“Mais, surtout, la bibliothèque Contenant maint œuvre à la gréque, Et des rangs de livres nombreux Persans, latins, chinois, hébreux, Turcs, anglois, allemans, cosaques, Hurons, iroquois, siriaques, Brefs tant de volumes divers D’auteurs tant en proze qu’en vers, Qu’on peut, sans passer pour profane, Alleguer que la Vaticane N’a point tant de livres de prix, N’y tant de rares manuscrits.” Mazarin confided his books only to the most expert binders; Le Gascon, Saulnier, and Petit were employed by him, whilst he kept a number of clever binders constantly at work in his library under his own supervision. His favourite style was red morocco, stamped on the sides with his arms, surmounted by the cardinal’s hat, and in the angles a monogram, either C. J. M. (Cardinal Jules Mazarin), or simply J. M. “Livres tant rares que vulgaires Dont chascun jusqu’aux plus coquins Revestu d’un beau marroquin, D’une ravissante manière.” Thus bound, emblazoned, and identified, the books of Cardinal Mazarin certainly needed no ex-libris, nor does it appear that he used one. Bishop Huet, who gave his books to the Jesuits, has already been mentioned as the cause of several fine ex-libris. [Illustration: BOOK-PLATE FOR THE LEGACY OF GILLES MÉNAGE.] [Illustration: BOOK-PLATE FOR THE DONATION OF BISHOP HUET.] [Illustration: BOOK-PLATE OF BISHOP QUIQUERAN DE BEAUJEU.] The arms which Gilles Ménage had stamped on his bookbindings (_d’argent, au sautoir d’azur chargé d’un soleil du premier_) were also placed on the ex-libris prepared by the Jesuits, to be placed in the books left to them by Ménage. The plate is less elaborate than that of Bishop Huet, but is equally interesting. Ménage was born on August 15, 1613, and displayed an intense love of books from his earliest youth, and what was somewhat remarkable, he inserted the date on which he acquired each book on the title page. Although a great scholar, he possessed little originality; his own most important work was his _Dictionnaire Etymologique_, whilst that which has best preserved his memory amongst general readers is the curious collection entitled, “_Menagiana_: ou les Bons Mots et Remarques Critiques, Historiques, Morales et d’Erudition, de M. Ménage. Recueillies par ses Amis.” This is indeed a mine of information; it contains much valuable ore in the shape of epigrams, parodies, and anecdotes, but great labour is required to separate the gold from the quartz. Here is the poem “Le Fameux La Galisse,” which Goldsmith imitated, and here, too, is the famous saying of Ménage, “La première chose qu’on doit faire,” so often quoted on book-plates. Ménage died July 23, 1692, which year is given on the Jesuits’ book-plate. [Illustration: BOOK-PLATE OF BISHOP CAUMARTIN.]