44*. UNIVERSAL ERUDITION? 



people can fcarce pofiibly be totally uncivilizecf. 

 The mufes are fond of thofe places where they 

 find the moft delicious nurture for the mind. 

 We cannot therefore wonder to fee in the Va- 

 tican, at Verfailles, Oxford, and fuch like cities, 

 the moft numerous and excellent libraries that 

 can poflibly be formed ; and to find that the 

 fovereigns and magiftrates permit them to be 

 open to the public at certain feafons, and under 

 the direction of learned and polite librarians, 

 from whom each man of letters may alfo receive 

 information relative to the authors he fliould 

 confult on each fubject. Nothing does more 

 honour to a prince, or produces more advantage 

 to a ftate, than eftablifhments of this kind. 



VII. With regard to private libraries, every 

 man of fenfe will confult his own abilities in the 

 extent of his library. W T e are not to ruin our- 

 felves in the fervice of the mufes. But as the 

 fortunes of men are infinitely various, there is no 

 tracing limits for each individual. Whenever 

 we find a man pretend to learning and be. quite 

 deftitute of books, we have reafon to queftion 

 his pretenfions : and whenever we fee a ftatef- 

 man, a general, or financier, who has but very 

 little learning, have a numerous and fplendid li- 

 brary, we have good reafon to fufpect him of 

 oftentation. 



VIII. Whoever has read this work with atten- 

 tion, will be able to form a complete fyftem of 

 thofe fubjects which ought naturally to be found 



in 



