"This book studies, and compares, two sixteenth-century libraries. Jean Grolier's was a bibliophilic 'cabinet' of fine books; Diego Hurtado de Mendoza's was a much larger and more scholarly collection; a catalogue of the latter's printed books is provided for the first time. Both men were greatly influenced by experience of Italy."--BOOK JACKET.

"Grolier has been called 'the Prince of Bibliophiles'; the books he commissioned have long been famous. This is the first full account of his life for ninety years. Hurtado de Mendoza was a poet, historian, Greek scholar and Arabist. He served as the Emperor's Ambassador in Venice (1540-6), to the Council of Trent (1545-6), and to the Pope (1547-52). In Venice he set out to form for Spain a collection of Greek manuscripts to rival that being formed for France by Francis I's agents."--BOOK JACKET.