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