Lambinet of Brussels, and
is remarkable for the miniature in which Mansion is represented as
offering the book to his patron in the garden of La Gruthuyse. After the
death of Louis his books passed to his son Jean de Bruges; but most of
them were soon afterwards acquired by Louis XII., who added them to the
library at Blois, the insignia of La Gruthuyse being replaced by the arms
of France. Others were bequeathed to Louis XIV. by the bibliophile
Hippolyte de Bethune, who refused a magnificent offer from Queen
Christina of Sweden in order that his books might remain in France. A
fine copy of the _Forteresse du Foy_ belonged to Claude d'Urfe, whose
library of 4000 books, 'all in green velvet,' was kept in his castle at
La Bastie; when all the others were dispersed the Gruthuyse volume
remained as an heirloom, and descended to Honore d'Urfe, the dreariest of
all writers of romance. In 1776 it belonged to the Duc de la Valliere,
and was purchased for the French Government at one of his numerous sales.
Some of the Flemish books remained in their original home. A volume of
Wallon songs was discovered at Ghent in the last generation; and two
other Gruthuyse books in the same language, from the great collection of
M. Van Hulthem, are now deposited in the Burgundian Library at Brussels.
The Dukes of Burgundy were of the book-loving race of the Valois. The
brothers, Charles le Sage, Jean Duc de Berry, and Philippe le Hardi of
Burgundy, were all founders of celebrated libraries.
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