He lost a leg at the
bombardment of Brussels in 1695; and though he was promoted to a company
in the Guards, it became at last apparent that he could not serve on
horseback. Du Fay, we are told, was fortunately fond of literature; and
he devoted himself with eagerness to the task of collecting a magnificent
library. History and Latin poetry had always been his favourite subjects,
and it appears that he was already collecting fine examples in this
department during his campaigns in Germany and Flanders.
M. de Lincy commemorates the good taste that impelled Du Fay to buy
several of Grolier's books, and records the industry with which he sought
to remedy his defects of education. Professor Brochard, he says, was a
learned man, with a good library of his own, who went to inspect the
books gathered by Du Fay from all parts of Europe. The visitor expressed
surprise that out of nearly four thousand volumes there should hardly be
any in Greek. 'I have hardly retained a word of the language,' said Du
Fay. 'Cato in his old age,' replied the Professor, 'did not hesitate for
a moment to learn it; and a person quite ignorant of Greek can never know
Latin well.' Du Fay was an easy good-natured man, and at once followed
his friend's advice, beginning from that day to buy Greek books and to
work at the language so as to be able to read them. His object, however,
in forming a library was not so much to gather useful information as to
set up a museum of literary rarities.
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