\"Atquartosaltemmenserediredecet。\"
Thereisnosatisfactioninlendingabook;foritisrarelythatborrowers,whiletheydefaceyourvolumes,gatherhoneyfornewstores,asDeQuinceydid,andColeridge,andevenDr。Johnson,who\"greasedanddogs-earedsuchvolumesaswereconfidedtohistendermercies,withthesameindifferencewherewithhesingedhisownwigs。\"Butthereisaraceofmortalsmoreannoyingtoaconscientiousmanthanborrowers。Thesearethespontaneouslenders,whoinsistthatyoushallborrowtheirtomes。Formyownpart,whenIamoppressedwiththecharityofsuch,Ilocktheirbooksupinadrawer,andbeholdthemnotagaintillthedayoftheirreturn。Thereisnosecurityagainstborrowers,unlessamanlikeGuibertdePixerecourtsteadfastlyrefusestolend。ThedeviceofPixerecourtwasunlivreestunamiquinechangejamais。Butheknewthatourbookschangewhentheyhavebeenborrowed,likeourfriendswhentheyhavebeenmarried;when\"aladyborrowsthem,\"asthefairyqueensaysintheballadof\"Tamlane。\"
\"ButhadIkenn’d,Tamlane,\"shesays,\"Aladywadborrowedthee,Iwadta’enoutthytwagrayeen,Putintwaeeno’tree!
\"HadIbutkenn’d,Tamlane,\"shesays,\"Beforeyecamefraehame,Iwadta’enoutyourhearto’flesh,Putinahearto’stane!\"
Abovethelintelofhislibrarydoor,Pixerecourthadthiscoupletcarved-
\"Telestletristesortdetoutlivreprete,Souventilestperdu,toujoursilestgate。\"
M。PaulLacroixsayshewouldnothavelentabooktohisowndaughter。OnceLacroixaskedfortheloanofaworkoflittlevalue。Pixerecourtfrowned,andledhisfriendbeneaththedoorway,pointingtothemotto。\"Yes,\"saidM。Lacroix,\"butIthoughtthatverseappliedtoeveryonebutme。\"SoPixerecourtmadehimapresentofthevolume。
Wecannotallimitatethis\"immense\"butunamiableamateur。
Therefore,bibliophileshaveconsoledthemselveswiththeinventionsofbook-plates,quaintrepresentations,perhapsheraldic,perhapsfanciful,oftheirclaimstothepossessionoftheirowndearvolumes。Mr。LeicesterWarrenandM。PouletMalassishavewrittenthehistoryoftheseslenderworksofart,andeachbibliophilemayhavehisownengraved,andmayformulatehisownanathemasonpeoplewhoborrowandrestorenotagain。Theprocessisfutile,butmaycomforttheheart,likethecursesagainstthieveswhichtheGreekswerewonttoscratchonleadentablets,anddepositinthetempleofDemeter。Eachamateurcanexercisehisowntasteinthedesignofabook-plate;andforsuchasloveandcollectrareeditionsof\"Homer,\"Iventuretosuggestthismotto,whichmaymovetheheartoftheborrowertosendbackanAldinecopyoftheepic-
[Greektext]{3}
Mr。WilliamBlades,inhispleasantvolume,\"TheEnemiesofBooks\"
(Trubner),makesnoaccountofthebook-thieforbiblioklept。\"Iftheyinjuretheowners,\"saysMr。Blades,withrealtolerance,\"theydonoharmtothebooksthemselves,bymerelytransferringthemfromonesetofbook-shelvestoanother。\"Thissentencehasnaturallycausedustoreflectontheethicalcharacterofthebiblioklept。
Heisnotalwaysabadman。Inoldtimes,whenlanguagehaditsdelicacies,andmoralistswerenotdevoidofsensibility,theFrenchdidnotsay\"unvoleurdelivres,\"but\"unchipeurdelivres;\"asthepaperscallladyshoplifters\"kleptomaniacs。\"Therearedistinctions。M。JulesJaninmentionsagreatParisianbooksellerwhohadanamiableweakness。Hewasabibliokleptomaniac。Hisfirstmotionwhenhesawabookwithinreachwastoputitinhispocket。Everyoneknewhishabit,andwhenavolumewaslostatasaletheauctioneerdulyannouncedit,andknockeditdowntotheenthusiast,whoregularlypaidtheprice。Whenhewenttoaprivateviewofbooksabouttobesold,theofficialsatthedoorwouldaskhim,ashewasgoingout,ifhedidnothappentohaveanElzevirHoraceoranAldineOvidinhispocket。Thenhewouldsearchthosereceptaclesandexclaim,\"Yes,yes,hereitis;somuchobligedtoyou;Iamsoabsent。\"M。JaninmentionsanEnglishnoble,a\"SirFitzgerald,\"whohadthesametastes,butwhounluckilyfellintothehandsofthepolice。YetM。Janinhasatendernessforthebook-stealer,who,afterall,isaloverofbooks。Themoralpositionofthemalefactorissodelicateanddifficultthatweshallattempttotreatofitinthesevere,thoughrococo,mannerofAristotle’s\"Ethics。\"HerefollowsanextractfromthelostAristoteliantreatise\"ConcerningBooks\":-
\"Amongthecontemplativevirtueswereckontheloveofbooks。Nowthisvirtue,likecourageorliberality,hasitsmean,itsexcess,anditsdefect。Thedefectisindifference,andthemanwhoisdefectiveastotheloveofbookshasnonameincommonparlance。
Therefore,wemaycallhimtheRobustiousPhilistine。Thismanwillcuttheleavesofhisownorhisfriend’svolumeswiththebutter-
knifeatbreakfast。Alsoheisjustthepersonwilfullytomistakethedoublesenseoftheterm’fly-leaves,’andtostickthe’fly-
leaves’ofhisvolumesfulloffly-hooks。Healsolovesdogs’-ears,andmarkshisplacewithhispipewhenheshutsabookinahurry;
orhewillsetthelegofhischaironapagetokeepitopen。Hepraisesthosewhotearoffmarginsforpipe-lights,andhemakescigaretteswiththetissue-paperthatcoversengravings。Whenhisbooksarebound,heseesthatthemarginiscuttothequick。Hetellsyoutoo,that’HEbuysbookstoreadthem。’Buthedoesnotsaywhyhethinksitneedfultospoilthem。Alsohewilldragoffbindings——orshouldweperhapscallthiscrime[Greektext],orbrutality,ratherthanmerevice?forviceisessentiallyhuman,buttotearoffbindingsisbestial。ThustheystillspeakofacertainmonsterwholivedduringtheFrenchRevolution,andwho,havingpurchasedvolumesattiredinmorocco,andstampedwiththedevicesoftheoligarchs,wouldripofftheleatherorvellum,andthrowthemintothefireoroutofthewindow,sayingthat’nowhecouldreadwithunwashedhandsathisease。’Suchaperson,then,isthemanindifferenttobooks,andhesinsbywayofdefect,beingdeficientinthecontemplativevirtueofbook-loving。Astothemanwhoisexactlyintherightmean,wecallhimthebook-lover。Hishappinessconsistsnotinreading,whichisanactivevirtue,butinthecontemplationofbindings,andillustrations,andtitle-pages。
Thushisfelicitypartakesofthenatureoftheblissweattributetothegods,forthatalsoiscontemplative,andwecallthebook-
lover’happy,’andeven’blessed,’butwithinthelimitsofmortalhappiness。But,justasinthematterofabsenceoffearthereisameanwhichwecallcourage,andadefectwhichwecallcowardice,andanexcesswhichisknownasfoolhardiness;soitisinthecaseoftheloveofbooks。Astothemean,wehaveseenthatitisthevirtueofthetruebook-lover,whilethedefectconstitutesthesinoftheRobustiousPhilistine。Buttheextremeisfoundincovetousness,andthecovetousmanwhoisintheextremestateofbook-loving,isthebiblioklept,orbook-stealer。Nowhisviceshowsitself,notincontemplation(forofcontemplationtherecanbenoexcess),butinaction。Forbooksareprocured,aswesay,bypurchase,orbybarter,andthesearevoluntaryexchanges,boththesellerandthebuyerbeingwillingtodeal。Butbooksare,again,procuredinanotherway,byinvoluntarycontract——thatis,whentheownerofthebookisunwillingtopartwithit,buthewhoseownthebookisnotisdeterminedtotakeit。Thebook-stealerissuchamanasthis,andhepossesseshimselfofbookswithwhichtheownerdoesnotintendtopart,byvirtueofaseriesofinvoluntarycontracts。Again,thequestionmayberaised,whetheristheRobustiousPhilistinewhodespisesbooks,orthebibliokleptwhoadoresthemoutofmeasureandexcessively,theworsecitizen?Now,ifwearetolooktotheconsequencesofactionsonly(asthefollowersofBenthamadvise),clearlytheRobustiousPhilistineistheworsecitizen,forhemangles,anddirties,anddestroysbookswhichitistheinterestoftheStatetopreserve。Butthebiblioklepttreasuresandadornsthebookshehasacquired;andwhenhedies,orgoestoprison,theStatereceivesthebenefitathissale。ThusLibri,whowasthegreatestofbiblioklepts,rescuedmanyofthebookshestolefromdirtandmisuse,andhadthemboundroyallyinpurpleandgold。Also,itmaybearguedthatbooksnaturallybelongtohimwhocanappreciatethem;andifgoodbooksareinadullorindifferentman’skeeping,thisisthesortofslaverywhichwecall\"unnatural\"inourPOLITICS,andwhichisnottobeendured。Shallwesay,then,thattheRobustiousPhilistineistheworsecitizen,whiletheBibliokleptistheworseman?Butthisisperhapsmatterforaseparatedisquisition。\"
ThisfragmentofthelostAristoteliantreatise\"ConcerningBooks,\"
showswhatadifficultytheStagiritehadindeterminingtheprecisenatureofthemoraloffenceofthebiblioklept。Indeed,bothasacollectorandasanintuitivemoralist,Aristotlemusthavefounditratherdifficulttocondemnthebook-thief。He,doubtless,wentontodrawdistinctionsbetweenthemanwhostealsbookstosellthemagainformerepecuniaryprofit(whichhewouldcall\"chrematistic,\"
or\"unnatural,\"book-stealing),andthemanwhostealsthembecausehefeelsthatheistheirproperandnaturalpossessor。ThesamedistinctionistakenbyJulesJanin,whowasamoreconstantstudentofHoracethanofAristotle。Inhisimaginarydialogueofbibliophiles,JaninintroducesacharacterwhoannouncesthedeathofM。Libri。Thetolerantpersonwhobringsthesadnewsproposes\"tocastafewflowersonthemelancholytomb。Hewasabibliophile,afterall。Whatdoyousaytoit?Manyagoodfellowhasstolenbooks,anddiedingraceatthelast。\"\"Yes,\"repliesthepresidentoftheclub,\"butthegoodfellowsdidnotsellthebookstheystole……Cestunegrandehonte,unegrandemisere。\"
ThisLibriwasanInspector-GeneralofFrenchLibrariesunderLouisPhilippe。Whenhewastried,in1848,itwascalculatedthatthesumofhisknowntheftsamountedto20,000pounds。Manyofhisrobberiesescapednoticeatthetime。ItisnotlongsinceLordAshburnham,accordingtoaFrenchjournal,\"LeLivre,\"foundinhiscollectionsomefragmentsofaPentateuch。TheserelicshadbeeninthepossessionoftheLyonsLibrary,whenceLibristolethemin1847。ThelateLordAshburnhamboughtthem,withoutthefaintestideaofLibri’sdishonesty;andwhen,afterelevenyears,thepresentpeerdiscoveredtheproperownersofhistreasure,heimmediatelyrestoredthePentateuchtotheLyonsLibrary。
Manyeminentcharactershavebeenbiblioklepts。WhenInnocentX。
wasstillMonsignorPamphilio,hestoleabook——sosaysTallemantdesReaux——fromDuMonstier,thepainter。TheamusingthingisthatDuMonstierhimselfwasabook-thief。Heusedtotellhowhehadliftedabook,ofwhichhehadlongbeeninsearch,fromastallonthePont-Neuf;\"but,\"saysTallemant(whomJanindoesnotseemtohaveconsulted),\"therearemanypeoplewhodon’tthinkitthievingtostealabookunlessyousellitafterwards。\"ButDuMonstiertookalessliberalviewwherehisownbookswereconcerned。TheCardinalBarberinicametoParisaslegate,andbroughtinhissuiteMonsignorPamphilio,whoafterwardsbecameInnocentX。TheCardinalpaidavisittoDuMonstierinhisstudio,whereMonsignorPamphiliospied,onatable,\"L’HistoireduConciledeTrent\"——thegoodedition,theLondonone。\"Whatapity,\"thoughttheyoungecclesiastic,\"thatsuchamanshouldbe,bysomeaccident,thepossessorofsovaluableabook。\"WiththesesentimentsMonsignorPamphilioslippedtheworkunderhissoutane。ButlittleDuMonstierobservedhim,andsaidfuriouslytotheCardinal,thataholymanshouldnotbringthievesandrobbersinhiscompany。Withthesewords,andwithothersofaviolentandlibellouscharacter,herecoveredthe\"HistoryoftheCouncilofTrent,\"andkickedoutthefuturePope。AmelotdelaHoussaietracestothisincidentthehatredbornebyInnocentX。totheCrownandthepeopleofFrance。
AnotherPope,whileonlyacardinal,stoleabookfromMenage——soM。
Janinreports——butwehavenotbeenabletodiscoverMenage’sownaccountofthelarceny。Theanecdotistisnotsotruthfulthatcardinalsneedflushadeeperscarlet,liketherosesinBion’s\"LamentforAdonis,\"onaccountofascandalrestingontheauthorityofMenage。AmongRoyalpersons,CatherinedeMedici,accordingtoBrantome,wasabiblioklept。\"TheMarshalStrozzihadaveryfinelibrary,andafterhisdeaththeQueen-Motherseizedit,promisingsomedaytopaythevaluetohisson,whonevergotafarthingofthemoney。\"ThePtolemies,too,werethievesonalargescale。AdepartmentoftheAlexandrianLibrarywascalled\"TheBooksfromtheShips,\"andwasfilledwithrarevolumesstolenfrompassengersinvesselsthattouchedattheport。True,theownersweregivencopiesoftheirancientMSS。,buttheexchange,asAristotlesays,wasan\"involuntary\"one,andnotdistinctfromrobbery。
Thegreatpatternofbiblioklepts,amanwhocarriedhispassiontothemostregrettableexcesses,wasaSpanishpriest,DonVincente,oftheconventofPobla,inAragon。WhentheSpanishrevolutiondespoiledtheconventlibraries,DonVincenteestablishedhimselfatBarcelona,underthepillarsofLosEncantes,wherearethestallsofthemerchantsofbric-a-bracandtheseatsofthemthatsellbooks。InagloomydentheDonstoreduptreasureswhichhehatedtosell。Oncehewaspresentatanauctionwherehewasout-bidinthecompetitionforarare,perhapsaunique,volume。Threenightsafterthat,thepeopleofBarcelonawereawakenedbycriesof\"Fire!\"Thehouseandshopofthemanwhohadbought\"OrdinacionsperlosgloriososreysdeArago\"wereblazing。Whenthefirewasextinguished,thebodyoftheownerofthehousewasfound,withapipeinhisblackenedhand,andsomemoneybesidehim。Everyonesaid,\"Hemusthavesetthehouseonfirewithasparkfromhispipe。\"Timewenton,andweekbyweekthepolicefoundthebodiesofslainmen,nowinthestreet,nowinaditch,nowintheriver。
Therewereyoungmenandold,allhadbeenharmlessandinoffensiveintheirlives,and——allhadbeenbibliophiles。Adaggerinaninvisiblehandhadreachedtheirheartsbuttheassassinhadsparedtheirpurses,money,andrings。Anorganisedsearchwasmadeinthecity,andtheshopofDonVincentewasexamined。There,inahiddenrecess,thepolicediscoveredthecopyof\"OrdinacionsperlosgloriosisreysdeArago,\"whichoughtbyrightstohavebeenburnedwiththehouseofitspurchaser。DonVincentewasaskedhowhegotthebook。Herepliedinaquietvoice,demandedthathiscollectionshouldbemadeovertotheBarcelonaLibrary,andthenconfessedalongarrayofcrimes。Hehadstrangledhisrival,stolenthe\"Ordinacions,\"andburnedthehouse。Theslainmenwerepeoplewhohadboughtfromhimbookswhichhereallycouldnotbeartopartwith。Athistrialhiscounseltriedtoprovethathisconfessionwasfalse,andthathemighthavegothisbooksbyhonestmeans。ItwasobjectedthattherewasintheworldonlyonebookprintedbyLambertPalmartin1482,andthattheprisonermusthavestolenthis,theonlycopy,fromthelibrarywhereitwastreasured。Thedefendant’scounselprovedthattherewasanothercopyintheLouvre;that,therefore,theremightbemore,andthatthedefendant’smighthavebeenhonestlyprocured。HereDonVincente,previouslycallous,utteredanhystericalcry。SaidtheAlcalde:-
\"Atlast,Vincente,youbegintounderstandtheenormityofyouroffence?\"\"Ah,SenorAlcalde,myerrorwasclumsyindeed。IfyouonlyknewhowmiserableIam!\"\"Ifhumanjusticeproveinflexible,thereisanotherjusticewhosepityisinexhaustible。Repentanceisnevertoolate。\"\"Ah,SenorAlcalde,butmycopywasnotunique!\"
Withthestoryofthisimpenitentthiefwemayclosetherollofbiblioklepts,thoughDibdinpretendsthatGarrickwasofthecompany,andstoleAlleyne’sbooksatDulwich。
Thereisathievishnaturemorehatefulthaneventhebiblioklept。
TheBook-Ghoulishewhocombinesthelarcenyofthebibliokleptwiththeabominablewickednessofbreakingupandmutilatingthevolumesfromwhichhesteals。Heisacollectoroftitle-pages,frontispieces,illustrations,andbook-plates。Heprowlsfurtivelyamongpublicandprivatelibraries,insertingwettedthreads,whichslowlyeatawaytheillustrationshecovets;andhebroods,liketheobscenedemonofArabiansuperstitions,overthefragmentsofthemightydead。Hisdisgustingtastesvary。HepreparesbooksfortheAmericanmarket。ChristmasbooksaresoldintheStatesstuffedwithpicturescutoutofhonestvolumes。HereisaquotationfromanAmericanpaper:-
\"AnotherstyleofChristmasbookwhichdeservestobementioned,thoughitisoutofthereachofanybuttheveryrich,isthehistoricalorliteraryworkenrichedwithinsertedplates。Therehasnever,toourknowledge,beenanythingofferedinAmericasosupremelyexcellentasthe$5000bookonWashington,wethink——
exhibitedbyBostonlastyear,butnotafewfinespecimensofbooksofthisclassareatpresentofferedtopurchasers。ScribnerhasabeautifulcopyofForster’s’LifeofDickens,’enlargedfromthreevolumesoctavotoninevolumesquarto,bytakingtopieces,remounting,andinlaying。Itcontainssomeeighthundredengravings,portraits,views,playbills,title-pages,catalogues,proofillustrationsfromDickens’sworks,asetoftheOnwhynplates,rareengravingsbyCruikshankand’Phiz,’andautographletters。ThoughthisvolumedoesnotcomparewithHarvey’sDickens,offeredfor$1750twoyearsago,itisanexcellentspecimenofbooksofthissort,andtheveriesttyroinbibliographicalaffairsknowshowscarcearebecomingtheearlyeditionsofDickens’sworksandtheplatesillustratingthem。{4}AnythingaboutDickensinthebeginningofhiscareerisasoundinvestmentfromabusinesspointofview。Anotherworkofthesamesort,valuedat$240,isLadyTrevelyan’seditionofMacaulay,illustratedwithportraits,manyofthemveryrare。Evencheaper,allthingsconsidered,isanextra-
illustratedcopyofthe’HistoiredelaGravure,’which,besidesitsseventy-threereproductionsofoldengravings,isenrichedwithtwohundredfinespecimensoftheearlyengravers,manyoftheimpressionsbeinginfirstandsecondstates。At$155suchabookisreallyabargain,especiallyforanyonewhoisformingacollectionofengravings。AnotherdelightfulworkisthelibraryeditionofBray’s’Evelyn,’illustratedwithsometwohundredandfiftyportraitsandviews,andvaluedat$175;andstillanotherisBoydell’s’Milton,’withplatesafterWestall,andfurtherillustrationsintheshapeoftwenty-eightportraitsofthepainterandonehundredandeighty-oneplates,andmanyofthembeforeletter。Thepriceofthisbookis$325。\"
Butfewbook-ghoulsareworsethanthemoralghoul。Hedefaces,withapen,thepassages,insomepreciousvolume,whichdonotmeethisideaofmoralpropriety。IhaveaPine’s\"Horace,\"withtheengravingsfromgems,whichhasfallenintothehandsofamoralghoul。Notonlyhasheobliteratedtheverseswhichhurthisdelicatesense,buthehasactuallyscrapedawayportionsoftheclassicalfigures,and\"thebreastsofthenymphsinthebrake。\"
ThesoulofTartuffehadenteredintothebodyofasinnerofthelastcentury。Theantiquarianghoulstealstitle-pagesandcolophons。Theaestheticghoulcutsilluminatedinitialsoutofmanuscripts。Thepetty,trivial,andalmostidioticghoulofourowndays,spongesthefly-leavesandboardsofbooksforthepurposeofcribbingthebook-plates。Anold\"ComplaintofaBook-plate,\"indreadofthewetspongeoftheenemy,hasbeendiscoveredbyMr。
AustinDobson:-{5}
THEBOOK-PLATE’SPETITION。
ByaGentlemanoftheTemple。
WhilecynicCHARLESstilltrimm’dthevane’TwixtQuerouailleandCastlemaine,IndaysthatshockedJOHNEVELYN,MyFirstPossessorfix’dmein。
IndaysofDutchmenandoffrost,ThenarrowseawithJAMESIcross’d,ReturningwhenoncemorebeganTheAgeofSaturnandofANNE。
Iamapartofallthepast;
IknewtheGEORGES,firstandlast;
IhavebeenoftwhereelsewasnoneSavethegreatwigofADDISON;
AndseenonshelvesbeneathmegropeThelittleeagerformofPOPE。
IlosttheThirdthatown’dmewhenFrenchNOAILLESfledatDettingen;
TheyearJAMESWOLFEsurpris’dQuebec,TheFourthinhuntingbrokehisneck;
ThedaythatWILLIAMHOGARTHdy’d,TheFifthonefoundmeinCheapside。
ThiswasaScholar,oneofthoseWhoseGreekissounderthantheirhose;
Helov’doldBooksandnappyale,Soliv’datStreatham,nexttoTHRALE。
’TwastherethisstainofgreaseIboastWasmadebyDr。JOHNSON’Stoast。
(Hedidit,asIthink,forSpite;
MyMastercall’dhimJacobite!)
AndnowthatIsolongto-dayHaverestedpostdiscrimina,Safeinthebrass-wir’dbook-casewhereIwatch’dtheVicar’swhit’ninghair,MustIthesetravell’dbonesinterInsomeCollector’ssepulchre!
MustIbetornfromhenceandthrownWithfrontispieceandcolophon!
WithvagrantE’s,andI’s,andO’s,Thespoilofplunder’dFolios!
WithscrapsandsnippetsthattoME
Arenaughtbutkitchencompany!
Nay,rather,FRIEND,thisfavourgrantme:
Tearmeatonce;butdon’ttransplantme。
CHELTENHAM,Sept。31,1792。
Theconceitedghoulwriteshisnotesacrossourfairwhitemargins,inpencil,orinmorebanefulink。Orhespillshisinkbottleatlargeoverthepages,asAndreChenier’sfriendservedhiscopyofMalherbe。Itisscarcelynecessarytowarntheamateuragainstthesocietyofbook-ghouls,whoaregenerallysnuffyandfoulinappearance,andbynomeanssoinsinuatingasthatfairlady-ghoul,Amina,oftheArabianNights。
Anotherenemyofbooksmustbementionedwiththedelicacythatbefitsthetopic。Almostallwomenaretheinveteratefoes,notofnovels,ofcourse,norpeeragesandpopularvolumesofhistory,butofbooksworthyofthename。ItistruethatIsabelled’Este,andMadamedePompadour,andMadamedeMaintenon,werecollectors;and,doubtless,thereareotherbrilliantexceptionstoageneralrule。
But,broadlyspeaking,womendetestthebookswhichthecollectordesiresandadmires。First,theydon’tunderstandthem;second,theyarejealousoftheirmysteriouscharms;third,bookscostmoney;anditreallyisahardthingforaladytoseemoneyexpendedonwhatseemsadingyoldbinding,oryellowpaperscoredwithcrabbedcharacters。Thusladieswageaskirmishingwaragainstbooksellers’catalogues,andhistoryspeaksofhusbandswhohavehadtopractisetheguileofsmugglerswhentheyconveyedanewpurchaseacrosstheirownfrontier。ThusmanymarriedmenarereducedtocollectingElzevirs,whichgoreadilyintothepocket,foryoucannotsmuggleafoliovolumeeasily。Thisinveteratedislikeofbooksoftenproducesaverydeplorableresultwhenanoldcollectordies。His\"womankind,\"astheAntiquarycalledthem,sellallhistreasuresforthepriceofwaste-paper,tothenearestcountrybookseller。Itisamelancholydutywhichforcesonetointroducesuchtopicsintoavolumeon\"ArtatHome。\"Butthislittleworkwillnothavebeenwritteninvainifitpersuadesladieswhoinheritbooksnottosellthemhastily,withouttakinggoodanddisinterestedopinionastotheirvalue。Theyoftendisposeoftreasuresworththousands,foratenpoundnote,andtakeprideinthebargain。Here,lethistorymentionwithduehonourtheparagonofhersexandthepatterntoallwivesofbook-collectingmen——
MadameFertiault。Itisthusthatsheaddressesherlordinacharmingtriolet(\"LesAmoureuxduLivre,\"p。xxxv):-
\"Lelivreatonesprit……tantmieux!
Moi,j’aitoncoeur,etsanspartage。
Puis-jedesirerdavantage?
Lelivreatonesprit……tantmieux!
Heureusedetevoirjoyeux,Jet’envoudrais……toutunetage。
Lelivreatonesprit……tantmieux!
Moi,j’aitoncoeur,etsanspartage。\"
Booksrulethymind,soletitbe!
Thyheartismine,andminealone。
WhatmorecanIrequireofthee?
Booksrulethymind,soletitbe!
ContentedwhenthyblissIsee,Iwishaworldofbooksthineown。
Booksrulethymind,soletitbe!
Thyheartismine,andminealone。
Thereisonemethodofpreservingbooks,which,alas,onlytemptstheborrower,thestealer,therat,andthebook-worm;butwhichisabsolutelynecessaryasadefenceagainstdustandneglect。Thisisbinding。Thebookbinder’sarttoooftendestroysbookswhentheartistiscareless,butitistheonlymodeofpreventingourvolumesfromfallingtopieces,andfrombeingsomedaydisregardedaswaste-paper。Awell-boundbook,especiallyabookfromafamouscollection,hasitsprice,evenifitsliterarycontentsbeoftriflingvalue。AleathercoatfashionedbyDerome,orLeGascon,orDuseuil,willwinrespectandcarefulhandlingforonespecimenofaneditionwhereofalltheothershaveperished。Nothingissoslatternlyastheaspectofabookmerelystitched,intheFrenchfashion,whenthethreadsbegintostretch,andthepapercoverstocurlandbetorn。Worseconsequencesfollow,wholesheetsarelost,thevolumebecomesworthless,andtheownermustoftenbeattheexpenseofpurchasinganothercopy,ifhecan,fortheeditionmaynowbeoutofprint。Thusbindingofsomesortnotonlyaddsagracetothelibrary,presentingtotheeyethecheerfulgildedrowsofourvolumes,butisapositiveeconomy。Inthecaseofourcloth-coveredEnglishworks,theneedofbindingisnotsoimmediatelyobvious。Butourpublishershaveatasteforclothingtheireditionsintendertonesofcolour,stamped,often,withlandscapesprintedingold,inwhite,orwhatnot。Coverslikethis,mayormaynotpleasetheeyewhiletheyarenewandclean,buttheysoonbecomedirtyandhideous。Whenabookiscoveredinclothofagooddarktintitmaybeallowedtoremainunbound,buttheprimroseandlilachuessooncalloutfortheaidofthebinder。
Muchhasbeenwrittenoflateaboutbook-binding。Inalaterpartofthismanualweshallhavesomethingtosayabouthistoricalexamplesoftheart,andtheperformancesofthegreatmasters。Atpresentonemustbeginbygivingthepracticalrule,thatabookshouldbeboundinharmonywithitscharacteranditsvalue。Thebibliophile,ifhecouldgivethereintohispassions,wouldbindeverybookhecarestopossessinafullcoatofmorocco,or(ifitdidnotagesofast)ofRussialeather。Buttodothisisbeyondthepowerofmostofus。Onlyworksofgreatrarityorvalueshouldbefullboundinmorocco。IfwehavethelucktolightonaShakespearequarto,onsomemasterpieceofAldusManutius,byallmeansletusentrustittothemostcompetentbinder,andinstructhimtodojusticetothevolume。LetoldEnglishbooks,asMore’s\"Utopia,\"haveacoverofstampedandblazonedcalf。LetthebinderclotheanearlyRabelaisorMarotinthestylefavouredbyGrolier,inleathertooledwithgeometricalpatterns。LetaMoliereorCorneillebeboundinthegracefulcontemporarystyleofLeGascon,wherethelace-likepatternofthegildingresemblestheVenetianpoint-lace,forwhichLaFontainelikedtoruinhimself。Letabinding,alafanfare,inthestyleofThouvenin,denoteanovelistofthelastcentury,letpanelledRussialeatherarrayafolioofShakespeare,andletEnglishworksofahundredyearsagobeclothedinthesturdyfashionofRogerPayne。Again,thebibliophilemayprefertohavetheleatherstampedwithhisarmsandcrest,likedeThou,HenriIII。,D’Hoym,MadameduBarry,andmostofthecollectorsoftheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies。Yettherearebooksofgreatpricewhichonewouldhesitatetobindinnewcovers。AnAldineoranElzevir,initsoldvellumorpaperwrapper,withuncutleaves,shouldbeleftjustasitcamefromthepressesofthegreatprinters。Inthisconditionitisafarmoreinterestingrelic。Butamoroccocasemaybemadeforthebook,andletteredproperlyontheback,sothatthevolume,thoughreallyunbound,maytakeitsplacewiththeboundbooksontheshelves。A
copyofanyofShelley’spoems,intheoriginalwrappers,shouldI
venturetothinkbetreatedthus,andsoshouldtheoriginaleditionsofKeats’sandofMr。Tennyson’sworks。Acollector,whoisalsoanauthor,willperhapsliketohavecopiesofhisownworksinmorocco,fortheircoatswillgivethemachanceofsurvivingthestormsoftime。Butmostotherbooks,notofthehighestrarityandinterest,willbesufficientlyclothedinhalf-bindings,thatis,withleatherbacksandcorners,whiletherestofthecoverisofclothorpaper,orwhateverothersubstanceseemsmostappropriate。
AnOxfordtutorusedtogivehalf-bindingasanexampleofwhatAristotlecalls[Greektext],or\"shabbiness,\"andwhenwerecommendsuchcoveringsforbooksitisasacounselofexpediency,notofperfection。Butwecannotallbemillionaires;and,letitberemembered,thereallywiseamateurwillneverbeextravagant,norlethistasteleadhiminto\"theignoblemelancholyofpecuniaryembarrassment。\"LettheexampleofCharlesNodierbeourwarning;
nay,letusrememberthatwhileNodiercouldgetoutofdebtbysellinghiscollection,OURSwillprobablynotfetchanythinglikewhatwegaveforit。Inhalf-bindingsthereisagooddealofroomfortheexerciseofthecollector’staste。M。OctaveUzanne,inatractcalled\"LesCapricesd’unBibliophile,\"givessomehintsonthistopic,whichmaybetakenorletalone。M。Uzannehasnoticedthemonotony,andthewantofmeaningandsuggestioninordinaryhalf-bindings。Thepaperorclothwhichcoversthegreaterpartofthesurfaceofhalf-boundbooksisusuallyinartisticandevenugly。
Heproposestouseoldscrapsofbrocade,embroidery,Venicevelvet,orwhatnot;anddoubtlessacoveringmadeofsomedeadfairlady’straingoeswellwitharomancebyCrebillon,andengravingsbyMarillier。\"VoiciuncartonnagePompadourdenotreinvention,\"saysM。Uzanne,withpride;butheobservesthatitneedsastrongwilltomakeabookbinderexecutesuchorders。Foranotherclassofbooks,whichourhonestEnglishshelvesrejectwithdisgust,M。
Uzanneproposesabindingoftheskinoftheboaconstrictor;
undoubtedlyappropriateand\"admonishing。\"TheleathersofChinaandJapan,withtheirstrangetintsandgildeddevicesmaybeusedforbooksoffantasy,like\"GasparddelaNuit,\"orthe\"OpiumEater,\"orPoe’spoems,ortheversesofGerarddeNerval。Here,inshort,isanalmostunexploredfieldforthetasteofthebibliophile,who,withsomeexpenditureoftime,andnotmuchofmoney,maymakehalf-bindinganart,andgivemodernbooksapeculiarandappropriateraiment。
M。AmbroseFirminDidothasleftsomenotesonamoreserioustopic,——thecolourstobechosenwhenbooksarefull-boundinmorocco。Thushewouldhavethe\"Iliad\"clothedinred,the\"Odyssey\"inblue,becausetheoldGreekrhapsodistsworeascarletcloakwhentheyrecitedtheWrathofAchilles,ablueonewhentheychantedoftheReturnofOdysseus。ThewritingsofthegreatdignitariesoftheChurch,M。Didotwouldarrayinviolet;scarletgoeswellwiththeproductionsofcardinals;philosophershavetheirsobersuitofblackmorocco,poetslikePanardmaybedressedinrosecolour。Acollectorofthissortwouldlike,wereitpossible,toattireGoldsmith’spoemsina\"coatofTyrianbloom,satingrain。\"Asanantithesistotheseextravagantfancies,wemayaddthatforordinarybooksnobindingischeaper,neater,andmoredurable,thanacoatofbuckram。
Theconditionsofawellboundbookmaybeterselyenumerated。Thebindingshouldunitesolidityandelegance。Thebookshouldopeneasily,andremainopenatanypageyouplease。Itshouldneverbenecessary,inreading,tosqueezebackthecovers;andnobook,howeverexpensivelybound,hasbeenproperlytreated,ifitdoesnotopenwithease。Itisamistaketosendrecentlyprintedbookstothebinder,especiallybookswhichcontainengravings。Theprintinginkdriesslowly,and,intheprocesscalled\"beating,\"thetextisoftentransferredtotheoppositepage。M。Rouveyrerecommendsthatoneortwoyearsshouldpassbeforethebindingofanewlyprintedbook。Theownerwill,ofcourse,implorethebinderto,sparethemargins;and,almostequallyofcourse,thebinder,durusarator,willcutthemdownwithhisabominableplough。Oneisalmosttemptedtosaythatmarginsshouldalwaysbeleftuntouched,forifoncethebinderbeginstoclipheisunabletoresisttheseductivejoy,andcutsthepapertothequick,evenintotheprintedmatter。
Mr。BladestellsaverysadstoryofanoblemanwhohandedoversomeCaxtonstoaprovincialbinder,andreceivedthembackMINUS500
poundsworthofmargin。Marginsmakeabookworthperhaps400
pounds,whiletheirabsencereducesthesamevolumetotheboxmarked\"alltheseatfourpence。\"Intonsiscapillis,withlocksunshorn,asMotteleytheolddealerusedtosay,anElzevirinitspaperwrappermaybeworthmorethanthesametomeinmorocco,stampedwithLongepierre’sfleeceofgold。Butthesethingsareindifferenttobookbinders,newandold。Thereliesonthetable,asIwrite,\"LesProvinciales,ouLesLettresEcritesparLouisdeMontalteaunProvincialdesesamis,&auxR。R。P。P。Jesuites。A
Cologne,ChesPIERREdelaVALLEE,M。DC。LVIII。\"ItistheElzeviredition,orwhatpassesforsuch;butthebinderhascutdownthemarginsothatthewords\"LesProvinciales\"almosttouchthetopofthepage。Oftenthewretch——helived,judgingbyhisstyle,inDerome’stime,beforetheRevolution——hasslicedintothehead-
titlesofthepages。Thusthebook,withitsoldredmoroccocoverandgildedflowersontheback,isnopropercompanionfor\"LesPenseesdeM。PASCAL(Wolfganck,1672),\"whichsomesoberDutchmanhasleftwithafairallowanceofmargin,aninch\"taller\"initsvellumcoatthanitsneighbourinmorocco。Hereoncemore,is\"LES
FASCHEUX,ComediedeI。B。P。MOLIERE,RepresenteesurLeTheatreduPalaisRoyal。AParis,ChezGABRIELQUINET,auPalais,danslaGaleriedesPrisonniers,al’AngeGabriel,M。DCLXIII。AvecprivilegeduRoy。\"Whatacrowdofpleasantmemoriesthebibliophile,andheonly,findsinthesedrywordsofthetitle。
Quinet,thebookseller,lived\"auPalais,\"inthatprettyoldarcadewhereCorneillecastthesceneofhiscomedy,\"LaGalerieduPalais。\"IntheGenevaeditionofCorneille,1774,youcanseeGravelot’sengravingoftheplace;itisaprintfullofexquisitecharm(engravedbyLeMurein1762)。Hereisthelongarcade,inshapeexactlylikethegalleriesoftheBodleianLibraryatOxford。
Thebookseller’sboothisarchedover,andisopenatfrontandside。DorimantandCleantearelookingout;oneleansonthebooksonthewindow-sill,theotherloungesatthedoor,andtheywatchtheprettyHippolytewhoischafferingwiththelace-sellerattheoppositeshop。\"Cevisagevautmieuxquetoutesvoschansons,\"saysDorimanttothebookseller。Sotheyloitered,andboughtbooks,andflirtedintheirlaceruffles,andribbons,andflowinglocks,andwidecanons,whenMolierewasyoung,andwhenthislittleoldbookwasnew,andlyingontheshelvesofhonestQuinetinthePalaceGallery。Theverytitle-page,andpagination,notofthissecondedition,butofthefirstof\"LesFascheux,\"hadtheirownfortunes,forthededicationtoFouquetwasperforcewithdrawn。ThatfavouriteentertainedLaValliereandtheKingwiththecomedyathishouseofVaux,andtheninstantlyfellfrompowerandfavour,and,losinghisplaceandhisfreedom,naturallylosttheflatteryofadedication。Butretombonsanoscoches,asMontaignesays。
Thispleasantlittlecopyoftheplay,whichisakindofrelicofMoliereandhisoldworld,hasbeenruthlesslyboundupwithatreatise,\"DesPierresPrecieuses,\"publishedbyDidotin1776。Nowtheplayisnaturallyalargerbookthanthetreatiseonpreciousstones,sothebinderhascutdownthemarginstothesizeofthoseoftheworkonamethystsandrubies。AstheItaliantyrantchainedthedeadandthelivingtogether,asProcrustesmaimedhisvictimsonhiscruelbed,soahard-heartedFrenchbinderhastiedup,andmutilated,andspoiledtheoldplay,whichotherwisewouldhavehadconsiderablevalueaswellasinterest。
Wehavetriedtoteachthebeginnerhowtokeephisbooksneatandclean;whatmenandmonstersheshouldavoid;howheshouldguardhimselfagainstborrowers,book-worms,damp,anddirt。Butwearesometimescompelledtobuybooksalreadydirtyanddingy,foxed,orspottedwithred,wornbygreasyhands,stainedwithinkspots,orcoveredwithMS。notes。Theartofmanhasfoundaremedyforthesedefects。Ihavenevermyselftriedtowashabook,andthiscareisbestlefttoprofessionalhands。ButtheFrenchandEnglishwritersgivevariousrecipesforcleaningoldbooks,whichtheamateurmaytryonanyoldrubbishoutofthefourpennyboxofabookstall,tillhefindsthathecantrusthisownmanipulations。Thereare\"fatstains\"onbooks,asthumbmarks,tracesofoil(themidnightoil),flakesofoldpastycrustleftinoldShakespeares,andcandledrippings。Thereare\"thinstains,\"asofmud,scaling-wax,ink,dust,anddamp。Tocleanabookyoufirstcarefullyunbindit,takeofftheoldcovers,cuttheoldstitching,andseparatesheetfromsheet。Thentakeapagewith\"fatstains\"ofanykindofgrease(exceptfinger-marks),passahotflatironoverit,andpressonitacleanpieceofblottingpapertillthepapersucksupthegrease。
Thenchargeacamel-hairbrushwithheatedturpentine,andpassitovertheplacesthatwerestained。Ifthepaperlosesitscolourpresssoftlyoveritadelicatehandkerchief,soakedinheatedspiritsofwine。Finger-marksyouwillcoverwithcleansoap,leavethisonforsomehours,andthenrubwithaspongefilledwithhotwater。Afterwardsdipinweakacidandwater,andthensoakthepageinabathofcleanwater。Ink-stainedpagesyouwillfirstdipinastrongsolutionofoxalicacidandtheninhydrochloricacidmixedinsixtimesitsquantityofwater。Thenbatheincleanwaterandallowtodryslowly。
SomeEnglishrecipesmayalsobegiven。\"Greaseorwaxspots,\"saysHannett,in\"Bibliopegia,\"\"mayberemovedbywashingthepartwithether,chloroform,orbenzine,andplacingitbetweenpiecesofwhiteblottingpaper,thenpassahotironoverit。\"\"Chlorinewater,\"saysthesamewriter,removesinkstains,andbleachesthepaperatthesametime。Ofchlorideoflime,\"apiecethesizeofanut\"(acocoanutorahazelnut?)inapintofwater,maybeappliedwithacamel’shairpencil,andplentyofpatience。Topolisholdbindings,\"taketheyolkofanegg,beatitupwithafork,applyitwithasponge,havingfirstcleanedtheleatherwithadryflannel。\"Thefollowing,saysawriterin\"NotesandQueries,\"withperfecttruth,is\"aneasierifnotabettermethod;
purchasesomebookbinder’svarnish,\"anduseitasyoudidtherudimentaryomeletteoftheformerrecipe。Vellumcoversmaybecleanedwithsoapandwater,orinbadcasesbyaweaksolutionofsaltsoflemon。
Lastly,thecollectorshouldacquiresuchbooksasLowndes’s\"Bibliography,\"Brunet’s\"Manuel,\"andasmanypricedcataloguesashecansecure。ThecataloguesofMr。Quaritch,Mr。Bohn,M。
Fontaine,M。M。MorgandetFatout,areexcellentguidestoaknowledgeofthemarketvalueofbooks。Otherspecialworks,asRenouard’sforAldines,Willems’sforElzevirs,andCohen’sforFrenchengravings,willbementionedintheirproperplace。
Dibdin’sbooksareinaccurateandlong-winded,butmayoccasionallybedippedintowithpleasure。
THEBOOKSOFTHECOLLECTOR
Theeasiestwaytobringorderintothechaosofdesirablebooks,is,doubtless,tobeginhistoricallywithmanuscripts。Almosteveryagethathasleftanyliteraryremains,hasbequeathedtousrelicswhicharecherishedbycollectors。WemayleavetheclaybooksoftheChaldeansoutoftheaccount。Thesetomesresemblenothingsomuchassticksofchocolate,and,howeverusefultheymaybetothestudent,theclayMSS。ofAssurbanipalarenotcovetedbythecollector。Hefindshisearliestobjectsofdesireinilluminatedmanuscripts。TheartofdecoratingmanuscriptsisasoldasEgypt;
butweneednotlingeroverthebeautifulpapyri,whicharesilentbookstoallbutafewEgyptologists。Greece,outofallhertomes,hasleftusbutafewill-writtenpapyri。RomanandearlyByzantineartarerepresentedbya\"Virgil,\"andfragmentsofan\"Iliad\";thedrawingsinthelatterhavebeenreproducedinasplendidvolume(Milan1819),andshewGreekartpassingintobarbarism。TheilluminationofMSS。wasafavouriteartinthelaterempire,andissaidtohavebeenpractisedbyBoethius。TheiconoclastsoftheEasternempiredestroyedthebookswhichcontainedrepresentationsofsaintsandofthepersonsoftheTrinity,andthemonkLazarus,afamousartist,wascruellytorturedforhisskillinilluminatingsacredworks。TheartwasdecayinginWesternEuropewhenCharlemagnesoughtforpaintersofMSS。inEnglandandIreland,wherethemonks,intheirmonasteries,haddevelopedastylewithoriginalqualities。ThelibraryofCorpusChristiatCambridge,containssomeoftheearliestandmostbeautifulofextantEnglishMSS。Theseparchments,stainedpurpleorviolet,andinscribedwithcharactersofgold;aretoooftenbeyondthereachoftheamateurforwhomwewrite。TheMSS。whichhecanhopetoacquireareneitherveryearlynorverysumptuous,and,asarule,MSS。ofsecularbooksareapttobeoutofhisreach。
YetacollectionofMSS。hasthisgreatadvantageoveracollectionofprintedbooks,thateveryiteminitisabsolutelyunique,notwoMSS。beingeverreallythesame。ThiscircumstancealonewouldentitleagoodcollectionofMSS。toveryhighconsiderationonthepartofbook-collectors。But,inadditiontothegreatexpenseofsuchacollection,thereisanotherandevenmoreseriousdrawback。
Itissometimesimpossible,andisoftenextremelydifficult,totellwhetheraMS。isperfectornot。
Thisdifficultycanonlybegotoverbyanamountoflearningonthepartofthecollectortowhich,unfortunately,heistoooftenastranger。Ontheotherhand,theadvantagesofcollectingMSS。aresometimesverygreat。
Inadditiontothepleasure——apleasureatonceliteraryandartistic——whichthestudyofilluminatedMSS。affords,thereisthecertaintythat,asyearsgoon,thevalueofsuchacollectionincreasesinaproportionaltogethermarvellous。
Iwilltaketwoexamplestoprovethispoint。Someyearsagoaneminentcollectorgavethepriceof30poundsforasmallFrenchbookofHours,paintedingrisaille。Itwasinacountrytownthathemetwiththistreasure,foratreasureheconsideredthebook,inspiteofitsbeingoftheverylatestschoolofillumination。Whenhiscollectionwasdispersedafewyearsagothisonebookfetched260pounds。
InthecelebratedPerkinssale,in1873,amagnificentearlyMS。,partofwhichwaswritteningoldonapurpleground,andwhichwasdatedinthecatalogue\"ninthortenthcentury,\"butwasinrealityoftheendofthetenthorbeginningoftheeleventh,wassoldfor565poundstoadealer。ItfounditswayintoMr。Bragge’scollection,atwhatpriceIdonotknow,andwasresold,threeyearslater,for780pounds。
AnypersondesirousofmakingacollectionofilluminatedMSS。,shouldstudyseriouslyforsometimeattheBritishMuseum,orsomesuchplace,untilheisthoroughlyacquainted(1)withthestylesofwritinginuseintheMiddleAges,sothathecanataglancemakeafairlyaccurateestimateoftheageofthebooksubmittedtohim;
and(2)withthepropermeansofcollatingtheseveralkindsofservice-books,which,inninecasesoutoften,werethosechosenforillumination。
AknowledgeofthestylesofwritingcanbeacquiredatsecondhandinabooklatelypublishedbyMr。CharlesTriceMartin,F。S。A。,beinganeweditionof\"Astle’sProgressofWriting。\"Stillbetter,ofcourse,istheactualinspectionandcomparisonofbookstowhichadatecanbewithsomedegreeofcertaintyassigned。
Itisverycommonfortheageofabooktobemisstatedinthecataloguesofsales,forthesimplereasonthattheolderthewriting,theplainer,inallprobability,itis。Letthestudentcomparewritingofthetwelfthcenturywiththatofthesixteenth,andhewillbeabletojudgeatonceofthetruthofthisassertion。
Ihadoncethegoodfortuneto\"pickup\"asmallTestamentoftheearlypartofthetwelfthcentury,ifnotolder,whichwascataloguedasbelongingtothefifteenth,adatewhichwouldhavemadeitofverymoderatevalue。
Withregardtothesecondpoint,thecollationofMSS。,Ifearthereisnoroyalroadtoknowingwhetherabookisperfectorimperfect。
Insomecasesthecatchwordsremainatthefootofthepages。Itisthenofcourseeasytoseeifapageislost,butwherenosuchclueisgiventhestudent’sonlychanceistobefullyacquaintedwithwhatabookOUGHTtocontain。Hecanonlydothiswhenhehasaknowledgeofthedifferentkindsofservice-bookswhichwereinuse,andoftheirmostusualcontents。
Iamindebtedtoapaper,readbythelateSirWilliamTiteatameetingoftheSocietyofAntiquaries,forthecollationof\"BooksofHours,\"buttherearemanykindsofMSS。besidesthese,anditiswelltoknowsomethingofthem。TheHorae,orBooksofHours,werethelatestdevelopmentoftheservice-booksusedatanearlierperiod。Theycannot,infact,bestrictlycalledservice-books,beingintendedonlyforprivatedevotion。Butinthethirteenthcenturyandbeforeit,Psalterswereinuseforthispurpose,andthecollationofaPsalterisintruthmoreimportantthanthatofaBookofHours。Itwillbewellforastudent,therefore,tobeginwithPsalters,ashecanthengetuptheHoursintheirelementaryform。IsubjoinabibliographicalaccountofbothkindsofMSS。InthefamousExhibitionattheBurlingtonClubin1874,anumberofvolumeswasarrangedtoshowhowpersistentonetypeoftheagecouldbe。Theformofthedecorations,andthearrangementofthefiguresinborders,onceinvented,wasfixedforgenerations。InaPsalterofthethirteenthcenturytherewas,underthemonthofJanuaryinthecalendar,apictureofagrotesquelittlefigurewarminghimselfatastove。Thehearthbelow,thechimney-potabove,onwhichastorkwasfeedingherbrood,withtheintermediatechimneyshaftusedasaborder,lookedlikeascientificpreparationfromtheinterioranatomyofahouseoftheperiod。InoneofthelatestoftheMSS。exhibitedonthatoccasionwastheself-samedesignagain。Thelittlemanwasnolongeragrotesque,andthepicturehadallthehighfinishandcompletenessindrawingthatwemightexpectintheworkmanshipofacontemporaryofVanEyck。
Therewasafullseriesofintermediatebooks,showingthegradualgrowthofthepicture。
Withregardtochronology,itmayberoughlyassertedthattheearliestbookswhichoccurarePsaltersofthethirteenthcentury。
NexttothemcomeBibles,ofwhichanenormousissuetookplacebeforethemiddleofthefourteenthcentury。ThesearefollowedbyanendlessseriesofbooksofHours,which,asthesixteenthcenturyisreached,appearinseveralvernacularlanguages。ThoseinEnglish,beingbothveryrareandofgreatimportanceinliturgicalhistory,areofavaluealtogetheroutofproportiontothebeautyoftheirilluminations。SidebysidewiththissuccessionaretheEvangelistina,which,liketheexamplementionedabove,areofthehighestmerit,beauty,andvalue;followedbysermonsandhomilies,andtheBreviary,whichitselfshowssignsofgrowthastheyearsgoon。TherealMissal,withwhichallilluminatedbooksusedtobeconfounded,isofrareoccurrence,butIhavegivenacollationofitalso。Besidesthesedevotionalorreligiousbooks,Imustmentionchroniclesandromances,andthesemi-religiousandmoralallegories,suchasthe\"Pelerinagedel’Ame,\"whichissaidtohavegivenBunyanthemachineryofthe\"Pilgrim’sProgress。\"Chaucer’sandGower’spoetryexistsinmanyMSS。,asdoesthe\"Polychronicon\"
ofHigden;but,asarule,themediaevalchroniclesareofsingleorigin,andwerenotcopied。TocollateMSS。ofthesekindsisquiteimpossible,unlessbycarefullyreadingthem,andseeingthatthepagesrunonwithoutbreak。
Ishouldadvisetheyoungcollectorwhowishestomakesureofsuccessnottobetoocatholicinhistastesatfirst,buttoconfinehisattentiontoasingleperiodandasingleschool。I
shouldalsoadvisehimtomakefromtimetotimeacarefulcatalogueofwhathebuys,andtopreserveitevenafterhehasweededoutcertainitems。Hewillthenbeabletomakeaclearcomparativeestimateoftheimportanceandvalueofhiscollection,andbystudyingonespeciesatatime,tobecomethoroughlyconversantwithwhatitcanteachhim。Whenhehas,sotospeak,burnthisfingersonceortwice,hewillfindhimselfabletodistinguishatsightwhatnoamountofteachingbywordofmouthorbywritingcouldeverpossiblyimparttoanyadvantage。
OnethingIshouldlikeifpossibletoimpressverystronglyuponthereader。ThatisthefactthataMS。whichisnotabsolutelyperfect,ifitisinagenuinestate,isofmuchmorevaluethanonewhichhasbeenmadeperfectbytheskillofamodernrestorer。Themoreskilfulheis,thatistosaythebetterhecanforgethestyleoftheoriginal,themoreworthlessherendersthevolume。
PrintingseemstohavesupersededtheartoftheilluminatormorepromptlyandcompletelyinEnglandthanontheContinent。ThedamesgalantesofBrantome’smemoirstookpleasureinilluminatedBooksofHours,suitedtothenatureoftheirdevotions。AslateasthetimeofLouisXIV。,BussyRabutinhadavolumeofthesamekind,illuminatedwithportraitsof\"saints,\"ofhisowncanonisation。
ThemostfamousofthesemodernexamplesofcostlyMSS。was\"LaGuirlandedeJulie,\"acollectionofmadrigalsbyvariouscourtlyhands,presentedtotheillustriousJulie,daughteroftheMarquisedeRambouillet,mostdistinguishedofthePrecieuses,andwifeoftheDucdeMontausier,thesupposedoriginalofMoliere’sAlceste。