Traitté des plus belles bibliotheques de l'Europe

Early edition of this famous treatise on the celebrated libraries of the ancients and of 17th cent. Europe, listing their most renowned rarities both in manuscript and printing. Of English libraries, the Bodleian (as containing 30,000 vols.), the Cotton and Cambridge University libraries are specially mentioned. The 2nd part contains a history of printing of which the section on early printing is probably the first scholarly attempt at a comprehensive study of the subject. The work ends with the well-known chapters on how to organize a library. Cf. Cioranesçu, Dix-septième siècle II, 41755.