NATIONAL LIBRARY OF FRANCE). Next in im portance to the Bibliotheque Nationale is the Bibliotheque Saint Genevieve, founded by Cardi nal de Rochefoucauld in 1642. Originally it was the library of the abbey of Saint Genevieve, which he gathered upon his appointment as abbot. From this small beginning, it de veloped under the librarianships of Du Molinet, Gillet, Le Courayer, Mercier de Saint Leger, Pingre, Lemonnier and the historian Daunou. It steadily increased until at the outbreak of the Revolution it possessed about 80,000 printed books and 2,000 manuscripts. Two noteworthy collections were added during the 18th century; the splendid collection of Archbishop le Tellier (1716; 45,000 books and manuscripts) and that of the Duke of Orleans in 1791. At the dis solution of the abbey (1791), the library be came state property and was renamed the Bibliotheque Pantheon. During the empire it was united with the Lye& Henri IV. The collections of the Bibliotheque Saint Genevieve number at present about 400,000 books, 1,225 incunabula • and 3,855 manuscripts. The Bibliotheque Mazarine is of great interest in part owing to its founder, the great cardinal, and in part to the treasures it contains. The famous Gabriel Nandi, the first librarian, opened it to the public in 1642. It was dis.: persed by the Fronde but reconstituted in 1661, at which time it contained about 40,000 volumes. The collection remained in the Mazarine Palace until 1688 when it was transferred to the College de Mazarine. Its collections num ber about 250,000 volumes, 1,900 incunabula and 4,600 manuscripts. The Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal owes its origin to Antoine d'Argen son, Marquis de Paulmy, who in the midst of a life of greatest activity as a general, statesman and author contrived to gather a private library of approximately 100,000 volumes. At his death in 1789, this was acquired by the Comte d'Artois who united it with the equally splendid collection of the Duc de La Valliere. This collection, in 1858, contained 202,000 volumes and some 6,000 manuscripts. Its collections in
1915 numbered 624,904 volumes and 10,341 manuscripts. It possesses the most complete collection extant of romance literature, of drama, particularly of the period of mystery plays and by early French poetry.
Special There are, in all, about 200 libraries in Paris of which many are special collections of great importance. Of these the Bibliotheque des Archives may be mentioned. It was .founded by the Daunou in 1808 and con tains 30,000 volumes, mainly source material in history. A library similar in nature is that of the Office de Legislation Etrangere et de Droit Internationale. Other special libraries are Law: Bibliotheque des Avocate (1704; 65,000 vols.) • Bibliotheque de la Faculte de Droit (100,000 vols.); Legislation: Bibliotheque de la Chambre des Deputes (1706; 200,000 vols.); Bibliotheque du Senat (1818; 140,000 vols.); Medicine: Academie de Medecine (1820; 60, 000 vols.) ; Faculte de Medicine (220,000 vols.) ; Military and Naval Sciences: Bibliotheque du Ministers de la Guerre, founded by Louvois (135,000 vols.); Bibliotheque et Archives du Ministere de la Marine (1836; 100,000 vols.); Bibliotheque Hydrographique de la Marine (60,000 vols.) ; Education: Bibliotheque de I'Enseignement Public (80,000 vols.); Science and Technology: Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chausees (100,000 vols.); Ecole Polytechnique (50,000 vols.) ; Ecole Superieure des Mines (1778; 5,000 vols.); Museum d'Histoire Naturelle (220,000 vols.) ; Societe de Statistique (60,000 vols.) ; Bibliotheque de la Societe de Geographie (60,000 vols.); Music, Fine Arts: Bibliotheque d'Art et Archeologie (100,000 vols.) ; Conservatoire National de Musique (1775; 80,000 vols., 500,000 music manuscripts); Miscellaneous: Acole Speciale des Lan?ues Orientalcs Vivantes (75,000 vols.) ; Bibliotheque Historique de la Ville de Paris (1872; 24,000 vols.) ; Institut de France (1795; 550,000 vols.); Bibliotheque Polonaise (1838; 100,000 vols.) ; Societe de l'Histoire du Protestantisme (60, 000 vols.).