y name, as
Baillet justly remarks, "is sufficient to secure respect for his
work," however slender it may be.[109] We now approach, with the
mention of Lipsius, the opening of the 17th century; a period
singularly fertile in bibliographical productions. I will not pretend
to describe, minutely, even the leading authors in this department.
The works of PUTEANUS can be only slightly alluded to, in order to
notice the more copious and valuable ones of POSSEVINUS and of
SCHOTTUS;[110] men who were ornaments to their country, and whose
literary and bibliographical publications have secured to them the
gratitude of posterity. While the labours of these authors were
enriching the republic of literature, and kindling all around a love
of valuable and curious books, the _Bibliotheca Historica_ of
BOLDUANUS, and the _Bibliotheca Classica_ of DRAUDIUS[111] highly
gratified the generality of readers, and enabled the student to
select, with greater care and safety, such editions of authors as were
deserving of a place in their libraries.

[Footnote 109: LIPSIUS published his _Syntagma de
Bibliothecis_, at Antwerp, in 1603, 4to., "in quo de ritibus
variis et antiquitatibus circa rem bibliothecariam agitur."
An improved edition of it, by Maderus, was printed at
Helmstadt, in 1666, 4to., with other curious bibliographical
opuscula. A third edition of it was put forth by Schmid, at
the same place, in 1702, 4to. Consult Morhof. _Poly. Lit._,
vol. i., 188.]

[Footnote 110: "Scripsit et ERYCIUS PUTEANUS librum _De Usu
Bibliothecae et quidem speciatim Bibliothecae Ambrosianae
Mediol._, in 8vo., 1606, editum, aliumque, cui titulus
_Auspicia Bibliothecae Lovaniensis_, an. 1639, in 4to."
Morhof. "It is true," says Baillet, "that this Puteanus
passed for a gossipping sort of writer, and for a great
maker of little books, but he was, notwithstanding, a very
clever fellow." _Jugemens des Savans_, vol. ii., 150. In the
_Bibl. Crev._, vol. v., 311, will be found one of his
letters, never before published. He died in 1646. POSSEVINUS
published a _Bibliotheca selecta_ and _Apparatus sacer_--of
the former of which, the Cologne edition of 1607, folio, and
of the latter, that of 1608, are esteemed the most complete.
The first work is considered by Morhof as less valuable than
the second. The "_Apparatus_" he designates as a book of