"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。