bibliotheque

A collection of books or treatises.

Forſooth they haue chriſtned the book now by a new name. It muſt no lõger be called a Bibliotheque of holy Fathers; for, they haue diſſainted ſome 100. or two of thoſe auncient writers, and diſcarded many of the reſt, in euerie Tome ſome: It muſt now be called Bibliotheca Patrum, & veterum Authorum Eccleſiaſticorum, a Bibliotheque of Fathers, and other old Eccleſiaſticall writers.

Shou'd I make a Collection of vvhat is vvritten by the beſt Authors of Antiquity in their Praiſes; ſhould I but refer you to vvhat Stobæus has Collected for 'em, ſince you mention vvhat he has done againſt 'em; ſhould I but tranſcribe vvhat ¹ Plutarch, ² Lodovicus Vives [Juan Luis Vives], ³ Speron Sperone, the moſt Learned of his Country-men, ⁴ Ribera [Francisco Ribera?], ⁵ Hilarion de Coſtè, ⁶ Scuderie, and a thouſand others have ſaid of 'em in Treatiſes vvritten expreſly in their Praiſes: ſhould I but ſearch all the Bibliotheques for a Catalogue of thoſe vvho vvere famous for their VVritings; […]

A library.

This invention of erecting libraries, eſpecially here at Rome, came from Aſinius Pollio, who by dedicating his Bibliotheque, containing all the books that ever were written, was the firſt that made the wits and workes of learned men, a publicke matter and a benefit to a Commonweale.

And therfore, my Lord, it ſeems very much to the purpoſe, ſince you govern and preſide in all ſignal Actions, that you never content your ſelf with a Mediocrity in things which are good and laudable; and ſince you have nothing of mean and vulgar, that you ſhould alſo cheriſh, above all others, the honour and reputation of poſſeſſing a Bibliotheque, the moſt perfect, the beſt furniſh’d and maintain’d of your time.[…]But you, my Lord, who have the reputation of knowing more then can be taught you, and who deprive your ſelf of all ſort of contentments, to enjoy, and plunge your ſelf, as it were, in the pleaſure which you take in courting good Authors; to you it is that it properly attains, to poſſeſs a Bibliotheque, the moſt auguſt, and ample, that hath ever been erected: to the end it may never be ſaid hereafter, that it was only for want of a little care which you might have had, that you did not beſtow this Piece upon the Publique; and of your ſelf, that all the actions of your life had not ſurpaſſed the moſt heroick exploits of the moſt illuſtrious perſons.