lister’s TRAVELS IN FRANCE.
4*
He fhewed us Servieto’s book, for which he was burnt at Geneva ; which coftMonfieur Colbert at an auction in England twenty-five crowns. The title is, Ds TriniiatisErroribus Libri 7. per Micbaelem Servcto alias Re-ves ab Aragonia Hifpanum 1531. I hadforgot the particular place where the circulation of the blood through the lungs is men-tioned : but he told me very civilly, I fhould have it tranfcribed at any time.
We told him, we came to fee him as well as the library : he replied, it was his hapto have more reputation than merit. He was a little old man, but very cheerful, andof a quick wit.
He complained much of the refufal of the Emperor ’s people concerning the manu-fcripts of Vienna , in order to the publication of the capitulaires: for he faid, letterswere never at war : that for his part he had rnofl willingly given leave for at leaft twen-ty-four manufcripts to be collated for Dr. Mill’s edition of the New Teftament.
The library of the Sorbonne is a very long and large gallery, reafonably well ftoredwith books; no catalogue printed.
Amongft the manufcripts, they fhew, Titus Livy in French , upon vellum, in a verylarge folio, bound in two books: the firft is almoft throughout illuminated with veryfine miniatures. The book is dedicated to King John , by Peter Berchorius : andin the title page is a very curious defign of that king receiving the prefent from theauthor of the tranflation.
Amongft the illuminations and ornamental pictures in the margin, I could not but takenotice of a brafs cannon fired, well painted, with two large arms or gudgeons one oneach fide near the touch-hole ; which evinces cannon to have been in ufe at that time.
This rnanufcript confirms the lofs of Titus Livy , and that it was deficient in thatage, as to what is now wanting, there being nothing more in this than what is in theprinted copy. This was the gift of Cardinal Richlieu to the library; who in a man-ner re-built the whole college, and beautified it as it is. His tomb is in the middle ofthe quire, before the great altar, in white marble ; and is for plainnefs and exquifiteperformance, the beft thing of that kind I ever faw.
I faw the library of St. Victor : this moft ancient convent is the beft feated of anyin Paris ; has very large gardens, with fhady walks, well kept. The library is a fairand large gallery : it is open three days a week, and has a range of double delks quitethrough the middle of it, with feats and conveniencies of writing for forty or fifty people.
The catalogue was not finilhed, nor intended to be printed; w r hich yet I think isalways neceflary in all corporations, for check of lofs of books, for the ufe of ftran-gers, for benefactions.
In a part of it, at the upper end, are kept the manufcripts; they are faid to be 3000;which, though not very ancient, have yet been found very ufeful for the moft correcteditions of many authors. This is one of the pleafanteft rooms that can be feen, for thebeauty of its profpeCt, and the quiet and freedom from noife in the middle of fo greata city.
In this convent is very prettily lodged, in an outward court, Monfieur Morin, ano-ther phyfician of that name. In his apartment, he hath a large and excellent collec-tion of phyfic books and natural hiftory. He faluted me with the greateft kindnefsimaginable; and at firft word, alked me, if there was any more of Sir Francis Wil-loughby’s works printed befides his hiftory of fifties, and that other of birds; bothwhich he had. He had in another room a well ftored mufseum qf natural hiftory,of all forts, and of comparative anatomies : a cabinet of fhelis, another of feeds,among which were fome from China : variety of fkeletons, &c.
VOL. IV. G
I faw