BOOKS OF THE COLLECTOR
'To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and
discretion.'--PROVERBS, i. 4.
JUST as anyone who sets out to collect prints or antiques must provide
himself at the outset with certain books necessary for obtaining a
knowledge of the subject, so the book-collector must gather to himself
those works which, if studied carefully, will enable him to become
thoroughly conversant with the objects of his favourite pursuit. To the
real collector there is no more delightful reading than the literature
which deals with the subject he has made his own; and the more ample and
specialised it be, the greater will be his delight.
What bibliophile has not read, and read again, such delightful works as
Burton's 'Book Hunter,' Blades' 'Enemies of Books' and 'Life and
Typography of William Caxton,' 'The Library' and 'Books and Bookmen' by
Andrew Lang, Harrison's 'Choice of Books' and 'Among my Books,' Clark's
'Care of Books,' Edwards' 'Libraries and Founders of Libraries,' and many
others of equal charm? Indeed, these volumes may well be among the first
that he who embarks upon the peaceful sea of book-collecting gathers to
himself. Nor is there any less fascination in the more specialised works,
such as Mr. Gordon Duff's 'Early Printed Books,'[52] 'English Provincial
Printers,' and 'The Printers of Westminster and London to 1535,'
Bradshaw's 'Collected Papers,' Mr. A. W. Pollard's 'Early Illustrated
Books,' Wheatley's 'Prices of Books,' Professor Ferguson's 'Aspects of
Bibliography,' and the publications of the Bibliographical Society. All
these and many others are necessary if we are to acquire a thorough
knowledge of old books. They are, or should be, in every large public
library; and we may read them through and through at our leisure,
learning more from each perusal.
There are certain works, however, which the book-collector should himself
possess, for he will have continual recourse to them throughout his
book-collecting career. Doubtless some of them will make an inroad upon
his purse, but it will be money well spent, and the knowledge which he
will gain from them will save him many a shilling. Their acquisition must
be looked upon in the same light as the shelves and fittings of the
library.
[Sidenote: General Bibliographies.]
First of all we will take those bibliographies which deal with books
published in the English language, and there are certain of these volumes
that are indispensable to the book-collector. Among them are Lowndes'
'Bibliographer's Manual,' in six octavo volumes, last published in
1869[53] (alas! sadly deficient, but still of considerable use), which
one can have for about a pound, and Hazlitt's valuable 'Bibliographical
Collections and Notes on Early English Literature,' complete in eight
octavo volumes, published between 1867 and 1903. The Bibliographical
Society's publications, from 1893 onwards, are of the greatest value,
comprising lists of English printers, early editions of rare books, lists
of early English plays, tales, and prose romances, with numerous
bibliographies. For recourse to these, probably it will be necessary to
visit the nearest important public library, though one may purchase
individual numbers from time to time at the second-hand booksellers'.
Arber's 'Term Catalogues,' published in three quarto volumes between 1903
and 1906, gives a complete list of works entered at Stationers' Hall from
1668 to 1709. It followed the same author's 'Transcripts of the Registers
of the Worshipful Company of Stationers of London, 1554-1640,' which was
privately printed in five volumes between 1875 and 1894. A second
'Transcript' of these registers, from 1640 to 1708, was issued similarly
in 1913-14, in three more volumes.
Sir Egerton Brydges' 'British Bibliographer' (in which he was assisted by
Joseph Haslewood) was published in four octavo volumes, 1810-14, and is
an entertaining work, though not one which it is necessary that the
collector should acquire. The second edition of his 'Censura Literaria'
appeared in ten volumes in 1815, and the 'Restituta; or Titles, Extracts,
and Characters of Old Books in English Literature revived,' was published
in four volumes, 1814-16. All these afford interesting reading; but they
are for the armchair and fireside rather than the desk: and the
information that they contain must not always be regarded as infallible.
Payne Collier's 'Account of the Rarest Books in the English Language,'
which appeared in two volumes in 1865, is rather more dull than its title
suggests. Karslake's 'Notes from Sotheby's' is useful, being a
compilation of 2032 notes from catalogues of book-sales between 1885 and
1909.
Quaritch's 'General Catalogue of Books' is useful for reference. It
comprises short descriptions of more than 38,000 works, and was published
in 1887 in six volumes. An additional volume containing an index to the
whole was issued in 1892. The catalogue of the Huth Library, five large
octavo volumes published in 1880, is also valuable. Then there is, of
course, the British Museum catalogue, which was printed in 1884 under the
title 'A Catalogue of Books in the Library of the British Museum, printed
in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of Books in English printed
abroad, to the year 1640': three octavo volumes.
For an actual list of the published works of all British authors of note,
one must consult the 'Dictionary of National Biography': while the more
detailed bibliographies to each volume of the 'Cambridge History of
English Literature' are of great assistance, though they vary
considerably, and do not pretend to be complete. Allibone's 'Critical
Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors,' in
three volumes, was published by Lippincott (Philadelphia) between 1859
and 1871. There is a supplement to it by J. F. Kirk, which appeared in
two volumes in 1891. It is a work of considerable value to the
bibliographer.
With regard to the books printed abroad (as well as in England), it is
essential that the collector procure a copy of Brunet's 'Manuel de
Libraire et de l'Amateur de Livres,' a most valuable work dealing with
the literature of all countries. The last (fifth) edition of this great
work was published in six octavo volumes at Paris, 1860-65. In 1870 a
companion volume by Pierre Deschamps was issued, entitled 'Dictionnaire
de Geographie Ancienne et Moderne a l'Usage du Libraire,' a dictionary of
the Latin and Greek names of places with their modern equivalents and
some account of the first presses at those places. There is a
modern-ancient index. A supplement to the 'Manuel' was published by MM.
P. Deschamps and Gustave Brunet in two volumes, 1878 and 1880. The
complete work, in all nine large octavo volumes, 1860-1880, cost formerly
about L18; however, a reprint of the fifth edition--an exact facsimile in
type and size--was issued by Brockhaus of Leipzig (at ten pounds the set)
in 1920. Graesse's 'Tresor de Livres Rares et Precieux' is also
valuable. It comprises books in all tongues and contains a mass of
bibliographical information. Published in six quarto volumes (vol. 6 is
in two parts) between 1859 and 1867, a supplement was issued in 1869: in
all seven volumes.[54]
Of all the older general bibliographies, however, there are few that can
compare with old David Clement's 'Bibliotheque Curieuse Historique et
Critique, ou Catalogue Raisonne de Livres Dificiles a Trouver.' Not, I
hasten to add, for its accuracy or even the amount of information it
contains. But there is a charm about these nine old quarto volumes with
their handsome type and title-pages in red and black that appeals
irresistibly to the collector. He was a true bibliophile, this worthy
Lutheran pastor, and his gradations of rarity are delightfully expressive
and concise. 'Rare,' 'tres-rare,' 'fort-rare,' he describes his
treasures, and occasionally 'peu-commun'; but he does not hesitate to
condemn as 'rare et mauvaise' an edition that disturbs his
bibliographical soul. Alas! his work was only carried as far as the
letter H (Hesiod).
[Sidenote: Early-Printed Books.]
For early-printed books the collector will require Ludwig Hain's
'Repertorium Bibliographicum . . . usque ad annum 1500,' which was
published at Stuttgart in four octavo volumes, 1826-38, and is still the
standard work upon this subject. For those who collect fifteenth-century
books this work is essential, for all catalogues and descriptions of
books of that period refer to it. Generally the mere number of the work
in Hain's monumental list is referred to, such as 'H 3234,' which means
that the volume offered for sale is as described by Hain, number 3234 in
the 'Repertorium.' In 1891 Dr. Konrad Burger added an Index of Printers
to this great work, while between 1898 and 1902 Dr. W. Copinger published
a supplement, adding some 7,000 new entries to Hain's 16,299. Dr. Burger
added a further supplement in 1908, and between 1905 and 1910 Dr.
Dietrich Reichling published appendices, additions and emendations to all
of these, adding an index thereto in 1911. For early German books,
Panzer's 'Annalen der altern Deutschen Litteratur' to 1526, which
appeared at Nuernberg in two volumes between 1788 and 1805, has not yet
been entirely superseded; though considerable additions have been made by
Mozler, Weller, and Petzholdt.
Mr. C. E. Sayle's 'List of Early English Printed Books in the University
Library at Cambridge, 1475 to 1640,' in four octavo volumes, was
published by that university between 1900 and 1907; while for books
printed at Oxford from the establishment of the first press there in 1478
to 1640, you must consult Mr. Falconer Madan's 'The Early Oxford Press,'
published in 1895.
Blades' 'Life and Typography of William Caxton' I have already mentioned;
and although many of us may never behold a Caxton save through a sheet of
glass, yet every book-collector should be acquainted with the work of
this great father of the English press. Blades' work first appeared in
two quarto volumes, published respectively in 1861 and 1863, and is much
to be preferred to 'The Biography and Typography of William Caxton' which
is practically a reprint in a cheaper form issued in one octavo volume in
1877. A second edition of this last appeared in 1882. In the Preface to
the 1877 reprint, Blades states that 'only one additional fact of any
importance has been added, viz. that Caxton was married . . .' and that
'the bibliography has been curtailed.'
Proctor's 'Index to the Early Printed Books in the British Museum from
the Invention of Printing to the Year MD.,' begun in 1898, was cut short
by his untimely death. The Museum authorities have now in course of
publication an important work entitled 'A Catalogue of Books printed in
the Fifteenth Century now in the British Museum,' which is being compiled
by Mr. A. W. Pollard and his assistants; it will be completed in six
folio (really atlas quarto) volumes. Of these the first part, dealing
with block-books and the productions of German presses, appeared in 1908;
Part II., also German-printed books, in 1912; Part III., Germany,
Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, in 1913: while Part IV., the
productions of Italy, appeared in 1916. Parts V. and VI. will contain the
works of England, France, and other countries, Part VI. also containing a
general index to the entire work. The Introduction to Part I. gives a
valuable resume of the study of scientific bibliography from Panzer in
1793. Mr. Gordon Duff's great work on the English incunabula, 'Fifteenth
Century Books,' was issued by the Bibliographical Society in 1917. It
contains fifty-three facsimiles, and records the existence of 439 books
or fragments issued in English, or by the printers in this country,
before the end of the year 1500.
In France much valuable work has been done on the early presses of that
country. M. Anatole Claudin has put forth some extremely useful books on
the early printers of Poitiers, Limoges, Rheims, and of many other towns;
whilst for the Exposition Universelle of 1900 he prepared a monumental
work upon the early printers of Paris. This sumptuous book, entitled
'Histoire de l'Imprimerie en France au XV^e et au XVI^e Siecle,' was
printed in two large quarto (atlas quarto) volumes, copiously adorned
with illuminated and other illustrations. The chapter on Antoine Verard
is delightful.
There is a large number of books, too, on the incunabula of various
European towns and districts, such as Augsburg, Bavaria, Belgium,
Bohemia, Ferrara, Mainz, Lyons, Mantua, Nuernberg, Rome, Rouen, Toulouse,
to mention only a few. For the incunabula printed with Greek characters
Legrand's 'Bibliographie hellenique,' which appeared in two octavo
volumes in 1885, is useful.
For a description of the early 'block-books,' the prototype of printing,
the collector must have recourse to Sotheby's beautiful work entitled
'Principia Typographica,' published in three large quarto volumes in
1858. It contains no less than a hundred and twenty full-page
facsimiles, some in colour, of block-books, early types, paper-marks,
etc., and is one of the most important works on the history of printing
that has ever been produced.[55] He will do well also to acquire Bigmore
and Wyman's 'Bibliography of Printing,' a valuable work which appeared in
three quarto volumes, 1880-86; and there is an immense amount of
information concerning individual printers and stationers with their
productions in 'The Library' (in progress), the three large volumes of
'Bibliographica' published in twelve parts between 1895 and 1897, and the
transactions of the Bibliographical Society.
[Sidenote: Engravings.]
If early wood-engravings interest you, there are several works to which
you may turn for guidance. Lippman's 'Wood Engraving in Italy in the
Fifteenth Century,' of which an English edition was published in 1888,
and Kristeller's 'Early Florentine Woodcuts' which appeared in 1897,
treat of illustrated Italian books. Venetian books of the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries are dealt with by Prince d'Essling in his
'Bibliographie des Livres a Figures Venitiens 1469-1525,' of which a new
edition appeared in 1906. The works of Dutch and Belgian artists are
dealt with by Sir W. M. Conway in 'The Woodcutters of the Netherlands in
the Fifteenth Century.' This was published in 1884. M. Claudin's
'Histoire de l'Imprimerie en France' contains many illustrations of early
Parisian woodcuts and illuminations, while Muther's 'Die Deutsche
Buecherillustration der Gothik und Fruehrenaissance,' published in 1884, is
also useful. For English engravers you will find Sir Sidney Colvin's
'Early Engraving and Engravers in England' (1905) useful, as well as
Lewine's 'Bibliography of Eighteenth Century Art and Illustrated Books,'
which appeared in 1898. A very delightful work on the eighteenth-century
French engravers is M. H. Cohen's 'Guide de l'Amateur de Livres a
Gravures du XVIII^e Siecle,' of which the fifth edition was published in
1886. Bewick's work has been dealt with by Mr. Austin Dobson in his
'Thomas Bewick and his Pupils,' octavo, 1884; and 'A Descriptive and
Critical Catalogue of Works Illustrated by Thomas and John Bewick' was
published by E. J. Selwyn in 1851. Mr. A. W. Pollard's 'Early Illustrated
Books,' of which a new edition appeared in 1917, is of value from the
historical point of view.
[Sidenote: Place-Names and Dates.]
Cotton's 'Typographical Gazetteer,' of which the second (and better)
edition was printed at Oxford in 1831, is valuable for the identification
of ancient Latin place-names. A second series was published in 1866. J.
Hilton's 'Chronograms' (1882) and 'Chronograms Continued' (1885) are
often of great assistance with regard to dates. In 1895 this
indefatigable collector published a third volume, quarto, containing more
than four thousand additional examples. For mere lists of works upon
definite subjects one may consult Sargant and Whishaw's 'Guide-Book to
Books' (1891) and 'The Best Books,' by W. S. Sonnenschein.
[Sidenote: Pseudonyms.]
For the identification of authors who wrote under a pseudonym you will
find 'A Handbook of Fictitious Names,' by 'Olphar Hamst' (which was the
pseudonym of Ralph Thomas) useful. It was published in 1868. But this has
been partly superseded by Cushing's 'Initials and Pseudonyms,' large
octavo, London, 1886; and the valuable work of Emil Weller, entitled
'Lexicon Pseudonymorum,' of which the second edition was published at
Regensburg the same year, in octavo. This contains thousands of
pseudonyms of all nations and all ages. Cushing also published 'A
Dictionary of Revealed Authorship,' in two volumes, 1890. Then there is
the valuable 'Dictionary of the Anonymous and Pseudonymous Literature of
Great Britain,' by Halkett and Laing, which appeared in four octavo
volumes between 1882 and 1888. Mr. F. Marchmont's 'Concise Handbook of
Literature issued Anonymously under Pseudonyms or Initials,' appeared in
1896.
Antoine Barbier's 'Dictionnaire des Ouvrages Anonymes et Pseudonymes' was
published first in four octavo volumes at Paris so long ago as 1806-8. A
second edition was put forth in 1822-27. But between 1869 and 1879 a
third edition, revised and enlarged, was incorporated with 'Les
Supercheries Litteraires Devoilees' of Joseph Marie Querard (the second
edition), the whole being edited by MM. Gustave Brunet and Olivier
Barbier, and issued in seven large octavo volumes. The first three
volumes (1869-70) appeared under the title of Querard's work, the last
four (1872-9) under that of Barbier. Querard's work, which first appeared
in four octavo volumes, 1847-52, is, as its title indicates, a dictionary
of those books in French which have been published under fictitious
names, are spurious, or have been wrongly ascribed. It is valuable for
the identification of many fictitious memoirs and like books. Barbier's
work deals with French anonymous and pseudonymous books. De Manne's
'Nouveau Dictionnaire des Ouvrages Anonymes et Pseudonymes,' octavo,
Lyon, 1862, deals chiefly with contemporary French works. For
pseudonymous books in Italian one must consult the work of Vincenzo
Lancetti, which appeared at Milan, in octavo, 1836, as well as the
'Dizionario di Opere Anonime e Pseudonime di Scrittori Italiani,' by G.
M. (Gaetano de' Conti Melzi), also published at Milan in three octavo
volumes, 1848-59. A supplement, by G. Passano, was issued at Ancona in
1887.
Dibdin's rather sumptuously produced works are perhaps of more interest
than bibliographical value, though his edition (vols. 1-4, 1810-19) of
the 'Typographical Antiquities,' begun by Ames (1749), and augmented by
Herbert (3 vols., 1785-90), is useful, in spite of the fact that it was
never completed. For illustrations of the early printers' devices you
must still have recourse to the 'Bibliographical Decameron,' three large
octavo volumes, published in 1817. For the devices of French printers
there is a more recent work entitled 'Marques Typographiques des
Libraires et Imprimeurs de France, 1470-1600,' by M. Silvestre, which was
printed in two octavo volumes at Paris, 1853-1867. It contains
illustrations of more than 1300 devices. Every year witnesses the
production of these indispensable aids to book-collecting, and the modern
trend of such works is towards a constricted specialism. By this means it
is possible to realise a minuteness and accuracy unobtainable in wider
fields. The 'Bibliografia Aragonesa del Siglo XVI' of Senor Sanchez, a
sumptuous work with illustrations of title-pages, colophons, etc., which
was published in two folio volumes in 1913-14, is a striking example of
this.
There are bibliographies of almost every class of books, and a great
number dealing with the works of individual authors and printers of
renown; but these are in the domain of the specialist. There are certain
works, however, which will be of assistance to the collector in compiling
a list of authorities upon his special subject. Dr. Julius Petzholdt's
'Bibliotheca Bibliographica' was published at Leipzig so long ago as
1866; Sabin's 'Bibliography of Bibliographies' appeared at New York in
1877; while Vallee's 'Bibliographie des Bibliographies' (though neither
very accurate nor complete) was published at Paris, in large octavo, in
1883. A supplement to this last was issued in 1887. For the large number
of bibliographical works which have issued from the press since that date
you must consult Mr. W. P. Courtney's invaluable 'Register of National
Bibliography,' in three volumes, 1905 to 1912; which, indeed, for modern
purposes has superseded the above-mentioned works. In passing we would
remark that the 'national' of its title-page is in the wider sense of the
term.
And here a word of warning. Always make a point of entering the _errata_
with a pencil in the margins of every reference-book that you acquire. Do
this before you assign a place to the volume on the shelf; otherwise you
may quote or condemn a passage or date which has been rendered wrongly
owing to a clerical or printer's error, and has been put right in the
_errata_.[56] Need we say that this practice should not necessarily be
confined to works of reference? One may even find some amusement here.
Was it not Scarron who wrote a poem, 'A Guillemette, chienne de ma
soeur,' but quarrelling with his sister just as the volume was about to
appear, put in the _errata_, 'For _chienne de ma soeur_ read _ma
chienne de soeur_'!
All these works will assuredly impart to the book-collector much
knowledge of ancient books and their attributes, but he will still be at
sea with regard to that most necessary part of their collection, namely,
their commercial value. There is only one way in which this knowledge may
be obtained, and that is by the study of catalogues. To arrive at a
proper estimate of a book's value from the purely financial point of
view, a close study of booksellers' catalogues and auction-sale prices
through many years is necessary. The divergence in price of identical
works is somewhat disturbing at first to the novice, and it is only after
some considerable experience and the actual handling of books that one is
enabled to arrive at a proper estimate of their worth. 'Continual use
gives men a judgment of things comparatively, and they come to fix on
what is most proper and easy, which no man, upon cursory view, would
determine.'[57]
Before the writer are two catalogues, one from a country bookseller, the
other from a well-known London house. Each contains a copy of the
'Thesaurus Cornucopiae et Horti Adonidis,' printed by Aldus Manutius in
1496. The former offers it for 25s., the latter for L25. Why this
extraordinary difference in price?
The reasons are ample. The London copy has this description:
'Fol.; 16th cent. English binding of brown calf, gilt borders and
centre-pieces, g.e. (by THOMAS BERTHELET, the Royal binder), in
fine condition: beautiful copy, perfectly clean and large, 320 x
215 m.m., enclosed in case.'
The country bookseller's copy, on the other hand, is described as
follows:
'Folio, russia (joints broken), has the 270 ll. of text complete,
but wants the 10 ll. unnumbered, of preliminary matter.'
In other words, one copy is a very choice specimen of the book, tall,
clean, and perfect; while the other is an undesirable copy of ordinary
size, imperfect, and in poor condition.
There is another point also. The London dealer specialises in such books,
in fact deals only in ancient and scarce works, and has a definite
_clientele_ of rich and well-known collectors. He can 'place' certain
rare books at once, for he knows the _desiderata_ of each of his
customers and the deficiencies of their collections. The countryman, on
the other hand, deals in all manner of books, ancient and modern, has few
rich purchasers among his customers, and knows nothing whatever of their
book-buying propensities. Any volume that he offers for sale may remain
on his hands for an indefinite time.
Then there are such volumes as 'association books,' by which is meant
books possessing an additional interest by reason of their former
association with some notability, such association being evident by
autographs, corrections, annotations, additions, or binding. Such volumes
often exceed enormously the price of ordinary copies. The first
Edinburgh edition (1787) of Burns' Poems is worth usually about L5; but
a copy realised L75 at auction a few years ago. The reason for this
extraordinary price was that in this volume all those lines in which
asterisks occur were filled in with the full names in the handwriting of
the poet. Moreover it contained an additional stanza on 'Tam Samson' in
Burns' autograph. For such a jewel one cannot consider the figure
excessive, and it will doubtless run well into three figures if it ever
appear in the sale-room again. Similarly, each year witnesses the sale of
certain of these 'association' volumes; and unless you are aware of the
reasons causing these high prices to rule, such records will be worse
than useless to you. A superficial study of all auction-sale prices is
apt to be intensely misleading. Unless you are actually on the spot or
have handled the volume in question, the price that it realises will tell
you little as to the stable value of the work. A torn page, a shaved
headline, the underlining of a line or two with ink, a 'mounted'
frontispiece, a missing plate, or even a worn impression of it, all these
things affect the price of a volume.
Then there are considerations outside the book itself. A scarce volume
included in a sale of unimportant books is unlikely to realise so high a
price as it might have done had it appeared in a Huth or Ashburnham sale;
for important books attract important bidders. The prices paid for poor
copies at the Frere sale in 1896 were enormous; the reason being,
probably, that this library had long been known to contain _desiderata_
for which public and private collections alike had hitherto thirsted in
vain; the sale was something of a _battue_, and the room was thronged
with buyers from all parts of the kingdom.
It is a ticklish question, this matter of the price which the collector
pays, and should pay, for his books, and one that may not be resolved
early in his career. In addition to exercising your memory when perusing
the catalogues which reach you, you will do well to obtain and study
'Prices of Books: an Enquiry into the Changes in the Price of Books
which have occurred in England at Different Periods,' an interesting
volume by that great connoisseur, Henry B. Wheatley. It was published in
octavo in 1898.
Most of the catalogues that one receives from the booksellers are of
little use when read, and no useful purpose is served by preserving them.
But there are certain dealers who specialise in a definite class of
books, and their catalogues are always of value, for they contain only
works upon a definite subject or of a definite class. Such catalogues
form most useful reference works, and even bibliographies of that
particular subject. By all means preserve them; you may have them plainly
bound in buckram (when you have collected a sufficient number of them) at
the cost of a shilling or two, or you may keep them in a small portfolio
on your shelf.
Sotheby's auction-sale catalogues are also valuable. They are nicely
produced, and have fine margins for making notes. It is well worth
obtaining these regularly, which one may do by paying a small
subscription. Most of them contain a miscellaneous assortment of books,
and are not worth keeping, but on the other hand most of the famous
libraries that are dispersed in this country pass through the Bond Street
house, and the catalogues of these are of the greatest value.
* * * * *
The history of booksellers' catalogues is an interesting one, and as yet
we have no authoritative work upon this intermediary between publisher
and reader. The earliest catalogue so far known was printed at Mainz by
Peter Schoeffer in 1469. It was a catalogue of books for sale by himself
or his agent, and consisted of a single sheet, probably intended to be
used as a poster. It is in abbreviated Latin, and comprises the titles of
twenty-one books, being headed--
'Volentes sibi comparare infrascriptos libros magna cum
diligentia correctos, ac in huiusmodi littera moguntie impressos,
bene continuatos, veniant ad locum habitationis infrascriptum.'
and at the foot is printed in large type--
'HEC EST LITTERA PSALTERII'
--a specimen of the type with which the Psalter mentioned in the list was
printed. Beneath this would be written the name of the place where the
books could be obtained, this being the case with the only copy of this
advertisement that has come down to us, Schoeffer's traveller having
written at the foot, 'Venditor librorum repertibilis est in hospicio
dicto zum willden mann'--'the bookseller is to be found at the sign of
the Wild Man.'
Caxton adopted the same expedient with regard to his _Sarum Ordinale_.
This advertisement, which is in English, is as follows:
'If it plese ony man spirituel or temporal to bye ony pyes of two
and thre comemoracions of salisburi use enpryntid after the forme
of this present lettre whiche ben wel and truly correct, late hym
come to Westmonester in to the almonesrye at the reed pale and he
shal haue them good chepe.'
At the foot of this was printed 'Supplico stet cedula'--Please don't tear
down the bill. The 'pyes' of this advertisement (the English form of the
Latin _Pica_) were the guides by which one might learn the proper
combinations of collects and prayers for Saints' days, at certain epochs,
according to the Salisbury Ritual. The 'reed pale,' or red pale, was the
heraldic sign which Caxton adopted for his printing-house.[58]
Other printers soon followed Schoeffer's example; notably Johan Mentelin
of Strasbourg. But these were mere lists of books, sometimes eulogies of
an individual work, printed for the most part by one particular press and
issued by the actual printer. In 1480 Anton Koberger of Nuernberg issued
a catalogue of the books which he had for sale, twenty-two in all, though
not all of them were printed by himself. Koberger was perhaps the most
important printer and publisher of the fifteenth century. He is said to
have employed twenty-four presses at Nuernberg, besides having books
printed for him in other towns.[59] He it was who introduced the
printing-press into Nuernberg in 1470. His enterprise, however, was not
limited to the mere printing of books. He is said to have had sixteen
shops where his books were sold, and agents in every city in Christendom!
Truly he was the father of booksellers.
Another German printer, Erhart Ratdolt, printed at Venice, before 1488, a
handsome sheet in red and black in which he enumerates some forty-six
books arranged under six headings, which he had for sale. They comprised
the productions of several presses, the list being headed 'Libri venales
Venetiis impressi.' Some thirty or more of these catalogues of German
printers,[60] produced before the end of the fifteenth century, are
known.
In 1485 Antoine Verard, one of the most important figures in the annals
of French printing, began business at Paris by putting forth an edition
of the Decameron. From this date he continued as a publisher, and has
been called 'the most important Paris publisher of the fifteenth
century.' So far as I am aware no catalogue of the books which he had for
sale has yet been discovered; though from the fact that our King Henry
VII. purchased a number of his volumes it would seem that his agents or
travellers were in possession of lists.
Beckmann, in his 'History of Inventions and Discoveries,' says: 'It
appears that the printers themselves first gave up the bookselling part
of the business, and retained only that of printing; at least this is
said to have been the case with that well-known bookseller John Rainman,
who was born at Oehringen and resided at Augsburg'; and goes on to say
that he was at first a printer and letter-founder, and supplied Aldus
with his types. But this offset of the main business of book-production
began still earlier: witness the catalogues of Koberger and Ratdolt
already quoted. Many other printers also there were, before 1490, who
were acting as agents or 'booksellers' to other firms. This was the case,
too, with many of the Parisian houses.
'Printing therefore gave rise[61] to a new and important branch of trade,
that of bookselling, which was established in Germany chiefly at
Frankfort-on-the-Main, where, at the time of the fairs particularly,
there were several large booksellers' shops in that street which still
retains the name of "book street."'[62] This ancient custom of having
bookstalls in the streets (particularly about the church or cathedral)
upon fair-days still survives in more than one old-world town upon the
Continent. Indeed it is this very custom that gave rise to the term
'stationer.' The early booksellers were wont to erect their stalls or
'stations' against the very walls of the cathedrals, whence they were
known as 'stacyoneres.'
Beckmann mentions two other of these early booksellers at
Augsburg--Joseph Burglin and George Diemar. 'Sometimes,' he continues,
'they were rich people of all conditions, particularly eminent merchants,
who caused books which they sold to be printed at their own expense.'
George Willer, a bookseller who kept a large shop at Augsburg, was the
first, says, Beckmann, who hit upon the plan of causing a catalogue of
all the new books to be printed, in which the size and printers' names
were marked. His catalogues from 1564 to 1592 were printed by Nicholas
Basse at Frankfort. Beckmann relates that a collection of these
sixteenth-century German book-catalogues was in the library of Professor
Baldinger of Goettingen; possibly it still reposes in the fine library of
that university.
'In all these catalogues, which are in quarto and not paged,' continues
Beckmann, 'the following order is observed. The Latin books occupy the
first place . . . and after these, books of jurisprudence, medicine,
philosophy, poetry and music. The second place is assigned to German
works, which are arranged in the same manner.'
Basse's collection is entitled 'Collectio in unum corpus omnium librorum
Hebraeorum, Graecorum, Latinorum necnon Germanice, Italice, Gallice, et
Hispanice scriptorum, qui in nundinis Francofurtensibus ab anno 1564
usque ad nundinas Autumnales anni 1592 . . . . desumpta ex omnibus
Catalogis Willerianis singularum nundinarum, & in tres Tomos distincta .
. . . Plerique in aedibus Georgij Willeri ciuis & Bibliopole Augustani,
venales habentur.' It was printed in quarto at Frankfort 'ex officina
Typographica Nicolai Bassaei, MDXCII.' Part 2 (which has a separate
pagination and title) is in German, and contains German books only. Part
3, also a distinct work, has a title-page in both Latin and French, and
contains books in Italian, Spanish, and French. This title reads:
'Recueil en un corps des livres Italiens, Espagnols, et Francois, qui ont
este exposez en vente en la boutique des Imprimeurs frequentans les
foires de Francfort depuis l'an 1568 jusques a la foire de Septembre
1592. Extraict des Catalogues des dictes foires, et reduict en method
conuenable, et tres utile.' An exceedingly interesting work, this last
part.
A priced catalogue of the books printed by Christian Wechel is extant. It
was printed at Paris in 1543, a duodecimo of twelve leaves, containing
about three hundred books. These are classed under the headings
Grammatica, Dialectica, Rhetorica, Historica, Poetica, Moralia, Physica,
et Mathematica, Theologia, Legalis, and Medica. Under each of these
headings the books are divided into 'Graece' and 'Latine,' but
'Grammatica' and 'Theologia' have each the additional subheading
'Hebraice.' The prices are interesting. They vary from twopence (the _Ars
versificatoria_ of Ulric von Hutten and a Nicholas Beroald) to 80s.--a
_Hippiatria_ in French. There are six at 3d., ten at 4d., forty-five at
6d., none at 5d. or 7d., twenty-two at 8d., four at 9d., seventeen at
10d., and thirty-seven at 1s. There are ten at 1s. 3d., twenty-three at
1s. 6d., and twelve at 1s. 8d.; whilst from 2s. to 6s. the prices rise by
6d. But only one volume is priced at 4s. 6d., and two each at 5s. 6d. and
6s. There are from two to four volumes at 7s., 8s., 12s., 15s., 16s., and
18s.; whilst six are priced at 10s., and five at 20s.
The more expensive works are chiefly illustrated 'standard' authors, such
as Modestus ('De Vocabulis Rei Militaris,' 18s.), Vegetius (_gallice, cum
picturis_, 16s., or in Latin _permultis picturis_, 20s.), and several
medical works such as Galen (two at 20s.) and Jo. Tagaultius (20s.). A
Vegetius 'in minore forma' but also 'picturis' is priced at 4s. At the
end is, in Latin: 'And these are the books, printed with our types, which
we offer you. Moreover there are others of all kinds for sale in our shop
(Taberna), both in Italian and German and French.' Then comes the
announcement of a forthcoming edition of Eustathius' Commentary on the
first book of Homer's Iliad.
There is extant a list, printed in 1472, of books published at Subiaco
and Rome by Sweynheim and Pannartz, the German printers who first
established the printing-press in Italy. This list is contained in a
letter written by the printers to Pope Sixtus IV., asking for assistance.
It mentions twenty-eight works, and comprises 11,475 volumes,[63] which
looks as if the book-buyers of Rome had combined to procure a reduction
in the price of books; and there were no booksellers at that time to
whom the publishers could dispose of their volumes as 'remainders.' No
wonder that they described themselves as struggling '_sub tanto cartharum
fasce_'--beneath so great a load of paper. It must have been
circumstances such as these that induced the early publishers to put
forth a 'bad seller' from time to time adorned with a fresh title-page.
Notices of such cases abound, and they are not entirely confined to the
_first_ publishers. 'But,' invariably remarks the astute and relentless
bibliographer, 'it is all the same edition.'
In 1602 there appeared a compilation from all the catalogues published at
the different fairs in Germany from 1500 to 1602, by Johann Cless, and it
was published in quarto at Frankfort. Unfortunately the original form of
the catalogues from which this compilation was made was neglected, so
that the work presents merely a list of books catalogued under their
subjects; and only occasionally is the name of the printer given. The
first volume consists of those published in Latin, the second volume
those which appeared in the German tongue. The books are entered under
the Christian name of the author, which does not facilitate reference;
but date, place, and size are given. Another writer, George Draud,
produced in 1611 a 'Bibliotheca Librorum Germanicorum Classica'; but this
also is merely a catalogue of all kinds of books printed in German up to
1610. This was republished in two quarto volumes at Frankfort in 1625.
Beckmann remarks, however, that many books are mentioned by Draud which
never were printed, and many titles, names, and dates are given
incorrectly. Grude's work, published in 1584, has already been
mentioned.[64]
In the same way other countries were putting forth catalogues throughout
the sixteenth century. Occasionally one comes across them bound with
various works, and sometimes, more commonly, beneath the calf or vellum
covers of the books of that period.
In this country for many decades after the introduction of printing, the
output of the English presses was not sufficiently large to keep pace
with the demand for books; so that there grew up a considerable trade in
the importation of books from abroad. In London Francois Regnault
received a continuous supply of foreign-printed works from his Paris
shop, while others such as the Birckmanns, who had shops in Cologne,
Antwerp, and other large towns, kept up the number.
Doubtless these, and many others like them, issued catalogues of the
books they had for sale. In 1595 Andrew Maunsell published his Catalogue
of English Printed Books in two parts, and in April 1617 John Bill, a
leading London bookseller, issued the first number of his 'Catalogus
Universalis,' a translation of the half-yearly Frankfort _Mess-Katalog_,
and continued this enterprise twice a year for eleven years at least.
From October 1622 he added a supplement of books printed in English. A
book-catalogue of William Jaggard of 1618 is also known. The title of
this catalogue states that--like Bill's--it is 'to be continued for every
half-year,' but so far no further issue has come to light.[65] You will
find a list of the catalogues published by English booksellers since 1595
in Mr. A. Growoll's 'Three Centuries of English Book-Trade Bibliography,'
which was issued in octavo at New York in 1903.
In 1628 Henry Fetherstone, another London stationer, published a
catalogue of books which he had recently purchased in Italy. Among these
was the famous library of Giacomo Barocci, a gentleman of Venice,
consisting of two hundred and forty-two manuscript volumes, now in the
Bodleian Library. Writing to the Archbishop of Armagh in 1629, Sir Henry
Bourchier says, 'I doubt not but your Grace hath heard of the Greek
Library brought from Venice by Mr. Fetherston, which the Earl of Pembroke
hath bought for the University Library of Oxford; it cost him L700;
there are of them two hundred and fifty volumes. Dr. Lindsell, now Dean
of Litchfield, tells me that it is a great Treasure, far exceeding the
catalogue.' As this collection formed but a part of the books which
Fetherstone brought from Venice to this country, one cannot but marvel at
such an intrepid stroke of business. Presumably the volumes were
transported by ship.
The history of booksellers has been attempted more than once,[66] so I
will content myself with remarking that in addition to being 'rich people
of all conditions,' some at least of these early booksellers were--like
the early printers--men of great learning. William Goeree, the bookseller
of Amsterdam, was a student by nature, but it was his fortune to be
brought up by a step-father to whom letters were unknown. His great
desire, a university education, was denied him, and he was forced to
choose some business. So he elected to embark upon a career where he
would at least enjoy the conversation of the learned, and would be free
to pursue his studies undisturbed by the strictures of his step-sire. As
a bookseller he prospered, and profiting by the atmosphere of learning in
which his paths lay, he found time between the hours of business to
produce several valuable works upon such diverse subjects as
Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Engraving, Botany, Physic, and
Antiquities!
Fabert, the bookseller of Metz and author of 'Notes sur la Coutume de
Lorraine,' which he published in folio in 1657, was esteemed so highly
both for his learning and abilities, that his son Abraham Fabert was
thought not unworthy of being educated with the Duc d'Epernon. Abraham
rose to be Marshal of France: but in spite of his great talents and still
greater attainments, the bookseller's son ever retained that natural
modesty inherent only in great minds. Offered the Order of the Holy Ghost
by Louis XIV. he refused it on the ground that it should be worn only by
the ancient nobility. Whereupon the King wrote to him 'No person to whom
I may give this Order will ever receive more honour from it than you have
gained by your noble refusal, proceeding from so generous a principle.'
One can only meditate _O si sic omnes_!
There are two reference-books that will be of use to you if you are
interested in this subject. Both were published by the Bibliographical
Society. The first, by Mr. Gordon Duff, is entitled 'A Century of the
English Book Trade,' and is a list of early English stationers. It
appeared in 1905. The other, compiled by nine members of the Society
under the editorship of Mr. R. B. McKerrow, was published in 1910, and is
called 'A Dictionary of Printers and Booksellers in England, Scotland,
and Ireland, and of Foreign Printers of English Books, 1557-1640.'
* * * * *
To the collector all catalogues are interesting, and although one may not
readily come across publishers' catalogues of the sixteenth century, yet
seventeenth-century ones are not so rare, and those of the eighteenth
century comparatively common. What interesting reading these old
catalogues provide! Often it is worth while purchasing the flotsam of the
seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries from the penny tub merely for
the sake of the catalogues which one frequently comes across bound at the
end of such volumes. The desecration of a book is anathema to the
bibliophile; but provided always that when you have paid your penny the
volume proves to be but common trash and of no value whatever, you need
not hesitate to remove the desired leaves and consign the wreckage to the
waste-paper basket.
Perhaps nothing shows so clearly the change in manners and sentiments of
each age as do these ancient catalogues. Doubtless many of the works
therein described are to be found among the pages of any modern
bookseller's list. But there they are scattered among works of all times,
and strike the imagination as being merely the curiosities of a bygone
age. Here, gathered together in one list, they are exhibited in company
with their fellows, and there is little diversity of sentiment to
distract one's attention. Though they treat of the most diverse subjects
under the sun, yet there is a strange similitude about them which is
characteristic of their age. And this impression is not due to the
language in which their titles are couched; they are just the sort of
books which we should expect our forefathers of that period to read.
Whatever their subjects, whatever their titles, they are clearly all
birds of a feather.
Take the following, all of which occur in 'A Catalogue of some Books
Printed for Henry Brome, since the Dreadful Fire of London.'
The History of the Life of the Duke Espernon,
the great Favourite of France. . . .
Scarronides or Virgil Travesty . . by Charles Cotton, Esq.
Elvira, a Comedy, or The worst not alwaies true, by the Earl of Bristol.
Mr. Simpson's Division Viol, in folio, price 8s.
A Treatise wherein is demonstrated, that the Church and State of England
are in equal danger with the Trade, in quarto, by Roger Cook, Esq.
Erasmus Colloquies, in English.
The Fair One of Tuis, a new Piece of Gallantry.
Elton's Art Military, in folio.
Sir Kenelm Digby's two excellent Books of Receipts; one of Physick and
Chirurgery; the other of Cookery and Drinks, with other Curiosities.
The Exact Constable, price 8d., useful for all Gentlemen.
Toleration Discussed, by Mr. L'Estrange.
The Lord Coke's Institutes, in four parts.
Dr. Heylin on the Creed, in folio, price 15s.
Who could hesitate to assign a period to these? Is not 'The Civil War and
Restoration' writ big about them all? Plainer, indeed, would it be were
we to analyse each separate item; for the tastes of the age and trend of
men's thoughts as depicted in the pages of Master Pepys are amply
reflected here.
Beware, however, lest you come across a catalogue of some such rogue as
Edmund Curll, that shameless rascal who gloried in the obscene
productions of his minions, hesitating not to assign them to the greatest
writers of the day. Though fined and pilloried for his scandalous
publications, he regarded such 'accidents' merely as a medium of
advertisement, and had no hesitation in calling attention to the fact
that he had suffered corporal punishment on account of a book that he
wished to sell.
In the course of his crooked career he fell foul of Pope by publishing a
book entitled 'Court Poems,' which he ascribed to 'the laudable
translator of Homer.' Pope promptly retorted by putting forth an essay
with the delightful title 'A Full and True Account of a Horrid and
Barbarous Revenge by Poison on the Body of Mr. Edmund Curll, Bookseller;
with a faithful copy of his Last Will and Testament.' Neither words nor
deeds, however, could repress a man so destitute of moral worth; and,
later, he came once more under the poet's lash in the 'Dunciad,' where we
read--
'Obscene with filth the miscreant lies bewray'd.'
Yet even the devil must have his due, and Curll certainly was concerned
in the production of a number of works of general and abiding interest.
Here is a curious example of his wares, from one of his catalogues dated
1726. It is a version of Sallengre's 'L'Elogie de l'Ivresse,' a humorous
(and scarce) little volume first published in 1714.
Ebrietatis Encomium--or, The Praise of Drunkenness. Wherein is
authentically and most evidently proved the Necessity of
frequently getting drunk; and that the practice of getting drunk
is most Ancient, Primitive, and Catholic. Confirm'd by the
example of Heathens, Turks, Infidels, Primitive Christians,
Saints, Popes, Bishops, Doctors, Philosophers, Poets,
Free-Masons, and other Men of Learning in All Ages. By a Person
of Honour, price 2s. 6d.[67]
How it intrigues one to know who were the Saints, Popes, and Bishops thus
addicted to tippling! Truly a _chronique scandaleuse_, and one which
would surely have appealed to Louis Maimbourg, that ingenious Jesuit
historian, had it but appeared in his day. We are told that he never took
up his pen till he had heated his imagination by wine, nor ever attempted
to describe a battle till he had drunk two bottles--lest, as he said
jestingly, the horrors of the combat should enfeeble his style! Perhaps
this trait in his character also explains how it was that 'he signalised
himself by strange descriptions and burlesque sallies of humour in the
pulpit,' and that his works exhibit 'great fire and rapidity in their
style.'[68] At all events he lived to be seventy-six, which is some
consolation to those who seek to impart originality to their work by this
means.
Here is another volume that I should like to possess, from the same
catalogue.
The Court Gamester: Or, Full and Easy Instructions for playing
the Games now in vogue, after the best Method, as they are Played
at Court, and in the Assemblies, viz. Ombre, Picquet, and the
Royal Game of Chess. Wherein the Frauds in Play are detected, and
the Laws of each Game annex'd, to prevent Disputes. _Written for
the Use of the young Princesses._[69] By Richard Seymour, Esq.
price 2s.
Evidently Richard Seymour, Esq., had some experience of the young
princesses' play. One wonders whether the disputes were frequent and
heated, and whether Richard was the detector or detected with regard to
the 'Frauds in Play'!
Enough, however, of examples: you will find abundance in these old
catalogues to keep you interested and amused for many an hour. Moreover,
your natural inquisitiveness will enable you to discover a great deal
about books and authors which you would otherwise never, perhaps, come
across. For certain titles will excite your interest and curiosity, so
that you will 'look up' the volume in your bibliography. Then you will
turn to your biographical dictionary and find out all that you can about
the author. So it is that your knowledge of books and their writers will
grow. It is a pleasant pastime, this fireside book-hunting, and of the
greatest value to the collector. Let me add, as a note, that you will
find the 'Cambridge History of English Literature' valuable for acquiring
a _contemporary_ knowledge of books.
With regard to book-auctions (which seem to have been introduced into
Europe by the Elzeviers) and sale-catalogues, you will find all the
information that you may require upon this subject in so far as Great
Britain is concerned, in Mr. John Lawler's excellent little volume 'Book
Auctions in England in the Seventeenth Century,' of which a new edition
was published in 1906. The fashion of selling books to the highest bidder
is, in this country, of comparatively recent date; for the first auction
of books held in London was presided over in 1676 by one William Cooper,
an enterprising bookseller, who disposed in this manner of the library
belonging to the Rev. Dr. Lazarus Seaman. With regard to the
book-auctions held by the Elzeviers, you must consult that great
authority, M. Alphonse Willems.
Before leaving this subject of catalogues I cannot forbear quoting from
one to whom I am already indebted:
'In perusing these old catalogues one cannot help being astonished at the
sudden and great increase of books; and when one reflects that a great,
perhaps the greater, part of them no longer exists, this perishableness
of human labours will excite the same sensations as those which arise in
the mind when one reads in a church-yard the names and titles of persons
long since mouldered into dust. In the sixteenth century there were few
libraries, and these, which did not contain many books, were in
monasteries, and consisted principally of theological, philosophical, and
historical works, with a few, however, on jurisprudence and medicine:
while those which treated of agriculture, manufactures, and trade, were
thought unworthy of the notice of the learned and of being preserved in
large collections. The number of these works was, nevertheless, far from
being inconsiderable; and at any rate many of them would have been of
great use, as they would have served to illustrate the instructive
history of the arts. Catalogues, which might have given occasion to
inquiries after books that may be still somewhere preserved, have
suffered the fate of tomb-stones, which, being wasted and crumbled to
pieces by the destroying hand of time, become no longer legible. A
complete series of them, perhaps, is now nowhere to be found.'[70]
* * * * *
There is yet another side of book-collecting with which it is essential
that the bibliophile become acquainted, and that is a knowledge of the
scarce and valuable editions of the more modern classic writers. By
'modern' I intend those authors who flourished during the nineteenth and
latter part of the eighteenth centuries, and include such writers as
Arnold, the Brontes, the Brownings, Burns, Byron, Carlyle, Coleridge,
Dickens, Keats, Lamb, Shelley, Stevenson, Swinburne, Tennyson, Thackeray,
and other famous contemporaries. You may meet with their works
continually, and many a prize may slip through your hands unless you are
acquainted with the collector's _desiderata_ regarding each of these
authors. Many of them, perhaps the majority, published their earliest
works anonymously or under a _nom de plume_, and when once you have
become aware of the titles of such books or their writers' pseudonyms,
you are not likely to forget them.
A few years ago (1911) Messrs. Hodgson the auctioneers discovered a thin
folio consisting of an illustrated title-page and eight lithographed
plates depicting scenes in the life of a ballet-girl, among a portfolio
of engravings which had been sent to them for disposal. There was no
letterpress, but the title ran 'Flore et Zephyr, Ballet Mythologique par
Theophile Wagstaffe,' and it was published in London and Paris, 1836. The
owner thought it unworthy of notice in a lengthy catalogue of his books,
but in spite of its Gallic title its author was none other than
Thackeray, and it was one of his first publications. On being offered for
sale, it was knocked down at L226.
'Poems by Two Brothers,' a small octavo published at London in 1827, will
bring you twenty pounds if you are so fortunate as to come across it. The
brothers were Alfred and Charles Tennyson. Then there is a slim octavo of
some 150 pages which appeared at Newark in 1807, entitled 'Poems on
Various Occasions.' It is by Lord Byron, and is worth fifty pounds at
least; if in the original boards, more than double that amount. 'King
Glumpus: an Interlude in one Act,' a pamphlet consisting of some twenty
pages, was probably by John Barrow; but it was illustrated by Thackeray,
and is usually to be found under the heading 'Thackerayana.' It was
printed in 1837, on blue writing paper, and issued privately in buff
wrappers. Recently it has fetched L153, but you may have a hundred for it
any day.[71]
Shelley's 'Adonais: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats' was first
published at Pisa in 1821, a large quarto in blue wrappers. It has
recently fetched 2,050 dollars in America, and you may have even more for
a perfect copy, in the original state, of his 'Queen Mab,' printed by the
author at 23, Chapel Street, Grosvenor Square, in 1813. Both are
exceedingly scarce. Another rare book of Shelley's is 'Original Poetry,'
by Victor and Cazire, which was put forth at Worthing in 1810. The poet
wrote it in his youth, and although it was known that such a volume had
been printed and that it had been suppressed by its author immediately
before publication, it was considered a lost work until its rediscovery
in 1897.
Byron's 'English Bards and Scotch Reviewers' one can purchase in the
second, third, or fourth editions (all in octavo) in the original boards,
for as many pence; though the first edition, in duodecimo, undated, is
scarce. It was published in 1809, and has but fifty-four pages of verse.
The fourth edition appeared in 1811, though some copies are dated 1810,
and has one thousand and fifty-two lines of verse in eighty-five pages.
But the next year another edition was put forth containing eighteen
additional lines. For this (fifth) edition the title-page of the fourth
edition was used. It was not merely rigidly suppressed by the author, but
immediately prior to publication it was destroyed by him, and, so far as
I am aware, only one copy has, till now, been recovered.[72]
For Burns' 'Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect,' published at
Kilmarnock in 1786, you may have two hundred pounds at least; if in the
original boards, and perfect, considerably more. A copy has changed hands
at a thousand. Of Shelley's 'Alastor: or the Spirit of Solitude, and
other Poems,' octavo 1816, Keats' 'Endymion,' 1818, Fitzgerald's 'Omar
Khayyam,' published by Quaritch in 1859, and a large number of others,
you will learn from time to time. Mr. J. H. Slater's 'Early Editions
. . . of Modern Authors,' which appeared in 1894, will be of value to you,
though like all works which deal with current prices it now needs
revision. From the bibliographical standpoint it is excellent, but the
safest guides to mere market values are the quarterly records of
auction-sale prices entitled 'Book-Auction Records,' and the bi-monthly
publication known as 'Book-Prices Current' issued by Mr. Elliot Stock. In
addition there are bibliographies of almost all the greatest Victorian
writers.
There is no doubt that the early editions of the English classics will
get more and more valuable as time goes on. In the case of many it may be
years before any decided rise in their sale-room price takes place; but
as the number of book-collectors increases with the population, while the
number of copies of these _desiderata_ tends to become less owing to the
absorption of certain of them in the public libraries, so it is only
natural that increased competition should result in a corresponding
increase in their value.
The early editions of Massinger, Beaumont and Fletcher, and of the later
Elizabethan and Stuart dramatists, which command but a few pounds to-day,
will run, in all probability, well into three figures during the next
half-century. A good copy of the first issue of Milton's 'Comus,' printed
in 1637, could be had for L36 in 1864. In 1898 one with the title-page
mended brought L150. Ten years later L317 was not thought excessive for
it, whilst in 1916 a fine and perfect copy made L800. $14,250 was the
ransom of a copy at New York in 1919.
Other books there are which have had similar meteoric rises in value. The
first edition of Walton and Cotton's 'Compleat Angler' was published in
1653 at one and sixpence. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the
average price for a fine copy seems to have been between three and four
pounds. In 1850 so much as fifteen pounds was paid for a copy in a
similar state. Thirty years later it had risen to eighty-five pounds, and
during the few years following, the demand for it seems to have increased
its value considerably, for in 1887 a copy realised no less than L200.
But eight years later even this sum was easily doubled. Then came the Van
Antwerp sale at Sotheby's. A perfect copy, in the original sheepskin
binding, was offered; the hammer fell at the enormous figure of L1,290.
This sum has not yet (1921) been eclipsed; but that it was not a fancy
price[73] is shown by the fact that in 1909 a copy _not_ in the original
binding realised no less than L1,085.
In the collection of these early impressions of the great writers,
however, you must exercise considerable caution and judgment. The
examples which I have quoted will show you that it is not always
immediately, nor even within a lifetime from their death, that the works
of our greatest authors become valuable. 'Fame is a revenue payable only
to our ghosts,' wrote Sir George Mackenzie, and for literary fame Time is
indeed the ordeal by fire. We may look upon the auction-room as a Court
of Claims to Literary Fame, but it is public opinion, backing the
authorities who sit round the table, that determines each claimant's
case. It is the book that makes the price, not the price that makes the
book. Doubtless those who, relying upon their own judgment alone, gave
fifty pounds for Tennyson's 'Helen's Tower' (1861) some twenty years ago,
thought they were safe in their investment. Yet twelve years later it
could be had for thirty shillings. Fitzgerald's 'Polonius,' 1852, was
once thought cheap at five guineas. To-day you may buy it for little more
than a sovereign.
It is a risky business, this collecting of the early editions of authors
dead but a generation ago; and he would be a bold man who ventured to
assert that the present prices of the first editions of the Victorian
authors may be considered as stable. Bargains are bargains, and the
temptation to buy is often great. But what constitutes a bargain from the
collector's point of view? You cannot define it without reference to
price, worth, or value; and if these be unstable it cannot constitute a
bargain. 'An advantageous purchase' say the dictionaries; but if the
price drop subsequently is it advantageous to _you_? You may think to
play the wise man by collecting early editions of your own or your
father's contemporaries, but it is odds on that you will burn your
fingers. Yet the works of those great writers, those immortals
'On Fame's eternall beadroll worthie to be fyled'
are stable in our affections as is the sun in the firmament. Whatever
fortune may overtake the works of those ephemerals whom by mere fashion
we applaud to-day and neglect to-morrow, the works of those great writers
who have been accorded a niche in the hall of Fame will ever command our
purses no less than our respect.
FOOTNOTES:
[52] Of this book, published in octavo in 1893, it is impossible to speak
too highly. Both as a text-book for the student and a reference book for
the collector it is invaluable. The other two volumes by Mr. Duff are
also of the greatest assistance. 'The Printers, Stationers, and
Bookbinders of Westminster and London from 1476 to 1535' was published in
1906, and 'The English Provincial Printers, Stationers, and Bookbinders
to 1557' in 1912--both by the Cambridge University Press. They are still
(1921) in print, and cost six and five shillings respectively.
[53] A stereotyped reprint of the revised edition published between 1857
and 1864. Each of the first five volumes is in two parts, often bound
separately. Vol. 6 is an appendix.
[54] Brockhaus of Leipzig has also (1921) published a facsimile reprint
of this work--price L12.
[55] The term _Incunabula_ is now applied to all books printed before the
year 1500. It is a vast study in itself, this bibliography of
fifteenth-century books; and thanks to the labours of a small group of
men who have devoted their lives to the subject, it is now upon a
definite scientific basis. Carefully prepared monographs are issued from
time to time, dealing with the different founts used by the early
printers; but as this subject is unlikely to engage the attentions of
those for whom this work is written (who, like the writer, are of modest
means), I forbear to enter upon it in detail.
[56] It is a tedious game, but a very necessary one, and is a service due
to an author. In entering a long list of errata in a folio book which has
many lines to the page (Cotton's 'Monluc' has 62 lines, and the 1707
edition of Sandford's 'Genealogical History of the Kings and Queens of
England' has nearly 150 errata!) the following method saves a lot of
time. Take a strip of paper about an inch wide, place it on a page, and
make a dash on the strip at every fifth line of text, numbering the
dashes 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. This measurer saves one counting the lines
every time.
[57] Dr. John North.
[58] For Schoeffer's list, see Mr. E. G. Duff's 'Early Printed Books,'
1893, p. 31, where there is also an illustration of it. For Caxton's
advertisement, see an excellent article upon these early catalogues, by
Mr. A. W. Pollard, in 'The Bibliophile' for March 1908 (vol. 1. No. i, p.
22).
[59] Mr. E. G. Duff, _op. cit._, p. 513.
[60] A collection of thirty-two facsimiles of these fifteenth-century
book advertisements was published by Herr Konrad Burger in 1908.
[61] This is not strictly accurate, for there were agents or booksellers
(call them what you will) who bought and sold manuscripts at Rome in very
early times. A document dated 1349 (quoted by Laborde, 'Les Ducs de
Bourgogne,' tom. 1, p. 459) mentions one Thomas de Maubeuge, 'bookseller
at Paris,' who sold a volume to the Duke of Normandy for fourteen florins
of gold.
[62] Beckmann, _op. cit._
[63] Mr. E. G. Duff, _op. cit._ Beckmann has 12,475, quoting Fabricius'
'Bibliotheca Latina,' ed. 1772, vol. iii. p. 898, where the document is
printed in full.
[64] See p. 155.
[65] For more upon this subject, with regard to this country, see The
Camb. Hist. Eng. Lit. vol. iv. chap, xviii., 'The English Book-trade,' by
Mr. H. G. Aldis.
[66] Curwen's 'History of Booksellers,' 8vo, 1873, deals chiefly with the
later English houses; while Mr. E. Marston's 'Sketches of Booksellers of
Other Days,' 12mo, 1901, is concerned only with eight London booksellers,
from Tonson to Lackington. Mr. F. A. Mumby's 'The Romance of
Bookselling,' 8vo, 1910, contains a bibliography of the subject, but says
little about the early continental book-marts. Mr. W. Roberts' 'Earlier
History of English Bookselling,' 8vo, 1892, deals with London alone, and
does not help us. There is a short article on the Frankfort Fairs, by Mr.
G. Smith, in 'The Library,' 1900, pp. 167-179.
[67] This was one of the five publications on account of which Curll was
set in the pillory in 1725.
[68] L'Advocat: Dict. Histor.
[69] The italics are NOT mine.
[70] Beckmann, _op. cit._
[71] Like many of these _rarissima_ it has been reprinted in
facsimile--crown 8vo, 100 copies only, 1898.
[72] The various editions and impressions of this book have given rise to
confused accounts respecting them. The British Museum Catalogue gives
five distinct impressions of the third edition and five of the fourth
edition. Of the fourth edition, some large-paper copies were issued; they
are scarce and worth thirty shillings or more. The first edition is
undated, but the paper is water-marked '1805'. A copy of this last, in
the original boards uncut, realised 205 dollars in New York in March,
1920. It usually fetches about L5 in England.
[73] The three copies which were sold between Dec. 1919 and June 1920,
however, fetched 2,200 dollars, L410, and L600. The last was in the
original sheepskin.
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