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the kindness of a monarch who admired those native qualities which
education may polish； but which it can never confer。 At Versailles；
Madame Du Barry heard of the literary genius of Madame de Pompadour。
The Pompadour was a person of taste。 Her large library of some four
thousand works of the lightest sort of light literature was bound by Biziaux。
Mr。 Toovey possesses the Brantome of this dame galante。 Madame
herself had published etchings by her own fair hands； and to hear of these
things excited the emulation of Madame Du Barry。 She might not be
CLEVER； but she could have a library like another； if libraries were in
fashion。 One day Madame Du Barry astonished the Court by announcing
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that her collection of books would presently arrive at Versailles。
Meantime she took counsel with a bookseller； who bought up examples of
all the cheap 〃remainders；〃 as they are called in the trade； that he could lay
his hands upon。 The whole assortment； about one thousand volumes in
all； was hastily bound in rose morocco； elegantly gilt； and stamped with
the arms of the noble house of Du Barry。 The bill which Madame Du
Barry owed her enterprising agent is still in existence。 The thousand
volumes cost about three francs each； the binding （extremely cheap） came
to nearly as much。 The amusing thing is that the bookseller； in the
catalogue which he sent with the improvised library； marked the books
which Madame Du Barry possessed BEFORE her large order was so
punctually executed。 There were two 〃Memoires de Du Barry；〃 an old
newspaper； two or three plays； and 〃L'Historie Amoureuse de Pierre le
Long。〃 Louis XV。 observed with pride that； though Madame Pompadour
had possessed a larger library； that of Madame Du Barry was the better
selected。 Thanks to her new collection； the lady learned to read with
fluency； but she never overcame the difficulties of spelling。
A lady collector who loved books not very well perhaps； but certainly
not wisely； was the unhappy Marie Antoinette。 The controversy in
France about the private character of the Queen has been as acrimonious
as the Scotch discussion about Mary Stuart。 Evidence； good and bad；
letters as apocryphal as the letters of the famous 〃casket；〃 have been
produced on both sides。 A few years ago； under the empire； M。 Louis
Lacour found a manuscript catalogue of the books in the Queen's boudoir。
They were all novels of the flimsiest sort；〃L'Amitie Dangereuse；〃 〃Les
Suites d'un Moment d'Erreur；〃 and even the stories of Louvet and of Retif
de la Bretonne。 These volumes all bore the letters 〃C。 T。〃 （Chateau de
Trianon）； and during the Revolution they were scattered among the
various public libraries of Paris。 The Queen's more important library was
at the Tuileries； but at Versailles she had only three books； as the
commissioners of the Convention found； when they made an inventory of
the property of la femme Capet。 Among the three was the 〃Gerusalemme
Liberata；〃 printed； with eighty exquisite designs by Cochin； at the expense
of 〃Monsieur；〃 afterwards Louis XVIII。 Books with the arms of Marie
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Antoinette are very rare in private collections； in sales they are as much
sought after as those of Madame Du Barry。
With these illustrations of the kind of interest that belongs to books of
old collectors； we may close this chapter。 The reader has before him a
list； with examples； of the kinds of books at present most in vogue among
amateurs。 He must judge for himself whether he will follow the fashion；
by aid either of a long purse or of patient research； or whether he will find
out new paths for himself。 A scholar is rarely a rich man。 He cannot
compete with plutocrats who buy by deputy。 But； if he pursues the works
he really needs； he may make a valuable collection。 He cannot go far
wrong while he brings together the books that he finds most congenial to
his own taste and most useful to his own studies。 Here； then； in the
words of the old 〃sentiment；〃 I bid him farewell； and wish 〃success to his
inclinations； provided they are virtuous。〃 There is a set of collectors； alas！
whose inclinations are not virtuous。 The most famous of them； a
Frenchman； observed that his own collection of bad books was unique。
That of an English rival； he admitted； was respectable；〃mais milord se
livre a des autres preoccupations！〃 He thought a collector's whole heart
should be with his treasures。
En bouquinant se trouve grand soulas。 Soubent m'en vay musant； a
petis pas； Au long des quais； pour flairer maint bieux livre。 Des Elzevier la
Sphere me rend yure； Et la Sirene aussi m'esmeut。 Grand cas Fais…je
d'Estienne； Aide； ou Dolet。 Mais Ias！ Le vieux Caxton ne se rencontre
pas； Plus qu' agneau d'or parmi jetons de cuivre； En bouquinant！
Pour tout plaisir que l'on goute icy…bas La Grace a Dieu。 Mieux vaut；
sans altercas； Chasser bouquin： Nul mal n'en peult s'ensuivre。 Dr sus au
livre： il est le grand appas。 Clair est le ciel。 Amis； qui veut me suivre
En bouquinant？
A。 L。
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ILLUSTRATED BOOKS ｛8｝
Modern English book…illustrationto which the present chapter is
restricted …has no long or doubtful history； since to find its first beginnings；
it is needless to go farther back than the last quarter of the eighteenth
century。 Not that 〃illustrated〃 books of a certain class were by any
means unknown before that period。 On the contrary； for many years
previously； literature had boasted its 〃sculptures〃 of be…wigged and be…
laurelled 〃worthies；〃 its 〃prospects〃 and 〃land…skips；〃 its phenomenal
monsters and its 〃curious antiques。〃 But； despite the couplet in the
〃Dunciad〃 respecting books where
〃 。 。 。 the pictures for the page atone； And Quarles is saved by
beauties not his own；〃 …
illustrations； in which the designer attempted the actual delineation of
scenes or occurrences in the text； were certainly not common when Pope
wrote； nor were they for some time afterwards either very numerous or
very noteworthy。 There are Hogarth's engravings to 〃Hudibras〃 and
〃Don Quixote；〃 there are the designs of his crony Frank Hayman to
Theobald's 〃Shakespeare；〃 to Milton； to Pope； to Cervantes； there are
Pine's 〃Horace〃 and Sturt's 〃Prayer… Book〃 （in both of which text and
ornament were alike engraved）； there are the historical and topographical
drawings of Sandby； Wale； and others； and yetnotwithstanding all these
it is with Bewick's cuts to Gay's 〃Fables〃 in 1779； and Stothard's plates to
Harrison's 〃Novelist's Magazine〃 in 1780； that book…illustration by
imaginative compositions really begins to flourish in England。 Those
little masterpieces of the Newcastle artist brought about a revival of wood…
engraving which continues to this day； but engraving upon metal； as a
means of decorating books； practically came to an end with the 〃Annuals〃
of thirty years ago。 It will therefore be well to speak first of illustrations
upon copper and steel。
Stothard； Blake； and Flaxman are the names that come freshest to
memory in this connection。 For a period of fifty years Stothard stands
pre…eminent in illustrated literature。 Measuring time by poets； he may be