and who engrave, in this department, with at least equal skill to our
own."[19]

Let us now return to the Books. In the fourth book-room there is an opening
in the centre, to the left, nearly facing the bronze ornament--through
which, as you enter, and look to the left, appear the upper halves of two
enormous GLOBES. The effect is at first, inconceivably puzzling and even
startling: but you advance, and looking down the huge aperture occasioned
by these gigantic globes, you observe their bases resting on the ground
floor: both the upper and ground floor having the wainscots entirely
covered by books. These globes are the performance of Vincent Coronelli, a
Venetian; and were presented to Louis XIV. by the Cardinal d'Etrées, who
had them made for his Majesty. You return back into the fourth room--pace
on to its extremity, and then, at right angles, view the fifth room--or,
comprising the upper and lower globe rooms, a seventh room; the whole
admirably well lighted up from large side windows. Observe further--the
whole corresponding suite of rooms, on the ground floor, is also nearly
filled with printed books, comprising the _unbound copies_--and one
chamber, occupied by the more exquisite specimens of the presses of the
_Alduses_, the _Giuntæ_, the _Stephens_, &c. UPON VELLUM, or on _large
paper_. Another chamber is exclusively devoted to large paper copies of
_all_ descriptions, from the presses of all countries; and in one or the
other of these chambers are deposited the volumes from the Library of
_Grolier_ and _De Thou_--names, dear to Book-Collectors; as an indifferent
copy has hardly ever yet been found which was once deposited on the shelves
of either. You should know that the public do not visit this lower suite of
rooms, it being open only to the particular friends of the several
Librarians. The measurement of these rooms, from the entrance to the
extremity of the fifth room, is upwards of 700 feet.