T \J IS SS IS W ® I Uxbridge Free Public Library, SS S Received \<1 | Class. . DO. .4. - Book g From.TOVr?. H^>vt^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/privatelibrariesOOroge PRIVATE LIBRARIES PROVIDENCE ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. BY HORATIO ROGERS. The Taylor's cussion made of shreedes of divers pieces hath a patch, So he that all this volume reedes of divers things shall flnde a snatch. The Taylor's Cussion. O F WITH A PRELIMINARY ESSAY PROVIDENCE SIDNEY S. RIDE It, 1878. Copyright by SIDNEY S . RIDER. 1878. (Edition 250 Copies.) PRINTED BY THE PROVIDENCE PRESS COMPANY. PREFACE. Two or three years ago I wrote for a local newspaper a series of sketches of some of the private libraries of Providence. These sketches, due in some degree, perhaps, to their having been copied into The American Bibliopolist, attracted so much attention here and elsewhere, that I have consented to collect them and to permit a limited edition to be published in book form. During leisure moments all have been rewritten, several have been added, and an essay on the Love of Books included in the hope of contributing to the interest of the volume. The sketches are merely suggestive, and are only intended to enable the reader to form a fairly accurate notion of the character and extent of the libraries described. It must not be inferred that all the works named in the dif- ferent articles are, for that reason, supposed to be rare, or even scarce. That would be a gross misapprehension. iv. PllEFACE. I have selected such volumes for mention as I think will best impart a correct idea of the collection in hand. All the descriptions taken together, it is believed, afford a fair illustration of the character of the private libraries of Providence. In conclusion, I desire to acknowledge my obligations to all the gentlemen whose libraries I have attempted to describe, for their unfailing courtesy in allowing me free access to their literary stores. At the same time it is due to them to say that they are in no manner responsible for what has been said, or left unsaid, in regard to their collec- tions. I desire, also, to make my acknowledgments to Pro- fessor William Gammell for valuable critical suggestions ; to the Hon. John R. Bartlett for important aid in respect to the Brown library ; and especially to Mr. C. Piske Harris, without whose discriminating criticism this volume would have fallen far short of even the imperfect standard to which it has attained. H. R. Providence, Apiul, 1878. OONTElSrTS. ON THE LOVE OE BOOKS, 1 THE JOHN CARTER BROWN LIBRARY, ... 07 MR. JOSEPH J. COOKE'S LIBRARY, 107 HON. JOHN R. BARTLETT'S LIBRARY, - 133 MR. ROYAL C. TAFT'S LIBRARY, 147 MR. ALEXANDER FARNUM'S LIBRARY, - - - 103 MR. C. FISKE HARRIS' LIBRARY, - - - - - 171) MR. SIDNEY S. RIDER'S LIBRARY, .... 203 THE AUTHOR'S OWN LIBRARY, 217 CONCLUSION, 235 INDEX, .... .... 241 ILLUSTRATIONS. FRONTISPIECE. MR. JOHN CARTER BROWN'S BOOK PLATE, - - - (18 THE JOHN CARTER BROWN LIBRARY, Facuuj - - 69 MR. JOSEPH J. COOKE'S LIBRARY, - 108 HON. JOHN R. BARTLETT'S BOOK PLATE, 134 HON. JOHN R. BARTLETT'S LIBRARY, Facing - - - 135 MR. ROYAL C. TAFT'S LIBRARY, .... 143 MR. ALEXANDER FARNUM'S LIBRARY, .... \Q4 MR. C. FISKE HARRIS' BOOK PLATE, - 180 THE AUTHOR'S BOOK PLATE, 218 THE AUTHOR'S LIBRARY, Facing - - - - 219 TAILPIECE. CW THE LOVE OF BOOKS. ON" THE LOVE OF BOOKS. Some man may lyke of that I wryte. Gower. "Be pleasant, brave, and fond of books," was Rufus Choate's precept to his children. Richard de Bury, a famous book-loving Bishop of the fourteenth century, in writing of books, says, " These are the masters who instruct us without rods and ferules, without hard words and anger, without clothes or money. If you approach them, they are not asleep ; if investigating you interrogate them, they conceal nothing; if you mistake them, they never grumble ; if you are ignorant, they cannot laugh at you. You only, oh books, are liberal and independent. You give to all who ask, and enfranchize all who serve you assiduously." The ardor of Archbishop Fenelon found expression in this sentence : " If the crowns of all the kingdoms of Europe were laid down at my feet in exchange 4r ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. for my books and my love of reading, I would spurn them all." The music of Mrs. Browning's verse never sounded more sweetly than when, in Lady Geraldine's Courtship, she says, — "books are men of higher stature, And the only men that speak aloud for future times to hear." Be the taste for books a mania, a hobby, a passion, or what it may, what other taste is more rational, or more delightful I Different minds incline to different objects, and by recounting a few of the well nigh innumerable hobbies to which men have inclined, we shall perceive that they are very different indeed. In the first half of the seventeenth century a remarkable mania for tulips raged in Holland. Fabulous sums were paid for them, and a single bulb, in one instance, sold for thirteen thousand florins. Bulbs were frequently owned in shares, and many individuals were ruined by these extravagances. Joseph Gillott, the famous steel pen maker, had a passion for violins, though not him- self a player. His collection was large, and some of his fine Cremonas cost him not less than four hundred pounds apiece. After the collector's decease, this assortment of fiddles sold for a handsome advance upon the original cost. The late Gordon Urquhart, of the British Navy Pay Office, had a ghastly hobby for hangmen's halters. "At ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 5 Newgate he was understood to have the entree He invariably procured from Jack Ketch the halters by which the unfortunate culprits were strangled, which he carefully preserved as mementoes of the instability of human exist- ence." A Parisian, M. Nestor Roqueplan, busied himself in making a collection of historical warming-pans, which comprised, with others, those that had warmed the beds of Marie Stuart, Madame de Pompadour, Marie Antoinette, Catharine de Medicis, and Diana of Poictiers. Among the numerous things which John Allan, of New York, had gath- ered together in his lifetime, were more than one hundred and fifty snuff-boxes, fifteen watches, and a very large number of seals, brooches, buckles, etc. Frederick the Great had a passion for snuff-boxes, and many, among the multitude he possessed, were very rich and costly, being superbly chased and jewelled, and of great beauty. The Duke of Welling- ton had a strange fondness for watches. He seldom had less than half a dozen going at once, and when he travelled he stowed away as many more in a portmanteau made to fit his carriage. Signor Lablache, a celebrated buffo and basso a quarter of a century ago, made a speciality of walking- sticks. He had several hundred, comprising all kinds and descriptions from the simple, unadorned cane, to the elabo- rately ornamented work of art, including exquisite speci- mens of carving in wood and ivory, and highly wrought 6 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. handles of gold, silver, and other valuable materials. A London banker, who died a few years since, is reported to have possessed upwards of three hundred writing and dress- ing cases. They were stored in all parts of his dwelling, and, after the toils and cares of the day were over, his great- est delight was found in examining them. Hobby riders will grieve to learn that this singular collection, when brought to the hammer, realized less than one quarter of the original cost. A late Dutch gentleman assembled together a multitude of tobacco pipes, some of which were highly artistic and "as veritable gems as if they had been statuary or jewelry." Bugs, butterflies, minerals, china, relics, old furniture, and, indeed, almost everything else to be conceived of, have each their collectors. Sometimes a passion for more than one class of objects is to be found in the same person. Joseph Gillott, besides his violins, had a splendid gallery of paintings. Signor Lablache was well nigh as fond of snuff-boxes as of walking-sticks ; and John Allan was interested in a large number of things, chief of which were books, prints, and autographs. The amounts paid for choice specimens, of whatever kind, furnish the most striking illustrations of the. zeal of collectors. These are the prices that some American coins sold for, about a dozen years ago : for a dollar of the coinage of 1794, one hundred and fifty-two dollars and a ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 7 half ; for one of 1836, sixty dollars ; for a half-dollar of 1792, ninety dollars ; for one of 1839, fifty-five dollars ; for one of 1861, twenty five dollars ; for a quarter-dollar of 1838, twenty-six dollars ; for a cent of 1799, thirty-two dollars and a half ; for one of 1811, twenty-five dollars ; for one of 1842, nine dollars and a quarter ; for a half-cent of 1796, ninety-two dollars and a half; and for one of 1847, sixty dollars. At the sale in London of the remarkable collection of Sevres china belonging to Mr. Goding, in 1874, very high prices were obtained. A cup and saucer brought ninety- nine pounds fifteen shillings ; a pair of oviform vases, twelve inches high, five hundred and four pounds; while the gem of the collection, a pair of vases, eleven and a half inches high, exquisitely wrought and painted, and which it was rumored were bought for three hundred pounds about twenty years before, were knocked down for the enormous sum of six thousand eight hundred and twenty- five pounds. At the sale of some fine old W orcester china, on the same day, belonging to another party, a cup and saucer sold for forty-four pounds two shillings ; and a set of five vases for four hundred and fifty-one pounds ten shillings. As a final illustration take postage stamps. At a sale in London in 1872, a twenty cents St. Louis stamp brought eight pounds twelve shillings ; and a five cents Confederate 8 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. States Nashville stamp, and a two cents Memphis stamp, both unused, five pounds each ; the whole collection of two hundred and seventy-five specimens producing two hundred and fifty- two pounds seventeen shillings and sixpence. No one can appreciate the rare pleasure the indulgence of a taste affords unless he has a passion for something himself. The mere enumeration of these tastes, it is believed, is the best argument in favor of the wisdom of the love of books. As bread and meat are food for the body, so books are pabulum for the mind. Other tastes are the con- serves and confections of the mind: they may please it for a while, but for solid mental nourishment the intellect must fall back on books, "for what a world of books," says Robert Burton, in his Anatomy of Melancholy, "offers itself,, in all subjects, arts, and sciences, to the sweet content and capacity of the reader." The poet likewise tells us, — "Books, we know, Are a substantial world, both pure and good ; Round these, with tendrils strong as flesh and blood, Our Pastime and our Happiness will grow." The realm of books is free to all. Prince and peasant, patrician and plebeian, saint and sinner, are alike enrolled in the ranks of book-lovers. Kings, from the remote ages of the old Egyptian dynasties to the present day, have not ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 9 unfrequently been the most determined seekers after literary treasures. A few examples drawn chiefly from compara- tively recent times will illustrate the ardor of monarchs in this direction. The zeal of Alphonso I., King of Naples in the fifteenth century, was so great that, as Bayle tells us, " he took for his device, An open Book. His soldiers were so well acquainted with his passion for books, that when- ever they plundered any place, they strove who should first carry him all those they could meet with. One day, upon mention made of the loss of some things of value, he pro- tested he had rather lose his jewels, how much soever the world might esteem them, than the meanest of his books." Frederick the Great, to his love of snuff-boxes and military glory, added the love of literature. " Books make up no small part of true happiness," he wrote in his early youth ; and these were his words in his declining years — " My latest passion will be for literature." He illustrated the sincerity of his expressions by having a library at each of his five palaces, and when he built his new palace at Sans-Souci he provided it in like manner. He likewise had a travelling library for the review-time. The books of these several collections were exactly alike, uniformly bound in red morocco with gilt leaves, the covers stamped with an initial showing to which library they belonged, so that the king could begin a volume at one residence and finish it at 10 ON THE LOVE OE BOOKS. another without the trouble of transporting it from place to place. When Napoleon Bonaparte was climbing the dizzy heights of ambition his mind fondly turned to books. His constant attempts to better his library facilities upon his active campaigns, clearly indicate his literary interest. Shortly before the Egyptian expedition he drew up a scheme for a travelling library of upwards of three hun- dred volumes. The difficulties of transportation were sought to be obviated, as far as possible, by the use of small copies. In July, 1808, we find him busy with another plan for a camp library, which embraced printing a thousand volumes in duodecimo size without margins, to be bound in thin covers and with loose backs. The next year this plan was largely expanded, for the Emperor wrote, — "When these three thousand volumes of History are finished, a like number, in Natural History, Travels, and Literature, may follow ; but these, for the most part, will present little difficulty, as a large proportion of them exists already in the eighteenmo size." On the campaign of 1809 a con- siderable library, arranged in a series of boxes instantly convertible into book cases, accompanied him, being trans- ported on the army trains. In the dreary retirement at Longwood, after Napoleon's banishment to St. Helena, his library, though not extensive, was his chief solace. ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 11 The unfortunate Maximilian, who has so recently veri- fied on our own continent the truth of Shakespeare's line, "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," seems to have had some appreciation of books. His library was sold at Leipsic, Germany, on the eighteenth of Janu- ary, 1869, and on the following days. The catalogue of it makes a volume of three hundred and sixty-eight pages, and describes four thousand four hundred and eighty-four different lots. M. Deschamps, the compiler of the cata- logue, states in his introduction that the library was formed by D. Jose Maria Andrade, and was the result of forty years research and liberal expenditure, the collector hoping that it would ultimately become a public collection. In the year 1865 it was sold to the Emperor Maximilian, and Andrade supposed his purpose was accomplished when it was deposited in the Bibliotheque Imperiale de Mejico, where it remained till the execution of Maximilian. Hav- ing no longer the protection of its imperial owner, and, in order that such a precious collection of historical archives might not be destroyed in the excitement of revolution, or from ignorance of its value, it was hastily packed in about two hundred boxes, and conveyed on the backs of mules to Vera Cruz, where it was immediately shipped to Europe. Among its stores there were upwards of seven thousand 2 12 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. books, pamphlets, and manuscripts, relating to, or printed in, Mexico, besides a number pertaining to other parts of America. There were many rare and costly volumes in the collection, and it is gratifying to know that not a few of them were brought back to America. Many of them will be found in the collection of Hubert H. Bancroft, of San Francisco; more, perhaps, than in any other in this country. The enumeration of royal collectors could be very largely extended, but, as this essay is intended to be sugges- tive merely, let us turn our attention to the lovers of books at the other extreme of the social scale. Though books are a fitting accompaniment of the splendor of palaces, yet how much more do they grace and illumine the abodes of the humble and lowly! The late Edward M. Thomas, of Washington, a col- ored man, and for many years a messenger of the House of Representatives, surmounting the prejudices of caste and the disadvantages of a want of early education, devoted his leisure hours and limited means for many years, to artistic and literary objects. He accumulated a considerable num- ber of books, including a large amount of Masonic litera- ture, many European, American, Colonial, and ancient coins and medals, and a very fine collection of autographs. In this latter department of his treasures a host of famous personages of all countries were represented, including ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 13 kings, presidents, noblemen, generals, judges, statesmen, authors, and divines. His literary and artistic effects were sold January tenth, 1865, at Washington, and many of them brought high prices. A quarto volume of autographs of European and American celebrities, comprising many Revolutionary characters, all our presidents, vice-presi- dents, etc., the Duke of Wellington, Oliver Cromwell, Herschel, Moore, Lord Nelson, and others, a remarkable collection, carefully arranged and mounted, was offered at two hundred dollars, and was withdrawn on a bid of only one hundred and sixty-five dollars. Considering his calling and condition in life Thomas Britton, the small -coal man, was a most extraordinary character. His days were passed in the humble drudgery of vending small coal in the streets of London, an occupa- tion, one would suppose, not the best adapted to develop literary, scientific, and artistic tastes. Notwithstanding his unpropitious surroundings, however, he acquired great knowledge and skill as a chemist, and won the friendship and respect of the leaders of that profession. His acquire- ments in music, likewise, were extensive both in theory and practice. The number of his books was considerable, and the title of his catalogue is curious and suggestive. It is as follows: — "The Library of Mr. Thomas Britton, Small-coal man, Deceas'd: who, at his own charge, kept up a Concort 14 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. of Musick above 40 years, in his little cottage. Being a curious Collection of every Ancient and Uncommon book in Divinity, History, Physick, Chemistry, Magick, &c. Also a Collection of Manuscripts chiefly on vellum. Which will be sold by auction at Paul's Coffee House . . . the 24th day of January, 1714-15, at Five in the Evening. By Thomas Ballard, Esq." The excellence of his books is attested by the fact that a number of the selections in that valuable collection known as Somers' Tracts, were drawn from his library ; and some of the finest manuscripts in Great Britain belonged to him. Scarcely anything can be more attractive to the fancy, than the picture of this man tramping the streets of Lon- don all day, peddling small coal, and when his toil was over, and his smock frock laid aside, giving up his evenings to chemical experiments, or to receiving his friends at his private musical entertainments. "Tho' mean thy rank, yet in thy humble cell Did gentle peace and arts unpurchas'd dwell; Well pleas'd Apollo thither led his train, And music warbled in her sweetest strain. Let useless pomp behold, and blush to find So low a station, such a liberal mind." The graceful sentences of Mr. Thomas F. Donnelly, borrowed from one of his interesting articles on Biblio- OX THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 15 mania, which appeared in the Evening Mail, of New York, January 21st, 1871, tell the tale of the next humble votary of books so pleasantly, that they are inserted in full. After referring to Britton, Mr. Donnelly proceeds as fol- lows : — 44 There are not many, even among the biblio- maniacs of New York, aware of the existence among us of a somewhat similar character. His whole life has been one of laborious toil, in an occupation, too, which cannot be very congenial to a refined or liberal mind. He is probably old enough to be the father of many of our veteran collec- tors, and yet there is not one in the whole fraternity so enthusiastic in the pursuit, none with such a genuine soul- absorbing passion for his particular hobby. And not only is he remarkable as a book-hunter, but his character is perfectly spotless in its purity. When you see him on the hunting-ground handling a book or pamphlet as though it were a tender infant, you at once get an insight into the childlike simplicity of his character. At a sale he may be seen quietly seated in a retired corner of the auction -room, his simple, honest face beaming with joy as Mr. Merwin or Mr. Strebeigh holds aloft some rare scrap of Washingto- niana on which he has just bid, yet trembling as the auc- tioneer's eye glances inquisitively around the room lest some more powerful sportsman snatch it away from him. There is no boasting patriot who so reveres the name and 16 OJV THE LOVE OF BOOKS. memory of ' The Father of his Country,' and it is the pas- sion of his life to gather everything that can in any way throw light upon the character and history of that great man. That is his 'weakness,' and you have only to present him with a rare Washington eulogy to touch the most tender chord in his heart. How it would have delighted the soul of Dibdin himself, were he living, to greet our bibliomaniac ship-carpenter. He would have enrolled him among the immortal heroes of the 'Bibliographical Decam- eron.' All honor to good old father Woodsides, and may he yet live many a year to enjoy communion with the spirit of Washington." Mr. Donnelly might, with equal truth, have joined the names of Daniel Webster and Abraham Lincoln with that of George Washington, for this whole trio of Ameri- can patriots formed the specialty of Mr. Noah Woodsides' collection. Mr. Woodsides died in the winter of 1876-7, and his library was sold to Mr. Charles L. W r oodward, a New York bookseller, and scattered. Thus do the extremes of society meet in appreciation of books. The lofty and the lowly are alike cheered by their presence, and solaced by their companionship. The conqueror will not be separated from them, even in his victorious career ; and the simple artisan and the petty ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 17 tradesman, after their humble labors, turn to them as to the sunlight of their existence. Virtue and vice shall furnish the next illustrations ; for, if outward surroundings afford any criterion of charac- ter, the extremes of morals, as of social position, have like- wise their representatives in the ranks of book-lovers. Ecclesiastics, always being educated, and until quite recent times having monopolized a large share of learning, have ever been famous for their love of literature. The roll of the clergy given to book collecting is much too long even for enumeration Silvester II. , who was pope in the tenth century, was distinguished for his devotion to science and to literary pursuits. So indefatigable was he in quest of knowledge that he visited Spain, and caused Italy, and the trans-Alpine countries, to be ransacked for books and other manuscripts. Another potentate, Nicholas V., who founded the library of the Vatican in the fifteenth century, was a generous patron of learned men. His agents resorted to all the great centres of the East, and of the West, purchasing or copying important Greek and Latin manuscripts, of which he accumulated about five thousand. Of all the Roman pontiffs, however, Leo X. was the most celebrated for his love of literature, and for all those tastes that delight the refined and cultivated mind. Roscoe, in speaking of his passion for books, says — "Few persons 18 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. have experienced this passion in an equal degree with Leo X., and still fewer have had an equal opportunity of grati- fying it. ... In the year 1508, whilst he was yet a cardinal, he had purchased from the monks of the convent of S. Marco at Florence, the remains of the celebrated library of his ancestors, and had transferred it to his own house at Rome." Regard for his private collection, however, did not make him unmindful of the great library of the Vatican, which he greatly enriched by his numerous contri- butions. Though death cut him off in 1521, at the early age of forty-five years, the career of no one of the numerous wearers of the papal tiara furnishes such an interesting chapter of history as the life of this illustrious man. His munificent encouragement of literature and art has thrown a literary and artistic glory round his name, that has secured for him a merited and enduring fame. For him, Raphael painted marvels of art : for him, Michel An gel o fashioned forms of beauty out of shapeless stone : for him, the verse of Ariosto, and the prose of Machiavelli, were produced ; while the halls of bis palace resounded with the most delicious strains of music. "It may be that this is a sort of intellectual sensuality;" writes Ranke, in. drawing Leo's character, — "if so, it is at least the only sensuality becoming a human being." Many of the cardinals, likewise, had fine libraries. In ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 19 the sixteenth century Angelus Roccha dilates upon the elegance of the books of Cardinal Lancelot and Cardinal Bonelli. Erasmus mentions the library of Cardinal Grimani as being richly furnished and abounding in books of all languages. Still later, Montfaucon tells us of the literary wealth and wise liberality of Cardinal Imperiale. In the conclave of 1730, he lacked but one vote of being elected pope, and at his death, in 1737, he bequeathed his splendid collection of books to the public. The same authority likewise speaks of Cardinal Ottoboni's "innate courtesy and munificence" in allowing free access to his library, which is pronounced to be "inferior to none but the Vatican for number and excellency of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin manuscripts." The superb volumes of the French Cardinal Mazarin must not be passed unnoticed. This distinguished man seems to have generously expended a part of his immense fortune upon books, of which, in 1648, he had accumulated upwards of forty thousand, his library being next to the Royal collection in extent and magnificence. The Cardinal likewise had another fine assemblage of books at Rome. But the briefest mention of all the book-loving cardi- nals would be a well nigh interminable task, and as for the arch -bishops, bishops, and other clergy, who properly take rank among book-lovers, their name is legion. 3 20 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. From the lights of the church, turn now to those disso- lute women, the shadows of whose characters are light- ened somewhat by their love of books. Aspasia, the daughter of Axiochus, was a brilliant and aspiring Milesian, who lived in Athens more than four hundred years before Christ. She had enriched her mind with accomplishments, rare, even among men. Plutarch affirms that her occupation was anything but creditable, her house being a home for young courtesans. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that she was the mistress of Pericles, the famous statesman, and lived with him in open and notorious concubinage. The house of Aspasia was the great centre of the highest literary and philosophical society of Athens, says Dr. Smith. Grote writes, — "it is certain that so remarkable were her own fascinations, her accomplishments, and her powers not merely of conversa- tion, but even of oratory and criticism, — that the most distinguished Athenians of all ages and characters, Socrates among the number, visited her, and several of them took their wives along with them to hear her also." Imperia was a beautiful Roman courtesan in the early part of the sixteenth century. More than one .writer of that age dedicated a poem to her, or celebrated her charms in verse. The magnates of church and state paid court to her, and many of the most distinguished men of the time ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 21 sought her favors. Her apartments were noted, even in that magnificent age, for their sumptuous elegance, and she received her visitors with great splendor. Her boudoir was filled with books, both Italian and Latin, and her leisure hours were devoted to literature. She wrote poetry, in the study of which she was a disciple of Niccolo Compano, called Strascino, who was probably indebted to her for the subject of one of his poetical productions. She died in 1511, when only twenty-six years old, and, notwithstanding the notorious immorality of her life, she was allowed to be buried in the chapel of S. Gregoria, in consecrated ground. The bindings of the books of Diana of Poictiers are famous. Born in 1499 of a good family, she became at the early age of thirteen the wife of Louis de Breze, Count de Maulevrier, and Grand Seneschal of Normandy, by whom she had two daughters. Having lost her husband when thirty-two years old, she declared that she would wear widow's weeds during the remainder of her life ; but eight years later she was induced to lay aside both her weeds and her virtue to reign over the heart of the youthful dauphin, afterwards Henry II. of France. The attractions of this woman of forty, who could thus captivate the fancy of a youth of eighteen, must have been remarkable. Though she lived to be sixty-seven, she retained her beauty, her grace, and her fine figure to the last, for Brantome nar- 22 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. rates that he saw her about six months before her death, "and even then she was so beautiful, that a heart of stone would have softened at the sight of her." Her virtues are thus referred to by the same authority: — "She was extremely debonnair, kind hearted, and charitable ; and the French should pray to God that they may never have a Royal mistress of a worse, and less beneficent, character than Diana." She was highly popular, and, according to Dibdin, " the French acknowledge her as the first Royal Mistress in honour of whom a medal was struck." For twenty years, and until his death, this fascinating woman ruled the heart of her Royal lover, and, after his father's decease, his king- dom also, greatly softening by her gentle and refining influ- ence, the natural ferocity of his disposition, and imbuing him with a love of the fine arts. She was extravagantly fond of books, pictures, and forms of beauty, whatever guise they might assume. If Diana could not legally share the name of her Royal paramour, it is clear that she was proud of her connection with him, equivocal as it was, for she did what she could, by interweaving their initials in all manner of elegant ornamentation, to perpetuate its remem- brance. Henry II. created his lovely mistress Duchess of Valentinois, and built for her the Chateau d'Anet, whither she retired at his death in 1559, and where, as Dibdin informs us, " she erected a Library, of which the specimens ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 23 that remain — and more particularly those of her bindings — give us a tolerably correct notion of what must have been its pristine splendour." Her books are said to have been sold at auction in 1724. The final illustration of this fair, but frail class of book- lovers, shall be the noted Madame de Pompadour, one of the numerous mistresses of Louis XV. Jeanne Antoinette Poisson was heartless and ambitious, with a beautiful face, a fascinating figure, and with a taste in dress so exquisite, that it approximated to a fine art. Her girlish mind was impregnated by her infamous mother with the idea that she was " a morsel for a king ;" and she finally forsook a hus- band that loved her passionately, and studiously set about engaging the attention of the libertine that sat upon the throne. It was no difficult matter for a girl of twenty, pos- sessing such personal charms and graces, to attract the notice of a monarch, so sensual as to have become proverbial for all that is vile. Accordingly the future Marquise de Pompadour was soon installed in the palace of the king. Instead of being thrown aside with contempt, like most dis- carded mistresses, this designing woman, when she ceased to gratify the fickle passion of her quondam lover, became his amie necessaire, and, as such, was compelled to rack her powers of invention to devise all sorts of fetes, routs, the- atricals, and other entertainments, to minister to the Royal 24 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. pleasure, while she, at the same time, pandered to his execra- ble vices. She was a sort of bed-chamber minister, and practically ruled France. Though she gave much to the poor, she was detested by the nation. She died at the age of forty-two years, in 1764, not regretted, even by the king. Cold, scheming, thoroughly unprincipled, and abandoned, she yet possessed one redeeming trait. She encouraged savants, poets, and philosophers, and loved books. Gorton, in his Biographical Dictionary, says, — " She used her influ- ence with her lover in promoting the progress of the fine arts, which she herself cultivated with considerable success, and part of the wealth lavished on her was devoted to the collection of books, paintings, and curiosities." She accu- mulated a considerable library, which she bequeathed to Louis XV. A catalogue of her books was made the year after her death, the most prominent class in it being that of the drama, in which the catalogue is one of the most com- plete, extant, to the time it was issued. Her books were again catalogued in 1815, when they were sold at auction. Thus, again, do we behold books ministering to the extremes of society. The son of the church, and the daughter of sin, alike resort to them, as to a fountain, to draw refreshment and delight. Even the sternest virtue is adorned by a love of literature, as the sturdiest oak is graced by pendent ivy. On the other hand, if a love of books ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 25 cannot remove the hideousness of vice, it, nevertheless, hides some moral blackness, as the clambering vine drapes with beauty the fallen and decaying trunk, it cannot entirely con- ceal. Turning, as we have, from the votaries of books, in riches and in poverty, in greatness and in obscurity, in virtue and in vice, we cannot help recognizing the truth of these words of Dr. Channing : — "Books are the true levellers. They give to all, who will faithfully use them, the society, the spiritual presence, of the best and greatest of our race." Books are as old as civilization. Moses, in obedience to Divine mandate, wrote the ten commandments on tables of stone. Since that remote antiquity all sorts of materials have been used for books — Egyptian papyrus, birch bark, sheets of wood, ivory tablets, and a vast variety of other substances. Montfaucon tells us of buying a book at Rome in 1699, composed of half a dozen thin sheets of lead; and to this day, in some parts of the East Indies, strips of Palmetto leaf are indented with an iron stylus and strung together into a rude volume. Since books are so old, book collectors, of course, have been known among enlightened nations in every age within the reach of history. The private library of the famous old Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who died 322 B. C, is the earliest, not belonging to royalty, of which any record has 26 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. come down to us ; and it would naturally be supposed that one, who is said to have written four hundred books him- self, would seek the works of others to aid his labors. Cicero, in one of his letters to Atticus, says that when his librarian, Tyrannio, had arranged his books, it seemed as if his house had got a soul ; and, again, that he does not envy Crassus his wealth, and can despise the broad acres of others, if he only has it in his power to purchase books. It is related that our Anglo-Saxon ancestors of all ranks, as early as the latter part of the seventh century, actuated by zeal for the study of foreign literature, and by religious enthusiasm, were seized with a desire of visiting Rome. While sojourning in the Holy City the travellers often spent their time in transcribing old manuscripts, or their money in purchasing them ; so that, in addition to many of the luxuries and elegancies of life, they came home laden with books. The name of Richard de Bury, Bishop of Durham, and Lord Chancellor of England, stands out conspicuously in the fourteenth century, as a most enthusiastic lover of books. When between fifty and sixty years of age he withdrew from the world and gave himself up to his books, for which he entertained an absorbing passion. The history of this passion he has himself recorded under the title of Philobiblon, and a single extract from it will show how ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 27 unquenchable was his zeal. "All of either sex, of every degree, estate, or dignity," he says, "whose pursuits were in any way connected with books, could with a knock most easily open the door of our heart, and find a convenient reposing place in our bosom. We so admitted all who brought books, that neither the multitude of first-comers could produce a fastidiousness of the last, nor the benefit conferred yesterday be prejudicial to that of to-day. Wherefore, as we were continually resorted to by all the aforesaid persons as to a sort of adamant attractive of books, the desired accession of the vessels of science, and a multifarious flight of the best volumes were made to us." The fame of the sumptuous book-treasures of Grollier, Maioli, and President De Thou, has survived to us from the sixteenth century. Paul Lacroix, in his work on the Arts in the Middle Ages, enlarges upon the excellence the art of book-binding had attained in France three hundred and fifty years ago, and thus closes his reference to Grollier: — "His books were bound in morocco from the Levant, with such care and taste that under the supervision of this exacting amateur, book-binding seemed to have already attained perfection." A peculiarity of Grollier's books, one that was imitated by Maioli, was that on the cover of each were stamped the words, " Jo. Grolierii et Amicorum" Surely, a man that would keep such elegant 4 28 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. volumes for his friends, no less than for himself, must have been worthy of all the praise that has been lavished upon him. Such generosity prepares us to believe the anecdote related by Egnatio. "I dined," says he, "along with Aldus, his son, Manutius, and other learned men at Grol- lier's table. After dinner, and just as dessert had been placed on the table, our host presented each of his guests with a pair of gloves filled with ducats." President De Thou's agents were to be found in all the chief cities of Europe, and when any work was printed at Paris, or abroad, he took care to secure several of the finest copies, from which he made up one supereminent copy. Twenty-thousand crowns are said to have been lav- ished upon the bindings of his eight thousand volumes and one thousand manuscripts, a sum larger than the whole library subsequently sold for; and the stamp of De Thou gives a book in our day a standing worthy of consideration in the library of the most fastidious. It is a shame to France that this superb collection was not preserved intact in some one of the great depositories of that country. The book treasures of Richard Smith were among the finest of his time, and it is stated in the first volume of Ames and Herbert's Typographical Antiquities that "we have no catalogue of a library collected in the seventeenth ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 29 century, which contained so many Caxtonian volumes as did that of Mr. Richard Smith, who died in the year 1682." The most notable illustration in England, however, of the book-love of his age, is the famous literary antiquary, Sir Robert Cotton. His magnificent collection of books and manuscripts may still be seen entire in the Cottonian Library of the British Museum. It remained in the Cotton family till the year 1700, when it was settled upon the nation, forever, by Sir John Cotton, a great grandson of Sir Robert, its founder. Though the value of such munificence cannot be measured by money alone, yet the fact that Sir John had been offered sixty thousand pounds with a carte blanche for some honorary mark of royal favor on the part of Louis XIV. for these literary treasures, affords some indication of the claim he has to the gratitude of the British nation. The brothers Bernard were both eminent physicians, and were both distinguished for their love of books. Dr. Francis Bernard's library was sold in 1698, and that of his brother a dozen years later. The fifteen thousand lots, and upwards, composing Dr. Francis Bernard's sale catalogue brought only the meagre sum of fifteen hun- dred and sixty-six pounds; and works printed by Caxton, and the other old English worthies of the typographic art, sold for a few shillings each. In this respect Dr. Charles 30 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. Bernard's sale was in happy contrast with his brother's, for Swift, mentioning this sale in his journal to Stella, laments the high prices obtained, which prevented his making any purchases ; and the opening sentences of No. 389 of the Spectator, in referring to this auction, express great astonishment that a single small volume should have brought so large a sum as thirty pounds. The volumes that the book-lovers of the last century and the early part of this, caused to be printed, are among the very choicest that we have, and proclaim that their pro- jectors must have lived in the golden age of book-collect- ing. What a pity it is, therefore, that one could not in spirit have accompanied Sir Ilildebrand Jacob upon some of his erratic excursions. This literary Quixote was exceeded by few as a general scholar, and in his knowledge of Hebrew had scarcely an equal. A very singular custom characterized the earlier part of his life. As soon as the roads became good and fine weather began to set in, his man was ordered to pack up a few things in a portman- teau, and with these his master and himself set off, without knowing whither they were going. When it drew towards evening, they inquired at the first village they saw, .whether the great man in it was a lover of books, and had a fine library. If the answer was in the negative, they went on farther ; if in the affirmative, Sir Hildebrand sent his com- OJST THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 31 pliments, and the message that he had come to see him ; and there he used to stay till time or curiosity induced him to move elsewhere. In this manner Sir Hildebrand had very early passed through the greatest part of England, without scarcely ever sleeping at an inn, unless where town or village did not afford one person civilized enough to be glad to see a gentleman and a scholar. The name of Rawlinson is prominent in the annals of book-collecting. Thomas Rawlinson was a man of learn- ing, a patron of learned men, and a great collector of books. Addison is said to have intended his character of Tom Folio, in No. 158 of the Tathr, for him. The great essayist commences in this wise — "Tom Folio is a broker in learning, employed to get together good editions, and stock the libraries of great men. There is not a sale of books begins till Tom Folio is seen at the door. There is not an auction where his name is not heard, and that too in the very nick of time, in the critical moment, before the last decisive stroke of the hammer. There is not a subscription goes forward, in which Tom is not privy to the first rough draught of the proposals ; nor a catalogue printed, that doth not come to him wet from the press." While Raw- linson lived at Gray's Inn he had four chambers so completely filled with books that his bed was obliged to be moved into the passage. The rapidity with which his 32 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. volumes increased in number, necessitated enlarged accom- modations, and thus forced him to remove to London-house, the ancient palace of the Bishops of London, where he died in 1725, aged forty-four years. Some of his books were sold in his lifetime, and the remainder after his death. The catalogue embraced seventeen parts, including the Pictunc Rawlinsoniana. The sales began in 1721, and were continued at intervals for thirteen years. It took one hundred and seventy-eight days to dispose of the printed books in parts eight to fifteen, inclusive; and sixteen days to sell the manuscripts. His library was immense : indeed it is said to have been the largest collection at that time known to have been offered at public sale. Richard Raw- linson, the learned antiquary, was a younger brother of Thomas, and, like him, was much given to books, of which he collected about twenty- five thousand, besides numerous manuscripts. One of the great collections of the last century was the Harleian library, which was commenced by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, and was continued and enlarged by his son Edward, who inherited both the library and the title. The waning fortunes of this latter nobleman caused this mag- nificent collection to be scattered at his death, when it consisted of about fifty thousand printed volumes, four hundred thousand pamphlets, and eight thousand manu- ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 33 scripts. The manuscripts were sold to the British Museum for ten thousand pounds, a sum far below their value, but which was accepted by the Earl's daughter upon the condi- tion, so honorable to her, "that they should be kept together in a proper repository as an addition to the Cotton Library, and be called the Harleian Collection of Manu- scripts." Thomas Osborne, the most celebrated bookseller of his day, bought the printed books for thirteen thousand pounds, although the bindings alone of a part only, cost five thousand pounds more than that sum. The catalogue Osborne caused to be made of his purchase, fills four octavo volumes of upwards of four hundred pages each. Though a fifth volume was issued a few years later, it forms no part of the catalogue proper, as it contains only those works included in the prior volumes, then remaining unsold. This collection was one of the few really great private libraries that have ever been formed. It was rich in many departments : it was respectable in all. Pope calls the books left by the first Earl to his son, "one of the finest libraries of Europe;" and Dr. Samuel Johnson, after the second Earl's death, says — "the Harleian Library, perhaps, excels all others, not more in number and excellence, than in the splendor of its volumes." The famous Harleian Miscellany derives its name from being a collection of ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. scarce, curious, and entertaining pamphlets and tracts, as well in manuscript as in print, selected from this noble library. Surely, there were ardent collectors in England a hun- dred years ago. The cabinet of coins and the splendid books of the Earl of Pembroke excited much admiration and honorable mention in their day ; while few names have come down to us with a more enviable reputation than that of the eminent physician, Dr. Richard Mead. We are told that ''ingenious men were sure of finding at Dr. Mead's the best helps in all their undertakings ; and scarcely anything curious appeared in England but under his patronage." No expense was spared upon his ten thousand volumes, and upwards, many of which sold for much more than they cost him — a remark equally true of his pictures. It took forty days to sell Martin Folkes' books in 1756, eight more for his prints and drawings, and five for his pictures, gems, coins, and mathematical instruments. The thirty thousand volumes of the Honorable Topham Beauclerk, and the treasures of James West, John Ratcliffe, Dr. Anthony Askew, and Dr. Richard Farmer, place them among the eminent book-collectors of their time. The books of Dr. Farmer are supposed to have cost him less than five hun- dred pounds, yet they sold for more than twenty-two hundred and ten pounds, independent of his pictures. His ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 35 library was particularly rich in scarce tracts and old English literature, and, in the words of the catalogue, embraced "the most copious assemblage of old English poetry that, perhaps, was ever exhibited at one view." Dibdin's fre- quent mention, in Ames and Herbert's Typographical Antiquities, of some of these libraries, especially those of West and Farmer, sufficiently attest their richness in typo- graphical gems. No past century has equalled the present in the number and zeal of its book-collectors. During the twelve months between November, 1806, and November, 1807, private libraries containing no less than one hundred and forty-nine thousand two hundred volumes were sold at auc- tion in London by three firms alone. In 1812 the forty- two days' sale of the Duke of Roxburghe's elegant library called forth a competition of prices, hitherto unrivalled in the annals of literary history. On this occasion Valdarfer's edition of 1471, of Boccaccio's Decameron, was knocked down to the Marquis of Blandford for twenty- two hundred and sixty pounds, the highest price that, up to that time, had ever been obtained for a single book. When one is willing to pay upwards of eleven thousand dollars for a single volume, eleven and a half inches high, with the sole attraction that, after fruitless researches for more than three hundred years, no other perfect copy is known to 5 36 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. exist, he must indeed be a bibliomaniac. In commemora- tion of this remarkable sale some of the chief book-lovers of that day formed the Roxburghe Club, the dinners and pri- vate publications of which have become famous. When, a few years later, circumstances forced the White Knights Library, as the Marquis of Blandford's was called, under the hammer, upon his succeeding to the Dukedom of Marl- borough, the Valdarfer Boccaccio brought less than half its cost, viz., nine hundred and eighteen pounds fifteen shil- lings.* A comparison of a few of the prices paid for the Duke of Roxburghe's books with those obtained at the sales of Smith, and Bernard, will afford some indication of the vast stride made, in little more than a century, in the apprecia- tion of the father of English typography. Twelve Caxtons owned by the Duke of Roxburghe sold for an aggregate of two thousand nine hundred and fifty-one pounds, while at *The following item in regard to the famous Valdarfer Boccaccio, is extracted from the Life, Letters, and Journals of George Ticknor. "Lord Spencer," says Ticknor, " told me two odd facts about it : that Lord Blandford was not worth a sou when he bought it, and yet had given orders to go up to five thousand pounds for it, and was obliged to leave it in the auctioneer's hands above a year, before he could raise the money to pay for it; and that the last purchaser was Long. man, against whom Lord Spencer, when he found out who his competitor was, would not bid, because he thought it was improper for his own bookseller to run him up, and of whom he would not after- wards buy it at any advance, because he would not suffer him to .profit by his interference. The book is certainly a great curiosity, but it is made so chiefly by the folly of those who have owned it and those who have written about it." OJS T THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 37 "Richard Smith's sale, in 1682, a dozen Caxtons, comprising a number of the choicest and rarest specimens, brought only three pounds seven shillings and fivepence ; and by far the most expensive of the lot, a Godfrey of Boloyne printed in 1481, which had belonged to King Edward IV., pro- duced eighteen shillings and twopence. At Dr. Francis Bernard's sale, in 1098, twelve Caxtons were little better than given away, bringing the paltry sum of one pound eighteen shillings and fourpence. That the interest in the first English printer has not abated with the advance of our century, is evident from the prices detailed in Blades' Cax- ton, and by the prices paid at recent English sales. Lord Charlemont's copy of Higden's Polycronicon printed by Caxton, though not perfect, brought, in 1865, four hundred and seventy-seven pounds ten shillings ; and eight years later, at the famous Perkins' sale, another copy, perfect though not so tall by two inches as Lord Charlemont's, sold for three hundred and sixty-five pounds. George the Third shared, with many of his subjects, the fascination of gathering fine books together, for at his death, in 1820, his library had cost him not far from one hundred and thirty thousand pounds, and numbered with the pamphlets, that were afterwards bound, about eighty- four thousand volumes. 38 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. Among the multitude of fine English collections of books formed during the earlier part of the present century, those of James Edwards and Colonel Stanley are promi- nent for their great elegance. Sir Mark Masterman Sykes' prints formed one of the best private collections, probably, ever made in England. It contained a highly valuable series of British portraits from the Heptarchy to the end of the reign of George III. ; and the third part of his sale catalogue, for his prints were dispersed at auction in 1824, after his decease, consisted of a matchless assemblage of engravings by the most eminent artists of the Italian schools who lived in the fifteenth and two following centuries. There was a splendid collection of works in niello upon silver, among them a pax by Maso Finiguerra : there were, likewise, numerous impressions upon paper, and casts in sulphur, from works in niello. The whole were amply illustrative of the history and progress of the art of engraving in Italy from the invention of chalcography, about 1445, by Maso Finiguerra, to the commencement of the seventeenth century. The third part of the catalogue forms a fitting supplement to Bartsch, as its index contains the names of nearly forty engravers not to be found in Le Peintre Graveur. The preface of this part is written by William Young Ottley, the author of the exceed- ingly valuable Inquiry into the Origin and Early History of ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. Engraving. Sir Mark, likewise, bad remarkably fine books, upon which be bad expended much zeal and taste.* Of all English collectors of any age Richard Heber, an elder brother of Bishop Heber, was tbe most omnivorous. Pushing his acquisitions into all departments of literature he sometimes exceeded the bounds of reason, as the same work was often bought over and over again, triplicates and quadruplicates, even, failing to satisfy his insatiable appe- tite. He had no less than eight houses filled with books. In addition to his country house, Hodnet Hall, there were two in London, one on the High street at Oxford, and others at Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent, besides various smaller collections in Germany, and elsewhere. His largest single purchase was thirty thousand volumes, and he was ever on the alert for literary gems : on turning over the catalogues of the numerous choice libraries that passed under the hammer in the early part of the century, no purchaser's name appears more fre- quently than that of this literary zealot. He was the Atticus of Dibdin's Bibliomania, and Bibliographical Decameron, and as such, of course, is loudly heralded by * Sir Mark Masterman Sykes' books and and one pounds, making a total of forty- prints sold for thirty-six thousand four three thousand seven hundred and hundred and thirty-six pounds: in addi- ninety-nine pounds, or but five dollars tion to this, his coins brought fourteen less than two hundred and nineteen hundred and sixty-lwo pounds, and his thousand dollars, pictures and bronzes fifty-nine hundred 40 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. that grand recorder of library-heroes. Brunet estimates the number of Heber's books at one hundred and ten thou- sand, which, at the numerous sales for two years after his death in 1834, brought fifty-seven thousand pounds, a little more, it is supposed, than half their cost. This huge col- lector was very liberal in allowing others the use of his stores, and numerous are the writers that have dedicated works to him, or made flattering allusion to him in their pages. Dr. Ferriar, in a poetical epistle to Heber entitled, The Bibliomania, hails him as one of those, "Who gather nobly, with judicious hand, The Muse's treasures from each letter'd strand." Sir Walter Scott, in the Introduction to the Sixth Canto of Marmion, closes a graceful tribute to him as follows: — "Thy volumes, open as thy heart, Delight, amusement, science, art, To every ear and eye impart ; Yet who, of all who thus employ them, Can, like the owner's self enjoy them?" The best private library now in existence in Great Britain, is that of the Earl Spencer. It was chiefly formed by George John, the second Earl, who employed Dr. Dibdin as his librarian. The library rooms at Althorp, the seat of the Spencers, contain upwards of fifty thousand vol- ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 41 umes. The Spencer family is celebrated for its book collecting. The famous collection of books at Blenheim owed its beginnings to a Lord Spencer, who was the third Earl of Sunderland, and who married a daughter of the great Duke of Marlborough. The Marquis of Blandford was a descendant of the originator of the Blenheim library, and his ardor for books has been referred to in his victorious contention with his kinsman, the second Earl Spencer, for the famous Valdarfer Boccaccio at the Roxburghe sale. It would be idle to attempt to give in brief a description of the superb gathering of literary gems at Althorp. It contains many volumes which are the only copies known to be in existence ; and for books printed in the early days of typography, and, indeed, for Block-Books, which antedate the achievements of Gutenberg and Fust, it is without a rival ; and so it is in other respects. Dibdin has gratefully chronicled the fame of the rarities entrusted to his charge, and his energies were restlessly employed to enrich and enlarge his patron's library. The Hight Honorable Thomas Grenville devoted the last two score of his ninety-six years of life to the indul- gence of literary tastes, and the assembling of a superb collection of books. Descended from a family distinguished through several generations for its successful soldiers and statesmen, he at first essayed a diplomatic and political 42 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. career, holding several prominent positions. Public life, however, was distasteful to him, and he abandoned it for more congenial pursuits. His library, as we learn from the preface of his catalogue, consisted of about twenty thousand volumes, among which were many of the earliest and most curious specimens of printing, together with gems of the highest character in several departments of litera- ture. Says the writer of the preface,— " One striking merit perhaps may be claimed by this collection, that in no one of its branches is anything superfluous to be found ; while there is a sufficiency of information on all : and so various are its divisions and classes, as to meet the taste and satisfy the curiosity of the Bibliographer." Liberal in allowing others the use of his elegant volumes in his life, he disposed of them with the most enlightened munificence at his death, for a codicil to his will executed in 1845, but a year before his decease, contains these words: — "A great part of my library has been purchased from the profits of a sinecure office given me by the Public, and I feel it to be a debt and a duty that I should acknowledge this obligation by giving that library, so acquired, to the British Museum for the use of the public." More than fifty-four thousand pounds were expended on this library, and it would prob- ably have realized a much larger sum than it cost had it been brought to public sale ; hence it is doubtless true that ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 43 this bequest constitutes one of the finest acquisitions made by the British Museum during the present century. Such a wise disposition of books, collected with so much pride and delight, intensifies our interest both in the collection and in the collector. Guglielmo Libri, a professor in the University of Pisa, was of a noble Tuscan family. In 1830, the government regarding him with distrust as a liberal, he was forced to leave his country and to seek refuge in Paris, where he was cordially received, and in a few years made a member of the Institute. Several professorial appointments were conferred on him, and his ripe scholarship, especially in mathematics, his bibliographical attainments, and his pow- ers of conversation, soon gained for him an enviable reputa- tion. He unhappily embarked in politics, and, in the French Pe volution of 1848, those who were jealous of his literary and scientific fame, and those who were embittered by his political opposition, combined to wreak vengeance upon him. M. Libri was well known as an ardent book- lover and a hunter of manuscripts, and he had sold a large collection of books at Paris, as well as numerous manu- scripts to Lord Ashburnham. His book-love was seized upon by his enemies as the means of his destruction, and he was denounced, not as a petty thief, not as a filcher of single volumes merely, but as a wholesale robber who had 6 44 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. stolen hundreds of thousands of francs by despoiling the public libraries of their literary treasures. His books and papers were seized, and he left his adopted country and established his residence in London to avoid the virulence of the partizan persecution to which he was subjected. Years elapsed before even partial justice was done him, but the testimony of such distinguished French scholars as Guizot, Paul Lacroix, the Marquis d'Audiffret, Prosper Merimee, and many others, has demonstrated the ground- lessness of the accusation. A number of pamphlets were written in regard to this strange charge, and the whole con- stitutes a remarkable bibliographical episode. In 1859, and the half dozen years succeeding, M. Libri, influenced by considerations of health, sold his thirty thousand valuable volumes at auction. His sale catalogues, including the list of prices and purchasers' names, are embraced in seven volumes, exclusive of the French parts, and they are veri- table treasures to the bibliographer, as, in addition to numerous notes appended to the titles of books, they are illustrated by many elaborate prints and cuts. In this library there were splendid manuscripts, chiefly upon vellum, in various languages of Europe and the East: there were unique block books, and specimens of early typography and art, comprising an unknown Kalendarium with the earliest engravings on copper. Then, too, among ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 45 its wealth were an unrivalled collection of works printed upon vellum ; the rarest Aldine and Junta editions ; Editiones Principes of great rarity ; poems and romances of chivalry in Italian, French, German, Spanish, and other languages ; an extraordinary series of ancient Italian litera- ture ; early and probably unique musical compositions ; scarce works respecting America ; Elzevirs in an uncut state ; and early productions of the English press. The book-bindings formed one of the most interesting depart- ments of this magnificent library, for in it were many vol- umes having ornamented covers in ivory, metal, silver gilt, etc., executed from the sixth to the thirteenth century, and enriched with enamels, antique cameos, and precious stones. Then there was a superb and unique collection of historical bindings showing the progress of the bibliopegic art since the fifteenth century by means of about fifteen hundred volumes in old ornamented morocco or calf, with the. arms or devices of former owners. Among them were eighteen volumes formerly belonging to Grollier, several volumes in the splendid bindings of Maioli, Diana of Poictiers, De Thou, Count d'Hoym, and other famous book lovers, and including books with the arms of scores of papal, regal, or noble owners upon them, the whole being in the most perfect state of preservation. George Daniel, Henry Perkins, and Sir William Tite 46 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. formed a trio, at the dispersion of whose libraries many book-lovers of our day secured treasures that delighted their hearts. The ten days sale of Daniel, in July, 1864, realized fifteen thousand eight hundred and sixty-five pounds. The first seven days were devoted to books ; and the remainder to drawings, engravings, and miscellaneous objects of art and virtu. There were many choice features in this interesting collection, not the least of which was the drama. Unique old black letter ballads abounded, and that class of lore embraced under the heads of Garlands, Jests, Drolleries, and Songs, was especially noticeable. There were also two Missals of the finest quality and in the purest condition ; and the library contained the choicest copies of works in general literature, many of them being illustrated with curious peculiarities conferring an unique distinction, and greatly tending to enhance their impor- tance. No assemblage of literature has achieved a wider noto- riety in our time, than the Perkins collection. When it passed under the hammer, in June, 1873, it brought twenty- six thousand pounds, the largest sum ever realized for the same number of volumes, the sale catalogue . containing eight hundred and sixty-five lots, thus giving an average of rather more than thirty pounds per lot. The Duke of Eox- burghe's sale was rendered famous by the Valdarfer Boccac- ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 47 cio's bringing a higher price than any book had ever before produced, but that figure was largely exceeded at the Per- kins auction by the Mazarin Bible on vellum, which brought thirty-four hundred pounds ; while another copy on paper sold for twenty-six hundred and ninety pounds, or four hundred and thirty pounds more than the Roxburgh e Valdarfer. The late Henry Perkins of Springfield, Surrey, and afterwards of Hanworth Park, was the son of John Perkins, well known to the readers of Boswell's Johnson. He was educated by the famous Dr. Parr, under whose tuition he acquired his love for books. At his father's death he became one of the principal partners of the firm of Barclay, Perkins & Co., the eminent Brewers, and thus possessed ample means to gratify his taste. He made his grand col- lection of books and manuscripts between the years 1820 and 1830, obtaining them chiefly at the great English and Continental sales of that period. Upon his decease, about 1855, the library was inherited by his son, Algernon Per- kins, who had no literary taste ; and at his death, in 1872, without leaving a son, the books became the property of two nephews, by whose order they were sold. This collec- tion was a gathering of elegant and high priced rarities, rather than a congruous library. On turning over the leaves of the elaborately illustrated catalogue one's eye 48 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. rests pleasurably upon several very valuable County Histo- ries, the first four folios of Shakespeare, and some exceptionally rare books from the presses of Caxton, Wynkyn de Worde, Pynson, Junta, Verard, and other emi- nent early printers. Four Bibles, other than the two already mentioned, sold for an aggregate of sixteen hun- dred and sixty-five pounds. Brilliantly illuminated manu- scripts, including Bibles, Missals, Hora?, Chronicles, etc., formed a specialty : one of them brought thirteen hundred and twenty pounds, while fourteen, all together, brought the enormous sum of five thousand eight hundred and eighty-six pounds. Sir William Tite possessed a refined and cultivated mind. He was the author of numerous addresses and lec- tures, and occupied a high position in the society of archi- tects. He gave considerable attention to the collection of manuscripts, and wrote a monograph upon the subject. Having a great fondness for books he gathered together one of the most interesting and valuable libraries that has been sold for many years. Original editions, books of Hours, specimens of the early printers, early English poetry, dramatic literature, including a grand collection of Shakes- peariana, and autographs and autographic letters, constitute its chief features. After Sir William's death his literary and artistic effects were dispersed, and the sixteen days sale ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 49 of them, which occurred in May and June, 1874, realized nineteen thousand eight hundred and ten pounds. The late Sir Thomas Phillipps, of Middle Hill, Worcestershire, was a man of large learning, and one of the greatest book collectors of modern times. He died February sixth, 1872, in the eightieth year of his age. Thirty years before his death his library was said to have cost him one hundred thousand pounds. His zeal for manuscripts seems to have been insatiable. He bought library after library, and collection after collection. When Thorpe, the bookseller, issued a catalogue of fourteen hun- dred manuscripts, Sir Thomas ordered the whole of them. He bought the Meerman library of Greek manuscripts, and accumulated the best private collection of monastic cartu- laries known. For many years he had a private printing press at Middle Hill, from which issued a large number of heraldic, historical, and antiquarian works. His library is happily preserved intact, it having been bequeathed by him to one of his daughters.* *Sir Thomas Phillipps, in a death-bed will made a few days hefore his decease, bequeathed Thirlstane House, Chelten- ham, with the library, which literally filled that mansion, to his youngest daughter, Katherine, Mrs. Fenwick. The bequest is coupled with some strange conditions, for he directed that his collec- tion of manuscripts, library, articles of virtu, pictures, medals, rings, and curi- osities, should descend as heirlooms; and that no rare books should be taken out of. the library; especially that no bookseller or stranger should be allowed to arrange them, but that the whole should be under the entire direction of his said daughter and her husband; further, that no Roman Catholic should ever be admitted to 50 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. We have lingered so long on the fine private accumu- lations of books in England, that not even the literary wealth of Abbotsford, the "Cotton Library" of Robert Southey, as he used to call his calico covered books, the noble library of the Duke of Devonshire, the collection of Frederick North, Earl of Guilford, singularly rich in printed books and manuscripts of Italian and Greek litera- ture, enhanced too by purchases of the entire libraries of convents during his visits to the continent, — nor, indeed, any of the numerous other choice and valuable libraries of Great Britain, can now detain us. The superb collections of continental Europe must also be passed by in silence. The oldest private collection in America that has been even partially preserved to us, is the Prince Library. The Rev. Thomas Prince was born at Sandwich, in Plymouth Colony, in 1687, and graduated at Harvard College in 1707. Ten years later he was ordained pastor of the Old South Church of Boston; and there he remained till his death, in 1758. At the time of his matriculation, in the sixteenth year of his age, he systematically laid the founda- tion of a collection of books and manuscripts, which, with unfailing zeal, and under the most favorable opportunities inspect his library, books, or manu- scripts. This last provision was particu- larly aimed at his eldest daughter and her husband; the husband being the cel- ebrated Shakespearian scholar, James Orchard Halliwell. ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 51 in this country and in Europe, he cherished and enriched during his long life. He bequeathed his library to the church over which he had so long officiated, and it remained in the church edifice till the early part of the present century, suffering much from depredations, espe- cially during the Revolutionary War. In 1866, all that remained of the collection was happily removed to the Boston Public Library, where its precious stores are now available to all who can appreciate them. A considerable portion of it relates to the civil and religious history of New England; and in its depleted state it numbers not much short of fifteen hundred books and tracts printed in, or per- taining to x\merica. During the period of our colonial history, says Profes- sor Justin Winsor of Harvard College, the Mather family and Governor Hutchinson are alone to be compared with Prince, as collectors of books and manuscripts. Their labors in this direction avail us little now, for the Gov- ernor's collection was scattered by a mob, while the Mathers' has been gradually dispersed. Massachusetts has ever been famous for its literary atmosphere, and few, if any, of the other colonies could rival it in ante -Revolutionary times, either in the number, or size, of its book-collections. One of the finest private libraries in Boston, or its 7 52 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. environs, in its day, at least so says Edward Everett, belonged to the late Thomas Dowse, who, in 1858, shortly before his death, gave it to the Massachusetts Historical Society. So great was this collector's zeal for books that a few autobiographical lines found in the second volume of the Life, Letters and Journals of George Ticknor, cannot fail to be of interest. "When I was twenty-eight years old," says Dowse, "I had never been anything better than a journeyman leather- dresser; I had never had more than twenty-five dollars a month ; I had never paid five dollars to be carried from one place to another ; I had never owned a pair of boots ; I had never paid a penny to go to the play or to see a sight, but I owned above six hundred volumes of good books, well bound." It is no part of our purpose, however, to enumerate the private collections of books in this country. Mr. Luther Farnham, in "A Glance at Private Libraries," has afforded us some insight to the most considerable collec- tions in and around Boston a score of years ago, and Dr. Wynne has treated us to a stout octavo volume upon the "Private Libraries of New York," as they were in 1860. A description of some of the most considerable private libraries of this country would form a really interesting vol- ume ; for, in addition to those referred to by Farnham and ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 53 Wynne, there are not a few elegant and extensive collec- tions like those of Robert Hoe, Jr., Joseph W. Drexel, and S. Whitney Phoenix, of New York, Charles H. Kalbfleisch of Brooklyn, Theodore Irwin of Oswego, Irving Browne of Troy, President White of Cornell University, E. G. A say of Chicago, Hubert H. Bancroft of San Francisco, the late George Brinley of Hartford, and numerous others, that have never been described at all, or only in the ephemeral pages of a newspaper or a magazine. Descriptions of the choice and extensive collections of engravings of Henry F. Sewall of New York, and James L. Claghorn of Philadel- phia, would also afford fitting themes ; and in a sketch of Theodore Irwin's library, his remarkably fine engravings would not be omitted. Not the least attractive chapter of such a work might relate to book-sales. The process by which such preposterous prices were obtained at the Fowle sale in Boston, in 1864, when large paper copies of the Oxford classics were jockeyed up to hundreds of dollars, and Munsell's reprints were made to bring many times their value, could then be adequately explained. There, too, would figure the Rice sale, with its forty-two thousand dollars worth of treasures ; the dramatic stores of Burton ; the sumptuous volumes of William Menzies ; and a long list of other scattered libraries. Another feature of such a work might be graphic sketches of the old booksellers and auc- 54 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. tioneers: — men like the late William Gowans, whose stock of second-hand books was well nigh as numerous as the sands of the sea; — the late John Keese, whose exuberant humor turned his book-sales into feasts of merriment ; — the veteran Joseph Sabin,* that walking encyclopaedia of anec- * William Gowan — Gowans he used to call himself in the later portion of his life — was an antiquarian "bookseller in New York for more than forty years. The fifth of a family of nine sons, he was born in the Parish of Lismahagow, Lanark- shire, Scotland, March 23, 1803, and died in New York, November 27, 1870. His parents, in the hope that he would enter the ministry, kept him at school until his fifteenth year, when, for some reason unknown, this project was abandoned, and he was put to work on his father's farm. In 1821 the family emigrated to America and settled in Fredonia, Crawford County, Indiana. Gowans' first occupation in this country was as a boatman on the Missis- sippi, beginning as a hired hand, and then running a flat boat on his own account. His third trip proved disastrous, and he sold boat and cargo in New Orleans and left for New York, where he arrived May 1G, 1825. For two years he found employment successively as a gar- dener, a stone cutter, a stevedore, a folder and carrier of newspapers, and as an attache of the old Bowery Theatre. Finally in May, 1827, he obtained a situa- tion as clerk in a book-store. Two months later, being attacked with small- pox, he was obliged to give up his clerkship. This short experience in a book-store, however, seems to have been the turning point in his career, and to have determined his occupation for life ; for in the following winter he began the book business on his own account, buying his books at the evening book-sales and peddling them through the streets by day. The success of his enterprise induced him, in the spring of 1828, to open a book-stall on the sidewalk in trout of 121 Chatham street. After one or two removals, he hired the entire premises at 121 Chatham street and prosecuted business upon a much more extended scale. During the remainder of his life, with the exception of a year in 1840-41 when absent in Europe, he was iden- tified with the book-trade in New York, being located at different times on Liberty, Fulton, Centre, and Nassau streets. Gowans never attempted author- ship, save in the extended notes scattered through his later book-catalogues, and which, in many instances, give his recol- lections of authors and other celebrated persons. These notes, though purporting to be from a work styled, " Western Memorabilia," are really from his own vigorous, but not very elegant pen. ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 55 dote and information relating to books and book-men ; and all the rest of the fraternity, which, it must be confessed, is We take the following from Mr. William C. Prime's article upon "Old Books in New York," in the number of Harper's Magazine for February, 1872:— "It is not likely that we shall soon see such a man or such a store again. He had been for many years in the business, and con- ducted it on principles quite different from any other of the numerous dealers in old books. His stock always grew, never diminished. He confined his pur- chases to no one department of literature. Hence it resulted that his gatherings were immense, and included works of every description; and shortly before his death, when he had, as well as was possi- ble under the circumstances, taken an account of his stock, he estimated that he had about two hundred and fifty thousand bound volumes on hand, and pamphlets by myriads. "Such a merchant deserves to be remembered on more accounts than one. He commenced life a poor boy, was always renowned for his strict integrity and unimpeachable veracity, and by hon- est and steadfast labor had acquired a respectable fortune in addition to his vast accumulation of books. He had peculiar ways of his own, was esteemed by many a gruff and not over polite dealer; while, on the other hand, he had favorites among the numerous seekers after old books, and with them was always genial, communicative, fond of anecdote, and very cheery " The stock was probably the largest of the kind in the world. We do not know of any such accumulation elsewhere, although we have examined many of the great collections in the hands of book- sellers. There were many more valuable collections, but none so large, and proba- bly none so wholly without arrangement. The stock was contained in a Nassau Street building, on the first floor, the base- ment, and a sub-cellar. The floors were nearly two hundred feet in depth from front to rear. Originally the sides were shelved to the ceiling, and two rows of tables ran down the length of the first floor. But as the stock increased it was piled, first on tables, then on the floors, until the mass of books was everywhere impenetrable, except by narrow alleys running here and there, and at length the piles began to topple over and fall into the alleys, so that the careless investiga- tor was likely to tread on books at every step. The basement was a wonder. There was no gas, and the trusted cus- tomer who was permitted to search in its gloomy recesses was furnished with a kerosene lamp having no chimney, and casting a dim, flaring light on vast piles lying in confusion everywhere, and which, in several parts of the long room, were not less than ten or fifteen feet in thickness. Of course thousands of books were buried out of sight in these masses, and the owner himself knew little of what he possessed in his great cata. combs " Our old friend in New York had grown 56 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. held by many book-lovers in grateful remembrance. We commend the development of the subject to some book- up from selling in the street-stall, where second-hand school-books and all kinds of cheap literature had their value, and he had never lost the habits of trade in which he began life. So he had an immense amount of print on hand, which damaged instead of adding to the salable value of the white paper. For every book which was worth keeping, there were five or ten that should have been sold to the paper-dealers. " But, for all that, there were treasures in that Nassau Street cellar which were worth hunting after, though it was work to hunt for them. It was like excavating in old ruins. One could never tell what would turn up, and now and then it was startling to see the jewels that came out of the heap." After Gowans' death his entire stock was catalogued and sold at public auc- tion. John Keese, son of William and Rebecca (Linn) Keese, was born Novem- ber twenty-fourth, 1805, in the city of New York, where he lived all his life. He was of a good family, his father having been a lawyer of some repute, and his mother's father being the Rev. Dr. William Linn, a distinguished author and divine in the early years of this century. When about eighteen years of age, Keese became a clerk with Collins & Hannay, booksellers and publishers, then located on Pearl street. In 1836 he started on his own account in the then newly formed firm of Collins, Keese & Co., which con- tinued until February, 1842. He next went into partnership with James E. Cooley and Horatio Hill, under the firm name of Cooley, Keese & Hill. Here his career as an auctioneer began, and thus was established this famous firm of book auctioneers. Their sales-room was first at 157 (then 191) Broadway, corner of Dey Street, and afterwards at 277 Broadway, corner of White street. After a few years the firm became Cooley & Keese, and so continued until its dissolution in 1853 or 1854, when Keese, whose voice was failing through a bronchial difficulty, was ap- pointed Appraiser of Books in the Cus- tom House. While thus employed he occasionally, as health permitted, offi- ciated as auctioneer at evening sales; but the strain aggravated his complaint, which ended in pulmonary consumption, of which he died May thirtieth, 1856. We have obtained these details about Keese from his son, Mr. William Linn Keese; and we have gleaned the following anecdotes from a pleasant article from the graceful pen of Mr. Evert A. Duyckinck, in the number of " The Maga- zine of American History" for August, 1877. "I knew him chiefly," says Mr. Duyc- kinck in a private letter, "in his maturity as the wittiest book-autioneer we have had in New York In the auction ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 57 lover that wields a facile pen, as a pleasant recreation for his leisure hours. room he was supreme. There were few books which from some capability or other in the author, or their subject, did not furnish him with a jest, usually in the shape of some subtile pun, which in his quiet, nervous way he would slip in with inimitable dexterity." The manner, quite as much as the matter, lent point to his witticisms, and though the effective man. ner cannot be reproduced, yet the reader who never had the pleasure of listening to him, may, perhaps, form some idea of the style of the man from as much of some of his pleasantries as we can get down on paper. When Cooley, Keese & Hill opened their sales-room at 157 Broadway a collation was served to the trade. Keese, in the capacity of host, made a little speech, in the course of which he said,— "If you have any dealings with us, my friends, it will be pleasant, for we shall take things coolly (Cooley); if you should have any doubt as to the security of property left with us, remember that it is under most excellent keys (Keese) ; and as for our stability, you may rely upon one of the granite Hills of New Hampshire." Later on he remarked, " Gentlemen, we are casting our bread upon the waters, and we expect to find it after many days- buttered." When called upon at a gather- ing of mill-owners and manufacturers at Saugerties, on the Hudson, he concluded his speech with this sentiment — " The village of Saugerties : may its furnaces be blasted and its streams dammed." Cooley was large in person and of a fine presence: Keese, on the other hand, was short, meagre and nervous. Once when selling a print by Landseer, " Dignity and Impudence," illustrated by a fine, large, sedate mastiff, and a pert, shaggy, little terrier, the auctioneer Avas asked for the name of the engraving. "Oh," said he, "I don't know, unless it is Cooley and Keese." A book of the Kev. Dr. Hawks would bring out the quiet elucidation, "a bird of pray." His own children he would denominate as "his bunch of Keys." Gutzkiffs China he presented with the remark that " This was the gen- tleman with a commotion in his bowels;" and he struck off Bacon's Essays patheti- cally observing, " Really, this is too much pork for a shilling " Gowans was a con- stant attendant at Keese's sales, where he picked up much of his heterogeneous stock. One day the auctioneer put up a volume of religious poetry by a lady. "Who is Miss ?" asked Gowans, mentioning the author's name. " She is a poor and pious person, and wrote poor and pious poems," promptly replied Keese. When offering a book entitled "History of the Tatars," some one inquired— is not that Tartars? " No," was the immediate answer, " their wives were the Tartars." He would knock down a ponderous folio, dragging at a feeble price, with "going — going, cheap for a back-log;" and of a "Hand-Book," going begging, he would remark, " You will see that it is pretty well fingered." At the 58 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. The taste for books is as diverse as the fancies of men. Madame de Pompadour, we have seen, was especially sale of a copy of Walts' Hymns he broke out with this parody :— " Blest is the man who shuns the place, Where other auctions be, And has his money in his fist, And buys his books of me ! " The person who unhappily turned Keese's wit against himself, would be apt to remember it. For lack of a bidder some- times a book would be knocked off to Gowans, or to some other frequenter of his sales, who would naturally shake his head in refusal, eliciting from the auc- tioneer the remark— "You needn't shake your head, there's nothing in it" — adding after a pause, " I mean the book." " Is that binding calf? " asked a cautious bid- der, distrustful of the auctioneer's repre- sentation. "Come up, my good friend, put your hand on it, and see if there is any fellow feeling," was the ready reply. "Tom," said Keese one day, when a visi- tor was strumming on a piano sent for sale among some articles of furniture— " tell that gentleman to stop, the piano is not his forte." Of course he had much soiled and shop-worn stuff to work off, and thus he would meet deprecatory remarks or inquiries as to the condition of books: "Damaged! you say? yes, a little wet on the outside— but you will find it dry enough within." "Isn't it damaged?" asked the son of an Episcopalian clergy- man, when a soiled copy of the 'Book of Common Prayer' was offered for sale. '■'■Damaged!" exclaimed Keese in well feigned astonishment, fixing his gaze gravely on the inquirer— " has your father taught you to regard that as a dam- aged book ? " But Keese did not content himself with the outsides of books alone, tor he edited several publications: one of these a book of selections of poetry, was entitled " The Mourners' Chaplet," a volume of consola- tion prepared, it is said, after the loss of a son. He wrote a memoir of his Mend, Lucy Hooper of Brooklyn, which was pre- fixed to a collection of her poems. He also edited a volume of poems by Mrs. E. Oakes Smith, and one or two annuals — "The Wintergreen, a Perennial Gift," in 1844, and "The Opal, a Pure Gift for the Holidays," in 1847. In 1840 and 1842 he edited two volumes of poems, selections, entitled " Poets of America, illustrated by one of her Painters;" the painter referred to being Chapman. In 1840, he superin- tended the literary department of a series of views, in quarto, entitled "North American Scenery, from drawings by Whitefield." He once, at least, appeared in public as a lecturer, in a course deliv- ered in the Broadway Tabernacle, in 1852, taking for his theme the rather compre- hensive subject, " The Influence of Knowl- edge." ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 59 attracted by the drama ; and this, with old English poetry, is a favorite department of literature with book collectors. Joseph Sabin was born in Brannston, Northamptonshire, England, December fifth, 1821. Wbilst not yet ten years of age he was sent to school at Oxford, and at fourteen was apprenticed to a bookseller tbere. When out of his time he opened a bookstore in that city, and married there. A dissenter at the very fountain head of High Churchmansbip, and embarking in Church polemics in a little book entitled, "The XXXIX. Articles of the Church of England, with Scriptural Proofs and Ref- erences," which he edited and published in 1814,— a republican in politics and decidedly outspoken in the expression of his views where the majority were of pro- nounced tory proclivities, it is not sur- prising that the young bookseller failed to meet with satisfactory success. He therefore embarked for New York in the spring of 1848, with the intention of settling upon land in Texas, which he had com tracted for in England through some colo- nization scheme. Arriving in this coun- try he concluded, after consultation with his friends here, to abandon the project of going to Texas. He soon removed to Philadelphia and entered the employ of George S Appleton, a bookseller, where he remained till May, 1850, when he took a situation with Cooley & Keese of New York. He continued with this firm until they sold out to Lyman & Rawdon, and then he went with the business into their service, quitting it in 1852 for Bangs, Brothers & Co., the predecessors of 8 Bangs, Merwin & Co., and the present firm of Bangs & Co. While in the employment of these three last named auction houses, he was chiefly engaged in making catalogues, a business he had learned at Oxford, beginning when he was sixteen years old, and for which his great knowledge of books and decided taste for reading signally fitted him. In 1856 he began business in New York on his own account as a bookseller, at the corner of Broadway and Canal Street, up stairs. The following year he moved on to a farm in Philadelphia, which he had bought several years before, and carried on book-selling in that city at No. 27 South Sixth Street. There he remained till 1861, when the rebellion broke him up in busi- ness. For the succeeding two years he occupied his time in gathering and mould- ing material for his magnum opus, A Die- tfonary of Books relating to America ; and since then he has made several trips to Europe in the prosecution of this work, and in the buying of rare books. About 1863 he bought out the book busi- ness of Michael Nunan at 84 Nassau Street, New York, and there he has remained ever since. Some six years after locating in Nassau Street he took his two eldest sons into partnership, forming the firm of J. Sabin & Sons; and since then a third son has been admitted. This concern like- wise has a branch house in London. Since Nunan was bought out, the business has been increased nearly ten fold ; the rarest 60 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. Fngland was the specialty of the famous antiquary, Sir Robert Cotton ; and a host of American collectors diligently gather together whatever illustrates the history of their country. Xylography and typography have a long train of admirers, and so has nearly every subject upon which books have been issued. The specialties of collections are more various than the hues of the rainbow. Mr. Francis Fry of Bristol, England, is an indefatigable collector of Bibles, and he has succeeded in bringing together more than one thousand editions of unci most costly books have been added to the stock, and nowhere in this country is there so large an assortment of engrav- ings to be found. Probably no one on this side of the Atlantic has made so many catalogues of libraries as Mr. Sabin, and but for most laborious habits, he never could have accomplished so much. This is the testi- mony of the late William Gowans quoted from his catalogue for 1869, when speaking of a valuable library then recently sold, the catalogue of which had been inade- quately prepared by an inexperienced hand:— "Mr. Joseph Sabin should have been the compiler. His wonderful knowl- edge of books, their various editions, whether rare or plentiful, here or else- where, their market value, and divers other peculiarities, render him eminently fitted for such an undertaking." Mr. Sabin's latest work, a Bibliography of Bibliography, being a catalogue of books relating to books, has but recently been issued in book form. Mr. Sabin's Reprints of rare American works has made him known as a pub. lisher. As an author, besides the works already referred to, he has contributed to various periodicals. The book-lover, however, will hold him in especially grateful remembrance as a co-publisher of " The American Bibliopolist, a Literary Register and Monthly Catalogue of Old and New Books, and Repository of Notes and Queries." Mr. Sabin has a vast fund of humor and literary anecdote at com- mand, with which he enlivens the book auctions conducted by him. Many a book buyer associates with some of his choicest treasures that Nassau Street basement and the genial countenance of Joseph Sabin. Long may he remain in the flesh to dispense his prints and volumes to appreciative purchasers ! ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 61 the English Bible, Testaments, Psalms, etc., most of them prior to 1700. The collection of Bibles in the Lenox Library of New York is probably unsurpassed, save by the British Museum, in rare and valuable editions, especially in the English language. The famous collection of Bibles in the Royal Library of Stuttgart is said to exceed seven thou- sand editions ; and in the library of Wolfenbiittel there are some five thousand. The Library of the British Museum undoubtedly contains by far the richest collection of Bibles in the world, numbering, at present, above sixteen thousand titles* On the other hand the Baron Seymour Kirkup, an English artist long resident in Florence, who was enno- bled by the Grand-Duke of Tuscany, and whose library was sold in London in December, 1871, made a large col- lection of works on Demonology, Witchcraft, Alchemy, Astrology, Table Turning, and other occult sciences. The Baron was by no means alone in his tastes, as, for the gratification of such as he, a well known publishing house of New York issued, in 1874, a catalogue with the following cheerful title: — " Bibliotheca Diabolica ; Being a Choice Selection of the most valuable books relat- ing to The Devil ; His Origin, Greatness, and Influence, Comprising the most important works on the Devil, Satan, * Catalogue of the Caxton Exhibition. 1877. Class C. Holy Scriptures. 62 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. Demons, Hell, Hell-Torments, Magic, Witchcraft, Sorcery, Divination, Superstitions, Angels, Ghosts, etc., etc. With some curious volumes on Dreams and Astrology. In Two Parts, Pro and Con — Serious and Humorous Chronologi- cally arranged with Notes, Quotations, and Proverbs, and a Copious Index. Illustrated with Twelve Curious Designs. On sale by Scribner, Welford & Armstrong." If one desires gentler themes for his collection there is a French Bibliography, in six finely printed duodecimo volumes, filled with the titles of works relating solely to " Love, Woman, and Marriage." Privately printed books and large paper copies have each their devotees, though Richard Heber hated large paper copies, because they required so much room. Marshal Junot possessed a small but very elegant library of books printed on vellum, two or three volumes in it, however, being printed entirely on silk. Illustrated books, or those enriched with original draw- ings, autographs, and plates, not issued with the work, form a very attractive branch of book collecting. Dibdin describes an extraordinary copy of Shakespeare illustrated by the Dowager Lady Lucan. "For sixteen, years," says he, " did this accomplished Lady pursue the pleasurable toil of illustration ; having commenced it in her fiftieth, and finished it in her sixty-sixth year. Whatever of taste, ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 63 beauty, and judgment in decoration — by means of portraits, landscapes, houses, and tombs — flowers, birds, insects, heraldic ornaments, and devices, — could dress our immortal bard in a yet more fascinating form, has been accomplished by the noble hand which undertook so Herculean a task — and with a truth, delicacy and finish of execution, which have been rarely equalled ! These magnificent volumes (being the folio edition printed by Buhner) are at once beautiful and secured by green velvet binding, with embossed clasps and corners of solid silver, washed with gold." The late William E. Burton, the eminent comedian, devoted some of his leisure hours to illustrating a folio Shakespeare, which he extended to forty-two volumes by the insertion of vast wealth of elegant plates. An illus- trated Shakespeare was lately to be seen at the book-store of Mr. J. W. Bouton, of New York, which, though still unbound, was said to have cost its maker the sum of fifteen thousand dollars. A single further example must suffice for this interest- ing feature of book-love, and that shall be the illustrated copy of Blomefield's History of Norfolk, which the taste and industry of Dawson Turner expanded into nearly sixty volumes by the insertion of thousands of original drawings, engravings, and other additions, the catalogue of which alone made a respectable octavo volume. 64 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. The bindings of books, as well as their contents, are likewise made a marked feature of collections, particularly among the French, and immense sums are sometimes lavished upon them. Paul Lacroix, in "The Arts in the Middle Ages," says, — " Nearly all the French Kings, espe- cially the Valois, were passionately fond of splendid bind- ings. Catharine de Medicis was such a connoisseur of finely-bound books, that authors and booksellers, who eagerly presented her with copies of their works, tried to distinguish themselves in the choice and beauty of the bind- ings which they had made expressly for her. Henry III., who appreciated handsomely-bound books no less than his mother, invented a very singular binding, when he had instituted the Order of ' Penitents ; ' this consisted of death's heads and cross bones, tears, crosses, and other instruments of the Passion, gilt or stamped on black morocco leather, and having the following device, ' Spes mea Deus ' ( l God is my hope '), with or without the arms of France." The Count de Montbrison, in 1873, paid Duru, a famous French binder, twenty-four hundred francs for bind- ing a single volume, and fourteen hundred francs for bind- ing another. M. Libri, as we have seen, had gathered together no less than fifteen hundred books whose covers illustrated the advance of the book-binder's art since the fifteenth century. The magnificent library of M. Lucien ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. 65 Rosny, which was sold in Paris in 1874, besides containing a large number of valuable manuscripts and printed books, was peculiarly rich in every variety of binding, from the masterpieces of Bozeraine, Derome, and Thouvenin, down to specimens of cat skin. The hide of nearly every possi- ble animal was made into a covering for his books, and crocodiles, seals, wolves, tigers, panthers, foxes, and ser- pents even, were called into requisition for this purpose. Peculiar as some of these materials seem, there have been books encased in covers so grim as to make them simply repulsive. " The Constitution of the French Republic of 1794," bound in human skin, was sold in Paris in 1872 — a volume said to have emanated from the famous Meudon tannery, which was denounced to the convention by Galette. Such binding, however, is by no means extremely rare, as the public library of Bury St. Edmunds contains an octavo volume bound with the skin of an exe-. cuted murderer ; and a Russian poet, not many years ago, presented his lady love with his works bound in the skin of his own leg, which had been amputated some months before. But enough has been said to show how wide spread is the love of books, while the very extravagances of some book-lovers demonstrate what a fascination may pervade the collecting of books. These extravagances, however, are 66 ON THE LOVE OF BOOKS. only the rank growth that mark an exuberant, but not yet sufficiently cultivated zeal. The true, ennobling book love we would advocate, that which makes one wiser and better for possessing it, is fitly indicated in Mrs. Norton's beautiful sonnet addressed — TO MY BOOKS. " Silent companions of the lonely hour, Friends, who can never alter or forsake, Who for inconstant roving have no power, And all neglect, perforce, must calmly take,— Let me return to you; this turmoil ending Which worldly cares have in my spirit wrought, And, o'er your old familiar pages bending, Refresh my mind with many a tranquil thought : Till, haply meeting there, from time to time, Fancies, the audible echo of my own, 'Twill be like hearing in a foreign clime My native language spoke in friendly tone, And with a sort of welcome I shall dwell On these, my unripe musings, told so well." T H E JOHis CARTEE BROWN LIBRARY. " Julm Carter 6nrtmt. THE JOEOT OAKTER BROWN LIBRARY. The biography of a nation embraces all its works. No trifle is to be neglected. Robert Aris Willmott. Sir Archibald Alison, in referring to America and the Americans in his History of Europe, says, " so wholly are they regardless of historical records or monuments, that half a century hence, its history, even of these times, could only be written from the archives of other States." A refu- tation, in some measure at least, of this broad statement, seems to be furnished by the manner in which later English historians have resorted for material to a single private library in a New England city of but a hundred thousand inhabitants. Sir Arthur Helps, in a foot note to the third volume of his Spanish Conquest in America, writes, — "Puga's Collection of Ordinances, printed in Mexico in 1563, in folio, is the earliest summary of Spanish Colonial 70 THE BROWN LIBRARY. law, relating to the New World. Tt is a work of the highest rarity: there is not a copy known to exist in Eng- land. The one which I have made use of belongs to John Carter Brown, Esq., of Providence, Rhode Island, in America, who kindly sent it over to his friend, Mr. Henry Stevens, in order that I might be permitted to consult it." Mr. Richard Henry Major, in his "Life of Prince Henry of Portugal, surnamed the Navigator," says, — 44 Galvao's 'Treatise on the Discoveries of the World,' writ- ten about the year 1555, .... had become so extremely scarce in the course of half a century that Hakluyt, who possessed an anonymous translation of it made by some 'honest English merchant,' strove for twelve years to find a copy of the original, sending to Lisbon for it, but in vain." Mr. Major adds in a foot-note, — 44 What Hakluyt failed to do I had the good fortune to succeed in for the benefit of the Society which bears his name. Mr. John Carter Brown of Providence, Rhode Island, lent me a copy which was edited for the Hakluyt Society in 1862 by Admiral Drinkwater Bethune." The catalogue of the Brown Library is in such demand in Europe, on account of its wealth of material relating to America, that two volumes of it, a mere frag- ment, brought twenty-six pounds at the Sobolewski sale at Lei p sic a few years ago. THE BBOWN LIB BABY. 71 The library room in the Brown mansion, having been built expressly for the purpose, is practically fire-proof. Most of the light comes from above, for a single door and two windows alone break the walls, which are lined with heavily laden book shelves. Turkish rugs are spread upon the tessellated floor, and four or five marble busts and figures upon pedestals lend elegance to the literary appear- ance of the room. All of the books are exposed to an unobstructed view, save those in a single case which are covered with glass. America is the specialty of this collection; and so numerous are the works relating to it, that those published since the year 1800, being easily attainable, have for the most part been excluded from the library. No portion of the Western Hemisphere has been overlooked or neglected. Both its continents and all its islands, whether they be lands of tropical sun, or lands of polar snow, have here their historical records. Maps, geographies, and cosmolo- gies, chronicles, narratives, and histories, letters, memoirs, and biographies, grammars, vocabularies, and dictionaries — an immense mass of literature illustrating the discovery and development of the new world — have here been garnered up with a lavish hand regardless alike of trouble and expense. Delineations of the earth's surface, prior to the dis- 72 THE BROWN LIB BABY. covery of the new world, furnish a fitting preface, so to speak, to the history of America. In this library, accord- ingly, we find many editions of the geography of Ptolemy, who lived in the second century, and whose work with commentaries, additions, and supplements, illustrating the growth of discovery, continued to be the chief geographical authority down to the middle of the sixteenth century. Of this famous work we find here nineteen editions, all printed between 1475 and 1599, together with a facsimile of an original Greek mauuscript of the twelfth century, with maps. A copy in Latin, printed at Ulm in 1482, is spe- cially interesting ; though issued ten years before the dis- covery of America, yet, upon one of its numerous maps, Greenland is represented under the name of Engroneland, and is laid down as a peninsula of Europe. Seventeen editions of the cosmography of Peter Apianus are to be found in this collection ; likewise the geographies of Schoner, Pomponius Mela, Euciso, Mun- ster, Ortelius, and many others, in numerous editions and in various languages. In this department is the Imago Mundi of Pierre dAilly, Archbishop of Cambray, a quarto printed in 1483, the study of which, it is believed, did much to form the judgment of Columbus as to the feasibility of those voyages across an unexplored ocean, which revealed a new world to the astonished vision of the old. THE BROWN LIB BABY. 73 Notwithstanding the brilliant explorations of Americus Vespucius the application of his name, instead of that of Columbus, to the continents of the Western Hemisphere, seems like a usurpation. Be this as it may, Vespucius himself is in no wise responsible for it, as reference to a few works in this library will clearly prove ; such, for example, as the Cosmographice Introductio of Waldsee-Muller, printed at St. Die in 1507, of which there are two editions issued respectively in May and September of that year ; John de Stobnicza's Introduction to Ptolemy's Cosmography published in 1512 ; and Camers' folio edition of the Polyhis- toria of Julius Solinus, issued at Vienna in 1520.* * Waldsee-Muller is better known under his Latin-Greek pseudonym of Hylacomy- lus, and the title of his interesting volume, rendered into English, is " Introduction to Cosmography, together with some princi- ples of Geometry and Astronomy neces- sary to the purpose. Also four voyages of Americus Vespucius. A description of Universal Cosmography, together with what was unknown to Ptolemy." " Not only," says Mr. Major in referring to Waldsee-Muller's work, '* was it from that publication that the world was, for the first time, made aware of four voyages made to America by Vespucci, and one of them involving absolute priority in the discovery of the continent of America, but in the text which preceded the narra- tive of those voyages, the name of Amer- ica was now, for the first time, suggested for the newly discovered western world." Translations of the passages in Waldsee- Muller's work containing the suggestion, areas follows :— " And the fourth part of the world having been discovered by Americus, may well be called Amerige, which is as much as to say, the land of Americus or America. And again a few pages later—" But now these pai'ts are more extensively explored, and, as will be seen in the following letters, another fourth part has been discovered by Amer- icus Vespucius, which I see no just rea- son why anyone should forbid to be named Amerige, which is as much as to say, the land of Americus or America, from its discoverer Americus, who is a man of shrewd intellect; for Europe and Asia have both of them taken a feminine form of name from the names of women." 74 THE BROWN LIB BABY. Of the sixty-five hundred titles, and upwards, embraced in ten thousand, or more, volumes in this collection, it is a matter of no small difficulty to determine which to cull out as examples, for this is one of the five libraries referred to by Mr. Henry Harrisse in the following sentence :— " The number of rare and valuable works which are scattered in several American libraries is considerable, but we possess five collections exclusively devoted to America, which, as far as we have been able to ascertain, surpass all libraries of the kind in Europe."* At the college of St. Die, then, in Lorraine, where Waldsee-MUller was a professor, and not with Vespucius, originated the idea of calling the new world, America. In 1509 the name of America, thus pro- posed two years before, appears to have been accepted as a well known denomina- tion in an anonymous work entitled Glo- bus Mundi, printed at Strasburg. This was three years before the death of Vespucius. John de Stobnicza, a Polish geographer, published in 1512 at Cracow, his commen- tary on Ptolemy's work; and two large maps in it represent the eastern and west- ern hemispheres. That of the western hemisphere, owing to the imperfect knowledge of the period, is very meagre, and the continent is without a name, for as yet it had not been definitely determined what it should be called. The eastern coast line is delineated; but straight lines running north and north-west alone mark the inland regions, and the western coast: this linear uncertainty, together with the words, Terra Incognita, indicate the incom- pleteness of the discoveries in that direc- tion. Though the geographer applies no name to the new world, yet in referring to the subject he says, " they now propose to call this newly discovered country, the land of Amerigo." In 1520 Camers' folio edition of the Polyhistoria of Julius Soli- nus was issued at Vienna, and the map in it is the first engraved map yet known bearing the name of America. Thus in thirteen years the suggestion from St. Die obtained a foothold in literature, and thus the new world was named. Mr. Richard Henry Major, in " The Life of Prince Henry of Portugal, surnamed the Naviga- tor," gives an interesting account of this remarkable event in the history of our continent. *" These are," continues Mr. Harrisse, " the collections of Messrs. J. Carter Brown, in Providence, Samuel L. M. Bar- THE BROWN LIB BAR Y. 75 Among the choicest gems of Americana in existence, are the original editions of Columbus' letter to Ferdinand and Isabella, giving the particulars of his first voyage, and printed at Rome and Paris in 1493, immediately after his return. Of the seven editions of this precious little tract issued in that year, all are in the Brown collection, four of which are originals, and three are in facsimile. One of the former, printed at Paris, is believed to be the only copy extant. There is much more relating to Columbus,* — books with all sorts of names, and with all manner of allu- sions, — but we should hardly have expected to find his life in a Psalter. Giustiniani, however, published an edition of King David's Psalter, in 1516, in the Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, Chaldean, and Latin languages, and he inserted a biography of the bold navigator on the margin of Psalm XIX., beginning opposite these verses: — 1. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handyvvork. 2. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. low, in New York city, Peter Force, in Washington, Henry C. Murphy, at Owl's Head, Long Island, and James Lenox, in New York city ."—Bibliotheca Americana Vetustissima. Introduction, p. xxx. Note. * The hook-lover may be interested in an extract from a foot-note in the third vol- ume of Prescott's Ferdinand and Isabella, relating to the sons of Christopher Colum- bus. In referring to one of them, Fer- nando, the historian says :— " He was a person of rather uncommon literary attainments, and amassed a library, in his extensive travels, of 20,000 volumes, per- haps the largest private collection in Europe at that day." 76 THE BROWN LIB BABY. 3. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. The biography was thus inserted, because Columbus had proclaimed that he had been chosen by God to exemplify the thought or prophecy expressed in the fourth verse of that Psalm. The claims by which some other volumes are classed among works relating to America, and hence entitled to a place on the shelves of a library such as this, are certainly very slender. Here are half a dozen editions of Brant's Stultifera Navis issued prior to 1585, the earliest being one in Latin printed by Olpe, at Basle, in 1497. The English title of this curious book is, " The Ship of Fooles, wherein is shewed the folly of all States, with diuers other workes adioyned unto the same, very profitable and fruitfull for all men." It was first printed in Latin in 1494, and the refer- ences to the "new-found world" the year after the return of Columbus, are among the earliest known.* *This quaint production is in verse, and the only allusion to the new world that we have been able to find in Barclay's trans- lation of it, is contained in a few lines taken from the division entitled, "Of the folysshe desci-ipcion and inquisicion of dyuers contrees and regyons." They are as follows:— " For nowe of late hath large londe and grounde " Ben founde by maryners and crafty gou- ernours "Thewhiche londes were neuer knowen nor founde " Byfore our tyme by our predecessours " And here after shall by our successours THE BE OWN LIB BABY. 77 Of Sir Thomas More's Utopia there are several edi- tions, in various languages, dating between 1516 and 1556; the most interesting to us being the first English edition, "Imprinted at London by Abraham Vele, dwelling in Pauls churchyarde at the sygne of the Lambe. Anno, 1551." This book is embraced among works relating to America because the narrator of the story of the happy republic purports to have been one of the company of Vespucius who was, by the latter, left upon the imaginary island of Utopia near the continent of South America. The voyages of Americus Vespucius revealed to a wondering world, however, something more substantial than a shadowy island containing an Utopian republic ; and we will therefore pass on to works relating to his discoveries, more fitting the place they occupy, than mere books of rude verse or highly wrought fiction. The Brown library is rich in accounts of the voyages of Americus Vespucius. The earliest bearing the simple title of Mundus Novus, was printed in 1504. The accounts of his voyages were not " Parchaunce mo be founde, wlierin men "Of whome the bydynge to vs was vncer- dwell tayne "Of whome we neuer before this same "No christen man of them harde tell harde tell before " Thus is it foly to tende vnto the lore "Ferdynandus that late was kynge of "Andvnsure science of vayne geometry spayne " Syns none can knowe all the worlde per- " Of londe and people bath founde plenty fytely" and store 10 78 THE BBOWN LIBRARY. written by himself, and only those of the second and third voyages were printed separately within the first eight years of the sixteenth century. Of these, there are eight edi- tions, in this library — five in Latin, two in German, and one in Dutch, and no other copy of the latter is known to exist. A small quarto volume here, entitled Paesi nouamente retrouati, etc., or, as rendered into English, "Countries newly discovered, and the New World of Alberico Vespu- cio, called the Florentine," printed at Vicenza in 1507, is doubtless the earliest and the most important collection of voyages relating to America in existence. The first edition, being the one above referred to, is of great rarity, and that, and several others printed before 1521, are represented in this library. We quote from the Brown Catalogue a sen- tence or two in regard to one of these copies. Says Mr. Bartlett, the compiler, — 44 This copy of the Low-German or Platte-Dutch translation by Ghetelin may be considered unique, no other being known ; nor is it mentioned by any bibliographer except Harrisse, who, in his 4 Bibliotheca Americana Vetus.J Additions, No. 29, describes this identical copy. It was discovered by the late Mr. Sobolewski, a dis- tinguished Russian collector, in the interior of Russia, in a library wholly Russian. Its present possessor obtained it at the sale of the Sobolewski library, which took place at Leipzig in July, 1873." THE BROWN LIBRARY. 79 Other volumes of great rarity in this library are some of the editions of Ludovico de Varthema's Itinerario. Of the first edition of this work, a quarto printed at Rome in 1510, only the Brown copy and one in the Grenville Library are known. Some of the subsequent editions contain Joan de Grijalva's Itinerary of Yucatan, the earliest accounts we have of that country. Copies of the edition printed at Venice in 1520, in 12mo, are so rare that some bibliogra- phers have doubted if any were in existence. Notwith- standing these doubts, however, one is to be found in the Brown library, and likewise copies of various other dates in half a dozen different languages. For the benefit of those who may inquire of what possible advantage it can be to have so many translations and editions of the same work, we will insert a few senten- ces from Stevens' Bibliotheca Historica. " Some folks," he says, " affect to despise translations, and divers editions. It is not so with the true historian and experienced researcher. A good translation is itself occasionally a useful comment on the original work, and moreover, the translator being often better up in the subject treated than the author him- self, sometimes corrects many errors, and makes valuable additions. . . . The superiority of many Dutch editions over the original works is proverbial. The plates and maps are almost always far superior, and the translator is gener- 80 THE BROWN LIB BABY. ally an expert. The French, English, German, Spanish, Swedish, and American books relating to America trans- lated into Dutch are very numerous, and generally, in some respects, possess points superior to the originals, inasmuch that, as far as the department of American history is con- cerned, all such books should be accessible somewhere in America. On the other hand, translations are important sometimes from their very badness or untrustworthiness, and should be preserved in our most important libraries as a means of tracing to their true source misstatements and falsehoods." Peter Martyr of Anghiera, " a soldier, a schoolmaster, an ambassador, a statesman, a priest, an historian, and a gossiping man of letters," was, in his day, one of the most important writers upon America. According to his own modest estimate, " he fed with his learning the studious youth of Spain." Sir Arthur Helps, Prescott, and all who have occasion to refer to him, speak of him always in the highest terms. All his works in Latin, French, and English, are in this collection. The earliest is the Legatio Babylon - ica, in folio, printed at Madrid in 1511 ; and the most important are the Opus Epistolarum, printed in .1530, and the Decades of the New World, the first three being pub- lished at Alcala in 1516, and the entire eight under the title of Be Orbe Novo, in 1530. THE BROWN LIB BABY. 81 Here, also, we find the works of Oviedo, another dis- tinguished historian of the new world, who began life as a page to Prince Juan, the only son of Ferdinand and Isa- bella, and who, in 1513, was sent as inspector of the gold mines to America, where he remained many years. So many famous authors are represented in this library, and so numerous are the different editions of their works, that to detail the one, or to enumerate the other, would tax alike the strength of the writer, and the patience of the reader. For example, there are twenty-nine editions here of Goma- ra's Hj/storia general de las Indias, and La conquista de Mexico, in four different languages ; the earliest printed at Saragossa in 1552, in folio. Of Las Casas there are no less than thirty editions, including the first edition of his nine tracts printed at Seville in 1552, besides two tracts in manu- script. Some of the accounts of Spanish atrocities fur- nished by Las Casas, who was Bishop of Chiapa, and the great Apostle of the Indians, appear to be almost incredi- ble. The Spanish character seems to possess a susceptibil- ity to cruelty quite unparalleled in any other civilized nation. The love of bull-fighting, the establishment of the Inquisition, the expulsion of the Jews under Ferdinand and Isabella, the reign of terror in the Low Countries under Philip II., all seem to point to the existence of this trait of Spanish character. Las Casas utterly sinks these other 82 THE BROWN LIBRARY. horrors into insignificance, in depicting the greater ones perpetrated by his countrymen upon the aborigines of the new world, even after all due allowance for exaggeration. " We dare assert," he says, 44 without fear of incurring the reproach of exaggerating, that in the space of those forty years in which the Spaniards exercised their intolerable tyranny in this new world, they unjustly put to death above twelve millions of people, counting men, women, and children ; and it may be affirmed without injury to truth, upon a just calculation, that during this space of time, above fifty millions have died in these countries.' 1 * *As illustrations of the terrible atroci- ties practised upon the natives, two ex- tracts from one of Las Casas' works in the author's own library, are inserted. Jts suggestive title given in full is as follows : — " An Account of the First Voyages and Discoveries made by the Spaniards in America. Containing The most Exact Re- lation hitherto published, of their unpar- alleled Cruelties on the Indians, in the de- struction of above Forty Millions of Peo- ple. With the Propositions offer'd to the King of Spain, to prevent the further Ruin of the West Indies. By Don Bartholomew de las Casas, Bishop of Chiapa, who was an Eye-Witness of their Cruelties. Illustrated with Cuts. To which is added, The Art of Travelling, shewing how a man may dis- pose his Travels to the best advantage." London, 1699. The following is from pages 7, 8, and 9 of this book:— "The Spaniards, who were mounted on fine Horses, and armed with Lances and Swords, look'd upon Enemies so meanly equip'd with the greatest Contempt, and committed the most horrible Slaughters with Impunity. They pass'd through the several Cities and Towns, spai'ing neither Age nor Sex, but kill'd Women and Children as well as Men : They rip'd up Women with Child, that Root and Branch might be destroy'd to- gether. They laid Wagers one with anoth- er, who should cleave a Man down with his Sword most dexterously at one blow; or who should take his Head from his Shoulders most cleverly; or who should run a Man through after the most artificial manner : They tore away Children out of their Mothers Arms, and dash'd out their Brains against the Rocks; others they threw into the River, diverting themselves with this brutish Sport, and giving great shouts while they saw 'em in this misery: And to add insulting Scoffs to their Cru- THE BROWN LIBRARY. 83 The chapter of history opened by the discovery of America, is characterized by such boldness in exploration, such recklessness of daring, and such success in achieve- ment, that it seems like a brilliant romance. When recall- ing the exploits of the cluster of Spanish adventurers, or those acting under Spanish influences, that gathered round the early years of the new world — Christopher Columbus, elty, advis'd 'em to struggle in the Water, and try if they could save themselves from drowning. They held up the Bodies of Mothers and Children together upon their Lances : they set up Gibbets, and hang'd up thirteen of these poor Creatures in honour to Jesus Christ and his twelve Apostles (as they blasphemously express'd them- selves) : They kindled a great Fire under these Gibbets, to burn those they had hang'd upon 'em : They cut off the Hands of those they sav'd alive, and sent 'em away in that miserable condition, bidding 'em carry the News of their Calamities to those that were retir'd into the Mountains to escape the Spaniards. They erected a small Scaffold, support- ed with Forks and Poles, upon which to execute their Chiefs, and those of the most considerable quality among 'em. When they had laid 'em at length upon this Scaf- fold, they kindled a gentle Fire, to make 'em feel themselves die gradually, till the poor Wretches after the most exquisite Pain and Anguish, attended with horrible Screeches and Outcries, at length expir'd. I one day saw four or five Persons of the highest Rank in this Island burn'd after this manner. But the dreadful Cries this Torment extorted from 'em, incommoding a Spanish Captain, and hindring his Sleep, he commanded 'em to be presently stran- gled. But a certain Officer whose Name 1 know, and whose Relations are well known at Seville, put Gags into their Mouths to hinder 'em from making a Noise, that he might not be depriv'd of the brutish Pleasure of broiling them gently, till they breath'd out their Souls in this Torment. I have been an Eye-witness of all these Cruelties, and an infinite number of others which I pass over in silence." The second extract is from page 55, and - is as follows :— " Some of the Spaniards have been so inhuman as to give Infants to their Hounds when they were hungry : they would take these poor Babes by the t wo Legs, and violently tear 'em asunder into two pieces, and then feed their Dogs with 'em. They were left of God to such a reprobate mind, that they made no more account of human Creatures, that were ransom'd by the Blood of Jesus Christ, than of Beasts." The character of the cuts illustrating such a text can easily be imagined. 84 THE BROWN LIB BABY. the brothers Pinzon, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Juan Ponce de Leon, Hernando de Soto, Fernando Cortes, Francis Pizarro, and a long roll of others, — one feels like agreeing with Peter Martyr, where he says in his third Decade, as trans- lated by Lok, — 44 To declare my opinion herein, whatsoever hath heretofore been discovered by the famous travayles of Saturnus and Hercules, with such others whom the antiqui- tie for their heroical acts honoured as Gods, seemeth but little and obscure if it be compared to the victorious labours of the Spanyards." In treating of the adventurers, who, after Columbus, wrote narratives of their discoveries and settlements, Mr. Ticknor says, "in the foreground of this picturesque group stands as the most brilliant of its figures, Fernando Cortes." The letters or Relations of Cortes to the Emperor Charles the Fifth, are well represented in this collection, from the first one printed at Seville in 1522, to the Fourth Relation of 1526, all in folio, and in several different languages.* The historians Benzoni, Cieca de Leon, Lery, Zarate, Herrera, Acosta, Garcilasso de la Vega, Solis, Bernal Diaz, *In speaking of Cortes' Relations Mr. Ticknor, in the first volume of his History Spanish Literature, says: — Of his works, "the most remarkable were, no doubt, five long and detailed reports to the Emperor on the affairs of Mexico; the first of which, and probably the most curi- ous, dated in 1519, seems to be lost, and the last, belonging, probably, to 1527, exists only in manuscript. The four that remain are well written and have a business-like air about them, as well as a clearness and good taste," &c. When, therefore, we speak of the first Relation in the text, we mean, of course, the first one printed, which is the second one written by Cortes. THE BROWN LIB BABY. 85 De Laet, and many others, are likewise well represented here in various languages and in numerous editions. The department of voyages and travels in the Brown library, is very full. There are, of course, many books relating to a single navigator, and then too there are numerous collections of voyages : among them those of Ablyn, Gryneeus, Eamusio, Linschoten, Gottfriedt, Hart- gers, Commelyn, Hakluyt, Purchas, Vander Aa, Huisius, and De Bry. The great importance of some of these require more special attention than the bare mention of their names. "All hail to thee, Richard Hakluyt!" exclaims the enthusiastic Dibdin, "for thou wert a genius of no ordinary complexion." There are, in this library, all the books written, translated, or edited by this famous annalist, including his first work, entitled "Divers voyages touch- ing the discovery of America," London, 1582, in quarto, with the rare maps ; and his most important work, entitled "Principal Navigations, Voyages and Discoveries," &c, the editions of 1589, and 1598—1600, in folio. The acquisition of complete sets of three works has, thus far, remained an object of ungratifled ambition to the collectors of books on America. These elusive works are the collections of voyages by De Bry, and by Huisius, and the Jesuit Relations. De Bry is the most extensive, the n 86 THE BROWN LIB BABY. most elaborate in illustration, and the most costly of the three. Copies of it bring great prices, and, in some instances, thousands of dollars have been expended in per- fecting sets. The English part alone, Hariot's Virginia, was sold at auction, in Boston, by Leonard & Co., in 1870, for nine hundred and seventy-five dollars.* Mr. James Lenox of New York, a most determined De Bry collector, paid twelve thousand francs, in 1855, for the Rothelin copy, with two volumes of duplicate plates, and some con- tinuations added. A very fine copy in fifty-five volumes, containing the several versions except the English, was sold at the Sobolewski sale, in 1873, for five thousand and fifty thalers, to Mr. F. Muller, the book-seller of Amsterdam, from whom it was subsequently purchased by Mr. Lenox, doubtless at an enhanced price. "The collected voyages of Levinus Hulse or Hulsius," says Harrisse, "may be consid- ered an imitation of that of De Bry, although it is superior to this highly-prized collection in many respects, and, what *We extract the following from a note in one of Messrs. J. Sabin & Sons' Cata- logues issued a few years ago, in regard to Hariot's Virginia in De Bry's Collec- tion:— "The rarest and most precious book relating to Virginia, and of which there are not more than half a dozen per- fect copies in existence. These are in the British Museum and Bodleian Libraries, and in the private collections of Mr. Lenox, Mr. Brown, Mr. Christie-Miller, and Mr. George E. Mann. There is a very im- perfect one in the library of Harvard Col- lege, and one wanting two leaves in the library of the late Sir Thomas Phillipps. No complete copy in England is known to have been sold for less than £100 for the past hundred years, and, we understand, one has recently changed hands at double that sum, and probably will again if the opportunity occurs. The only copy sold in this country brought $975." THE Bit OWN LIB BABY. 87 is of greater importance to collectors, much more difficult to complete." "The latter," or Jesuit Relations, to quote once more from the same high authority when speaking of these three great bibliographical treasures, "are certainly the most valuable, if not the most inviting to the eye, and deserve the solicitude of collectors, inasmuch as there is not a perfect set to be found anywhere." # De Bry's Voyages t consist of twenty-five parts arranged in two series, the Great Voyages {Grands Voy- ages), and the Small Voyages (Petits Voyages) ; so called because the one is about two inches taller and a little wider in size than the other. In the Latin edition of the Great Voyages there are thirteen parts: in the German, fourteen : of the Small Voyages there are only twelve parts. The Great Voyages relate solely to America : the Small Voyages to the East Indies and Africa. This famous collection ♦The difficulty in perfecting copies of Hulsius and De Bry, is of a very different character from that in completing a set of the Jesuit Relations. Of some of the an- nual parts of the Jesuit Relations there is no copy known to exist, and hence these gaps cannot he filled at any price. In regard to Hulsius and De Bry, however, the text and the plates are in existence and can he obtained, but the different edi- tions and reprints have created so many slight alterations, in some instances per- haps only in a word — mere bibliographi- cal differences — that the difficulty lies in securing all these variations. jThe title generally given in catalogues to this celebrated collection of voyages is as follows : — Collectiones Peregrina- tionum in Indiana Orientalem et Indiam Occidentalem, XXV partibus comprehen- sae a Theodoro, Joan-Theodoro De Bry, et a Matheo Merian publicatge. Francofurti AD MCENUM. 1590-1634. Folio. 25 parts. 88 THE BROWN LIBRARY. originated in 1590, with Theodor or Theodoric De Bry, an engraver, a print-seller, and a publisher at Frankfort-on- the-Main, for in that year the first part was issued, the text being printed in Latin, German, French and English, but the plates were the same in each. This part is a transla- tion or reprint of Hariot's Virginia, which had been pub- lished in London two years before. All subsequent parts were printed only in Latin and German, as the demand for the French and English versions did not warrant the con- tinuance of the series in those languages. For forty-four years the originator and his descendants prosecuted their work with great success, for parts of this splendid publica- tion, as well as that of Hulsius, were so frequently altered and reprinted that a perfect collection of either is almost an impossibility, showing that the demand for works of this description had already reached certain spheres where beauty in the execution was deemed paramount to truth or reliability. The opinions of bibliographers as to the merits of De Bry's work differ widely. "This collection it may be well to state," says Brunet, "has not that importance for geographical science which it has acquired as a biblio- graphical curiosity, because it is uncritical ; it contains very few relations which had not been already published sepa- rately ; and the reprints or translations which are given of the others are worth infinitely less than the original texts." THE BROWN LIBRARY. 89 On the other hand the compilers of the "Bibliotheca Gren- villiana" have formed a higher estimate; an opinion in which several other bibliographical authorities concur. The De Bry in the Brown library is particularly fine, and embraces the especially rare English part. It is uniformly bound in ninety-seven volumes in full crushed morocco by Bedford, each part separately, and the whole is without stain or blemish. Then there are supplemental volumes and abridgments, so that this choice work as contained here may be tabulated thus: — The various editions of the Great Voyages, in Latin, German, French, and English, - - - - - 57 vols. Small Voyages, various editions in Latin and German, - 35 vols. Latin and German Abridgments, - - - - 5 vols. Total, -------- 97 vols. Supplemental volumes bound in white vellum, - - 11 vols. Separate narratives printed by De Bry in 4to, - 3 vols. A duplicate set of the Small Voyages, Latin Series, uncut, 12 vols. 26 vols. Making in all, - - - - - - - -123 vols. The Brown Collection of Hulsius extends to twenty-six parts, embraced between the years 1598 and 1650, and, in its various editions, is contained in fifty-one quarto volumes, uniformly bound by Bedford in crimson morocco. The fact that two such costly and voluminous collections of voyages were printed at the same time, and most of the volumes 90 THE BROWN LIBRARY. in the same city, speaks well for the literary enterprise of Frankfort-on-the-Main at that period. The Jesuit Relations, the third of this rare biblio- graphical trio, are the annual reports sent by the Superiors in Canada to the Provincials at Paris, from 1632 to 1672, and contain interesting accounts of the Jesuit missionaries among the Indians, as well as trustworthy details concern- ing the geography of the country, the different tribes, their customs, languages and traditions. Of these Relations it is believed that no set will be found more nearly complete than that in the Brown library. The historian of every nook and corner of America, it would seem, might draw from this literary store-house much to satisfy his craving for knowledge. If one is interested in the West Indies and the countries of the Spanish Main, he will find here, in addition to the early Spanish histo- rians, nearly everything that has been written from Feder- mann's Indianische Historia, printed in 1557, down to the present century. Approaching the isthmus connecting the two continents, the searcher after interesting material will meet with twenty tracts, printed in 1699 and 1700, relating to the celebrated Scotch Settlement at Darien, which was established in the latter part of the seventeenth cen- tury, and which came to an untimely end. Following works on countries extending northward, we notice more THE BROWN LIB BABY. 91 than twenty editions here in half a dozen different lan- guages, and printed between 1683 and 1742, of Father Hennepin's well known " New Discovery of a vast country in America between New France and New Mexico." A cluster of Captain John Smith's works greet us as we approach Virginia and New England, viz.: — his History of Virginia, the folio editions of 1624, 1626, and 1632; his Map of Virginia, 1612; his Description of New England, 1616; his New England's Trials, 1622; his Advertisements for Planters, 1631 ; and his Seaman's Manual, 1699. Among the other early writers on New England are the works of Winthrop, Bradford, Morton, Hubbard, Gorges, Mourt, all the editions of Hutchin- son, Bishop, Lechford, Johnson, Penhallow, and Wood. Three editions of Vander Donck's New Netherlands, De Vries, Miller, Smith, all the editions of Golden, and the works of many other writers, inform us about New York. The other colonies of what is now the United States are equally well represented. Baron La Hontan's Voyages in North America in a dozen editions, and in many languages, printed between 1703 and 1741, tell us of the regions of the great lakes. The Baron, we fear, contracted on his voyages the habit of spinning yarns to the marines, or else of listening to them, so that his character for reliability has sadly suffered. 92 THE BROWN LIB BABY. Champlain's voyages, in five editions from 1604 to 1632, help us on toward Canada and New France. On the old French regime in America, besides the famous Jesuit Relations already alluded to, we find many valuable and interesting works in this library, including Sagard's Historie da Canada, Lescarbot's Nouvelle France, and the works of Charlevoix, all in first, as well as in several other editions. Continuing onward towards the pole we count nearly two hundred volumes here in the department of Greenland and the Arctic Regions. Among these are Torfseus' Gron- landia Antiqua, 1706, and 1715, and his Historia Vinlandia 7 , 1705, and 1715, together with the several works of Egede, Anderson, Cranz, and Zorgdrager. Then too there are grammars and dictionaries in the language of Greenland, and various works on the northern fisheries. In a hasty stride across the two continents we have merely snatched at what came readily under our eye ; but one might begin at Terra del Fuego, and Patagonia, and come north till the breath of the North Pole debarred man's further progress, stretching out in his travels from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts and the islands adjacent there- to, still he would find in this library something, aye, much, relating to all the lands and regions whose bounds he might approach. THE BROWN LIB BABY. 93 This library is, by no means, entirely composed of bulky tomes and of works in many volumes, for it contains about two thousand pamphlets of the last century, each bound separately, with the date and title on the back, and all chronologically arranged on the shelves, so that reference to them is easy. Many of these pamphlets refer to the Revo- lutionary War ; and as to more extended works relating to the same period, space will permit us to cull out but very few for mention. " The Crisis ; To be continued weekly during the present Bloody Civil War in America," issued in 1775 and 1776, and complete in two folio volumes, is a periodical of great rarity. When one recalls some of the experiences of our recent civil war, it seems well nigh incredible that the publication of this remarkable series of papers attacking the Ministry and Government of Great Britain, was permitted in England's capital when actual war with her colonies was being waged. Here is 44 The Remem- brancer" in seventeen volumes, uncut; and here too is a work similar to it, but containing entirely different matter, the Affaires de T Angleterre et de V Amerique, published in 1776, and usually bound in seventeen volumes. Though it bears the name of " Anvers" in its imprint, yet it was probably printed at Paris, and among its editors, according to Bar- bier, were Franklin, Count de Gebelin, and Robinet. The copy of Stedman's History of the American War in this 12 94 THE BE OWN LIB BABY. collection, belonged to Sir Henry Clinton, and contains many of his manuscript notes : they were thought to be of such importance that a portion of them were printed at London in a quarto volume. Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, the original edition dated at Paris in 1782,* is another book here with a valu- able manuscript note. Upon one of its fly-leaves in the author's own hand, is written the following : — " Th. Jeffer- son having had a few copies of these Notes printed to offer to some of his friends and to some other estimable charac- ters, begs Dr. Bancroft's acceptance of a copy. Unwilling to expose them to the public eye, he asks the favor of Dr. Bancroft to put them into the hands of no person on whose care and fidelity he cannot rely to guard them against publi- cation." The work was afterwards published, and nearly a score of editions of it were issued prior to 1850. The earliest work in this library printed in America is the Doctrina Christiana, which was printed in Mexico in * In describing the sale of " Bibliotheca Americana," that took place in New York in February, 1873, Mr. J. Sabin, in the American Bibliopolist, appends the fol- lowing note to Lot 665, which is a copy of this very work. " First edition, very rare —so rare, indeed, that we are able to trace the sale of only one other copy. We have seen two others— one in the possession of Mr. J. Carter Brown, of Providence; the other belonged to Mr. E. B. McCagg, of Chicago, and was unfortunately burnt in the fire which almost destroyed that city. This copy was bought for Mr. C. Fiske Harris, of Providence, R. I." The date, 1782, is supposed to refer to the time when the work was written, as Jefferson did not reach Paris till 1784. THE BROWN LIB BABY. 95 1544, and was intended for the religious instruction of the natives. It was formerly supposed to have been the first book printed in America, but there are, of earlier date, at least two or three others known. It is said that the first book was printed in Mexico in 1535, but this is doubtful, and it is certain that no such book is known to be in exis- tence. There are sixteen other works in the Brown library printed in Mexico, or Peru, before the year 1600, all of which are dictionaries, grammars, or books for religious instruction. There are in this collection upwards of a hundred books in the Indian languages, printed before the present century, and they embrace not only the tongues of the tribes of the United States and of Canada, but also of Mexico, Central America, Peru, Chili, and other parts of South America. Among them are Poger Williams' Key to the Indian Language, both editions of Eliot's Indian Bible and New Testament, and "The Indian Grammar begun," likewise by Eliot. The latter volume was printed at Cam- bridge in 1666, and is even more rare than the Indian Bible, only two or three copies being known in the United States. Molina's Dictionary of the Mexican language, printed in 1555, is likewise contained in this department, and also the folio edition of 1571. Of all dictionaries of the aboriginal languages ever printed, the edition of 1571 96 THE BBOWN LIB BABY. of Molina is the most extensive. A manuscript dictionary of the Maya and Spanish languages, in two volumes, is a specially valuable work in this branch of the collection. Though it bears no date it has been attributed to the latter part of the sixteenth century. The Maya is the language of Yucatan, and is spoken by a larger number of people than any of the other aboriginal tongues. No dictionary of it, however, has ever been printed. Purely historical works alone do not tell the student all he wishes to know about a country or its people, any more than dictionaries and grammars convey to him an exhaus- tive knowledge of its language. He seeks for the national literature, and from it strives to gain an insight into the processes of thought, and the modes of expression, of the people, and thus arrive at the well-springs of their action. In the Brown library one is specially well able to do this in regard to New England two hundred years ago, for here are the works of the Puritan fathers in strong force. Forty-two of the works of John Cotton look down upon us from the shelves of this library, while the Mathers muster in solid phalanx. This grim array of John Cotton, and the Mather family, is all very well in a bibliographical sense, but when we remember how we have ineffectually attempted to struggle through our own copy of Cotton Mather's Magnolia Christi Americana, or Ecclesiastical His- THE BROWN LIBRARY. 97 tory of New England,* and when we recall how rabid, old Cotton Mather was against witches, pronouncing witchcraft, as he did, "the most nefandous high treason against the Majesty on High," we sincerely pity the poor fellow doomed to wade through this arid waste, and to feed upon these literary husks. Here too are the works of a long list of other Puritan writers, Chancy, Child, Winslow, Hooke, Hooker, Morton, Robinson, Shepard, Cobbett, Edwards, Featley, Pynchon, etc. Of a very different character from the works and dis- courses of the Puritans is Dr. Franklin's " Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain," printed in Lon- don in 1725, a brief essay in thirty-two pages, which Parton, who devotes much space to it in his "Life and Times of Franklin," reprinting it in full, calls an inge- nious and daring production. Franklin himself says, "My printing this pamphlet was another erratum " In a letter to his friend, Benjamin Vaughan, he wrote, " There were only a hundred copies printed, of which I gave a few to friends ; and afterwards disliking the piece, as conceiving it might have an ill tendency, I burnt the rest, except one copy, the margin of which was filled with manuscript notes by Lyons, author of the Infallibility of Human Judg- ment, who was at that time another of my acquaintance in ♦There is a large paper copy of this work in the Brown library. 98 THE BROWN LIBRARY. London. I was not nineteen years of age when it was written. In 1730 I wrote a piece on the other side of the question. . . . This pamphlet was never printed, and the manuscript has been long lost." This printed essay seems likewise to have been lost, and no copy of it was found till 1852, when James Crossley, a writer in Notes and Queries, unearthed one. That copy and the one in the Brown library are the only two copies, of editions printed prior to 1852, believed to be in existence, though, strange to say, they seem to be different editions, and the Brown copy to be the earliest. Before leaving the American specialty of this library our Rhode Island instincts lead us to refer to a few works relating to Mr. Brown's own native State. Here are all the known writings of Roger Williams in first editions, includ- ing the rare tract recently discovered in London, the existence of which was not before known.* Here too are *This little quarto, the text of which measures but four by six inches on a page* contains only twenty-three pages, and the Brown copy is the only one known. The full title of the book is as follows :— "The Fourth Paper, | Presented by | Maior Butler, | To the Honourable Cora- mittee of | Parliament, for the Propagat- ing the | Gospel of Christ Jesus. | Which Paper was humbly owned, and | was, and is attended to be made good. | f Major Butler. ) f Mr. Jackson. By } Mr. Charles Vane. >■ -j Mr.Wall. And (_ Col. Danvers. J (_ Mr. Turner. Also | A Letter from Mr. Goad, to Major | Butler, upon occasion of the said | Paper and Proposals. | Together with | A Testi- mony to the said fourth Paper, | By way of Explanation upon the four | Proposals of it. | By R. W. | Unto which is subjoyned the Fifteen Proposals | of the Ministers. | London. Printed for Giles Calvert, at the THE BBOWN LIB BABY. 99 the works of John Clarke, of Samuel Gorton, of William Coddington, and of many other Rhode Island worthies. A set of the Rhode Island Schedules* to the present time, is an interesting feature of this branch. Prior to 1747 they are in manuscript only, for in that year they first began to be printed. Each session is bound up by itself, being in folio till 1817, and since then in octavo. Of our State laws there are, besides the Schedules, all the Digests ever issued, from the first one in 1719, to the last one in 1872. Of the first Digest but few perfect copies are known to be in existence. f Relating mostly to Rhode Island history are ten folio volumes of manuscript copied Black- spred-Eagle at the | West-end of Pauls. MDCLII." The Introduction, com- prising hut little more than a page, and " A Testimony to the 4th Paper presented by Major Butler to the Honorable Com- mittee for Propagating the Gospel," which extends over nine pages, were written by Roger Williams and are signed with the initials " R. W." There can be no doubt as to the significance of the initials, for on page 13 is a marginal note or reference as follows :— " Of which 1 have spoken more particularly in the Hireling-Ministry " &c; and on page 14 the following :—" The full debate of this point, may be seen in that great Controversie of the Bloody Tenet, between Mr. Cotton and myself." This valuable little book was discovered by Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull of Hartford, a few years ago, in a volume of tracts of the seventeenth century, and from him it was obtained for the Brown library. *The Acts and Resolves of the General Assembly of Rhode Island are usually called Schedules. t We can trace but six perfect copies of this Digest, viz. : one in the Brown library, referred to above, one in the State Library, Providence, one in the pos- session of the Hon. Elisha R. Potter, of North Kingstown, R. I., one in the Social Law Library, Boston, and two in the Con- gressional Library, one of which formerly belonged to Peter Force, and the other to Thomas Jefferson, the margins of which latter contain many notes in his hand- writing. 100 THE BROWN LIB BABY. from documents in the State Paper Office in London, and selected by ex-Lieutenant Governor S. G. Arnold when he was residing in the English capital collecting material for his history of Rhode Island. There are likewise six quarto volumes in manuscript copied from different collections in Massachusetts, pertaining to Rhode Island affairs. Although the very large majority of the books in the Brown library relate to its leading specialty, yet there are some works in it, and very valuable ones too, not referring to America. In this miscellaneous department, if we may so term it, is a collection of Polyglot Bibles, beginning with the Complutensian of Cardinal Ximenes, printed in six vol- umes at the expense of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catho- lic, in 1514-17. This Bible was originally put at the extremely low price of six ducats and a half a copy. As only six hundred copies were struck off, it has become exceedingly rare and valuable. Two or three hundred volumes of Latin and Greek classics printed by Aldus — chief among which is Aristotle, in five folio volumes, issued in 1495-98 — form a group abundantly worthy of an extended notice, but a mere men- tion of them must suffice now. One of the most attractive books in the whole library, and perhaps one of the most costly, is "The Golden Legende," in folio, printed by the executors of William THE BE OWN LIB EAR Y. 101 Caxton in 1493, from his type, for that renowned printer died in 1491. Its quaint title page is interesting and reads as follows : " Here begynneth the legende named in Latin aurea, that is to say in englys, the golden legende : for lyke as passeth golde in valewe al other metallys soo thys legende excedeth all other bookes." The only other works in this library that we shall refer to, are those illustrated with inserted plates, of which there are numerous fine examples. A large paper copy of Dibdin's Bibliographical Decameron, extended to six vol- umes, contains over five hundred inserted portraits, and the same author's Tour in France and Germany is so exten- sively illustrated as to be extended from three volumes to six. Other valuable works of this description are Irving's quarto edition of Washington, extended from five volumes to ten, and containing over one thousand plates ; Marshall's Washington equally profusely illustrated ; and Thiers French Revolution, on large paper, extended to ten vol- umes. The two volumes of the first quarto edition of Boswell's Johnson are stretched out to six by their pictorial additions, and contain, among their affluence of plates, one hundred and seventeen different portraits of Dr. Johnson himself. The Johnsoniana, on large paper, is extended from one volume to three. Cunningham's Life of Nell Gwyn has three hundred and sixty portraits and other 13 102 THE BROWN LIB BABY. plates ; Petit's recent Life of Mary, Queen of Scots, contains two hundred and fifty illustrations ; and a collection of the various portraits of that unfortunate Queen fills a large atlas folio. After looking through the numerous editions of the same works that crowd the shelves of this library, it will be seen that this description of Mr. Jonathan Oldbuck's books, in Scott's Antiquary, will, as far as it goes, apply equally well to this collection. " Here were editions esteemed as being the first, and there stood those scarcely less regarded as being the last and best ; here was a book valued because it had the author's final improvements, and there another which (strange to say !) was in request because it had them not. One was precious because it was a folio, another because it was a duodecimo ; some because they were tall, some because they were short ; the merit of this lay in the title page — of that in the arrangement of the letters in the word Finis. There was, it seemed, no peculiar distinction, however trifling or minute, which might not give value to a volume, providing the indispensable quality of scarcity, or rare occurrence, was attached to it." The richness of this collection makes it one of the really fine libraries of the country. No description of it is adequate, short of a detailed catalogue liberally annotated, and embellished, it may be, with facsimiles of maps, title- THE BROWN LIB BABY. 103 pages, printers' marks and vignettes. Happily sneh a catalogue has already been prepared by the Hon. John R. Bartlett. It is in three parts ; the third part being in two volumes, and the other parts in one volume each. Works printed in the fifteenth and sixteenth cen- turies are embraced in Part I. : the seventeenth century fills Part II. ; and the eighteenth century Part III. These elegant imperial octavo volumes were privately printed between 1865 and 1871, at the expense of Mr. Brown; and it is to be regretted that so fitting a monument to his refined tastes should have been restricted to only fifty copies ; no less unfortunate is it for the cause of historical and biblio- graphical literature. In 1875 Part I. was enlarged and re-printed, as the portion of the library embraced in it had greatly increased. Part I. now consists of over five hun- dred pages, containing six hundred titles. It is profusely illustrated with facsimiles of sixty-eight title-pages, maps, and portraits, and fifty-three wood cuts of vignettes and printers' devices, in the text. Each part contains an alpha- betical index, and the whole forms the most complete, elaborate, and valuable catalogue of a private library ever printed in this country. The unfortunate restriction in the number of copies printed, makes it a very scarce work : as it is distributed by donation only, very few copies have, as yet, passed under the hammer. We have already referred 104 THE BROWN LIBRARY. to the price paid for the original Part I., and Part II., at the Sobolewski sale : the only other copy known to have been sold, was at the Menzies' sale, where it brought two hun- dred and eighty dollars, and it did not include the enlarged Part I. A revised and enlarged Part II. is, we understand, in an advanced state of preparation, and will doubtless, ere long, be put to press. In his will Mr. Brown left his library to his widow, and we are happy to know that she keeps it up in the same liberal manner that characterized her late husband. Both Mrs. Brown, since her husband's death, and Mr. Brown, in his lifetime, have been fortunate in having the advice and assistance of Mr. Bartlett in the selection and care of their magnificent collection. The owners of these books have been very generous in allowing scholars the use of them. More than one seeker after knowledge has found here what he had long sought for elsewhere in vain. Several years ago a German trav- eller in Yucatan heard of the existence of the Maya Dic- tionary in manuscript, already alluded to, for it had been known for many years to the priests and men of culture of that country, though its whereabouts was unknown. He made a long but fruitless search, until, at last, he traced it to the United States, and finally to the Brown library. Hither he bent his steps, and the long sought volume was placed THE BROWN LIB BABY. 105 in his hands. Here he remained for a whole year, nor did he depart until he had finished a complete transcript of the entire work. The obligations of Mr. Major, and of Sir Arthur Helps, to this library, have been already adverted to ; and perhaps we cannot conclude this description better than by adding the testimony of Sir Arthur Helps in regard to American book-collectors — testimony, it must be remem- bered, elicited by the liberality of the late owner of this very library. Sir Arthur's closing sentence of the passage we have given in part on the first page of this sketch, is as follows : — " As far as I have been able to judge, the American collectors of books are exceedingly liberal and courteous in the use of them, and seem really to understand what the object should be in forming a great library." ME. JOSEPH J. COOKE'S LIBRARY. MR, JOSEPH J. COOKE'S LIBRARY. Andrew. Unload part of the Library, and make room For th' other dozen of carts; I'll strait be with you. Cook. Why, hath he more books? The Elder Brother. Mr. Cooke is the Richard Heber of Providence. He has not, as yet, eight houses filled with books, as had that omnivorous English collector, but if he continues to accu- mulate as rapidly as he has for a few years past, he will rival him at a no very remote day. Already the three sto- ries of Mr. Cooke's residence at Elm wood are running over with books ; his summer house at Newport is liberally sup- plied ; his suite of offices on South Main Street is filled to repletion ; and, over his offices, a large room, hall-like in size, is literally crammed full and choked up with books. In this latter apartment cases rise from floor to ceiling, and line the walls, the books within being not unfrequently arranged two deep ; while in the middle of the room some thirty large boxes, solidly packed with books, are waiting 110 MR. COOKE'S LIBRARY. for their contents to find shelf room. The author — and Mr. Rider, the bookseller, shares his opinion — estimates the number of Mr. Cooke's volumes at over twenty thousand. Indeed, it is so impossible to apply any just standard of measurement or enumeration to them, there may be half as many again as that estimate, for, in looking at these volumes, one feels like exclaiming with Dominie Sampson, in Guy Mannering, when first beholding the ponderous contents of the chests containing the Bishop's Library — Prodigious ! An illustration or two will best show the rapidity with which this collection has been acquired. Some fifteen large boxes were required to contain the purchases made at the Hastie- Tracy sale, and the additions made at other recent sales filled a number more. Six hundred and fifty-three lots, aggregating eleven hundred and thirteen volumes, at a cost of over twelve thousand dollars, were obtained at the Menzies sale, which, it will be remembered, took place in November, 1876. The influx of books is so great, and so rapid, that we do not see how Mr. Cooke manages to arrange and dispose of his volumes even as well as he does. A glance at the character of the works gathered here, and especially at the additions from the Menzies sale, clearly demonstrates that Mr. Cooke loves good books ; while the prices paid for them indicate that these lines MB. COOKE'S LIB BABY. Ill from Peele's Jests, might properly be adapted to him and his library : — "Bay, reacle, and radge, The price doe not grudge- It will doe thee more pleasure Thau twice soe much treasure." This collection has no specialty. There are many books here in many departments. In the department of history there is much that is rare and valuable relating to America, as well as much pertaining to other parts of the globe. But not only does the history, but the languages also, of all countries, seem to commingle here. Fables in Persian stand beside voyages of early explorers in Dutch, while French verses and Spanish chronicles flank, on either hand, sober Latin treatises. Upon the same shelf subjects meet as diverse as the antipodes. There are many Bibles of different dates, and in various languages : there are also many volumes of the drama. The merry songs of the Cavaliers mingle with the sombre discourses of the Eound- heads ; and the shameless tales of the Italians crowd upon the godly homilies of the Puritans. In culling out a few examples from this bewildering mass, by way of illustration, the reader must bear in mind that there will be hundreds of volumes left unnoticed for every one mentioned. Eliot's Indian Bible, printed at 14 112 MR. COOKE'S LIBRARY. Cambridge in 1663, is one of the gems of the collection. It is elegantly bound by Bedford in olive Levant morocco, and it contains the Dedication to King Charles, of which Thomas, in his History of Printing, tells us that only twenty copies were printed. This volume, a duplicate from the Bodleian Library, was sent to this country, in 1862, to be sold. After passing through several hands it was purchased by Mr. Menzies, at whose sale it was acquired by Mr. Cooke ; and from the Menzies Catalogue we extract a few words in relation to its condition. " The book is absolutely perfect throughout, a genuine first edition from beginning to end, beyond cavil or question. ... In short, it is a matchless copy." When we recall that Mr. John A. Rice paid eleven hundred and thirty dollars for this very volume at the Bruce sale, in 1868, we can hardly refrain from wishing for the dozen copies presented to John Dunton ; for that worthy, in speaking of his visit to Boston, in his Life and Errors, says — "My next ramble was to Roxbury, in order to visit the Rev. Mr. Eliot, the great Apostle of the Indians. He was pleased to receive me with abun- dance of respect ; and inquired very kindly after Dr. Annes- ley, my father-in-law, and then broke out with a world of seeming satisfaction, 4 Is my brother Annesley yet alive \ Is he yet converting souls to God? Blessed be God for this information before I die.' He presented me with MB. COOKE'S LIBRARY. 113 twelve Indian Bibles, and desired me to bring one of them over to Dr. Annesley ; as also with twelve 1 Speeches of converted Indians,' which himself had published." It is said that Dr. Trumbull, of Hartford, is the only person, now living, that can read the dialect into which this Bible has been translated ; and we can readily believe it when we encounter in it such words as — " Nuppoquohwussuaeneu- mun," and " Wutappesittukqussunnoowehtunkquoh," which latter is to be found in the fortieth verse of the first chap- ter of St. Mark, and signifies " kneeling down to him." The gem of this library, par excellence, is a collection of manuscript letters written by General Washington to General Joseph Reed of Philadelphia, during the Revolu- tionary War, and which brought two thousand two hun- dred and fifty dollars at the Menzies sale. A part of this series was printed by a former owner, and thirty-three of these letters were wholly, or partially, introduced by Mr. Sparks into the " Writings of Washington." Mr. Cooke likewise has a number of valuable manu- script letters by General Washington not in the Reed col- lection, the earliest of which is dated at Alexandria, March twenty-second, 1754. There are also about fifty volumes here from Washington's private library, some of them bear- ing his autograph on the title-pages, and some of them having his book-plate. Mr. Cooke's copy of "The Letters 114 MB. COOKE'S LIB BABY. of Valens," which originally appeared in the London Evening Post, and which were published in book form in London in 1777, has this presentation inscription written by the publisher on the title-page — "For His Excellency General Washington, from Mr. Almon." There are numerous other manuscript letters in this collection, some of the most interesting being from Gov- ernor Dinwiddie, General Braddock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other Revolutionary and ante- Revolutionary personages. One of these letters from the ill-fated Braddock is dated at 44 Camp 5 miles from Fort Cumberland, June 11, 1755," scarcely a month before his tragic death. The names of Braddock and Franklin suggest a choice cluster of books relating to Pennsylvania, all daintily bound by Bedford. The first is "A Brief State of the Province of Pennsylvania," &c, Second London Edition, 1755, and is supposed to have been written, according to Rich, by Rev. William Smith, assisted by Dr. Franklin. Next is 44 An Answer to an invidious Pamphlet, intituled, A Brief State of the Province of Pennsylvania," &c, London, 1755. 44 This answer," to quote from the next of the series about to be mentioned, 44 is said to be the production of one, Cross, for- merly an attorney's clerk, who was convicted of forgery, sentenced to be hanged, but after some time obtained the 3JB. COOKE'S LIB BAB Y. 115 favor of transportation ; and did us the honour to take up his residence in this province." Following this comes "A Brief View of the Conduct of Pennsylvania for the year 1755; So far as it affected the General Service of the British Colonies, particularly the Expedition under the late General Braddock. . . . Being a Sequel to a late well- known Pamphlet, intitled, A Brief State of Pennsylvania," &c, London, 1756. The concluding volume is entitled — ; 'A True and Impartial State of the Province of Pennsylva- nia. . . . The whole being a full Answer to the Pam- phlets intitled A Brief State, and A Brief View, &c., of the Conduct of Pennsylvania," Philadelphia, 1759. This last book has never been reprinted. It completes a series relating to one of the most stirring periods in the provincial history of Pennsylvania. Mr. Joseph Sabin says in the Menzies catalogue, for these volumes came from that sale — u We have never before met with the entire series embodied in any sale catalogue." The first three are uncut ; and inserted in the third, or " Brief View," is a manuscript letter by Benjamin Franklin to General Johnson, dated "Philadelphia, Aug. 11, 1755." The lover of works relating to America will find much of interest in this library. Among numerous other volumes some rare English versions of Peter Martyr, Las Casas' Tracts, and the Great Voyages of De Bry, in Latin, cannot 116 MR. COOKE' 8 LIB BAR Y. fail to attract his attention. Of the former there is " The History of Trauayle in the West and East Indies, and other countreys lying eyther way, towardes the frutefull and rych Moluccaes. . . . Gathered in parte, and done into Englyshe by Richarde Eden. Newly set in order, aug- mented, and finished by Richard Willes." London, 1577: there is also " The Historie of the West Indies, Containing the Actes and Aduentures of the Spaniards, which haue conquered and peopled those Countries, inriched with varietie of pleasant relation of the Manners, Ceremonies, Lawes, Gouernments, and Warres of the Indians. Pub- lished in Latin by Mr. Hakluyt, and translated into English by M. Lok. Gent. . . . London, printed for Andrew Hebb, and are to be sold at the Signe of the Bell in Pauls Church-yard." The date of this publication does not seem to be well settled, White Kennett placing it at 1597, and Rich at 1612 ; but, whatever the date, the copy in this col- lection is a remarkably large and fine one of the rarest of the English versions of Peter Martyr. One of Mr. Cooke's De Bry's, for he has two sets of the Great Voyages in Latin, contains many duplicate plates and leaves exhibiting the differences noted by Brunet. Indeed, many of the parts conform strictly to Brunefs description, and the whole forms a set of uncommon excellence, it having come from the Sobolewski sale. Another valuable volume from MB. COOKE'S LIB BABY. 117 the same collection is an extremely large and full margined copy of Hakluytus Posthumus, or Purchas, his Pilgrimes, of the London edition of 1625-26, with brilliant impres- sions of the original Frontispiece, and the original map of Virginia. Then there are rare Mathers here, and a remarkably fine copy of Campanius' Description of the Province of New Sweden, now called by the English, Pennsylvania, in America, published at Stockholm in the Swedish language, in 1702, the title given by us being a translation. Duponceau says — "The author was never in America. His work is made up from verbal accounts received from his father, and notes left by his grandfather, to which he has added facts obtained from the manuscripts of Peter Lindstrom, an engineer." Other rarities are an uncut Bullock's Virginia Impar- tially examined, &c..* London, 1649 ; Dickinson's Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies, Boston, 1768, and an uncut set of the Constitutional Debates of the Virginia Convention of 1788, *In Catalogue No. 40, issued in 1877, by- Ellis & White, London booksellers, an uncut copy of this work, bound in blue morocco, is offered at 15 1. 15 s.: appended to the title is this note:— "As an uncut copy of this very rare volume, this copy is probably unique. The last leaf and a por- tion of another is in very beautiful fac- simile." Owing to the existence of Mr. Cooke's copy, Ellis & White's note is a little too broad, but perhaps that copy, and Mr. Cooke's, are the only two uncut copies extant. Mr. Cooke's copy came from the Menzies sale, where it brought eighty dollars. 118 MB. COOKE'S LIB BABY. issued at Petersburg in 1788-9, and including the very rare third volume. New England's First Fruits, London, 1643, and Shep- ard's " Clear Sunshine of the Gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in New England," London, 1648, afford fine illustrations of the series of works giving accounts of the efforts made at that time for the conversion of the Indians ; while " New England's Teares, for old England's Feares," a sermon preached on July 23, 1640, by William Hooke, "Minister of God's Word, some time of Axmouth in Devon- shire, now of Taunton in New England," printed at London in 1641, furnishes a fitting example of the kind of dis- course our Puritan progenitors delighted to sit under. Of noteworthy works pertaining to the Revolutionary War, are the original edition of the Proceedings of a Gene- ral Court Martial upon Major General Lee, printed in Philadelphia, in 1778; the Correspondence between His Excellency Sir Henry Clinton and Lieutenant General Earl Cornwallis, New York, 1781 ; and a small cluster of volumes, which Mr. Joseph Sabin says, "may sometime afford material for an instructive and interesting episode in the history of the Revolution, in which Franklin, Williams, Paul Jones, and Deane, may, possibly, be brought to occupy the same niche." The first of this cluster in the order of publication is Arthur Lee's " Observations on Cer- 31B. COOKE'S LIBRARY. 119 tain Commercial Transactions in France, laid before Con- gress," printed at Philadelphia in 1780, being an exposition of alleged extravagant and wasteful expenditure of the pub- lic money by Franklin, and his nephew, Jonathan Williams, during their official residence at Paris. The temper of this work may be imagined from Williams' language charging Lee " with the delight of glutting his soul with the carnage of his (Williams') character," &c. It should be borne in mind that Lee, together with Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, were Joint Commissioners to the Court of France ; and a single sentence from Bancroft's History of the United States will show that eminent historian's esti- mate of them, Deane being the merchant, and Lee the barrister referred to by him. "Thus the United States," says Mr. Bancroft, " were to be represented in France, to its people and to the elder House of Bourbon, by a treacherous merchant, by a barrister who, otherwise a patriot, was consumed by malignant envy, and by Franklin, the greatest diplomatist of his century." Next in this series comes " Extracts from a Letter written to the Presi- dent of Congress, by the Honorable Arthur Lee, Esquire. In Answer to a Libel published in the Pennsylvania Gazette of the Fifth of December, 1778, by Silas Deane, Esquire. In which every Charge or Insinuation against him in that Libel, is fully and clearly refuted." Philadelphia, 1780. 15 120 MB. COOKE'S LIB BABY. The two last are Silas Dearie's "Address to the Free and Independent Citizens of the United States of North America," printed at Hartford in 1784; and his "Address to the United States of North America," &c, published in London in 1784. These two addresses are the author's vindication of himself from charges of fraud and peculation in the management of the public money, and of engaging himself in the interest of the enemies of his country. Evi- dently our Revolutionary forefathers had their little squab- bles and acrimonies. We have no doubt that they were very human, as their grandchildren after them are ; and if we do not misinterpret a manuscript order here, in the bold, dashing hand of John Hancock, inserted in an oration delivered by him in 1770, that immortal patriot sometimes indulged in an election bet, and realized the privilege of paying it, too, just as the man of average morality does in our day. The reader, however, shall judge for himself, for the order is as follows : — "Boston July 10th 17G9 Joseph Jackson Esq. Sir. Please to Deliver Mr Joseph Bradford one best Beaver Hat, and charge to acco't of Sir, Rec'd the contents Your most hum'l S'v't. per Jos. Bradford. JOHN HANCOCK." There are rare imprints of Bartholomew Green, of William Bradford, of Benjamin Franklin, and of other MR. COOKE'S LIBRARY. 121 famous early American printers, in this collection. There are also some imprints here especially interesting to Rhode Islanders. It is stated in Thomas' History of Printing, that — " The press was first established in this town (New- port) in the year 1732 ; and was the only one in the colony till 1762." However this may have been, there is, in Mr. Cooke's library, a copy of Robert Barclay's Apology, with this imprint — " Newport, Rhode Island: Printed by James Franklin, 1729."* Here also are some pamphlets with the *The statement of Thomas is clearly erroneous, and is to be accounted for, perhaps, by his confounding the date of the establishment of the first newspaper in this State, with that of the introduction of the printing-press. As early as 1709 it was proposed to start a press in Rhode Island, but we can find no evidence that one was actually started then. All the light we possess upon the subject, is obtained from the follow- ing extract from the records of the General Assembly of Rhode Island at its March Session, 1709 :— " Voted and be it farther Enacted that whereas there is one Bradford, son to Bradford ye Printer of New York, who hath offered Himselfe to set up a Printing Press in this Place and to find Paper & Print all things that may Relate to ye Collony and Government for fifty Pounds p'r annum If it be but for one year or two. The Assembly considering ye Premises are upon the Conditions aforesaid willing to Alow him ye said Bradford fifty Pounds for one year and so yearly If ye Collony see good to Improve Him." Hon. S. G. Arnold, in his History of Rhode Island, referring to James Frank- lin's setting up a printing establishment in Newport, in 1727, says "a pamphlet printed by him this year is still in exis- tence." We find among the Colonial records in the office of the Secretary of State of Rhode Island, a petition from "James Franklin of Newport, Printei-," dated May second, 1728. In it he explains to the Gen- eral Assembly at length, the ease with which the Bills of Public Credit, when printed from engraved plates, were coun- terfeited, and how, in his opinion, that great and growing evil might be remedied by using raised type. He concludes with a prayer that he may be entrusted with printing the Bills in the manner recom- mended by him. His petition did not meet with success, for the clerk of the 122 MR. COOKE'S LIBRARY. imprint of Solomon South wick, another early Rhode Island printer. William Goddard settled in Providence in 1762," and Assembly endorsed upon it — "Its the opinion of this house is that this Petition be voted out." A petition from Franklin in 1730, and another in 1732, are preserved in the office of the Secretary of State, and as they con- tain some interesting statements relating to the public printers of other States, a century and a half ago, and some facts as to the length of time he had been a printer in Rhode Island, the cost of his outfit, the amount of his profits, etc., we copy them in full. The first one is as follows :— "To the Honourable Joseph Jencks Esq'r' Gov'r, the Honourable Deputy Gov- ernour, Assistants, and House of Deputies, in General Court assembled. The Petition of James Franklin of Newport, Printer, Humbly Sheweth, That tho' it is customary in all his Ma- jesty's Plantations, where Printing is thought necessary for the Publick Service of the Government, to allow a Printer a competent Salary, for his Encouragement in printing the Votes, Laws, Orders, Resolves, Proclamations, &c. Yet your Petitioner, tho' paid for printing the Body of Laws, has not been allow'd any Salary. Your Petitioner begs leave to inform this Honourable Assembly, That in the Colony of Connecticut, £50 p'r Annum was allow'd to the first Printer there, above Twenty Years since, and Sixty to his Suc- cessor, which has been several Times rais'd, and still continued. At New York, Mr. Bradford has £80 p'r Annum of that Currency. At Pensilvania, the first Printer had his Tools purchas'd, and Printing House built, at the Charge of the Province, and a considerable Salary besides. At Maryland, Mr. Parks, the Printer there, has Twenty-Four Thousand Weight of Tobacco p'r Annum, at One Penny p'r Pound, which amounts to about £100 of that Currency. Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays That in Consideration of the Charge and Time of his removing from Boston, the great Price of his Tools, above what is common in other Trades, his often Want of Business at Printing, and the Encour- agement usually given to Printers by other his Majesty's Governments in the Plantations, on the above Accounts this Honourable Assembly will allow him a reasonable Salary; for which he is willing to print, at the Conclusion of every Ses- sions, all Laws, Orders, Resolves and Votes therein made, and from Time to Time, Proclamations, and other Publick Business of the Government. And your Petitioner, as in Duty bound, shall ever pray, &c. JAMES FRANKLIN. Newport, Feb. 23. 1730." MR. COOKE'S LIBRARY. 123 was the first to establish a printing press there. Numerous sermons with Goddard's imprint, some of them as early as 1763, are to be found in Mr. Cooke's library. Mr. Lorenzo Sabine includes William Goddard in his "Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution," but "Feb'r'SSd, 1730. To the House of Mag'r't's Gen'l. Gent. Resolv'd that this Petition be referr'd to Next Sessions of Assembly. Voted & past p'r Ord'r J. Lyndon, Cler." " Concurred with. p'r R. Ward, Sec'y." June 17th, 1731. To Ye house of Mag't's Gent. This Petition is Voted Out Nemino contra- dicenten. P'r Ord'r J. Lyndon, Cler." '•Concurr'd with. by Ord'r R. Ward, Sec'y." Franklin's next Petition met with better success : it is as follows :— " Colony of Rhode Island &c. To the hono'ble William Wanton Esq'r' the Governor & to the hono'ble the Council & Representatives in Gen- eral Court assembled. The Petition of James Franklin of New- port Printer, Humbly Sheweth That your Petit'r hath Sometime Since Inform'd this hono'ble Court of the Encouragement given to the Printers of New London, New York, Philadelphia & Annapolis in Maryland & Petition'd for Some allowance for himselfe as he is a printer here, w'ch Petition being rejected Your Petit'r begs leave further to Inform this honourable Assembly, — That the Governm't of South Carolina have Since granted a thousand pounds of that Cur- rency to a Printer there upon his Arrival w'th his tools & allow'd him a Sallary Dur- ing his residence in that Governm't. Your Petit'r hath ever Since he Settl'd in this Colony allways had a tender care of printing any thing that might prove Injurious to the Publick altho' it were never So much to his owne private advan- tage and begs leave further to Inform this hono'ble assembly That his Tools cost him near £600 and that the work he has had to Improve them Since he has been settled in Newport has not amounted by Computation to about 90 1, y ann. one year w'th another, the Charge of paper, Ink, Men's Wages & the Rent of the Printing house &c being deducted, So that he has had very little more for five years labour in Printing than the Interest of the money his Tools are worth. And as your Petit'r allways was & Still is ready to serve the Colony in his busi- 124 MR. COOKE'S LIBRARY. the proof of Goddard's Toryism is not convincing, consisting only of his admitting into his newspaper, communications which excited the indignation of the more violent of the Baltimore Whig Club, after he had removed to that city. It is far more agreeable to believe that Thomas could not be far wrong about a matter so near his own time, and hence we prefer his delineation of the character of this pioneer of the Providence press — "Few," says Thomas, in his History of Printing, " could conduct a newspaper better than Goddard ; he was a capable editor, and his talents were often drawn into requisition. He, like many others, was a laborious agent in the cause of his country, and in many instances where he had neither honor nor profit for his reward. When the loaves and fishes were to be divided, aspiring, interested, nominal patriots, crowded him ness of Printing, &c. w'th the utmost fidelity & diligence hopes your honors will be Pleas'd to take his Case into your Serious Consideration & grant him Such Sallary & allowance as in your wisdome & Goodness shall seem meet & as in Duty Bound Shall ever Pray, &c. JAMES FRANKLIN." "June 15th, 1732. To the House of Mag't's. Gent. Resolv'd That James Franklin be allow'd and paid out of the Gen'l Treasury the Sum of £20, at the years End provided he print therefor what Gen'l Acts shall be past by this Gen'l Assembly within ye said Term. 20 Copys of Each Act. Voted & past. P'r Ord'r J. Lyndon, Cler. Concurr'd with the Emendation. p'r Ord'r K Ward, Sec'y." All of the first petition is in Franklin's handwriting: the second is only signed by him. MB. COOKE'S LIBBABY. 125 into the background, and his services were in a great meas- ure forgotten." Among Mr. Cooke's other treasures are works by the early printers, and productions of the monks before the printing press was known. One of the most beautiful specimens of the chirography of the fourteenth century that we have ever seen, is a Latin Bible supposed to have been executed about the year 1370. The vellum pages, five inches wide, are almost as thin as India paper, and the manuscript, arranged in double columns, is garnished with graceful initials and ornate numbers. The characters, though perfectly clear and distinct, are yet so diminutive, that a glass is almost necessary to decipher them. Of several missals here, mention will be made of one only. This exquisite testimonial of monastic zeal is enriched with thirteen finely painted miniatures, and the border of each page is delicately ornamented with flowers and many other beautiful designs. The shining gold of the numerous initials, still untarnished after the lapse of centu- ries, excites regret that this brilliant style of illumination is now among the lost arts. The coloring of the ornamenta- tion affords a pleasing contrast with the immaculate fresh- ness of the vellum, and makes this monkish relic a verita- ble thing of beauty. Of old typography worthy of note in this collection, is 126 MR. COOKE'S LIBRAE Y. Strabo's Geograpliia, printed in 1472, by Vindelin, a well known printer of Venice, though not so famous as his brother, John of Spires. Brunet calls this an "edition encore precieuse" A folio, bound in full speckled calf by Pratt, can hardly fail to attract the eye of a thorough going book-lover. It is very tall, with ample margins, and the paper is but slightly bored, the volume being in well-nigh faultless condition. It is Eusebius' Prceparatio Evangelica, at the end of which is the date, and a name as follows : "M.CCCC.LXXUI., Leonhardus Aurl." Who Aurl was, seems to be a mystery. Because the type resemble those of an edition of Cicero's Orations printed in 1472 by Adam de Ambergau, Dibdin concludes that this also was the work of that famous printer, and that Aurl was either an editor or a corrector of the press. On the other hand, Brunet thinks that Leonhardus Aurl was the printer, and must have succeeded Ambergau. Whoever Aurl may have been, however, and whoever may have printed the book, it is certain that it is a very rare edition of the translation of this celebrated Greek work. The crowning typographical rarity of this collection is a folio bound in dark morocco by Charles Lewis, blind tooled all over the covers after an old English pattern, and in exact facsimile of an early Caxton binding. It is the Itcgerttia attrra, and, according to the Colophon, was jFtnusslieti tlje xxbtt. tiage of August, fyt MB. COOKE'S LIBRARY. 127 gere of our lorti* JSLcccccjcxbtu ti}e xtx* gere of tlje regne of our soueragne lorDe kgnge gents ft* egght SmprgnteU at ILontion tn jHete strete at tfje gggne of tfje Sonne, fcg SlEgn^ fcgn tie TOortie* The upper and lower margins of the title, and a portion of the margins of signature A, have been restored by Mr. Lewis : in every other respect the volume is in the finest state of preservation. The extreme rarity of this book may be inferred from the fact that Dibdin and Lowndes, together, refer to but four perfect copies, one of which is in the British Museum. There is no copy of this edition either in the Spencer, or in the Grenville collection. One of the latest, as well as one of the most val- uable additions to this library, are the first four folios of Shakespeare. For these fine volumes a former owner, Mr. Eugene N. Robinson, of New York, paid considerably more than five thousand dollars ; upwards of one thousand dollars having been expended in putting them into their present superb dress by Bedford. The first and third folios came from the library of Sir William Tite, at the sale of which the first brought four hundred and forty pounds. The following note is written on the fly leaf of the third folio : — " This copy of the third (and very rare) edition of our great dramatic Poet, formerly belonged to John Kemble, Esq., and was purchased by me at the sale of his books in 1820-21, for the sum of eight guineas, it then wanting the 16 128 MR. COOKE'S LIBRARY. portrait, which I have since supplied. — E. V. U" (tterson). "May. 1821." For a city comparatively small, Providence is very fortunate in the possession of two copies of the first four folios of Shakespeare ; for we shall find reference to another copy in the sketch of Mr. C. Fiske Harris 1 library, later on in this volume.* There are many, very many illustrated works in this collection, not a few of which are of a high character. In huge folios are Boydell's Shakespeare; the nine volumes of Lord Kingsborough's Antiquities of Mexico, with colored plates ; and the great French work on Egypt, forming, as it *The increase in price of the Shake- speare folios is quite remarkable. Stee- vens s.ays the first folio, that of 1623, was published at one pound, a sum repre- senting, of course, several times the value of the present day, Grant White giving it at twenty-five dollars. Martin Folkes' copy brought £3. 3s. at his sale in 1756 ; and another copy sold for £10 at Dr. Richard Wright's sale, in 1787. The Duke of Rox- burghe paid £35. 14s. for his, in 1790 ; and at his sale, in 1812, it was knocked down to the Duke of Devonshire, for £100. In 1818, Mr. Grenville bought a copy for £121. 16s., and this was recorded, at that time, as "the highest ever given, or likely to be given, for the volume." The successive prices paid for Hibbert's copy were as fol- lows : £85, in 1829, £155, in 1847, and £250, in 1854. It is now in Henry Huth's library, which is one of the finest in England at the present day. In 1865, the Earl of Charlemont's copy brought £455; and, in 1874, Sir William Tite's copy, as stated in the text, sold for £440. But all these prices have been largely exceeded. In 1827, Dent's copy was sold for £110. 5s.; and at the Perkins sale, in 1873, the same copy brought £585. The price paid at the Dan- iel sale, in 1864, is the highest ever yet obtained for this folio, for it was bid off, for Miss Burdett-Coutts, at £716. Condi- tion, of course, has great effect upon the price. In 1876, Quaritch, a London book- seller, advertised a copy as, fine, but " title doubtful," in Bedford's binding, at £200. The second folio, that of 1632, as well as the subsequent ones, is much less costly than the first. In 1678 it brought 16s. : the Perkins copy, in 1873, sold for £44; and the "best copy known" brought at the Daniel sale, in 1864, £148, the highest price ever paid for it. MB. COOKE'S LIB BAR Y. 129 does, a fitting monument to the greatness of the first Napo- leon. Here, too, are numerous Galleries of engravings, and books lavishly illustrated with inserted plates. The fact that many of the latter came from the Menzies library, and some from John Allans, amply attests the taste and elegance of their execution. Grainger's Biographical History of England is extended by the insertion of ten hundred and forty plates, to ten volumes. An uncut copy of "The Hud- son from the Wilderness to the Sea," by B. J. Lossing, contains three hundred and six extra wood-cuts and one hundred and forty plates, which swell the original volume to two. It is vain, however, to attempt to enumerate the elegant books in this branch of Mr. Cooke's collection, and we shall therefore content ourselves with mention of a single work more. Mr. Cooke's uncut set of the Abbots- ford edition of the Waverley Novels came from the Menzies Of the third folio there are two issues, the first in 1063, and the second in 1664. In 1678, a 1663 issue sold for £1. 8s. A very- excellent 1664, brought £46 at the Daniel sale, in 1864. The Perkins copy (1664) brought £105, in 1873; and the Tite copy (1664) £79, in 1874. But the highest price obtained for the third folio was in 1870, when a rare copy of 1664, which had cost its owner £42, was sold at Sotheby's for £200. The fourth, that of 1685, is the least costly of the four folios. In 1786 a copy sold for 8s. 6d. In 1874 a copy, formerly John Allan's, sold in New York for $40. The Daniel copy brought £21. 10s. in 1864; the Perkins copy £22 in 1873; the Sir Wil- liam Tite copy £18 in 1864; and the Benzon copy £23. 5s. in 1875. The highest price we have found recorded for this folio, is £37 for a copy sold by Lilly. The reader interested in this subject, is referred to Professor Justin Winsor's admirable Bibliography of the original Quartos and Folios of Shakespeare, pub- lished in 1876, from which this foot note has been almost entirely taken. 130 MR. COOKE'S LIB BABY. sale at a cost of four hundred and eighty dollars, and con- sists of the twenty-four parts as originally issued, bound in as many volumes in half green crushed Levant morocco by Matthews. The series of one hundred and twenty plates, published with the work, are most brilliant unlettered artist's proofs on India paper, one of a few sets only, struck off for presents previous to publication. Inserted are nearly three hundred and fifty additional illustrations, consisting of portraits, subjects, and views, of the choicest character, being proofs before letters, and proofs on India paper. Six beautiful portraits of Scott, and an autograph note of his, are also inserted. This is, doubtless, one of the finest copies of the Waverley Novels in existence. Turnbull's Birds of East Pennsylvania and New Jersey, privately printed, elaborately illustrated, and one of two copies only, on thirty-four leaves of pure vellum, is a truly choice volume. The other copy on vellum was sold at the Menzies sale to Mr. Brayton Ives, of New York* The department of bibliography is fine, and so too are *This gentleman's library is choice in English literature, and possesses a num- ber of fine French works. It likewise contains divers nuggets on America— as Mr. Henry Stevens would say— and not a few specimens of tasteful illustration and elegant book-making. His collection was enriched by some admirable additions from the Menzies sale, the most notewor- thy of which is Fyssher's " Treatyse con- cernynge the fruytful saynges of Dauid the kynge and prophete in the seuen penytencyall psalmes," &c, printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1509. When an adequate volume appears upon the private libraries of New York as they are to-day, it will certainly contain some notice of the collection of Mr. Ives. MR. COOKE'S LIBRARY. 131 many other departments ; but it is believed that enough has already been said to impress the reader with some apprecia- tion of the extent and value of this library. As the author despairs of making this sketch less inadequate, he will bring it to a close. The rapidity with which Mr. Cooke has gathered his volumes together, has awakened much interest, and some speculation, as to how he will ultimately dispose of them. To any one possessing fine books who has not deter- mined what disposition to make of them, we would com- mend this passage from Petrarch's letter to the Venetian Senate, offering his library to the Cathedral of St. Mark : — "Francis Petrarch," he writes in 1362, "desires to have the blessed Evangelist Mark for the heir of those books he has, and may have, on condition that they shall neither be sold or separated ; and that they shall all be placed in safety, sheltered from fire and water, and preserved with care forever for his honour, and the use and amusement of the noble and learned persons of this city. If he makes this deposit, it is not because he has a great idea of his books, or believes he has formed a fine library ; but he hopes by this means the illustrious city of Venice will acquire other trusts of the same kind from the public ; that the citizens who love their country, the nobles above all, and even some strangers, will follow his example, and leave 132 MB. COOKE'S LIB BABY. their books to this church at their death, which may one day become a great library, and equal those of the ancients. Every one must see how honourable this will be to the republic." HON. JOHN R. B ART LETT'S LIBRARY. HOE". JOHN E. BABTLETT'S LIBEAEY. Every part of learning is of some use. Madox. An English writer tells us — "Libraries are the ward- robes of literature, whence men, properly informed, might bring forth something for ornament, much for curiosity, and more for use." This remark is especially applicable to the library about to be described. The fact that Mr. Bartlett is a maker of books himself, invests his collection of the books of others, with an added interest. A glance along his shelves reveals the lines of research he delights to follow, and at once opens up to the observer the literary character of the man. His is essentially a working library. To understand, however, that, by the use of this term, is implied a lack of choice editions or of fine bindings, would be a gross misapprehension. By it is meant, simply, that the books of this collection are, to a large extent, his tools, 136 MB. BARTLETT'S LIBRARY. so to speak, and not merely the recreation of his leisure hours. Mr. Bartlett, it will be remembered, was the Mexi- can Boundary Commissioner nearly thirty years ago, and his interesting "Report" of his doings, and his 44 Personal Narrative of Explorations," &c, must be familiar to many of the readers of this sketch. Of course such extensive travels over so wide a range of our continent, and the con- sequent contact with so many, and such various tribes of the aborigines, developed more fully, tastes, the original possession of which admirably fitted him for the position he so satisfactorily filled. In 1848, Mr. Bartlett published a book, entitled 44 The Progress of Ethnology, An Account of Recent Archaeological, Philological, and Geographical Researches in various parts of the globe, tending to eluci- date the Physical History of Man." One is not surprised, therefore, at finding in Mr. Bartlett's library, which contains upwards of three thousand volumes, and a great many pamphlets, a large collection of Geographical works, including voyages and travels. A fine copy of 44 Hakluytus Posthumus, or Purchas, His Pil- grimes," printed in London in 1625-6, in five folio volumes, and the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, in forty octavos, are especially worthy of notice. Upon Africa are all the travels of the present century, as well as some earlier works, including Leo Africanus, printed in 1600. in MR. BARTLETT'S LIBRARY. 137 folio. This early account of Africa contains a map, on which is laid down the two great lakes claimed to have been discovered by Capt. Speke in 1862, thus demonstrat- ing, it would seem, that they were known to the Arabian geographers of the middle ages. There is likewise deline- ated on this map a great river called the Zaire, flowing from a lake near the equator, westward to the Atlantic, and occupying the place of the Congo River, which Stanley, in his remarkable journey, has lately traced to the sea. The far off countries of the old world, and the civili- zations of a dim and distant past, are all described here. Upon Egypt are the works of Bunsen, Wilkinson, Osburn, Sharp, and Champollion, with numerous others relating to Egyptian antiquity. The royal city of Nine- veh, which, Rawlinson tells us, Sennacherib made " as splendid as the sun," finds an adequate representation in the elegant work of Botta and Elandin, published by the French government in five atlas folios, containing seve- ral hundred plates, and showing the results of French explorations. The magnificence of this famous Assyrian city, with that of its Southern rival, Babylon, is still further delineated in Layard's Explorations of Nineveh and Baby- lon, in two folio volumes of plates, as also in a number of less pretentious works. Greece, Rome, Etruria, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and 17 138 3IB. BABTLETT'S LIB BABY. Asia Minor, are well represented in books containing the most recent researches among their ancient remains. Upon Eastern Asia are likewise some important works; prominent among which is a complete set of the Canton Register, in twenty octavo volumes, a work which is seldom seen entire, and which is said to contain fuller notices of China, and the countries adjacent, than are elsewhere to be found. Neither the tropics, nor the regions of the old world, nor a remote antiquity, circumscribe the travels described in this collection, for here, also, are to be found numerous Arctic explorations, comprising a collection of all the voy- ages for the discovery of a North-West passage, and for reaching the North Pole, embracing the works of Phipps, Hearne, Parry, Ross, Franklin, Back, and Beechey, in Admiralty editions, uniformly bound, together with many of less importance, in octavo. In this library are a number of "Picturesque Voyages" in all parts of Europe, — books elegantly gotten up in folio, with hundreds of copper-plate engravings representing the scenery and antiquities of the countries referred to. These immense folios seem to have been very popular fifty or a hundred years ago, when wealth lavished itself on huge tomes and costly copper-plates. In our day a work is issued in a couple of quartos, or octavos, copiously illus- trated with wood-cuts, for from six to twelve dollars a set, MR. BARTLETT'S LIBRARY. 139 that formerly would have been brought out in five ponder- ous folios, with expensive copper-plates, at a cost of from one to two hundred dollars. Perhaps Porson's reason for disliking folios may have also aided their increasing unpop- ularity. " He disliked reading folios," it is related in Por- soniana, "'because' said he, 4 we meet with so few mile stones' (i. e. we have such long intervals between the turn- ing over of the leaves)." From Geographical subjects to Ethnology is but a step ; and here, besides the Anthropological Journal and Memoirs, in fifteen volumes, are the works of the chief writers who have made the subject of pre-historic man so interesting of late years — Prichard, Lyell, Wilson, Lub- bock, Kemble, Nilsson, Keller, Lartet and Christy, Fergus- son, Tylor, Wood, Stevens, and Vogt. Watson and Kaye's fine work on 44 The People of India," which fills several folio volumes, and contains photographic portraits from life of the various races and numerous tribes which make up the two hundred millions of the population of Hindostan, shows that interest in that wonderful people does not flag in our day. Passing on to the kindred branch of Archaeology, the works in it are legion. A fine set of the 44 Arch apologia," or publications of the Antiquarian Society in London, in forty-two quartos, meets the eye, as also do Gough's Sepul- MR. BARTLETT'S LIBRARY. cliral Monuments in Great Britain, in three volumes, Vetusta Monumenta, or Ancient Monuments of Great Britain, in six volumes, Douglas' Nenia Britannica, or a Sepulchral History of Britain, but chiefly relating to the Britons, Romans, and Saxons, on large paper with colored plates, Roy's Military Antiquities, Grose's Antiquities, on large paper in ten volumes, Warren's Monuments and Tumuli of Remote Ages, and Stephens' splendid work on the Runic Monuments of Scandinavia and England, in two volumes, all in folio, and Bruce's Roman Wall, in quarto. The above mentioned works relate chiefly to Great Britain, but there are numerous volumes upon the antiquities of other countries, embracing some of the choicest, and many of the latest works upon the subject. Before passing to another branch, however, one observes that Mr. Bartlett's strength in the publications of learned societies is again exemplified in his possession of " The Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature," in fifteen quarto and octavo volumes, a work devoted to Archaeological and Philological subjects. Another branch of the vast department already so largely dwelt upon, is Philology and Lexicography ; and here, of course, the compiler of the i; Dictionary of Ameri- canisms " is very rich. Ranged upon his shelves are dic- tionaries from Barrett's quaint and rare old folio " Alvearie," MB. BARTLETT' S LIBBABY. 141 printed in London in 1580, to Dr. Latham's recent edition of Johnson, in four quartos. A curious old work in this line is Hollyband's Dictionary, issued in London in 1593. Provincial glossaries of England likewise abound. A famous English author says, — " Now and then a word with the American impress comes over to us which has not been struck in the mint of analogy. But the Americans are more likely to be infected by the corruption of our written language than we are to have it debased by any importations of this kind from them." The following bit of information furnishes a significant illustration of this : Mr. Bartlett told the author that after a careful examination of the various works on English Provincialisms, he rejected from subse- quent editions over eight hundred words found in the first edition of his book, as they were ascertained to be in use in different parts of England, and were, therefore, in no sense, Americanisms. The scholarly tastes of Mr. Bartlett are further indi- cated by his group of works on Homer, and the Trojan question. A beautiful large paper copy of Du Roveray's edition of Pope's Translation of the Iliad and Odyssey, in twelve octavo volumes, the plates being proofs before letters on India paper, as well as a number of other edi- tions of Homer, and numerous essays and commentaries upon the old bard, together with the chief works on the 142 MB. BABTLETT'S LIBBABY. Plain of Troy, belong to this interesting cluster. For more than two thousand years, from Strabo in the first century, B. C, to the recent researches of Dr. Schliemann, the Plain of Troy has occupied the attention of scholars. Indeed, this interest ante-dates the time of Strabo by centuries, for Herodotus tells us, — 44 On reaching the Scamander, . . . Xerxes ascended into the Pergamus of Priam, since he had a longing to behold the place. When he had seen every- thing, and inquired into all particulars, he made an offering of a thousand oxen to the Trojan Minerva, while the Magi- ans poured libations to the heroes who were slain at Troy." Among some of the works upon the Plain of Troy noticed in this collection, are those of Bryant, Rennell, Mauduit, Choiseul-Goufher, Clarke, Lechevalier, Maclaren, and last, but not least, Sir William Gell's Topography of Troy, a beautiful folio with forty-five maps and colored plates. One would expect to find the compiler of the 44 Litera- ture of the Rebellion" possessing much relating to the war, especially as he himself has written upon that eventful struggle. This expectation is not disappointed, for here is one of the largest collections of books and pamphlets relat- ing to our late civil war, to be found in the country. The scrap-book feature is a very noticeable one. In September, 1860, when the uneasiness of the South manifested itself in meetings preparatory to secession, Mr. Bartlett began to MB. BABTLE TT'S LIB BAB Y. 143 clip and collect from the newspapers of the day, all per- taining to the conflict then impending, and so soon to break upon the country. This labor he continued until peace was restored, neatly pasting the slips into folio volumes of uniform size, and properly classifying the subjects as he proceeded. The operations of each month are contained in a separate volume, the whole work extending to sixty-five volumes. Of these the Annals, or History, comprise fifty- four volumes ; Caricatures, three ; Fugitive Poetry, embrac- ing more than two thousand pieces, two ; Envelopes, one ; Street Ballads, two ; and large engravings of Battle Scenes, three volumes. This Scrap-Book series should find a place in a public library, as it is a rich granary of historical mate- rial that should be accessible to all. Thus far solidity has characterized the works described, but volumes of a lighter character grace Mr. Bartlett's shelves, for he too has gone into the elegantice literarum of illustrating books with engravings not issued with them. Among these are Marshall's Life of Washington, extended to ten stout quartos ; the two Lives of Mary, Queen of Scots, one by Chalmers, and the other the new Life, by Petit, each in two quarto volumes, and both elaborately embellished, and embracing more than forty different por- traits of the unfortunate Mary. It is a little difficult to make a selection from the books of this class for enumera- 144 3IB. BABTLETT'S LIBBABY. tion. Perhaps as good as any of these choice nuggets are Bryan's Dictionary of Painters, the quarto edition extended to ten volumes, with its two thousand inserted portraits of painters, and specimens of their works; Parton's Life of Franklin, in four imperial octavos ; Wiffen's Memoirs of the House of Russell, with nearly two hundred portraits ; Drake's Dictionary of American Biography, copiously illus- trated, and extended to seven volumes ; and Mr. Bartlett's own " Memoirs of Rhode Island Officers," extended to two bulky quartos, and enriched with two hundred engrav- ings — portraits of those officers, and views of battles in which they had borne a part. We must mention one more book of this class — Albert Gallatin's "Peace with Mexico," published by Mr. Bartlett in 1847, when connected with the well known house of Bartlett & Welford. Elegantly bound in green morocco with the pamphlet, are a large number of Mr. Gallatin's letters to Mr. Bartlett upon the work in hand. Also in the same volume are the letters of numerous distinguished men to Mr. Gallatin, or Mr. Bart- lett, upon the book, or its subject ; and likewise bound with them are many newspaper clippings neatly pasted on to blank leaves. The whole forms a rich mass of manuscript, and other material, and, it is presumed, furnished Mr. Bartlett with much matter for his interesting "Reminis- cences of Albert Gallatin," published in 1849. The private MB. BABTLETT'S LIB BABY. 145 libraries of Providence are remarkable for this costly spe- cialty of illustrated books, nearly all the considerable collec- tions having a number of elegant volumes of this character. Illuminated missals on vellum, executed before the invention of printing, must not be overlooked. The zeal and the piety of the monks, who were the scholars of those days, led them to lavish much time and skill upon their work ; and not only are these pious books elegantly written upon vellum, but they are also usually elaborately embel- lished with gilt, or more properly, gold ornaments, highly colored borders, and exquisite miniature paintings repre- senting scenes in the life of our Saviour, and other events in sacred history. As they are ordinarily without date, the peculiarities of language, of calligraphy, and of ornamenta- tion, enable experts to determine their age. Mr. Bartlett has six missals, which were, doubtless, produced between a. d. 1200 and 1400. The number of presentation copies in this collection with the autograph or book-plate of the author, or of other distinguished men, is quite remarkable. Such associations add much to the value of a volume, exhaling a delightful atmosphere of fancy, even approaching sometimes to inspi- ration. Let him who is about to cut out or obliterate a name, or otherwise deface a book, pause and recall these words of Southey : — "A book is the more valuable to me 18 146 MR. BARTLETT'S LIBRARY. when I know to whom it has belonged, and through what 'scenes and changes' it has past I am sorry when I see the name of a former owner obliterated in a book, or the plate of his arms defaced. Poor memorials though they be, yet they are something saved for awhile from oblivion ; and I should be almost as unwilling to destroy them, as to efface the Hie jacet of a tombstone. There may be sometimes a pleasure in recognizing them, sometimes a salutary sadness." MR. ROYAL C. TAFT'S LIBRARY. MR. ROYAL 0. TAFT'S LIBRARY. Hark you, sir; I'll have them very fairly bound. Taming of the Shrew. One of the masters of our language says — "Books are among the sweetest luxuries of our world." Nowhere in this vicinity is the luxuriousness of books more strikingly illustrated than in Mr. Taft's collection, and the rooms con- taining it are in harmony with the condition of his volumes. A spacious apartment, whose deep bay window overlooks the College campus, forms the principal library, while an arch through a book-case leads into a smaller one. The ornamentation of the cases is elaborate, and the centre of one of them forms a niche, in which stands a bronze figure suggestive of a presiding genius. The oil paintings above the dwarf-cases flanking the open fire-place, and the attract- ive bindings of the books exposed to view through ornate glass doors, give to the library an air of grace and elegance. 150 Mil. B. C. TAFT'S LIB BABY. These books are distinguished for their perfectness. All that the skill of the printer, the art of the engraver, or the handy-work of the binder can do, has been done for the three thousand volumes comprising this library. It may be well to save repetition by saying at once, that these books have, for the most part, been shorn of none of their fair proportions by a book-guillotine, as a trimming machine ought properly to be called, and that they are, with scarce an exception, attired in full crushed morocco, or in plain, tree, polished, speckled, mottled, or wrinkled calf, elegantly tooled, by Bedford, Riviere, and by the other masters of the art. English literature is the predominant feature. The grand old masters of our language, and the approved authors of more recent times, are here presented in a man- ner to make them things of beauty in more senses than one. As illustrations of the meaning of our remarks upon the condition of these volumes, mention may be made of a large paper set of the Riverside edition of Francis Bacon's works, one of five* printed on India paper; also of a remarkably * Inserted in each of these copies is the Henry Oscar Houghton, following certificate: " I hereby certify George Livermore, that only five sets of the large paper edi- Orlando W. Wight. " tion of the Works of Francis Bacon were July, 1863. printed upon India paper. They were for H. O. HOUGHTON." the following persons: William Fiske Fowle, Zelotes Hosmer, Mr. Taft's copy is the one printed for Henry Oscar Houghton. MB. B. C. TAFT'S LIBRARY. 151 choice copy of Pickering's imperial octavo edition of Wal- ton's Complete Angler, 1836, with duplicate plates, one set being India proofs. Mr. Taft is evidently an admirer of honest old Izaak, for he likewise possesses the first five editions of "The Compleat Angler," bound in attractive uniformity, and published respectively in 1653, 1655, 1661, 1668, and 1676. Each issue is enlarged, compared with the preceding one, and the fifth is the first edition contain- ing the second part, or Cotton's Angler. This valuable little series — the size being sixteenmo — is rarer than the first four folios of Shakespeare, and is especially prized from comprising the editions published in Walton's life- time, thus showing the growth of his remarkable work. Walton's Lives, the first edition published in 1670, forms a meet companion of this series. Mr. Taft's copy possesses an added interest from having this presentation inscription in the author's own hand — "for my brother Chalkhill. Iz. Wa." This would seem to authoritatively set at rest the doubts entertained in the Retrospective Review and in the Gentleman's Magazine as to whether there really was such a person as John Chalkhill, thus settling the authorship of the poems attributed to him, but which some believe to have been written by Walton. The words traced by the author's own hand in this volume especially call to mind the lines of Wordsworth upon this work : — 152 3IR. R. C. TAFT'S LIBRARY. — "The feather, whence the pen Was shaped that traced the lives of these good men, Dropped from an Angel's wing." Books on large paper, and with proof impressions of the plates, are very numerous here. The twenty-four vol- umes of Sharpe's British Essayists are on large paper, and so are the two volumes each of Stockdale's editions of 1793, of iEsop's Fables, and of Gay's Fables : both of the latter have proof impressions of the plates. Four of the best editions of the Waverley Novels extant attest this collector's appreciation of the great novelist : one of them, the first collected Edinburgh edition, 1822-33, in forty-one vol- umes, contains numerous inserted illustrations. Mr. Taft's copy of the Percy Society's Publications is in thirty-one volumes, or one more than is usually found in the set. The last volume contains " Pleasant Quippes for Upstart Newfangled Gentlewomen," by Stephen Gosson, and "A Treatyse shewing and declaring the Pryde and Abuse of Women now a dayes," by Charles Bansley, reprinted from a unique copy. The Pleasant Quippes was suppressed, and the Pryde and Abuse of Women was never issued : the freedom of the authors in treating these subjects will readily suggest the reason. It seems to be the fashion now-a-days, to belittle Dr. Dibdin, and to speak lightly of his books. Notwithstand- MB. B. C. TAFT'S LIB BABY. 153 ing this lack of appreciation by some, and conceding to the utmost his manifold defects, still Mr. Taft's choice set of Dibdin's works with their rich crimson crushed morocco binding, would sorely tempt us, were we given our choice of the literary purple and fine linen gathered together here. A truly sumptuous volume is a quarto printed on vel- lum, whose sixty-one engravings are richly colored by hand. It is entitled "Choice Examples of Art Workmanship selected from the Exhibition of Ancient and Mediaeval Art at the Society of Arts. Drawn and Engraved under the superintendence of Philip de la Motte." It was gotten up in London for the Great Exhibition of 1851, and its superb brown crushed morocco binding by Riviere, deserves a word of notice. It is in Diana of Poictiers style, and upon the covers various colored leathers are inlaid, while elaborate hand-tooled devices represent Diana's favorite emblems. The crescent, the bow, and the quiver, are conspicuous, and the initials of her name and that of her royal lover, are gracefully intertwined. Another book that attracts the eye, is one of the twenty-five large paper copies of "The History of The Valiant Knight, Arthur of Little Britain," a romance of chivalry translated from the French by John Bourchier, Lord Berners, and edited by E. V. Utterson, London, 1814. It has a duplicate set of plates, one of which is plain, and the other brilliantly illuminated by Harris, the noted fac- 154 MB. B. C. TAFT'S LIB BABY. similist, wherein the knights and ladies of the olden time figure in a richness of apparel that is dazzling to the mod- ern eye. Some of the illustrated books are specially noteworthy. The large folio plates of Le Musee Royal, and of Finden's Royal Gallery of British Art, are proofs before letters. Two folio volumes of proof impressions of the Landscape Annual, 1830 to 1839, seem to spread Switzerland, Italy ? France, Spain, and Portugal, at our feet. Of folios with splendid engravings are Bowyer's edition of Hume's Eng- land in ten volumes, Boydell's Shakespeare in nine volumes, and Boydell's magnificent edition of the Poetical Works of Milton, with plates by Westall. By many this last work is thought to be the finest production of the famous Bulmer press, so highly lauded by Dibdin. Of smaller books are Holbein's Triomphe de la Mort, issued at Basle in 1780, with proof impressions; and Marryat's History of Pottery and Porcelain in the Fif- teenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries. This latter volume is upon large paper; the plates are colored in a superior manner and mounted on drawing paper, only twenty-five copies having been issued in this style. There are a number of fine works in this library on the ceramic art; but, fine as some of them are, it seems to us that Audsley and Bowes' recent work, " Keramic Art of Japan," MB. B. C. TAFT'S LIB BAB Y. 155 surpasses them all. Enriched with illustrations of rare beauty, with prints in colors and gold, it is, and will doubt- less ever remain, a very expensive book. Though it has just been published there are very few copies in this country. One of the most attractive of all the attractive works in this collection, is a copy of Foster's translation of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. It is in five quarto vol- umes on large paper, with Smirke's illustrations in proof; and it is still further embellished with a number of inserted prints. This gem came from David Roberts'* library, and was Smirke's own copy, having been made up by the artist himself. The book lover upon crossing Mr. Taft's threshold, will be impressed with his love for Stothard. Upon entering the hall the first object to greet the eye is a fine engraved portrait of the great designer, and a little further on are capital India proofs of the Canterbury Pilgrims, and the Flitch of Bacon, the largest size. Passing into the library one sees several of this artist's water colors framed and hanging on the walls. Upon the shelves are numerous India ink sketches and more than a thousand plates by him : they are either loose or scattered through various vol- umes, though many of them are to be found in two copies of Mrs. Bray's Life of Stothard : one of these copies is 19 156 MB. B. C. TAFT'S library. inlaid to folio size, and both are elaborately extended by insertions. In the collection of one possessing such an admiration for Stothard, the poetical works of Rogers would, of course, be found in great perfection. More dainty copies of Rogers' Italy than two upon these shelves, it would be difficult to find. The illustrations of both are proofs before letter, and one of them has a number of inserted engravings. These copies are of the few in which the prints immediately preceding and following the little poem called Arqua, are transposed, Petrarch's house being placed before, and his tomb after it, instead of vice versa, as was intended. A few impresssions were worked off before the error was corrected. The bindings of these elegant books, as would be imagined, are worthy of their contents. The copies of Rogers' Poems with proof impressions, are also very choice. Mention of a copy of Rogers' Pleasures of Memory with other Poems, edition of 1801, likewise with proof plates, should not be omitted. It was a presentation copy from the poet to Robert Balmanno, and contains two of the author's autograph notes. Here also are Pine's Horace and Pine's Virgil, of which Carlyle, in his Frederick the Great, discourses in this wise : — " Did modern readers ever hear of 4 John Pine, the celebrated English engraver]' John Pine, a man of good scholarship, good skill with his burin, did 'Tapestries MR. R. C. TAFT'S LIBRARY. 157 of the House of Lords,' and other things of a celebrated nature, famous at home and abroad ; but his peculiar feat, which had commended him at Reinsberg, was an edition of Horace : exquisite old Flaccus brought to perfection as it were ; all done with vignettes, classical borderings, symbolic marginal ornaments, in fine taste and accuracy, the Text itself engraved, and all by the exquisite burin of Pine. This edition had come out last year, famous over the world, and was by-and-by, as rumor bore, to be followed by a Vir- gil done in the like exquisite manner." Pictorial Galleries and other illustrated works are numerous. Of books elaborately illustrated with inserted plates are Byron's English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, the first American edition published in Charleston, South Caro- lina, inlaid to folio size ; Leslie's Life of Constable, in folio ; Knight's History of England, the first edition ; and Petit's Mary, Queen of Scots, De Flandre's translation, extended from two to four volumes. This last work, for one so recently issued, seems to be a favorite for illustration in this locality, there being several voluminously extended copies in Providence. But by far the choicest work here of this class, is Crabb Robinson's Diary. The three vol- umes of the fine English edition have been stretched out to nine by the insertion of over eight hundred plates, many of them rare, and a large proportion of them proofs. The \ 158 MR. B. C. TAFT'S LIBRARY. well-nigh boundless capacity of this work for illustration, seems to have been, in a measure, demonstrated by the zeal of this collector, for had he been less fastidious as to the impressions of the plates, he could have added very largely to the number of volumes. The whole, bound in full crim- son crushed morocco, makes a truly elegant set. Large paper copies of Yarrell's British Birds, and of Bewick's works, must serve as examples of the numerous fine wood-cuts in this collection. The lives of artists, as well as their works and the liter- ature of art, have been studiously gathered here in many choice and costly works. " The veriest ordinary copies will serve me," writes Burns in commissioning some novels of Fielding and Smollett, from Hill of Edinburgh, "I am nice only in the appearance of my poets." A portion of Burns' sentence will apply to Mr. Taft, who, certainly, is very nice in the appearance of his poets. On his shelves one finds a fine copy of Dodsley's Old Plays, half a dozen of the best edi- tions of Shakespeare, and the works of numerous old dram- atists in the very best garb possible. Here too are the one hundred and thirty volumes, on large paper, of Little & Brown's edition of the British Poets, and Pickering's Aldine edition in fifty-three volumes. There are also many other editions of various poets, some of them dainty, and all 31R. B. C. TAFT'S LIBRAE Y. 159 elegant. The long row of Coleridge's works in prose and verse, and of Coleridgiana containing some of the poet's autograph letters * calls to mind this enthusiastic outburst in regard to poetry, which, it is hoped, can be applied by many readers of this sketch with equal truth, though, it may be, in a much humbler way. " Poetry," says Coleridge, " has been to me its own exceeding great reward ; it has soothed my afflictions ; it has multiplied and refined my enjoyments ; it has endeared solitude ; and it has given me the habit of wishing to discern the good and the beautiful in all that meets and surrounds me." The book before all others, however, in this depart- ment that excites our admiration, is an uncut quarto in *The following autograph letter of Cole- ridge in this libraiy, addressed to "G. Mud ford, Esq., Courier office," is not with- out interest :— '•Dear Sir. I scarcely remember being more anx- ious from mere personal feeling, to see any one than yourself. The excellent X men, who are now calling on you in order to have a curious mistake corrected, with regard to the attestation of a gentleman, by the name of Symmonds, a Surgeon highly esteemed at Manchester, will, I am sure, receive every courtesy from you. Thank God, the cause they have been deputed to watch over, is likely to be vic- torious—and what I want to impress on the friends of government, and good Eng- lish anti- Jacobinical, anti-physiocratic government, is the manifest effect pro- duced on the lower classes, in overthrow of Jacobinism in their very hearts. But I have much to say to you, for I regard every Courier, as a part of your conversation, as if we were personally present. Be assured that You possess the esteem and regard of your humble fellow-labourer in the same general cause. S. T. COLERIDGE. Wednesday Morning, 6 May, 1818. X Mr. Gould, and Mr. Shelmerdine." 160 MR. R. C. TAFT'S LIBRARY. boards. It is the first edition of "The White Doe of Kyl- stone," by Wordsworth. It contains several emendations of the text in the author's own writing, evidently prepara- tory to a new edition ; and the changes in some instances extend to a whole line. Upon a blank leaf is written in Wordsworth's autograph — " Charles Lamb from Wm. Wordsworth," and directly beneath, in the neat characters of Lamb — " From C. L. to E. W.," — the book having been presented by Lamb to Edwin White, a fellow clerk of his in the India House. In looking at this volume, one feels, almost, as if he were being introduced to Wordsworth and Lamb, for, as Southey says in speaking of the authors and annotators of books, " you are brought into a more personal relation with them when you see the page upon which you know that their eyes have rested, and the very characters which their hands have traced." " England's Helicon," " A hundredth good points of husbandrie, set forth by Thomas Tusser, Gentleman," and "The Paradise of Uayntie Devises," all reprints by Sir Eger- ton Brydges, are specially interesting. These two volumes belonged to Joseph Haslewood, who asisted Sir Egerton Brydges in editing them, and he has enriched them with a multitude of manuscript notes, printed copies of rare poems, some of them on vellum, and several autograph MR. R. C. TAFT'S LIBRARY. 161 letters, among them one from George Steevens, and one from Henry Ellis. Mr. Taft's love of the beautiful is clearly indicated by his appreciation of flowers, and on entering the library one is impressed with the fullness and richness of its botanical department. Here are several hundred of the most elegant and expensive works on botany extant : they are profusely illustrated with colored engravings, some of them colored by hand. This department is specially strong in books relating to orchids, or orchidaceous plants. Surely he whose enthusiasm for flowers and botany could lead him to make such a collection, can truly say with the poet, — "Your voiceless lips, O flowers, are living preachers, Each cup a pulpit, — every leaf a book, Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers, From loneliest nook." The books in this library would clearly not have answered for Dr. Johnson, who had a ragged regiment for general use, and who tossed well bound volumes about with savage carelessness. He even complained, when he bor- rowed a book from Steevens, that it was too well bound. On the other hand, Gibbon, the historian, was very particu- lar about his books, and the rich bindings and choice edi- tions of this collection would have gladdened his eyes and delighted his heart. If Charles Lamb had loaned such 162 MB. B. C. TAFT'IS LIB BABY. books as these to Coleridge we doubt if that inveterate bor- rower would have had the heart to write upon their fair margins, so as to have rendered such a deprecatory message as this necessary: — "I shall die soon, my dear Charles Lamb, and then you will not be vexed that I have be-scrib- bled your book. S. T. C. 2d May, 1811." It is pleasant to find a man actively engaged in large and successful enterprises, who can turn aside from manu- factures and trade, to indulge in the quiet pleasures of lite- rature. Whether one's business is the acquisition of power or the acquisition of wealth, he who neglects all resources for hours of recreation, will, sooner or later, learn his error with bitter regret. This passage from the third volume of Prescott's Charles the Fifth, referring to that monarch after his abdication from the throne, and his retirement to the monastery of Yuste, will illustrate our meaning: — " Charles had brought but a meagre array of books to adorn his shelves at Yuste. He was never a great reader. His life had been too busy to allow the leisure for it. It was his misfortune in his youth not to have acquired a fondness for books, — that best source of enjoyment in prosperity, as it is the unfailing solace in the hour of trouble." ME. ALEXANDER EARNUM'S LIBRARY. MR. ALEXANDER FARNUM'S LIBRARY. — Well read in poetry, And other books,— good ones, I warrant ye. Taming of the Shrew. We have somewhere read the story of an old Koman, who expended vast sums in purchasing a household of learned slaves. He wished to have the best poets and the best historians in living editions. One servant recited the whole of the Iliad : another chanted the Odes of Pindar : every standard author had its living representative. The library of Mr. Farnum reminds one of the household of the Koman, though happily the mortal edition of the ancient is replaced by the immortal offspring of the genius of Guten- berg. They certainly resemble each other in the posses- sion of the best poets and historians in the best editions, and in every standard author having a representative. This attractive collection contains about four thousand five hundred volumes, and is largely composed of classical 20 166 ME. FABNU3PS LIB BABY. English literature, wherein it is unsurpassed in this vicinity. Among its strong points are the drama, emhracing the major and minor dramatists from Shakespeare down, the British poets, general history, bibliography, antiquarian works, especially of the Elizabethan age, literary history, and books on the fine arts. Wood engraving has some particularly fine representatives. Every book in the library, almost without exception, is the very best edition ever issued, in whatever form that may be ; and of works of an important character, of which several approved editions exist, the best are usually to be found among its treasures. For example, there are about twenty editions of Shake- speare, from Halliwell's folio to Pickering's diminutive Dia- mond. Milton is also represented in several of the choicest editions, from that of John Baskerville to that of William Pickering. When we say best editions, we do not always mean the most rare and costly, like the first four folios of Shakespeare, or the original issues of Milton ; but we apply the term to the most choice and elegant editions for critical use, as indicated by the examples we have given. Some of the books are most daintily gotten up, and about eight hun- dred volumes are large paper copies and limited editions. In one case only five copies were issued of a work in the style of the copy in Mr. Farnum's possession ; of another but twelve ; of several others twenty-five, fifty, and so on, the case may be. MB. FABXU3PS LIB BABY. 167 To cull out some of the choicest specimens of this library will be our endeavor ; though, in attempting to do so, one feels like saying with the aged Dryden, — "Thoughts come crowding in so fast upon me that the only difficulty is to choose or to reject." Mr. Farnum's copy of Dibdin's bibliographical works, of which some of the volumes are unique, is, unquestion- ably, one of the finest in existence. With the exception of the Spenceriana, and Althorpianae, all the important vol- umes are on large paper. The copy of the Typographical Antiquities (one of sixty-six printed on large paper), is uncut, and bound in half vellum; while uniform with it are two volumes deserving special mention. One of these vol- umes comprises the first six signatures of the Typographical Antiquities printed on vellum, and intended for the Earl Spencer, Dibdin's patron. These signatures belonged to William Savage, the printer, and, according to the title- page, formed " The only portion, and only copy that was printed on vellum." Though Dibdin's excuse for not com- pleting the copy was the difficulty in working on vellum, yet we suspect that the real reason was the expense. In the early stages of the undertaking, as appears by a note in Mr. Farnum's possession, Dibdin wrote to Savage as fol- lows :— " I am much pleased with what you have sent me : the vellum has a glorious look, and, if you exert all the 168 MB. FAB1S! UJSP S LIB BABY. talent which appears in the specimen, we shall make a magnificent book of the vellum copy." In a subsequent note to Savage, likewise in Mr. Farnum's possession, he wrote : — "I give up the vellum copy not from a supposition of your want of skill to execute it, but from various causes which I will state hereafter. We shall now go on more smoothly." Long after he had abandoned the copy he referred to these signatures in a foot-note to his Biblioma- nia, more harshly, it seems to us, than the truth justified ; for, notwithstanding what he had written to Savage, he spoke of them as follows: — "The censure which is here thrown out upon others reaches my own doors : for I attempted to execute a single copy of my Typographical Antiquities upon vellum, with every possible attention to printing and to the material upon which it was to be exe- cuted. But I failed in every point ; and this single wretched looking book, had I persevered in executing my design, would have cost me about seventy-five guineas!"* * Another of Dibdin's autograph letters in Mr. Farnum's possession, is interesting because of the references in it to his own works, and especially to his Reminiscen- ces of a Literary Life, then about to be published. It is addressed to Ithuriel Towne of New York, who had paid sixty guineas for an illustrated Bibliomania, alluded to in a foot-note to the first vol- ume of the Reminiscences, and which sold for $720 at the John Allan sale in 1864. The letter is as follows :— "7 Wyndham St., Bryanston Sqr., April 3, 1835. Dear Sir: I beg you to accept my very best thanks for all the kind and all the honourable testimonies contained in your letter of MB. FABNU3PS LIB BABY. 169 Mr. Farnum's Dibdin comprises forty-six volumes. His large paper copy of Reminiscences of a Literary Life contains the rare Index, likewise on large paper, notwith- standing the statement in the Hosmer Catalogue that it was 44 only printed on small paper." f One of Mr. Farnum's copies of the Tour in France and Germany, the second edi- February last, in favor of my humble lucubrations. That they have afforded you a rational gratification, is matter of sincere pleasure to their author. Will you, however, forgive my remark- ing that you ai-e much behind hand in your number of the volumes which have issued from the same prolific pen ? But to that gallantry of spirit which hesitates not to sacrifice 60 guineas for an illustrated copy of the Bibliomania upon large paper, everything is obtainable. Go on, dear Sir, and put the finishing stroke to your spirit of courageous enterprise. Possess the Decameron (the most beautiful, as Mr. Adlard will tell you, of all bibliographical books), the Tour, the Spencer Library, and above all, for utility, the Library Com- panion. As to the small rarer pieces I will confer with your honest agent, Mr. Evans, and, together, we must get them at rea- sonable prices. The Typographical Antiq- uities in 4 vols, is reasonable and com- mon — as an unfinished work. I transmit you a notice of a new work — in which you will observe your name to be down — from authority; but I will be frank and tell you, that 1 have reserved for you a large paper copy — £10, 10 — subject to your rejection or possession. 'Twill be an immensely scarce work; and perhaps my last performance. And now allow me to thank you, which I do very sincerely, for the splendid and acceptable present of the proofs of your countrymen's skill in the art of engraving. The specimens are most creditable to them. In return as soon as the "Kemi- niscences" are published, in September, I will send you a copy of my Lent Lect- ures on large paper, of which I shall beg your acceptance. Your country is a young country but the infant is Hercules. Farewell dear Sir, and accept the assurance of my respect and esteem. Very much and truly, T. F. DIBDIN." t The Catalogue of the Library of Zelotes Hosmer, prepared for the sale which took place in 1861, contained this note to a large paper copy of Dibdin's Reminiscen- ces of a Literary Life, (Lot No. 301): ♦'Containing the Index, very rare, and only printed on small paper. This is inlaid and bound with the large paper copy; also a long letter to Dawson Tur- ner, whose copy this was." 170 MB. FABXU3PS LIB BABY. tion, published in three volumes, has been extended to eight by inserted illustrations, amongst which are a remark- able number of rare portraits and curious old views of places. One of his copies of the Bibliographical Decame- ron contains the ebony-spectacle portrait of Tom Payne, of which only twenty-five were printed. It likewise contains one of the prints of Diana of Poictiers, the plate having been destroyed after seventy-five impressions had been taken off. "I learn," says Dibdin in a foot-note to his Reminiscences, "that 3/. 13^. 6d. has been given for a single impression of this most original and fascinating portrait." But by far the most valuable of this fine set of Dibdin is a unique copy, of which we have not yet spoken. Dibdin projected a " Dis- quisition on Early Engraving and Ornamental Printing," and though he never got so far as the actual composition of the work, still, with the assistance of Savage, the printer, he gathered much material for it in the form of a collection of numerous title-pages of early printers and many wood engravings. Among its artistic treasures Germany is rep- resented by Albert Durer, Hans Burgkmair, Lucas Cranach, Hans Schaeuflein, Henry Voghter, James Kobel, Gabriel Schnellbotz, Louis Businck, and others ; Holland and the Low Countries by John Walther van Assen, Henry Goltzius, Abraham Bloemaert, Anthony Sallaerts, and Chris- topher van Sichem; — but it is idle to attempt to enumerate MB. FABNUM'S LIB BABY. 171 the artists whose cuts Dibdin had gathered together for the purpose of illustrating his work. Suffice it to say that the collection includes cuts of many of the most famous wood engravers from the time of Albert Durer to that of Thomas Bewick. The whole, constituting a most remarkable collec- tion, are mounted, or inlaid, in a folio volume. This inter- esting volume has been inspected by various engravers of this country, and has awakened much interest. It is a matter of surprise that the rich and appreciative collectors of literary rarities in England allowed it to cross the Atlantic. Of kindred character to the last volume is another col- lection of wood-cuts by Durer, Burgkmair, and many other old masters. It came from the John Allan sale, and among its stores is a chiaro-scuro engraving on wood, less than eleven by seven inches square, of which, or of a copy exactly like which, Jackson in his Treatise on Wood Engraving thus speaks : — 44 1 have, however, seen one Ger- man cut executed in this style, with the date 1543, which for the number of the blocks from which it is printed, and the delicacy of the impression in certain parts, is, if genu- ine, one of the most remarkable of that period The subject is a figure of Christ ; in his left hand he holds an orb emblematic of his power, while the right is elevated as in the act of pronouncing a benediction 172 MR. FARNUM'S LIBRARY. The drawing of the figure of Christ is very much in the style of Lucas Cranach, and I am strongly inclined to think that the original painting or drawing was executed by him, whoever may have been the engraver. There must have been at least ten blocks required for this curious print, which, for clearness and distinctness in the colours, and for delicacy of impression, more especially in the face, may challenge a comparison not only with the finest chiaro- scuros of former times, but also with the best specimens of colored block-printing of the present day." The water mark of Mr. Farnum's print contains the name of HOSER, but we have not been able to find any trace of such a paper maker. In the bibliographical department of this library are to be found a beautiful copy of Brydge's scarce works in twenty volumes ; the Manuals of Brunet, and of Home, on large paper ; the Bibliotheca Anglo Poetica, also on large paper, and extensively illustrated by the insertion of many rare portraits ; together with many other valuable works. A hap-hazard selection of a dozen or more works for mention will, at least, give a fair illustration of this collec- tion. The Harleian Miscellany, in ten quartos, is from Rufus Choate's library, bearing his autograph on a fly leaf : Somers' Tracts in thirteen volumes is uniform with it in size. The first twelve volumes of the Septimus Prowett MB. FARNUJSPS LIB11AR Y. 173 edition of Dodsley's Old Plays are on large paper, and the thirteenth has been stilted to match * Pickering's Prayer Book, in seven folios, shows all the changes from the Prayer Book of Edward VI., to the present time. Aris- totle's Works translated by Thomas Taylor, in ten quartos, forms, according to Brunet, the only uniform edition of Aristotle's complete works in any language. Ritson's antiquarian works, in forty volumes, bound in tree calf by Riviere, contains all the cancelled leaves and suppressed passages. Yarreli's Birds, the largest size, in six imperial octavos, only fifty copies of that size having been issued, and his Fishes, the second size, are full of beautiful wood- cuts. Mr. Farnum was one of the original sixteen Ameri- can subscribers to Halliwell's folio Shakespeare, illustrated by Fairholt, in sixteen volumes, of which there were but one hundred and fifty copies printed. This is one of the * It is vei'y difficult to pick up a perfect large paper copy of the edition of Dods- ley's Old Plays in twelve volumes, pub- lished by Septimus Prowett in 1825-27, with a supplemental volume issued by William Pickering in 1833. One reason is that, after it had become scarce, extra sets were made up, as far as possible, from sheets left over, lacking signatures being supplied by printing new ones, which but imperfectly matched the origi- nal. Another reason is that the time of issuing the set stretched over several years. Mr. Farnum in making up his set 21 collected no less than three different copies before securing a perfect one. The writer experienced almost as much diffi- culty in making up an uncut copy on small paper. This edition will probably always continue to be highly prized. The edition recently issued, and edited by Hazlitt, will scarcely supplant it as Mr. Hazlitt has omitted some plays that have recently appeared in the collected works of their authors, but which are to be found in the Prowett edition : he has also added some plays not to be found in Dodsley. 174 JIB. FABNUM'S LIB BABY. best specimens of printing of modern times, being all worked by hand, and on paper which is superb. Large paper copies, like the one in this library, of Dr. Grey's edition of Hudibras, published at Cambridge in 1744, are, according to the Bibliotheca Anglo Poetica, of rare occur- rence ; and Dr. Dibdin says only twelve were issued in that style.* The copy of the London edition of Hudibras here, published in 1819, contains the plates engraved for the work as additional illustrations ; and they are printed in colors in a very remarkable way, and are very elegant. There are works of marvellous beauty here, containing specimens of illumination and decoration of the middle ages. Of this class is Silvestre's Universal Paleography, or facsimiles of writing of all nations and periods, in two elegant folios. f They are gorgeous volumes, and have the reputation of being some of the finest books ever issued. *The statement in the text is, perhaps, a little too unqualified. Dibilin's exact lan- guage in a note to the Library Compan- ion in regard to large paper copies of Grey's edition of Hudibras, is as follows :— " On large paper, it is said, only 12 copies were struck off; but I have my doubts on this head, as it is not an uncommon book, and 100 copies were subscribed for. Do I deceive myself in the supposition that I have seen more than a dozen of copies? Be that as it may, I find such a copy, bound by Roger Payne in red morocco, selling for lil. 14s., at the sale of Colonel Stanley's library; and a similar one — 'very fine copy, old red morocco, borders of gold,' (inviting description !) marked at 121. 12s., in the catalogue of Messrs. Payne and Foss. It may be necessary to state, that the plates in this edition are from the very humorous pencil of Hogarth,"— etc. tThe two smaller volumes of text, of course, accompany the folio illustrations. 3IB. FABNUM'S LIB BAB Y. 175 Not unlike in character are the original edition of Le Moyen Age by Lacroix, and Shaw's books relating to the middle ages on large paper, viz. : Illuminated Ornaments ; Dresses and Decorations ; Decorative Arts, Ecclesiastical and Civil, etc. The attractiveness of this style of works, by reproduc- ing the ornamentation of even old books alone, whether of letter or illustration, can well be understood by those not familiar with them by the following, which we take from an English writer, who, in speaking of a Gothic story of the fourteenth century, " before the press vulgarized won- ders," thus describes the class to which it belonged: — " The scribe, the artist, and the binder, lavished their time and skill. Six years were not unfrequently spent upon the internal decorations. The margin, in the place of canvas, was enriched with portraits, magnificent dresses, flowers and fruits. Letters of silver shone on a purple ground. Golden roses studded a covering of crimson velvet ; the clasps of precious metal, richly chased, shut up the adven- turous knights and the radiant damsels in their splendid home." There are also illustrated books in profusion, and all superb. Among works with fine plates are Lodge's Por- traits, Houbraken's Heads, and Woodburn's Gallery of Bare Portraits, all in folio ; then too, there is an original Hogarth from the library of David Roberts, the painter, in 176 MB. FABNU3PS LIB BAB Y. elephant folio ; and, of like size, Westwood's Miniatures and Ornaments of Anglo Saxon and Irish Manuscripts. A collection of over seventeen hundred plates of Bartolozzi, the celebrated Florentine designer and engraver, in five elephant folios, is undoubtedly one of the finest testimonials to this artist's genius ever formed. Among its treasures are numerous engraver's proofs, comprising several series of impressions from a number of the plates, showing the progress of the artist's work from the etching to the finished print. Books illustrated with inserted plates are likewise to be found in Mr. Farnum's library. Of this character are Irving's Washington ; Dunlap's History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts of Design in the United States, extended from two to four volumes ; Rogers' Pleasures of Memory, and Cowper's Task, both inlaid to quarto size, magnificently illustrated with many proofs and autograph letters, and richly bound ; and numerous other works. Eastlake's Material for a History of Oil Painting, besides its inserted illustrations, contains five original drawings by Eastlake. Four of them are in colors, being copies of frescoes made by the artist during his travels in Italy : the other is a sheet of studies in pencil and pen drawing. These were bought at a sale of the artist's effects, and were guaranteed by Lady Eastlake to be the work of her hus- band. MB. FABNUM'S L1BBABY. 177 The last volume we shall mention, will be Byron's English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, inlaid to folio size. It was gotten up by William Upcott, a man famous in Eng- land for his love of literary rarities. It afterwards belonged to John Allan of New York, likewise noted for his fine books, and by him it was considered one of his choicest gems. It contains one hundred and forty-five inserted por- traits, mostly proofs, and numerous landscape plates. Besides the autographs of Lord and Lady Byron, the Earl of Carlisle, Lord Aberdeen, Lady Holland, the graceful mistress of Holland House, and numerous other illustrious personages, there are in it original letters of Wordsworth, Lamb, Sydney Smith, Fox, Rogers, Gifford, R. P. Knight, Montgomery, William Cobbett, William Miller, Richard Cumberland, John Murray, the senior, Lord Hervey, reporting the sale of his South Sea stock, the Duke of Portland, and others. Charles Lamb's letter to Mr. J. Oilier contains this characteristic sentence : — "It is enough once for all to assure you, that I never could succeed in anything proposed to me to do, and I wont strive against my poor obstinate grain." It concludes equally character- istically, thus: — "Yours and your brother's, C. Lamb." No wonder its respective owners have regarded this book as a prize. That Mr. Farnum is an extremely careful student of 178 MB. FABNUM'S LIB BABY. bibliography the collection, of which we have given so imperfect a sketch, fully attests. Every author, ancient or modern, that Mr. Farnum has chosen to place upon his shelves, has been placed there at his very best. In his library, bibliographically speaking, there are no mistakes. We think we may, with great propriety, apply to Mr. Far- num's knowledge of books and book-collecting, as well as to his other literary attainments, the well known lines of the poet, — "What the child admired, The youth endeavoured, and the man acquired.' 1 ME. 0. FISKE HARRIS 1 LIB RAE Y. MR. C. FISKE HARRIS 1 LIBRARY. We love the page that draws its flavour From Draftsman, Etcher, and Engraver. BiBLIOSOPHIA. One's first impression of Mr. Harris' collection brings to mind a saying about De Quincey and his books. De Quincey disdained, it is said, to have his books on shelves, as we usually see them in well ordered libraries, but he spread them about promiscuously, often keeping his choicest volumes in the family wash-tub. Go where you will in Mr. Harris' house, you will find books. They long ago overflowed the library proper : they have colonized in the parlor in ornate dwarf-cases ; while up-stairs they have made a bolder stand. On the second floor high cases extend around three sides of a large room, a spacious closet out of it being devoted to engravings. The third story seems quite given up to books, as several rooms, over-run with them, testify. They stand upon shelves : they are 182 MR. HARRIS' LIBRARY. stacked in piles : they are packed in trunks and boxes : they are shut up in closets : they are bundled up in paper : they are huddled on the floor. More than eight thou- sand volumes, we should judge, have been accommodated in this promiscuous manner, besides a host of pamphlets. The engravings, whether bound or in portfolios, are exceptionally fine. A few are framed and hang upon the walls, but the bulk are in portfolios piled together on shelves and tables. Trial proofs in different states and early impressions abound. The old masters are well repre- sented by choice examples of Albert Durer, Rembrandt, and others, both German and Italian ; but the strength of the collection is in the modern school, containing, as it does, the chefs d'ceuvre of Miiller, Toschi, Raphael Morghen, Longhi, and of many other engravers equally famous. One of the curiosities of this part of the collection is the Order Book for Raphael Morghen's celebrated print of 4 The Transfiguration.' It is a record, kept in the engraver's own hand, of the names of the original subscribers to the six hundred numbered impressions. Among them a single American name appears, — that of "Joseph Allen Smith of Carolina in America." Mr. Harris' copy is No. 3, and has, as have all the subscription copies, the stamp of the engraver and his autograph signature. Mr. Harris has, of the same print, the original etching, and one or two MR. HARRIS* LIBRARY. 183 engraver's proofs representing different states of the unfin- ished plate. He has also a large number of Raphael Mor- ghen's other engravings, many of them proofs before letter, and likewise several of the original copper-plates ; one of which is just as it left the engraver's hand, never having been retouched. Of modern engravings the most noteworthy, however, are five impressions, representing so many different states of the plate, of Muller's Sistine Madonna: — as a series believed to be unique. First is the original etching ; next the engraver's proof after he had worked upon the plate four years ; third is a similar proof after he had worked upon it six years ; then comes a proof before letters, so called, on India paper, with a single line of inscription in open cursive letters, of which only twenty-two were printed ; and finally an impression before retouch from the finished plate. Mr. Thies, in his catalogue of the Gray col- lection, notes that a proof on India paper, like the one above mentioned, was sold in 1866 for seven hundred and forty thalers, and another at Dresden, in the following year, for eight hundred thalers; a thaler at that time being equivalent to a dollar in our currency.* The only other *Much has been written about this famous engraver and his masterpiece, which, it is believed, is without founda- tion. Of this character is the following 22 statement copied from Maberly's Print Collector :— " When Ferdinand Muller, at " Dresden, brought home to his employer, " Rittner, the publisher, the first proof of 184 MR. HARRIS 1 LIBRARY. engravings of this greatest picture of Raphael, worthy of consideration, are Steinla's and Desnoyers'. They are both in this collection, one an artist's proof, and the other a proof before letters. Among the noticeable folios of rare prints are volumes containing complete sets, or nearly so, of the etchings of «• his beautiful engraving of the ' Madonna " (U S. Sisto,' the mercantile man shook " his head, and told the artist that he must •' go over the whole of the plate again, and " retouch it throughout, for that such deli- " cate work would not throw off a suffi- '• cient number of impressions to answer ••the trade purposes; Miiller's remon- " strances were in vain, and he was com- "pelled to re-work his plate: at every '•touch he felt that he was sacrificing "genius to gain; he completed the labor •' imposed upon him, but did not live to " see a print taken off; he sunk under the '• dispiriting task, fell a victim to the vex- "ation, and died broken-hearted, on the " very day, as happened, on which the •'first proof impression of the retouched " plate was rolled off at Paris.*' During the latter part of Rittner's life Mr. Ernst Arnold of Dresden was inti- mately associated with him, and, at his death, succeeded to his business. From Arnold, or from Rittner's family through Arnold's instrumentality, Mr. Harris pro- cured the series of impressions referred to in the text, and he likewise procured from Arnold much valuable information, both verbal and written, relating to the engraver. Mr. Arnold's manuscript, dated December 6, 1867, is now before us, and from it the following facts are gleaned. The sum agreed on between Miiller and Rittner for engraving the plate, was so extremely low, that, as years went on, it was increased to seven thousand thalers, or three times the original contract price. The work was so long in hand that pay- ments were required on account, and hence, from time to time, impressions were taken from the plate to show Rittner the progress made, whereupon the money was advanced; and it is these engraver's proofs that Mr. Harris possesses. Inas- much as an engraving of this picture had already been made by Professor Schulze and been published by the Dresden Gal- lery under Government patronage, it was feared that the Royal permission to allow another engraving of it to be made, could not be obtained; hence the first steps in Miiller's great work were taken with extreme caution . The very drawing from which the engraver worked was secretly made by Professor Seidelmann, the then custodian of the Gallery, and, to shield himself, was attributed to his wife and passed under her name. From the first MB. HARE IS' LIBRARY. 185 Waterloo, and of Salvator Rosa, and a volume containing a set of Hogarth's engravings, comprising eighty-four prints, all early impressions, and many of them proofs before letter, or engraver's proofs. They consist of the eighty engravings, with four others not usually included in the set, which Mrs. Hogarth in 1768, after her husband's death, the engraver threw his whole soul into the work, and, as it approached comple- tion, being uncertain about the drawing from which he worked, was very desirous of making a retouch of the most impor- tant parts of his plate from the painting itself. The events which ejected the King of Saxony from his capital allowed Midler the coveted opportunity ; and the heads of the Madonna and Child, being unsatisfac- tory to him, were effaced and engraved anew. The printing of the engraver's proofs, which were taken by different German printers while the work was in progress, was not in any case satisfactory. Accordingly, when the plate was finished in 1816, Mr. Rittner sent it to Paris to be printed, and by his order one hundred proof impressions, with a single line of description, were first taken from it. Twenty-two of these were on India paper, one of which Mr. Rittner selected as a present for his wife. This impression Mr. Harris procured from Rittner's family in 1867. It bears on its margin Mr. Rittner's manuscript dedication to his wife in these words: — fur meine libe frau, Sophia Ritt- ner— (for my beloved wife Sophia Ritt- ner). The proofs on white paper were unfortunate^ printed too dark, produc- ing an effect out of harmony with the character of the painting; but in the India proofs the color was softened and toned down, thus giving to these impressions a fine and perfectly saticfactory representa- tion. The first twelve prints with letters were likewise on India paper, and are now esteemed almost as highly as the proof impressions. Of the one hundred proofs fifty-seven were subscribed for in Germany, and during a trip to London and Paris three were sold in each city. The remaining thirty-seven were dis- posed of to Mr. Salmon at Paris, who advanced the price to one thousand francs the day after his purchase. In 1818 the plate was first retouched by Bervic : sub. sequently, to quote Arnold's own words, " Mr. Desnoyers made a full retouch with loss of the finer parts of it, and, since this, several inferior artists have spoiled every good part in it." Miiller died just before the first proof arrived from Paris, and Bryan, in his Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, says that, after its arrival, it was suspended over the head of his bier as he lay dead. 186 MR. HARRIS' LIBRARY. advertised might be had of her at her house in Leicester Fields. Equally worthy of notice are two atlas folios presented by Sir Robert Strange to a former owner, and containing an original copy of Sir Robert's own works, con- sisting of "A Collection of Historical Prints engraved from pictures by the most celebrated Painters of the Roman, Florentine, Lombard, Venetian, and other Schools: with descriptive remarks on the same." The artist, from time to time, as he engraved them, laid aside eighty copies each, of selected proofs, of fifty of his most considerable works, and in 1790, near the end of his career, caused them to be bound with letter-press descriptions. f Many of these copies have since been cut up and the prints sold separately, so that complete sets, in the original state, are now rarely to fSir Robert Strange's own words can hardly fail to interest the reader. In the ' Introduction' to his engraved works, he says:— ''To come, lastly, to a con- sideration of the Impressions, not the least important in a collection of this kind, the whole publication consists but of about four score copies of choice and selected impressions of each print, form- ing so many volumes, which the Author had carefully preserved of all he had engraved, and which have, from length of time, acquired a peculiar beauty, mellow- ness, and brilliancy, that is easier seen than described. From his earliest estab- lishment in life, he preserved sucn a series, with a view of giving them to the Public, at a period when length of years should disable him from adding to their number. That period being now arrived ; and the publication of these prints, pre- ceded by some account of the pictures from which they were taken, constitut- ing the present volume, terminates his labours: nor can he fear to be charged with vanity, if. in the eve of a life, consumed in the study of the Arts, he indulges the pride to think, that he may, by this monument of his Works, secure to his name, while engraving shall last, the praise of having contributed to its credit and advancement." 3IR. HARRIS' LIBRARY. 187 be met with. It is not surprising, therefore, that frauds are perpetrated in imitation of so important a work. Impres- sions from the worn and retouched plates have recently been bound up by a London dealer, with an imitated reprint of the letter-press, and palmed off on unwary purchasers as originals. The false is, however, easily distinguished from the genuine issue. In the genuine copies the prints are all numbered with Roman numerals, which are wanting in the imitation. The original issue of the first print con- tains two impressions of the head of Sir Robert Strange on the same sheet, the upper one being an etching, and the lower one an impression from the finished plate. The imitation has only the latter, for, the plate being then finished, it was impossible to reproduce the etching. Other differences might be pointed out, but these are sufficient to put print collectors on their guard. Many copies of this spurious edition have, within the last few years, been sent to this country duty free, under the pretext that they were printed prior to 1800. Had the inspector of customs been sharp, however, he would easily have exposed the fraud. By holding up to the light a sheet of the letter-press, the recently manufactured paper would have shown him, in its water-mark, a date later than 1870. The inseparable connection between art and literature is well illustrated by the books produced before printing 188 MR. HARRIS' LIBRARY. was invented. Artists were not unfrequently called npon to illuminate highly prized volumes ; and missals, especially, were often ornamented in the most elaborate manner. Mr. Harris possesses several of these choice little volumes, one of which is quite remarkable. It contains a large number of illuminated initials, and seventeen miniatures, beautifully executed, nearly all of them bearing the initials, "N. G." It was illuminated for the Elector of Mayence by Nicholas Glockenton, a pupil of Albert Durer ; and one of the minia- tures is said to be the work of Albert Durer himself. This missal was presented to the Emperor Rudolph II., of Austria, who in turn gave it to the Chevalier Shonfeld, of Vienna, from one of whose descendants it passed, through the hands of a dealer, into the possession of its present owner. Another manuscript on vellum in this collection bears the date of 1297. An important class of books, and one specially attract- ive to those interested in typography, dates back to the first century of printing and immediately follows the period of manuscripts, of which we have been speaking ; the connect- ing link being Block-Books, of which specimens are exceedingly rare. Here is a volume — Ludovici Pontani de Roma Singular ia Juris, et Pit II. Tractatus et Epitaphia — one of the veriest aristocrats of typography. It was for- merly in the Enschede collection. It is nearly uncut, and MB. HA B BIS' LIB BABY. 189 is the only perfect copy of the four known to be extant. It has sixty leaves, of which the first is blank, and is the identical copy described in Holtrop's Monumens Typography iques, where facsimiles and an extended account of it are given. A description of the book may also be found in the Principia Typographica of Sotheby, who gives facsimiles from the copy in the Earl Spencer's library. The Spencer copy lacks the blank leaf, as does also a copy in the Royal Library at the Hague. A fourth copy, some time since in the hands of a dealer, and now supposed to be in the British Museum, wants the last leaf. The book is without date, place of publication, or printer's name, but, without doubt, was printed in the Netherlands about the year 1470. Another typographical rarity is Otto van Passau's Boeck des Gulden Throens — (Book of the Golden Throne) — a fine specimen of the unknown printer, who is distin- guished by the initials, "G. t." This is likewise described by Holtrop, who, in his Monumens Typographiques , gives fac- similes of its curious wood-cuts. It was printed at Utrecht, in 1480, and is a fine illustration of the state of the art in those early days of typography. Still another work purchased by Mr. Harris at the Enschede sale, is a copy of the first edition of the Hypne- rotomachia, printed by Aldus in 1499. A few words from Humphreys respecting this book, may not be amiss. "The 190 MB. HARRIS'' LIBRARY. works of the Aldi," says Humphreys, " though so remarka- ble in other respects, are seldom of a highly decorative character, in regard either to illustrations or decorative ornamentation, with, however, one very remarkable excep- tion — that of the 4 Hypnerotomachia,' printed in 1499. This work, which is a very singular literary production, professes to describe the combats and trials of Love, as seen in a dream, in the description of which many kinds of learning, romance, arclneology, and science (as then known) are brought into play, and frequently in a somewhat hetero- geneous manner. The pictorial illustrations of this work, which are very profuse, and often accompanied by beautiful arabesque borde rings, are said by some to be by Andrea Mantegna. Ottley thought them by Benedetto Mantegna ; while some have attributed them to Raphael, whose pencil they would scarcely discredit. It will, however, be more prudent, unless some further information should be obtained, to consider them the work of an (at present) unknown artist. . . . The real author . . . was a Colonna, and not Poliphilo, as stated, which is an assumed name." A curious little book is one purporting, to be by Caius Plinius Secundus, giving brief sketches of the lives of distinguished men. It is in Latin, in black letter, and was printed in Home, in 1492, by Stephanus Planck. But one MR. HA RRIS ' LIBRAE Y. 191 must not linger too long, even on the most congenial themes, though no mention has yet been made of Boccace's De la Genealogie des Dieux, printed by Verard in 1498, nor of numerous other Fifteeners, as these fifteenth century books are sometimes called. Before leaving the early printing and wood engraving of this collection, for they are inseparably connected, we should not omit mention of an original copy of Albert Durer's "Life of the Virgin," in twenty cuts, nor of a book issued in the Sixteenth century, filled with wood-cuts by Hans Sebald Beham, a German engraver on copper and wood, who is classed by collectors among what are denominated the little masters* Here too are various edi- tions of Holbein's " Dance of Death," and of his " Illustra- * Bryan, in his Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, in speaking of Beham, says the little masters are so denominated "on account of their prints being gene- rally small." May it not he, however, that having been pupils of Albert Durer, or at least under his influence at Nurnherg, they were so classified because he was the Mas- ter of Nurnberg, or the Great Master, and they in contradistinction were termed the Little Masters ? Mr. William B. Scott, in his interesting Life and Works of Albert Durer, says :— •'The term 'Little Masters' is, correctly speaking, limited to the Nurnberg set, and comprises only these seven :— 23 Born. Died. A. Altdorfer, . 1488 1540. H. Aldegrever, . . 1502 1555-R5. Bartel Beham, . . 1504 1540. H. Sebald Beham, . 1500 1550. George Pensz, . . 1500 1555. Jacob Bink, . Hans Brosamer, All of them born in Nurnberg, or repair- ing thither to pursue their art for a time, then leaving for various countries. I think it is not too much to suppose the presence of the Master the reason for this extraordinary gathering of talent. We see the subjects treated have a common character, and in many instances are traceable to the Durer influence, although 192 MR. HARRIS' LIBRARY. tions of the Old Testament." The most important of the latter is the edition of 1549, it being the first edition issued with an English version of the descriptive text. It is so exceedingly curious and rare — according to Brunet, rarer than all other editions — that the exact title may interest the reader. It is as follows: — "The Images of the Old Testament, Lately expressed, set forthe in Ynglishe and Frenche, vuith a playn and brief exposition. Printid at Lyons, by Iohan Frellon, the yere of our lord God, 1549." One of the passages of Scripture, extracted from this book, will doubtless cause the reader to agree with Dr. Dibdin in the opinion that "it is clear that the Author of this English version was a Foreigner? The following quaint translation elucidates the third cut in the volume: — "Vuhen Adam and Heua dyd atknolege thor syn, they dyd fie from the face of God, and ar obiected vnto deth. Cherubim is seth that of Burgkmair also is apparent. . . . Aldegrever was a Westphalian, and of him we may say with certainty that he was Durer's pupil. The works of this artist are such as show him to have been a man of quite extraordinary powers, not a 'Little' hut a 'great master,' realising Bible histories like a poet. . . . Next in invention and power of hand to Hem-y Aldegrever is H. Sebald Beham, who is said to have learned engraving from Bar- tel, who was however his junior; and also to have studied under Durer. Certainly Sebald's manner is more resembling Durer's than that of any other of these little masters, even Aldegrever." However small the plates of the little masters may have been, some of their blocks were far from diminutive. Dr. Willshire in his Introduction to the Study and Collection of Ancient Prints, Second Edition, says,— " II. S. Beham cut some very large single blocks, and in Derschau's work may be seen a cut engraved in 1525, which is more than 34 inches high by 24 wide, and executed in a style as bold and free as its size demanded." MB. HABBIS' LIB BABY. 193 lefore paradise of pleasur vuyth a fyrey svuord." (When Adam and Eve did acknowledge their sin, they did flee from the face of God, and are subjected unto death. Cherubim is set before Paradise of pleasure with a fiery sword). In this library early editions of the English poets and dramatists abound. Here are two little books daintily bound by Bedford in blue wrinkled morocco : they are Painters Palace of Pleasure, and, as the title-pages tell us, were " Imprinted at London in Fletestreate neare to S. Dunstones Church by Thomas Marshe," in 1569. " The pleasauntest workes of George Gascoigne Esquyre: Newlye compyled into one Volume," printed in 1587, in black letter, is a rare book of poetry. It is bound by Hayday, and was presented in 1770, as an autograph inscription on the fly leaf indicates, to the Rev. Thomas Warton, the author of the His- tory of English Poetry, by Dr. "Warburton, Bishop of Glou- cester. Here are the first two editions of Spenser's Faerie Queene, printed in 1590 and 1596, as well as Spenser's other works in first editions. Other rare books are the Ship of Fools, folio edition of 1570 ; the Mirrour for Magis- trates, the edition of 1610, a copy containing the " elegant sonnet " which the Bibliotheca Anglo Poetica says " occurs only in a few T copies;" the first edition of Ben Jonson's Works issued in 1616 ; and the first collected edition of Beaumont and Fletcher, a folio printed in 1647. Then 194 MR. HARRIS'' LIBRARY. there are the first four folios of Shakespeare, and the first edition of his poems, published in 1640. There are like- wise first editions of Milton's Poems (1645), of Paradise Lost (1669), of Paradise Regained (1671), of his Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643), and of several of his other works. There is a curious little book here printed at the Hague in 1649, entitled " Electra of Sophocles: Pre- sented to Her Highnesse the Lady Elizabeth ; With an Epilogue, Shewing the Parallell in two Poems, The Return and The Restauration. By C. W." The Electra is trans- lated into English, and the book is mentioned in this con- nection to show the incorrectness, in some measure at least, of the opinion of Dr. Johnson and of Mr. Warton that Mil- ton's doctrine of divorce was unnoticed in his own day. Four lines in " The Return" are as follows : — "While like the frovvard Miltonist, We our old Nuptiall knot untwist : And with the hands, late faith did joyn, This Bill of plain Divorce now signe." One of the latest additions to this branch of Mr. Harris' library is the Menzies copy of the Kilmarnock edition of Burns' Poems published in 1786. Mr. Sabin thus speaks of it in the Menzies Catalogue : — "A Beautiful, Large, and Clean copy of the excessively rare first or Kilmarnock edi- tion, now almost unobtainable at any price. Indeed a first MR. HARRIS* LIBRARY. 195 folio Shakespeare, or the first edition of Milton's Paradise Lost, are much less rare." Much more of interest in early English literature might be enumerated, for no mention has been made of over six hundred original quarto plays, mostly printed in the seventeenth century, and covering the period from the time of Shakespeare to that of Dry den. The above, how- ever, will suffice for examples of the richness of the collec- tion in this department. Mr. Harris has, perhaps, the largest collection of American poetry in the country. In 1874 he printed for his own convenience an Index to this part of his library. It then numbered, including the drama, four thousand one hundred and sixteen titles, but, with the additions since made, it now numbers about five thousand titles. It is to be hoped that he will carry out the purpose, which we under- stand he entertains, of printing a catalogue of this portion of his library more comprehensive than the Index above referred to, giving full titles and collations, and descriptive and bibliographical notes. With much that is of little value, except as it contributes toward completeness, there is, on the other hand, much in this department of the col- lection that is rare, curious and interesting. Of the rare volumes the most important, perhaps, though by no means the most rare, is the " Bay Psalm Book," or, as it is some- 196 MB. BAB BIS' LIB BABY. limes called, the "New England Psalm Book." It was printed in Cambridge by Stephen Daye in 1640, and is the first book printed in the British American Colonies. This copy is complete, and has a peculiar interest in that it is, in a double sense, an author's copy, having originally belonged to Richard Mather, the author of the Preface and one of the translators, and afterwards to the Bev. Thomas Prince, who, in 1758, published an edition of the Bay Psalm Book revised and improved. It is in the original old sheep binding, and has in it Prince's book-plate, and, on the fly-leaves, Richard Mather's autograph many times repeated. Other volumes of this early colonial period are the first edition of Eliot's Indian Bible, containing a metrical version of the Psalms in the Indian dialect ; Roger Wil- liams' Key, London, 1643, about half of which is in verse ; Samuel Gorton's Simplicities Defence, London, 1646, con- taining a preliminary poem of four pages, signed " S. G. ;" Annie Bradstreet's Tenth Muse, London, 1650, and the editions of her poems printed in Boston in 1678, and in 1758. A rare little volume of early Southern poetry is "A Song of Sion. Written by a Citizen thereof, whose out- ward Habitation is in Virginia," &c, printed in 1662. The author was a Quaker, and though his name does not appear on the title-page, it is disclosed in the last couplet — MB. RABBIS' LIB BABY. 197 "Not else I feel, that now to say I have, But that I am, your fellow-friend, John Grave." Jacob Steendam, one of the early settlers of New Amsterdam, and its first poet, is represented by his " Dis~ tefoink" (The Thistle-Finch), printed at Amsterdam in 1649-50, and by his "'tLof van Nuw-Nederland" (The Praise of New Netherlands), printed also at Amsterdam, in 1661. Mr. Henry C. Murphy, who in his Anthology of New Netherlands (No. 4 of the Bradford Club Series), has reprinted The Praise of New Netherlands, says that the copy, from which he printed, belonging to James Lenox, Esq., of New York, was the only one he had been able to discover. Mr. Harris' copy has turned up since the publi- cation of Mr. Murphy's volume, and, as far as is now known, these two are the only copies extant. The early German-American poetry written by the religious mystics, so to speak, of the various sects of Ger- man Baptists who settled in Pennsylvania, was mostly issued from the presses of Benjamin Franklin, and Christo- pher Sauer, and from their own press at Ephrata, and belongs to a later colonial period, having been printed dur- ing the first part of the eighteenth century. It is largely, if not exhaustively, represented in this library. Rare Franklin and Ephrata imprints — so rare, some of them, as to be almost unknown to bibliographers — appear in these volumes of religious poetry. 198 MR. HARRIS' LIBRARY. Here is a curious collection of American Chap-Books in verse. Among the most interesting of them, and from a historical point of view, perhaps the most important, are some pamphlets printed in Boston, during the Stamp-Act excitement, in 1765. They are printed on coarse, brownish paper and, in some cases, have rude wood-cut and copper- plate illustrations. They give, in doggerel verse, rather graphic narrations of passing events. One of them contains a description of " The Officers' Ball," — a ball given by "Ships Officers, and Army's too, Some with Red coats and some with Blue." The ball does not seem to have attracted the elite of Boston society, and, to secure a suitable supply of the fair sex for it, 'The Officers I've heard it said, They brought a Freight from Marble-head.' Among them also is the celebrated " Looking Glass for the Times," by Dr. Franklin's maternal grandfather, Peter Fol- ger. It was 44 Printed in the Year 1763," and is signed at the end 44 April 23, 1676," the date, probably, at which the manuscript was finished by its author. Copies of it are very rare, so much so that Mr. Duyckinck, who reprinted it in his Cyclopaedia of American Literature in 1856, was obliged to print from a manuscript copy then in the posses- MR. HARRIS' LIBRARY. 199 sion of Mr. Bancroft. This manuscript copy was sold in the John Allan collection in 1864, and again, more recently, in the Hoffman sale, but we have not been able to trace a printed copy in any sale, or in any collection.* An interesting feature of the American poetry are the Song- Books and the Broadside-Ballads. Of the latter there *Dr. Franklin, in his Autobiography, speaks of his maternal grandfather as fol- lows—" My mother, the second wife of my father, was Abiah Folger, daughter of Peter Folger, one of the first settlers of New England; of whom honorable men- tion is made by Cotton Mather in his ecclesiastical history of that country, entitled Magnolia Christi Americana, as 'a godly and learned Englishman,' if I remember the words rightly. I was informed, he wrote several small occa- sional works, but only one of them was printed, which I remember to have seen several years since. It was written in 1675. It was in familiar verse, according to the taste of the times and people; and addressed to the government there. It asserts the liberty of conscience, in behalf of the Anabaptists, the Quakers, and other sectaries, that had been persecuted. He attributes to this persecution the Indian wars, and other calamities that had befallen the country; regarding them as so many judgments of God to punish so heinous an offence, and exhorting the repeal of those laws, so contrary to char- ity. This piece appeared to me as written with manly freedom, and a pleasing sim- 24 plicity. The six last lines I remember, but have forgotten the preceding ones of the stanza; the purport of them was, that his censures proceeded from good will, and therefore he would be known to be the author. ' Because to be a Libeller, I hate it with my Heart. From Sherbon Town, where now I dwell, my Name I do put here, Without Offence your real Friend, it is Peter Folger.'" Sherbon was the name of a town on the Island of Nantucket. The lines which immediately precede those quoted by Dr. Franklin, and which are necessary to complete the sentiment intended to be conveyed by the author, are as follows :— " I am for Peace, and not for War, and that's the Reason why I write more plain than some Men do, that use to daub and lie. But I shall cease and set my Name to what I here insert, Because to be a Libeller," &c. 200 MB. HARRIS' LIBRARY. are some two thousand, and of the Song-Books about four hundred, the titles of which alone fill sixteen pages in Mr. Harris' Index. Another marked branch is the literature of Slavery, and of the Rebellion. The nine tracts of Las Casas, (sometimes called eight), issued in 1552, in black letter, and the Poems of Phillis Wheatley, a negro slave, in a great variety of editions, belong more particularly to the literature of Slavery. The literature of the Rebellion is too recent to need illustration : suffice it to say that this depart- ment contains from seven thousand to eight thousand titles. Other periods of history, both English and American, have been selected for grouping valuable works, but we will not stop to enumerate. There is one manuscript, however, pertaining to the Revolutionary period, of so much interest, and particularly to Rhode- Islanders, that we cannot pass it by. It is a small folio in French, of one hundred and six- teen pages, with eleven finely executed maps and plans, written by an aid-de-camp of the Count de Rochambeau. This is its title: — Journal depuis mon depart de France 26 Mars 1781 jusquau 18 Novembre de la meme Annee que VArmee aux ordres de M. Le C'te de Rochambeau est entree dans ses Quartiers d'Hiver. (Journal from my departure from France March 26, 1781, to November 18 of the same year, when the army under command of the Count de MB. HARRIS' LIBRARY. 201 Rochambeau went into winter quarters). The allusions to Rhode Island are numerous. Speaking of Providence the writer says, — Providence est une assez johe petite Vitte tres commercante avant la guerre, il ny a vim de curieux qu tin hopi- tal dela plus gvande beaute. This refers to the college build- ing, now known as University Hall, which was used as a hospital during the Revolutionary "War. Describing a review of the army by General Washington, he says, — le regiment de Rhode-island entre autres est dela plus-grande beaute. This important manuscript was secured by its owner at the celebrated Maisonneuve sale, which took place in Paris, January fifteenth, 1868. It is earnestly hoped that he will speedily carry out his original intention of printing it, with facsimiles of the maps and plans.* *One of Mr. Harris' manuscripts effectu- ally illustrates the vanity, too often founded on falsehood, which tempts many clever writers to magnify their ability and their powers of literary production. From the first volume of Nichols' Literary History we learn that William Hutchin- son "was a solicitor of respectability at Barnard-Castle, in the County of Dur- ham;" and, again, that "in 1788 Mr. Hutchinson commenced Dramatic Wri- ter; and, in a single week, completed the Tragedy of 'Pygmalion, King of Tyre;' which he submitted to the perusal of his friend the Rev. Daniel Watson." Mr. Watson's letter to Hutchinson dated Feb- ruary nineteenth, 1788, is printed in the same volume, and in it he expresses his astonishment at his friend's unexampled feat, and asks, " is it possible it could be the effusion, as you call it, of one week?" The original manuscript of this play is in Mr. Harris' possession, neatly written out in eighty pages, bound up in book form in binding of the period, and signed at the end " Barnard Castle, 11th July 1758. Win. Hutchinson." For thirty years then, not- withstanding his disingenuous statement, had William Hutchinson had this play seasoning, to be brought out in 1788 as a literary prodigy conceived and perfected in a single week. 202 MB. HARRIS' LIBRAE Y. Books of Mottoes and Emblems, a collection of curious old English Chap-Books, and other classes of literature in which Mr. Harris' library excels, have received no mention, because, in a sketch of this limited character, it was impos- sible to include all, and it was difficult to determine what to omit. He has provided a rich store-house in more than one department of literature : especially will the future historian of American poetry be under obligations to him for the abundant harvest of material so industriously garnered. In looking over this choice collection of books one recalls the remark of Milton, that a 4 good book is not absolutely a dead thing, — the precious life-blood rather of a master spirit ; a seasoned life of man embalmed and treas- ured up on purpose to a life beyond life.' Truly the old Egyptian King was full of wisdom when he inscribed on his library the words — 6 The dispensary of the soul.' ME. SIDNEY S. RIDERS LIBRARY. MR SIDNEY S. EIDER'S LIBRARY. — Gathering up all that Time's envious tooth Has spared of sound and grave realities. Wordsworth. The book- collectors of Providence are under many obligations to Mr. Rider. A bibliographer of generous attainments he possesses an ardent enthusiasm for books ; and, though a bookseller by profession, he does not regard literature from the commercial stand-point only. When his customers have been tempted to select choice volumes from his stock, his interest in their acquisitions does not cease with the conclusion of the business part of the trans- action, for he amply shares the taste his occupation encour- ages in others. A dozen years ago Mr. Rider issued a few numbers of a little monthly called, The Bibliomaniac, devoted to the interests of literature and the fine arts ; and the leading article in one of the numbers was from the gifted pen of the late Professor Dunn. Nearly the whole 206 MR. EIDER'S LIBRARY. issue of that number was suppressed when it became appar- ent that the Professor, in his sketch, had made Mr. Eider stand for his own portrait. The sketch, however, is too good to be lost, and our readers, we are sure, will thank us for reproducing it at length, as follows : — THE GOOD BOOKSELLER. " There are few members of society, more important and useful than a good bookseller. He may not be so directly concerned with the physical life and well-being of men, as a butcher, or a grocer ; he may not be so essential to their existence, as a physician. In fact, his agency in some measure presupposes theirs. Napoleon put among his maxims of war, that a good commissariat is indispensa- ble to good soldiership. It is not less needful to good scholarship. An habitually hungry man will hardly be an habitually hard student. So too, as the Latin satirist puts it, the healthy mind can go only with the healthy body. But when the wants of the physical man have been relieved, those of the intellectual must be satisfied. We leave out of view here the office of the Christian Ministry, as belonging to a higher realm ; and we do not too greatly magnify the bookseller's office, when we assign him an equal rank with the members of the highest of the intellectual secular pro- fessions, — that of the teacher. For in the truest and worthiest sense, a good bookseller is a teacher. MR. RIDER'S LIBRARY. 207 "As such, the profit he confers on society, and the rewards he wins, are not to be estimated by the material standard of pecuniary gain. So far as society is concerned, the important question is not fi How many books, and at how cheap a rate can they buy of him V and so far as he is concerned, the important question is not, 4 How large are his sales, and how great are his commissions V The good which he does, and the good which he receives, are to be weighed in a more delicate and spiritual balance. What stores of learning does he offer to men ] What forces of impulse and influence] of culture emanate from his well and wisely filled shelves % To how many eyes does he unroll the ample page of knowledge ! These are inquiries, how- ever this community may view them, vastly more inter- esting and important than, Has cotton advanced a half a cent a pound? or, How many yards of print cloths took advantage of a sudden rise in the market] or even, How. large was the last dividend on gas stock, or screw stock? We rejoice with our fellow citizens when their mills and their counting-rooms witness their rapid gains, and their accounts record enlarging dividends, but we think their prosperity should be attended with increasing culture, and a richer furnishing and a costlier apparel of the intellect. The life is more than meat ; and the body than raiment. " To all this, a good bookseller is an essential helper. 208 31 B. B WEB'S LIB BABY. We take leave to interpret the title, 'a good bookseller,' by associating the word 'good' with the first element of the complex name; he is a seller of good books; and as such, he is a power in society. The very sight of his well- ordered shelves and counters is a lesson. The best scholar is convicted of comparative ignorance by the long array of their titles. With how few of their pages is he familiar ! with how small a proportion of them can he hope, in the short space of human life, to become intimately acquainted! But no one who has any intellectual activity, can survey the wealth of literature which a good book store offers him, without a desire to become a master of it. 'What a world of thought is here packed up together,' says Bishop Hall. 4 1 know not whether this sight doth more dismay, or com- fort me. It dismays me, to think that here is so much that I cannot know ; it comforts me to think that this variety affords so much assistance to know what I should. What a happiness is it, that without the aid of necromancy, I can here call up any of the ancient worthies of learning, whether human or divine, and confer with them upon all my doubts. Nor can I cast my eye casually upon any of these silent masters, but I must learn somewhat.' The very air of a book store, the presence of its goodly volumes must be, to a sensitive mind, provocative of study. A really active intellect cannot linger long among good books, with- out becoming a student of good books. 311?. FIDE US' LIB BABY. 209 " Thus the selection of books by a good bookseller, becomes an element in the culture of the community in which he lives. Of course, he is expected to know the names and the character of the publications of the day, and to present promptly to the frequenters of his store, whatever new and important work issues from the press. His pur- chases should keep pace with the announcements of the publishers. But his wise discriminations will be instructive. He is not to follow blindly the judgment of a trade-sale auctioneer, or the stereotype commendations of a venal editor. He must know books, in order that he may wisely buy books ; and, if his judgment be good and his taste pure, the purchases which he makes, will help to form the judg- ment and the tastes of his customers. This is especially true of those purchases which he makes from the older and standard literature of the world. We little suspect how the choice editions of the poets, essayists, historians, which go forth to teach and gladden many a household, determine their habits of thought, and style of culture. A bookseller who from distant shores, brings to us the rare and venera- ble copies of the older literature, brings us a real blessing. What a privilege he confers, if he enables us to feast our untravelled eyes on a First or a Second Folio of Shake- speare, or one of the few extant copies of the large paper HibdiiVs Decameron! How he enriches the city in which. 25 210 MR. EIDER'S LIBRARY. we dwell, if he imports the choicer editions of Spenser, or of Milton, or the rarer copies of the early English poets, or the pamphlets and poems of the stirring 1 7th century ! The supply thus furnished will create a new demand, and that demand will call for a new supply ; and seller and buyer will be mutually helpful, and mutually indebted. "The bookseller's counters in many a town, especially if that town be a small one, will be an index to the culture and taste that exist there. One may estimate the character of the place, both by what he sees there, and by what he misses. There is no worthier or surer pledge of the intelli- gence and the purity of any community, than their general purchase of good books ; nor is there any one who does more to further the attainment and the possession of these qualities, than a good bookseller. " The time has long gone by, when the bookseller and the patron were the tyrants of the realm of letters. The popular patronage of literature, has at once given independ- ence to the author, and taught a wise considerateness to the publisher. Poorly as much literary work is remu- nerated, the pen now enriches many a writer. Johnson would not now be forced in ragged attire, and with greedy appetite, to snatch a hasty meal, behind a screen in his publisher's dining room ; Otway need not now be choked by a ravenous mouthful of long untasted food ; Butler would MR. EIDER'S LIBRARY. 211 have something better than a stone, if he sued for bread ; and Goldsmith would not be humiliated, by being obliged to adopt the verbal criticisms of Mr., or what is worse, of Mrs. Griffiths. Booksellers, authors, and readers feel a mutual respect, and confer on each other reciprocal bene- fits ; and the literary public associate in thought, the names of Murray and Byron ; Moxon and Lamb ; Prescott and Phillips ; Irving and Putnam ; Longfellow and Fields ; and gratefully acknowledge their indebtedness to the coopera- tion of the author and the bookseller." Few are better versed than Mr. Eider, in whatever relates to his own State, llhode Island is his hobby, and he has gathered together two thousand volumes and five thousand pamphlets relating to it. The purpose of this collection is to illustrate the rise and progress of ideas, the current of thought, the development of the material indus- tries, and the political history of the State, from the earliest times to our own day. Holding this end in view this collector has carefully preserved every book, pamphlet, and even the ephemeral hand-bills, or broadsides, which have come within his reach : every one being indexed and num- bered, it becomes readily accessible. This library, doubt- less, contains more Rhode Island imprints than any other. While, therefore, this collection contains but few of what enthusiastic book collectors denominate nuggets, it never- 212 31 B. EIDER'S LIB BABY. theless embraces a mass of material which the future histo- rian of Rhode Island will find it impossible to ignore. When the Rhode Island C entennial Report on Education w T as being prepared, resort to this library was absolutely necessary, as in it was the only complete set of reports of the Commissioner of Education known to be in existence. The collection of Dorr War literature is unsurpassed ; indeed, much of it is unique. Its catalogue comprises upwards of two hundred titles, besides many manuscripts. The late Hon. Thomas A. Jenckes had purposed writing, with Mr. Rider's assistance in the preparation, a narrative of the exciting events which culminated, in 1812, in the Dorr War, so called, and finally in the abolition of the char- ter of King Charles II. No one could have been better qualified for the task than Mr. Jenckes, as, during that eventful period, he was clerk of the Governor's Council, the Governor's Private Secretary, and one of the clerks of the convention that framed the constitution. In this Avay he became intimately acquainted with all the men and the measures of the time. He likewise had in his possession a mass of material accessible to no one else — private letters to Governor King, intercepted correspondence with Gov- ernor Dorr, captured communications, and orders to the military. Shortly before his death Mr. Jenckes gave all these documents to Mr. Rider, with strict injunctions that MB. BIDE IV S LIB BABY. 213 they be kept safely for the benefit of posterity. Such a mark of confidence, from such a man, is the most significant tribute that could have been paid to Mr. Riders zeal for whatever pertains to Rhode Island. It is to be hoped that these historical treasures will sometime find their way into the archives of the State. Among some of the other manuscripts in this library are the original Orderly-Book, for 1776, of Colonel Christo- pher Lippitt's Regiment of the famous Rhode Island Line in the Revolutionary War ; the Morning and Weekly Returns, for the same year, of Captain Thomas Carlile's Company in Colonel Robert Elliott's Rhode Island Regi- ment of Artillery ; and a book containing the original records of Courts Martial held, in 1778 and 1779, at the Military Headquarters in Providence. By editing and pub- lishing some of the material he has so industriously accu- mulated, Mr. Rider would confer a benefit upon his brother. Rhode-Islanders, and upon scholars everywhere. There is in this collection an unbroken series of news- papers issued in Providence and extending back for more than a hundred years. Mr. Rider is now engaged upon an index of their contents beginning with 1820, which he has thus far brought down to the year 1852. A curious specimen of Rhode Island literature here is a manuscript account of the issues of Paper Money, from 2U MR. EIDER'S LIBRARY. the earliest, in 1715, to the last, in 1786. The volume is a small quarto, and is illustrated by specimens of the money of every denomination. Portraits and autographs further illustrate the text, and a copy of the great trial of Trevett vs. Weeden appropriately closes the volume. Another distinctive Rhode Island book in this collection may not be without interest ; not for its literary character, but on account of its pictorial and autographic illustrations. It is Rogers' Oration at the laying of the corner stone of the new City Hall in Providence, June twenty-fourth, 1875, extended by the insertion of numerous prints of persons and places relating to the past and present history of the State, and more especially of the city of Providence. It contains representations of well known churches, manufac- tories, and public buildings, the frontispiece being the view of Providence engraved for the City Bonds. The likenesses of the President of the United States, the Gov- ernor of the State, the Mayor of the City, the Grand Master of Masons, the City Hall Commissioners, and of many others of the distinguished citizens of both city and State, civil and military, adorn its pages, which, with several sheets of autographs of the leading State and city officials, give to the volume a somewhat unique appearance. One sheet, for example, contains the signatures of all the offi- cials connected with building the City Hall ; another those MR. B2 BE R'S LIB BABY. 215 of the Mayor and prominent city officers ; another those of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and general State officers; and still another those of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island. The State, the city, and numerous corporations and private individuals were laid under contribution for the loan of plates from which to strike off the prints, while the good nature of the numerous State and city officials was taxed for signatures ; for we are informed on the verso of the title leaf, that there were "only ten copies of this edition printed, all illustrated in this style on large paper, for presentation by the orator." But we must leave Mr. Eider and his books. Would that more booksellers shared his literary taste! — it would aid their business, and their customers would oftener apply to them the words of Byron to his bookseller: — "I'm thankful for your books, dear Murray." THE AUTHOR'S OWN LIBRARY. THE AUTHOR'S OWE" LIB E ART. Come, and take choice of all my library. Titus Andkonicus. It is hoped that the reader of these sketches, on being introduced into the author's own sanctum, will appreciate his feelings of delicacy, and will look indulgently upon the attempt to speak of this collection, and to describe it, with the same freedom as if it belonged to another. The four thousand volumes, and upwards, comprising the bulk of the library, are nearly all contained in a room about twenty feet square. It has been a matter of study how to accommodate the largest number of books in a given space, and every available inch has been utilized for that purpose. Cases, reaching from floor to ceiling, line the walls, running over doors and windows, so that books meet the eye on every hand, and the only wall space not covered with books is the panelling above the wooden mantel, 26 220 THE AUTHOR'S LIB BABY. where a cluster of oil paintings relieve with bits of color the otherwise sombre aspect of the surroundings. These books have been gathered with some such views as those expressed by Judge Story in this passage from a letter to his son: — "A man who always reads in one line, soon grows dull, and ceases to think ; and change of study invigorates as well as amuses the mind." Though no one specialty rises into prominence, there are several clearly defined lines to which the owner has given much attention. Specimens of various interesting classes of books, the bric-a- brac of literature, so to speak, are particularly noticeable, serving as practical illustrations of the books and the book- making of different periods and of different countries, which it would be difficult, otherwise, to appreciate or describe. Here is a Tamul book composed of strips of palm leaf strung together, the covers being of wood. The leaves are indented on both sides with an iron stylus, the book itself being a Dictionary in verse, such as is now used in schools in some parts of the East. Here too is a fine specimen of Chinese book-making. Notwithstanding its size — seven by ten inches square, and three inches thick — it is both dura- ble and extremely light, being composed of delicate rice paper in flexible covers, securely bound, or tied together, with a silken cord. It contains much printed matter, a number of colored maps, and a large number of wood-cuts. THE AUTHOR'S LIBRARY. 221 Its symbolism is ingenious: on the first page the sun and moon are just rising ; a little further on they are depicted in the full glory of the zenith ; while at the end of the volume they are represented as sinking below the horizon. Three missals illustrate how books appeared before the art of printing was invented. Two of them date back five hundred years or more, and are of great beauty. One, the vellum of which is as clean and fresh as when new, is of special elegance. In addition to its numerous delicately executed miniatures, it contains a large number of illumin- ated initials and wide heavy borders of the most elaborate ornamentation. It is, surely, one of such as the poet refers to, when he says — "Where rude designs of earlier days Their bright unchanging hues unfold, And all th' illumin'd margins blaze With azure skies, and stars of gold." Wood engraving, and, incidentally, early printing, have received some attention in this library. Upon its shelves is a Book of Hours printed on vellum by Phillippe Pigouchet, the celebrated Parisian typographer, who flourished in the latter part of the fifteenth century. Besides a score of good sized wood-cuts, the volume contains very many illu- minated initials, and each page has elaborate borders com- posed mostly of scenes from the life of Christ. Dibdin 222 THE AUTHOR'S LIB BABY. says, " Pigouchet in the naivete of the old school calls his own types 'very beautiful and pleasant.'" A good example of old black letter is a little book chastely bound by Selz- Niedree. It is Dr. Johannes Abiosus' Dialogue in Defence of Astrology, in Latin, and it was printed in 1494 at the Venetian press of Franciscus Placida. Notwithstanding its clear type and choice binding, to its owner the wood-cut adorning the title page gives to the book its greatest value. The two thousand and more cuts of Pleydenwurff and Wohlgemuth, in the Nuremburg Chronicle, cannot fail to attract the notice of all interested in wood engraving. Hearne quaintly says of it, "for my part the oftener I con- sult this Chronicle, the more I wonder at the things in it, and I cannot but esteem the book as extremely pleasant, useful and curious, by reason of the very curious odd cuts." The copy in this collection is a remarkably fine and tall one of the German edition of 1493, and is complete, containing the map on the last two leaves, which is often wanting. Here are a hundred wood-cuts by Lucas Cranach : sev- eral of the larger ones bear the flying dragon and the other devices of this artist. Lucas Cranach was a contemporary of Albert Durer, having lived from 1470 to 1553. Bryan says, "his wooden cuts are deservedly esteemed by the curi- ous collector," and that his works "had great influence on art, as may be seen by the numerous imitations which they THE AUTHOR'S LIBRARY. 223 called forth." There are many other works in this branch of the collection, coming down to our own day. Of Bewick there are the largest paper copies of the iEsop's Fables (1818), and the Select Fables (1820), together with less noteworthy copies of some of his other works ; also both series of Northcote's Fables in first editions, and on large paper. Our next example, after leaving wood engraving, shall be the Bibliotheca Chalcographica, which is a collection of four hundred and fifty copper-plate portraits of distin- guished men, executed by the De Bry family, famous for its publications of early voyages. It is in nine parts, the first eight of which were published at Frankfort in 1650-2, and the last one in Heidelberg in 1654. The first five parts are by the De Brys, father and son, over one hundred of the plates bearing the monogram of the father. The subse- quent parts are by Clement Ammon, a son-in-law of the elder De Bry, and by other engravers less known. The volume is bound in pig skin, and is a good example of the binding of two and a quarter centuries ago. Murphy's Arabian Antiquities of Spain, issued in 1813-16, making a stout atlas folio, is a fine volume of plates. Dibdin says of it — " For nobleness of design, splendour of execution, and richness of material, this costly volume is in every respect a match for the mighty French work on the Antiquities of 224 THE AUTHOB'S L1BBABY. Egypt." Here is a collection of engravings by Charles Heath, after designs by Stothard, Smirke, Westall, and others, mostly proofs on India paper. The collection was made up by the engraver himself for Dawson Turner, whose autograph it bears. Heath's portrait and autograph letter to Turner are prefixed, and the whole is bound in a single volume by Hering. Two choice volumes are quartos from the private library of John Major, the famous pub- lisher ; one containing proofs before letter of the plates of Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting, and the other equally early impressions of the wood-cuts, also on India paper. Some quartos not unworthy of mention, perhaps, are an uncut copy, on large paper, of Lodge's Portraits, with India proof plates, issued in 1823-34 ; a large paper copy of Don Quixote, the edition of 1818, with India proofs of Smirke's plates, from the Perkins collection, bound by Lewis ; the five volumes of Hunter's translation of Lavater's Essays on Physiognomy published in 1789-98; and Gibson's Monas- tery of Tynemouth, in two volumes, issued by Pickering in 1846, one of twelve copies colored by hand. Here is a collection of thirty-two beautifully finished little paintings by George P. Rugendas, measuring for the most part about seven by twelve inches square. Rugendas was born at Angsbourg in 1666, where he died in 1742. His genius led him to paint battles and skirmishes of cav- THE AUT HOB'S LIB BABY. 225 airy. Bryan says, "Rugendas merits a distinguished place among the painters of battles : .... his works are found in the choicest collections of his country." The first fourteen of these paintings are delineations of armor for man and horse, and they are prefaced by a short manuscript treatise in German entitled, Der Harnisch von seinem Entstehen bis zuseinem Wiedervergehen, in Bildern dargestelt und gezeichnetv. G. P. Rugendas, 1714. (Armor, from its origin to its disuse, portrayed in representations drawn and painted by G. P. Rugendas, 1714). The remainder are representations of cavalry and skirmishes, the whole forming a most attractive collection. We cannot find that the treatise has ever been printed, or that many of the paintings have been engraved, though Rugendas was an engraver as well as a painter. There are many works relating to art, and many lives of artists. A Life of Turner is elaborately illustrated with inserted engravings of his works. The copy of Mrs. Bray's Life of Stothard is exceptional. It is inlaid to folio size, and extended to three thick volumes by the insertion of six hundred plates after Stothard's designs, all fine impressions, and many of them engraver's proofs. Each volume has for a frontispiece an engraved likeness of the artist, each differ- ing from the other. Twenty-two of Stothard's original drawings in India ink are likewise in the collection. 226 THE AUTHOR'S LIB BABY. The department of bibliography is especially strong. In looking over the cases containing it, one cannot but recall — " What wild desires, what restless torments seize The hapless man, who feels the book disease." Here are Sotheby's Principia Typographica ; Sir Eger- ton Brydges' bibliographical works, including the scarce Res Literarisef* Lewis' "Life of Mayster Wyllyam Caxton of the Weald of Kent" (1737) uncut, as well as Blades' Cax- ton ; both editions of Martin's Bibliographical Catalogue of Books privately printed, the first of which is on large paper; the Repertorium Bibliographicum, illustrated with numerous inserted plates ; and Wood's Athenre Oxonienses, Bliss' edition, (1813-20). Of these volumes the larger part are uncut. One of the volumes of Dibdin deserves more particular mention. It is the Life of William Caxton, together with the Preliminary Disquisition on Early Engraving and Ornamental Printing, from the first volume of Dibdin's Ames & Herbert's Typographical *The three volumes of this work were printed at different times, and in different places. The imprints are as follows; of the first volume, "Naples, Printed by C. Beranger, 1821;" of the second volume, "Rome: Printed by Francesco Bourlie March, 1821;" and of the third volume, "Geneva, Printed by W. Fick, MDCCCXXII. (75 copies only.)" From this nomadic style of printing, it is doubtful if there are more than two-thirds as many complete sets of this work, as there were single vol- umes printed. THE AUT HOB'S LIB BABY. 227 Antiquities. An autograph letter of Dibdin and one hun- dred and forty-nine cuts and plates have been inserted, and the whole, with a title-page and an illuminated title to the Life of Caxton, both made expressly for this book, forms a stout, handsome volume.* The copy of the "Bibliotheca Grenvilliana, or Bibliographical Notices of Rare and Curi- ous Books, forming part of the Library of the Right Hon. Thomas Grenville," is one of the few printed on large paper, and is a presentation copy, with this inscription on a fly leaf of the first volume — "With Mr. Grenville's Com- pliments." The set of Libri's Catalogues, in eight volumes, *The copy of Dibdin's Library Corapan- ion, in this collection, contains a cancelled title-page, and a number of cancelled leaves; likewise two receipts, one in the writing of Dibdin, and the other in that of Richard Thomson. The receipts are as follows :— " London Dec'r 30, 1822. Received from Messrs. Harding, Mavor & Lepard and Mr. John Major, Six Hun- dred Pounds for the whole of my interest in the Copyright of a work to be entitled 'The Library Companion' now printing, and which work I engage to finish com- plete with Title page, Index & Table of Contents so that the same may be pub- lished in May 1823, in which case I am to be entitled to one hundred pounds more, subject to the stipulations in a letter from Joseph Harding to John Major, dated Dec'r 27, 1822, and subscribed by myself. I 27 also agi'ee to edit and correct future edi- tions of the said work and to revise the same through the press whenever called upon so to do by the aforesaid Messrs. Harding & Co. and Jno. Major or their assigns upon payment of one hundred pounds for every edition so edited and corrected by me, and I hei-eby promise to give the said parties or their assigns a further assignment of the copyright of the said work at their expence, when- required. £600. 0. 0. T. F. DIBDIN." " London 28th Jan'y 1825. Received of the Proprietors of the Rev'd T. F. Dibdin's Library Companion the sum of Twenty-six Pounds Five Shillings, for compiling the Synoptical Table and Index to that volume. £26.5. R'D THOMSON." 228 THE AUTHOR'S LIBRARY. includes the prices and purchasers' names, and comprises two copies of the Reserved Part, one in French and the other in English. Bound up uniform with these is a col- lection of seventeen pamphlets relating to the remarkable charge against Libri of wholesale theft of books. Of works relating to the bibliography of America, the most noticeable is Ternaux's Bibliotheque Americaine. The most fastidious could desire nothing better than this copy. It is interleaved, on large paper, uncut, and in choice binding. The three volumes of Rich's Catalogues of books relating to America are in fine order, and the copy of White Kennett's Bibliothecce Americana Primordia (1713), is said to be on large paper. Ludewig's Literature of Ameri- can Local History is valuable and interesting, as it contains Ludewig's own manuscript notes preparatory to a new edition. English classical literature is well represented in unexceptionable editions and in faultless condition — the handy-work of Baskerville, Pickering, Talboys, and other approved typographers, and bound by Hayday, Bedford, Riviere, Bradstreet and others. There is a dainty little group here relating to Sir Philip Sidney, including a number of memoirs of his life, and several different editions of his works. Of these the Boston edition of his works, 1860, and Zouch's Memoirs of THE AUTHOR'S LIBRARY. 229 his life, are elaborately illustrated with inserted plates, the latter also having the privately printed Sidney Pedigree. Lloyd's Life is the daintiest of this dainty group. It is pro- fusely illustrated with inserted plates, and it is bound in full scarlet levant morocco : the covers are lined with the same, being inlaid with different colored leather most elabo- rately tooled. The first and last fly leaves are green watered silk, bordered with a fillet of gold. The work is hand-tooled throughout. A meet companion for this group is a copy of 44 Cer- taine Learned and Elegant Workes of the Right Honora- ble Fvlke Lord Brooke, Written in his Youth, and familiar Exercise with Sir Philip Sidney," a quarto printed in 1633. This is the loving testimony of Fulke Greville, just referred to, in regard to his friend Sir Philip Sidney: — 44 1 lived with him and knew him from a child, yet I never knew him other than a man, with such staidness of mind, lovely and familiar gravity, as carried grace and reverence above greater years." Among other interesting works, dating back two hundred years, are 44 The Remains of Sir Fulk Grevill Lord Brooke : Being Poems of Monarchy and Relig- ion : Never before printed," issued in 1670; 44 Recreations with the Muses, by William, Earle of Sterline," a folio printed in 1637; and the Life of Merlin, by Thomas Hey- wood, a small quarto published in 1641, with a frontispiece by Hollar. 230 THE AUT HOB'S LIB BABY. The time of the Stuarts has been selected as a centre round which to group historical works, and here are numerous contemporary tracts of that period, prominent among which is a collection relating to the " Horrid Popish Plot." The "Ancient Critical Essays upon English Poets and Poesy," edited by Joseph Haslewood, is a presentation copy to Thomas Park, and contains many manuscript notes by both editor and printer, several duplicates of the wood-cuts in fancy colored ink, only twelve impressions of each having been so taken, and likewise this quaint dedication to the first volume ; — " To Maister Josephe Hardynge, thatt hys zeale as a pryntere maie not be forgotene, and forr a fayth- full recorde off hys yndustrie and perseueraunce ynn trann- scrybynge the whole of A Discourse of Englishe Poetrie, by William Webbe, Graduate, vvithinn thy r tie two houres and fortie flue minits, to supplie the presse forr the presente reprynte. The onley copie hauinge thys syngle leafe ys ynscrybed by hys faythfull fryend Josephe Haslevvoode." Johnson's Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, printed in 1790, was Boswell's own copy. It bears his autograph, "James Boswell, London, 1793," and contains sundry notes and remarks by him in pencil, all quite legible and well preserved. It was sold with Boswell's other books in 1825. The Book of Saint Albans, the reprint of 1810 THE AUT HOB'S LIB BABY. 231 from Wynkyn de Worde's edition of 1496, a small folio, of which only one hundred and fifty copies were reprinted, is one of the very few copies having all the coats of arms finished in colors : it also has an extra plate, a proof on India paper, of the man fijssljgnge fogtb an angle* Of books illustrated with inserted plates, besides those which have been mentioned, the most noteworthy are Bry- an's Dictionary of Painters and Engravers extended to four volumes with six hundred portraits ; Ottley's Supplement illustrated in the same manner; Cromwelliana ; a "Tract entitled True and Faithful Relation of a Worthy Discourse between Colonel John Hampden and Colonel Oliver Crom- well;" the Diary of Lady Cowper; Nicolas' Literary Remains of Lady Jane Grey, a large paper copy on drawing paper ; Hillier's King Charles in the Isle of Wight ; Fitzgerald's Life of Garrick ; Knight's Passages of a Working Life, etc. Of American works are Irvingiana, with upwards of one hundred portraits, views, &c. ; the Treason of General Charles Lee ; the Character and Portraits of Washington ; and Washington's Diary. These last two books contain, besides their other illustrations, a large number of engrav- ings from authentic portraits of Washington, a long auto- graph letter of Washington, a soldier's discharge made out by General Gates, and other literary curiosities. Washing- ton's letter, which covers three pages of letter-paper, is 232 THE AUTHOR'S LIBRARY. dated March twentieth, 1799, is addressed to Henry Laurens, the President of the Continental Congress, and contains his views in regard to arming slaves and enlisting them in our army. While this collector does not make a specialty of Americana, he nevertheless possesses some works of interest in that department. His copy of Colonel Simcoe's Journal, issued in 1787, is of the "excessively rare original edition." to borrow Mr. Sabin's words ; and his three volumes of Backus' History of the Baptists (1777-1796), are uncut. General Burgoyne's campaign forms the centre of an interesting cluster of works, one of which is specially noticeable from containing the opinions and contemporary testimony of a British officer, who afterwards attained high rank. It is in manuscript and unpublished. Major General James M. Hadden, of the Royal Artillery, began his mili- tary career as a Second Lieutenant in America, serving under General Burgoyne until that officer's surrender, in which he was included. He subsequently served upon the staff of the British army in various capacities, and was made a Major General in 1811. From his embarkation from England, March fourth, 1776, until the close of the Battle of Stillwater, or Bemis' Heights, as sometimes called, he kept a journal of passing events. At Stillwater every officer in Captain Jones' Artillery Brigade, in Burgoyne's Right Wing, was killed or wounded, except Lieutenant THE AUTHOR'S LIBRARY. 233 Hadden, and he received a bullet through his cap. The pressure of duty caused by this dearth of officers, coupled with the multiplying embarrassments of the British Army, were doubtless the reasons for discontinuing his journal. This manuscript, with its beautifully drawn maps, in two thick pocket-memorandum-books, is in this collection, as also are several manuscript Orderly-Books kept by him, in which are the orders issued by General Burgoyne, and especially by Major General Phillips, to whose Division Lieutenant Hadden was attached.* It is related of the Poet Southey that, in his latter days when his mind had become impaired, he had no difficulty *A few extracts from Lieutenant Had- den's Journal may not be without inter- est. Writing in the Summer of 1776 he says:— "I heard Gen'l Burgoyne declare that a Thousand Savages brought into the Field cost more than 20,000 Men." Again he says: "From July 14th to the 25th" (1777) "we were employed in bringing forward the Guns, Stores and Provisions; and in transporting Gun Boats and Bat- teaux from the Saw Mill's Creek, to Lake George. The Road is tolerable level, and where it wanted repairs the Rebel Prison- ers were employed being furnish'd with Tools and working under a Guard : We had about Two hundred of them confined in a Barn, and those who were not wanted either for the above purpose or Removing Guns and Stores, amused themselves in beating Hemp. These measures certainly were not justifiable, they were it is true, allowed Rum in common with other fatigue Parties, and upon the whole 'twas better than close confinement, but it ought to have been optional; they shou'd either have been considered as Prisoners of War or Rebels. The Brutality of Major W. induced him to bring out these unhappy wretches and parade them in the Rear of the Troops when the Feu de jot/e was fired upon our late successes: some of them felt the insult, but others threw up their Caps and Huzza'd with the Troops in spite of many pushes from their Comrades. Their Officers were sent to Canada on Parole." In speaking of the Battle of Bennington Lieutenant Hadden very severely criti- cises the employment of heavy German dismounted cavalry, " with Swords weigh- ing at least 10 or 12 Pounds, particu- larly as Dragoons cannot be expected to 234 THE AUTHOR'S LIB BABY. in finding his way into his library, but that, without guid- ance, he could never find his way out. Hoping to avoid the imputation of a similar weakness, the author will now con- duct the reader out of this library with one further remark only. It is apparent from the progress he has already made that this collector possesses some zeal on the subject of books, and one is reminded of Montesinos in Southey's Colloquies : — "Why, Montesinos, with these books, and the delight you take in their constant society, what have you to covet or desire ? Montesinos: Nothing, — except more books." march unci raanouvre well on Foot and be expert at Treeing or Bush fighting, a task the British Light Infantry of this Army are not fully equal to." It will he remem- bered that, in that action, the British troops were beaten in detail, Colonel Baum being first defeated, and afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel Brymen, who had been sent to Baum's relief, but whose tardy movements did not allow his effect- ing a junction before Baum's force was routed. Lieutenant Hadden says: "A report is current in the Army that an old picque between Brymen and Baume might occasion his tardiness, as he was heard to say ' We will let them get warm before we reach them,' when he heard the firing: It seems to have been reserved for him to give the last blow, as, to lay the fault wholly on his Shoulders, wou'd certainly be unjust when almost every person con- cerned seems to have had a principal share in the disaster." The Battle of Stillwater, on Friday, Sep- tember nineteenth, 1777, commenced with the British pickets, one hundred rank and file, under Major Forbes of the Ninth Regiment, being driven in, and Lieuten- ant Iladden, in describing it, saj's — " The British troops halted and formed 'till the whole of Major Forbes' party came in — and having commenced a fire without orders, by which many of our own people were killed in retreating, Major Kingston proposed the firing a Gun to check it, Which had the desired effect, and by that accident I fii'ed the first 'Shot from the main body of this Army." It is proposed to print Lieutenant Had- den's Journal in the series of "Rhode Island Historical Tracts," now being pub- lished by Mr. Ridei*. CONCLUSION. CONCLUSION". Let every man, if possible, gather some good books under his roof. Channing. "Later experience," wrote Tom Hood from a sick-bed in 1843, "enables me to depose to the comfort and blessing that literature can prove in seasons of sickness and sor- row, — how powerfully intellectual pursuits can help in keeping the head from crazing, and the heart from break- ing, — nay, not to be too grave, how generous mental food can even atone for a meagre diet — rich fare on the paper for short commons on the cloth." If literature can thus affect the cultured mind it is not surprising in these days of steam-presses that many households are well supplied with books. For this reason it is difficult, in an attempt of this kind, to determine exactly where to stop. The scholarly tastes of men like Professor William Gammell and Professor J. Lewis Diman, for example, have 238 CONCLUSION. stored their shelves with many books. The four thousand volumes, and upwards, of Mr. Arnold Green, embrace a large amount of historical matter, much standard literature, some scientific works, and not a little, in various foreign languages, upon the civil law, in addition to his law library proper ; and all together form a collection considerably larger than some we have described. The character of the collection brings to mind the remark of Mr. Counsellor Pleydell in Guy Mannering. " These," said Mr. Pleydell in speaking of his library, "are my tools of trade. A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason ; if he possesses some knowedge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect." A number of gentlemen, like Mr. Charles Morris Smith and Mr. James W. Taft, for example, have excellent libra- ries; as large in number, and in every way as worthy of notice, perhaps, as some we have described. The collec- tion of Mr. Stephen T. Olney is a very marked one. Its botanical department, especially in the genus Carex, is unsurpassed in this vicinity. The fact that, when Mr. Olney went to Europe, his books were all packed in boxes and stored, not yet having been unpacked, and it being very questionable when they will be, has alone pre- vented our giving a more extended description of them. Mr. Isaac C. Bates has a promising collection of engravings CONCL USION. 239 and illustrated books, and if it continues to grow in the future as it has in the past, it will be equalled by few in this vicinity. In these modern days nearly every house of any pre- tension has a room that is dignified with the name of the library. It contains the conventional book-case, but a glance too often discloses a paucity of volumes, or a poverty of literary taste in selection, that makes that respectable article of furniture a monument of the ignorance, rather than of the intelligence of the household. An heterogene- ous mass of odd volumes of magazines, or of popular novels, or of cheap subscription books, et id omne genus, is a melancholy spectacle. Indeed, we had even rather see that other kind of library, in which books are little better than articles of fashionable furniture, and which recalls what Southey says. " I have seen a Wiltshire clothier," he writes in one of his letters, "who gave his bookseller no other instructions than the dimensions of his shelves ; and have just heard of a Liverpool merchant who is fitting up a library, and has told his bibliopole to send him Shakespeare, and Milton, and Pope, and if any of those fellows publish anything new, to let him have it immediately." Such a man in his library seems to us like one in clothes made for another, which do not fit. It will be seen from what has been said, that the scope 240 CONCL USION. of this attempt is not intended to embrace all the private libraries of Providence. It is not easy to say how small a collection of books must be, to exclude it from the definition of the word, library ; and numbers, certainly, are a very poor criterion of the value of books. The libraries men- tioned have been selected, either because they are the best, or because, though perhaps not better than others, they are fair representatives of the class to which they belong. When we consider how many fine collections of books there are in Providence, a city of but a hundred thousand inhabitants, we cannot but think it fortunate in its literary possessions. Many of its book-lovers might doubtless say with Macaulay, in the words addressed to his little niece — "I would rather be a poor man in a garret with plenty of books than a king who did not love reading." INDEX. INDEX. Aa, Vander, Voyages of 85 Abiosus, Dr. Johannes, on Astrology.. 222 Ablyn's Voyages 85 Acosta, Works of 84 Addison on Thomas Rawlinson as Tom Folio 31 ^Esop's Fables 152,223 Affaires de l'Angleterre et de PAmer- ique 93 Ailly, Pierre d', Imago Mundi of 72 Albans, Book of Saint 230 Aldus, Books printed by, in Libri sale. 45 Classics printed by 100 Hypnerotomachia printed by.. 189 Alison, Sir Archibald, on lack of his- torical records in America 69 Allan, John, his various collections... 5, 6 Alphonso I., Book-love of 9 Alvearie, by Barrett 140 America, Books on 69-99 How it received its name 73 Specialty of Brown Libraiy. 71 American Broadside-Ballads 199 Chap-Books 198 Poetry 195 Song-Books 199 Andrade, Jose Maria, Library of. 11 Anglo-Saxons, Book love of 26 Anthropological Journal 139 29 Apianus, Peter, Cosmography of 72 Arabian Nights' Entertainments 155 Archaeologia 139 Arctic explorations, Works on 138 Aristotle's library 25 Works 173 Arnold, Ernst, Statements of, relating to Muller 184 Asay, E. G., Books of 53 Asia and Asia Minor, Works on 138 Askew, Dr. Anthony, Book-love of..... 34 Aspasia, Book-love of 20 Audiffret, Marquis d', Testimony of, as to Libri 44 Audsley and Bowes' Keramic Art of Japan 154 Aurl, Leonhardus, Types of. 126 Autographs 12, 145 Back's Ai-ctic explorations 138 Backus' History of the Baptists 232 Bacon, Francis, Works of, on vellum.. 150 Ball, The Officers' 198 Ballads, American 199 Bancroft, George, on Franklin, Deane, and Lee 119 Hubert H., Books of, from Maximilian's sale 12 Library of 53 INDEX. 244 Bansley, Charles, His Pryde and Abuse of Women 152 Barclay's Apology 121 Barlow, S. L. M., Harrisse on his library 74 Barrett's Alvearie 140 Bartlett, John R., Catalogue of Brown Library 103 Library of 135 Works of 136, 140, 142, 144 Bates, Isaac C, Engravings and Illus- trated books of 238 Bay Psalm Book 195 Beauclerk, Topham, Books of 34 Beaumont and Fletcher, Works of 193 Beechey's Arctic Explorations 138 Beham, H. S., Wood-cuts by 191 Benzoni, Works of 84 Bernard, Charles, Library of 29 Bernard, Francis, Library of. 29 Sale of his Caxtons. 37 Berners, Lord, his Arthur of Little Britain 153 Bewick's Works 158, 171, 223 Bible, Manuscript 125 Bibles, Collections of 60 Bibliography 130, 160, 172, 178, 226 Bibliomaniac, The, a periodical issued by S. S. Rider 205 Bibliotheca Anglo Poetica 172 Chalcographica 223 Diabolica 61 Grenvilliana 227 Blandford, Marquis of, Descent of. 41 Purchase of Valdarfer Boccaccio 35 Sale of same 36 Block-Books 41, 44, 188 Blomefield's History of Norfolk 63 Boccace's De la Genealogie des Dieux. 191 Boccaccio, Sale of Valdarfer 35, 36 Bonaparte, Napoleon, Book-love of 10 Bonelli, Cardinal, Book-love of 19 Books, Antiquity of 25 Bishop Hall on 208 Charles V.'s meagre array of. .. 162 Dr. Channing on 25 Dr. Johnson's dislike of well bound books 161 Fenelonon 3 Frederick the Great on 9 George Dyer on 135 Gibbon's partiality for well bound books 161 Lord Macaulay on 240 Milton on 202 Mrs. Browning on. 4 Richard de Bury on 3,27 Robert Burton on 8 Rufus Choate's precept on 3 Southey on defacing 145 on ill-assorted 239 Tom Hood on... 237 Various materials of. 25 Win. Wordsworth on 8 Book-bindings 64 In human skin 65 In skins of various animals. . . 65 Of Catharine de Medicis 64 Count d'Hoym 45 Diana of Poictiers 21 Frederick the Great 9 French Kings 64 Grollier 27, 45 Harleian Library 33 Henry III 64 Lady Lucan's Shakespeare. 63 Libri 45 Lucie n Rosny 65 Maioli 27, 45 N. Bonaparte 10 INDEX. 245 Book-bindings, of President De Thou, 28, 45 Robert Southey 50 Royal C.Taft 150, 153 Rook-collectors, Various classes of, 8, 12, 17, 18, 20 Rook-sales in London in 1806-7 35 Roston Public Library, Prince Library now in 51 Bos well's copy of Johnson's Poets 230 Johnson 101 Rotany, Works on 161, 238 Rotta and Flandin's Work 137 Routon, J. W., Illustrated Shakespeare of 63 Rowyer's Hume's England 154 Boydell's Milton 154 Shakespeare 128, 154 Rraddock, Manuscript letters of Gen'l. 114 Bradford's press subsidized in Rhode Island 121 Bradford, William, Imprints of 120 Bradstreet, Annie, Tenth Muse of 196 Brant's Stultifera Navis 76 Brantome on Diana of Poictiers 22 Bray, Mrs., her Life of Stothard 155, 225 Brinley, George, Books of. 53 British Museum, Bibles in 61 Grenville Library given to. . . 42 Britton, Thomas, Book-love of 13 Taste of, for music and chemistry 13 Brooke, Lord, Works of 229 Brown, John Carter, Library of. 69 Catalogue of his books... 70, 103 Browne, Irving, Books of 53 Browning, Mrs., on books 4 Bruce's Roman Wall 140 Brunet's Manual 172 Brunet on De Bry 88 Bryan's Dictionary of Painters 144, 231 Brydges, Sir Egerton, Works of. . . . 172, 226 Bullock's Virginia 117 Burgoyne's Campaign, Books relating to 232 Burns' Poems, Kilmarnock edition of. 194 Burns on appearance of his poets 158 Burton, William E., Books of 53 Illustrated Shakespeare of. . 63 Bury, Richard de, on books 3 Rook-love of 26 Philobiblon of 26 Rury St. Edmunds, Library of. 65 Ryron's English Rards 157, 177 Gamer's Solinus' Polyhistoria 73 Campanius' New Sweden 117 Canes, Lahlache's fondness for 5 Canton Register 138 Cardinals, Book-love of 18 Carlile, Capt. Thomas, Returns of his Company 213 Carlyle, Thomas, on John Pine 156 Caxton, William, Rooks printed by. ... 29 Rooks printed by Executors of 100 " " Prices of.... 36 Illustrated Life of. 226 Lewis' Life of. '226 Life and typography of, by Rlades 226 Chalcographica, Ribliotheca, 223 Chalkhill, John 151 Chalmers' Mary, Queen of Scots 143 Champlain's Voyages 92 Chap-Rooks, American 198 English 202 Charlemont, Lord, his Caxton's Poly- cronicon 37 Charles V., Rooks of 162 Charlevoix's Works 92 Chemistry, T. Britton's taste for 13 246 INDEX. China, Prices paid for 7 Chinese book. 220 Choate, Rufus, His precept as to hooks 3 His copy of Harleian Miscellany 172 Cicero's Book-love , 26 Claghorn, James L., Prints of 53 Clarke, John, Works of 99 Clarke, W., Repertorium Bioliographi- cum 226 Clear Sunshine of the Gospel, &c 118 Clergy, Book-love of the 17-19 Clinton, Sir Henry, and Earl Cornwal- lis, Correspondence between. . 118 Manuscript Notes of 91 Coddington, William, Works of 99 Coins, Prices of American 6 Colden's Works 91 Coleridge, S. T., Autograph letter of. . . 159 His book-bescribbling 162 On Poetry 159 Works of 159 Colonial Printers, Subsidies to, 122, 123, 124 Colonna's Hypnerotomachia 189 Columbus' letter 75 Columbus, Fernando, Library of 75 Commelyn's Voyages 85 Compano, Niccolo, Imperia, a disciple of 21 Complutensian Bible 100 Constitution of French Republic 65 Conventional libraries 239 Cooke, Joseph J., Library of. 109 Cornwallis, Earl, and Sir Henry Clin- ton, Correspondence between 118 Cortes' Relations 81 Cotton's Angler 151 Cotton, John, His Works 96 Sir John, His gift to British Museum 29 Sir Robert, Library of. 29 Cotton, Sir Robert, Specialty of his library 60 Courtesans, Book-love of 20, 21, 22, 23 Courts-Martial in Providence, Records of 213 Cowper, Diary of Lady 231 William, Task of 176 Cranach, Lucas, Cuts of 171, 222 Cranz's Works on Greenland 92 Crisis, The 93 Cromwell and Hampden, Tract relat- ing to 231 Cromwelliana 231 Crossley, James, discovers Franklin's Dissertation on Liberty and Neces- sity, &c 98 Cunningham's Life of Nell Gwynn 101 D'Ailly, Pierre, Imago Mundi of 72 Daniel, George, Books of 45 Darien, Scotch Settlement at 90 Deane, Silas, Bancroft on 119 Works of. 119, 120 De Bry's Bibliotheca Chalcographica. . 223 Brunet on his Voyages 88 Other bihliographers on his Voyages 89 Voyages 85, 87, 115, 116 De Laet, Works of 85 Demonology, Books on 61 De Quincey's manner of storing his books 181 Desnoyers' Sistine Madonna 184 De Thou's Book-love 27, 28 Devil, Books on the 61 Devonshire, Duke of, Books of 50 De Vries' Works 91 Diabolica, Bibliotheca 61 Diana of Poictiers' Book-love 21 Diaz, Bernal, Works of. 84 INDEX. Dibdin, T. F., Autograph letters of, 167, 168, 227 On Grey's ed. of Hudibras.... 174 On Hakluyt 85 On Lady Lucan's Illustrated Shakespeare 62 On Murphj 7 's Arabian Antiq- uities of Spain 223 OnR.Heber 39 Unpublished Works of. 170 Works of 101, 153, 167, 226 Dickinson's Letters from a Farmer, &c. 117 Diman, J. Lewis, Books of 237 Dinwiddie, Gov., Autograph letters of. 114 Doctrina Christiana 94 Dodsley's Old Plays 158, 173 Donck, Vander, his New Netherlands. 91 Donnelly, T. F., on Noah Woodsides... 14 Don Quixote 224 Dorr War Literature 212 Douglas' Nenia Britannica 140 Dowse, Thomas, Book-love of 52 Drake's Dictionary of American Biog- raphy 144 Dressing cases, Hobby for 6 Drexel, Joseph W., Books of. 53 Drolleries, Books of, in Daniel sale 46 Dunlap's Arts of Design 176 Dunn, Professor 11. P., The Good Book- seller by 206 Dunton, John, on Eliot's Indian Bible. 112 Durer, Albert, his cuts and engrav- ings 171, 182, 188 His influence on Little Masters, 191 His Life of the Virgin 191 Du Roveray's edition of Homer 141 Duyckinck, Evert A., on Keese 56 Eastlake's Materials for a History of Oil Painting 176 247 Ecclesiastical book-lovers 17, 18 Edwards, James, Book-love of 38 Egede's Works 92 Egnatio's anecdote of Grollier 28 Egypt, Great French work on 128 Works on 137 Electra of Sophocles 194 Eliot's Indian Bible 95, 111, 196 Grammar 95 Elzevirs in Libri collection 45 Emblems, Books of. 202 Enciso, Geography of. 72 England's Helicon 160 Enschedc collection, Books from. . . 188, 189 Ephrata press, Imprints of 197 Ethnological works 139 Eusebius' Praeparatio Evangelica 126 Farmer, Richard, Bookdove of 34, 35 Farnham's A Glance at Private Libra- ries 52 Farnum, Alexander, Library of 165 Featley's Works 97 Federmann's Indianische Historia 90 Fenelon on books 3 Fenwick, Mrs. Katherine, Books of 49 Ferriar, Dr., on Richard Heber - 40 Finden's Royal Gallery 154 Finiguerra, Maso, Engravings of. 38 Fitzgerald's Life of Garrick 231 Folger, Peter, his Looking Glass for the Times 198 Dr. Franklin on 199 Folkes, Martin, his books, &c 34 Force, Peter, Harrisse on his library. . 75 Foster's Arabian Nights' Entertain- ments 155 Fowle sale, Preposterous prices at 53 Franklin, Benjamin, Autograph letters of 114, 115 248 INDEX. Franklin, Benjamin, Bancroft on 119 Imprints of 120, 197 Liberty and Necessity of.. 97 On Peter Folger 199 Franklin, James, Cost of his press 123 Establishment at Newport of 121 Petitions by 121 Profits of 123 Franklin, Sir John, Arctic explorations of 138 Frederick the Great, Libraries of 9 Passion for snuff-boxes of.. 5 French Kings, Book-bindings of 64 French Republic of 1794, Constitution of 65 Fry, Francis, Collection of Bibles of. . . 60 Fyssher's Treatise on the Psalms 130 Gallatin, Albert, Peace with Mexico of 141 Galvao's Discoveries of the World 70 Garlands, Books of, in Daniel sale 46 Gam m ell, William, Books of 237 Garrick, Life of 231 Gascoigne, Geoi'ge, Poetical Works of. 193 Gates, Gen'l Horatio, Autograph docu- ment by 231 Gay's Fables 152 Gell, Sir William, his Topography of Troy 142 George III., Book-love of. 37 German. American Poetry 197 Gibbon's Book-love 16L Gillott, Joseph, Hobby for violins of.. 4 Taste for paintings of 6 Giustiniani's edition of Psalter 75 Glockenton, N., Miniatures by 188 Goddard, William, Establishes a press in Providence 122 Character of 123 Golden Legend 100, 126 Gomara's Works 81 Gorge's Works 91 Gorton, Samuel, Works of. 99, 196 Gosson, Stephen, his Pleasant Quippes 152 Gottfriedt's Voyages 85 Gough's Sepulchral Monuments 139 Gowans, William, Sketch of 54 Grainger's England 129 Grave, John, Song of Sion of 197 Green, Arnold, Library of 238 Bartholomew, Imprints of 120 Greenland, Books on 92 Early allusion to 72 Grenville, Thomas, Books of 41 Grenvilliana, Bibliotheca 227 Greville, Fulk, Works of 229 Grey, Literary Remains of Lady Jane. 231 Grijalva, Joan de, his Itinerary of Yucatan 79 Grimani, Cardinal, Book-love of. 19 Grolliei , Book-love of 27 Grose's Antiquities 140 Grote on Aspasia 20 Grynaeus' Voyages 85 "G. t.," Books of printer thus desig- nated 189 Guilford, Frederick North, Earl of, his Books 50 Guizot's testimony as to Libri 44 Hadden, Lieut. J. M., Journal of. 232 Orderly-Books kept by.. 233 Hakluyt's Voyages 85, 116 Hampden and Cromwell, Tract relat- ing to 231 Hancock, John. Manuscript order of.. 120 Hangmen's halters, Hobby for 4 Hariot's Virginia 86, 88 Harleian Library 32 Manuscripts 33 INDEX. 249 Harleian Miscellany , 33, 172 Harris, Facsimiles by 153 C. Fiske, Jefferson's Notes of... 94 Library of. 1S1 Harrisse, Henry, on American libra- ries 74 Hartgers' Voyages 85 Haslewood, Joseph, his edition of Poets and Poesy 230 Manuscript emendations by 160 Hastie-Tracy sale, Books from 110 Hazlitt's edition of Dodsley's Old Plays 173 Hearne's Arctic explorations 138 Heath, Charles, Engravings of. 224 Heber, Richard, Books of 39 His dislike of large paper copies 62 Hell, Books on 61 Helps, Sir Arthur, on American Book- Collectors 105 On Puga's Collection of Ordi- nances 69 Hennepin's works 91 Henry II., Diana of Poictiers' influence over 21, 22 Henry III., Book-bindings of 64 Herodotus on Xerxes' visit to Troy. . . . 142 Herrera, Works of 84 Heywood, Thomas, Life of Merlin of.. 229 Hillier's King Charles in the Isle of Wight 231 Hobbies, Various 4, 5, 6, 7, S Hoe, Robert, Jr., Books of 53 Hogarth's Works 175, 185 Holbein's Works 154, 191 Hollyband's Dictionary 141 Horn er, Works on , 141 Hooke's Works 97, 118 Home's Manual 172 Houbraken's Heads 175 Hudibras, Grey's edition of 174 Hulsius' Voyages 85, 86, 89 Human skin, Books bound in 65 Hume's England by Bowyer 154 Hutchinson, Gov., Books of. 51 Win, Literary fraud of 201 Hylacomylus, Pseudonym of Waldsee- Miiller 73 Hypnerotomaehia 189 Illustrated books, 62, 101, 128, 143, 157, 109, 175, 176, 177, 214, 222, 226, 231, 238 Imperia, Book-love of 20 Imperiale, Cardinal, Book love of 19 Indian languages, Books printed in. . . 95 Irving's Washington 101, 176 Irvingiana 231 Irwin, Theodore, Books and prints of.. 53 Ives, Bray ton, Books of 130 Jacob, Sir Hildebrand, Eccentric book love of 30 Jefferson, Thomas, Manuscript letters of 114 Notes on Virginia of 94 Jenckes, Thomas A, Dorr War Litera- ture of 212 Jests, Books of, in Daniel sale - 46 Jesuit Relations 85, 87, 90, 92 Johnsoniana 101 Johnson, Dr. Samuel, his dislike of good bindings 161 Lives of the Poets 230 On the Harleian Library. ... 33 Portraits of ]01 Jonson, Ben, Works of 193 Junot, Marshal, his vellum books 62 Junta, Books printed by 45, 48 Kalbfieisch, Charles W, Books of. 53 Keese, John, Sketch of. 56 250 INDEX. Kennett, While, Bibliotbecae Ameri- cans Primordia of 22S Kingsborough's Antiquities of Mexico, 128 Kirkup, Baron Seymour, Books of. 61 Knight's England 157 Passages of a Working Life.. 231 Lablache, his walking-sticks 5 his snuff-boxes 6 Lacroix, Paul, Middle Ages of 175 His testimony as to Libri. . . 44 On Grollier's bindings 27 Laet, Works of. 85 La Hontan's Voyages 91 Lamb, Charles, Autograph inscription of 160 Extract from an autogi'aph letter of 177 Lancelot, Cardinal, Book-love of 19 Landscape Annual 154 Las Casas' Works 81, 115, 220 On Spanish cruelties 82 Lavater's Essays on Physiognomy 224 La-yard's Nineveh and Babylon 137 Lechford's Works 91 Lee, Arthur, Bancroft on 119 Works of 118, 119 Gen'l Charles, Court Martial of 118 Treason of 231 Legenda Aurea 100, 126 Lenox, James, A De Bry collector 86 Bibles of 61 Harrisse on his library 75 Leo Africanus on Africa 136 Leo X., Book-love of. 17 Leon, Ciesa de, Works of 84 Lery, Works of 84 Lescarbot's Nouvelle France 92 Leslie's Life of Constable 157 Lewis, John, his Life of Caxton 226 Lexicography, Works on 140 Libraries, Conventional 239 Libri, Guglielmo, his books and book- love 43 His book-bindings 64 His Sale catalogues 227 Lincoln, Abraham, Books on.- 16 Linschoten's Voyages 85 Lippitt, Colonel Christopher, Orderly- Book of Regiment of. 213 Little Masters, why so called 191 Lloyd's Life of Sir P. Sidney 229 Lodge's Portraits 175, 224 Longhi's engravings 182 Lossing's Hudson 129 Louis XIV., his efforts to buy Sir J. Cotton's books 29 Louis XV., Connection with Madame de Pompadour 23 Her books bequeathed to him 24 Love, Bibliography of..... 62 Lucan, Lady, Illustrated Shakespeare of 62 Lude wig's Local History of America.. 228 Maberly on Miiller 183 Maioli, Book love of. 27 Major, John, his copy of Wal pole's Anecdotes of Painting 224 Richard H., on Galvao's Treatise 70 On the naming of America.. 74 Manuscripts 48, 49, 50, 51, 125, 213, 225, 232 Marriage. Bibliography of. 02 Marryat's Pottery and Porcelain 154 Marshall's Washington '. 101, 143 Martin's Privately printed Books 226 Martyr, Peter, Works of 80, 115, 116 On Spanish valor 84 Mather, Cotton, Woi-ks of 96 INDEX. 251 Mather Family's Works. 51, 96, Maximilian's library Maya language, Dictionary of 96, Mazarin Bibles in the Perkins library.. Cardinal, Book-love of Mead, Dr. Richard, Book-love of. Medicis, Catherine de, Book bindings of Meerrnan library of Greek Manuscripts Mela, Pomponius, Geography of. Menzies, William, Books of. Books from his sale 110, 112, 113, 115, Merimee, Prosper, Testimony of, as to Libri Merlin, Hey wood's Life of. Mexico, First Book printed in Books relating to Milton on good books Doctrine of Divorce of Works of. Mirrour for Magistrates Missals 46, 48 125, 145, 188, Molina's Dictionary of Mexican lan- guage Montbrison, Count de, Book-binding of More, Sir Thomas, Utopia of Morghen, Raphael, Transfiguration of.. Other works of Motte, Philip de la, Art Workmanship of Mottoes, Books of Mourt's Works Miiller's Sistine Madonna Munsell's Reprints, extravagant prices of, at Fowle sale Munster, Geography of Murphy's Arabian Antiquities of Spain Murphy, H. C, Harrisse on his library. Musee Royal Music, T. Britton's taste for 30 117 11 101 47 1!) 34 G4 53 194 44 229 94 12 202 194 194 193 221 95 64 77 182 183 153 202 91 183 53 72 223 75 154 13 New England's First Fruits 118 New England's Teares, &c 118 Nicholas V., Book-love of 17 Nicolas' Literary Remains of Lady Jane Grey 231 North, Frederick, Earl of Guilford, Books of 50 Norton, Mrs., Sonnet of, "To my Books" 66 Nuremberg Chronicle 222 Officers' Ball 198 Olney, Stephen T., Library of 238 Orderly-Books of Col. C. Lippitt's Reg't 213 Kept by Lieut. Hadden.. 233 Ortelius, Geography of. 72 Osborne, Thomas, his purchase of Harleian Library 33 Ottley's Supplement 231 Ottoboni, Cardinal, Book-love of 19 Oviedo's Works 81 Oxford classics, extravagant prices of, at Fowle sale 53 Paesi nouamente retrouati 78 Painter's Palace of Pleasure 193 Paintings, Joseph Gillott's taste for... 6 Palm leaf book 220 Papal book-lovers 17 Paper Money of Rhode Island 213 Paradise of Dayntie Devises 160 Parry's Arctic explorations 138 Parton's Franklin 144 Passau's Boeck des Gulden Throens... 189 Peele's Jests, Extract from Ill Pembroke, Earl of, Books and coins of 34 Pcnhallow's Works 91 Pennsylvania, Works relating to .. 114, 117 Percy Society's Publications 152 Perkins, Henry, Library of. 46 252 INDEX. Perkins, Henry, Sale of his Caxton's Polj T cronicon 37 Petit's Mary, Queen of Scots.. . . 102, 143, 157 Petrarch's disposition of his books.... 131 Phillipps, Sir Thomas, his books 49 His peculiar bequest of his books 49 His private press 49 Philology, Works on 140 Phipps' Arctic explorations 138 Phoenix, S. Whitney, Books of 53 Pickering's Prayer Book 173 Picturesque Voyages 138 Pigouchet, Phillippe, Book printed by 221 Pine, John, Works of 156 Placida, Franciscus, Book printed by. 222 Planck, Stephanus, Book printed by.. . 190 Pleydenwurff s cuts 222 Plinius Secundus, Caius, Book of 190 Poetry, Coleridge on 159 Pompadour, Madame de, Book-love of 23 Fondness for books on the drama 58 Pontanus de Roma, Works of 188 Pope on the Harleian Library 33 Popish Plot, Works relating to 230 Poi son's dislike of folios 139 Postage-stamps, Prices paid for 7 Press established in Rhode Island 121 In Mexico 95 Prime, William C, on Wm. Gowans... 55 Prince, Rev. Thomas, Library of 50 Printers, Subsidies to Colonial, 122, 123, 124 Ptolemy, Geography of 72, 73 Puga's Collection of Ordinances 69 Purchas, His Pilgrimes 85, 117, 136 Pynchon's Works 97 Pynson, Books printed by 48 Ramusio's Voyages 85 Ratcliffe, John, Books of 34 Rawlinson on Nineveh 137 Rawlinson, Richard, Book-love of 32 Thomas, Book-love of. 31 Rebellion, Literature of. 142, 200 Scrap book history of. 142 Reed- Washington Correspondence.... 113 Rembrandt, Prints of 182 Remembrancer, The 93 Repertorium Bibliographicum 226 Returns of Capt. T. Carlile's Company. 213 Rhode Island literature, Mr. Rider's passion for 211 Laws 99 Manuscript volumes re- lating to 100 Paper Money of 213 Rice, John A., Amount of his sale 53 Sale of his Indian Bible, 112 Rich, O., Catalogues of 228 Rider, Sidney S., Library of. 205 Ritson's Works 173 Rittner's connection with Miiller 184 Robinson, Crabb, Diary of. 157 Eugene N., his folio Shakes- peare 127 Rochambeau, Count de, Manuscript Journal of an Aid of 200 Rogers, Horatio, City Hall Oration of.. 214 Library of 219 Samuel, Poetical Works of, 156, 176 Roqueplan, Nestor, his hobby for warming-pans 5 Rosa, Salvator, Etchings of 185 Rosny, Lucien, Book-bindings of 65 Ross' Arctic explorations 138 Roxburghe Club, Dinners and publica- tions of 36 Roxburghe, Duke of, Sale of his library 35, 36 Royal book-collectors 9, 10, 11, 29, 37, 64 Geographical Society, Journal of 136 INDEX. 253 Royal Library of Stuttgart, Bibles in... 61 Society of Literature, Transac- tions of 140 Roy's Military Antiquities 140 Rugendas, George P., Paintings of 224 Essay of, on Armor 225 Sabin, Joseph, Sketch of 59 Sagard's Historie clu Canada 92 Saint Albans, Book of 230 Sauer, Christopher, Imprints of 197 Schoner, Geography of 72 Scotch Settlement at Darien 90 Scott, Sir Walter, Books of 50 Mr. Jonathan Oldbuck's books. 102 Novels of 129 On Richard Heber 40 On history and literature for lawyers 238 Sewall, Henry F., Prints of 53 Shakespeare, Boy dell's 128, 154 First four folios of, 48, 127, 128, 194 Halliwell's folio 173 Illustrated copies of 62, 63 Works of 158, 173 Sharpe's British Essayists 152 Shaw's Works on the Middle Ages 175 Ship of Fools 76, 193 Sidney, Sir Philip, Memoirs of 228 Pedigree of. 229 Works of 228 Silk, Books printed on . 62 Silvester II., Book love of 17 Silvestre's Universal Paleography 174 Simcoe, Col., Journal of 232 Sion, Song of, by John Grave 196 Sistine Madonna, Engravings of.... 183, 184 Slavery, Literature of. 200 Smith, Charles Morris, Library of. 238 John, Works of 91 Smith, Richard, Library of 29 Sale of his Caxtons ... 37 Dr. Wm., on Aspasia 20 Snuff-boxes, Hobby for 5, 6 Sobolewski, M. Serge, References to his library 70, 78, 86, 104, 116 Solinus' Polyhistoria 73, 74 Solis, Works of. 84 Somers' Tracts 14,172 Song-Books, American 199 Song of Sion by John Grave 196 Songs, Books of, in Daniel sale 46 Sophocles, Electra of 194 Sotheby's Principia Typographica 226 Southey, Robert, Books of 50 On defacing books 145 On some libraries 239 South wick, Solomon, Imprints of 122 Spanish cruelty 81 Valor 83 Sparks' Writings of Washington 113 Spectator, The, on sale of Dr. C. Ber- nard's books 30 Spencer, Earl, Library of. 40 Ticknor on 36 Spenser's Works 193 Stanley, Col., Books of 38 Stedman's History of American War.. 93 Steendam, Jacob, Poetry of. 197 Steinla's Sistine Madonna 184 Stephen's Runic Monuments 140 Sterline, Earl of, his Recreations with the Muses 229 Stevens, Henry, on translations and various editions 79 Stobnicza, John de, his Introduction to Ptolemy's Cosmography 73, 74 Story, Judge, on varied reading 220 Stothard, Thomas, Designs of.. 155, 224, 225 Life of 155, 225 254 INDEX. Stothard, Thomas, Original drawings of 155, 225 Water colors of 155 Strabo's Geographia 126 Strange, Sir Robert, Engravings of. 186 Strascino, Imperia a pupil of 21 Stuarts, Works on time of 230 Stultifera Navis 76 Stuttgart, Bibles in Royal Library of. . 61 Sykes, Sir M. M., Books of 39 Prints of 38 Sale of bis books and prints 39 Taft. James W., Library of 238 Taft, Royal C, Library of 149 Tamul Book 220 Tatler, The, on T. Rawlinson's book- love 31 Taylor, Thomas, Translation of Aris- totle by 173 Ternaux's Bibliotheque Americaine. . . 228 Thiers' French Revolution 101 Thomas, Edward M., Book-love of 12 Ticknor, George, on Cortes Relations. . 84 On Thomas Dowse 52 On Valdarfer Boccaccio 36 Tite, Sir William, Books of 48 Books from his library 127 Tobacco pipes, Hobby for 6 Torffeus' Works 92 Toschi's engravings 182 Troy, Works on Plain of 142 Trumbull, J. Hammond, discovers a tract by Roger Williams — 99 Only living reader of Indian Bible 113 Tulip Mania in Holland 4 Turnbull's Birds 130 Turner, Dawson, his Collection of Heath's engravings 224 Turner, Dawson, Illustrated History of Norfolk of 63 J. M. W., Life of. 225 Tusser, Thomas, his Hundredth good points of husbandrie 160 Typography, Old, 126, 188, 189, 190, 192, 221, 222 Urquhart, Gordon, Hobby for halters of 4 Utopia 77 Varthema, Ludovico de, Itinerario of.. 79 Violins, Joseph Gillott's hobby for 4 Valdarfer Boccaccio, Sale of 35, 36 Ticknor on 36 Valens, Letters of 114 Vander Donck's New Netherlands 91 Vatican, Library of the 17, 18 Vega, Garcilasso de la, Works of 84 Vellum books 47, 62, 124, 130, 145, 150, 167, 168 Marshal Junot's 62 Verard, Book printed by 48, 191 Vespucius, Americus, America named after 73 His Voyages 77 Vetusta Monumenta 140 Vindelin, Book printed by 126 Virginia Convention of 1788, Constitu- tional Debates of 117 Waldsee-Miiller, Cosmographiae Intro- ductio of 73 Naming of America by.... 73 Walking-sticks, Hobby for 5 Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting 224 Walton's Angler 151 Lives 151 Warming-pans, Hobby for 5 Warren's Monuments 140 Washington, Autograph letters of, 113, 231 INDEX. 255 Washington, Books from his library... 113 Books on 16 Character and Portraits of. . 231 Diary of 231 Spark's Writings of 113 Watches, Hobby for 5 Waterloo's etchings 184 Watson and Kaye's People of India.... 139 Waverley Novels 129, 152 Webster, Daniel. Books on 10 Wellington, Duke of, his hobby for watches 5 West, James, Books of 34, 35 Westwood's Miniatures. &c 176 Wheatley, Phillis, Poems of. 200 White Knights Library, Sale of 36 White, President, Books of 53 Wiffen's House of Russell 144 Williams, Roger, Works of 95, 98, 196 Winsor, Prof. Justin, on book-collec- tors of the Colonial period 51 Winsor, Prof. Justin, His Bibliography of Shakespeare 129 Wohlgemuth's cuts 222 Wolfenbuttel, Bibles in the library of.. 61 Woman, Bibliography of. 62 Wood, Anthony A., Athena? Oxonien. ses of 226 Woodburn's Rare Portraits 175 Wood Engraving 170, 191, 222 Woodsides, Noah, Book-love of. 15 Worde, Wynkyn de, Book printed by 48, 126 Wordsworth, William, White Doe of Rylstoneof 160 Manuscript emendations of.. . . . 160 Writing-cases, Hobby for 6 Wynne's Private Libraries of New York 52 YarrelPs Works 158, 173 Zarate, Works of 84 Zorgdrager's Works 92 Zouch's Memoirs of Sir P. Sidney 228