The Library-第11部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

〃　had　their　own　fortunes；　for　the　dedication　to　Fouquet　was　perforce　withdrawn。　　That　favourite　entertained　La　Valliere　and　the　King　with　the　edy　at　his　house　of　Vaux；　and　then　instantly　fell　from　power　and　favour；　and；　losing　his　place　and　his　freedom；　naturally　lost　the　flattery　of　a　dedication。　　But　retombons　a　nos　coches；　as　Montaigne　says。　This　pleasant　little　copy　of　the　play；　which　is　a　kind　of　relic　of　Moliere　and　his　old　world；　has　been　ruthlessly　bound　up　with　a　treatise；　〃Des　Pierres　Precieuses；〃　published　by　Didot　in　1776。　　Now　the　play　is　naturally　a　larger　book　than　the　treatise　on　precious　stones；　so　the　binder　has　cut　down　the　margins　to　the　size　of　those　of　the　work　on　amethysts　and　rubies。　　As　the　Italian　tyrant　chained　the　dead　and　the　living　together；　as　Procrustes　maimed　his　victims　on　his　cruel　bed；　so　a　hardhearted　French　binder　has　tied　up；　and　mutilated；　and　spoiled　the　old　play；　which　otherwise　would　have　had　considerable　value　as　well　as　interest。

We　have　tried　to　teach　the　beginner　how　to　keep　his　books　neat　and　clean；　what　men　and　monsters　he　should　avoid；　how　he　should　guard　himself　against　borrowers；　bookworms；　damp；　and　dirt。　　But　we　are　sometimes　pelled　to　buy　books　already　dirty　and　dingy；　foxed；　or　spotted　with　red；　worn　by　greasy　hands；　stained　with　ink　spots；　or　covered　with　MS。　notes。　　The　art　of　man　has　found　a　remedy　for　these　defects。　　I　have　never　myself　tried　to　wash　a　book；　and　this　care　is　best　left　to　professional　hands。　　But　the　French　and　English　writers　give　various　recipes　for　cleaning　old　books；　which　the　amateur　may　try　on　any　old　rubbish　out　of　the　fourpenny　box　of　a　bookstall；　till　he　finds　that　he　can　trust　his　own　manipulations。　　There　are　〃fat　stains〃　on　books；　as　thumb　marks；　traces　of　oil　（the　midnight　oil）；　flakes　of　old　pasty　crust　left　in　old　Shakespeares；　and　candle　drippings。　　There　are　〃thin　stains；〃　as　of　mud；　scalingwax；　ink；　dust；　and　damp。　　To　clean　a　book　you　first　carefully　unbind　it；　take　off　the　old　covers；　cut　the　old　stitching；　and　separate　sheet　from　sheet。　　Then　take　a　page　with　〃fat　stains〃　of　any　kind　of　grease　（except　fingermarks）；　pass　a　hot　flat　iron　over　it；　and　press　on　it　a　clean　piece　of　blotting　paper　till　the　paper　sucks　up　the　grease。　Then　charge　a　camelhair　brush　with　heated　turpentine；　and　pass　it　over　the　places　that　were　stained。　　If　the　paper　loses　its　colour　press　softly　over　it　a　delicate　handkerchief；　soaked　in　heated　spirits　of　wine。　　Fingermarks　you　will　cover　with　clean　soap；　leave　this　on　for　some　hours；　and　then　rub　with　a　sponge　filled　with　hot　water。　　Afterwards　dip　in　weak　acid　and　water；　and　then　soak　the　page　in　a　bath　of　clean　water。　　Inkstained　pages　you　will　first　dip　in　a　strong　solution　of　oxalic　acid　and　then　in　hydrochloric　acid　mixed　in　six　times　its　quantity　of　water。　　Then　bathe　in　clean　water　and　allow　to　dry　slowly。

Some　English　recipes　may　also　be　given。　　〃Grease　or　wax　spots；〃　says　Hant；　in　〃Bibliopegia；〃　〃may　be　removed　by　washing　the　part　with　ether；　chloroform；　or　benzine；　and　placing　it　between　pieces　of　white　blotting　paper；　then　pass　a　hot　iron　over　it。〃　　〃Chlorine　water；〃　says　the　same　writer；　removes　ink　stains；　and　bleaches　the　paper　at　the　same　time。　　Of　chloride　of　lime；　〃a　piece　the　size　of　a　nut〃　（a　cocoa　nut　or　a　hazel　nut？）　in　a　pint　of　water；　may　be　applied　with　a　camel's　hair　pencil；　and　plenty　of　patience。　　To　polish　old　bindings；　〃take　the　yolk　of　an　egg；　beat　it　up　with　a　fork；　apply　it　with　a　sponge；　having　first　cleaned　the　leather　with　a　dry　flannel。〃　　The　following；　says　a　writer　in　〃Notes　and　Queries；〃　with　perfect　truth；　is　〃an　easier　if　not　a　better　method；　purchase　some　bookbinder's　varnish；〃　and　use　it　as　you　did　the　rudimentary　omelette　of　the　former　recipe。　　Vellum　covers　may　be　cleaned　with　soap　and　water；　or　in　bad　cases　by　a　weak　solution　of　salts　of　lemon。

Lastly；　the　collector　should　acquire　such　books　as　Lowndes's　〃Bibliography；〃　Bru's　〃Manuel；〃　and　as　many　priced　catalogues　as　he　can　secure。　　The　catalogues　of　Mr。　Quaritch；　Mr。　Bohn；　M。　Fontaine；　M。M。　Mand　et　Fatout；　are　excellent　guides　to　a　knowledge　of　the　market　value　of　books。　　Other　special　works；　as　Renouard's　for　Aldines；　Willems's　for　Elzevirs；　and　Cohen's　for　French　engravings；　will　be　mentioned　in　their　proper　place。　Dibdin's　books　are　inaccurate　and　longwinded；　but　may　occasionally　be　dipped　into　with　pleasure。

THE　BOOKS　OF　THE　COLLECTOR

The　easiest　way　to　bring　order　into　the　chaos　of　desirable　books；　is；　doubtless；　to　begin　historically　with　manuscripts。　　Almost　every　age　that　has　left　any　literary　remains；　has　bequeathed　to　us　relics　which　are　cherished　by　collectors。　　We　may　leave　the　clay　books　of　the　Chaldeans　out　of　the　account。　　These　tomes　resemble　nothing　so　much　as　sticks　of　chocolate；　and；　however　useful　they　may　be　to　the　student；　the　clay　MSS。　of　Assurbanipal　are　not　coveted　by　the　collector。　　He　finds　his　earliest　objects　of　desire　in　illuminated　manuscripts。　　The　art　of　decorating　manuscripts　is　as　old　as　Egypt；　but　we　need　not　linger　over　the　beautiful　papyri；　which　are　silent　books　to　all　but　a　few　Egyptologists。　　Greece；　out　of　all　her　tomes；　has　left　us　but　a　few　illwritten　papyri。　　Roman　and　early　Byzantine　art　are　represented　by　a　〃Virgil；〃　and　fragments　of　an　〃Iliad〃；　the　drawings　in　the　latter　have　been　reproduced　in　a　splendid　volume　（Milan　1819）；　and　shew　Greek　art　passing　into　barbarism。　　The　illumination　of　MSS。　was　a　favourite　art　in　the　later　empire；　and　is　said　to　have　been　practised　by　Boethius。　　The　iconoclasts　of　the　Eastern　empire　destroyed　the　books　which　contained　representations　of　saints　and　of　the　persons　of　the　Trinity；　and　the　monk　Lazarus；　a　famous　artist；　was　cruelly　tortured　for　his　skill　in　illuminating　sacred　works。　　The　art　was　decaying　in　Western　Europe　when　Charlemagne　sought　for　painters　of　MSS。　in　England　and　Ireland；　where　the　monks；　in　their　monasteries；　had　developed　a　style　with　original　qualities。　　The　library　of　Corpus　Christi　at　Cambridge；　contains　some　of　the　earliest　and　most　beautiful　of　extant　English　MSS。　　These　parchments；　stained　purple　or　violet；　and　inscribed　with　characters　of　gold；　are　too　often　beyond　the　reach　of　the　amateur　for　whom　we　write。　　The　MSS。　which　he　can　hope　to　acquire　are　neither　very　early　nor　very　sumptuous；　and；　as　a　rule；　MSS。　of　secular　books　are　apt　to　be　out　of　his　reach。

Yet　a　collection　of　MSS。　has　this　great　advantage　over　a　collection　of　printed　books；　that　every　item　in　it　is　absolutely　unique；　no　two　MSS。　being　ever　really　the　same。　　This　circumstance　alone　would　entitle　a　good　collection　of　MSS。　to　very　high　consideration　on　the　part　of　bookcollectors。　　But；　in　addition　to　the　great　expense　of　such　a　collection；　there　is　another　and　even　more　serious　drawback。　It　is　sometimes　impossible；　and　is　often　extremely　difficult；　to　tell　whether　a　MS。　is　perfect　or　not。

This　difficulty　can　only　be　got　over　by　an　amount　of　learning　on　the　part　of　the　collector　to　which；　unfortunately；　he　is　too　often　a　stranger。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　advantages　of　collecting　MSS。　are　sometimes　very　great。

In　addition　to　the　pleasurea　pleasure　at　once　literary　and　artisticwhich　the　study　of　illuminated　MSS。　affords；　there　is　the　certainty　that；　as　years　go　on；　the　value　of　such　a　collection　increases　in　a　proportion　altogether　marvellous。

I　will　take　two　examples　to　prove　this　point。　　Some　years　ago　an　eminent　collector　gave　the　price　of　30　pounds　for　a　small　French　book　of　Hours；　painted　in　grisaille。　　It　was　in　a　country　town　that　he　met　with　this　treasure；　for　a　treasure　he　considered　the　book；　in　spite　of　its　being　of　the　very　latest　school　of　illumination。　　When　his　collection　was　dispersed　a　few　years　ago　this　one　book　fetched　260　pounds。

In　the　celebrated　Perkins　sale；　in　1873；　a　magnificent　early　MS。；　part　of　which　was　written　in　gold　on　a　purple　ground；　and　which　was　dated　in　the　catalogue　〃ninth　or　tenth　century；〃　but　was　in　reality　of　the　end　of　the　tenth　or　beginning　of　the　eleventh；　was　sold　for　565　pounds　to　a　dealer。　　It　found　its　way　into　Mr。　Bragge's　collection；　at　what　price　I　do　not　know；　and　was　resold；　three　years　later；　for　780　pounds。

Any　person　desirous　of　making　a　collection　of　illuminated　MSS。；　should　study　seriously　for　some　time　at　the　British　Museum；　or　some　such　place；　until　he　is　thoroughly　acquainted　（1）　with　the　styles　of　writing　in　use　in　the　Middle　Ages；　so　that　he　can　at　a　glance　make　a　fairly　accurate　estimate　of　the　age　of　the　book　submitted　to　him；　and　（2）　with　the　proper　means　of　collating　the　several　kinds　of　servicebooks；　which；　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten；　were　those　chosen　for　illumination。

A　knowledge　of　the　styles　of　writing　can　be　acquired　at　second　hand　in　a　book　lately　published　by　Mr。　Charles　Trice　Martin；　F。S。A。；　being　a　new　edition　of　〃Astle's　Progress　of　Writing。〃　　Still　better；　of　course；　is　the　actual　inspection　and　parison　of　books　to　which　a　date　can　be　with　some　degree　of　certainty　assigned。

It　is　very　mon　for　the　age　of　a　book　to　be　misstated　in　the　catalogues　of　sales；　for　the　simple　reason　that　the　older　the　writing；　the　plainer；　in　all　probability；　it　is。　　Let　the　student　pare　writing　of　the　twelfth　century　with　that　of　the　sixteenth；　and　he　will　be　ab