Advis pour dresser une Bibliotheque. Presenté à Monseigneur le President de Mesme

Woodcut device on title. 166, [1] pp. Small 8vo, cont. vellum over limp boards (lower cover a little defective, minor worming in lower margin but touching one letter of imprint). Paris: F. Targa, 1627.<br /> <P> First edition of a work of the greatest importance in the history of book collecting and libraries; Naudé's bibliographic canon still influences us today. The first edition is a very rare book; its continuing importance is attested to by the many reprints in French and translations into other languages well into the 20th century.<br /> <P> In this first comprehensive guide devoted to how to form a library, Naudé (1600-53), Cardinal Mazarin's librarian, also stresses the importance of making the library available to the public. Naudé wrote that it was necessary to gather all types of books, regardless of the author's religion or political beliefs. He "advised collectors to buy books on all subjects, taking pains to seek out the best commentaries and critical editions; the contents were all-important, and nothing was to be bought on account of its antiquity, appearance or associations."-Hobson, Great Libraries, p. 14. <br /> <P> Very nice copy. Bookplate of Edmond Tondut.<br /> <P> ❧ Viardot, Jean, "Naissance de la bibliophilie: les cabinets de livres rares," in Histoire des bibliothèques françaises. Les bibliothèques sous l'Ancien Régime 1530-1789, p. 270-"L'Advis a exercé une influence profonde et durable sur le monde du livre. Il faut admettre avec Dacier qu'il a été pour son temps 'un guide, le premier du genre où cette question était traitée d'ensemble et sous tous ses aspects et qu'il a occupé une place et joué un rôle éminents dans l'histoire des idées'." See Archer Taylor's edition of the Evelyn translation of Naudé's book (Berkeley & Los Angeles: 1950).