CHAP. XXVIL 



Of the Knowledge of AUTHORS, 

 and of BIOGRAPHY. 



SOLOMON fai d, more than a thoufand 

 years before the Chriftian era, That of mak- 

 ing books there is no end. If we believe the Tal- 

 mud, the ancient rabbins had innumerable li- 

 braries in Arabia. Every one knows that Pto- 

 lemy II. king of Egypt, amafled more than two 

 hundred thoufand volumes, of which he formed 

 his library at Alexandria-, and Demetrius Pha- 

 hris, to whom he committed the care of it, pro- 

 mifed him to make the number foon amount to 

 five hundred thoufand. All thefe books are 

 loft. There are, however, dill remaining in the 

 world ib immcnfc a number, that the life of 

 man would be fcarce fufficient to read the cata- 

 logue : and which would require the lives of 

 many learned men to compofe. Whoever 

 read the work of John Albert Fabricius, do&or 

 jn theology, and piofeflbr at Hamburg, intitlal 



Bibliothcca 



