' The
principal bibliophiles in Germany were the wealthy Fuggers of Augsburg,
of whom Charles V. used to say when he saw any display of magnificence,
'I have a burgess at Augsburg who can do better than that.' These
merchants were commonly believed to have discovered the philosopher's
stone: they were in fact enriched by their trade with the East, and had
found another fortune in the quicksilver of Almaden, by which the gold
was extracted from the ores of Peru. Raimond Fugger amassed a noble
library before the end of the fifteenth century. Ulric his successor was
the friend of Henri Estienne, who proudly announced himself as printer to
the Fuggers on many a title-page. Ulric spent so much money on books
that his family at one time obtained a decree to restrain his
extravagance. His library was said to contain as many books as there were
stars in heaven. The original stock received a vast accession under his
brother's will, and he purchased another huge collection formed by Dr.
Achilles Gasparus. On his death he left the whole accumulated mass to the
Elector Palatine, and the books thenceforth shared the fortunes of the
Heidelberg Library. When Tilly took the city in 1622 the best part of the
collection was offered to the Vatican, and Leo Allatius the librarian was
sent to make the selection, and to superintend their transport to Rome.
The Emperor Napoleon thought fit to remove some of the MSS. to Paris;
but, on their being seized by the Allies in 1815, it was thought that
prescription should not be pleaded by Rome: 'especially,' says Hallam,
'when she was recovering what she had lost by the same right of
spoliation'; and the whole collection of which the Elector had been
deprived was restored to the library at Heidelberg.
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