Transcribed from the 1881 Macmillan and Co. edition by David Price, email ccx074@pgflaf.org

THE LIBRARY

BY ANDREW LANG

WITH A CHAPTER ON MODERN ENGLISH ILLUSTRATED BOOKS BY AUSTIN DOBSON

London MACMILLAN & CO. 1881

The right of reproduction is reserved.

Printed by R. & R. Clarke, Edinburgh.

TO DR. JOHN BROWN AUTHOR OF RAB AND HIS FRIENDS.

PREFATORY NOTE

The pages in this volume on illuminated and other MSS. (with the exception of some anecdotes about Bussy Rabutin and Julie de Rambouillet) have been contributed by the Rev. W. J. Loftie, who has also written on early printed books (pp. 94–95). The pages on the Biblioklept (pp. 46–56) are reprinted, with the Editor’s kind permission, from the Saturday Review; and a few remarks on the moral lessons of bookstalls are taken from an essay in the same journal.

Mr. Ingram Bywater, Fellow of Exeter College, and lately sub-Librarian of the Bodleian, has very kindly read through the proofs of chapters I., II., and III., and suggested some alterations.

Thanks are also due to Mr. T. R. Buchanan, Fellow of All Souls College, for two plates from his “Book-bindings in All Souls Library” (printed for private circulation), which he has been good enough to lend me. The plates are beautifully drawn and coloured by Dr. J. J. Wild. Messrs. George Bell & Sons, Messrs. Bradbury, Agnew, & Co., and Messrs. Chatto & Windus, must be thanked for the use of some of the woodcuts which illustrate the concluding chapter.

A. L.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER I.

An Apology for the Book-hunter

“Every man his own Librarian”—Bibliography and Literature—Services of the French to Bibliography—A defence of the taste of the Book-collector—Should Collectors buy for the purpose of selling again?—The sport of Book-hunting—M. de Resbecq’s anecdotes—Stories of success of Book-hunters—The lessons of old Bookstalls—Booksellers’ catalogues—Auctions of Books—Different forms of the taste for collecting—The taste serviceable to critical Science—Books considered as literary relics—Examples—The “Imitatio Christi” of J. J. Rousseau—A brief vision of mighty Book-hunters.

CHAPTER II.

The Library

31

The size of modern collections—The Library in English houses—Bookcases—Enemies of Books—Damp, dust, dirt—The bookworm—Careless readers—Book plates—Borrowers—Book stealers—Affecting instance of the Spanish Monk—The Book-ghoul—Women the natural foes of books—Some touching exceptions—Homage to Madame Fertiault—Modes of preserving books; binding—Various sorts of coverings for books—Half-bindings—Books too good to bind, how to be entertained—Iniquities of Binders—Cruel case of a cropped play of Molière—Recipes (not infallible) for cleaning books—Necessity of possessing bibliographical works, such as catalogues.

CHAPTER III.

The Books of the Collector

76

Manuscripts, early and late—Early Printed Books—How to recognise them—Books printed on Vellum—“Uncut” copies—“Livres de Luxe,” and Illustrated Books—Invective against “Christmas Books”—The “Hypnerotomachia Poliphili”—Old woodcuts—French vignettes of the eighteenth century—Books of the Aldi—Books of the Elzevirs—“Curious” Books—Singular old English poems—First editions—Changes of fashion in Book-collecting—Examples of the variations in prices—Books valued for their bindings, and as relics—Anecdotes of Madame du Barry and Marie Antoinette.

CHAPTER IV.

Illustrated Books

123

Beginnings of Modern Book-Illustration in England—Stothard, Blake, Flaxman—Boydell’s “Shakespeare,” Macklin’s “Bible,” Martin’s “Milton”—The “Annuals”—Rogers’s “Italy” and “Poems”—Revival of Wood-Engraving—Bewick—Bewick’s Pupils—The “London School”—Progress of Wood-Engraving—Illustrated “Christmas” and other Books—The Humorous Artists—Cruikshank—Doyle—Thackeray—Leech—Tenniel—Du Maurier—Sambourne—Keene—Minor Humorous Artists—Children’s Books—Crane—Miss Greenaway—Caldecott—The “New American School”—Conclusion.