POETAE GRAECI HEROICI. 1556. Printed by H. Stephen. Folio.  De Thou’s own copy—­and, upon the whole, perhaps MATCHLESS.  The sight of this splendid volume would repay the toil of a pilgrimage of some fourscore miles, over Lapland snows.  There is another fine copy of the same edition, which belonged to Diana and her royal slave; but it is much inferior to De Thou’s.

The frequent mention of DE THOU reminds me of the extraordinary number of copies, which came from his library, and which are placed upon the shelves of the fourth or following room.  Perhaps no other library can boast of such a numerous collection of similar copies.  It was, while gazing upon these interesting volumes along with M. Van Praet, that the latter told me he remembered seeing the ENTIRE LIBRARY of De Thou—­before it was dispersed by the sale of the collection of the Prince de Soubise in 1788—­in which it had been wholly embodied, partly by descent, and partly by purchase.  And now farewell ... to the BIBLIOTHEQUE DU ROI.  We have, I think, tarried in it a good long time; and recreated ourselves with a profusion of RICH AND RARE GEMS in the book-way—­whether as specimens of the pencil, or of the press.  I can never regret the time so devoted—­nor shall ever banish from my recollection the attention, civility, and kindness which I have received, from all quarters, in this magnificent library.  It remains only to shake hands with the whole Corps Bibliographique, who preside over these regions of knowledge, and whose names have been so frequently mentioned—­and, making our bow, to walk arm in arm together to the

LIBRARY OF THE ARSENAL.

The way thither is very interesting, although not very short.  Whether your hackney coachman take you through the Marche des Innocents, or straight forward, along the banks of the Seine—­passing two or three bridges—­you will be almost equally amused.  But reflections of a graver cast will arise, when you call to mind that it was in his way to THIS VERY LIBRARY—­to have a little bibliographical, or rather perhaps political, chat with his beloved Sully—­that Henry IV. fell by the hand of an Assassin.[87] They shew you, at the further end of the apartments—­distinguished by its ornaments of gilt, and elaborate carvings—­the very boudoir ... where that monarch and his prime minister frequently retired to settle the affairs of the nation.  Certainly, no man of education or of taste can enter such an apartment without a diversion of some kind being given to the current of his feelings.  I will frankly own that I lost, for one little minute, the recollection of the hundreds and thousands of volumes—­ including even those which adorn the chamber wherein the head librarian sits—­which I had surveyed in my route thither.  However, my present object must be exclusively confined to an account of a very few choice articles of these hundreds and thousands of volumes.