e Parisians.
M. Guigard quotes from the dedication of a 'treasury' of French poetry a
passage that indicates his high position: 'To the poets in this
assemblage, whoever they be, it is a glory, Monseigneur, to enter your
Excellency's library, so full, so magnificent, so well chosen, that it is
justly accounted the prodigy of learning.'

Charles d'Orleans, Abbe de Rothelin, had died in 1744, when most of his
books became the property of the nation. In some respects he was the most
distinguished of the book-collectors. His learning and wealth enabled him
to make a collection of theology that has never been surpassed; and he
had the good fortune to acquire the vast series of State Papers and the
priceless mediaeval MSS. collected by Nicolas Foucault. His special taste
was for immaculate editions in splendid bindings; but nothing escaped his
notice that was in any way remarkable or interesting.

Paul Girardot de Prefond was a timber-merchant who fell into an apathetic
state on retiring from active business. His physician, Hyacinthe Baron,
was an eminent book-collector, and he advised the patient to take up the
task of forming a library. So successful was the prescription that the
merchant became renowned during the next half century for his superb
bindings, his specimens from Grolier's stores, and the Delphin and
Variorum classics which he procured from the library of Gascq de la
Lande. On two occasions the sale of his surplus treasures made an
excitement for the literary world. Some of his rarest books were sold in
1757, and twelve years afterwards his Delphin series and the greater part
of his general collection were purchased by Count Macarthy.

Merard de St. Just was another collector, whose exquisite taste is still
gratefully remembered, though his small library has long been dispersed,
and was indeed almost destroyed by a series of accidents before the
outbreak of the great Revolution. 'My library,' he said, 'is very small,
but it is too large for me to fill it with good books.' He would not have
the first editions of the classics, because they were generally printed
on bad paper which it was disagreeable to touch, with the exception of
works produced by the Aldine Press. Nor would he buy mere curiosities,
says Guigard, but left them to persons who cared for empty display, 'like
one who proudly exhibits his patents of nobility without being able to
point to any distinguished action of his ancestors.' He was the owner