The _third_,
which is the most copious and valuable, with an index (and
which has an abridged account of Sir Robert Cotton, and of
his Library), was drawn up by Mr. Planta, the principal
librarian of the British Museum. A great part of the first
catalogue of the _Harleian MSS._ was compiled by the
celebrated Humphrey Wanley, and a most valuable and ably
executed publication it is! The _Second_ is executed by the
Rev. R. Nares: it contains the preface of the first, with an
additional one by himself, and a copious index; rendering
this the most complete catalogue of MSS. which has ever yet
appeared in our own country; although one regrets that its
typographical execution should not have kept pace with its
intrinsic utility. The two latter catalogues of MSS. above
described give an account of those which were presented by
royal munificence, and collected chiefly by Sir Hans Sloane
and Dr. Birch. The catalogue of 1734 (which is now rare) was
compiled by David Casley: that of 1782, by Samuel Ascough.
Of the catalogue of _Printed Books_, it would be unfair to
dwell upon its imperfections, since a new, and greatly
enlarged and improved, impression of it is about going to
press, under the editorial care and inspection of Messrs. H.
Ellis and Baber, the gentlemen to whom the printed books are
at present intrusted. Mr. Douce, who has succeeded Mr. Nares
as head librarian of the MSS., is busily employed in
examining the multifarious collection of the _Lansdowne
MSS._ (recently purchased by the Trustees of the Museum),
and we may hope that the day is not very far distant when
the public are to be congratulated on his minute and
masterly analysis of these treasures.----PARIS. _Catalogue
de la Bibliotheque de M. Paris de Meyzieux_, Paris, 1779,
8vo. _Bibliotheca elegantissima Parisina, par M. Lourent_,
1790, 8vo. _The same_: Lond., 1791, 8vo. Since the days of
Gaignat and the Duke de la Valliere, the longing eyes of
bibliographers were never blessed with a sight of more
splendid and choice books than were those in the possession
of M. PARIS DE MEYZIEUX. The Spira Virgil of 1470, UPON
VELLUM, will alone confer celebrity upon the _first_
catalogue--but what shall we say to the _second_? It
consists of only 635 articles, and yet, as is well o