228 



this appeal met with no response. Had the printed hooks in the 

 Museum been examined instead of the MSS., the search would pro- 

 bably have been rewarded with better success, as it is scarcely possible 

 that the volume of 1733 can be so rare as not to be found in that vast 

 collection. In Paris I met with it without the slightest difficulty, in 

 the public libraries there ; two copies being in the Bibliotheque de 

 V Arsenal, and one in the Bihliotheque Imperiale, which are identical 

 with my own. 



With regard to the history of this copy, at least for the last twenty- 

 two years, it is easily given. In 1840 it seems to have come into the 

 possession of the late Mr. Pord, the well-known author of the Hand- 

 book of Spain," as the title-page bears his autograph with that date. It 

 appears to have been a favourite of his, being bound in the beautiful 

 style of his pet books. It seems also to have been read by him with care, 

 several pencil marks occurring throughout, and the fly-leaf in front con- 

 taining also in pencil the reference to Earbier, already mentioned, as 

 well as the following suggestion : — ''It is possible that the author may 

 have had access to the MS. letters of the Marquise de Yillars, ambassa- 

 dress in Spain at the time of the marriage of Charles II., which were 

 printed at Amsterdam, in 12mo., 1760."^' 



The mention of the name of Yillars in this MS. note, coupled with the 

 fact of the volume having been in the possession of Mr. Ford for more 

 than twenty years, must be considered not the least curious incidentin this 

 bibliographical Comedy of Errors, when it comes to be stated that the 

 very person who advised Mr. Stirling to resort to " ^N'otes and Queries" 

 for information was Mr. Ford himself! 



When I apprised Mr. Stirling, in April last, of my having identified 

 his Yillars' "Memoires" with the anonymous Memoirs of 1733, his surprise 

 was great indeed. But far greater was his astonishment when he learned 

 from me a few days later that it was at Mr. Ford's sale, in May, 1861, 

 that I bought my copy of these Memoirs. f In a letter to me from 

 Keir, dated April 23, 1862, Mr. Stirling says on this subject : — 



" If you had told me that you had found Yillars in print on my own 

 shelves, you could hardly have surprised me more than by saying you 

 bought the book at Mr. Ford's sale. He was my intimate friend and 

 near neighbour in London, and each of us had the entire use of each 

 other's books. He saw the MS. of Yillars many times, and, although, 

 I cannot say positively that he ever took it home with him, I think it 

 very likely he may have done so. We have several times discussed the 

 matter and looked at the MS. together, and nothing in it ever suggested 

 to him the volume which he seems to have had at home. What is still 

 more strange is, that I, knowing as I thought his books well, bid for 

 every one at the sale that I knew not to be in my own collection, and 



* A copy of the " Lettres de Madame La Marquise de Viliars," published at Amster- 

 dam (obligingly lent me by Mr. Stirling) is dated 1759. 



\ It is numbered 410 in Mr. Ford's Catalogue, and cost me 11*. 



