spring, which never dried up. Perhaps there are no persons, whose conversation is more to be feared by a learned man, than that of great lords, who love learning. For, as they are used to speak without preparation on the things, which are under their cognizance, they conceive an ill opinion of a man who does not answer readily to the questions, which are asked him concerning his profession. Now how

The

many learned divines are there, who would be cruelly puzzled by a question, put on a sudden, concerning the year, progress, issue, and chief circumstances of a council? I have heard a famous historiographer of France confess ingenuously, that he did not know in what age Philip the Fair lived. The more a man reads, and the more collections he makes, the less fit is he to answer immediately to questions about matters of fact; so that there are some persons, that make their learning no less to be admired in their books, than their ignorance in conversation. Blondels, the Salmasius's, and a very small number of such like persons, are not subject to this misfortune. But others fall into dangerous hands, when they are to go through the continual questions of a person of quality, who loves books. I have heard say, that the Marshall de Crequi, being retired to a country-house during his disgrace, sent for the most learned man of that part of the country. The prior of a monastery was brought to him. Fifteen days had not passed before he said, that they had brought him the most ignorant man in the world. Not but that this prior knew a great many things, and might have satisfied Monsieur de Crequi, if he had had time to prepare himself; but, to tell immediately the proper names, the dates, and other circumstances, was what he could not do.-Art. CASTELLAN.

LIBRARY.

(Reflections on the fate of that of Ancillon.)

THE estate, which M. Ancillon, a French Protestant divine of great eminence in the seventeenth century, gained by his marriage, having put him in að condition of gratifying his favourite passion, he bough all the capital books, which may be called the pillars of a great library; such as the most curious bible either for the editions or notes; several dictionaries the most excellent commentaries on the scriptures; the works of the fathers; collections of councils; ecclesiastical histories; and several others of the like nature; all of the best editions. He observed this maxim ever after, and gave good reasons for it. An account of which would be too tedious; however, the substance of them, in few words, is this. He said, that the less the eye is fatigued in reading a book, the more at liberty the mind is to judge of it. That, as the beauties and faults of it are more easily perceived, when it is printed, than in manuscript; so the same beauties and faults are more clearly seen, when it is printed in a fair character, and upon good paper, than when it is printed on bad paper, or with a bad letter. Having thus laid a good foundation for a library, he increased it with all the good books, which came out afterwards. He had the pleasure of reading all the new books; for his friends in Paris, Holland, England, Germany, Switzerland, and Geneva, with whom he kept a strict correspondence, sent them to him as soon as they were exposed to sale. The opinion of those, who say, that the first editions are the least valuable, because they are of no use, but to make the works of an author appear in a fairer character, did not abate his curiosity. He was not ignorant, that the famous M. Menage, Dean of St Peter's, at Angers, in his epistle dedicatory to

Etymologies of the French Tongue, speaking to Du Puy, tells him, that he had formerly learned om him, that Mr Loysel, a famous advocate in the arliament of Paris, used to say of first editions, at they only serve to make the works of an author pear in a fairer character; that it was very probale this judicious gentleman said so of all sorts of oks, but that it was more true of Dictionaries, an of any other kind of works. He knew very ell, that others were of opinion, that the first edi›ns of books were only to be looked upon as imerfect essays, which authors propose to the learned, o have their opinion of them. But this was no retraint to his eagerness; and, the event teaching him afterwards, that he ran no great risk, he did not discontinue it.

Mr Ancillon's Library was very curious and large; he increased it, daily, with all that appeared new and valuable in the republic of letters; insomuch, that, at last, it became one of the finest of any private man's in the kingdom. Foreigners of curiosity did not fail to see it, as they went through the city of Metz; it being the greatest rarity of that town. As soon as he saw the catalogue of the pretended heretical books, drawn up by the archbishop of Paris, in the year 1685, he selected all the books, which were ordered to be suppressed, which made up his Library in foreign countries; his own having been, as it were, given up to be plundered, after the revocation of the edict of Nantes. None would have remained, if those, which he concealed, had not escaped the greediness, with which the rest were carried away.—The monks, and the clergy of Metz, and the adjacent towns, had long coveted Mr Ancillon's Library; his forced and hasty departure supplied them with a fair pretence to appropriate it to themselves. Some proposed to buy it in the gross others would have it sold by retail; but neither of

them intended to pay for it; they only desired to get it into their possession. The last expedient was followed, as being more proper to favour this unjust design a crowd of ecclesiastics of all orders came in, from all parts, to this noble and rich Library; which had been forty-four years in collecting, with pleasure and choice; and which consisted only of rare books, and worthy of the curiosity of the most learned men they made several parcels of them, and, going away, they gave money to a young girl, of about twelve or thirteen years of age, who was looking upon them, that they might say they had paid the price of them. In this manner Mr Ancillon saw his precious collection dispersed, which he had made, and on which he had set his affections, and, as we may say, his very heart.

The loss of this Library was attended with the loss of a vast number of letters, which were designed for the press, and which Mr Ancillon had received from many learned men. He designed chiefly to print those, which Mr Daillé, his intimate friend, had written to him. What a loss was this! and what a copious matter for reflexion: for is it not a deplorable consideration to think, that a single day may undo, what has been completed with a thousand cares, and, at a vast expence, during many years? is it not a melancholy fate, to be exposed to lose, in a moment, what has been a long time purchasing, by innocent means, and been treasured up, as a perpetual source of every lawful pleasure, and honest instruction? To be deprived, in a moment, of a vast number of volumes, which have been so carefully collected, and so much our delight, is it not a hard and cruel destiny? If the flames had devoured them, we could more easily bear the loss; but, without a special grace of God, we cannot support, that they should become the prey of an unjust possessor, who is at no other trouble, than that of trans

porting them to his own house. The Triumvirate, which dispossessed of their lands, those, who had cultivated them, during their whole life, and gave them to others, who had contributed nothing towards their improvement, did not occasion so sensible a grief, as that of the learned, who have seen their libraries plundered, and fallen into the hands of a persecutor, worthy of hatred, if he acted against his conscience, and deserving of pity, if his false devotion persuaded him, that it was a thing acceptable to God.

Impius hæc tam culta novalia miles habebit,
Barbarus has segetes?

VIRGIL, Ecl. 1 ver. 71.

Did we for these Barbarians plant, and sow?
On these, on these, our happy fields bestow?

DRYDEN.

This was the complaint of those good people of Italy, who found themselves obliged to surrender their patrimony to the soldier of the Triumvirate.

en queis consevimus agros! Insere nunc, Meliboe pyros, pone ordine vites.

VIRGIL. Ecl. i. ver 21.

Now let me graft my pears, and prune my vine;
The fruit is theirs, the labour only mine.

DRYDEN.

Mr Ancillon, and many others might have adapted most of these expressions to their fortune. Perhaps it were better to have no affections, than to set them on a Library; when, perhaps we may be reduced to address it in this manner:

Nuper sollicitum quæ mihi tædium,
Nunc desiderium, curaque non levis.

HORAT. Od. 14. lib. i. ver. 17.

O lately, thou, my anxious fear,
Now my sad loss, and heavy care!

But, if possible, let us forget the unhappy and fatal