theque devint un depot
universel. Dans ses frequens voyages, s'il s'arretoit
quelques instans dans une ville, on le voyoit visiter
lui-meme les libraries, s'introduire dans les maisons
religieuses, s'insinuer dans les cabinets d'amateurs,
chercher par-tout a acquerir; c'etoit un besoin pour lui
d'acheter sans cesse, d'entasser les volumes. Cette passion
a peut-etre ses exces; mais du moins, elle ne fut pas pour
le cardinal de Lomenie une manie sterile. Non seulement il
aimoit, il connoissoit les livres, mais il savoit s'en
servir; sans contredit il fut un des hommes les plus
eclaires du Clerge de France."----To return from this
pleasing rhapsody to the catalogue, the title of which is
above given. It is composed by Laire, in the Latin language,
with sufficient bibliographical skill: but the index is the
most puzzling one imaginable. The uncommonly curious and
magnificent collection, not being disposed of "en
masse"--according to advertisement--was broken up; and the
more ancient books were sold by auction at Paris, in 1792,
from a French catalogue prepared by De Bure. Some of the
books were purchased by Mr. Edwards, and sold at London in
the Paris collection [vide p. 90, post]; as were also those
relating to Natural History; which latter were sold by
auction without his Eminence's name: but it is a gross error
in the _Bibl. Krohn_, p. 259, no. 3466, to say that many
of these books were impious and obscene. These are scarce
and dear volumes; and as they supply some deficiencies
[Transcriber's Note: missing 'in'] Audiffredi's account of
books published at Rome in the xvth century [vid. p. 62,
ante], the bibliographer should omit no opportunity of
possessing them.----LOMENIE. _D'une partie des livres de la
Bibliotheque du Cardinal de Lomenie de Brienne_, Paris, an.
v. [1797], 8vo. This collection, the fragments or ruins of
the Lomenie library, contains 2754 articles, or numbers,
with a rich sprinkling of Italian literature; leaving
behind, however, a surplus of not fewer than twelve hundred
pieces relating to the Italian Drama--many of them
rare--which were to be sold at a future auction. From the
biographical memoir prefixed to this catalogue, I have given
the preceding extract concerning the character of the owner
of the