Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/171

 Letters of Gabriel Peignot. T OWE the opportunity of once more directing attention to the bibliographer Peignot to the kindness of that excellent member of the Library Association, Mr. Sam Timmins. After the appearance of my first paper on this subject (see Library Chronicle, vol v., No. 58, p. 177) Mr. Timmins kindly lent me a bundle of letters in MS. which Peignot had written mostly from Dijon to his friend M. Baulmont, comptroller of the Post Office at Vesoul. Multifarious occupations compelled me to defer the task of examining these letters, and I am bound to confess that the labour has not yielded matter of so much interest as I antici- pated. The light, pleasant style which marks the correspondence is what one expects from a fellow countryman of Madame de Sevigne. The letters, many of which were published in 1857, were written from different towns of France while the Inspector of Studies was on his official rounds. They derive interest from the notices of places little known in England and described here with unassuming simplicity. It may still be said of Peignot in connection with these letters what Brunet said of his published works : " There is no pre- tension about his judgments no false assumption. Always modest in his writings, always indulgent towards other writers, this estimable man of letters must have met with more friends than censors." We get a glimpse of his personality in a letter he wrote from Saumur on igth September, 1820. He describes the town as picturesquely situated on an amphitheatre of rock. He called at the library and was received by the librarian in a way that " made him blush." " He (the librarian) spoke of the happiness he felt in having me there, and other absurdities. He had my bibliographical works and never ceased paying me compliments enough to break my nose (me casser lentz). I gave him some information of editions of the XVth century which only gave him a greater fancy for my poor little person." 13