ions only promote that which they love and know, or,
more readily still, what is of advantage to them. Thus it was literary
and bibliographical accomplishments which recommended Winckelmann
formerly to Count Buenau and later to Cardinal Passione.

The connoisseur of books is everywhere welcome, and he was even more so
at a time when the pleasure of collecting notable and rare books was
livelier than it now is, and the profession of librarian was more
restricted. A great German library resembled a great Roman library; they
could vie with each other in the possession of books. The librarian of a
German count was a desirable member of a cardinal's household, and
immediately found himself at home there. Libraries were real
treasure-houses, instead of being, as now, with the rapid progress of
the sciences and the useful and useless accumulation of printed
matter--nothing more than useful store-rooms and useless lumber-rooms.
So that a librarian has cause, now far more than before, to be informed
of the progress of science and of the value and worthlessness of
writings, and a German librarian has to possess attainments which would
be lost in other countries.

But only for a short time, and only as long as it was necessary to
secure a moderate means of support, did Winckelmann remain true to his
original literary occupation. He soon lost interest also in everything
that related to critical investigation, and was willing neither to
compare manuscripts nor to give information to German scholars who
wished to question him upon many subjects.

But even before this his attainments had served him as an advantageous
introduction. The private life of the Italians, especially of the
Romans, has, for many reasons, something of a secret character. This
secrecy, this isolation, if you will, extended also to literature. Many
a scholar devoted his life in secret to an important work, without
either desiring or being able to have it published. Here also, more than
in any other land, were to be found men who, with diverse attainments
and great insight, could not be moved to make them known, either in
written or printed form. The way to the society of such men Winckelmann
soon found opened. He mentions particularly among them Giacomelli and
Baldani, and speaks with pleasure of his increasing acquaintances and
his growing influence.

CARDINAL ALBANI

But his greatest good fortune was to become a member of the household of
Cardinal Albani.