letters on literature-第14章

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Not　that　any　collector　reads　all　his　books。　　I　may　have；　and　indeed

do　possess；　an　Aldine　Homer　and　Caliergus　his　Theocritus；　but　I

prefer　to　study　the　authors　in　a　cheap　German　edition。　　The　old

editions　we　buy　mainly　for　their　beauty；　and　the　sentiment　of　their

antiquity　and　their　associations。



But　I　don't　take　my　own　advice。　　The　shelves　are　crowded　with　books

quite　out　of　my　linea　whole　small　library　of　tomes　on　the　pastime

of　curling；　and　I　don't　curl；　and　〃God's　Revenge　against　Murther；〃

though　（so　far）　I　am　not　an　assassin。　　Probably　it　was　for　love　of

Sir　Walter　Scott；　and　his　mention　of　this　truculent　treatise；　that　I

purchased　it。　　The　full　title　of　it　is　〃The　Triumphs　of　God's

Revenge　against　the　Crying　and　Execrable　Sinne　of　（willful　and

premeditated）　Murther。〃　　Or　rather　there　is　nearly　a　column　more　of

title；　which　I　spare　you。　　But　the　pictures　are　so　bad　as　to　be

nearly　worth　the　price。　　Do　not　waste　your　money；　like　your　foolish

adviser；　on　books　like　that；　or　on　〃Les　Sept　Visions　de　Don

Francisco　de　Quevedo；〃　published　at　Cologne；　in　1682。



Why　in　the　world　did　I　purchase　this；　with　the　title…page　showing

Quevedo　asleep；　and　all　his　seven　visions　floating　round　him　in

little　circles　like　soap…bubbles？　　Probably　because　the　book　was

published　by　Clement　Malassis；　and　perhaps　he　was　a　forefather　of

that　whimsical　Frenchman；　Poulet　Malassis；　who　published　for

Banville；　and　Baudelaire；　and　Charles　Asselineau。　　It　was　a　bad

reason。　　More　likely　the　mere　cheapness　attracted　me。



Curiosity；　not　cheapness；　assuredly；　betrayed　me　into　another

purchase。　　If　I　want　to　read　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　of　course　I

read　it　in　John　Bunyan's　good　English。　　Then　why　must　I　ruin　myself

to　acquire　〃Voyage　d'un　Chrestien　vers　l'Eternite。　　Ecrit　en

Anglois；　par　Monsieur　Bunjan；　F。M。；　en　Bedtfort；　et　nouvellement

traduit　en　Francois。　　Avec　Figures。　　A　Amsterdam；　chez　Jean　Boekholt

Libraire　pres　de　la　Bourse；　1685〃？　　I　suppose　this　is　the　oldest

French　version　of　the　famed　allegory。　　Do　you　know　an　older？　　Bunyan

was　still　living　and；　indeed；　had　just　published　the　second　part　of

the　book；　about　Christian's　wife　and　children；　and　the　deplorable

young　woman　whose　name　was　Dull。



As　the　little　volume；　the　Elzevir　size；　is　bound　in　blue　morocco；　by

Cuzin；　I　hope　it　is　not　wholly　a　foolish　bargain；　but　what　do　I

want；　after　all；　with　a　French　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃？　　These　are　the

errors　a　man　is　always　making　who　does　not　collect　books　with

system；　with　a　conscience　and　an　aim。



Do　have　a　specially。　　Make　a　collection　of　works　on　few　subjects；

well　chosen。　　And　what　subjects　shall　they　be？　　That　depends　on

taste。　　Probably　it　is　well　to　avoid　the　latest　fashion。　　For

example；　the　illustrated　French　books　of　the　eighteenth　century　are；

at　this　moment；　en　hausse。　　There　is　a　〃boom〃　in　them。　　Fifty　years

ago　Brunet；　the　author　of　the　great　〃Manuel；〃　sneered　at　them。　　But；

in　his；　〃Library　Companion；〃　Dr。　Dibdin；　admitted　their　merit。　　The

illustrations　by　Gravelot；　Moreau；　Marillier；　and　the　rest；　are

certainly　delicate；　graceful；　full　of　character；　stamped　with　style。

But　only　the　proofs　before　letters　are　very　much　valued；　and　for

these　wild　prices　are　given　by　competitive　millionaires。　　You　cannot

compete　with　them。



It　is　better　wholly　to　turn　the　back　on　these　books　and　on　any

others　at　the　height　of　the　fashion；　unless　you　meet　them　for

fourpence　on　a　stall。　　Even　then　should　a　gentleman　take　advantage

of　a　poor　bookseller's　ignorance？　　I　don't　know。　　I　never　fell　into

the　temptation；　because　I　never　was　tempted。　　Bargains；　real

bargains；　are　so　rare　that　you　may　hunt　for　a　lifetime　and　never

meet　one。



The　best　plan　for　a　man　who　has　to　see　that　his　collection　is　worth

what　it　cost　him；　is　probably　to　confine　one's　self　to　a　single

line；　say；　in　your　case；　first　editions　of　new　English；　French；　and

American　books　that　are　likely　to　rise　in　value。　　I　would　try；　were

I　you；　to　collect　first　editions　of　Longfellow；　Bryant；　Whittier；

Poe；　and　Hawthorne。



As　to　Poe；　you　probably　will　never　have　a　chance。　　Outside　of　the

British　Museum；　where　they　have　the　〃Tamerlane〃　of　1827；　I　have　only

seen　one　early　example　of　Poe's　poems。　　It　is　〃Al　Aaraaf；　Tamerlane；

and　Minor　Poems；　by　Edgar　A。　Poe。　　Baltimore：　　Hatch　and　Dunning；

1829；　8vo；　pp。　71。〃　　The　book　〃came　to　Mr。　Locker　（Mr。　Frederick

Locker…Lampson）；　through　Mr。　R。　H。　Stoddard；　the　American　poet。〃　　So

says　Mr。　Locker…Lampson's　Catalogue。　　He　also　has　the　New　York

edition　of　1831。



These　books　are　extraordinarily　rare；　you　are　more　likely　to　find

them　in　some　collection　of　twopenny　rubbish　than　to　buy　them　in　the

regular　market。　　Bryant's　〃Poems〃　（Cambridge；　1821）　must　also　be

very　rare；　and　Emerson's　of　1847；　and　Dr。　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes's　of

1836；　and　Longfellow's　〃Voices　of　the　Night；〃　1839；　and　Mr。　Lowell's

〃A　Year's　Life；〃　none　of　these　can　be　common；　and　all　are　desirable；

as　are　Mr。　Whittier's　〃Legends　of　New　England　（1831）；　and　〃Poems〃

（1838）。



Perhaps　you　may　never　be　lucky　enough　to　come　across　them　cheap；　no

doubt　they　are　greatly　sought　for　by　amateurs。　　Indeed；　all　American

books　of　a　certain　age　or　of　a　special　interest　are　exorbitantly

dear。　　Men　like　Mr。　James　Lenox　used　to　keep　the　market　up。　　One

cannot　get　the　Jesuit　〃Relations〃shabby　little　missionary　reports

from　Canada；　in　dirty　vellum。



Cartier；　Perrot；　Champlain；　and　the　other　early　explorers'　books　are

beyond　the　means　of　a　working　student　who　needs　them。　　May　you　come

across　them　in　a　garret　of　a　farmhouse；　or　in　some　dusty　lane　of　the

city。　　Why　are　they　not　reprinted；　as　Mr。　Arber　has　reprinted

〃Captain　John　Smith's　Voyages；　and　Reports　on　Virginia〃？　　The　very

reprints；　when　they　have　been　made；　are　rare　and　hard　to　come　by。



There　are　certain　modern　books；　new　books；　that　〃go　up〃　rapidly　in

value　and　interest。　　Mr。　Swinburne's　〃Atalanta〃　of　1865；　the　quarto

in　white　cloth；　is　valued　at　twenty　dollars。　　Twenty　years　ago　one

dollar　would　have　purchased　it。　　Mr。　Austin　Dobson's　〃Proverbs　in

Porcelain〃　is　also　in　demand　among　the　curious。　　Nay；　even　I　may　say

about　the　first　edition　of　〃Ballades　in　Blue　China〃　（1880）；　as

Gibbon　said　of　his　〃Essay　on　the　Study　of　Literature：〃　〃The

primitive　value　of　half　a　crown　has　risen　to　the　fanciful　price　of　a

guinea　or　thirty　shillings；〃　or　even　more。　　I　wish　I　had　a　copy

myself；　for　old　sake's　sake。



Certain　modern　books；　〃on　large　paper；〃　are　safe　investments。　　The

〃Badminton　Library；〃　an　English　series　of　books　on　sport；　is　at　a

huge　premium　already；　when　on　〃large　paper。〃　　But　one　should　never

buy　the　book　unless；　as　in　the　case　of　Dr。　John　Hill　Burton's　〃Book…

Hunter〃　（first　edition）；　it　is　not　only　on　large　paper；　and　not　only

rare　（twenty…five　copies）；　but　also　readable　and　interesting。　｛7｝　　A

collector　should　have　the　taste　to　see　when　a　new　book　is　in　itself

valuable　and　charming；　and　when　its　author　is　likely　to　succeed；　so

that　his　early　attempts　（as　in　the　case　of　Mr。　Matthew　Arnold；　Lord

Tennyson；　and　a　few　others　of　the　moderns）　are　certain　to　become

things　of　curious　interest。



You　can　hardly　ever　get　a　novel　of　Jane　Austen's　in　the　first

edition。　　She　is　rarer　than　Fielding　or　Smollett。　　Some　day　it　may

be　the　same　in　Miss　Broughton's　case。　　Cling　to　the　fair　and　witty

Jane；　if　you　get　a　chance。　　Beware　of　illustrated　modern　books　in

which　〃processes〃　are　employed。　　Amateurs　will　never　really　value

mechanical　reproductions；　which　can　be　copied　to　any　extent。　　The

old　French　copper…plate　engravings　and　the　best　English　mezzo…tints

are　so　valuable　because　good　impressions　are　necessarily　so　rare。



One　more　piece　of　advice。　　Never　（or　〃hardly　ever〃）　buy　an　imperfect

book。　　It　is　a　constant　source　of　regret；　an　eyesore。　　Here　have　I

Lovelace's　〃Lucasta；〃　1649；　without　the　engraving。　　It　is

deplorable；　but　I　never　had　a　chance　of　another　〃Lucasta。〃　　This