The revival of learning which preceded the invention of printing, had already begun to produce an alteration in this state of things, when that invention came to quicken and confirm it. The 'middle ages may be said to terminate with this discovery, in the middle of the 15th century.
So much has already been incidentally said of the continental libraries of modern times, that to enter on the subject in full would be to go over ground that has been already trodden. It will therefore be sufficient to treat of it here with comparative brevity. Italy was the first country to be conspicuous in this point of view. Italy is still rich in libraries of the second and third magnitude, but can boast of none that belongs to the first. It has been already men tioned that the Vatican, though rich in manuscripts, is now shown to contain not more than 100,000 printed books. There is a larger library in Rome itself, the Casanata, known by its admirable catalogue, made by the astronomer and bibliographer, Audiffredi, and said to contain 120,000 vohimes of printed books and manuscripts. .The collection, located at Naples since 1804, called the Biblioteca Borbonica or Bourbon library, and reputed to contain 200,000 printed volumes, is probably the largest library in Italy. The reputation of being one of the best belongs to the Brera library at Milan ; a collection which, formed from the library of the suppressed 'order of Jesuits in 1772, was augmented by that of Count Firmian, the Austrian governer of Lom bardy, a famous collection, in the published catalogue of which one volume is occupied with the English books. The numbers of the Brera were at one time greatly overstated ; they have, upon counting, been reduced to about 100,000. The other great library of Milan, the Ambrosian, consisting of more than 100,000 printed books and 15,000 manuscripts, is that which attracted the attention of Europe in the early part of the 19th century, by the discoveries made in it by Angelo Mai, the librarian, of ancient palimpsests. The library was founded in the 17th century by the almost canonised Frederic Borromeo, the cousin of St. Charles of the same family, who left the singular injunction, that the manuscripts should not be published. At Bologna, the institution founded by Count Marsigli, the martial companion of Prince Eugene, counts among its 150,000 volumes a collection of Oriental manuscripts, brought by the count from the wars ; and among its printed books a collection, scarcely less rare in Italy, of German poetry and literature, introduced by its librarian the great linguist Mezzofanti. Venice boasts in the library of St. Mark, a collection
which was founded by Cardinal Bessarion, but of which Roncelli can only state by conjecture that it contains 100,000 volumes. It is sub ject to less doubt that it is one of the most magnificently lodged libraries in Europe, having been removed from the library buildings in the place of St. Mark, to the great hall in the Doge's palace. Florence is remarkable also for the magnificent building designed by Michael Angelo, in which is enshrined the Laurentian library, a collection of manuscripts so named from one of its founders, Lorenzo de' Medici. The great collection of printed books at Florence is called the Maglia becchian, from its founder, Magliabecchi, tho celebrated " book-glutton," who was librarian to the Grand Duke, and who at his death in 1714, left his library to the public, and all his property for the purpose of enlarging and preserving it. His friend Manni, in 1731, added his own collection from respect for the memory of Magliabecchi; and in 1771, when the Grand Duke Leopold munificently gave up his own library for the public benefit, the printed books were sent to the Maglia becchian, and the manuscripts to the Laurentian. A few years ago Molini, the librarian, prepared to carry out in full the idea of bringing together in one collection all the printed books in Florence belonging to the public, and in another all the manuscripts; but the project, though commenced, seems to have stopped half way. One of the most interesting libraries in Italy is that of Ferrara, which though not of earlier date than 1747, contains 90,000 volumes, and among them the autographs of part of tbo Orlando Furioso,' of part of the Jerusalem Delivered,' and of Guarini's Pastor Fido.' Of the remaining libraries of Italy, that of Parma, remarkable for containing the Hebrew collection of De Rossi, was said by Roncelli, in 1846, to amount to 90,000 volumes ; that of Piacenza, to more than 40,000 ; that of Lucca, to more than 50,000; that of Turin, to 120,000. Generally speaking the libraries of ltaiy appear to have been collected as much for display as use. Thor are totally confined to classical and modern Latin literature, and to that of Italy and France; and even within those limits to certain classes,—es boeks which have been always coDai,hertel library books.