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ng 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 Antoite。 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 missioners 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 Antoite 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 pete 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 Faisje 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 icybas 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。
ILLUSTRATED BOOKS ｛8｝
Modern English bookillustrationto 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 bewigged and belaurelled 〃worthies；〃 its 〃prospects〃 and 〃landskips；〃 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 mon 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 theseit is with Bewick's cuts to Gay's 〃Fables〃 in 1779； and Stothard's plates to Harrison's 〃Novelist's Magazine〃 in 1780； that bookillustration by imaginative positions really begins to flourish in England。 Those little masterpieces of the Newcastle artist brought about a revival of woodengraving 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 e freshest to memory in this connection。 For a period of fifty years Stothard stands preeminent in illustrated literature。 Measuring time by poets； he may be said to have lent something of his fancy and amenity to most of the writers from Cowper to Rogers。 As a draughtsman he is undoubtedly weak： his figures are often limp and invertebrate； and his type of beauty insipid。 Still； regarded as groups； the majority of his designs are exquisite； and he possessed one allpervading and unEnglish qualitythe quality of grace。 This is his dominant note。 Nothing can be more seductive than the suave flow of his line； his feeling for costume； his gentle and chastened humour。 Many of his women and children are models of purity and innocence。 But he works at ease only within the limits of his special powers； he is happier in the pastoral and domestic than the heroic and supernatural； and his style is better fitted to the formal salutations of 〃Clarissa〃 and 〃Sir Charles Grandison；〃 than the rough horseplay of 〃Peregrine Pickle。〃 Where Rowlandson would have revelled； Stothard would be awkward and constrained； where Blake would give us a new sensation； Stothard would be poor and mechanical。 Nevertheless the gifts he possessed were thoroughly recognised in his own day； and brought him； if not riches； at least petence and honour。 It is said that more than three thousand of his drawings have been engraved； and they are scattered through a hundred publications。 Those to the 〃Pilgrim's Progress〃 and the poems of Rogers are monly spoken of as his best； though he never excelled some of the oldfashioned plates （with their pretty borders in the st