THE FIRST ENGLISH AUCTION SALE--FASHION IN BOOK
COLLECTING--SPECIAL BOOKS OF REFERENCE RELATING TO PARTICULAR
BRANCHES OF BIBLIOGRAPHY.
The first sale of books by auction which is recorded as having taken
place in England was held in Warwick Lane exactly 213 years ago, and Dr.
Lazarus Seaman, whose library was dispersed on the occasion in question,
appears to have confined his attention strictly to Latin Bibles of the
16th century, the cumbrous works of the Puritan divines, and the great
editions of the Fathers--huge folios thought so little of that, allowing
for the change in the value of money, they can now for the most part be
bought from the booksellers for less than they could then at auction.
The reason which prompted this old collector to limit his purchases to
works of a single class was in all probability much the same as that
which prevails under similar circumstances at the present time, namely,
a natural desire for finality, the outcome of an experience which shows
plainly enough that in order to form a complete collection of anything
its scope must be reduced to the smallest possible compass. As a matter
of fact Dr. Seaman appears to have embarked on a somewhat extensive
undertaking, for in the period mentioned by far the greater majority of
works issued from the press were of a religious nature. Still the
incident is valuable from an antiquarian point of view, as it forms a
good precedent for a large body of modern collectors who, like Seaman,
follow the prevailing fashion of the day. This fashion on being analysed
will be found to vary at different periods and to be of longer or
shorter duration according to a variety of circumstances which appear to
be entirely without the range of argumentative discussion.
In the year 1699, for example, a book was published, entitled
_Entretiens sur les Contes de Fees_, in which one of the characters is
described as saying, "For some time past you know to what an extent the
editions of the Elzevirs have been in demand. The fancy for them has
penetrated far and wide to such an extent, indeed, that I know a man who
starves himself for the sake of accumulating as many of these books as
he can lay his hands on." In the chapter devoted to the Elzevir press,
these important publications are treated as fully as space permits, so
that at present it will be sufficient to say that for nearly 200 years
many generations of collectors have made painstaking attempts to form a
complete library of these little books, which, after all, excel only in
the quality of the paper and the beauty of the type. For real scholarly
merit the editions of Gryphius or Estienne are much to be preferred, but
this makes no difference. The Elzevirs were fashionable, much more so
than they are now, and accordingly they were valued. It is, moreover,
quite possible that they may again rise in popular favour, in which
event those far-seeing individuals who are even now imitating the
example of the collector mentioned in the _Entretiens_ will reap a rich
harvest in case they choose to avail themselves of it. The great
guide-book on the productions of this famous press is that by Alphonse
Willems, entitled _Les Elzevier, Histoire et Annales Typographiques_,
published at Brussels in 1880, with the _Etudes sur la Bibliographie
Elzevirienne_ of Dr. G. Berghman, a kind of supplement to it, published
at Stockholm in 1885.[3]
Each publication is given in the order in which it was issued, and what
will be found especially useful is an appendix containing a list of the
spurious Elzevirs issued from the Dutch presses and of the forgeries
which have from time to time been foisted on the confiding amateur. With
the assistance of this work, the Elzevir collector cannot go very far
wrong, though he will undoubtedly have much to learn from his own
practical experience. He will become more or less perfect in his lesson
in time, and may take comfort in the reflection that nothing so quickly
ensures perfection as a limited series of bad mistakes. As examples of
the Elzevir press are of "right" and "wrong" editions, with and without
red lines, and are, moreover, usually measured in millimetres with the
assistance of a rule which the enthusiastic collector invariably carries
about with him wherever he goes, it is evident that there is much to
learn and a great deal to be carried in the memory before the amateur
can trust himself to become his own mentor.
Difficult as the subject of the Elzevir press is, that of the Aldine
press is more so. It was established much earlier--_viz._, about
1489--and examples are more numerous and altogether more confusing. As a
general rule they are also more expensive, and none but rich collectors
can afford to compete for examples of the best class. Still, good
specimens may occasionally be got for reasonable sums; and as a guide to
the subject as a whole Renouard's _Annales de l'Imprimerie des Alde_
(1st ed., 2 vols., Paris, 1803; 2nd, 3 vols., _ib._, 1825; 3rd, 1 vol.,
_ib._, 1834) occupies a unique position. This work is arranged on a
similar plan to the _Elzevier_ and is quite as indispensable to the
specialist. An ordinary copy of the 2nd ed. will cost about 30s., but
the more recent edition can sometimes be got for considerably less.
Those fortunate persons who succeed in forming a good library of early
printed books usually consult Dibdin's _Bibliotheca Spenceriana_, which
professes to be nothing more than a descriptive catalogue of books of
the 15th century in the incomparable collection of Earl Spencer. It is,
however, full of notes by one of the best of English bibliographers. The
British Museum _Catalogue of Early Printed Books in English_, 3 vols.,
1884, which is carried down to 1640, and Maitland's _Early Printed Books
in Lambeth Library_, 1843, carried down to 1600, are also frequently
consulted. These works are of course supplementary to Lowndes'
_Bibliographer's Manual_ and Watt's _Bibliotheca Britannica_, which, as
previously explained, are on the shelves of every collector worthy the
name, be he a specialist or not. The department of early printed books
may, however, be left without further comment, as not one person out of
many thousands is able for obvious reasons to devote his serious
attention to it. Public libraries and similar institutions, which may be
said to have a continuing existence, frequently contain a good show of
works of this class, and, in the opinion of many, are the only suitable
repositories for them.
Privately printed books are those which are issued either from a private
press or for the benefit of private friends. They are never published in
the ordinary acceptation of that term, and cannot be bought at first
hand. A good collection of these is of course difficult, though by no
means impossible, to acquire; and for the benefit of those who may wish
to devote themselves to this department--uninteresting as it undoubtedly
is--Martin's _Privately Printed Books_ (1834, 2nd ed., 1854), in 1 vol.
8vo, is readily available. Many of these so-called "books" consist
merely of single sheets of letterpress; others, on the contrary, are
more pretentious. In the former case they are more correctly termed
"broadsides"; and R. Lemon's _Catalogue of the Collection of Broadsides,
in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries_ (8vo, 1866), though by
no means a perfect book, is certainly the best that can be procured for
our purpose.
Early printed American books, or those which in any way relate to the
American Continent, provided only they were published during the 16th or
17th centuries, have lately become exceedingly scarce. In June, 1888,
nine small quarto tracts, bound in one volume, brought, L66 by auction,
a record entirely surpassed by the preceding lot, which, consisting of
twelve similar tracts only, brought no less a sum than L555. These
prices are of course highly exceptional; but so great is the desire to
obtain books of this class that the amounts in question, exorbitant
though they may appear to be, were perhaps not excessive.
The amateur may in this instance follow the rule with every confidence.
Should he at any time see a work relating to America, no matter where
printed so long as it is dated before the year 1700, he should on no
account pass it by without very careful consideration; and the same
remark applies, though to a less extent, to all books printed in
Scotland before that date. In both cases it is probable that the
specimen offered for sale will have a most unprepossessing exterior, and
in some instances the price asked may be small. This frequently happens,
since the more uneducated class of dealers commence by valuing a book
from its appearance, and while a coloured plate or two would at once put
them on the _qui vive_ there is generally nothing about books of this
kind which _looks_ valuable. It is no disparagement to the trade as a
whole to say that some booksellers, particularly those who carry on
business in small provincial towns, are absolutely ignorant of anything
more than the first principles of their trade, and it is out of these
that bargains are made. Henry Stevens' _Catalogue of the American Books
in the Library of the British Museum_ (1886, 8vo) is from the pen of a
late famous bookseller who made many "bargains" in his time and whose
profound knowledge of the insides as well as of the outsides of his very
valuable collection was in every way worthy of his success.
Shakespearian collectors cannot do better than consult the article
"Shakespeare" in Lowndes' _Bibliographer's Manual_, where every known
edition, translation, and commentary professes to be catalogued and also
in many cases collated and described. Some of Halliwell-Phillipps'
works, though not absolutely indispensable, are nevertheless exceedingly
useful.
Bible collectors do not as a rule notice editions later than what is
styled the "Vinegar" Bible, published in 1717. They commence with
Coverdale's issue of 1535, and proceed onward in regular order, for the
most part arranging their collection not according to date but under the
various "versions". This subject is very extensive and exceedingly
difficult to handle, so much so that, without a competent guide, it will
be found impossible to make satisfactory progress. This is provided in
Cotton's _Editions of the Bible and Parts thereof in English_ (1821, 2nd
ed., 1852), and J. R. Dore's _Old Bibles_ (1876, 2nd ed., 1888). Mr.
Dore is probably the best living authority upon English Bibles and
Testaments, and his book is in itself amply sufficient for the amateur.
It is published by Eyre & Spottiswoode at 5s.
For works on botany consult Pritzel's _Thesaurus Literaturae Botanicae_
(Leipsic, 1847-51, 2nd ed., 1872-7, 4to); and for books exclusively
relating to tobacco, some of which are very rare and valuable, W.
Bragge's _Bibliotheca Nicotiana_ (priv. prin., r. 8vo, 1880).
Angling and the whole of the literature devoted to it is dealt with in
Westwood's new _Bibliotheca Piscatoria_ (1883), and swimming in R.
Thomas' _Bibliographical List of Works on Swimming_ (1868, 8vo).
The Greek and Latin Classics were at one time great favourites with all
classes of collectors, but of late they have fallen considerably from
their high estate. Many of the early editions, being printed by famous
houses, as the _editio princeps_ of Virgil's works was, which sold for
L590 at the Hopetoun House dispersion, a few months ago, are still
eagerly sought after, but not _qua_ classics--merely as specimens of
ancient typography. Ordinary editions of Horace, Virgil, Sallust, Plato,
Livy, and the rest can be bought now for a fourth or fifth part of the
sum they would have cost thirty or forty years ago, and, from all
appearances, they are likely to decline still further in the market. The
great work on this subject is Dibdin's _Rare and Valuable Editions of
the Greek and Latin Classics_ (2 vols., 1827), which can sometimes be
bought by auction for as little as L1.
Art books are so numerous, and so readily subdivided into an infinite
number of classes, that they are rarely, if ever, collected as a whole.
Amateurs invariably use the _Universal Catalogue of Books on Art_, which
was compiled by order of the Lords of the Committee of the Council on
Education, and published between the years 1870-7 (in 3 vols. sm. 4to).
It is a work that would be exceedingly difficult to improve upon, though
as time goes on it will of course be necessary to add to it.
Works on Shorthand are catalogued by J. W. Gibson (Pitman & Sons, 1887),
on Magic and Witchcraft in Scribner's _Bibliotheca Diabolica_ (New York,
1874), while books on music and all about them are noted in C. Engel's
_Literature of National Music_ (1879, 8vo).
We now come to the point when a short description of the more modern
methods of book collecting becomes a matter of necessity. For some years
it has been the fashion to collect not so much works of a certain class
as of particular authors, chiefly those which are embellished with
plates. By common consent first editions are, with a few exceptions,
alone worthy of note; and it is also an axiom that where a book was
originally published in parts, those parts must on no account be bound
up in volume form. If the collector should be so ill advised as to bind
the parts, notwithstanding the decrees of fashion to the contrary, he
may save his position no little by binding in the title-pages and also
the lists of advertisements, but if he neglects to do this, then his
case is hopeless. This is an example of the ridiculous rules which have
been laid down by a generation of autocratic book lovers, not one of
whom could in all probability give a satisfactory reason for his
_dicta_. It is, however, the rule, and will have to be followed, since
great pecuniary loss is certain to follow the slightest infraction of
it. Although the amateur does not buy his books to sell again, still I
apprehend it is a satisfaction to know that, in case he should ever be
compelled, though against his will, to sell them, he will be able to do
so without losing by his bargain. Original editions of Dickens' works
find a ready market, at ever-increasing prices; but in addition to his
better-known books, the very titles of which have now become household
words, there are others which are not so generally known, such, for
example, as the _Curious Dance_, the _Village Coquettes_ and many small
pieces which are scattered about the pages of the magazines, and are
usually classed under the heading _Dickensiana_. The same remarks, but
even perhaps to a still greater extent, apply to Thackeray and his
works, for that great author worked for many years before his genius
became recognised. The bibliographer who has smoothed the way for the
Dickens and Thackeray collector is Mr. C. P. Johnson, in his _Hints to
Collectors of Original Editions of the Works of Charles Dickens_ (1885),
and his _Hints to Collectors of Original Editions of the Works of W. M.
Thackeray_ (1885).
The same author's _Early Writings of William Makepeace Thackeray_ (1888)
contains a list of all the pieces which can now be identified, and of
the places where they are to be found, so as to put it readily in the
power of the biographer, the collector, and the student to refer to them
if he will. The _Snob_, _Gownsman_, _National Omnibus_, _National
Standard_, _The Constitutional_, and _Fraser's Magazine_ all contain
essays, articles, or tales from his able pen, which, but for Mr.
Johnson's patient efforts, might have been lost in course of time, when
the evidence to identify them would have been wanting.
Bibliographies of the works of Carlyle, Swinburne, Ruskin, and Tennyson,
as well as those of Dickens and Thackeray, have been compiled by R. H.
Shepherd, and of the works of Hazlitt, Leigh Hunt, and Lamb by Alexander
Ireland.
That famous artist George Cruikshank illustrated a large number of
books, all of which are eagerly sought after by certain bodies of
collectors. As in the case of other illustrated books, the value mainly
depends upon the earliness of impression of the plates, and the
condition; and consequently original editions are more highly esteemed
than those which followed. Some capacity for judging engravings is
required of the amateur who makes this branch of the subject a
speciality, but in other respects he will find almost everything he is
likely to require in G. W. Reid's _Descriptive Catalogue of the Works of
George Cruikshank_ (London, 1871, 8vo).
Bewick collectors have an infallible guide in the Rev. T. Hugo's _Bewick
Collector, a Descriptive Catalogue of the Works of T. and J. Bewick_
(published, with the supplement, in 2 vols., 1866-8, 8vo). It is related
of this author that he once found a battered and ragged specimen of a
child's book got up on strong-laid paper by the famous engraver. Only
one or two copies are known to exist, as Bewick found the enterprise too
expensive to pay, and accordingly discontinued it. The owner of this
treasure was an old woman, who had derived her infant ideas of lions and
tigers from its well-thumbed leaves, and who refused to part with an old
friend, though sorely and even desperately pressed to do so.
How often is the enthusiastic book hunter thwarted when his hopes are on
the point of being realised; how often must he succumb to what he may
consider to be nothing better than prejudice or obstinacy? This is a
question which every amateur learns in time to answer for himself.
FOOTNOTES:
[3] To those who do not read French or do not possess _Les Elzevier_,
Mr. Goldsmid's _The Elzevir Presses_, published as part of his
_Bibliotheca Curiosa_, may be of some assistance. It is a species of
compendium of the work of M. Willems, and was issued in 1889. It is
somewhat faulty and incomplete; but not without its value to beginners
in the study of the Elzevir press.