"_Mettez-lui une messe dans le
ventre_"--repiled [Transcriber's Note: replied] Rive. The
clergyman expressing his ignorance of the nature of the
advice given, the facetious Abbe replied, "Go and tear a
leaf from your _mass book_, wrap a musket-ball in it, and
discharge it at the tyrant." The Duke de la Valliere used to
say--when the knowing ones at his house were wrangling about
some literary or bibliographical point--"Gentlemen, I'll go
and let loose my bull dog,"--and sent into them the Abbe,
who speedily put them all to rights. Rive died in the year
1791, aged seventy-one. He had great parts and great
application; but in misapplying both he was his own
tormentor. His library was sold in 1793.]

Next to the bust of De Bure, consider those of the five Italian
bibliographers and literati, HAYM, FONTANINI, ZENO, MAZZUCHELLI, and
TIRABOSCHI; which are placed in the five consecutive niches. Their
works are of various merit, but are all superior to that of their
predecessor DONI. Although those of the first three authors should
find a place in every bibliographical collection, the productions of
Mazzuchelli,[149] and especially of the immortal Tiraboschi, cannot
fail to be admitted into every judicious library, whether vast or
confined. Italy boasts of few literary characters of a higher class,
or of a more widely-diffused reputation than TIRABOSCHI.[150] His
diligence, his sagacity, his candour, his constant and patriotic
exertions to do justice to the reputation of his countrymen, and to
rescue departed worth from ill-merited oblivion, assign to him an
exalted situation: a situation with the Poggios and Politians of
former times, in the everlasting temple of Fame! Bind his _Storia
della Letteratura Italiana_ in the choicest vellum, or in the stoutest
Russia; for it merits no mean covering!

[Footnote 149: We may first observe that "_La Libraria del_
DONI _Fiorentino_;" Vinegia, 1558, 8vo., is yet coveted by
collectors as the most complete and esteemed of all the
editions of this work. It is ornamented with many portraits
of authors, and is now rare. Consult _Bibl. Crevenn._, vol.
v., p. 275. Numerous are the editions of HAYM'S _Biblioteca
Italiana_; but those of Milan, of the date of 1771, 4to., 2
vols., and 1803, 8vo. 4 vols., are generally purchased by
the skilful in Italian bibliography. The best edition of