New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-01-05
For the Crssesnt.
The Libraries of Paris, ~=.@

charged accordingly
For the Crssesns.
The Libraries of Paris.
From the introduction of Christianity into France to
the time Of St. Lous the few books existing in the King
dom belonged to the converts which had been
successfully established and confined TO copies of
the Bible treasss Of the fathers cauons missas and
few Greek and Latin authors Ct caused copies to
be made Of all these manuscripts, and had them all
ranged in room by themselves This collection the
King bequeahed to several monaseries From his reign
down to that Of john such thing royal library was
in existence for the whole collection Of the named
monarch did net we are assured, exceed eight ten
volumes. Yet suppose those and re-read till
the worthy successors Of Charlemagne had thrown as
Frenchmen say au bout des doightsn Charles VI who
succeeded john and who quite patron literature
kept corps OF scrbes constantly ut work copying and
ransating and he thus before his DEATH had accumula
ted library Of nearly thousand volumes This was
deposited in tower Of the called the Tour de la
Lbrarie and consisted Of illuminated prayer-books and
other religious works. legends of miracles lives of Saints
ETC. Literary persons had at all times the liberty Of con.
sutsg this library and to their eyes and otherwise
aid them in their studies positively assured that
silver lamp was kept burning night and (probaby) day
at the expense of the Crown This collection partly
dspersed under the reign of Charles VI the remain
der purchased by the Duke of Bedford 1900 francs
and sent to England This remainder must have been
very insignificant in point of numbers in intrinsic
value. though the franc of that day worth much
more than its modern representative But what would
good King Charles have said could he have looked ahead
few hundred and glanced few statistics Of the
book-trade in the nineteenth century-coud he have
read for instance he sat slipping bis tea and gancing
over his morning paper, such fact this which
lately saw recorded in English journal: Mr. Wifen
the translator of Tasso has been for long time ndustr
ously engaged in examining the family papers of the
noble house of Russell and has just completed history
the said family, which is curiosity in its way Each
member Of the family has been painted by Harding The
paintings were then engraved and the
gether with the etterpress have been collected large
folio volume to be deposited in the library Woburn
Abbey No other copy Of the oo,k cH be published and
the expense of this one 5000 guneas Louis X collect
cd books scattered through the various royal palaces
to which he added several other coectons printing
having been invented in his reign he purchased copies
all the books that published The Princes John
and Charles dAngouleme, upon their return from Eng
land after captivity Of twenty-five years, founded tive
librares-the at Bois the other ut Engoueme
ssng Of books collected during their residence Eng
land including Of these carried off by tbs Duke of
Bedford Charles VIII. in 1896 added to these coec
tons the books he had brought from Naples after the
conquest of that kingdom. Louis XII. had the good
fortune to obtain Petrasch's collection and also the IL
brares of the Sporra and Vcent from PaVia In 1854
Francis l. had the whole removed to Fontanebleau
the catalogue Of that date gives the total of the cocc
tion-1S90 volumes-amongst which 900 printed
Volumes and about 40 Greek manuscripts brought from
Naples This monarch added greatly to the royal library
and first began the formation of its celebrated Cabinet of
Medals Henry IL, perhaps, promoted the interests
of the royal library than Of his predecessors decree
ing that bound copy vellum of every book printed
should be deposited therein. 1t is we'll known that
similar law force in France at the present day It
is without question admirable method of collecting
Of time large national collection of works in every
department of literature fer the tax the author
publisher is merely nominal but if carefsl master hand
| could be employed in wnnowing the chaf from the
wheat the interests of letters woud not opine, suffer
very materially In 1884 the conscaon OF the effects
of the Constable of Bourbon added considerably to the
value of the B6soeque Rovai, but it suffered greatly
from the spoliations of the Lgues who carried off sons
of the most valuable manuscripts. Catherine de Medic
bequeathed to the Royal Lbeary collection of medals
and manuscripts which she had brought from Florence
In 1894 Henry ~ ordered the library be transferred
from Fontanebleau to Paris and placed in the College de
Clermont the College de Louis lie Grand which
left unoccupied by the Jeus who had recently been
pelled from France Under Louis MIL the library was
enriched by many valuable collections, aud removed to
spacious house in the Rue dc la Harpe it then consisted
of about 17000 yeEes of manuscripts and printed works
During the reign OF Louis AlN ana the administration
of Colbert and Louvos the treasures of the library
enriched beyond anything previously known and it was
then for the first time thrown open to the public The
extensive collection daily augmenng by presents pur-
chases etc. found to contain at the death of Louis
XIV. in Ills than 10000 volumes. On the failure
of Louiss great financial scheme in lT2l the Hotel de
Viewers where his bank established being left
pied the regent determined transfer the royal library
to it, and there has remained since the buildings
of the Hotel de azarin having been annexed to it upon
the removal of the Treasury 1929 to the Rue de Rvo
Under Louis XIV the collection greatly augmented,
the number of printed volumes at his death being
than 100000. Upon the suppression of the monaseries
at the revolution, all the manuscripts and Printed
volumes belonging to them deposited in the library,
which took the title of Boeque Natioate During the
Consulate and Empire it enriched by treasures
the Vatican and other famous libraries of Europe The
occupation of Paris by the allied armies in 1915 caused
the greater part of these to be the library
then called Bbloth6que Lperiae resumed its title of
BibioMtque dt Ro An annual grant is made by the
for the purchase of books manuscripts
engrayings and antiquities The building itself dest
tute of all external ornament presenting little more to
the street than dead wall It's length is about $50 fset
the interior is occupied by 800 feet length BY 90
in BREADTH surrounded by buildings presenting styles