treasurer of England. This learned and munificent prelate founded a public library at Oxford for the benefit of the students having furnished it with the best collection of books then in England, he fixed it in the place where Durham (now Trinity) College was subsequently built; and wrote his Philobiblion, a treatise containing rules for the management of the library, how the books were to be preserved, and on what conditions lent out to the scholars. It is written in very indifferent Latin, in a declamatory style, and is divided into 20 chapters. In chapter I. the author praises wisdom and books in which it is contained. II. That books are to be preferred to riches and pleasure. III. That they ought to be always bought. IV. How much good arises from books, and that they are misused only by ignorant people. V. That good monks write books, while bad ones are otherwise employed. VI. The praise of the antient begging friars, with a reproof of the modern ones. VII. He bewails the loss of books by fire and wars. VIII. He shews what fine opportunities he had of collecting books while he was chancellor and treasurer, as well as during his embassies. IX. That the antients surpassed the moderns in hard studying. X. That learning arrives at perfection by degrees, and that he had procured a Greek and Hebrew Grammar. XI. That the law and law books are not properly learning. XII. The usefulness and necessity of grammar. XIII. An apology for poetry, and the usefulness of it. XIV. Who ought to love books, XV. The manifold advantages of learning. XVI. Of writing new books and mending old ones. XVII. Of using books well, and in what manner they should be placed. XVIII. An answer to his calumniators. XIX. On what conditions books are to be lent to strangers. XX, Con

clusion.

Beside the Philobiblion, our author wrote Familiarium Epistolarum librum unum : Some of these letters are addressed to Petrarch, with whom he corresponded. He also composed Orationes ad Principes, in one book. It should be added,

that the real author is supposed to have been Robert Holcot, a Dominican friar. (Biog. Brit. 2d edit. vol. I. pp. 370, 371, and the authorities there referred to, which contain some additional particulars, of which the limits of this notice will not admit the insertion.)

CALMET.-Dissertation sur la matiére et la forme des livres anciens, par dom Augustin Calmet.

In the first volume of his elaborate Commentaire Littérale sur la Bible. Paris, 1724, vol. I. part I. page xl, et seq.

COLLINS. A Guide to Parents and Tutors in the choice and use of books in every branch of education; pointing out their respective merits, and the order in which they should be successively adopted. By Joshua Collins, A.M. 12mo, London, 1805, (4th edit.)

Though professedly devoted to the information of youth, this useful little work demands a notice, as containing one of the best lists of standard modern English works. A new edition with corrections (which we have not seen) has lately been published. A similar work was printed many years ago, intituled "Directions for a proper Choice of Authors to form a library, .. intended for those readers who are only acquainted with the English language. With a correct list of proper books on the several subjects." London, 1766, 8vo.

DENINA.-Bibliopea, o sia l'arte di compor Libri, da Carlo Denina. 8vo, Torino, 1776.

In the library of the London Institution.

DENIS.-Einleitung in Bucherkunde, &c. i. e. An Introduction to the Knowledge of Books. By M. Denis, keeper of the Imperial library at Vienna. 4to, 2 vols. Vienna, 1777, 1778; 2d edit. Vienna, 1795, 6. 2 vols. 4to.

This work, as well as every other of the same author, is greatly esteemed on the Continent: no French or English translation

of it has yet been published. Considerable extracts, however, are inserted in the Esprit des Journeaux of March, April and May, 1779; and of March, September, October and December, 1780. (Brunet, tom. i. p. 333.) The following outline of M. Denis's Introduction is given from the Monthly Review (Old Series) vol. Ixi. pp. 303, 304. “This work, which is the substance of a course of academical lectures, designed to give his pupils an extensive knowledge of books, and to assist them in forming libraries, is divided by the author, into two parts. The first is called bibliography; the second contains the history of literature. The bibliographical part is divided into three periods. In the first is given an account of the books relative to the Jews, Orientals, Greeks and Romans, to the establishment of Christianity-of the origin of writing-the primitive forms of letters-the substances on which writing was performed—the instruments employed-and of the forms of books. The second period contains a history of books relative to the eastern, western, and the remotest nations: it exhibits the preludes to the art of printing-its actual discovery, progress and improvement during the 15th century. The third period presents a history of the most celebrated libraries in Europe, comprehending printed books and MSS. In this exhibition the books are reduced under the classes of theology, law, philosophy, physic, mathematics, history and philology; and are considered with respect to their number, their qualities, rarity, &c. And the manuscripts, in whatever language, are enumerated, but without many critical illustrations."

DIBDIN.-Bibliomania; or, Book-Madness; a bibliographical romance, in six parts, illustrated with cuts. By the Rev. Thomas Frognal Dibdin. London, 1811,

8vo.

This "Bibliographical Romance" was preceded by a pamphlet of 87 pages, intituled Bibliomania; or, Book-madness ; containing some account of the history, symptoms and cure of

this fatal disease, in an epistle to Richard Heber, Esq. 8vo. London, 1809. To the extensive and amusing information contained in these works, the larger volume especially, the limits of this notice are inadequate to render justice. All Mr. Dibdin's publications are indispensably necessary to the bibliographical student. Happy may he deem himself who possesses a copy of this work; which, though published at £1.7s. is now not to be procured for less than £6. 6s. The deserved popularity of the Bibliomania suggested to some anonymous writer the idea of satirizing the mania for prints in a volume intituled " Chalcographimania; or, the Portrait Collector and Printseller's Chronicle, with infatuations of every description. A humorous poem, in four books, with copious notes explanatory. By Satiricus Sculptor, Esq. London, 1814, 8vo. Of this the less is said the better. The poem is any thing but humorous, and to the notes may justly be applied the author's motto Cacoethes Carpendi: it is throughout tinctured with malevolence. The cut prefixed, purports to be copied from an unique print of Will Somers the jester, which has no existence !-Mr. Dibdin's first amusing trifle gave being to an anonymous and vapid attempt at wit, called Biblioso, phia; or, Book Wisdom; containing some account of that glorious vocation book collecting. By an Aspirant. II. The Twelve Labours of an Editor, separately pitted against those of Hercules. 12mo, London, 1810.

J. F. ECKHARD.-Exercitatio de editione librorum apud veteres. Isenaci, 1776, 4to.

JOH. ESBERGII de libris veterum Exercitatio. Upsaliæ, 1701, 4to.

FERRIAR.-The Bibliomania, an Epistle to Richard Heber, Esq. By John Ferriar, M.D. London, 1809,

4to.

This little poem very lightly touches the subject; and to the regret of the reader concludes almost as soon as it begun.

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GESNER. Bibliotheca instituta et collecta, primum à Conrado Gesnero; deinde in epitomen redacta, et novorum librorum accessione locupletata, tertiò recognita, et in duplum post priores aucta, per Josiam Simlerum; jam vero postremò aliquot mille, cùm priorum tùm novorum authorum opusculis, ex Viennensi Austriæ Bibliotheca amplificata, per Johannem Jacobum Frisium Tigurinum. Tiguri, 1583, folio.

Conrad

This edition is more esteemed than that of 1545.
Gesner, surnamed the Pliny of Germany, was born at Zurich
in 1516, and died in 1565. Consult Dibdin's Bibl. pp.
39, 40.

HEINSIUS.-Algemeines Bucher Lexicon, oder alphabetisches Verzeichniss der in Deutschland und den angrenz den Landem gedruckten bucher, &c. i. e. An Universal Bibliographical Dictionary of books printed in Germany and the neighbouring counties, with the names of the editors and the prices (in dollars and groschen.) By William Heinsius. Leipzic and Paris, 1793-1798, 5 vols. 4to.

JACOBI JACOBEI Dissertatio philologico-critica, de materia et forma librorum apud veteres, ante inventam artem typographicam ex occasione eorum, qui in Novo Testamento occurrunt. Hafniæ, 1706, 4to.

KETT.-Elements of General Knowledge, introductory to useful books in the principal branches of literature and science, with lists of the most approved authors, including the best editions of the classics. By Henry Kett, B.D. 7th edit. London, 1809, 2 vols.

8vo.

This useful work is noticed here on account of the copious list of books at the end of the second volume. In the selecting

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