Je me recommande toujours a M, Barbier pour la _Scala Coeli_, in
folio, pour les _Lettres de Rangouge_, et pour les autres livres qu'il
a bien voulu se charger de rechercher pour moy." ST. LEGER.

[101] The Abbe Hooke preceded the abbe Le Blond; the late head librarian.
The present head librarian M. PETIT RADEL, has given a good account of
the Mazarine Library in his _Recherches sur les Bibliotheques_, &c.
1819, 8vo.; but he has been reproached with a sort of studied omission
of the name of Liblond--who, according to a safe and skilful writer,
may be well considered the SECOND FOUNDER of the Mazarine Library. The
Abbe Liblond died at St. Cloud in 1796. In M. Renouard's Catalogue of
his own books, vol. ii. p. 253, an amusing story is told about Hooke's
successor, the Abbe Le Blond, and Renouard himself.

[102] _Bibl. Spenceriana_, vol. i. p. 3, &c. and page 154 ante.

[103] When Lord Spencer was at Paris in 1819, he told MM. Petit Radel and
Thiebaut, who attended him, that it was "the finest copy he had ever
seen." Whereupon, one of these gentlemen wrote with a pencil, in the
fly-leaf, "Lord Spencer dit que c'est le plus bel exemplaire qu'il ait
vu." And well might his Lordship say so.

[104] _Bibliomania_, p. 50. _Bibliographical Decameron_, vol. ii.
p. 493.

[105] Mons. Petit-Radel has lately (1819) published an interesting octavo
volume, entitled "_Recherches sur les Bibliotheques anciennes et
modernes,&c._ with a "_Notice Historique sur la Bibliotheque
Mazarine_: to which latter is prefixed a plate, containing portraits
in outline, of Mazarin, Colbert, Naude and Le Blond." At the end, is a
list of the number of volumes in the several public libraries at
Paris: from which the following is selected.

ROYAL LIBRARY _Printed Volumes_ about 350,000
_Ditto, as brochures_, &c. 350,000
Manuscripts 50,000

LIBRARY OF THE ARSENAL Printed Volumes 150,000
Manuscripts 5,000

LIBRARY OF ST. GENEVIEVE Printed Volumes 110,000
Manuscripts 2,000

MAZARINE LIBRARY Printed Volumes 90,000
Manuscripts 3,500

LIBRARY OF THE PREFECTURE
(Hotel de la Ville) Printed Volumes