On obtaining admission, I enquired for the librarian, but was told that he had not yet (two o’clock) risen from dinner.  I apologised for the intrusion, and begged respectfully to be allowed to wait till he should be disposed to leave the dining-room.  The attendant, however, would admit of no such arrangement; for he instantly disappeared, and returned with a monk, habited in the Augustine garb, with a grave aspect and measured step.  He might be somewhere about forty years of age.  As he did not understand a word of French, it became necessary again to brush up my Latin.  He begged I would follow him up stairs, and in the way to the library, would not allow me to utter one word further in apology for my supposed rudeness in bringing him thus abruptly from his “symposium.”  A more good natured man seemingly never opened his lips.  Having reached the library, the first thing he placed before me—­as the boast and triumph of their establishment—­was, a large paper copy (in quarto) of an edition of the Hebrew Bible, edited by I. Hahn, one of their fraternity, and published in 1806, 4 vols.[155] This was accomplished under the patronage of the Head of the Monastery, Gaudentius Dunkler:  who was at the sole expense of the paper and of procuring new Hebrew types.  I threw my eye over the dedication to the President, by Hahn, and saw the former with pleasure recognised as the MODERN XIMENES.

Having thanked the librarian for a sight of these volumes—­of which there is an impression in an octavo and cheap form, “for the use of youth”—­I begged that I might have a sight of the Incunabula Typographica of which I had heard a high character.  He smiled, and said that a few minutes would suffice to undeceive me in this particular.  Whereupon he placed before me ... such a set of genuine, unsoiled, uncropt, undoctored, ponderous folio tomes ... as verily caused my eyes to sparkle, and my heart to leap!  They were, upon the whole—–­and for their number—­such copies as I had never before seen.  You have here a very accurate account of them—­taken, with the said copies “oculis subjectis.” St. Austin de Civitate Dei, 1467. Folio.  A very large and sound copy, in the original binding of wood; but not free from a good deal of ms. annotation. Mentelin’s German Bible; somewhat cropt, and in its second binding, but sound and perfect. Supposed first German Bible:  a large and fine copy, in its first binding of wood. Apuleius, 1469.  Folio.  The largest and finest copy which, I think, I ever beheld—­with the exception of some slight worm holes at the end. Livius, 1470.  Folio. 2 vols. Printed by V. de Spira. In the original binding.  When I say that this copy appears to be full as fine as that in the collection of Mr. Grenville, I bestow upon it the highest possible commendation. Plutarchi Vit.  Parall. 2 vol.  Folio.  In the well known peculiarly shaped letter R. This copy, in one magnificent folio volume, is the largest and finest I ever saw:  but—­eheu! a few leaves are wanting at the end. Polybius.  Lat. 1473.  Folio.  The printers are Sweynheym and Pannartz.  A large, fine copy; in the original binding of wood:  but four leaves at the end, with a strong foxy tint at top, are worm-eaten in the middle.