We must refer such of our readers as are desirous of seeing a fuller list of Catalogues of Books in the different branches of knowledge, to the Rtrertoitis Bibliographique Universe' of M,,Peignot ; a useftd, but ill arranged Book.
It does not belong to our plan to notice Catalogues of particular Libraries ; but we may observe, that Classed Catalogues of extensive Collections are justly regarded as rich storehouses of information by all inquirers after Books. We cannot but add, that in this Country, we are greatly, we might with pro. priety say, shamefully, behind the Continental in this respect. Catalogues of this kind might have been expected from the Directors of the British Mu seum, and from the great Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, so rich in Books, in leisure, and en dowments; but it was a Law Society of Scotland, we believe, namely, the Society of Writers to his Majesty's Signet, which set the first example ie tritain, of publishing a Catalogue of their Library, so arranged, as to enable every one to turn at once to the class of Books which immediately interests his inquiries.
V111. Of the Classification of Books.
The classing of Books in a Catalogue, so as to fur nish a correct systematic view of the contents of an extensive Library, is a task of great difficulty and int pentane. In Drier to this, it is necessary to refer every Book to its proper place in the $ensral system of human knowledge ; and to do so with precision, it is necessary to have clear and exact ideas of ;he mope and objects of all the departments and branches of which that system consists. The utility of Cata logues so classed is very great, and consists obviously in this, that the Books upon any subject are fbund at once by referring to the proper head ; whereas in Alphabetical Catalogues, the must be perused before we can ascertain what Books they contain upon the subjects which intermit es. All who duly consider the matter, therefore, must concur in Dr Middleton's brief and emphatic description of such an undertaking, as res sane magai monsersti, rmiltique malaria. • Whether Classed Catalogues werein use among the ancients, is a piece of information which has not descended to us. The first who is known to have written upon the subject was a German, named Florian Trefer, who published a method of classing Books, at Augsburg, in 1560. Cardona, in 1587,
and Scholt, in 1608, published treatises upon this subject ; and in 1627, Gabriel Naude, a writer of no small celebrity in his day, published his Avis pour dresser me Bibliotheque, in which be treats of the principles of classification. The Catalogue which he compiled of the Library of the Canon De Cordes, afterwards purchased by Itiazarin, was published in i 1643, and is esteemed a curiosity among Bibliogra phers. In the early part of the eighteenth century, Gabriel Martin, a learned Parisian Bookseller, who seems to have been much employed in compiling Catalogue., chalked out a system of arrangement, which, in a great degree, superseded all other systems, and which, in its leading divisions, is still generally followed on the Continent. Various other systems have, however, been proposed by the Biblio graphers of France and Germany ; but, before pro ceeding to any particular notice, either of the system of Martin, or of those which differ from it, we must observe, that all who have written upon the subject, seem to have confounded two objects, as we think, perfectly distinct—the arrangement to be followed an the Catalogue of a Library, and that to be followed in placing its Books. They all suppose the same nicety and exactness of classification to be equally necessary, and equally practicable in both, Now, we must remark, that where there is a Classed.
- Catalogue, the grand objects of all arrangement are suiliciendy provided for, independently of the location of the Books ; and, if there should not be a Classed Catalogue, it seems very dear, that the bulk of those who frequent a public Library, could derive little, if any, benefit from an elabo rate classification of the Books on the shelves ; even supposing it practicable to elect and main taro it. The chief end of any arrangement that is made on the shelves, ought to be, to aid the memory, and abridge the labour of the Librarians ; and all that is useful in this respect, may be accomplished, by means of a much ruder plan, than could be tolerated in any Catalogue pretending to Classification.