Chapter I - The Imperial Library of France

Summary

What comic scenes are graceful, saving thine?

Where is Philosophy like thy Montaigne’s?

Religion like thy Fenelon’s? Sublime

In Valour’s self-devotion were thy men;

Thy women far sublimer: But foal stains

At last thou bearest on thy plume; thy steps Follow false honour, deviating from true.

A broken word bears on it worse disgrace Than broken sword. Ere while thou knewest this :

Now huggest thy enslaver.

LandOR.

§ 1. FOUNDATION of The OLD LIBRARY of The KINGS of FRANCE. (1364—1593.)

The first beginnings of The National Library of France are, as we have seen already, to be traced to The collection, brought togeTher in one of The towers of The Louvre by King Charles V., and dispersed during The English invasion. Lewis XL seems to have taken some pains to collect books, at an early age; and, soon after his accession, he gaThered what remains could be yet found in France of The old Royal Library. The collection thus formed received rapid augmentation by The progress of The new art of printing and by other means The imperial less legitimate. Under Charles VIII. considerable accesanssions also resulted from The conquest of Naples—some of The literary spoils of which may still be examined by The curious. The Princes of Orleans, Charles and John, when returning from Their long captivity in England, brought back with Them many books which They had purchased, and, amongst The number, some of those which The Regent Bedford had carried off. With These acquisitions Charles laid The foundation of a Library at Blois, and John that of another at Angouleme. On his accession to The Crown of France Louis XII. removed The Louvre Library to Blois, adding it to The books of his faTher, and afterwards augmentingThe combined collection by that which had been established by The Dukes of Milan at Pavia. In 1544 it was again removed, by Francis I., to Fontainebleau. According to The inventory made on this occasion, The number of volumes was Then 1890, exclusive of those which that monarch had previously brought togeTher in his favourite abode, partly by purchase, and partly, it would seem, by The confiscation of The property of The Constable of Bourbon, whose books made a splendid addition to The Fontainebleau collection.