The extent and variety of the literature of France iu the 18th century drew from Dr. Juhntion the emphatic counnendation that they '• had a book upon everything.' To the intrinsic interest of that Literature was added the fearful historical importance which it gained, by na havieg been followed by the great revolution which, in sonic of Its phases, swesnal too plainly to prove that nations may, like individuals, be subject to mental aberration. The pamphlets of that period found more than one Thomason, and extensive collections of them exist in the national libraries of both France and England. A large portion of the ' Moniteur ' of those years has been since twice reprinted in its entirety, and ia prettily the only set of a newspaper that ever received such an honour. The history of France during the age of Napoleon, is so closely intermingled with that of England throughout, that many of the +ideal 4, historical works which have been named upon it in France are drawable addition. te any great English library, and the Museum mese pelages them ell. The library at Paris, which has recently issued a catalogue, in many quarto volumes, of its collection of the history of France, appears, in this department, to be very cumplete, so far as French literature is concerned, but to have concerned Itself but little with e hat has been written upon France by foreigners.
The literature of Germany is now with that of France, the richest literature of the continent. It is one of the many fortunate circum stances which attach to the English language, that it stands midway between the two modern languages that contain the greatest amount of learning—that a person acquainted with English is by that circum stance helf-aequn.inted with French and half with German. The history of the cultivation of the German language is striking. Singularly rich in capabilities, spoken by a great, powerful, and enlightened nation in the centre of Europe, it was for centuries neglected at home and despised abroad. It was not till about 1750 that it emerged into cultivation by native (genius, and not till half a century later that it became an object of liberal study with foreigners. It is now in England the language that is most cultivated after French ; it is studied in France and Italy, and is even penetrating into Spain. Always renowned for learning, its learning till about 1750 was chiefly couched in Latin, and the most ardent patriot could not imagine that its literature stood on a level with that of several foreign nations. At present, not to read German prose is to be excluded from one of the main sources of liberal information ; and not to read German poetry to be shut out from the enjoyment of some of the happiest pro ductions of genius. Professor I'orson, in the early part of this century, produced a laugh by the observation that " life was not Long enough to learn German "—but the laugh which is now excited by it hi at l'orson's expense.
Germany has always been remarkable for its numerous and extensive libraries, for the diligence, perseverance, and minute attention of its book-collectors, and for the admirable arrangements of its book-trade, in which by the agency of a book metropolis, Frankfurt or Leipzig, the most active circulation has always been carried on between the heart and the extremities. It might therefore have been anticipated with
some confidence, that in Germany complete collections of German literature would be found to exist. This is far from being the case. We frequently bear at the present day of collections of early German literature in private hands which contain works not in the public libraries. A few years ago the collection of Herr Von Meusebach, consisting of 36,000 German volumes, was bought in a mass for the library at Berlin—and the acquisition was spoken of as one that was absolutely necessaryto place the German department in a satisfactory condition, and as giving the library at Berlin a superiority over those of Munich and Vienna. When in 1845, a large selection from the col lection of Kuppitsch, a bookseller at Vienna, was bought for the British Museum, it soon turned out that eome of the books thus acquired were unique, and a reprint has since been issued in Germany of one of the works of Fischart, a German humorist of the 16th century, from the Museum copy. In the catalogue of the Museum issued in 18]3.19, the names of Goethe, Herder, and Leasing do not occur ; and Schiller is mentioned only in connection with an English translation of the Ghost-seer.' The presentation of the library of George HI. first brought to the Museum a creditably extensive collection of German literature and history, for which it probably was partly indebted to the taste of his German queen. That collection has since been increased at least twenty-fold. The Museum has acquired more than thirty-thousand German volumes in the course of tho last ten years. Much as the literature of Germany is cultivated in Russia and the north, and large as are the libraries of Petersburg and Copenhagen, the German library of the British Museum is now probably the finest out of Germany.
With German the series of languages closes, of which specimens may be expected to be found in the shops of foreign booksellers in London or in the foreign circulating libraries of the metropolis. The other modern languages of Europe do not make their appearance in England in ordinary literary commerce, and are not taught as a branch of educa tion. With Dutch or Danish, or Swedish, it can hardly be expected that it will ever be otherwise ; but Russia with its sixty-five millions of speakers, and the growing importance of its empire, may probably in the next generation play the same part that German has dune in this. In the meantime the arguments that have been used with respect to augmentations of the national library, may bo applied with increased force to the measure of providing it with the best literature of these languages. One of the great purposes of a national library is to assist the student Thu nation does not merely provide books for the amusement or edification of the many, but also for the instruction of the studious few, that through the medium of those few the great body of the public may receive a benefit not otherwise attainable. A score of men who read Dutch or Danish, may, by having access to ample stores of Dutch and Danish literature, be enabled to keep an eye on all that has interest or importance for the English public, and bring it effectually forward.