dly be affirmed, this
{434} surely is decided in my favour: it may wear the appearance of
contradiction to the former passage, that omitting public prayer he
omitted all; in truth, the expression just quoted is too peremptory and
too general. But the sense of Johnson cannot be mistaken, if you attend
to the different views he had in each sentence; and I repeat my former
assertion, that Johnson did not think Milton destitute of a devout
spirit, or totally negligent of prayer in some form or other.

Yours, very truly and respectfully,
J. PARR.

* * * * *

PARTS OF MSS.

As an instance of the unfortunate dispersion of the parts of valuable MSS.
through different countries, occasioned probably, in the case now to be
mentioned, by public convulsions and the wild fury of revolutionary mobs in
France, will you afford me space to quote an interesting description of a
MS. from the catalogue of a library to be sold at Paris in December next?
The MSS. and printed books in this library belonged to the eminent
bookseller J. J. De Bure, whose ancestor was the distinguished and
well-known bibliographer Guillaume de Bure. The publicity given to
descriptions like the present through the medium of "N. & Q." may
ultimately lead, on some occasions, to the scattered volumes being brought
together again, either by way of purchase, or in exchange for other works.

JOHN MACRAY.

Oxford.

_"Catalogue des Livres rares et precieux, manuscrits et imprimes, de la
Bibliotheque de feu M. J. J. De Bure, ancien libraire du Roi et de la
Bibliotheque Royale, etc._

"No. 1395. Le Second Livre des Commentaires de la Guerre Galleque, par
Caius Julius Caesar, traduict en francois. In-8, mar. noir, avec des
fermoirs en argent.

"Manuscrit sur velin.

"L'ouvrage ne porte pas de titre; on lit seulement sur le plat du
volume, Tomus Secundus, et au verso du 21 feuillet; c'y commence le
Second livre des Commentaires de la Guerre Galleque.

"Ce manuscrit a ete fait pour Francois I^{er}; le chiffre de ce Prince
se trouve au premier feuillet. Le Vol. se compose de 94 feuillets de
texte, et de 4 feuillets de table. L'Ecriture est tres-belle, et parait
etre de l'un des meilleurs calligraphes de l'epoque de Francois I^{er};
beaucoup de mots sont en or et en azur.

"On remarque 22 miniatures, 15 medaillons d'Empereurs et d'autr