riate here to remind readers of an essay in Addison's
_Spectator_ upon my Lady's Library.
'Some months ago, my Friend, Sir Roger, being in the Country, enclosed a
Letter to me, directed to a certain Lady, whom I shall here call by the
name of _Leonora_, and as it contained Matters of Consequence, desired
me to deliver it to her with my own Hand. Accordingly, I waited upon her
Ladyship early in the Morning, and was desired by her Woman to walk into
her Lady's Library till such time as she was in Readiness to receive me.
The very Sound of a _Lady's Library_ gave me a great Curiosity to see
it; and as it was some time before the Lady came to me, I had an
Opportunity of turning over a great many of her Books, which were ranged
together in very beautiful Order. At the end of the _Folios_ (which were
finely bound and gilt) were great Jars of _China_, placed one above
another in a very noble piece of Architecture. The _Quartos_ were
separated from the _Octavos_ by a Pile of smaller Vessels, which rose in
a delightful Pyramid. The _Octavos_ were bounded by Tea Dishes of all
Shapes, Colours, and Sizes, which were so disposed on a wooden Frame
that they looked like one continued Pillar indented with the finest
Strokes of Sculpture, and stained with the greatest Variety of Dyes.
That Part of the Library which was designed for the Reception of Plays
and Pamphlets and other loose Papers, was enclosed in a kind of Square,
consisting of one of the prettiest Grotesque Works that ever I saw, and
made up of Scaramouches, Lions, Monkies, Mandarines, Trees, Shells, and
a thousand other odd Figures in _China_ Ware. In the midst of the Room
was a little Japan Table, with a Quire of gilt Paper upon it, and on the
Paper a Silver Snuff-box, made in the Shape of a little Book. I found
there were several other Counterfeit Books upon the upper Shelves, which
were carved in Wood, and served only to fill up the Number, like Fagots
in the muster of a Regiment. I was wonderfully pleased with such a mixt
kind of Furniture, as seemed very suitable both to the Lady and the
Scholar, and did not know at first whether I should fancy myself in a
Grotto, or in a Library.'
FOOTNOTE:
[25] Napoleon was a great lover of small books. 'An insatiate reader
while on his travels, Napoleon complained, when at Warsaw, in 1807, and
when at Bayonne, in 1808, that his librarian at Paris did not keep him
well supplied with books. "The Emperor," wrote the secretary to B
|