a list or enumeration of the names of several books, men, or other things, disposed according to a certain order.

Catalogues of books are digested in different manners, some according to the order of the times when the books were printed, as that of Mattaire; others according to their form and size, as the common book-sellers-catalogues; others according to the alphabetical order of the authors' names, as Hyde's catalogue of the Bodleian library; others according to the alphabetical order of matters or subjects, which are called real or classical catalogues, as those of Lipenius and Draudius; lastly, others are digested in a mixed method, partaking of several of the former, as de Seine's catalogue of cardinal Slufius's library, which is first divided according to the subjects or sciences, and afterwards the books in each are recited alphabetically.

The most applauded of all catalogues is that of Thuanus's library, in which are united the advantages of all the rest. It was first drawn up by the two Puteani in the alphabetical order, then digested according to the sciences and subjects by Ishm. Bullialdus, and published by F. Quefnel at Paris in 1679; and reprinted, though incorrectly, at Hamburg, in 1704. The books are here ranged with justness under their several sciences and subjects, regard being had full to the nation, sect, age, &c., of every writer. Add, that only the best and choicest books in every subject are found here, and the most valuable editions. Yet the catalogue of M. le Telliers archbishop of Rheims's library, made by M. Clement, is not inferior to any published in our age, either on account of the number and choice of the books, or the method of its disposition. One advantage peculiar to this catalogue is, the multitude of anonymous and pseudonymous authors detected in it, scarce to be met with elsewhere. Some even prefer it to Thuanus's catalogue, as containing a greater variety of classes and books on particular subjects.

The conditions required in a catalogue are, that it indicate at the same time the order of the authors and of the matters, the form of the book, the number of volumes, the chronological order of the editions, the language it is written in, and its place in the library; so as that all these circumstances may appear at once in the shortest, clearest, and exactest manner possible. In this view, all the catalogues yet made will be found to be defective.

An anonymous French writer has laid down a new plan of a catalogue, which shall unite all the advantages, and avoid all the inconveniences of the rest.

The Jesuits of Antwerp has given us a catalogue of the popes; which makes what they call their Propyleum.

CATALOGUE of the Stars, is a list of the fixed stars, disposed in their several constellations; with the longitudes, latitudes, &c., of each.

The first who undertook to reduce the fixed stars into a catalogue was Hipparchus Rhodius, about 120 years before Christ; in which he made use of the observations of Timocharis and Aristyllus for about 180 years before him. Ptolemy retained Hipparchus's catalogue, containing 1026 fixed stars; though he himself made abundance of observations, with a view to a new catalogue, A.D. 140. About the year of Christ 880, Albategni, a Syrian, brought down the same to his time. Anno 1437, Ulugh Beigh, king of Parthia and India, made a new catalogue of 1022 fixed stars, since translated out of Persian into Latin by Dr. Hyde. The third who made a catalogue from his own observations was Tycho Brahe, who determined the places of 777 stars for the year 1600, which Kepler from other observations of Tycho afterwards increased to the number of 1000 in the Rudolphine tables; adding those of Ptolemy omitted by Tycho, and of other authors, so that his catalogue amounts to above 1160. At the same time, William landgrave of Hesse, with his mathematicians Christopher Rothmannus and Julius Byrgius, determined the places of 400 fixed stars by his own observations, with their places rectified for the year 1593; which Hevelius prefers to those of Tycho's. Ricciolus, in his Astronomia Reformata, determined the places of 101 stars for the year 1700, from his own observations; for the rest he followed Tycho's catalogue; altering it where he thought fit. Anno 1667, Dr. Halley, in the island of St. Helena, observed 35 southern stars not visible in our horizon. The same labour was repeated by F. Noel in 1710, who published a new catalogue of the same stars constructed for the year 1687.

Bayer, in his Uranometria, published a catalogue of 1160 stars, compiled chiefly from Ptolemy and Tycho, in which every star is marked with some letter of the Greek alphabet; the biggest star in any constellation being denoted by the first letter, the next by the second, &c.; and if the number exceeds the Greek alphabet, the remaining stars are marked by letters of the Roman alphabet, which letters are preserved by Flamsteed, and by Sexen on his globes. The celebrated Hevelius composed a catalogue of 1888 stars, 1553 of which were observed by himself; and their places were computed for the year 1660.

The last and greatest is the Britannic catalogue, compiled from the observations of the accurate Mr. Flamsteed; who for a long series of years devoted himself wholly thereto. As there was nothing wanting either in the observer or apparatus, we may look on this as a perfect work so far as it goes. It is to be regretted the impression had not passed through his own hands; that now extant, was published by authority, but without the author's consent: it contains 2734 stars. There was another published in 1725, pursuant to his testament; containing no less than 3000 stars, with their places rectified for the year 1689; to which is added Mr. Sharp's catalogue of the southern stars not visible in our hemisphere, adapted to the year 1726.