A Selection of Curious Articles from the Gentleman's Magazine (Volume 2) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: third, of the high altar of St. Ignatius, all painted with the utmost accuracy in their proper colours. As the value of this great collection may be conceived from this account, however imperfect; as the variety of subjects must engage the curiosity of men of different studies, inclinations, and employments, it may be thought of very little use to mention any slighter advantages, or to dwell on the decorations and embellishments which the generosity of the proprietors has bestowed upon it; yet, since toe compiler of the Thuanian catalog-tie thought not even that species of elegance below his observation, it may not be improper to observe, that the Harlcian library, perhaps, excels all others, not more in the number and excellence, than in the splendour of its volumes. We may now surely be allowed to hope, that our catalogue will be thought not unworthy of the public curiosity; that it will be purchased as a record of this great collection, And preserved as one of the memorials of learning. The patrons of literature will forgive the purchaser of thb library, if he presumes to assert some claim to their protection and encouragement, as he may have been instrumental in continuing to this nation the advantage of it. The sale of Vossius's collection into a foreign country is, to this day, regretted by men of letters; and, if this effort for the prevention of another loss of the same kind should be disadvantageous to him, no man will hereafter willingly risque his fortune in the cause of learning. 1742, Dec. III. Account of the Harleian Collection of Manuscripts, in the British Museum. -THIS collection was begun near the end of the last cen- tury, by Robert Harley, of Bratnpton Bryan, in Herefordshire, Esq. afterwards Earl of Oxford, and Lord High Treasurer; and was co...