erve on
horseback. Du Fay, we are told, was fortunately fond of literature; and
he devoted himself with eagerness to the task of collecting a magnificent
library. History and Latin poetry had always been his favourite subjects,
and it appears that he was already collecting fine examples in this
department during his campaigns in Germany and Flanders.

M. de Lincy commemorates the good taste that impelled Du Fay to buy
several of Grolier's books, and records the industry with which he sought
to remedy his defects of education. Professor Brochard, he says, was a
learned man, with a good library of his own, who went to inspect the
books gathered by Du Fay from all parts of Europe. The visitor expressed
surprise that out of nearly four thousand volumes there should hardly be
any in Greek. 'I have hardly retained a word of the language,' said Du
Fay. 'Cato in his old age,' replied the Professor, 'did not hesitate for
a moment to learn it; and a person quite ignorant of Greek can never know
Latin well.' Du Fay was an easy good-natured man, and at once followed
his friend's advice, beginning from that day to buy Greek books and to
work at the language so as to be able to read them. His object, however,
in forming a library was not so much to gather useful information as to
set up a museum of literary rarities. The idea is in accordance with our
modern taste, and perhaps with the common sense of mankind; but some of
the old-fashioned collectors were angry with the poor epicure of
learning. The President Bouhier writes to Marais in 1725 on seeing a
catalogue of the library: 'This savours more of bibliomania than
scholarship.' Marais at once replied: 'Your judgment on Du Fay's
catalogue is most excellent: it is not a library, but a shop full of
curious book-specimens, made to sell and not to keep for one's self.'

Many of Du Fay's books were bought by Count d'Hoym, who lived for many
years at Paris as ambassador from Augustus of Poland and Saxony. The
Count has been accused of showing bad manners at Court, and of bad faith
in giving the trade secrets of Dresden to the factory at Sevres; in
bibliography at any rate, he was supreme among the amateurs, and his
White Eagle of Poland appears upon no volume that is not among the best
of its kind. He sat at one time at the feet of the Abbe de Rothelin; but
he soon became his master's equal in matters of taste, and was accepted
until his exile at Nancy as the arbiter of elegance among th