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“If you are troubled with a pride of accuracy, and
would have it completely taken out of you, print a
catalogue.” (Author unknown).
Dr. Aikin used to say, that nothing is such an obstacle
to the production of excellence as the power of
producing what is pretty good with ease and rapidity.
_The Circulator_ [1825] quoted in the Manual of
Laconics by John Taylor, 1838, p. 361.
Practice is the best, if not the only way to learn how to describe a
book. Simply reading descriptions of what to do is of little use. Indeed
practice is found to teach so much, that we often find authors of
bibliographical books cancelling the early portions of their works in
order to correct those defects and deficiencies which experience has
brought forcibly to their notice. Such was the case with the first part
of Quérard’s France Littéraire, which was called in and cancelled; and
the Bibliotheca Cornubiensis of Boase and Courtney, published by
Longmans in 1874.
Every one must be guided by their particular requirements; but must
never lose sight of the absolute necessity there is of following a
system rigidly, and of being accurate.
With these preliminary remarks I will now proceed to give some hints
derived from my own experience.
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