Edition of 1920.See alsoBibliothèque nationale de France onWikipedia, and thedisclaimer.
NATIONAL LIBRARY (BIBLIOTHÈQUENATIONALE) OF FRANCE,one of the world's most famous libraries. Someof its historians find its origin in the books ofCharlemagne and Charles the Bald but this isdoubtless mere legend. Saint Louis is said tohave formed a collection in the 13th century,but whether his books are among those of theBibliothèque Nationale is not known. At anyrate, the real founder of the Royal Librarywas King John, who bequeathed his collectionof manuscripts to his successor Charles V, whotransferred it from the Palais de la Cité tothe Louvre. The first librarian of record wasClaude Mallet, the king's valet de chambre,who made a sort of catalogue ‘Inventoire desLivres du Roy nostre Seigneur estans auChastel du Louvre.’ Jean Blanchet madeanother list in 1380 and Jean de Bégue one in 1411and another in 1424. Charles V was a patronof learning and encouraged the making andcollection of books. It is known that he employedNicholas Oresme, Raoul de Presle and othersto transcribe ancient texts. This first collectionof the King's Library was sold by Charles VIto the English regent of France, the Duke ofBedford, who transferred it to England in 1424.It was apparently dispersed at his death in 1435.Charles VII and Louis XI did little to repairthe loss of these books, but the invention ofprinting resulted in the starting of anothercollection in the Louvre. Louis XI added to thischaracteristically by confiscating libraries thatstruck his fancy, as also did Charles VIII, whoseized the collections of the kings of Aragon.Louis XII, who had inherited the library at Blois,incorporated the latter into the Bibliothèque duRoi and further enriched it with the splendidGruthuyse collection and with plunder fromPavia. Francis I transferred the collection in1534 to Fontainebleau and merged it with hisprivate library. During his reign, fine bindingsbecame the craze and many of the books addedby him and Henry II are masterpieces of thebinder's art. Under librarianship of Amyot,the collection was transferred to Paris duringwhich process many treasures were lost. HenryIV again moved it to the Collège de Clermontand in 1604 it was housed in the Rue de laHarpe. The appointment of J. A. de Thou, thefamous historian and bibliophile, initiated aperiod of development that made it the largestand richest collection of books in the world.He was succeeded by his son who was replaced,when executed for treason, by Jerome Bignon,the first of a line of distinsuished librarians ofthe same name. Under de Thou, the librarywas enriched by the collections of QueenCatherine de Medici. The library grew rapidly duringthe reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV,due in great part to the interest of the Ministerof Finance, Colbert, one of the most indefatigablecollectors of books. The quarters in theRue de la Harpe becoming inadequate, thelibrary was again moved, in 1666, to a morespacious house in Rue Vivienne. The MinisterLouvois took quite as much interest in the libraryas Colbert and during his administration amagnificent building to be erected in the PlaceVendôme was planned. The death of Louvois,however, prevented the realization of this plan.Louvois employed Mabillon, Thevenot andothers to procure books from every source. In1688 a catalogue in eight volumes was compiled,and under the administration of Abbé Louvois,the Minister's son, the library was thrown opento all scholars. Abbé Louvois was succeeded bythe Abbé Bignon, or Bignon II as he wastermed, who instituted a complete reform ofthe library's system. Catalogues were madewhich appeared from 1739-53 in 11 volumes.The collections increased steadily by purchaseand gift to the outbreak of the Revolution, atwhich time it was in grave danger of partialor total destruction, but owing to the activitiesof Renouard and Van Praet it suffered noinjury. The Revolution appears to havebenefited the library for many of the books of theemigrés and the suppressed religious institutionsfound their way to the shelves of theBibliothèque Nationale, as it was now called.Furthermore an administrative organization wasestablished that is the basis of its present system.Napoleon took great interest in thelibrary and among other things issued an orderthat all books in provincial libraries notpossessed by the Bibliothèque Nationale should beforwarded to it, subject to replacement byexchanges of equal value from the duplicatecollections, makmg it possible, as Napoleon said,to find a copy of any book in France in theNational Library. Napoleon furthermoreincreased the collections by spoil from hisconquests, a good share of which, however, wasrestored after his downfall. During the periodfrom 1800 to 1836, the library was virtuallyunder the control of Joseph Van Praet, to thedevelopment of which he consecrated the wholeof his energies. At his death it contained morethan 650,000 printed books and some 80,000manuscripts, many of them of exceeding rarity.His work has been carried on by Taschereau,Delisle and Marcel Homolle under whom thecollections have grown to their present sizeof 4,050,000 volumes, 11,000 manuscripts.
