suited to the English taste, unless it might be in the
case of a rich nobleman, to whom space and cost were alike
indifferent. It was not likely to meet with adoption even by Evelyn
himself, of whose acquisitions we know enough to judge that he
followed his own personal sentiments rather than professional or
technical advice. It rarely occurs that in the less ambitious types of
library there are any bibliographical details likely to prove
serviceable to the public; and the extent of knowledge gained by the
owner in the course of his own experience should suffice to qualify
him to become, where time is presumably not an object, his own
cataloguer. For all that can be required is a hand-list on the scale
of the Douce or Malone separate catalogues, where a title seldom
occupies more than a single line. Plentiful illustrations of our
meaning will be found by any one who opens the Grenville or Huth
Catalogue, and perceives the wide discrepancy between the essential
information and the descriptive and critical accounts. The primary
motive in drawing up a view of the contents of ninety-nine libraries
out of a hundred is the facilitation of reference, combined with an
excusable personal pride; but a great deal of repetition and
redundancy and useless expense are incurred by the literal transcript
of the titles of books more or less familiar to all who are interested
in them.

A very heavy proportion of the Early English entries in the Huth
Catalogue are duplicates of those in the writer's _Collections_, and
the same would be the case if the long-expected book on the Britwell
heirlooms were to make its appearance. It would be, to a large extent,
_bis cocta_.

In a private catalogue detailed explanation is required in the
interest of bibliography, only where (i.) the owner happens to possess
an unrecorded book; or (ii.) an unknown impression; or (iii.) a
variant copy. Defects in important items should be particularised; in
others the word _imperfect_ is sufficient; and it is best to indicate
from what source they have come to the immediate repository. Take a
few instances:--

Reynard the Fox, 1st edit. The Inglis copy. Folio, W. Caxton,
Westminster, 1481.

Hannay (Patrick), Poems. The Huth copy. 8vo, London, 1622.

Holinshed (Raphael), Chronicles, 2 vols. The Sunderland copy.
Wants the plan of Edinburgh Castle. Folio, London, 1577.

Shakespeare (W.), Plays, 1st edit. The Napier copy, wanting