d'amabilite auquel on resistoit difficilement. Lorsque le tems et les graces de la cour eurent aggrandi ses moyens, ses veus s'etendirent a proportion. Insensiblement il embressa tous les genres, et sa bibliotheque devint un depot universel. Dans ses frequens voyages, s'il s'arretoit quelques instans dans une ville, on le voyoit visiter lui-meme les libraries, s'introduire dans les maisons religieuses, s'insinuer dans les cabinets d'amateurs, chercher par-tout a acquerir; c'etoit un besoin pour lui d'acheter sans cesse, d'entasser les volumes. Cette passion a peut-etre ses exces; mais du moins, elle ne fut pas pour le cardinal de Lomenie une manie sterile. Non seulement il aimoit, il connoissoit les livres, mais il savoit s'en servir; sans contredit il fut un des hommes les plus eclaires du Clerge de France."----To return from this pleasing rhapsody to the catalogue, the title of which is above given. It is composed by Laire, in the Latin language, with sufficient bibliographical skill: but the index is the most puzzling one imaginable. The uncommonly curious and magnificent collection, not being disposed of "en masse"--according to advertisement--was broken up; and the more ancient books were sold by auction at Paris, in 1792, from a French catalogue prepared by De Bure. Some of the books were purchased by Mr. Edwards, and sold at London in the Paris collection [vide p. 90, post]; as were also those relating to Natural History; which latter were sold by auction without his Eminence's name: but it is a gross error in the _Bibl. Krohn_, p. 259, no. 3466, to say that many of these books were impious and obscene. These are scarce and dear volumes; and as they supply some deficiencies [Transcriber's Note: missing 'in'] Audiffredi's account of books published at Rome in the xvth century [vid. p. 62, ante], the bibliographer should omit no opportunity of possessing them.----LOMENIE. _D'une partie des livres de la Bibliotheque du Cardinal de Lomenie de Brienne_, Paris, an. v. [1797], 8vo. This collection, the fragments or ruins of the Lomenie library, contains 2754 articles, or numbers, with a rich sprinkling of Italian literature; leaving behind, however, a surplus of not fewer than twelve hundred pieces relating to the Italian Drama--many of them rare--which were to be sold at a future auction. From the biographical memoir prefixed to this catalogue, I have given the preceding extract concerning the character of the owner of the collection--who died in the same year as the sale.----MACARTHY. _Catalogue des livres rares et precieux du cabinet de M.L.C.D.M._ (_M. Le Comte de Macarthy_), Paris, 1779, 8vo. _Supplement au Catalogue des livres, &c._, de M.L.C.D.M., Paris, 1779, 8vo. _Chez de Bure, fils aine._