Stephens's Thesaurus, 1734, 4 vols. folio (Lit. An. of xviiith Cent. vol. iv. p. 560.)

Michaelis Maittaire Historia TYPOGRAPHORUM aliquot PARISIENSIUM, vitas ac libros complectens. Londini, 1717, 8vo.

This work is equally rare with the preceding: copies of both these works are in the library of the London Institution.

Michaelis Denisii, primi bibliothecæ Palatinæ custodis, Suffragium pro Johanne de Spira, primo Venetiarum typographo. Vienna, 1794, 8vo.

In this tract the author shows, that the first book printed at Venice, by Spira, was Cicero's Letters: and contends that the date of 1461, assigned to the Decor Puellarum printed by Jenson at Venice, must have arisen from an error of the press, of which he adduces similar instances in the history of printing at Vienna.

CHAPTER IV.

Books.

SECTION I.

Works facilitating the Knowledge of Books in general. ΦΩΤΙΟΥ ΜΥΡΟΒΙΒΛΙΟΝ, ἡ Βιβλιοθηκη.-PHOTI Myrobiblion; sive bibliotheca librorum, quos legit et censuit Photius, patriarcha Constantinopolitanus. Græcè edidit David Hoeschelius, et notis illustravit. Latinè vero

reddidit et scholiis auxit Andreas Schottus. Rothomagi,

1653, folio, edit. opt.

L L

Photius was patriarch of Constantinople in the ninth century, and perhaps the most learned scholar of his time. His Bibliotheca is one of the most valuable remains of antiquity, and contains extracts from, with excellent observations on, two hundred and eighty authors, the greater part of whose works have long since been lost. The lovers of Greek literature must ever regret the non-publication of the MS. of Photius, which the late illustrious professor Porson is known to have transcribed for the press, with equal care and beauty. Baillet has given an impartial character of Photius's Bibliotheca; the merit of which is justly appreciated, while its defects are candidly pointed out. Jugemens des Savans, tom. ii. pp. 7, 8.

BLOUNT.-Censura Celebriorum Authorum; sive Tractatus, quo varia virorum doctorum de clarissimis cujusque sæculi scriptoribus judicia traduntur. Unde facillimo negotio lector dignoscere queat, quid in singulis quibusque istorum authorum maximè memorabile sit, et quonam in pretio apud eruditos semper habiti fuerint. Omnia collegit et in ordinem digessit Thomas Pope Blount, Baronettus. Londini, 1690, folio.

ACHARD.-Cours Elémentaire de Bibliographie, ou la science du bibliothécaire. Ouvrage mis à la portée des eléves des lycées et des écoles sécondaires. Par C. F. Achard, Bibliothécaire de Marseille. 3 vols. 8vo. Marseille, 1806-1807.

The late M. Achard " had an ardent passion for bibliography, but did not understand it so well as he loved it." Such is the severe judgment of Peignot, which we must, in justice, confirm, lest the student should be misled by the imposing title of the book. Though it contains numerous useful facts, yet these are devoid of arrangement; and, as the work was published in livraisons or parts, by subscription, it should

seem that for want of materials, the author was obliged to make copious extracts from Santander, the Abbés Mauro Boni and Bartolomeo, Gamba, and other able bibliographers. The most useful part of the work perhaps is his collection of the systems recommended by De Bure, Peignot, Barbier, &c. &c.

BARETTI.-The Italian Library: containing an account of the lives and works of the most valuable authors of Italy; with a preface, exhibiting the changes of the Tuscan language, from the barbarous ages to the present time. By Giuseppe Baretti. London, 1757,

8vo.

BARRAL.-Nouvelle Bibliothéque Choisie, où l'on fait connoître les bons livres en divers genres de littérature, et l'usage qu'on en doit faire, par l'Abbé Barral. Amst. 1714, 2 vols. 12mo.

BARTHOLINI (THOME) de legendis libris Dissertationes; quas propter raritatem ac præstantiam publicæ luci restituit, et de vanâ librorum pompâ præfatus est Joh. Ger. Meuschen. Haga Com. 1711, 8vo.

The first edition of this rare work appeared in 1675, in 8vo. The author proceeds on the principle recommended by Quintilian, of first selecting authors, and afterwards choosing passages from their works. According to Bartholinus, the best book of Aristotle is his treatise de Animalibus; of Hippocrates, Coacæ Prænotiones; of Cicero, de Officiis; of Galen, du usu Partium; of Theocritus, the twenty-seventh Idyll; of Virgil, the sixth book of the Eneid; of Horace, the first and seventh of his Epistles; of Catullus, Coma Bercnices; of Juvenal, the sixth Satire; of Plautus, the Epidicus; of Tertullian, de Pallio; of St. Augustin, de Civitate Dei; of Paracelsus, de Chirurgia; of Severinus, de Abscessibus ; of Budæus, Commentarii de linguâ Græcâ; of Joseph Scaliger, de Emendatione temporum; of Bellarmin, de Scriptori

bus Ecclesiasticis; of Salmasius, Exercitationes Pliniana; of Vossius, Institutiones Oratoria; of Heinsius, Aristarchus Sacer; and of Casaubon, Exercitationes in Baronium. Similar judgments, however, are not always to be depended upon. M. Peiguot (to whom we are indebted for the present analysis of this curious work) remarks that an Index Literarius, which should exhibit the result of sound criticism on select passages from the works of the principal writers, would be of the greatest utility, both for perfecting the taste, and also for facilitating the formation of a good but not voluminous library. Thus, a rich man, of an original and well instructed mind, might conveniently furnish himself with such a library; he could purchase a work, and after perusing it, if he should find only one page of any value, he could 'tear out the leaf, and commit the rest of the book to the flames! His library, indeed, would not appear very large, but it would be the more precious. (Peignot, Dict. de Bibliol. tom. i. p. 385.) A copy of the best edition of Bartholinus, sold from the late Rev. Dr. Gossett's library, for the very moderate sum of 4s. 6d.

BIBLIOGRAPHIE Etrangere, ou repertoire méthodique des ouvrages intéressans en tous genres, qui ont parus en langues anciennes et modernes, dans les divers pays étrangères à la France, 1800-1810. 3 tomes. 8vo, Paris, 1800-1810.

This work is a catalogue raisonné of all the books in the Journal Général de la Littérature Etrangére.

BOULARD.-Traité élémentaire de Bibliographie, par S. Boulard, imprimeur-libraire. Paris, 1804, 1805, 2 parts, 8vo.

This work discusses the qualifications of bibliographers-the principal works of which a library ought to consist-the rarity and depreciation of books-the choice of books and editions--the invention of printing-the formation of a li

brary-antient editions-manuscripts, &c. For the present notice of M. Boulard's work, we are indebted to Achard's Cours élément. de Bibliographie, tom. iii. p. 5, et seq. The chapters on MSS. and the choice of French books for a library are given entire in pp. 8-13, 55-73, of the same volume.

BURI (RICHARDI DE, Dilmenensis Episcopi) Phylobiblon de querimoniis librorum, omnibus literarum amatoribus perutile (Spiræ, per Johannem et Conradum Hiist, inclyta Spirensis urbis librarios.) MCCCCLXXIII. 4to. This is considered by Santander (Bibl. Chois. tom. ii. p. 257.) as the first edition; though Brunet (Manuel, tom. i. p. 189.) notices one at Cologne, 1473, 4to, without any printer's name, as being the editio princeps. It was again reprinted at Paris, with the title: Richardi de Buri Philobiblion, seu de amore librorum et institutione bibliothecarum tractatus, apud Jodocum Badium Ascensium. Paris, 1500, 4to. Another edition appeared at the same place and in the same year, by Philip for Petit, also in 4to. The next edition was at Oxford, in 1599. Another appeared at Frankfort in 1610, 8vo, with a "century of philological letters,” collected by Goldastus. A second 8vo edition was printed at Leipsic in 1674, 8vo; and lastly, a handsome impression in 4to, at the same place, in 1703. Of all these editions some notice will be found in Mr. Dibdin's Bibliomania, p. 38, note. The Oxford edition of 1599, by Thomas James, is most known in this country, but (like all the others) is exceedingly rare a copy of it, as well as of the Frankfort edition, is in the British Museum. The work is also extant in MS. in the Cottonian library, in the Royal library, and in other libraries at Oxford and Cambridge.

Richard Aungervyle or de Bury, bishop of Durham, was born at Bury St. Edmund's (whence his name) in 1281, and educated at Oxford: he was tutor to Edward III. by whom he was advanced to the episcopal dignity in 1333; in the following year he was made lord high chancellor, and in 1336,