d his successor the venerable Baluze. Colbert's
manuscripts are believed to have been the most valuable ever amassed by a
person of private fortune. Among their eight thousand volumes were the
choicest treasures from St. Martin's Abbey at Metz, including the _Book
of Hours_ used by Charles the Great, and a Bible said to have been
illuminated for Charles the Bald. There were about 50,000 printed books,
almost all well-bound; and it was thought that the choicest Levantine
moroccos had been secured for the Minister by an article in a treaty with
the Sultan. Colbert died in 1683, and the library remained in his family
for half a century afterwards. In 1728 the Marquis de Seignelaye sold the
books, and began to sell a portion of the manuscripts; the world was
alarmed at the idea of a general dispersion; the remaining manuscripts,
however, were offered to Louis XV.; and there was great rejoicing when he
wrote '_Bon, 300,000 livres_' on the letter received from the Marquis.

The other famous library was amassed by 'an extraordinary family of
book-collectors.' It was begun by Guillaume de la Moignon, who was
President of the Parliament of Paris in 1658. His son Chretien de la
Moignon was as zealous a book-buyer as his father, and he secured the
renown of their library by engaging the services of Adrien Baillet.
Dibdin quoted passages from Baillet's biography that show the tenderness
with which the family treated his 'crazy body and nervous mind': 'Madame
La Moignon and her son always took a pleasure in anticipating his wishes,
soothing his irritabilities, promoting his views, and speaking loudly and
constantly of the virtues of his head and heart.' Baillet in his turn
gave to his employers the credit of his best literary work. 'It was done
for you,' he wrote, 'and in your house, and by one who is ever yours to
command.' The library was much enlarged by its owner in the third
generation; and by its union with the collection of M. Berryer, who died
in 1762, it became 'one of the most splendid in Europe.' It was dispersed
during the troubles of the Revolution, and a great portion was brought to
London in 1791; but the works on jurisprudence were reserved, and were
sold in Paris a few years afterwards.

David Ancillon is perhaps best known as the defender of Luther and
Calvin. But according to Bayle he was an indefatigable book-collector,
and notable for having set the fashion of buying books in the first
edition. Most people thoug