the library-第11章

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ion　whereof　all　the　others　have　perished。　　Nothing　is　so　slatternly　as　the　aspect　of　a　book　merely　stitched；　in　the　French　fashion；　when　the　threads　begin　to　stretch；　and　the　paper　covers　to　curl　and　be　torn。　　Worse　consequences　follow；　whole　sheets　are　lost；　the　volume　becomes　worthless；　and　the　owner　must　often　be　at　the　expense　of　purchasing　another　copy；　if　he　can；　for　the　edition　may　now　be　out　of　print。　　Thus　binding　of　some　sort　not　only　adds　a　grace　to　the　library；　presenting　to　the　eye　the　cheerful　gilded　rows　of　our　volumes；　but　is　a　positive　economy。　　In　the　case　of　our　cloth…covered　English　works；　the　need　of　binding　is　not　so　immediately　obvious。　　But　our　publishers　have　a　taste　for　clothing　their　editions　in　tender　tones　of　colour；　stamped；　often；　with　landscapes　printed　in　gold；　in　white；　or　what　not。　　Covers　like　this；　may　or　may　not　please　the　eye　while　they　are　new　and　clean；　but　they　soon　become　dirty　and　hideous。　　When　a　book　is　covered　in　cloth　of　a　good　dark　tint　it　may　be　allowed　to　remain　unbound；　but　the　primrose　and　lilac　hues　soon　call　out　for　the　aid　of　the　binder。

Much　has　been　written　of　late　about　book…binding。　　In　a　later　part　of　this　manual　we　shall　have　something　to　say　about　historical　examples　of　the　art；　and　the　performances　of　the　great　masters。　　At　present　one　must　begin　by　giving　the　practical　rule；　that　a　book　should　be　bound　in　harmony　with　its　character　and　its　value。　　The　bibliophile；　if　he　could　give　the　rein　to　his　passions；　would　bind　every　book　he　cares　to　possess　in　a　full　coat　of　morocco；　or　（if　it　did　not　age　so　fast）　of　Russia　leather。　　But　to　do　this　is　beyond　the　power　of　most　of　us。　　Only　works　of　great　rarity　or　value　should　be　full　bound　in　morocco。　　If　we　have　the　luck　to　light　on　a　Shakespeare　quarto；　on　some　masterpiece　of　Aldus　Manutius；　by　all　means　let　us　entrust　it　to　the　most　competent　binder；　and　instruct　him　to　do　justice　to　the　volume。　　Let　old　English　books；　as　More's　〃Utopia；〃　have　a　cover　of　stamped　and　blazoned　calf。　　Let　the　binder　clothe　an　early　Rabelais　or　Marot　in　the　style　favoured　by　Grolier；　in　leather　tooled　with　geometrical　patterns。　　Let　a　Moliere　or　Corneille　be　bound　in　the　graceful　contemporary　style　of　Le　Gascon；　where　the　lace…like　pattern　of　the　gilding　resembles　the　Venetian　point…lace；　for　which　La　Fontaine　liked　to　ruin　himself。　　Let　a　binding；　a　la　fanfare；　in　the　style　of　Thouvenin；　denote　a　novelist　of　the　last　century；　let　panelled　Russia　leather　array　a　folio　of　Shakespeare；　and　let　English　works　of　a　hundred　years　ago　be　clothed　in　the　sturdy　fashion　of　Roger　Payne。　　Again；　the　bibliophile　may　prefer　to　have　the　leather　stamped　with　his　arms　and　crest；　like　de　Thou；　Henri　III。；　D'Hoym；　Madame　du　Barry；　and　most　of　the　collectors　of　the　seventeenth　and　eighteenth　centuries。　　Yet　there　are　books　of　great　price　which　one　would　hesitate　to　bind　in　new　covers。　　An　Aldine　or　an　Elzevir；　in　its　old　vellum　or　paper　wrapper；　with　uncut　leaves；　should　be　left　just　as　it　came　from　the　presses　of　the　great　printers。　　In　this　condition　it　is　a　far　more　interesting　relic。　　But　a　morocco　case　may　be　made　for　the　book；　and　lettered　properly　on　the　back；　so　that　the　volume；　though　really　unbound；　may　take　its　place　with　the　bound　books　on　the　shelves。　　A　copy　of　any　of　Shelley's　poems；　in　the　original　wrappers；　should　I　venture　to　think　be　treated　thus；　and　so　should　the　original　editions　of　Keats's　and　of　Mr。　Tennyson's　works。　　A　collector；　who　is　also　an　author；　will　perhaps　like　to　have　copies　of　his　own　works　in　morocco；　for　their　coats　will　give　them　a　chance　of　surviving　the　storms　of　time。　　But　most　other　books；　not　of　the　highest　rarity　and　interest；　will　be　sufficiently　clothed　in　half…bindings；　that　is；　with　leather　backs　and　corners；　while　the　rest　of　the　cover　is　of　cloth　or　paper；　or　whatever　other　substance　seems　most　appropriate。　An　Oxford　tutor　used　to　give　half…binding　as　an　example　of　what　Aristotle　calls　＇Greek　text＇；　or　〃shabbiness；〃　and　when　we　recommend　such　coverings　for　books　it　is　as　a　counsel　of　expediency；　not　of　perfection。　　But　we　cannot　all　be　millionaires；　and；　let　it　be　remembered；　the　really　wise　amateur　will　never　be　extravagant；　nor　let　his　taste　lead　him　into　〃the　ignoble　melancholy　of　pecuniary　embarrassment。〃　　Let　the　example　of　Charles　Nodier　be　our　warning；　nay；　let　us　remember　that　while　Nodier　could　get　out　of　debt　by　selling　his　collection；　OURS　will　probably　not　fetch　anything　like　what　we　gave　for　it。　　In　half…bindings　there　is　a　good　deal　of　room　for　the　exercise　of　the　collector's　taste。　　M。　Octave　Uzanne；　in　a　tract　called　〃Les　Caprices　d'un　Bibliophile；〃　gives　some　hints　on　this　topic；　which　may　be　taken　or　let　alone。　　M。　Uzanne　has　noticed　the　monotony；　and　the　want　of　meaning　and　suggestion　in　ordinary　half…bindings。　　The　paper　or　cloth　which　covers　the　greater　part　of　the　surface　of　half…bound　books　is　usually　inartistic　and　even　ugly。　He　proposes　to　use　old　scraps　of　brocade；　embroidery；　Venice　velvet；　or　what　not；　and　doubtless　a　covering　made　of　some　dead　fair　lady's　train　goes　well　with　a　romance　by　Crebillon；　and　engravings　by　Marillier。　　〃Voici　un　cartonnage　Pompadour　de　notre　invention；〃　says　M。　Uzanne；　with　pride；　but　he　observes　that　it　needs　a　strong　will　to　make　a　bookbinder　execute　such　orders。　　For　another　class　of　books；　which　our　honest　English　shelves　reject　with　disgust；　M。　Uzanne　proposes　a　binding　of　the　skin　of　the　boa　constrictor；　undoubtedly　appropriate　and　〃admonishing。〃　　The　leathers　of　China　and　Japan；　with　their　strange　tints　and　gilded　devices　may　be　used　for　books　of　fantasy；　like　〃Gaspard　de　la　Nuit；〃　or　the　〃Opium　Eater；〃　or　Poe's　poems；　or　the　verses　of　Gerard　de　Nerval。　　Here；　in　short；　is　an　almost　unexplored　field　for　the　taste　of　the　bibliophile；　who；　with　some　expenditure　of　time；　and　not　much　of　money；　may　make　half…binding　an　art；　and　give　modern　books　a　peculiar　and　appropriate　raiment。

M。　Ambrose　Firmin　Didot　has　left　some　notes　on　a　more　serious　topic；the　colours　to　be　chosen　when　books　are　full…bound　in　morocco。　　Thus　he　would　have　the　〃Iliad〃　clothed　in　red；　the　〃Odyssey〃　in　blue；　because　the　old　Greek　rhapsodists　wore　a　scarlet　cloak　when　they　recited　the　Wrath　of　Achilles；　a　blue　one　when　they　chanted　of　the　Return　of　Odysseus。　　The　writings　of　the　great　dignitaries　of　the　Church；　M。　Didot　would　array　in　violet；　scarlet　goes　well　with　the　productions　of　cardinals；　philosophers　have　their　sober　suit　of　black　morocco；　poets　like　Panard　may　be　dressed　in　rose　colour。　　A　collector　of　this　sort　would　like；　were　it　possible；　to　attire　Goldsmith's　poems　in　a　〃coat　of　Tyrian　bloom；　satin　grain。〃　　As　an　antithesis　to　these　extravagant　fancies；　we　may　add　that　for　ordinary　books　no　binding　is　cheaper；　neater；　and　more　durable；　than　a　coat　of　buckram。

The　conditions　of　a　well　bound　book　may　be　tersely　enumerated。　　The　binding　should　unite　solidity　and　elegance。　　The　book　should　open　easily；　and　remain　open　at　any　page　you　please。　　It　should　never　be　necessary；　in　reading；　to　squeeze　back　the　covers；　and　no　book；　however　expensively　bound；　has　been　properly　treated；　if　it　does　not　open　with　ease。　　It　is　a　mistake　to　send　recently　printed　books　to　the　binder；　especially　books　which　contain　engravings。　　The　printing　ink　dries　slowly；　and；　in　the　process　called　〃beating；〃　the　text　is　often　transferred　to　the　opposite　page。　　M。　Rouveyre　recommends　that　one　or　two　years　should　pass　before　the　binding　of　a　newly　printed　book。　　The　owner　will；　of　course；　implore　the　binder　to；　spare　the　margins；　and；　almost　equally　of　course；　the　binder；　durus　arator；　will　cut　them　down　with　his　abominable　plough。　　One　is　almost　tempted　to　say　that　margins　should　always　be　left　untouched；　for　if　once　the　binder　begins　to　clip　he　is　unable　to　resist　the　seductive　joy；　and　cuts　the　paper　to　the　quick；　even　into　the　printed　matter。　Mr。　Blades　tells　a　very　sad　story　of　a　nobleman　who　handed　over　some　Caxtons　to　a　provincial　binder；　and　received　them　back　MINUS　500　pounds　worth　of　margin。　　Margins　make　a　book　worth　perhaps　400　pounds；　while　their　absence　reduces　the　same　volume　to　the　box　marked　〃all　these　at　fourpence。〃　　Intonsis　capillis；　with　locks　unshorn；　as　Motteley　the　old　dealer　used