A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Two eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 407 pages of information about A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Two.

A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Two eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 407 pages of information about A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Two.
------- INSTITUTE        Printed Volumes           50,000
This last calculation I should think very incorrect.  M. Petit Radel concludes his statement by making the WHOLE NUMBER OF ACCESSIBLE VOLUMES IN Paris amount to One Million, one hundred and twenty-five thousand, four hundred and thirty-seven.  In the several DEPARTMENTS OF FRANCE, collectively, there is more than that number.  But see the note ensuing.

[106] [Mons. Crapelet says, 60,000 volumes:  but I have more faith in the
    first, than in the second, computation:  not because it comes from
    myself, but because a pretty long experience, in the numbering of
    books, has taught me to be very moderate in my numerical estimates.  I
    am about to tell the reader rather a curious anecdote connected with
    this subject.  He may, or he may not, be acquainted with the Public
    Library at Cambridge; where, twenty-five years ago, they boasted of
    having 90,000 volumes; and now, 120,000 volumes.  In the year 1823, I
    ventured to make, what I considered to be, rather a minute and
    carefull calculation of the whole number:  and in a sub note in the
    Library Companion, p. 657, edit. 1824, stated my conviction of that
    number’s not exceeding 65,000 volumes, including MSS.  In the following
    year, a very careful estimate was made, by the Librarians, of the
    whole number:—­and the result was, that there were only.... 64,800
    volumes!]

[107] Now, numbered with THE DEAD.  Vide post.

[108] [The translation of the whole of the concluding part of this letter,
    beginning from above, together with the few notes supplied, as seen in
    M. Crapelet’s publication, is the work of M. Barbier’s nephew.]

[109] [For M. Barbier Junior’s note, which, in M. Crapelet’s publication,
    is here subjoined, consult the end of the Letter.]

[110] See pages 65-7 ante.

[111] [This conclusion is questioned with acuteness and success by M.
    Barbier’s nephew.  It seems rather that the MS. was finished in 781, to
    commemorate the victories of Charlemagne over his Lombardic enemies in
    774.]

[112] [This restoration, in the name of the City of Toulouse, was made in
    the above year—­on the occasion of the baptism of Bonaparte’s son.  But
    it was not placed in the King’s private library till 1814.  BARBIER
    Jun.]

[113] [Now complete in 8 volumes—­at the cost of 80,000 francs!]

[114] [The latter was the true guess:  for M. Barbier died in 1825, in his
    60th year.]

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A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Two from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.