Note 143 — The Cabinet.

The earliest edition of Vogt's Catalogus Librorum Rariorum was published in 1732; afterwards in 1737; again in 1748; again in 1752, much enlarged and improved; and, for the last time, greatly enlarged and corrected, forming by far the "editio optima," of the work—at Frankfort and Leipsic, 1793, 8vo.—We are told, in the new preface to this last edition, that the second and third impressions were quickly dispersed and anxiously sought after. Vogt is a greater favourite with me than with the generality of bibliographers. His plan, and the execution of it, are at once clear and concise; but he is too prodigal of the term "rare." Whilst these editions of Vogt's amusing work were coming forth, the following productions were, from time to time, making their appearance, and endeavouring perhaps to supplant its reputation. First of all Beyer put forth his Memoriæ Historico-Criticæ Librorum Rariorum. Dresd. and Lips., 1734, 8vo.; as well has his Arcana Sacra Bibliothecarum Dresdensium, 1738, 8vo.—with a continuation to the latter, preceded by an epistle concerning the electoral library, separately published in the same year. Then Engel (in Republicâ Helveto-Bernensi Bibliothecarius primus) published his Bibliotheca selectissima, sive Catalogus librorum in omni genere scientiarum rarissimorum, &c., Bernæ, 1743, 8vo.; in which work some axioms are laid down concerning the rarity of books not perhaps sufficiently correct; but in which a great deal of curious matter, very neatly executed, will repay the reader for any expense he may incur in the purchase of it. Afterwards Freytag's Analecta Literaria de libris rarioribus, Lips., 1750, two vols. 8vo.;—and his Adparatus Literarius ubi libri partim antiqui partim rari recensentur, Lipsiæ, 1755, three volumes 8vo., highly gratified the curious in bibliography. In the former work the books are described alphabetically, which perhaps is the better plan: in the latter, they are differently arranged, with an alphabetical index. The latter is perhaps the more valuable of the two, although the former has long been a great favourite with many; yet, from Freytag's own confession, he was not then so knowing in books, and had not inspected the whole of what he described. They are both requisite to the collector; and their author, who was an enthusiast in bibliography, ranks high in the literature of his country. In the last place we may notice the Florilegium Historico-Criticum Librorum Rariorum, cui multa simul scitu jucunda intersperguntur, &c., of Daniel Gerdes; first published at Groningen, in 1740; but afterwards in 1763, 8vo., at the same place, the third and best edition. It was meant, in part, to supply the omission of some rare books in Vogt: and under this title it was published in the Miscellaneæ Groninganæ, vol. ii., and vol. iii. This work of Gerdes should have a convenient place in every bibliographical cabinet. I will close this attempt to supply Lysander's omission of some very respectable names connected with bibliography by exhorting the reader to seize hold of a work (whenever it comes across him, which will be rarely) entitled Bibliotheca Librorum Rariorum Universalis, by John Jacob Bauer, a bookseller at Nuremberg, and printed there in 1770, 8vo., two vols.; with three additional volumes by way of Supplement, 1774-1791, which latter are usually bound in one. It is an alphabetical Dictionary, like Vogt's and Fournier's, of what are called rare books. The descriptions are compendious, and the references respectable, and sometimes numerous. My copy of this scarce, dear, and wretchedly-printed, work, which is as large and clean as possible, and bound in pale Russia, with marbled edges to the leaves—cost me 5l. 5s.