had
no rights at the Vatican, or the Laurentian, or the Library of St. Mark
at Venice. It was just the same at Bologna, or Naples, or in the Duchy of
Urbino. The same thing, he said, might be seen in other countries.
Ximenes built a fine library at Alcala, and there was a collection of
the books of Nunez at Salamanca; there were the Rantzaus at Copenhagen
and the Fuggers at Augsburg; they had done everything for the use of
scholars except making the libraries free. The French themselves had the
King's Library, a vast accumulation at St. Victor's, and a rich bequest
from De Thou; but the use of all this wealth of books was hampered by the
most complicated restrictions. We can see that he was rejoicing in his
own good work while he praised the stately Ambrosiana. 'Is it not
astonishing,' he asks, 'that any one can go in when he likes, and stay as
long as he cares to look about or to read or make extracts? All that he
has to do is to sit at a desk and ask for any book that he wishes to
study.'

For some years after the new library was established Naude travelled in
quest of books over the greater part of Europe. He said that he would
have ransacked Spain if Mazarin had not preferred an invasion by the
regular army. He was the 'familiar spirit' of the auction-room, and it
became a by-word that a visit from the great book-hunter was as bad as a
storm in the book-shops. He boasted in his epigrams of exploits in
Flanders, in Switzerland, and among the Venetian book-stalls. At Rome he
bought books by the fathom; he skimmed the German shelves, and passed
over into England to relieve the islanders of their riches. At Lyons he
met Marshal Villeroi, who gave him a great portion of the books which
Cardinal de Tournon had bequeathed to the Jesuits. We trace the result
of his travels in his description of the libraries of Europe. Certain
subjects, as he said, are in vogue at particular places, and we ought
always to notice the book-fashions to show our respect for the feelings
of mankind. 'For positive science we go to Rome or Florence or Naples,
and for jurisprudence to Paris or Milan; France supplies us with history;
and if we wanted scholastic lore we might go to Spain, or the colleges of
Oxford and Cambridge.'

In 1647 the Mazarine Library contained about 45,000 volumes, and Naude in
his joy proclaimed it as the eighth wonder of the world. The Parisians
appeared to be delighted with the superb Lomenie MSS. and the crowd of
brig