Publisher's Synopsis
Louis Jacob de Saint-Charles offered a primary-source description of the libraries of France when Mazarin dominated 17th-century politics and France was the cultural capital of Europe. Here, for the first time, Jacob's work is made available in English translation, with an introduction placing the book in the context of western intellectual history and accompanied by a detailed scholarly commentary. Both library historians and students of French culture in the early modern period will find this book indispensable.
