A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Three | Page 7

the front of the public library (which is at right angles with the H?tel de Ville) you gain the best view of this Hotel, in conjunction with the open space, or market place, and of the churches in the distance. About this spot, Mr. Lewis fixed himself, with his pencil and paper in hand, and produced a drawing from which I select the following felicitous portion.
[Illustration: Drawing]
But to return to the Public Library. You are to know therefore, that The Public Library of Stuttgart contains, in the whole, about 130,000 volumes. Of these, there are not fewer than 8200 volumes relating to the _Sacred Text_: exclusively of duplicates. This library has been indeed long celebrated for its immense collection of Bibles. The late King of W��rtemberg, but more particularly his father, was chiefly instrumental to this extraordinary collection:--and yet, of the very earlier Latin impressions, they want the Mazarine, or the Editio Princeps; and the third volume of Pfister's edition. Indeed the first volume of their copy of the latter wants a leaf or two of prefatory matter. They have two copies of the first German Bible, by Mentelin[7]--of which one should be disposed of, for the sake of contributing to the purchase of the earliest edition of the Latin series. Each copy is in the original binding; but they boast of having a complete series of German Bibles before the time of Luther; and of Luther's earliest impression of 1524, printed by Peypus, they have a fine copy UPON VELLUM, like that in the Althorp Library; but I think taller. Of Fust's Bible of 1462, there is but an indifferent and cropt copy, upon paper; but of the Polish Bible of 1563, there is a very fine one, in the first oaken binding. Of English Bibles, there is no edition before that of 1541, of which the copy happens to be imperfect. They have a good large copy, in the original binding, of the _Sclavonian Bible_ of 1581. Yet let me not dismiss this series of earlier Bibles, printed in different languages, without noticing the copies of _Italian versions_ of August and October 1471. Of the August impression, there is unluckily only the second volume; but such another second volume will not probably be found in any public or private library in Europe. It is just as if it had come fresh from the press of Vindelin de Spira, its printer. Some of the capital letters are illuminated in the sweetest manner possible. The leaves are white, unstained, and crackling; and the binding is of wood. Of the October impression, the copy is unequal: that is to say, the first volume is cruelly cut, but the second is fine and tall. It is in blue morocco binding. I must however add, in this biblical department, that they possess a copy of our Walton's Polyglott with the original dedication to King Charles II.; of the extreme rarity of which M. Le Bret was ignorant.[8]
I now come to the CLASSICS. Of course the two Virgils of 1471 were the first objects of my examination. The Roman edition was badly bound in red morocco; that of Adam was in its original binding of wood. When I opened the latter, it was impossible to conceal my gratification. I turned to M. Le Bret, and then to the book--and to the Head Librarian, and to the book--again and again! "How now, Mons. Le Bibliographe?" (exclaimed the professor--for M. Le Bret is a Professor of belles-lettres), "I observe that you are perfectly enchanted with what is before you?" There was no denying the truth of the remark--and I could plainly discern that the worthy Head Librarian was secretly enjoying the attestations of my transport. "The more I look at these two volumes (replied I, very leisurely and gravely,) the more I am persuaded that they will become the property of Earl Spencer." M. Le Bret laughed aloud at the strangeness of this reply. I proceeded to take a particular account of them.[9]
Here is an imperfect copy of an edition of Terence, by Reisinger, in folio; having only 130 leaves, and twenty-two lines in a full page.[10] It is the first copy of this edition which I ever saw; and I am much deceived if it be exceeded by any edition of the same author in rarity: and when I say this, I am not unmindful of the Editio Princeps of it by Mentelin--which happens not to be here. There is, however, a beautifully white copy of this latter printer's Editio Princeps of Valerius Maximus; but not so tall as the largest of the two copies of this same edition which I saw at Strasbourg. Of the Offices of Cicero, of 1466, there is rather a fine tall copy (within a quarter of an inch of