them to imitate thofe gallant &renoun'd
Geniuf 's of our de Bury, Bodley, Cot-
ton, Hales ; Their Memmius, Thuanus,
Putean, Cordeiius, & a thoufand more
celebrated for their Libraries, affeStion to
Books, and promotement of publique de-
Jigns, I/ball then efteem myfelfextreamly
fortunate, in having contributed to fo
great a good ; and especially, if to this
alfo be added your Acceptation of thefe
Exprejfions of it from
Reverend Sir,
Your moft humble, and moft
aflfe<5lionate Servant,
J. EVELYN.
Four hundred and nineteen copies of this book were
printed at the RIVERSIDE PRESS, Cambridge, in
the month of February, Mdcccciii. Of this number
four hundred are for sale.
LENDER
COLL.]