nd modest CONRAD GESNER;
at once a scholar, a philosopher, and a bibliographer: and upon whom
Julius Scaliger, Theodore Beza, and De Thou, have pronounced noble
eulogiums.[101] His _Bibliotheca Universalis_ was the first thing,
since the discovery of the art of printing, which enabled the curious
to become acquainted with the works of preceding authors: thus
kindling, by the light of such a lamp, the fire of emulation among his
contemporaries and successors. I do not pretend to say that the
_Bibliotheca_ of Gesner is any thing like perfect, even as far as it
goes: but, considering that the author had to work with his own
materials alone, and that the degree of fame and profit attached to
such a publication was purely speculative, he undoubtedly merits the
thanks of posterity for having completed it even in the manner in
which it has come down to us. Consider Gesner as the father of
bibliography; and if, at the sale of Malvolio's busts, there be one of
this great man, purchase it, good Lisardo, and place it over the
portico of your library.

[Footnote 101: His _Bibliotheca_, or _Catalogus Universalis,
&c._, was first printed in a handsome folio volume at
Zurich, 1545. Lycosthyne put forth a wretched abridgement of
this work, which was printed by the learned Oporinus, in
4to., 1551. Robert Constantine, the lexicographer, also
abridged and published it in 1555, Paris, 8vo.; and William
Canter is said by Labbe to have written notes upon Simler's
edition, which Baillet took for granted to be in existence,
and laments not to have seen them; but he is properly
corrected by De La Monnoye, who reminds us that it was a
mere report, which Labbe gave as he found it. I never saw
Simler's own editions of his excellent abridgement and
enlargement of it in 1555 and 1574; but Frisius published
it, with great improvements, in 1583, fol., adding many
articles, and abridging and omitting many others. Although
this latter edition be called the _edit. opt._ it will be
evident that the _editio originalis_ is yet a desideratum in
every bibliographical collection. Nor indeed does Frisius's
edition take away the necessity of consulting a supplement
to Gesner, which appeared at the end of the _Bibliotheque
Francoise_ of Du Verdier, 1584. It may be worth stating that
Hallevordius's _Bibliotheca Curiosa_, 1656, 1687, 4to., is
little