The Duties and Qualifications of a Librarian (1780)/Introduction
INTRODUCTION
THE short discourse of which we here offer to our readers a translation, has never received a great degree of publicity. Delivered in Latin, before a grave meeting of learned doctors, it was designed, undoubtedly, for none but the friendly ears of the venerable assembly to which it was addressed. A learned printer,—of a class sufficiently numerous in times past, and of which we are fain to believe, without, however, venturing to affirm, there may even yet be found a few, rari nantes,—a printer to the King, Monsieur Pierres, divined the merit of the tract, and was unwilling that so elegant a composition should be wholly condemned to forgetfulness: and in this he manifested both good taste and discernment. He therefore obtained the author's permission to print a few copies of it, solely for the use of those who were friendly to bibliographical studies. The number of these privileged amateurs was quite limited, and we are nearly certain that there are hardly more than twenty-five copies existing of this original edition of the Discours de l'Abbé Cotton des Houssayes. It makes a small octavo pamphlet of eight pages, printed with great care on beautiful fine paper. The copy before us, which we have used for this translation, was presented to the celebrated Abbé de Saint-Léger by the publisher, whose envoi and signature it bears.
The author of this little almost unknown chef-d'œuvre is scarcely known himself except to the literary profession; since he belonged to the race, almost wholly extinct at this day, of modest and laborious scholars who cultivate learning for its own sake, and find more pleasure in adorning and strengthening their minds in the silence of the cabinet, than satisfaction in taking the universe into confidence in their smallest labours or most insignificant discoveries. The Abbé Cotton des Houssayes was born near Rouen, November 17, 1727, and died at Paris, August 20, 1783. The greater part of his life was passed at Rouen, in the employment of teaching; and he was uniformly distinguished as one of the most active and enlightened members of the Academy of the Palinods. He came to reside at Paris and the Sorbonne about the year 1776.
The Abbé Cotton des Houssayes conceived the project of a grand bibliographical work, which was to appear under the title, Histoire Littéraire Universelle, or Bibliothèque Raisonnée, the plan of which may be found in the Année Littéraire for 1780, and in the Journal des Savants for 1781; but the project was never executed. The Abbé has left behind him only some eulogies and a few poetical pieces, which are contained in the printed collections of the Academy of Rouen.
The following discourse is perhaps the most finished of his works. It seems, in fact, scarcely possible to bring together more happily so many thoughts in so limited a space, and not less difficult to present them with greater precision and elegance. We have endeavoured to make our translation worthy of so perfect an original.