s consider the numerous bibliographies of countries, or those
devoted to national literature; following that by the still more numerous
special bibliographies, or those embracing works on specially designated
subjects. The two classes last named are by far the most numerous.

Although what may be termed a "universal catalogue" has been the dream of
scholars for many ages, it is as far as ever from being realized--and in
fact much farther than ever before, since each year that is added to the
long roll of the past increases enormously the number of books to be
dealt with, and consequently the difficulties of the problem. We may set
down the publication of a work which should contain the titles of all
books ever printed, as a practical impossibility. The world's literature
is too vast and complex to be completely catalogued, whether on the
cooeperative plan, or any other. Meanwhile the many thousands of volumes,
each of which has been devoted to some portion of the vast and
ever-increasing stores of literature and science which human brains have
put in print, will serve to aid the researches of the student, when
rightly guided by an intelligent librarian.

Notwithstanding the hopeless nature of the quest, it is true that some
men of learning have essayed what have been termed universal
bibliographies. The earliest attempt in this direction was published at
Zuerich in 1545, under the title of "Bibliotheca Universalis," by Conrad
Gesner, a Swiss scholar whose acquisition of knowledge was so extensive
that he was styled "a miracle of learning." This great work gave the
titles of all books of which its author could find trace, and was
illustrated by a mass of bibliographical notes and criticism. It long
held a high place in the world of letters, though it is now seldom
referred to in the plethora of more modern works of bibliography. In
1625, the bookseller B. Ostern put forth at Frankfort, his _Bibliotheque
Universelle_, a catalogue of all books from 1500 to 1624. In 1742, Th.
Georgi issued in eleven folio volumes, his _Allgemeines Europaeisches_
_Buecher-lexikon_, claiming to represent the works of nearly all writers
from 1500 down to 1739. This formidable catalogue may perhaps be said to
embrace more forgotten books than any other in the literary history of
the world.

Almost equally formidable, however, is the bibliography of that erudite
scholar, Christian G. Joecher, who put forth in 1750, at Leipzig, his
_Allgemeines