1802.] 
though he may challenge no extraordinary 
reputation asa genius,—for it is, allowed- 
ly, a monotonous undertaking,—is entitled 
to the permanent praife of induftry, and 
to the liberal gratitude of all friends to li- 
terature. He renders a moft meritoriots 
fervice, though he makes very humble 
pretenfians: and if he is forbidden to ex- 
claim, Exegi monuimentum, he may be per- 
mitted to ufe the mode but honourable 
language of Fungar vice cotis. 
You will pleafe to take notice, that I 
am fpeaking of catalogues fimply confi- 
dered, which contain, without any addi- 
tional remarks, merely the titles of books. 
The worth of thofe catalogues, that not 
only give the titles of books, but profefs 
to afcertain their worth and fix their cha- 
racter, will be obvious to every reader. 
Such works as Fabricii Bibliotheca Graca 
et Latina, De Bure’s Bibliotheque Inftruc- 
tive, and Dr. Harwood’s View of the 
Greek and Roman Claffics, are to be rank- 
ed among books of a fuperior clafs, and 
carry their own recommendation. 
The above hints will apply in part to 
private libraries, though more generally 
and forcibly to public. Private libraries, 
indeed, cannot be fuppofed to be fo eafily 
acceffible, and are of a more fleeting na- 
ture. But if they are brought to. the 
hammer, a fcarce book, by means of acata- 
logue, may often be fuccefsfully traced. 
Public libraries are more the property of 
the community, than of individuals. They 
are permanent: they fhould be eafy of ac- 
cefs, and cannect be too generally known. 
That the publication of the catalogues of 
public libraries has rendered great fervice 
to men of letters, will appear from the 
following remarks. 
People fond of reading, though only for 
their own amulement or inftruétion, are 
frequently retarded in their -purfuits, for 
want of documents that are locked up in 
public libraries. They are anable to pur- 
chafe many books; or may be unambiti- 
ous to be thought colleétors. All they 
want, perhaps, is to make occafional re- 
ferences or forme partial extraéts. To 
confult, to them would be’the fame as to 
poffefs : but before they can confult, they 
mult know where to inquire. " 
The value of catalogues is more mani- 
felt, when we confider men in the employ- 
ment of writing for the public, or engaged 
in publifhing ufeful books, more particu- 
Jarly the Greek and Roman Claffics. 
Before the invention of Printing, the 
Greek and Latin authors were to be per- 
ufed only in manufcripts ; and manji{cripts 
_ were very {carce. Lo have known there- 
An intended Cantabrigiana announced. 
SOT 
fore, where thefe might be procured, mu 
have been a knowledge of great account. 
It will be, alfo, recolleéted, that wher 
books were firft publithed, they were in- 
troduced to the world under peculiar dif- 
advantages. The manufcripts had been 
frequently copied, and the tranfcribers, 
being very often inaccurate or ill-inform= 
ed men, were liable to make numerous mif- 
takes; thefe miftakes were copied by fue-> 
ceeding fcribes, and hence followed one 
feries of blunders after another. For 
though the firft editions of the claffics, the 
EDITIONES PRINCIPES, as they are cal}- 
ed, are underftood, for the moft part, to be 
more correct than many others, as having 
been pubiifhed by the moft induftrious and 
competent critics; yet where fo many 
fources of error exilt, it is impoffible that 
men fhould not be led frequently aftray : 
more particalarly when, in their very af- 
tempt to correét ancient errors, fubfequent 
editors opened a door to new ones, I mean, 
by raifing conjectures of theirown. To 
know, therefore, under fuch circumftances, 
where may be found the moft'corre& or 
{carce editions, and manutcripts of the be& 
authority, becomes a confideration of the 
higheft moment. 
From thele reafons, as well as others, I 
infer the importance of faithful catalogues 
of public libraries, when publifhed at large 
and generally read. ‘ 
The catalogues of Dr. Afkew’s mof 
complete collection of Greek and Roman 
Clafiics, or of Dr. Farmer’s: very mifcel- 
laneous but -curious library, are fill fer. 
viceable, though the bcoks are now dif- 
perfed. And the catalogues of the Bod- 
leian and Harleian libraries, and many 
others, have been, and continue to be, of 
incalculable fervice to the learned and cu- 
rious inquirer, i : 
Thefe remarks are made as introductory 
to a propofal, which I fubrnit with all de- 
ference to the Editor of the Monthly Ma- 
gazine, 
{am not ignorant, though T have not 
much peruled catalogues, that a great deal 
has been done, im the way of catalogue- 
making: and that many private libraries 
are poffefled of catalogues of books, print~ 
ed as well as manu({cript, that are con- 
tained in moft of the public libraries in 
Europe and Afia; by turning to Dr, 
Afkew’s Catalogue, I alfo find, that there 
is a ‘ Catalogus, Oxon. 1697, Librorum 
manufcriptorum Angliz et Hibernia, 
cum indiceaJphabetico."” To what extent, 
indeed, the catalogue extends,-and whether 
it comprehends the manufcripts in the pri- 
vate colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, I 
an 
