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The Papers of the

Bibliographical Society
of America

VOLUME NINE
1915

Edited by

THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON
JAMES C. M. HANSON
THEODORE W. KOCH

The Society does not hold itself responsible for opinions

expressed by contributors of papers ^

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THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Published July and October, 1915

CONTENTS OF VOLUME IX

PAGE

Concerning Book Plates, Theodor W. Koch 3

The Club of Odd Volumes, Percival Merritt .... 21

Publications 34

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Public Libraries, George

Watson Cole 47

Syllabus 108

George Watson Cole, Bibliographer, W. S. M m

The Papers of the

Bibliographical Society
of America

VOLUME NINE
1915

NUMBERS 1-2

Edited by

THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON
J.\MES C. M. IL\NSON
THEODORE W. KOCH

The Society does not hold itself responsible for opinions
expressed by contributors of papers

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO, ILUNOIS

Published July 1915

400 copies printed

Composed and Printed By

The University of Chicago Press

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

CONCERNING BOOK PLATES

BY THEODORE W. KOCH
Librarian, University of Michigan

A BOOK plate has been described as a name plate
^~^ decorated, not a decoration defaced by a name plate.
The essential point is that it is a name-label, a means of
identification for lost, strayed, or stolen volumes. Con-
sequently anonymous book plates are anomalous. This
name-label may be printed or engraved and the name
may be expressed heraldically or otherwise, but its prime
object is, or was, when pasted inside the covers of a book
or added to its title or fly-leaves, to proclaim the owner-
ship of the book.

The origin of the book plate is found in the desire of the
owner of a book to retain possession of his property.
Many estimable people find a difficulty in distinguishing
between mine and thine in books as well as in umbrellas.
Therefore, both should be marked for identification.

Books in the early libraries were chained. When they
became cheaper and multipHed rapidly, the chains were
done away with, but marks of ownership were placed
either inside the covers or on the covers of books to
prevent their straying. The marks of ownership on the
covers usually consisted of monograms or coats-of-arms
done in gold on the leather sides, and there are many
ornate bindings in which such devices, called super
libros, have been most attractively tooled. As books

Bibliographical Society of America

in the early libraries were laid flat on their sides, these
devices showed up most effectively.

The book plate, like the printed book, had its origin
in Germany. Both date from the middle of the fifteenth
century. Albrecht Diirer is known actually to have
engraved six plates between 1503 and 15 16, and to have
made designs for many others. Most of the larger and
more wealthy monasteries used more than one plate.
The advent of each new lord abbot was celebrated by the
creation of a new plate for the library. With indi-
viduals it grew out of the various armorial bearings of
the family. Frederick August, duke of Brunswick-6ls,
had, in 1789, sixteen plates. More recently, Count
Leiningen-Westerburg had twenty-one plates, all in use,
and the Countess had eight for her own use. I have no
data as to the size of the family library. The Count
was an authority on the subject of book plates, had
written a book on German ex-libris, and many of the
twenty-nine different plates used by him and his wife
were complimentary plates from well-known artists.

A book plate is in no sense a part of the book. Its
removal can be ordinarily effected without harming the
book in any way. Many book plates are removed in
order to give place to the new owner's plate, or to add to
the collector's store. The ethics of this procedure has
been questioned. It must be granted that there are cases
when it would be almost an act of vandalism to remove
a book plate, as in the case of a certain copy of the first
edition of Pope's Dunciad, 1729, well preserved in the

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Concerning Book Plates

original binding, with the Chippendale book plate of
David Hume, above which is the autograph signature
of John Home, the oldest friend and executor of Hume.
Remove the historian's book plate and the chain of asso-
ciation linking Pope, Hume, and Home is broken. A
collector who would remove a coat-of-arms stamped in
gold on the leather or vellum binding of a fine old book
has been compared to the miser depicted by Hogarth
in the act of cutting from the cover of the family Bible
a piece of leather with which to mend his shoe. Book
plates have not always been regarded as giving added
value to the books they adorn. A writer in 1757, in
speaking of a library offered for sale, says: "The books
are in good order, and are little the worse for use, and have
no arms in the best of them."

Book plates, being intended to go into books, must
appeal to book-lovers and will continue to interest those
who like fine books well bound and properly cared for.
The man who is insensible to the influence of a good book
plate is probably insensible to the claims of good printing,
the beauty of good book-making, and all the seductions
to which the bibliophile yields himself. Putting a har-
moniously designed, well-executed plate into a book
shows that the owner thinks enough of it to treat it with
respect. "I urge upon all lovers of books to provide
themselves with book plates," said Eugene Field.
"Whenever I see a book that bears its owner's plate, I
feel myself obligated to treat that book with special
consideration. It carries with it a certificate of its

Bihliographical Society of America

master's love; the book plate gives the volume a certain
status it would not otherwise have."

Miss Agnes Repplier says that when she was a girl she
had access to a small and well-chosen library, each volume
of which was provided with a book plate containing a
scaly dragon guarding the apples of Hesperides, and the
motto "Honor and obligation demand the prompt
return of borrowed books." These words, she con-
tinues, ate into her innocent soul and lent a pang to the
sweetness of possession. Doubts as to the exact nature
of "prompt return" made her painfully uncertain as
to whether a month, a week, or a day was the limit which
honor and obligation had set for her. Other and older
borrowers were, however, less sensitive and, books being
a rarity in that little southern town, most of the volumes
were eventually absorbed by the gaping shelves of
neighbors, where perhaps some may still be found,
"forgotten in dark and dusty corners, like gems that
magpies hide."

"Some people have an instinctive aversion to anything
plated," said a recent writer in the Contributors' Club
of the Atlantic Monthly, adding that he disliked plated
books. He saw no apology for the person addicted to the
substitution of a book plate for his genuine signature
and was sure that no man with poetry in his soul would
use a plate to record his ownership of a volume. "To
establish that immortal communication between author
and reader, that sense of intimate personal relation,"
said he, "the reader must not refuse the author his hand,

Concerning Book Plates

and try to meet him, as it were, by proxy." "A book
plate," in the mind of this critic, "indicates a certain
love of ostentation. Is it fitting," he asks, "that an
individual should suggest that his library is so volumi-
nous that he cannot undertake the physical fatigue of
writing his name in each book he possesses? Public
libraries, large and abstract collections, may make use
of this mechanical means of identifying property, but
the private library should be more modest, more
personal."

The defender of the book plate will answer that there
is a decided objection to having names written into books,
especially modern books, where the ink is almost sure to
run and produce a blurred result. An autograph is
usually inconspicuous and, with poor penmanship, it
is ineffective. Unless it be in ink on the title-page, it is
more easily removed than the book plate. The latter is
the silent witness against the book thief. "To have a
book plate," says Edmund Gosse, "gives a collector great
serenity and confidence." A book plate not only testi-
fies to the owner's appreciation of his books, but, if of
his own choosing, also reflects something of his character.
A good book plate gives also a certain unity to what
might otherwise be a very miscellaneous library.

The use of coats-of-arms as an indication of ownership
was very common in bygone days. Arms were cut in
stone on the front of a house to indicate the family name
of the owners, carved in furniture, woven in hangings,
or engraved on the family silver, to carry out the same

8 Bibliographical Society of America

idea within the house, or emblazoned on the family-
carriage to declare to the world at large who it was that
was going forth on one errand or another. Originally
the arms would not have the name appended. When
a knowledge of heraldry was widespread the addition of
the name to a coat-of-arms was unnecessary. The arms
were as well known as the family name; in fact, it was the
name heraldically expressed. Many retainers who could
not read could easily recognize the family coat-of-arms.
So, in the earliest armorial book plates, the arms alone
were engraved. The names appear only in the later
plates.

In. the simple armorial plates, up to about 1720, the
shield is surmounted by a helmet on which are the wreath
and crest. With the decay of heraldry, more and more
attention was paid to the ornamentation or mantling
and eventually the heraldic interest became of very minor
importance.

Some collectors limit their attention to armorial plates,
as others limit their interests to those of other periods,
or to those by special designers. Armorial plates are
in questionable taste for most American families. The
use of them reminds one of a question put to a certain
gentleman who had assumed what appeared to be a
veritable coat-of-arms. "Are those really your arms?"
he was asked. "They ought to be," was the reply,
"for I made them myself."

I know of librarians who scoff at the idea of a book
plate, and many people smile at those who take a serious

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Concerning Book Plates

interest in collecting book plates. A writer in the London
Daily News stirred up a "tempest in a tea-pot" some
twenty years ago by an article entitled "The Burden of
Book Plates." "Let infancy frolic and senile fatuity
count its two-penny treasures," said this scribe, "but
why, of all things, collect book plates? Are there not
door-knockers which a man may collect, or visiting cards
of all ages, or muffin bells, or old books, or political walk-
ing sticks, or the decayed hairbrushes of celebrities, all
of which are instructive and amusing, compared to book
plates?" Mr. Hardy writes about the propriety of
removing book plates from books "for the purpose of
study and comparison." "Study and comparison of
warming pans ! Even an old warming pan is an enviable
piece of portable property compared with a book plate.
.... It seems about as agreeable a possession as an
old postage stamp." Well, we know of those who put
a great deal of time, money, and enthusiasm into the
collecting of postage stamps and dignify their hobby by
calling it philately. The collector of ex-libris is not to
be lightly put aside. He is only one kind of a biblio-
phile. Anyone with a hobby is to be envied, not de-
rided. "Here lies Smith, who was nothing, not even a
collector of postage stamps," would not be the epitaph
of a cheerful man.

The size of a collector's library, it must be confessed,
is usually in inverse ratio to the number of personal plates
which he owns. An amateur with too many individual
plates is to be looked upon with suspicion. "A fool and

lo Bibliographical Society of America

his book plate are soon parted," said Thomas Bailey
Aldrich, in characterizing those who have a book plate
primarily for purposes of exchange with other collectors.
There are collectors who have had new plates made or new
impressions of old plates struck off on a different colored
paper, expressly for the purpose of adding another plate
to their exchange list. They resemble the Central and
South American principalities which have new issues of
postage stamps struck off every little while, seemingly
for the purposes of revenue through their sale to collectors.
It is this class of collectors who have brought down some
of the more severe criticisms upon the whole subject of
ex-libris collecting.

Then, too, there have been unprincipled dealers who
have attached ex-libris (generally counterfeits or reprints)
to inferior volumes in order to promote their sale. The
plate of George Washington is thus far the only American
one thought worthy of counterfeiting. Some years ago
a number of volumes purporting to have come from
Washington's library were offered for sale at auction.
They all had what claimed to be his book plate, but a
comparison of it with the original showed it to be clearly
a forgery. The purpose of the forger was defeated by
the cheat being cried out in the auction room.

The natural desire to protect his own book property
is seen in the schoolboy, who is given to writing the
simplest form of an ex-libris on the fly-leaf of his text-
book: "Bill Jones, his book." This plain statement of
fact is elaborated into a variety of forms. The following

Concerning Book Plates ii

is copied from an old schoolbook found in Canterbury,
England :

This book is mine

By right divine

And if so be, it go astray

Please be so kind

My desk to find

And stow it safe away.

Schoolboys in old England were fond of inscribing in
their books these verses :

Steale not this book for fear of shame
For here you see ye owner hys name
And when you dye ye Lord will saye
Where is that boke you stole away ?
Then if you saye, you cannot telle,
Ye Lorde will saye, then go to helle.

Variant forms of versified prophecies of what will
happen to the book thief are quite plentiful. The follow-
ing was at one time popular with youths fond of scribbling
over the fly-leaves of their books :

My Master's name above you see.
Take heede ther fore you steale not mee;
For if you doe, without delay
Your necke for me shall pay.
Looke doune below and you shal see
The picture of the gallowstree;
Take heede ther fore of thys in time,
Lest on this tree you highly clime.

12 Bibliographical Society of America

Another doggerel manuscript ex-libris used to be made
up in this fashion:

THIS BOOK
Belongs to
John Doe

If thou art borrowed by a friend,

Right welcome shall he be
To read, to study, not to lend.

But to return to me.

Not that imparted knowledge doth

Diminish learning's store;
But books, I find, if often lent,

Return to me no more.

Sometimes there was appended the following advice
and caution:

Read slowly, pause frequently,

Think seriously.
Keep cleanly, return duly,
With the corners of the leaves not turned down.

Some book-owners have gone to Scripture for their
book-plate inscriptions. Mr. George N. Noyes uses the
following: "And if a man borrow aught of his neighbor
and it is hurt he shall surely make it good " (Exod. 22:14).
An apprentice's library has used the following: "Take
fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she
is thy life" (Pro v. 4:13).

There is a wide range from the generous and
dignified legend on the plate of Grolier "Jo. Grolierii

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Concerning Book Plates 13

et Amicoriun" (the property of John Grolier and his
friends) to such as:

I'm stingy grown
What's mine's my own.

An anonymous plate has: "This book was bought at
the sign of the Shakespeare Head. Borrowing neighbors
are recommended to supply themselves in the same
manner."

Dr. Holmes once said mottoes should be given in pairs
so that one might offset the other. I therefore give the
following as an antidote to the last quoted :

I'm not one of those selfish elves
Who keep their treasures to themselves.
I like to see them kept quite neat,
But not for moth or worm to eat.
Thus willingly to any friend
A book of mine I'll freely lend
Hoping they'll mind this good old mean,
Return it soon and keep it clean.

We have seen that the use of a book plate is no modern
fad, though the collecting of the book plates is of com-
paratively recent origin. Various interests center arotmd
book plates. These might be listed as follows:

I. The personal interest. — ^This would be called forth
by the plates of such men as George Washington,
William Perm, Gladstone, Gambetta, Horace Walpole,
Samuel Pepys, David Garrick, Hogarth, Sir Henry Irving,

14 Bibliographical Society of America

all of whom used book plates which have been reproduced
in the literature of the subject.

2. The genealogical interest. — This is exemplified par-
ticularly in the sequence of plates belonging to old fam-
ilies given to book-collecting for several generations.

3. The heraldic interest. — Heraldry is a conspicuous
element in the older plates, the majority of which are of
armorial design. In no way can one get a better or more
comprehensive survey of the changes in heraldic design.

4. The historical interest. — Something of the history
of engraving and the arts of illustration is sure to be
imbibed by those who dip into the history of book plates.
Even if one only learns to distinguish between a copper
plate and a steel engraving, an etching and a zinc plate,
he has acquired valuable information. When he is able
to distinguish between a Jacobean and a Chippendale
plate, he has made a considerable advance. Before long
the amateur is able to judge of the approximate date of a
plate and to characterize its style in proper fashion. A
dated plate may help to give definite information in regard
to the history of a particular style of engraving or design,
or otherwise throw light on the book it adorns.

5. Artistic interest. — Diirer, Holbein, Lucas Cranach
the younger, Piranesi, Bartolozzi, Hogarth, and Bewick,
among the old engravers, did not think the designing of
book plates beneath their dignity. Among modern
artists of note who have designed book plates, mention
may be made of Sir Frederick Leighton, Sir John Millais,
Aubrey Beardsley, Edwin A. Abbey, Miss Kate Greena-

Concerning Book Plates 15

way, Walter Crane, Louis Rhead, and Randolph Calde-
cott. These names should suffice to arrest the attention
of the carping critic, if only long enough to see how these
artists have handled the problem. Many plates by artists
of no great note are worthy of study on account of the
beauty of design or artistic workmanship.

In 1880 there appeared A Guide to the Stidy of Book
Plates, by the Hon. J. Leicester Warren, who later became
Lord de Tabley. In classifying book plates he divided
them into broad classes, such as Jacobean, Chippendale,
allegorical, and the like. His classification has been
accepted by later writers and is now so generally followed
that we must pause for a moment to study it.

The term Jacobean, as applied to a book plate, is some-
what misleading, but it is understood to mean the heavy
decorative style in vogue during the Restoration, Queen
Anne, and early Georgian days. This style was in vogue
approximately from 1700 to 1750. The book plate had
by that time become a recognized essential in a well-
ordered private or public library. The plates of the
period are armorial in type, the decoration is limited to
a symmetrical grouping of the mantling and an occasional
display of palms and wreaths. The mantling surrounds
the face of the shield as the periwig of the portraits of
the period surrounds the face of the subject. It springs
from either side of the helmet into elaborate patterns.
The manner had been imported from France but soon
assumed English characteristics of its own. The decora-
tion was conventional, remarkable for its solidity rather

1 6 Bibliographical Sociely of America

than its gracefulness. The design was strictly sym-
metrical, massive, and imposing from its heaviness. The
plates of the period have a carved appearance.

During the middle third of the eighteenth century a
flamboyant rococo style of engraving was in vogue which
was named Chippendale, after the designer of furniture,
many of the patterns in his books being reflected in the
book plates of the period. The distinguishing feature of
the Chippendale book plate is a fanciful arrangement of
scroll and shellwork with acanthus-like sprays. The
grouping was usually unsymmetrical so as to give a freer
scope for a great variety of counter-curves. Straight
and concentric lines were avoided. The Chippendale
plates are lacking in variety of design. The type was
in vogue only for a score of years, but during that time
it was the fashion in copper-plate engraving generally.
The characteristic of the style is the frilled border of open
scallop shellwork set close to the escutcheon, and more
or less inclosing it. George Washington's plate is a good
example of the Chippendale style.

The similarity of the Chippendale patterns reminds
one of the story of the traveling artist who was employed
by an innkeeper to paint a blue boar for a sign. "I'll
try the boar," said the man, "but I have never painted
anything else than a red lion, and so don't be surprised
if your blue boar turns into a red lion when I've done."
It seems equally impossible for the designer of a par-
ticular period to get away from the characteristics of
that period.

Concerning Book Plates 17

During the latter third of the eighteenth century, new-
styles were adopted by the engravers. Among these
mention may be made of the simple and chaste design
known as the ribbon and wreath style. Originality began
to assert itself and a great variety of motifs appeared —
pastoral scenes, landscape effects, pictorial compositions,
and library interiors of all kinds. When steel engraving
came into use in the beginning of the nineteenth century,
it had the effect of continuing the formality of the previous
century. It was also used later in connection with the
copper-plate designing, by furnishing the plate-maker
with a harder surface with which to cover the copper.
With the development of photo-mechanical processes in
the latter half of the century came greater freedom
and ease in the reproduction of the original sketch.
Etching had not only rivaled copper-plate engraving,
but had come to be used with it. Photo-engraving, or
the half-tone process, is hardly a legitimate means of
reproducing a book-plate design. While it is the most
common method of reproducing a photograph or wash
drawing, neither of these media furnishes satisfactory
designs for book plates, although they have sometimes
been used fairly satisfactorily in connection with line
work. Line work is the basis of ninety-nine out of
every hundred book plates, whether done on copper,
steel, or zinc.

The success of an engraved plate depends, not only
on the skill of the designer, but also upon that of the
engraver. In the case of such men as C. W. Sherborn,

1 8 Bibliographical Society of America

E. D. French, and J. W, Spenceley, both the design and
execution were done by themselves or under their close
supervision. This brings engraved plates by men of note
up to a high cost. Consequently recourse is had to
cheaper methods of reproduction, and the one most in
vogue is the zinc cut. The danger of this lies in its cheap-
ness. For a dollar or two one can have reproduced an
india-ink sketch by an amateur designer, and as there
are many people with a certain amount of skill in pen-and-
ink drawing who are quite willing to present their friends
w4th what they think are appropriate designs for book
plates, there are a great many inside covers of books being
plastered over with cheap zinc cuts from cheap designs
that had better not have been perpetuated through this
or any other process.

Anyone who owns a book plate is likely to be interested
in the subject. So also is the person who hopes some day
to have his or her own book plate. The latter may wel-
come a few suggestions. A book plate ought not, accord-
ing to all precedent and the canons of good taste, to try to
rival a poster, or a book-wrapper, or ornate end papers.
It ought not to be much larger than two by three inches.
It should be small enough to go easily on the inside of the
cover of any volume without crowding. Japan vellum
or plate paper are good papers on which to print plates.
Too thick a paper is difficult to paste down. Do not
have the plates gummed. The name should be clearly
drawn, not in hieroglyphics, and should not be run in
on the bias, nor in any fanciful way.

Concerning Book Plates 19

The motif should be appropriate to the general run of
books the plate is to adorn. A jester is permissible in
the ex-libris of a comedian like Francis Wilson, but would
hardly be suitable for a philosophical library. Humorous
plates are in general to be avoided. The humor will be
sure to pall upon you and your friends. Designers are
often called upon to do things against their best judgment.
One designer was asked by a patron of considerable
avoirdupois to include in the plate he had ordered the
representation of an elephant, as that was the nickname
by which he was known among his friends. Another
wanted "a girl, with sandals on, standing by the sea,
over which the moonlight was streaming; bulrushes or
something in the foreground. And," he added, "give
me plenty of moonlight."

Portrait plates are not at all common. Most of those
that have been made date from the latter half of the
nineteenth century. Diirer's friend, Bilibald Pirkheimer,
is known to have had a plate of this kind which he pasted
on the back covers of his books. Good old Bishop John
Hacket, of Lichfield, presented a number of books to
Trinity College, Cambridge, in each of which was
pasted his portrait and the motto "Serve God and
be cheerful."

The tendency to overload a plate with details with a
view to suggesting the procHvities of the owner is to be
decried. As Mr. Charles Dexter Allen says, "One some-
times sees a plate that has so much of the life-history of
the owner within its small compass that at a glance it is

20 Bibliographical Society of America

evident to all that he glories in golf, has a regard for
roses, rides a wheel, esteems Omar Khayyam very highly,
reads Scott and Lowell, can quote Shakespeare, has been
to Switzerland, collects butterflies, and lives in New
Jersey."

THE CLUB OF ODD VOLUMES

BY PERCIVAL MERRITT

In the early winter of the year 1886, several book-
lovers and book-collectors in Boston, who felt that there
were undoubtedly a number of men of similar tastes and
pursuits in the community, sent out a circular letter pro-
posing the organization of a club composed of those with
interests kindred to their own. Responses in favor of
such an association were received from twenty men,
eighteen of whom met at Young's Hotel on the 29th of
January, 1887, and proceeded, truly and well, to lay the
foundations of "The Club of Odd Volumes."

At this first meeting, executive officers were chosen, a
committee was appointed to draft the constitution and
by-laws, and the questions of the name of the club and
the number of its members discussed. At the second
meeting a month later, the organization was completed by
the adoption of a constitution and by-laws, the name of
"The Club of Odd Volumes" was agreed upon, and the
limit of membership placed at thirty-one, following the
example of the famous Roxburghe Club at its inception.
In the first article of the constitution the Club declared
its profession of faith in these words: "The objects shall
be to promote an interest in, and a love for whatever will
tend to make Hterature attractive as given in the form of
printed and illustrated volumes, to mutually assist in
making researches and collections of first and rare editions,
21

22 Bibliographical Society of America.

and to promote elegance in the production of Odd Vol-

umes,"

A year later, following a revision and amplification of
the by-laws, the purposes of the Club were set forth in a
briefer but more comprehensive form: "Its objects shall
be, the promotion of Literary and Artistic Tastes, the
Study of the Arts as applied to Booke-making, the estab-
lishment and maintenance of a Reference Library, and
Exhibits of a special or instructive character." Under the
revised by-laws the membership limit was raised to fifty-
one, including both resident and non-resident members, and
the limit for honorary membership was established at five.

In April, 1890, the Club was incorporated, and its
principles were again annunciated, and more broadly
stated, in its revised constitution, following substantially
the wording of its application for incorporation: "This
Club is formed for the purpose of promoting literary and
artistic tastes, establishing and maintaining a place for
social meetings and a reference library, providing occa-
sional exhibits of a special and instructive character, and
publishing rare prints and books relating to historical and
literary matters." The candidates for membership were
required to be "men sincerely interested in the objects
named." Here its principles and aspirations are clearly
defined, and with these avowed purposes it has pursued its
course for the succeeding twenty-five years. It will be
considered presently how far its faith has been made mani-
fest in its works; first taking a brief glance at the general
history of the Club.

The Club of Odd Volumes 23

The example of the GroHer Club, established in 1884,
was undoubtedly present in the minds of the founders of
The Club of Odd Volumes, but the real prototype of the
Club was in all probability The Sette of Odd Volumes of
London, founded in 1878 by Bernard Quaritch and several
of his associates. Curiously enough the very rare first
publication of the Club, a little pamphlet containing the
constitution and by-laws together with a list of the mem-
bers— undated but probably issued in the spring of 1887
and now to be found in the collections of only a few mem-
bers of the Club — bears on its title-page and on the cover
the words "Ye Sette of Odd Volumes, Boston," although
the preamble to the constitution states that "the
title of this association shall be The Club of Odd Vol-
umes."

At the regular meeting of the Club in October, 1887, a
letter was read bearing congratulations and good wishes
from a member of the London "Sette," the president of
the preceding year. He forwarded also one or two pub-
lications of the "Sette," and stated that he "should es-
teem it a favor to become one of us." Accordingly at the
next monthly meeting he was elected as the first honorary
member of the Club, and his name is still carried on its
rolls. Twenty-four years later another member of the
"Sette," also the president of the previous year, was
added to the honorary list. Between the periods of these
two elections members of each Club have been both
formally and informally entertained by members of the
other, publications have been exchanged, and friendly

24 Bibliographical Society of America

messages interchanged by letter or by cable on occasions
of special celebrations.

The meetings of the Club during its first year were
held either at a hotel, or in the Library of the Boston Art
Club, or at the home of some member when an oppor-
tunity was afforded of inspecting the collection of the host
of the evening. During the autumn of 1887, however, the
idea was agitated of securing rooms where Club meetings
and exhibitions might be held. As a result of this sugges-
tion rooms were secured at 125 Tremont Street, and the
December meeting of the Club was held in its own quar-
ters. During the next two years the meetings took place
either in the Club rooms or at the houses of members.
Then the question of securing more satisfactory accom-
modations was raised, with the result that the meeting of
October, 1890, was held in new rooms of the Club at 237
Boylston Street. Here it remained for about a year and
then removed during the summer of 1891 to 5 Somerset
Street, where the second exhibition of the Club and the
first under its own roof was held. After a year's experi-
ence in its third set of rooms, finding that the attendance
at the monthly meetings was very small, it was proposed
that the rooms should be given up, and that the meetings
should be held at a hotel where a dinner could be served.
In accordance with this suggestion the Somerset Street
rooms were permanently abandoned, although a year later
a small room was secured at 61 Court Street simply for the
storage of the Club books and furniture and as a place for
occasional committee meetings. The regular meeting in

The Club of Odd Volumes 25

March, 1893, was then held at a hotel, and it is recorded
that the new plan of a monthly dinner was "generally
commended." Here was a reversion to the prototype, as
the London "Sette" from its inception has held its formal
meetings around a dinner table.

For the next seventeen years the Club remained simply
a dinner club, so far as its social activities were concerned,
and during this period its regular monthly meetings were
held either at a hotel or at some social club. Then also
the custom arose of having for the central feature of the
evening the reading of papers on topics connected with
book-collecting, book-making, or some purely literary sub-
ject. For this purpose either Club members were drawn
upon, or guests invited, who were specially qualified to
speak upon some topic allied to the varied interests of the
members. But eventually, during the season of 1909-10,
there became evident a desire on the part of a large num-
ber of the members of the Club to have a house of their
own where meetings should be held, the reference library
rendered accessible, thus facihtating an increase both in
its size and use, and opportunity afforded for more fre-
quent exhibitions. With these objects in view a small
house, for the sole use of the Club, was secured at 50 Mt.
Vernon Street, where it is now acceptably and perma-
nently located.

The regular meeting for March, 19 10, was the first to
be held in the new quarters, and this was followed by two
reception days when the house was thrown open for in-
spection by friends of the members. The central feature

26 Bibliographical Society of America

of the eight regular monthly meetings is still the reading
of a paper, often followed by a general discussion, after
which the social side of the Club finds opportunity for its
development around a supper table. During the season
there is an informal gathering on Thursday afternoons,
when tea is served, and on Saturdays a lunch is served for
any members who may desire to participate.

The Club library has shown a constant growth,
although its possible size is somewhat restricted by the
rather limited space available for books. Still it provides
a fairly satisfactory, even if at present a rather elemen-
tary, collection of reference books on topics connected with
book and print collecting and the art of printing.

The limit of membership has been increased to sixty-
one for resident, and twenty for non-resident members.
The various learned professions, finance, and business in
its varied forms have all contributed their representatives
to this compact and somewhat unique social club. Unique
from the standpoint of its members being linked together
by one common interest, that of the collector and book-
lover, though the manifestations of their tastes may be,
as they should be, heterogeneous. Each member with a
separate hobby though tolerant of the particular form of
weakness of every other member ; the very heterogeneity
producing homogeneity; the social organization brought
about by the interests of avocations and not of vocations.

Thus far in its history it will be seen that the Club
has, in certain respects, lived up to its profession of faith
as set forth in the constitution of 1890. It now remains

The Club of Odd Volumes 27

to consider how far this has also been made manifest with
regard to exhibits of an "instructive character" and the
pubhcation of "books relating to historical and literary-
matters."

As soon as the Club was fairly launched and well under
way the question of an exhibition was brought before it.
As the result of its deliberations the first exhibition to be
given by the Club was held in the Gallery of the Boston
Art Club in March, 1889. The catalogue contained some
five hundred and eighty titles, including books, extra illus-
trated works, bindings, autographs, etchings, and engrav-
ings. In April, 1892, the second exhibition was held in
the Somerset Street club rooms, and consisted entirely of
mezzotint portraits, comprising works of the best English
mezzotinters, and representing a variety of subjects both
American and English.

The tenth anniversary of the founding of the Club was
commemorated by an exhibition in February, 1897, which
was given at the Boston Art Club. A wider range of sub-
jects was covered than in the two previous exhibitions:
books relating to early New England history, first editions
of English and American authors, manuscripts, modern
bindings, and "Royal" bindings, New England Primers
and school books, autographs, book-plates, and prints.
In the following year the largest exhibition which has ever
been given by the Club was held at the Boston Art
Museum, April 25 to June 5, 1898, consisting entirely of
book-plates and super-libros. Over two thousand plates
were shown with the aim of affording "an opportunity of

28 Bibliographical Society of America

tracing the artistic development of the book-plate, from
its rude beginnings .... to the elegant works of the
famous masters of the present day." It may be said here
that the material for this and all other exhibitions which
have been given by the Club has been drawn substantially,
if not entirely, from the collections of its members.

After a quiescent period covering nearly a dozen years,
the facilities of the Mt. Vernon Street house, combined
with other influences, gave a new impetus to the subject
of exhibitions. A certain limitation was experienced there
by reason of the rather small exhibition rooms, but there
was also a corresponding gain, since careful elimination
must be made of the matter available, with the result that
a residuum of the rarest and best specimens only would
be left.

Thus in the spring of 191 1 there was exhibited a collec-
tion of prints, maps, broadsides, newspapers, and auto-
graphs all appertaining to Boston during the period of the
Revolution. In December of the same year first editions
of famous books published in England in the eighteenth
century were shown. In 191 2 an exhibition of Waltoniana
was given, which included the first five editions of The
Compleat Angler. Mezzotints by English engravers from
1662 to 1827 were exhibited in 19 13, comprising specimens
of the work of engravers from Prince Rupert to Samuel
Cousins. And, finally, in 19 14, the history of the Boston
stage from 1791 to 1825 was illustrated by an exhibition
of prints, play-biUs, advertisements, and autograph
letters.

The Cltib of Odd Volumes 29

With regard to publications, the Club proceeded rather
cautiously in the first three years of its existence. During
this period its output consisted of the rare little pamphlet,
already referred to, containing the constitution and a list
of members; the revised constitution of 1888, also with a
list of officers and members; and an exhibition catalogue.
An engraved portrait of the Provincial Governor, Sir
Francis Bernard, was also issued. But in 1890, after
much deliberation, it was decided to publish in the name
of the Club, but under the guaranty of some of its mem-
bers, a catalogue of the collection of prints and original
sketches by George Cruikshank which had been formed
by the late John B. Gough. In this volume some twenty-
eight of the sketches were reproduced by photogravure.
The next publications were two volumes of Court Me-
moirs of the time of Louis XV, translated from the French
of Imbert de Saint-Amand, in which a shght attempt at
illustration in color was made. Then the antiquarian
tastes of the members were reflected in five volumes of
Early American Poetry, reproducing a number of Uttle-
known poems, interesting rather by reason of the extreme
rarity of the originals, or by the author's reputation in
other fields of activity, than from any inherent value in
themselves. The pubUcation of these volumes extended
over a period of some five years.^ Following the poetical
series came a facsimile reproduction of Morton's New-
Englands Memoriall and a valuable set of books on Early

' The titles and sub-titles of these volumes, as well as a detailed descrip-
tion of all other publications, may be found in the accompanying bibliography.

30 Bibliographical Society of America

Boston Booksellers, Early Schools and School-Books of New
England, and The Early Massachusetts Press. The three
books last enumerated, by reason of the subjects of which
they treat, appear to be the most generally sought after
of all the Club publications. At intervals, while the
larger publishing activities were going on, certain minor
publications of a more ephemeral character were made,
whenever it was deemed desirable to perpetuate in print
some of the papers which were read before the Club at its
regular meetings.

From the appearance of the first volume of Early
American Poetry through the Early Massachusetts Press all
books, with only a few exceptions, were issued in a uni-
form style of binding and with a marked general resem-
blance in their format. Up to 1906, and in three instances
after that year, all books, with the exception of the Year-
book for 1904, were printed by the University Press of
Cambridge. By this time, however, there had come to
be an increasing desire to have the Club publications repre-
sentative of the best work of various presses, both in this
country and in England. It seemed advisable that more
stress should be laid on typographical work, and that the
form and style of the books should bear some correlation
to their subjects. And it was felt that a dilettante organi-
zation of book-lovers and book-collectors should endeavor
to manifest in its publications its desire to attain a high
standard of excellence, and to set forth its own ideals as
far as possible. Certain limitations have been experi-
enced here also, by reason of the comparatively small

The Club of Odd Volumes 31

membership, rendering it impracticable to combine with
artistic press-work purely artistic results in the way of
illustrations. It is to be regretted that so little of the
work of modern engravers, etchers, and wood-cutters has
been displayed in its publications, but this lack is due to
necessity and not to a disregard of that side of book-
making.

In pursuance of this desire the Club has availed itself,
in this country, of the services of Daniel Berkeley Updike
of the Merry mount Press, of its fellow-member Bruce
Rogers, and of the Riverside Press of Cambridge. In
England it has had the co-operation of Mr. Cobden-
Sanderson at the Doves Press, and Mr. C. R. Ashbee at
the Essex House Press. Its later publications in conse-
quence exhibit a diversity instead of uniformity, and
originality in treatment instead of conventionality. The
first book of this character was issued from the Merry-
mount Press: the Hislorie of the Life and Death of Sir
William Kirkaldy of Grange. Here the wood-cutter's art
was combined with the art of the typographer, and special
attention was paid to making the book suggestive of the
period of the scenes which were therein portrayed.

A series of monographs on famous printers and presses
followed, of which the most important is undoubtedly the
account of Isaiah Thomas, considered from the viewpoint
of printer, author, and collector. Its value is enhanced by
an elaborate bibliography of all books with the imprint of
Thomas, both the Boston and Worcester publications,
compiled by Charles L. Nichols of Worcester. In the

32 Bibliographical Society of America

same series a history of the Essex House Press, by its
founder Mr. Ashbee, furnished a complete bibHography of
the works issued by the press, and was illustrated by some
two hundred blocks and cuts (printed from the original
blocks) which had been employed in its various books.

A purely literary publication. Notes from a Country
Library, varied the Printer series, while the latest issue
was a typographical reproduction of a very scarce item,
A Political Romance, 1759, the first printed manifestation
of the peculiar humour of Laurence Sterne, antedating by
a year the appearance of Tristram Shandy.

Beginning in 191 1, a yearbook has been published
annually, on typographical lines determined by Mr.
Rogers. These books, in addition to the constitution,
by-laws, and membership lists, contain a complete bib-
liography of publications, and each furnishes a brief ac-
count of the Club's activities for the preceding year. In
a general way the publications may be said to group them-
selves into historical and antiquarian books, collections of
addresses at meetings, the study of printers and printing,
and purely literary works, together with yearbooks and
exhibition catalogues. With but few exceptions they
represent the work of some member of the Club, either as
author or editor.

Here, then, is the history of the Club, of its aims and
results, of its desires and accomplishments. Notwith-
standing the compassionate, or even half-contemptuous
tolerance with which book-collectors or book-clubs may
be regarded in the community of which they form a part,

The Club of Odd Volumes 33

it may fairly be claimed that they make a not unimportant
contribution to the development of a regard for the best
ideals in literature and the printing arts. Even a small
body of men to whom printing is something more than the
mere transference of the written word to the printed page
can by their example in private publications give some
impetus to the elevation of standards of printing in gen-
eral. The reaction of such example may be experienced
even in ordinary mercantile work. The presentation of
purely commercial subject-matter can commend itself to
consideration by the form as well as by the substance of
such presentation, and attention paid to details in this
respect augurs well for an equally careful attention being
paid to larger matters. Current or even ephemeral litera-
ture may be issued in such manner that it will afford satis-
faction to the eye as well as stimulus or pleasure to the
mind. We study today the book-making of the past,
profit by its example when excellent, or learn to avoid its
mistakes and shortcomings. Long after the activities of
a publishing club may have ceased, its output, if artis-
tically good and representative of the best typographical
work of the period during which it flourished, will have
its value for the student of printing in the future, and for
the practical printer as well.

A few years ago in the exhibition rooms of the South
Kensington Museum there were shown a large number of
specimens of the art of printing, both ancient and modern.
Several cases were devoted to the display of the best work
of English and American presses of the present day.

34 Bibliographical Society of America

Among the two or three books chosen to represent the
Doves Press was a copy of William Caxton, printed for
The Club of Odd Volumes of Boston, a visible witness to
the fact that the pursuit of an ideal by the Club was not
without both result and appreciation.

PUBLICATIONS
1887

1. Ye Sette | of [ Odd Volumes, | Boston. | Constitution and
by-laws.

4f by 55 inches, pp. 8, paper covers.
Contains a list of members. No date. [1887.]

1888

2. The constitv- 1 tion & by-lawes I of The Clvb of Odd | Vol-
vmes, together with the [ names of its diuers mem- j bers & a preface
to the louing readers. | [Seal] \ Boston, | imprinted for the Clvb
by lohn Wilson & Son Cambridge. | Anno 1888.

6 by 7I inches, pp. (6)4-34, paper covers.
250 copies printed from type.

1889

3. Portrait of Sir Francis Bernard [Governor of Massachusetts,
1760-69] Engraved by J. A. J. Wilcox from the painting in posses-
sion of the family for The Club of Odd Volumes, Boston, Mass.

Plate 10 by 6f inches, portrait 4I by 3I inches, Club stamp.
51 unlettered, 100 lettered copies on India paper. 1889.

4. The I first annual exhibition ] of The ] Club of Odd Volumes
I at the I Boston Art Club | March 12-15, 1889 [ [Seal] \ Chas. F.
Libbie, Jr., printer | Hayward Place [Boston^ 1889]

6 by 92 inches, pp. 78, paper covers.

100 copies on large paper. The nimiber of entries was 580.

The Club of Odd Volumes 35

1890

9I by 12 inches, 56 leaves, printed on one side only, 28 plates, issued in
boards.

125 copies on plate paper, 10 on Japanese vellum paper. University Press,
Cambridge.

1892

4f by 6| inches, pp. 22, paper covers.

100 entries. University Press, Cambridge.

8 by lOj inches, pp. 7+304, 4 plates, issued in boards, arms in gilt on front
cover.

150 copies on Holland hand-made paper. University Press, Cambridge.

1893

8. The 1 last years of Louis XV. [ Translated from the French
I of I Imbert de Saint-Amand | [Seal] \ Boston | The Club of Odd
Volumes | 1893

8 by io| inches, pp. 7+236, 4 plates, issued in boards, arms in gilt on front
cover.

150 copies on Holland hand-made paper. University Press, Cambridge.

".* The plates in these two volvmies were printed by Goupil & Co. of Paris
for the Club.

36 Bibliographical Society of America

1894

9. I. 1 Early American poetry ] New-England's crisis | By [
Benjamin Tompson | [Seal] \ Boston [ The Club of Odd Volumes

1 1894

From the original in the Boston Athenaeum. Pp. 28, one unnumbered
leaf, 5-31. University Press, Cambridge.

*.• The series of Early American Poetry comprises five volumes, each with
an Introduction by James F. Hunnewell, 6f by 8| inches, hand-made paper,
bound in half dark roan, blue paper sides with gilt seal of the Club. Of each
volume one hundred nvmibered copies were printed.

1895

10. II. I Early American poetry | New-England | or ] a brief e

enarration of the ayre, earth, ] water, fish and fowles of that country,

I with 1 a description of the natures, orders, habits | and religion

of the natiues; | in Latine and English verse | Sat breve, si sat

bene | [Seal] \ Boston | The Club of Odd Volumes | 1895

By Rev. William Morrell. Printed by process plates from an original
in the British Museum. Pp. 7-|-(8) + 24+2. University Press, Cambridge.

1896

11. III. 1 Early American poetry | A poem and an elegy | by
I Cotton Mather [ [Seal] \ Boston | The Club of Odd Volumes |
1896

A poem dedicated to the memory of the Reverend and excellent
Mr. Urian Oakes, the late pastor to Christ's flock, and Praesident
of Harvard-Colledge, in Cambridge, who was gathered to his people
on 2^^ 5°^° 1681. in the fifty'th year of his age [seven lines] Boston
in New-England, printed for John Ratcliff. 1682.

An elegy on the much-to-be-deplored death of that never-
to-be-forgotten person, the Reverend Mr. Nathanael Collins;
who after he had been many years a faithful pastor to the church
at Middletown of Connecticut in New-England, about the forty-
third year of his age expired: on 28th. 10. moneth 1684 [four lines]

The Club of Odd Volumes 37

Boston in New-England printed by Richard Pierce for Obadiab

Gill. Anno Christi 1685

From the unique copies in the library of Brown University, Providence.
Pp. i3+(4)-|-i6+(6)-t-20. With two facsimile title-pages. University Press,
Cambridge

12. IV. I Early American poetry | Elegies and epitaphs | 1677-
171 7 [Seal] I Boston | The Club of Odd Volumes | 1896

Elegy on the Reverend Thomas Shepard, 1677. By the
Reverend Urian Oakes.

Elegy on the Reverend John Wilson. From Johannes in
Eremo, 1695

Elegy on seven young ministers. From Vigilantius, 1705

Elegy on Mr. Ezekiel Cheever. From Corderius Americanus,
1708

Latin epitaph on the Hon. Wait Winthrop. From Hades

looked into, 1717

The last three elegies and the Latin epitaph by the Rev. Cotton Mather.
Pp. i6+{4) + i6+(8)-|-(io) + (i2)-f (6). With five facsimile title-pages.
University Press, Cambridge.

1897

13. The I Club of Odd Volumes | Tenth ] anniversary exhi-
bition 1 at the I Boston Art Club | February 17-24 ] 1897

4f by 8f inches, pp. (4) + 73, 3 plates (a very rare portrait of Washington,
etc.), paper covers. A large public edition.

The Same. 50 copies on Japan paper, blue paper covers with the Club
seal in gold, for members. University Press, Cambridge.

1898

14. V. I Early American poetry | The poems ] of ] Roger
Wolcott, Esq. I 1725 I [Seal] \ Boston 1 The Club of Odd Volumes
I 1898

Poetical Meditations, being the improvement of some vacant

hours, by Roger Wolcott, Esq. [four lines] New London, printed

and sold by T. Green 1725.

Two copies printed on old paper; one, lettered A, presented to the Hon.
Roger Wolcott, the other placed in the Club library. Pp. 14+ (4) +79- Uni-
versity Press, Cambridge.

38 Bibliographical Society of America

1898

6 by 9 inches, pp. xxviii+189, paper covers. Preliminary notice by S. R.
Koehler. Introduction by Committee (by Charles Dexter Allen). Issued by
the Museum of Fine Arts.

The Same. 61 numbered copies for members of the Club, imiform with
the Poetry. Edition de luxe, printed on Japanese vellum, with 10 reproductions
and 10 book-plates of members of the Club.

1900

1900

6\ by 9! inches, 15 facsimiles, pp. 256.

150 copies on hand-made paper; imiform with the Poetry. University
Press, Cambridge.

6j by 85 inches, pp. 34.

51 numbered copies for members and 5 lettered copies for the author;
uniform with the Poetry. University Press, Cambridge.

1901

18. Boston from the ship house west end of the Navy Yard.
Painted by W. J. Bennett. Engd. by W. J. Bennett [about 1833].
[Seal]

Plate 21 J by 27! inches, view 16 by 24! inches; on Japan paper. One of
a re-issue of fifty-one copies in 1901.

'." This plate is also lettered, at the foot, "Published by H. I. Megarey,
New York. Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1833 by

The Club of Odd Volumes 39

H. T. Megarey in the Clerk's Office of the district court of the southern district
of New York." Very few impressions seem to have been made, some (or all ?)
colored, and the plate remained in obscurity imtil bought and used as above by
this Club.

19. A talk I on book-plates \ A paper read by Charles Dexter
Allen at a [ meeting of The Club of Odd Volumes | of Boston,
Massachusetts | [Seal] \ Boston | The Club of Odd Volumes | 1901

6f by 8f inches, pp. 41.

52 mmibered copies for members, 3 lettered copies for the author; uni-
form with the Poetry. Read May 22, 1901. University Press, Cambridge.

1902

6f by 8^ inches, pp. 35.

52 nimibered copies for members, 4 lettered copies for the author, 12
copies for libraries; uniform with the Poetry. Contains a list of publications
of the Club. University Press, Cambridge.

1903

7 by 9 inches, pp. (2)-|-2i-|-(i2)-t-i98-|-(io).

Issued in boards, gray paper sides with title and seal of Club in gilt. 150
copies on hand-made paper. University Press, Cambridge.

•.■ Printed by process plates from copies in the possession of Frederick L.
Gay and George E. Littlefield.

1904

65 by 9 J inches, pp. (2) -1-354, 93 illustrations.

167 copies on hand-made paper; imiform with the Poetry. University
Press, Cambridge.

40 Bibliographical Society of America

23. The 1 Club of Odd Volumes | of Boston ] Constitution and
by-laws with a | list of the oflScers and members 1 April 1904

5 by 8i inches, pp. 4+33, issued in blue paper boards, title on label on
front cover.

200 copies on hand-made paper. The Merrymount Press, Boston.
".' Also contains a complete list of Club publications.

6f by 8§ inches, pp. 28.

100 numbered copies; uniform with the Poetry. University Press, Cam-
bridge.

1906

25. Historie of the life and death of | Sir William Kixkaldy [
of Grange, Knight | wherein is declared his many wise designs and
valiant ac- 1 tions, with a true relation of his heroic conduct in the
Castle of I Edinburgh which he had the honour to defend for the
Queen of Scots. | Now set forth from authentic sources by Harold
Murdock | [The Royal Arms of Scotland] \ Printed for The Club
of Odd Volumes at Boston in | New England in the year of Our
Lord, MDCcccv^.

6f by lOj inches, pp. xi-l-131.

7 illustrations of which 4 are cut on wood by M. Lamont Brown. The
others are rendered by mechanical process from drawings after original plates.
Issued in dark blue paper boards. Kirkaldy arms in gold on front cover.

114 copies printed from type on hand-made paper. The Merrymount
Press, Boston.

1907

6i by 9 J inches. Vol. I, pp. 12-I-269, 11 illustrations. Vol. II, pp. S-f-
100, 2 facsimile reproductions comprising 112 pages, 13 illustrations.

1 75 numbered copies; vmiform with the Poetry. University Press, Cam-
bridge.

The Club of Odd Volumes 41

27. Horace Walpole | printer | A paper read by Edward Percival
I Merritt at a meeting of The Club | of Odd Volumes xvii April
MCMVii I [Seal] I Boston: mcmvii

45 by 7 inches, pp. 4+61, 4 photogravure illustrations. Issued in gray
paper boards, printed label on back.

77 numbered copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press,
Cambridge.

1908

6| by 85 inches, pp. 27+6.

102 copies printed on hand-made paper; xmiform with the Poetry. Uni-
versity Press, Cambridge.

1909

29. The library of I Rameses | the Great | Boston [ [Seal] \ 1909
5 by 7f inches, pp. 43. Title-page and head piece engraved by Sidney

L. Smith. Issued in dark gray paper boards. Title and device in gold on
front cover. Club seal in gold on back cover. 87 copies printed on hand-
made paper. University Press, Cambridge.

'." A paper read by Charles L. Nichols at a meeting of The Club of Odd
Volmnes, April 15, 1908.

30. William Caxton | A paper read at a meeting of | The Club
of Odd Volimies in [ Boston Massachusetts U. S. A. [ in January
M.D.c.c.c.c.v.i.i.i. by I George Parker Winship | mdccccix

65 by 9j inches, pp. 27. Issued in blue paper boards. Club seal in gold
on front cover.

15 copies on vellum, 300 on paper, of which 54 copies, numbered 1-54,
were for The Club of Odd Volumes. Printed by T. J. Cobden-Sanderson at
The Doves Press, Hammersmith.

3 1 . The private press : a study in ] idealism. To which is added
a I bibliography of the Essex House | press.

7§ by 10 inches, pp. 87. Numerous illustrations used in various publi-
cations of the press printed from the original blocks. Issued in blue paper
boards. Club seal on label on front cover.

42 Bibliographical Society of America

2 copies on vellum, 125 on paper, 75 of which, numbered 1-75, were retained
by the Club, the remainder to be supplied to regular subscribers to the Essex
House publications. Essex House Press, The Norman Chapel, Broad Camp-
den, Gloucestershire, 1909.

'.' This essay is in substance an address upon the work and ideals of the
press which was delivered before The Club of Odd Volumes by C. R. Ashbee
February 24, 1909, and was printed at the charges of the Club.

1911

32. The 1 Club of Odd Volumes ] Yearbook for 191 1 | [Vignette
oj Club house] \ Boston | No. 50 Mt. Vernon Street ] 1911

48 by 6 J inches, pp. 2+56 issued in paper boards, paper label on back.

80 copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press, Cambridge.

33. An exhibition of 1 prints: maps: broadsides: ] newspapers:
autographs ] appertaining to Boston | in Revolutionary times |
[Seal] I at The Club of Odd Volumes 1 50 Mt. Vernon Street Boston
I from March 6 to March 11 | mdccccxi

4f by ^\ inches, pp. 21, paper covers.

100 copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press, Cambridge.

34. Notes I from | a country library | [Seal] \ Boston | The
Club of Odd Volumes | 1911

5 by 8 inches, pp. 6+100. Issued in figured paper boards, cloth back,
with paper label.

82 copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press, Cambridge.

".■ A paper read by Harold Murdock at a meeting of The Club of Odd
Volumes, November 18, 1908.

4f by ^\ inches, pp. 21, paper covers.

80 copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press, Cambridge.

1912

36. The 1 Club of Odd Volumes | Year book for 1912 | [Vignette
of Club house] \ Boston ] No. 50 Mt. Vernon Street ] 1912

48 by 6 J inches, pp. 2+54 issued in paper boards, paper label on back.

80 copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press, Cambridge.

The Club of Odd Volumes 43

Boston: 191 2

65 by 95 inches, pp. x+f2) + i46. Issued in green paper boards, cloth
back.

no copies printed. The Merrymount Press, Boston.

38. A catalogue of an exhibition of | Waltoniana [ consisting
of various editions of "The Compleat Angler," Walton's "Lives,"
man- 1 uscripts, portraits, prints, medals, &c. | From the library of a
member of ] The Club of Odd Volumes ] [three lines] | [Seal.] \
Boston 1 The Club of Odd Volumes | 50 Mt. Vernon St. \ April 23

to May 2, 1912

45 by 7$ inches, pp. x+sS, paper covers.

130 copies printed. The Merrymount Press, Boston.

1913

39. Club of Odd Volumes | 50 Mount Vernon Street | Boston |
Exhibition of ] mezzotints 1 by English engravers j 1662-1827 ]
[Seal] I February 10 to February 15, 1913 | open from 2 p.m. to

6 P.M.

4I by 8 inches, pp. 10, paper covers.

100 copies printed. E. O. Cockayne, Boston.

40. The I Club of Odd Volumes | Year book for 1913 | [Vig-
nette of Club house] \ Boston | No. 50 Mt. Vernon Street | 1913

4I by 6J inches, pp. 2+56 issued in paper boards, paper label on back.
80 copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press, Cambridge

1914

41. Club of Odd Volumes | 50 Mount Vernon Street | Boston
I Exhibition ] Prints, play-bills, advertisements, | and autograph
letters to ] illustrate the 1 history of the Boston stage \ from 1791

44 Bibliographical Society of America

to 1825 I from the collection of Mr. Robert Gould Shaw [Seal] \
April 20 to April 25, 1914 | open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

6| by qI inches, pp. (42), paper covers.

150 copies printed. E. O. Cockayne, Boston.

42. The 1 Club of Odd Volumes | Year book for 19 14 ] [Vig-
nette of Club house] \ Boston 1 No. 50 Mt. Vernon Street 1 1914

4I by 6\ inches, pp. 2+56 issued in paper boards, paper label on back.

90 copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press, Cambridge.

43. A political romance ] By ] Laurence Sterne ] [1759] j an
exact reprint of the first edition ] with an introduction by 1 Wilbur
L. Cross 1 author of "The life and times of Laurence Sterne"
I [Seal] 1 Boston | The Club of Odd Volumes 1 1914

5 by 2,\ inches, pp. (4)+xv+(3)+6o+(2) Issued in blue paper boards,
cloth back, with paper label.

125 copies printed. Bruce Rogers.

1915

44. The 1 Club of Odd Volumes 1 Year book for 1915 ] [Vig-
nette of Club house] \ Boston ] No. 50 Mt. Vernon Street | 191 5

45 by 6 J inches, pp. 2+58 issued in paper boards, paper label on back.
90 copies printed on hand-made paper. The Riverside Press, Cambridge

45. The Club of Odd Volumes ] 50 Mount Vernon Street j

Boston I Exhibition | of prints and play-bills to illustrate | the |

history of the Boston Stage | (1825 to 1850) | from the collection

of Mr. Robert Gould Shaw | [Seal] \ May 3 to May 8 | 191 5

64 by 95 inches, pp. 10 1, paper covers.

150 copies printed. E. O. Cockayne, Boston.

The Papers of the

Bibliographical Society
of America

VOLUME NINE
1915

NUMBERS 3-4

Edited by

THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON
JAMES C. M. HANSON
THEODORE W. KOCH

The Society does not hold itself responsible for opinions
expressed by contributors of papers

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO. ILLINOIS

Published September 19x3

400 copies printed

Composed and Printed By

The University of Chicago Press

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

^:,>

4^'

IIF.NRV EDWARDS ULNIIXOTOX

BOOK-COLLECTORS AS BENEFACTORS OF
PUBLIC LIBRARIES

BY GEORGE WATSON COLE

T^HE title of this paper is to be taken in its broadest
■*■ sense. By the term "book-collectors" is meant not
only those who are widely known because of their collec-
tions of books ; but bibliophiles, lovers of books as beauti-
ful specimens of the art preservative of arts; dilettanti,
followers of a single branch of knowledge as a matter of
pleasure or amusement; scholars, versed in learning;
and, in fact, all for whom books are necessities, as much
so as air, sunlight, and fire, or as their food, shelter, and
clothing. Nor is the title to be limited in its application
to those who have by their beneficence donated their
collections to Hbraries, for it is our intention to include
all who have been conservators of literature and learning.
And finally, the term "pubhc libraries" is not to be
restricted to the meaning usually attached to those words,
but is to be extended so as to include all libraries, whether
public or private, that are so liberally administered that
any well-accredited scholar may gain access to their
treasures for the purpose of pursuing his investigations.
It might appear from what has been already said
that the subject has been so enlarged as to include any-
thing relating to book-lovers or books. A moment's
consideration, however, will convince anyone that the
subject is of too great an extent to permit of its being

48 Bibliographical Society of America

treated except in a restricted way; for neither time nor
space permits the inclusion of more than a few notable
or topical examples.

Until about the middle of the fifteenth century the
production of books was both costly and laborious, and
was chiefly confined to the monasteries of Europe and
Asia, where alone learning was cultivated. Such being
the case, we find this industry almost exclusively con-
fined to those religious communities where the few who
were proficient in the art of writing or copying were
patiently and peacefully employed in this caUing, while
their personal needs were provided for by other members
of the community less fitted either by ability, training,
or inclination than they for the patient and exacting
work of the scrivener. Hence it was, in the nature of
things, that the first libraries were mainly confined to
religious houses and were composed of such volumes as
had been written in them or secured by exchange. These
libraries, as may be supposed, were naturally restricted
to a limited number of subjects. First and most promi-
nent of all were works of a rehgious nature, such as the
Bible, liturgies, psalters, commentaries, and the lives of
saints and martyrs. These, as time progressed, were
naturally supplemented by the history of the religious
world as found in the writings of the church Fathers,
accounts of the various Councils, and the annals of the
monasteries themselves. In some cases this monotony,
especially after the diffusion of learning consequent upon

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 49

the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, was
broken by the addition of the writings of the Greek and
Latin classical authors. To these institutions we are
indeed indebted for the preservation of nearly all of the
literature, scholastic, theological, devotional, hymnic,
and classical, that has come down to us from the remote
periods of the past.

The first library in England was that carried thither
by St. Augustine in the year 596. As might be expected
it contained but a few volumes, nine in number, and all
of a religious character. They were the Holy Bible, in
two volumes, the Psalter, the Gospels, another Psalter,
another copy of the Gospels, the [Apocryphal] Lives of
the Apostles, the Lives of the Martyrs, and an Expo-
sition of the Gospels and Epistles. This continued to be
the only library in England for about seventy years,
when, by the arrival of Theodore of Tarsus, in 669, "an
extensive library," as the annalist informs us, was added
to it. Some volumes believed to have been added at
that time are still to be seen at Canterbury.

As the monasteries were, in those early times, the
training-schools for the clergy and the nurseries for the
missions, they became the protot3^es of our present-
day colleges and universities as well as of the libraries,
which naturally belong to such institutions of learning.
By gradual changes these community libraries have, in
a long course of years, developed into or engendered
those designed for the use of the public in general. First

50 Bibliographical Society of America

in the order of development came subscription or mer-
cantile libraries and later, to use Carlyle's term, the
"people's university" or the free public library of the
present day; a library supported entirely at the expense
of the public.

The histor}'^ of book-collecting carries us back to a
period before the invention of printing. The pursuit
was then confined to a few wealthy scholars and lovers
of learning, who by reason of their superior advantages
were enabled to form libraries for their individual use.
Most prominent among the Englishmen of this period
was Richard d'Aungerville, better known as Richard
de Bury, Bishop of Durham and the author of Philo-
biblon. De Bury deservedly takes the first rank among
the early bibliophiles of England, for he was not only
a scholar but also a great promoter of learning. At
Oxford he founded a library in connection with Durham
College, known for several generations as "d'Aunger-
ville's Library." It was dispersed on the dissolution of
the monasteries during the days of Edward VI., though
a few of its volumes are still preserved in the library of
Balliol College.

Book-collecting was naturally greatly encouraged by
the invention of printing. Books which previously had
been very costly, because of the expense and time neces-
sary for their production and of their limited numbers,
became more abundant and consequently less expensive.

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 51

At a later period a great incentive was given to book-
collecting in England by the dissolution of the monas-
teries from 1536 to 1539. Then it was that a few men
foreseeing the great loss to learning that was likely to
ensue from the bigoted and indiscriminate destruction
of the books and manuscripts of the monastic libraries
strove with all their might to rescue as many of them as
possible from complete annihilation. "Every lover of
books," says Fletcher in his English Book Collectors,
"must feel how greatly indebted he is to Archbishops
Cranmer and Parker, the Earl of Arundel, Lord Lumley,
Sir Robert Cotton, and other early collectors, for saving
so many of the priceless manuscripts from the libraries
of the suppressed monasteries and religious houses which,
at the Reformation, intolerance, ignorance, and greed
consigned to the hands of the tailor, the goldbeater, and
the grocer. A large number of the treasures once to be
found in these collections have been irrecoverably lost,
but many a volume, now the pride of some great library,
bears witness to the pious and successful exertions of
these eminent men."

We are reminded by the last sentence that book-
collecting has been a pursuit almost invariably followed
by men. The long lists of bibliophiles of every period
and of every country are singularly devoid of women's
names. Women have themselves not only not been
book-collectors, but, what is still worse, they have been
prominent as discouragers of book-collecting and have,

Bibliographical Society of America

too often, even proved to be the enemies of books. A
prominent example of this latter class is that of Lady
Balcarres, the grandmother of the late Earl of Craw-
ford, one of the most famous of latter-day book-collectors.
The Lindsays have always been renowned as bibhophiles
and at the time of which we write possessed one of the
best libraries in Scotland. This library remained at the
family seat on the shores of the Firth of Forth until
comparatively recent times. When Lady Balcarres left
Fife to estabHsh her residence at Edinburgh, during the
absence of her son in the West Indies, she permitted the
greater part of the library to be "literally thrown away
and dispersed — torn up for grocers as useless trash.
... Of the library collected by generations of Lind-
says, all that now remains is a handful of a little over
fifty volumes."

We gladly turn from a picture so harrowing to another,
unfortunately, however, almost a solitary example in the
annals of book-collecting, in which a woman appears as
an enthusiastic bibliophile. Frances Richardson Currer
early evinced a fondness for books and collected a large
and valuable library. In 1852 it was estimated to con-
tain about 20,000 volumes and was rich in the natural
sciences, topography, antiquities, and histor>% besides
containing a fair collection of the Greek and Latin classics.
AU the books were in choice condition and many of them
were in fine bindings. Miss Currer, who possessed a
scholar's as well as a collector's love of books, privately
printed two catalogues of her library. Dibdin in his

HUBERT IIcnVE liAXCROF

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 53

Bibliographical Tour, which he dedicated to her, devotes
ten pages to a description of the literary and artistic
treasures of this remarkable library and gives four steel
engravings representing the exterior and book rooms of
Eshton Hall. So highly did he regard her that he refers
to her as being "at the head of all female collectors in
Europe."

The motives which actuate book-collectors in the
choice of a subject upon which to exercise their talent
are various, but may be divided broadly into two classes.
The first, and perhaps the most useful, is that which
impels authors, scholars, bibliographers, and others to
form collections of books as working- tools of their calling;
collections in which subject-matter takes precedence
over form, in which a cheap edition, if unabridged,
answers as good a purpose as a more elegant one. The
size of working libraries depends upon the extent of the
subjects in which their collectors may be interested and
on their pecuniary ability to add to them.

An interesting example of a large library of this kind
is that formed by Mr. Hubert Howe Bancroft to supply
material for his extensive history of the Pacific States of
North America. This library, consisting of about 50,000
books, pamphlets, newspapers, maps, atlases, engravings,
and original or copied manuscripts, is now owned by
the University of California, having been bought by the
state in 1905 or 1906. In his interesting, though very
discursive, Literary Industries, Mr. Bancroft tells us how,

54 Bibliographical Society of America

when his bookselUng and pubhshing house was preparing
the Hand-Book Almanac for pubUcation in i860, it
occurred to him to gather all the books, pamphlets, etc.,
in his stock and place them on shelves near where the
work was going on. Similar works were then secured
from the shelves of other San Francisco dealers. Later,
during a trip to New York, Philadelphia, and Boston,
he added to his collection by going through the second-
hand stores and book-stalls of dealers in those cities.
Those of London and Paris were, at a still later period,
systematically examined for anything helping to enlarge
the collection. From books and pamphlets the search
was at length extended to manuscripts of the early
Spanish missions in California. If the originals of these
could not be secured copies were carefully made and
these added to the collection. While this work was
going on there were many of the old Spanish and English
settlers still living in California; pioneers whose memo-
ries ran back to the early settlement of the country.
These men were interviewed. Some were persuaded
to write out their recollections, others were induced to
dictate them to Mr. Bancroft's secretaries, and thus,
piece by piece, was accumulated a mass of priceless
material, which, had it not been for Mr. Bancroft's
sagacious enterprise and foresight, would have forever
been lost to history. From time to time, as occasion
offered, many valuable books relating to his subject
were secured at auction sales; notably from those of the
Andrade-Maximilian, Squier, and Ramirez libraries.

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 55

The late Dr. Reuben Gold Thwaites, who was called
upon, by the Regents of the University of Cahfornia,
in 1905, to examine this library with a view of ascertaining
its condition and marketable value, reported that he
found it "a practically unique collection ... of the
highest order of excellence, ... a great storehouse of
material for all of Spanish America," which will afford
facihties for graduate work in American and Spanish-
American history "unsurpassed elsewhere in the United
States."

That Mr. Bancroft was enabled to collect a library
of such great value to the historical student was due to
his sagacity and practical common-sense, traits of which
he has given evidence in the following words: "Book
collecting to be worthy of esteem should have some
definite object consistent with usefulness. Fine bindings
or rare editions, while interesting, are of less importance
than subject-matter. Without the latter, collections of
books take rank with those of old china, furniture, or
other rehcs gathered with no practical purpose in
view." In another place he says: "A collection
of books, like everything else, has its history and
individuahty. Particularly is this the case in regard
to collections limited to a special subject, time, or
territory. Such collections are the result of birth
and growth; they are not found in the market for
sale, ready made; there must have been sometime
the engendering idea, followed by a long natural
development."

56 Bibliograpiucal Society of America

Another group of libraries is brought together from
a quite distinct class of motives: that group of libraries
formed by bibliophiles and dilettanti to gratify their
aesthetic tastes and the pleasure of possession. Books
in such libraries are looked upon more as objects of ele-
gance and curiosity than for their usefulness. In such
a collection the substance upon which a book is printed
or written, its format, beauty and clearness of type,
elegance of binding, the quality and number of its illus-
trations or embellishments, its association interest, and
a thousand and one other extraneous matters count for
far more than its consideration purely as a work of litera-
ture. A collection brought together solely to exemplify
such features is not a library but is rather a collection
of materials appropriate to grace a biblio thecal museum.

The highest form of book-collecting is undoubtedly
found where the collector combines excellence of literary
quality with rarity and sumptuousness of form. The
Gren villa Collection, now in the British Museum, is one
of the most notable of such libraries ever collected by
a single individual.

The Right Honourable Thomas Grenville, after
having for many years filled various important offices
under the English government, retired in April, 1807,
when a little over fifty years of age. In 1800 he had
been made Chief Justice in Eyre to the South of the
Trent, a sinecure office yielding him an annual income of
£2,000. This office, of which he was the last incumbent,

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 57

he held until his death, December 17, 1846, at the ad-
vanced age of ninety-one years. After his retirement
from active office he spent the remaining forty years of
his hfe in the collection of the magnificent library that
bears his name and which is one of the great glories of
the British Museum. The fact that this library was
principally purchased with the profits of the sinecure
office which he held for so many years led him, as "a
debt to duty," to bequeath it to the nation.

In his report on the accessions to the Museum for the
year 1847 Sir Anthony Panizzi, the librarian, says : " With
exception of the Collection of His Majesty George the
Third, the Library of the British Museum has never re-
ceived an accession so important in every respect as the
Collection of the Right Honourable Thomas Grenville.
. . . Formed and preserved with the exquisite taste
of an accomplished bibliographer, with the learning of
a profound and elegant scholar, and the splendid liber-
ahty of a gentleman in affluent circumstances, . . .
this addition to the National Library places it in some
respects above all libraries known, in others it leaves it
inferior only to the Royal Library at Paris." Its volumes
are perhaps as fully distinguished for the uniform beauty
of their condition and the splendor of their bindings
as for their great rarity.

In our own country the library collected by the late
Elihu Dwight Church, now owned by Mr. Henry Edwards
Huntington, is distinguished quite as fully for the admir-
able condition of its volumes as for their great rarity.

58 Bibliographical Society of America

The library of the late Robert Hoe was likewise renowned
for the rarity of its volumes and the elegance of their
bindings. A due, even an excessive, regard for perfection
of condition and beauty of bindings needs not therefore
be inconsistent with the formation of a Hbrary brought
together to illustrate some great period of history or
literature, or to show the advance made in the arts or
sciences.

In these days when the printing-press fairly spawns
with books of every description, each year adding innum-
erable works in every field of knowledge to those of the
past, the collector is compelled by the very mass of
material at his disposal to limit his activities to a cir-
cumscribed field. Here in America, where our history
runs back to but Uttle over four hundred years, or to
within a few years of the invention of printing, collectors
are usually content to select some field in which the
printed book forms almost the complete object of their
search. Still, we have a few collectors of manuscripts.
Prominent among these are Mr. WiUiam Keeney Bixby,
of St. Louis, and the late Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan.
Mr. Bixby's collection is, if we are correctly informed,
restricted to subjects of American interest. He has from
time to time pubHshed some of his most interesting and
important manuscripts. Mr. Morgan's collection, more
extensive in scope, embraces the original autograph
manuscripts of many celebrated works of EngUsh and
American Hterature, prominent among them being the

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 59

First Book of Milton's Paradise Lost, several of the
Waverley Novels, et cetera. The manuscripts in the
Bancroft collection, comprising 1,400 or 1,500 volumes,
have already been referred to.

Of EngHsh collectors, John Forster, the biographer
and literary adviser of Charles Dickens, so far took
advantage of his confidential relations with the noted
noveHst that the most important manuscripts of that
writer passed into his possession. They are now to be
seen in the South Kensington Museum with the rest of
Forster's Ubrary, which he bequeathed to the British
nation.

Early specimens of printing, known as incunabula
or cradle books, are very attractive to certain collectors.
The term "incunabula," usually restricted to books printed
in Europe down to and including the year 1500, with us
has been extended to include those printed in the English
and Spanish colonies in America for a period two hundred
years later. The first Spanish press in America was set
up in Mexico about 1541, almost identically a hundred
years before the appearance of the first book printed in
the EngHsh colonies, the Bay Psalm Book, pubhshed at
Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1640. The collector of
Americana, if he is wise, never loses an opportunity of
adding to his Ubrary any book or pamphlet printed in
North or South America prior to and including the year
1700. Books falling under this description are by no
means equally rare or valuable. Much depends upon

6o Bibliographical Society of America

their character, condition, and the printer. Notwith-
standing this the alert collector thinks twice before letting
even a shabby copy pass beyond his reach.

Mr. Henry Stevens, in his Recollections of Mr. James
Lenox, says that after an experience of some forty years
in hunting for books, he had observed that the rarest
works of Americana seldom appeared in the market more
than once. WiUiam Carew Hazlitt, in his Confessions
of a Collector, repeatedly mentions the titles of books of
early English poetry and drama that came to his notice
during a period of about the same length, but of which
he had never seen second copies. John Hill Burton, on
the contrary, in his Book-Hunter says: "It is a curious
phenomenon in the old-book trade that rarities do not
always remain rare; volumes seeming to multiply
through some cryptogamic process, when we know per-
fectly that no additional copies are printed and thrown
off. The fact is the rumor of scarcity, and value, and
a hunt after them draws them from their hiding place."

An interesting example of a case in point came under
our observation a few years ago. A young Pennsylvania
school-teacher appeared one day at the store of a firm of
dealers in rare books on Fifth Avenue with a copy of a
very old New England Primer that he had picked up
somewhere near his home. Being of limited means, but
ambitious withal, he proposed, by disposing of this copy
of the Primer, to secure enough money to take an ad-
vanced course of training in an eastern college. The
firm interviewed one of its customers with such good

Book-Colleclors as Benefactors of Libraries 6i

results that the school teacher soon went his way a happy
man. This, like most eighteenth-century copies of the
New England Primer, proved to be unique. Though
edition after edition of this book was printed in the
English colonies, particularly in Boston, during the
eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and their sales
ran into the hundreds of thousands, as shown by Paul
Leicester Ford, so much were they thumbed and worn
that many editions were, without doubt, totally destroyed
and but occasional copies of others have survived, most
of them in a very shabby condition.

The circumstances under which the Pennsylvania
copy of the Primer changed hands and the price it
brought having been heralded in the public press, the
booksellers who effected the sale were for weeks overrun
with letters from all parts of the country by owners of
other New England Primers all eager to sell at fabulous
prices. Of course most of these, from a collector's stand-
point, were entirely worthless, but from among them a
few were found of sufficient age to make them desirable.
Enough of these were secured by Mr. Church so that,
with those he already possessed, he became the happy
possessor of seven of the eleven earliest known editions.
None of the extant copies of The New England Primer,
however, are of a sufficiently early date to entitle them
to be classed as American incunabula.

Of this latter class of books, particularly of books
printed in the English colonies in America, no library

62 Bibliographical Society of America

probably possesses so large a collection as that of the
Massachusetts Historical Society. Dr. Samuel A. Green
in his Early American Imprints, a new edition of which
is in preparation, has minutely described all that have
come under his eye. The collection of the late Mr.
Church contained many New England and New York
imprints none of which are of greater value and rarity
than one of his last acquisitions, a copy of the Massa-
chusetts Laws printed at Cambridge, in 1648. Students
of early Massachusetts history had for over a century
known that such an edition was printed, but were quite
unable to locate a copy. So exact and definite was their
information respecting it that by putting together con-
temporary quotations and references they were almost
able to reconstitute the volume, but every effort to trace
a copy proved fruitless. The discovery of the one now
in the Church-Huntington collection has an interesting
history. A collector of music, near Cambridge, England,
learning of a book in which some old music was bound,
succeeded in securing it. From it he extracted the
music for which he had bought the volume. The music
itself being of more than usual interest, he retained the
remnant of the old volume, in which he had found it, to
show his friends, as the source from which he had pro-
cured the music. Most of those looking it over saw
among the rejected matter a few pages of laws, but as the
imprint was merely "Cambridge, 1648," gave the matter
but little thought, supposing them to have been printed
at Cambridge, England. At length someone more dis-

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 6

cerning than his fellows suggested that these leaves might
be valuable. The attention of a London dealer being
called to them, negotiations ensued which finally resulted
in the volume being sent to New York where it soon
passed into the possession of Mr. Church, by whom it was
regarded as one of the most precious of his many treasures.

Of European incunabula, no library probably pos-
sesses so many as the British Museum, of which a cata-
logue is being issued under the able editorship of Mr.
Alfred W. Pollard. There are several well-known col-
lections in this country, that of the Philadelphia PubHc
Library being one of the most important. The collection
which General Rush Hawkins, of New York, spent many
years in bringing together is especially rich and complete
in its copies of first issues from the presses of the earhest
European printers. This collection is now in a beauti-
ful building in Providence, Rhode Island, that General
Hawkins has erected as a memorial to his wife, Annmary
Bro\\Ti. Mr. Pollard, who was engaged in 1909 to come
to this country and catalogue it, expressed great surprise
at finding it so astonishingly rich and in the possession
of so many books not to be found in the British Museum.
It contains 150 books from the possible 238 presses set
up in Europe before 1501. The late John Boyd Thacher,
of Albany, also possessed a remarkably fine collection of
incunabula.

Mr. Adolph Sutro, of San Francisco, in a letter, dated
September 5, 1895, offering a site for the Affihated

64 Bibliographical Society of America

Colleges of the University of California, expressed his
intention of founding a large reference library adjoining
it in the city of San Francisco. Unfortunately he died
before carrying his designs into effect. He had for
several years previously been extensively engaged in
buying books and had accumulated probably the largest
library ever collected by any single individual. His
own estimate, which has been confirmed by his private
secretary, placed the number of volumes at about 300,000.
Of these but about one-third now remain, the rest having
been destroyed in the fire of 1906 which followed the
San Francisco earthquake. This library contained a
great number of incunabula, perhaps one of the largest
collections in private hands, it being estimated by Mr.
Sutro himself to contain over 4,000 volumes. Those
from European presses were acquired in the purchase
of the library of the monastery of Buxheim, which was
secured en bloc. To these he added the duplicates of the
Royal Library of Munich. To Mr. Sutro's estimate
should no doubt be added a considerable number of early
Mexican imprints, for he made extensive purchases of
books in that country, at one time bringing away two
closely-packed carloads. A greater part of the Mexican
books escaped the fire, being stored in a block on Mont-
gomery Street. The European incunabula, deposited
with the most valuable portion of the collection in a
building on Battery Street, were unfortunately burned.
The remains of this immense collection has recently been
presented by the heirs of the Sutro estate to the state of

ADOLPH SUTRO

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 65

California with the provision that it shall remain in San
Francisco. Mr. Sutro was a profound student of his
fellow-men and thoroughly understood the subjection of
the human \\dll to the hypnotic influence of gold. When
searching for books he always carried about with him
a generous supply of it, and, if negotiations for purchase
flagged, broke down all opposition to a consummation of
the transfer by a free display of the alluring metal.

It has been the ambition of some collectors to bring
together the works of a single author, in all their various
editions. A notable example of a collection of this char-
acter is the Cervantes library, now in the British Museum.
It is certainly the finest library of its kind outside of
Spain, and perhaps the finest in the world. It was
brought together by Henry Spencer Ashbee and was,
together with his other books, consisting of over 15,000
volumes, bequeathed by him to the English national
library. His Iconography of Don Quixote, the fruit of
many years' labor, was published by the Bibliographical
Society of London in 1895.

Another example of a collection of this kind is that
of the different editions of Petrarch formed by Domenico
de Rossetti and given by him to the Town Library of
Trieste. His library contained about 7,000 volumes,
among them being 772 of Petrarch's works, 123 of the
works of Pope Pius 11. (Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini,
author, and benefactor of the Vatican Library), and 750
volumes illustrative of the works of those authors, or

66 Bibliographical Society of America

1,645 volumes in all. The portion relating to Petrarch
was, on the whole, unrivaled at that time. It was Ros-
setti's ambition to collect every known edition of Petrarch
as it has later been that of the custodians of the collec-
tion to add to it everything that escaped him or has since
appeared, so that it may ultimately contain everything
by or relating to that famous author.

Some bibliophiles are satisfied to restrict their collect-
ing to first editions. It is certainly interesting to see the
work of an author as it left his hands and in the form in
which he first saw it in print. But we are disposed to
question the advisability of limiting collecting to first
editions. Authors, as is well known, are seldom satisfied
to let the creations of their brains go down to posterity
as they originally see the light. This being the case, it
would certainly seem more reasonable to collect the last
edition with which an author had to do than the first,
or, better still, to collect all the editions which appeared
under his personal supervision. It is seldom that the
public is admitted to an author's confidence so far as to
be made acquainted with the circumstances attending the
original conception of a work and the progressive steps
of its growth until it finally appears in printed form.

In lieu of such confidences, there are occasional
instances in which we are able to trace changes in the
form and character of a work by a critical comparison
of the various editions printed during its author's life-
time. Milton's Paradise Lost, as it first appeared, was

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 67

divided into ten instead of twelve books. Published at
a time of great political agitation and literary stagnation,
it sold slowly and its publisher, in order to dispose of his
stock in hand, printed no fewer than six different title-
pages and several pages of prefatory matter before he was
able to dispose of the last copy. The second edition was
divided into twelve books, a few lines being altered or
added at the proper places to effect the necessary trans-
formation.

The first edition of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress fell
so far short of its author's designs that he made extensive
additions to it in the second and third editions. John
Stuart Mill in his interesting Autobiography informs us
that his Principles of Political Economy was twice com-
pletely recast and rewritten before assuming its final
form. The first edition therefore may be, doubtless is,
a curiosity; but justice to the author requires that the
collector of the first editions of Mill's work should at
least have this work as it last left his pen. If, therefore,
the collector is determined to confine himself to a single
edition, he should, in our judgment, select the last that
appeared during its author's lifetime — the last with his
final emendations, alterations, and additions.

Editions whether the first, the last, or all that were
pubhshed during the lifetime of the author are not
necessarily the best. By this term we mean the best
textually — the best annotated or variorum edition —
quite a different thing from the most luxurious edition
though they may be concurrent. The former of course

68 Bibliographical Society of America

appeals to the scholarly collector; the latter to one con-
trolled chiefly by his artistic tastes.

Just here we approach the supreme crux of English
literature — the purification of the Shakespearian text.
Numerous able scholars, beginning with Nicholas Rowe,
have been at work for over two hundred years to evolve
a satisfactory^ text of the plays of Shakespeare from the
Quartos and Folios which appeared during and after the
life of the great dramatist, and yet we still have "no
absolutely authoritative text." This task has been
rendered extremely difficult from the fact that none of the
contemporaneous editions were issued by Shakespeare
himself or with his sanction and that they were carelessly
and surreptitiously printed with little or no supervision.
The Cambridge Edition (1863-66), edited by William
George Clark, John Glover, and William Aldis Wright,
was "the great event of the nineteenth century" in this
field of scholarship and their "text is taken as the basis
of most of the popular editions, whose name is legion."
Our great American Shakespearian scholar. Dr. Horace
Howard Furness, in his monumental Variorum Edition
sometimes follows the text of the Folios, sometimes that
of the Cambridge Edition. An able writer upon Shakes-
peare and His Cn7ic^, Professor Charles Frederick Johnson,
speaking of this failure to establish an authoritative text
acceptable to all Shakespearian scholars, says: "There
is, however, no absolutely authoritative text, nor is it
likely that there ever will be one, unless a committee of
the leading scholars of England, Germany, and America

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 69

were formed to deliberate, exchange views, and vote on
all disputed points. It is not likely that such a body
will ever be formed ; and, even if it should be, the results of
the labors of the revisers of the English Bible give no
surety that the decision of the majority would be accept-
able to the great body of the lovers of Shakespeare."
The collector of early English literature is therefore placed
in a peculiar position. As a collector of first and early
editions of Shakespeare he must secure all the Quartos
possible, say down to 1709, and the four Folios with their
variants. To these, if he does not wish to incumber
his collection with a vast mass of Shakespearian literature
— an extensive library in itself — he is bound to add some
good critical edition with the best available text, pre-
sumably the Cambridge Edition.

Few, we are inchned to believe, will be willing to
confess that they do not like best an edition of a work
in which the text is embellished and enriched with appro-
priate and artistic illustrations. It is not surprising,
therefore, that there are numerous collectors who confine
their energies to amassing illustrated books, particularly
those embellished by famous artists, or extra-illustrated
books, both of which have their devotees. A collection
of books illustrative of the history of engraving in its
various forms, or of book-illustration as a special form of
art, is not only interesting but highly instructive.

Those works of Albrecht Dlirer that appeared engraved
upon wood take on added interest when we consider

70 Bibliographical Society of America

that they were executed four hundred years ago and that
the results were attained by cutting on the side of the
block instead of on its end as now. Coming down to the
early years of the last century and examining the work
of Thomas Bewick, the restorer of wood engraving in
England, we find an entire change of method. Bewick
was the first wood engraver to make use of the end of a
block instead of its side — to engrave instead of carve.
He, also, was the inventor of the white line, formed by
cutting away the wood instead of leaving it in relief,
by which he secured a delicacy of result not met with
previous to his day and unattained by any of his
followers.

The works of the masters of caricature and of the gro-
tesque have always been favorites with certain collectors.
No artist of this class probably ever enjoyed a longer
period of activity and enjoyed such success as George
Cruikshank, whose illustrations of the Grimm Brother's
Fairy Stories mark the zenith of his powers, though he
continued to produce good work for a full half-century
longer. He illustrated numerous other books, among
them Dickens' Oliver Twist, which, in his overmastering
conceit, occasioned him to make the audacious claim that
he had given Dickens the entire idea of that work or at
least the best ideas contained in it. That Dickens wrote
the story from Cruikshank 's illustrations or even followed
his suggestions no one ever seriously beheved, notwith-
standing the vehemence of Cruikshank 's claims to the
contrarv.

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 71

There is, however, a notable as well as an exceptional
case in which the artist may truly be said to have been
the author of his books, in which the illustrations were
furnished to have the text written to correspond to them.
We refer, of course, to William Rowlandson, the Enghsh
caricaturist, who during the early part of the last century
executed a series of illustrations which were given to
WiUiam Combe, who wrote the accompanying verses.
This unusual collaboration resulted in the production of
Dr. Syntax's Tour in Search of the Picturesque. The
work was issued in parts and attained such popularity
that Rowlandson and Combe together produced several
other works, two of which continued the Tours of Dr.
Syntax until that remarkable character's death. The
success of this collaboration led to many imitations some
of which in style and execution are difficult to distinguish
from Rowlandson's own work.

Much more might be said of various other interesting
phases of collecting but time and space preclude our
giving them further attention. It is entertaining and
instructive to note the different methods employed by
collectors in obtaining their books. John Hill Burton
in his Book-Hunter tersely divides book-collectors into
"private prowlers and auction-hunters." Time was
when the private prowler rummaged the book-stalls and
often picked up nuggets, at what now seems ridiculously
low prices, but which have since become priceless pos-
sessions. Who would not now, in the light of present

72 Bibliographical Society of America

knowledge, enjoy the opportunity of picking from Quar-
itch's penny-box a copy of the first edition of Fitzgerald's
translation of the Rubdiydt of Omar Khayyam, a book
which has, on more than one occasion, sold for $250.
Such opportunities may now be met with, but it takes
shrewd discernment to extract future diamonds from
among present-day rubbish.

Books that do not immediately meet with a ready
sale when first published may often be picked up at a
trivial price as remainders, but the value of second-hand
books is now better known by dealers than formerly, and
once a book passes into their hands the collector can
secure it only by paying a good round price. The profit-
able and lucky days of the book prowler are numbered,
though indeed we occasionally hear of a veritable nugget
coming to light in some out-of-the-way place.

The opportunities enjoyed by George Brinley during
our Civil War for making his marvelous collection of
Americana were extraordinary and are never likely to be
repeated. Mr. Brinley lived at Hartford, Connecticut,
in the midst of a country' abounding with small paper
mills. During the war, prices of all commodities rose to
unprecedented heights, and among them those of old
books, pamphlets, newspapers, etc., which were used
by the mills as paper-stock to be converted into new
paper. In consequence of these high prices the thrifty
New England housewives recollected that in their garrets
were stored many old and disused books, pamphlets, and
newspapers, the accumulations, in many cases, of several

Book-Collectors as Benejaclors of Libraries 73

generations. The opportunity of turning to use this
mass of material, which seemed to them like so much
lumber, was too strong to be resisted. Down came the
storings of many years, and on the next visit of the
itinerant tin-peddler they were exchanged for new tin-
and woodenware and other household articles. Mr.
Brinley, one the shrewdest of shrewd New Englanders,
saw his opportunity and made arrangements with the
peddlers and paper mills by which he was enabled to
secure such books, pamphlets, and other papers as he
might select, at a slight advance above the price for which
they had been acquired. By improving this extra-
ordinary opportunity, one that can never, in the very
nature of things, be repeated, Mr. Brinley brought
together one of the largest, most valuable, and rare col-
lections of native Americana ever accumulated in this
country. By pursuing this method he rescued many
works, which, but for his foresight, would have certainly
disappeared from the face of the earth. This accounts
for the great number of duphcates that were sold in
his library and for the many items which have not
reappeared in any subsequent sale.

Quite a different method of collecting was that pur-
sued by George John, the Second Earl Spencer, the cele-
brated EngHsh book-collector. He was accustomed to
make bibliographical tours on the Continent with his
librarian, Thomas Frognall Dibdin, for the purpose of
perfecting certain portions of his collection. His tour
in 18 19 and that of 1820 resulted in his making many

74 Bibliographical Society of America

important additions to his library from various sources
and in his buying the entire collection of the Duke of
Cassano-Serra, eminently rich in Qiiattrocentisti — books
printed before 1501. Modem methods of communi-
cation have rendered such tours no longer necessary, as
the catalogues of dealers now speedily find their way to
the hands of collectors in all parts of the world.

It not infrequently happens that a collector is able,
as in the case of Lord Spencer, just noticed, to obtain
a collection already formed, which for one reason or
another has found its way into the market. One of the
most recent and important transfers of this kind took
place in 1905 when the librar>^ of Frederick Locker-
Lampson, rich in early English poetry and drama, was
purchased by the late Mr. Church. Previous to this
transaction Mr. Church had secured the finest collection
of the Folio editions of Shakespeare ever brought together,
containing as it did eleven of the twelve varieties of the
Four Folios. He also had a very choice collection of the
Quarto editions of the separate plays and poems. Of the
latter there were many in the Locker-Lampson library
not in his collection. The acquisition of these at once
placed the Church collection of Shakespeare's works
foremost among those in this country and fifth among
those either here or in England. Only one other private
collection, that of the Duke of Devonshire, which has
recently followed the Locker-Lampson Quartos to this
country and now sits cheek-by-jowl with it upon Mr.
Huntington's shelves, contained a greater number of the

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 75

Quartos printed before 1623, the year when the First
Folio was pubHshed. PubUc Hbraries containing larger
collections than either of these are the Bodleian Library,
the British Museum, and, possibly, the Capell Collection
at Trinity College, Cambridge, each ranking in the order
given.

The collector of the present day still enjoys two
sources of supply nearly as old as the history of book-
collecting: the dealer in rare and second-hand books and
the auction- room. These two sources practically reduce
themselves to one — the dealer — for it is to the auction-
room that the dealer himself resorts as one of the most
fruitful sources for the replenishment of his stock in trade.
By placing himself in the hands of a reputable dealer the
collector possesses advantages unknown to the mere
"private prowler" or the "auction-hunter." The intelli-
gent dealer soon comes to recognize his customer's indi-
vidual tastes and narrowly watches the market in order
that he may cater to them. Having customers of varied
interests, the dealer has greater opportunities than the
collector can possibly possess for knowing what may at
any particular moment be in the market. The constant
exchange of catalogues between booksellers keeps them
fully informed upon this point. Dealers in all parts of
the world thus know in what markets certain classes of
books are to be found and where they are most in demand.
Naturally when any collection rises in importance above
the average it becomes widely known and the entire
world is, as it were, laid under contribution to supply it

76 Bibliographical Society of America

with the books it lacks. Such collections are like mag-
nets, the larger they become the more powerfully they
attract to themselves like or allied matter. Such a col-
lector, therefore, soon comes to have the first choice of
everything in the market that falls within the scope of
his collection.

After all quality rather than quantity determines the
value and excellence of any collection. Henry Stevens
if not directly responsible for the term "nuggets," as
applied to rare books, so far popularized the expression
as to make it more closely associated with his name than
with that of any other. The term is peculiarly appro-
priate. Books are like gems, and, literally so in many
cases, as in these latter days, many a book has been sold
for far more than its actual weight in gold. No dealers
were better aware of the rarity and value of this class
of books than those princes of booksellers, Henry Stevens
and Bernard Quaritch, who devoted their Hves to the
search of bibliographical treasures for their patrons.
Mr. Quaritch is said to have exclaimed to someone who,
gazing about his shop, asked him how he knew the prices
of all the books on his shelves: ''The prices! why my
dear sir, I make them."

The Capell Collection of Shakespeare Fohos and
Quartos, especially the latter, was formed by that dis-
tinguished commentator to assist him in elucidating the
text of the great playwright. It was brought together
at a time when those little pamphlets could be secured

7<>

U I

bi»-

ELiHU Dwicirr cnrRCH

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 77

for as many pence or shillings as they now command
pounds or hundreds of pounds. Two years before his
death he gave his library to Trinity College, Cambridge,
where it is now treasured as one of its most priceless
possessions.

Both the collection of Americana and that of Early
English Literature formed by the late Mr. Church were
not great in the sense that they contained a large number
of volumes. It was rather the rarity and the historical
and literary importance of these few volumes that caused
his library to become one of national importance. In
a collection superabounding in rarities it seems invidious
to select any for special mention, but it may not be
without interest to refer to a few of its most prominent
gems. First of all it contains copies of every early
edition of the letter by Christopher Columbus announcing
his discovery of America, not locked up in public libraries.
Among these was the First Edition in Latin. Its collection
of works relating to American Vespucius is also especially
complete, containing, as it does, four of the five editions
of the Paesi Nouvamenti Retrouvati, "the most important
collection of voyages, and, in the absence of the Libretto
of Vercellese, now lost, the earliest." Of the Cortes
letters announcing the conquest of Mexico it has all the
early editions in Spanish and Latin, and, in addition, the
unique French edition of the first and second letters. In
addition to the well-known editions giving an account of
Magellan's voyage around the world, it contains one
printed at Paris of which no other copy, so far known, is

78 Bibliographical Society of America

in existence. The collection of works describing Fro-
bisher's attempts to discover the Northwest Passage is
probably the finest ever brought together outside of the
great national libraries. The nine tracts of Las Casas
are all present, one being represented by two editions.
The sets of the collections of voyages and travels pub-
lished by De Bry and Hulsius are among the very finest
and most complete in existence and are those which Henry
Stevens spent the greater part of his life in collecting and
perfecting. No other private library, if indeed any
public Hbrary% possesses so fine a collection of the early
pamphlets relating to the settlement of the English
colonies in North ^\merica; those concerning Virginia,
New England, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey
being exceptionally fine both because of their number and
because of their extreme rarity. Its sets of the Jesuit
Relations and other works relating to Nouvelle France, or
Canada, are also very complete. The number of its earhest
imprints of the presses of Cambridge, Boston, and New
York would of themselves, alone, give distinction to any
collection. Its sets of the writings of the Mathers,
Increase and Cotton, as well as those of other members of
that distinguished family, are particularly full, and con-
tain all of the rarest works of those eminent Boston
divines. Of almanacs it contains an exceptionally val-
uable collection including the first issues printed in Cam-
bridge and New York and a very full and complete set of
Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanak. The number and
rarity of its New England Primers easily place it at the

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 79

head of all collections of "The Little Bible of New
England."

Much more might be said of this unsurpassed col-
lection of Americana, but, in passing, a word should be
said regarding the Church Collection of Early EngUsh
Literature and Miscellanea. The Shakespeare portion,
its most important feature, has already been mentioned.
It also contains very complete sets of the early editions
of Spencer, Milton, Bunyan, and Butler. Here are also
to be found the first editions of many other masterpieces
of English literature. Of Bacon's Essays it contains the
first two editions. Here are also Gray's Elegy, Swift's
Gulliver's Travels, Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, and a host
of other works, in the form in which they first left the
press and greeted the gratified eyes of their illustrious
authors. The first editions of later writers, such as
Charles Lamb, Sir Walter Scott's Waverley Novels,
Dickens, and Thackeray, are unusually complete and
interesting. Of the works of the great illustrators and
engravers Bewick, Cruikshank, and Rowlandson it
contains very full sets.

Such is the Church-Huntington Collection. To it,
since its acquisition, Mr. Huntington has made large and
exceedingly important additions, and, if report is to be
credited, his library is now probably the finest, rarest,
and most valuable private library in existence. Addi-
tions of such importance have been made possible by
a combination of circumstances which have afforded an
opportunity such as seldom, if ever, has fallen to the lot of

8o Bibliographical Society of America

any other collector. The death of Robert Hoe and that
of Alfred H. Huth and the dispersal of their libraries by
auction, together with his previous purchase of the col-
lection of Mr. Beverly Chew, and the later acquisition
of the Duke of Devonshire's library, have enabled Mr.
Huntington to add to his collection an immense number
of the very rarest items in early Enghsh literature, as well
as of those in other fields in which he is interested.

Quahty rather than quantity is after all the proper
standard by which the value of a library should be
determined. No library however large can fail to con-
tain some works of value. Whenever a large collection
of books is mentioned our minds instinctively turn to
that of Richard Heber, the great English bibliomaniac,
with his eight houses full of books ;^..^t in England, and
others in Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, and Ghent, not to
mention smaller hoards in other parts of the Continent.
With Heber book-collecting was not a taste but a vora-
cious passion. He bought whole libraries, purchasing
once in Paris one of 30,000 volumes. Large paper copies
he detested because they took up too much shelf-room.
He was in the habit of buying copy after copy of the
same book and was very liberal in lending his books and
in otherwise aiding scholars who wished to make use of
them. "Of many books," says Fletcher, in his English
Book Collectors, "he possessed several copies, and on being
asked by a friend why he purchased them, he seriously
replied: 'Why, you see, Sir, no man can comfortably

ALFRED HEXRY HUTH

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 8i

do without three copies of a book. One he must have
for his show copy, and he will probably keep it at his
country house. Another he will require for his own use
and reference ; and unless he is inclined to part with this,
which is very inconvenient, or risk the injur>^ of his best
copy, he must needs have a third at the service of his
friends.'"

His library was dispersed after his death at several
sales in London and on the Continent extending over
a period of 216 days. It has been estimated to contain
146,827 volumes, not including an immense number of
pamphlets and an unknown quantity stored on the Conti-
nent, and was supposed to have cost him about £100,000.
The English sales realized £56,774, while his books, coins,
and drawings, sold on the Continent, brought about
£10,000 more.

Large as was Heber's collection, it has been surpassed
by others. The famous Zaluski collection, "made in the
lifetime by one Pohsh bishop [Andreas Stanislav Zaluski]
with the assistance of another [his youngest brother, Josef
Andrei Zaluski], was," says Edwards, "the largest
Collection ever made at private expense . . . [and]
. . . actually surpassed in numbers the magnificent
Library of the Kings of France, and was at the head, in
that point, of all the Collections of Europe, some of
which had been gathering for centuries at the expense
of nations." The first beginnings of this library, col-
lected by several members of the Zaluski family, can be
traced back to the early part of the seventeenth century.

82 Bibliographical Society of America

It was opened to public use at Warsaw (August 8, 1748)
with an endowment for its support and increase. Count
Josef Andrei Zaluski, who desired to make it a complete
repository both of Polish literature and of the materials
of Polish history, made great additions to it. By 1770
he had so far succeeded in his purpose that he had really
brought under one roof about all that was known to exist
in print about Poland. By his will, made in 1761, he
bequeathed the collection and the house containing it
to the Jesuit College at Warsaw, in trust for the public.
The Jesuits being suppressed in 1773, a year before his
death, the library passed to the management of the
Commissioner of Education appointed by the Polish
government and remained in Warsaw until the partition
of Poland. Though Poland was assigned to Prussia its
literary treasures became the spoil of the Empress of
Russia. In 1796, after considerable losses, the collection
was transferred to St. Petersburg, where, according to the
official returns made as the work of transportation pro-
ceeded, 262,640 volumes and 24,573 prints were actually
received and counted. This was the first important
accession to the Imperial Library of Russia whose founda-
tions had already been laid. A full account of the forma-
tion of the Zaluski library and of the Imperial Public
Library at St. Petersburg (now Petrograd) by Theodore
W. Koch can be found in The Library Journal, vol. 40

(1915)-

It should not be overlooked that the Zaluski library

was not the collection of a single individual, though the

Book-Collectors as Bcfiefactors of Libraries 83

elder brother's part in gathering it was comparatively
insignificant, and, hence, perhaps it should not be placed
in comparison, because of its size, with Heber's. Still
it is not unlikely that a greater number of volumes was
collected by Bishop Zaluski, the founder of the collection,
than was made by Heber, especially as at one time it
was said to contain 400,000 volumes. The great col-
lection formed by Adolph Sutro, if his own estimate and
that of others is to be credited, before the destruction of
one-half or more of it in the San Francisco disaster of
1906, surpassed in numbers any collection ever formed
by any one person, with the possible exception of the
Zaluski library. After Heber's collection that of Count
Otho de Thott {b. 1703, d. 1785), the eminent Danish
statesman, bequeathed in 1785 to the Royal Library of
Denmark, probably should be placed next in rank. It
contained 121,915 volumes and 4,159 manuscripts and
was in the judgment of Brunet, the celebrated French
bibliographer, who seems to have been unaware of the
Zaluski library, the most considerable collection of books
ever brought together by one individual.

The lives of book-collectors show, in numerous
instances, that the zeal of their pursuit has not been
without intervals of relaxation during which they lost
opportunities which they were never afterward able to
retrieve. Mr. Stevens in his Recollections of Mr. James
Lenox says: "The wbrld outside of book-hunting may
smile at [the] eagerness for the first choice, but such

84 Bibliographical Society of America

a smile of pity will most likely vanish away into com-
plaisance on becoming acquainted wdth the fact that
after forty years' experience in sighting and chasing
book-rarities, I found that a very large number of the
choicest historical and bibliographical nuggets relating
to the 'Age of Discovery,' with the exploration and
development of the New World, occurred but once in
my time, in the market for sale. Happy he who became
the winner in such a chase!"

A too great particularity as to condition has also been
kno\\Ti to result in the rejection of copies to the lasting
regret of the collector who had them but once "wathin
his grasp. A few years ago a number of early Cambridge
imprints were offered to Mr. Church and refused because
of their shabby condition. He never afterward ceased
to regret that he had not taken in these precious but
ragged wanderers. As already remarked, Hazlitt noticed
in his long experience as a collector that many books of
early English poetry and drama appeared but once in
the market.

The temporary inactivity of a collector, as well as his
lack of appreciation of a nugget which has been offered
him, is an opportunity often eagerly seized upon by a
rival. Stevens tells us how he sent shipments of Ameri-
cana to John Carter Brown for first choice after which
the remainder was in turn forwarded to Mr. Lenox and
later to George Brinley. He mentions periods, especially
during the War of the Rebellion, when Mr. Lenox "sus-
pended generally his ardent foraging for rare books, and

JAMES LEXUX

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 85

only occasionally had an intermittent attack of his old
bibhographical fever." Whatever may have been the
cause of the abatement of Mr. Lenox's ardor in collecting,
it could hardly have been that suggested by Hazlitt when
speaking of similar cessations from buying in the case of
Henry Huth. Mr. Lenox was a bachelor, Mr. Huth, on
the contrary, was a man with a family, a fact which
makes all the difference in the world. Mr. HazHtt says:
"Mr Huth was not only vacillating in his pursuit of
books, and so missed many which he ought to have
secured, but his health began to fail some time prior to
his decease. ... I suspect that the cause of wavering
was one which is common to so many collectors in all
departments, and leads in a majority of instances to the
abrupt dispersion of the property. I allude to the almost
ostentatious indifference of relatives and friends to the
treasures, unless, perhaps, they are pictures or china,
which a man gathers round him. In this instance £120,-
ocx) [$600,000] had been expended in books, mss, draw-
ings and prints, and the worthy folks who came to the
house, what did they know about them ? what did they
care? A man might well hesitate and wonder whether
there was any good in persevering in a hobby personal
to himself." Fortunately in Mr. Huth's case his Hbrary
descended to his son, Mr. Alfred Henry Huth, who
cherished his heritage and added to and strengthened it
whenever he could do so. On his death, which occurred
October 10, 1910, he directed, by his will, "That if at any
time his library should be sold, the person or persons so

86 Bibliographical Society of America

selling it 'should forthwith dehver to the Trustees of the
British Museum before such sale shall actually take place
such 50 volumes as the Trustees of the British Museum
shall in their uncontrolled discretion select'. . . .
Further provisions required that the volumes selected
should be marked with the words 'Huth Bequest,' and
that a separate catalogue of them should be printed by
the Trustees of the British Museum." " Fifty volumes " !
I fancy I hear someone say, "not a very generous be-
quest." But wait a moment, my friend, and listen to the
sequel. It having been decided to sell the library, the
Trustees of the British Museum made their choice and
have, in accordance with the provisions of the will,
printed a catalogue, in which we read: "It is no exag-
geration to say that we must go back more than sixty
years, to the Grenville bequest of 1846, to find a bene-
factor to whom the Library of the British Museum, i.e.,
the combined Departments of Manuscripts and Printed
Books, owes so deep a debt of gratitude as that which is
due from it to the memory of Alfred Huth."

This circumstance calls our attention to another
point to be noticed regarding book-collectors as a class.
We refer to the fact that book-collecting is generally the
pursuit of a single individual or generation; and that
the fate of almost every collection is determined by the
death of him who made it. On his demise his heirs,
as a rule, indeed almost invariably, proceed to realize
upon it by placing it on sale in one of the many book-

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 87

auction houses to be found in every large city or by
selling it entire to some institution or collector.

There have been hereditary- collections, mostly, be
it said, in the older and more established countries of
Europe, which have descended from father to son or to
other legal heirs; but they are of a limited number, in
comparison with those which, sooner or later, have passed
from the possession of the famil}^

One of the most famous hereditary collections, that
of the Spencers, at Althorp, amounting in 1892 to some
41,500 volumes, was in that year transferred from the
Spencers to Mrs. John Rylands who removed it to
Manchester there to form a memorial to her husband
under the name of The John Rylands Library. The
collection of Americana formed by four generations of the
Brown family, in Providence, Rhode Island, of which
John Carter Brown was the virtual founder, has, under
the provisions of the will of his son, John Nicholas Brown,
been transferred in trust to Brown University as a per-
pertual memorial to his father. In accordance with the
same instrument a building has been erected for its
preservation and a fund of $500,000 set aside for its
maintenance, administration, and increase. In fact
everything that human foresight can devise has been
done to place this inestimably valuable collection upon
a permanent and lasting basis, so that when in the course
of time the millennial anniversary of the discovery of the
Western Hemisphere shall roll round it will then, perhaps

88 Bibliographical Society of America

more than now, be the Mecca to which students of
American history mil resort in order to consult the
original sources of the early history of our continent.

Our imagination sometimes delights to linger over
the bibliographic page and fancy what might have been
had circumstances been different from what they were.
Momentarily we have in mind another hereditary Ubrary,
the foundation of which was laid between 1610 and 1650
by Sir Robert Gordon {b. 1580, d. 1656), a contemporary
of the Elizabethan dramatists. Sir Robert was a man
of eminent literary and political abilities. "He laid
by," says Burton, "heaps of the pamphlets, placards, and
other documents of his stormy period; and thus many
a valuable morsel, which had otherwise disappeared from
the world, left a representative in the Gordonstoun
collection." A catalogue of this curious library, drawn
up by Gordon himself, was published in 18 16, when the
collection was sold at auction by Cochrane. Richard
Grant White points out as "worthy of remark that this
library was barren of Shakespeare's works, although it
was collected by a gentleman of wealth and of curious
as well as literary taste, at a time when the now [1863]
almost priceless quartos might have been bought for
a shilling." Imagination is staggered to think what
prices would be realized if Gordon and his descendants
had carefully bought and preserved in their pristine con-
dition all of the editions of Shakespeare's poems and plays
as they came from the press and had placed them under _

the auctioneer's hammer during this year of grace 19 15. "

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 89

Of hereditary collections now in the hands of the
descendants of their collectors, or of their legal repre-
sentatives, the best known are those of Earl Crawford
and the Christie-Miller or Britwell Library.

Of the latter little-known library we cannot refrain
from adding a few words in passing. The library now
at Britwell Court, near Burnham, in Buckinghamshire,
was begun by William Henry Miller as early as 18 19,
when, as Hazlitt informs us, he was found bidding "for
books of price against all comers." Miller was very
particular respecting the condition of his purchases,
especially of their size. He was accustomed to carry
about with him a foot-rule with which to measure the
height of any book that came under his notice, a habit
which won for him among collectors the name of ^^ Inch-
ride or Measure Miller." His short copies he often
replaced with taller ones. During his lifetime he made
additions to the library from all the important sales of the
first half of the nineteenth century. On his death, which
took place near Edinburgh, Britwell Court and the Ubrary
were bequeathed to his cousin Miss Marsh from whom
they passed to Samuel Christy, the Piccadilly hatter,
who assumed the name of Christie-Miller. On his death
they became the property of Wakefield Christie-Miller
who died in 1898.

Since the death of the founder, in 1848, many impor-
tant additions have been made "from the Corser, Laing,
and other sales of more recent years," those made by its

go Bihlioi^nip/iical Society of Afnerica

last owner being especially important. Notable among
these is a large portion of the Elizabethan rarities dis-
covered, in 1867, at Lamport Hall, the seat of Sir Charles
Isham. It now stands unrivaled among English private
hbraries for the number, rarity, and condition of its
examples of early English and Scottish literature. It is
especially rich in English poetry and contains the greater
part of the Heber collection of ballads and broadsides.
"At the Heber sale, this gentleman," says HazHtt, "saw
his opportunity, and used it well. The bibhophobia
had set in; prices were depressed, so far as the English
poetr>' was concerned, and Thorpe the bookseller, under
his instructions, swept the field — the Drama, the Classics,
and the Miscellanea he left to others. Nearly the whole
of the rarities in that particular division, set forth in the
second, fourth, sixth, and eighth parts of the catalogue,
fell to Mr. Miller; and of many no duplicates have since
occurred. The purchaser must have laid out thousands,
and have added to his collection positive cartloads."
The unusual opportunity Measure Miller was so prompt
to seize and benefit by was not unlike that which, in these
latter days, has fallen to the lot of Mr. Huntington in
the dispersal of the Hoe and Huth collections. The
similarity, however, ceases when we compare the prices
Miller paid at the Heber sale with those that have pre-
vailed during the last few years. Information regarding
the volumes in this "rather jealously-guarded repository,"
the Britwell Librar}% is difficult to obtain as we are able
to testify, it being one of the exceptionally few Hbraries

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 91

which decHned to answer, or rather ignored repeated
letters applying for information to be used in the Church
Catalogue. The best printed sources respecting it we
have found in Hazhtt's series of Bibliographical Collec-
tions and Notes and in Fletcher's English Book Collectors.

Mention has been made of Frederick Locker-Lampson,
the author of London Lyrics and other vers de societe.
Obhged at an early age to abandon business, he devoted
the rest of his life to self -culture as a virtuoso and book-
lover. He went much in society and enjoyed the friend-
ship of many distinguished persons of all classes. He
knew Lord Tennyson, Thackeray, Lord Houghton, Lord
Lytton, George Eliot, Dickens, Trollope, Dean Stanley
(his brother-in-law), Hayward, Kinglake, Cruikshank,
Du Maurier, and many others and had met and con-
versed with almost every distinguished contemporary
of his day. He was an alert and enthusiastic collector.
Hazlitt says he "might have been occasionally seen at
an early hour walking up and down on the pavement,
awaiting the arrival of some bookseller, in whose brand-
new catalogue had appeared a nugget to his taste." He
tells us in his autobiography, entitled My Confidences,
published after his death, how he formed the nucleus
of his Hbrary by collecting "little volumes of poetry and
the drama from about 1590 to 16 10." To these he sub-
sequently added rare editions of Sidney, Spencer, Church-
yard, Middleton, Herbert, Herrick, Dekker, Chapman,
and many other writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth

92 Bibliographical Society of America

centuries, including a considerable number of the quarto
editions of Shakespeare's poems and plays. The latter,
as we have already seen, attracted the attention of Mr.
Church and induced him to purchase the entire collection
when the exigencies of the Locker-Lampson family re-
quired that they should part with it. The Rowfant
library was also rich in first editions of the Victorian poets,
many of them with autograph inscriptions from their
authors to the collector himself, and in autograph letters,
pictures, and drawings. The transfer of the entire Ubrary
to this country, as usual, whenever any hterary treas-
ures are brought here, eUcited much comment and
protest among English book-lovers. According to the
London Standard, Sir Sidney Lee, the well-known-
Shakespearian scholar, is said to have remarked in a
speech: "On the adverse side of any account, which
appraised the public interest taken at the moment in
Shakespeare in this country, must be set the recent
triumphs of American collectors in stripping this country
of rare early editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems
— editions which had long been regarded among its
national heirlooms. The unique first Quarto of "Titus
Andronicus," which had lately been discovered in Sweden,
was promptly secured at an enormous price by an Ameri-
can enthusiast. More lamentable was the sudden fhght
to the shop of a bookseller in New York of the surpassingly
rich library of the late Mr. Locker-Lampson, of Rowfant.
"At one fell swoop the country has been deprived by
this transaction of as many as twenty-seven copies of

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 93

lifetime editions of Shakespeare's plays, with much else
of almost equal rarity and interest. Never in the history
of EngUsh book-collecting had this country lost suddenly
and secretly such a treasure of Shakespeariana, although
some inferior stores of Shakespeariana had suffered
the like experience. Before the officers of any pubHc
institution like the British Museum or the Bodleian
Librar>', before any private EngHsh collector had
any suspicion of their impending fate, those Rowfant
volumes crossed the Atlantic, never in all probability to
return.

"While we admired the superior enterprise of the
American collector, we could not but grieve over the
insensibihty of our own rich men, who allowed these
heirlooms to leave our shores without making any effort
to retain them here." If the loss to England of the
Rowfant Folio and Quartos, following as it did the mys-
terious disappearance of the Warwick Collection, was
able to throw Sir Sidney Lee into a state of mind which
provoked the above utterance, we leave it to our readers
to imagine the frenzy into which he must have been
throwTi when he first learned that the Huth and then the
Devonshire Collections had followed those previous
emigrants across the Atlantic. These constantly increas-
ing changes of habitat among bibliographical rarities
conclusively prove that Englishmen value their sovereigns
more than their Hterary treasures.

The transfer, above referred to, of the W^arwick Col-
lection of Shakespeare Folios and Quartos to our shores

94 Bibliographical Society of America

has been characterized by a well-known English bibli-
ographer as "a shame-faced affair," in which the mouths
of all those cognizant of it were sealed to secrecy. Enough
shreds of evidence have, however, leaked out to prove
satisfactorily that the hand which reached across the
Atlantic and seized the unique first edition of "Titus
Andronicus," discovered at Lund, Sweden, in January,
1905, also added the Warwick Collection to the
spoils which its owner now regards "as the finest
library of Shakespeariana in America, comprising some
20,000 vols."

In 1886 Locker-Lampson privately printed a catalogue
of his treasures, which was preceded by an introduction
by himself and several short poems by his friends, among
others one of several charming stanzas by Andrew Lang,
in which he sings the praises of the Ubrary. The second
stanza runs thus:

The Rowfant books! In sun and snow

They're dear, but most when tempests fall;
The foUo towers above the row

As once, o'er minor prophets, — Saul!

What jolly jest books, and what small
"Dear dumpy Twelves" to fill the nooks.

You do not find in every stall
The Rowfant books!

In 1900 an Appendix to the Catalogue, containing
additions to the collection, was issued by Mr. Godfrey
Locker-Lampson. To this Mr. Lang again contributed

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 95

some verses praising the son for sharing the tastes of his
father, as follows:

How often to the worthy Sire,

Succeeds th' unworthy son!
Extinguished is the ancient fire,
Books were the idols of the Squire,

The graceless heir has none.

To Sotheby's go both old and new,

Bindings, and prose, and rhymes,
With Shakespeare as with Padeloup
The sportive lord has naught to do,
He reads The Sporting Times.

Behold a special act of grace,

On Rowfant shelves behold,
The well-loved honours keep their place.
And new-worn glories half efface

The splendours of the old.

It has been remarked that when a book-collector
prints a catalogue its appearance is likely sooner or later
to be followed by the sale of his library. Whether such
be the case or not, it at least indicates that the collector
has so far realized his bibhographical ambitions as to
consider his collection reasonably complete and that
future accessions to it will be few and comparatively
unimportant. The collector is by nature prudent, not
to say secretive, in disposition and is not given to taking
the pubhc into his confidence, especially as by so doing
he would in a great measure thwart his own ends. For

96 Bibliographical Society of America

the publication of a catalogue not only discloses what he
already possesses; but, to his rivals, and especially to deal-
ers, the gaps in his collection, and the unscrupulous are
ever ready to profit by such disclosures. Hence it is that
the publication of a catalogue is a virtual admission that
the collector has withdra^vn from the field. Such a step,
when taken by collectors, with this understanding, is,
no doubt, a wise one for several reasons. First, the cata-
logue, when properly prepared, serves as a contribution
to knowledge by imparting information of a special nature
concerning the literature of the subject which forms the
basis of the collection; again it serves to inform scholars,
as well as other collectors, where certain literary or bib-
liographical rarities may be found; and finally in case
the collection should be dispersed, as past bibliographical
history demonstrates is too often the common fate, the
publicity given to the collection by its catalogue is more
than likely to increase at its sale the number of competi-
tors for its treasures, and so add largely to the amount
realized; nor is it to be wondered at that the expense
attending the preparation and printing of the catalogue
itself may often in consequence be more than reimbursed.
Andrew Lang's verses in the Appendix to the Rowfant
Catalogue are, as we have seen, deHghtfully expressed
and convey an exquisite compliment, but unfortunately
he failed to take into account a very important con-
tingency. It sometimes happens that the cultivated
tastes of the father are inherited by his son and that the
latter instinctively takes up the work where the former

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 97

dropped it and carries it on in such wise as to add further
luster to the family name, as we have seen was done by
the BrowTis in Providence; but, unhappily, family exi-
gencies arise that call for a sacrifice of tastes ; for a parting
with the luxuries of life to meet its necessities. Such
a consideration is far from poetical, and had the writing
of Lang's verses been deferred for a little the collector's
family would have been spared the poignant pain elicited
by perusing this poem and the world would probably
never have enjoyed the pleasure of reading the noble
sentiments so delicately expressed in these graceful lines.
The Rowfant Catalogue, as has already been observed,
gave to Mr. Church the idea of adding to his own col-
lection its Shakespearian treasures, and a few others,
thereby giving it world-wide celebrity.

No matter how arduously or successfully the book-
collector pursues his quarry, the time inevitably comes
when he must give o'er the chase. The history of book-
collecting shows that while by far the greater number of
private collections have been dispersed, a very consider-
able number have in one way or another passed, wholly
or partially, into the possession of public libraries.
Edward Edwards at the end of his Free Town Libraries
gives a list of over one thousand private collections, most
of which have found a final resting-place in pubHc libraries.
This Hst naturally includes only the most prominent
ones, there being many of smaller private collections,
mentioned in his other works relating to libraries, that

98 Bibliographical Society of America

have also become integral parts of public collections but
which he did not consider of sufficient importance to
include in the list just mentioned.

The question naturally arises, How are public Ubraries
benefited by the accumulation of private collections
formed by the bibliomaniac, the book-collector, the
dilettanti, the scholar, and the more modest lover of
books ? The tendency of the present day, as it has ever
been, is for rare and costly books to gravitate toward
public hbraries. Dealers and bibUophiles recognize this
fact as the primary cause for the increasing scarcity and
consequent rise in prices of all kinds of book rarities.
Many a collector ambitious to make a complete collection
in some branch of hterature, history, or art is confronted
with the unwelcome information that of certain editions
or books necessar>^ for the completion of his collection
but a single copy is in existence and that is locked up in
a public collection so that it can never be met with in the
open market. Many such unique copies, once the chief
treasures of private collections, have at last found their
way into public libraries.

Book-collectors are, either directly or indirectly, of
benefit to public libraries in a variety of ways. Direct
benefactions by book-collectors to libraries take a variety
of forms: (i) by founding libraries or other institutions
in which a Hbrary is an essential feature; (2) by aiding
in the founding of libraries or of such institutions; or
(3) by aiding libraries already in existence.

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 99

The best example of the founding of a Hbrary is that
in which {a) a collection of books conspicuously impor-
tant or complete in some particular field of knowledge or
as an all-round collection is donated to form the nucleus
of a library; for which {b) a suitable and appropriate
building, capable of all necessary future extensions, is pro-
vided for its preservation and protection, and (c) for the
adequate maintenance, administration, and growth of
these, an ample income is perpetually assured by a safely
invested and permanent fund. Without attempting to
name more than a few examples of such Hbraries as fall
under this and the foregoing divisions, the John Carter
Brown, Lenox, and the Hispanic Society libraries seem
good examples in which all these conditions have been
met.

To the class of Hbraries which have been built up from
Hberal endowments belong such as the Astor, Newberry,
John Crerar, and Enoch Pratt libraries. The funds being
provided, the collections of books and buildings follow
as a natural consequence.

The Blackstone Memorial Library, at Branford,
Connecticut, is an instance in which a building was erected
and funds provided for the formation of a library. Other
examples of the same kind will no doubt occur to the
reader. The erection of a building by a donor with the
understanding or condition that others provide the
library and maintain it, the Carnegie method, more
properly belongs to our second class — aid in the founding
of libraries.

loo Bibliographical Society of America

The founders of the Leland Stanford and Cornell
universities, the Pratt Institute, and such other insti-
tutions as require a Hbrary in order to properly carry out
the purposes of their existence may also be classed among
library benefactors.

Another class of librar}^ benefactors is composed of
those book-collectors and book-lovers who afford aid
during the formation of a public library. i\n example
falling within this category is that of Joshua Bates, the
London banker, who, learning that a public librar}^ was
to be started in Boston, gave $50,000 as a fund on con-
dition that the interest be expended for books. He
afterward donated 30,000 volumes, equal in value to his
previous gift, which formed a part of the library in the
Upper Hall when it was opened to the pubHc in 1861.
After his death in 1864 its name was, in his honor, changed
to that of Bates Hall.

The classes of benefactions just named, excepting
the first in which the collection of some collector is
employed as the nucleus of a new library, apply more
particularly to book-lovers in general than to book-
collectors as such. The latter, using the term in its
usually restricted sense, are more prone to assist existing
libraries than to found or to aid new ones. This is no
doubt accounted for by the fact that their time and
energies are for the most part engaged in amassing their
collections, the question of its fmal disposition, if the
thought enters into their minds at all, being deferred for
later consideration.

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries loi

The gift made by Edward Capell, the Shakespearian
commentator, of his collection of Shakespearian FoUos
and Quartos to Trinity College, Cambridge, during his
lifetime, seems on the whole quite ideal. In such a case
the collector enjoys the satisfaction of seeing his library
placed where he most desires to see it and under condi-
tions and restrictions mutually acceptable to donor and
recipient. The former is, furthermore, saved any anxiety,
lest his wishes regarding its ultimate disposition should
fail to be carried out by his heirs or legal representatives.
The gift of the Old Royal Library of the Kings of Eng-
land, made by George II. to the British Museum, may
perhaps be considered as faUing within this description.
By this important donation the Museum came into
possession, among a host of other rarities, of the Codex
Alexandrinus, the youngest of the three earliest known
manuscripts of the Bible; a long series of the early English
chronicles; the autograph manuscript of Basilicon,
written by Prince Henry; and a choice collection of books
printed on veUum by Anthony Verard of Paris and pre-
sented by him to King Henry VII.

The form in which by far the greater number of
private libraries find their way into pubhc collections
is by bequest. This form of gift is no doubt due to the
feeling naturally entertained by every collector who
would like to have his collection preserved as he formed
it, together with such additions as may subsequently be
added to make it more complete. Corroboration of this
view is given by what we read in the lives of many

I02 Bibliographical Society of America

collectors who continued their pursuit of book rarities up
to the very end of their lives. It is to this large class
of gifts that public libraries are indebted for many of
their most valuable and prized acquisitions. The private
collector possesses an advantage over the pubhc library^
inasmuch as he is able to confine his pursuit to a restricted
field of his own choice. The pubhc library, au contraire,
is compelled to cater to readers in all fields of Uterature,
science, art, history, et cetera, and to provide for their
use many expensive works of reference. Being, too,
as a rule, hampered by restricted means, it cannot special-
ize on any particular subject. Few, indeed, are the
public libraries that would be justified, for instance, in
buying all the different editions of any single author, i

as Rossetti did those of Petrarch, unless it were endowed
with a fund especially devoted to that purpose. After
all, the book-collector does this work so much better and \.

more thoroughly than any librarian can ever hope to do
it that the latter should be content to aim at building
up a well-rounded collection in his library, speciahzing,
if at all, only in those branches for which there is a call
because of local conditions. At the same time he should
neglect no opportunity of using his influence with any
book-collectors with whom he may be acquainted to
induce them to donate their collections, if suitable, to his
owTi library. In this respect he cannot foUow a better
example than that of Panizzi, the librarian of the British
jMuseum, who did much through his friendship with
Thomas Grenville to influence him to leave his invaluable
collection to the British nation.

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 103

The indirect benefits which accrue to libraries from
the collections of book-collectors are various. Though
the collector makes no provision for the disposition of his
treasures after they have passed beyond his control, yet
there have been numerous instances in which the public
has benefited greatly. The pleasure of the chase, much
more than acquisition, forms, if we may believe human
nature, the chief enjoyment of the collector. No sooner
is one nugget bagged than it is well-nigh forgotten in
the all-absorbing excitement accompanying the discovery
of another prize upon whose capture the very honor of his
collection seems to him to depend. Your true collector
scorns the idea of bringing together a library with the
expectation of ultimately reaping a profit on his outlay
by its final disposal. Into it have gone experience, expert
knowledge, the energy and watchfulness of years, and
many other mental qualities upon which no monetary
value can by any possibility be placed. Hence it is that
the pecuniary value of a collection can by no means be
gauged by the amount it has cost or what it will bring at
pubhc sale even under the most favorable circumstances.

It is because of these reasons that a collection, which
will fit into or supplement the books on the shelves of
a library, should, other conditions being favorable, be
purchased outright by its authorities.

Public libraries able to do this are not numerous: on
the contrary, it more often happens that, recognizing
the desirability of possessing such a collection that has
come into the market or can be procured by private
negotiations, well-wishers of the Ubrary or its authorities

I04 Bibliographical Society of America

persuade one or more of its friends to purchase the col-
lection and donate it to the library. The Thomason
collection of tracts relating to the EngUsh Revolution
(1640-1663) was bought from Thomason's ultimate
successors in 1762, nearly a hundred years after his death,
by King George III., and by him presented to the British
Museum. This collection contained 33,000 pamphlets
bound in 2,200 volumes and is a vast and invaluable
storehouse of information regarding the history of those
turbulent times.

It sometimes happens that a private collection is
given to a library not by the collector himself but by his
heirs or descendants some years after his death. The
libraries of Increase and Cotton Mather, father and son,
two distinguished divines and voluminous authors, were
the earliest ones formed in Massachusetts and contained
many notable manuscripts. They descended to Mrs.
Hannah Mather Crocker, a member of the family, who
through the instrumentality of Isaiah Thomas, of Worces-
ter, Massachusetts, presented them to the American
Antiquarian Society, of which he was the founder.

As already intimated, many private libraries are
constantly being dispersed in the numerous book-auction
rooms in our large cities. Scarcely a day passes during
the season, extending from early autumn until late in
the spring, when sales are not taking place in Boston,
New York, or Philadelphia, in London or in Paris, and
often sales are being carried on simultaneously. That

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 105

dealers and collectors may keep track of the prices at
which these are sold there have been issued annually for
many years in New York and in London volumes giving
the prices of all books bringing more than $3.00 or £1,
respectively.

The dispersal of private collections at these sales is
an indirect if not a positive benefit to public libraries.
As the auctioneers desire to give as much publicity as
possible to these sales, catalogues are sent to all pro-
spective customers, libraries included. By this means
librarians are enabled to secure many desiderata either
by filing their bids with the auctioneers, their booksellers,
or with some of the many accredited persons who make
it their business to attend these sales and buy on com-
mission for their patrons. In this way books are fre-
quently secured at prices much below those they would
have to pay second-hand booksellers, and so it is that
libraries receive a direct benefit from the dispersal of a
book-collector's library. The auction-room at the Brin-
ley sales presented an unusual spectacle by which the
libraries of several colleges were much benefited. Mr.
Brinley bequeathed books to the value of $25,000 to
Yale and a number of other colleges, the representatives
of which were obHged by the stipulations of his will to be
present at the sales and compete with other purchasers.
They were required, however, to pay for their purchases
only the amount that their specific bequest had been
exceeded. This shrewd course resulted in increasing
the number of competitors at the sales and, as a conse-

io6 Bibliographical Society of America

quence, many of the books sold for what were, at the
time, record prices. Those prices have, however, been
so far exceeded since then that the prices then reaUzed
now seem extremely low.

Furthermore, such sales are widely known by dealers,
who, as we have seen, make use of them for the replen-
ishment of their stock. Book-collectors themselves, to
whom catalogues are sent, also purchase directly for their
collections. Books thus pass either into the hands of the
dealers, from whom they may be bought by the librarian
if he pleases, or into the collection of some other private
collector, whose librar}- will inevitably, in time, pass
directly into some public library or in its turn be
dispersed for the benefit of those into whose hands its
separate items may chance to fall.

By leaving a printed catalogue of his library the book-
collector, no matter what may be its final disposition,
confers a benefit to public libraries as well as to all book-
lovers. In so doing he leaves a record of what he has
accomplished as a lover and conservator of literature.
Not only does he do this but he also makes a contri-
bution to knowledge and to bibliography by publishing
a permanent record of what he has been able to rescue
of a certain kind of literature from the devastating hands
of time. It is safe to say that the collector who has
reached a point where he is ready to print a catalogue
has formed a collection which, for one reason or another,
is worthy of being catalogued. The world is the richer

/Ife

ROBERT HOE

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 107

by reason of the catalogues of the private Hbraries that
have been issued. Among these the most conspicuous
are perhaps those of the Grenville, Huth, Locker-
Lampson, Hoe, and Church collections.

Much more might be said upon this interesting subject
and numerous other examples given to show that the
book-collector is the ally and friend of the public library,
though at times he seems to stand in the way of its growth.
We cannot, perhaps, close these somewhat discursive
remarks more appropriately than by quoting once more
a passage from Burton's Book-Hunter, in which he shows
how much the British Museum owes to private col-
lectors for its multitudinous book rarities.

"In the public duty of creating great libraries, and
generally of preserving the literature of the world from
being lost to it, the collector's or book-hunter's services
are great and varied. In the first place, many of the
great public libraries have been absolute donations of the
treasures to which some enthusiastic literary sportsman
has devoted his life and fortune. Its gradual accumu-
lation has been the great solace and enjoyment of his
active days; he has beheld it, in his old age, a splendid
monument of enlightened exertion, and he resolves that,
when he can no longer call it his own, it shall preserve the
relics of past literature for ages yet to come, and form a
center whence scholarship and intellectual refinement shall
diffuse themselves around. We can see this influence
in its most specific and material shape, perhaps, by look-
ing round the reading-room of the British Museum—

io8 Bibliographical Society of America

that great manufactory of intellectual produce, where
so many heads are at work. The beginnmg of this great
institution, as everybody knows, was in the fifty thousand
volumes collected by Sir Hans Sloane — a wonderful
achievement for a private gentleman at the beginning of
the last [eighteenth] centur}\ WTien George III. gave
it the Hbraries of the kings of England, it gained, as it
were, a better start still by absorbing collections which
had begun before Sloane was bom — -those of Cranmer,
Prince Henr}', and Casaubon. ... In many instances
the collectors, whose stores have thus gone to the public,
have merely followed their book-hunting propensities,
without having the merit of framing the ultimate destiny
of their collections, but in others the intention of doing
benefit to the world has added zest and energy to the
chase." Finis coronal opus.

S\XLABUS

I. Introductory. Pp. 47-48.

II. Book-collecting before the invention of printing. Part
the monasteries played. St. Augustine. Theodore of
Tarsus. Richard de Bury. Pp. 4S-50.

III. Invention of printing and the dissolution of the monasteries
as incentives to book-collecting. Some of the men who
saved MSS from the grocer, the tailor, and the goldbeater.
Pp. 50-51.

Collectors not often women. Lady Balcarres an enemy of
books. Frances Richardson Currer a friend and collector
of books. Pp. 51-53.

Book-Collectors as Benefactors of Libraries 109

IV. Motives of collectors.

1. Books as tools. Hubert Howe Bancroft's library as an
example. Pp. 53-55.

2. Books collected as objects of art or for the sake of pos-
session. P. 56.

3. Combination of these two. Thomas Grenville. Elihu
Dwight Church. Robert Hoe. Pp. 56-58.

V. Some manuscript collectors:

William Keeney Bixby, J. Pierpont Morgan, John Forster.
Pp. 58-59-

VI. Incunabula — extension of the term.

I. American. Conditions under which collectors work in
America, and some of the rarities they have secured.
Massachusetts Historical Society Library. Church Li-
brary. Pp. 59-63.

2. European. In America: the General Rush Hawkins
collection and the Adolph Sutro collection. Pp. 63-65.

VII. Collections of works and editions of a single author.

Cervantes collection in British Museum. Petrarch col-
lection in Trieste. Pp. 65-66.

VIII. Collecting of first editions. Discussion of its advisability,
etc. Pp. 66-69.

IX. Books with illustrations as objects for collection.

Albrecht Diirer. Thomas Bewick. George Cruikshank.
Thomas Rowlandson (plus William Combe). Pp. 69-71.

X. Methods of collectors, or kinds of collectors.

Prowlers. George Brinley and the paper mills. Lord
Spencer and Thomas Frognall Dibdin, his librarian.
Buyers of collections. Church collection and Shakespeare.
Second-hand man, auction-room, and dealer. Pp. 71-76.

no Bibliographical Society of America

XL Collections noted for quality rather than for size.

1. Edward Capell collection. Church collection. Pp. 76-80.

2. Collections noted for size. Richard Heber. Zaluski.
Sutro. Count Otho de Thott. Pp. 80-83.

XII. Temporary relaxation of effort among collectors.

Lost opportunities. Henry Stevens about James Lenox.
Church, Henry Huth, Brinley, John Carter Brown.
Pp. 83-86.

XIII. Collections usually due to individual effort. Pp. 86-87.

XIV. Some hereditary collections.

John Ry lands Library. J. C. Brown, at Providence, Rhode
Island. Sir Robert Gordon. "Measure" Miller and the
Britwell Library. Frederick Locker-Lampson and the
Rowfant Library. Pp. 87-93. (Quotations from Andrew
Lang anent this last subject. Pp. 94-95.)

XV. Printed catalogues of private collections.

Catalogue, completion of collection, and its prospective
sale. Advantages of a catalogue. Pp. 95-97.

XVI. Final disposition of private libraries.

Public libraries founded. J. C. Brown, Lenox, Hispanic
Society.

Endowments. Astor, Newberry, Crerar, Pratt. Black-
stone Library. Joshua Bates. Other benefits. Pp. 97-102.
Indirect benefits. Pp. 103-104.

Sales of private libraries. Brinley sales. Part the col-
lector's catalogue plays. Pp. 104-106.

XVIL Conclusion and quotation from Burton's Book-Hunter.
Pp. 106-108.

GEORGE WATSON COLE, BIBLIOGRAPHER

A Y 70ULD a man rather be known as a librarian or as
^^ a bibliographer ? The answer depends, no doubt,
upon the man. In the case of Justin Winsor one is in
doubt which aspect of his busy and scholarly life gave
him the most satisfaction — librarian, historian, or bibliog-
rapher. In the case of Mr. George Watson Cole, we have
his own word for it that he resigned from the library
profession to devote himself to bibliography. He is
today known all over the world of letters as a bibliographer
of the first rank.

Mr. Cole was born at Warren, Litchfield County,
Connecticut, September 6, 1850. He was educated at
Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, was admitted
to the bar, and practiced until 1885. He then entered
library work, prepared the Catalogue of the Fitchburg
(Massachusetts) Public Library, became librarian of the
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, meanwhile pursuing studies
at the Columbia University Library School, in which
he formed one of the first class, graduating in 1888. The
Newberry Library was established in 1887 and for two
years Mr. Cole was connected with that institution,
then under the direction of Dr. Wm. F. Poole. From
1 89 1 to 1895 he was librarian of the Free Public Library,
Jersey City, New Jersey. He served the American
III

112 Bibliographical Society of America

Library Association as Treasurer (1893-96) and in other
capacities, besides writing upon library topics in frequent
articles.

A trip to the Bermudas awakened his interest in those
isles of perpetual spring and he began collecting material
for a bibliography of them, which was later issued in the
pages of the Bulletin of Bibliography, Boston (January-
April, 1898; October, 1900- January, 1907) and appeared
in book form as: Bermuda in Periodical Literature, with
occasional references to other works : A Bibliography (Boston,
1907).

These were but essays in his favorite field; his real
work as a pioneer in photo-bibliography began with the
publication of the Catalogue of the Library of E. D.
Church (New York, 1907-9, 7 vols.). In this under-
taking he set a new standard for bibliography. With
unlimited resources both of money and of books upon
which to draw, Mr. Cole realized plans and ideals that
he had long cherished. This monumental work, with its
1,400 facsimiles of title-pages, its minute collation of
signatures, maps, and plates, and its indications of the
location of other copies, at once took a foremost place
in the rank of bibliographies. The sale of the Hoe copy
for $730.00 amazed the bookbuyers and established its
place as a "nugget" as well as a work of scholarship.
Dr. Carlton, in his notice of it in the Society's Papers
(v. 7, nos. 1-2, 191 2-13) says: "This Catalogue will be
an enduring monument not only to him who gathered
the books, but also to the accomplished bibliographer

George Watson Cole, Bibliographer 113

who has described them with such extraordinary accuracy,
minuteness, and completeness." On October i, Mr. Cole
will start work on the catalogue of the library of Henry
Edwards Huntington, which includes not only the Church
collection, but also those of Locker-Lampson and of the
Duke of Devonshire. We may perhaps paraphrase his
future in the words of Macbeth: ''Bermuda" thou hast
done and "Church!" The greatest is behind.

W. S. M.

To the publications of the Bibliographical Society of
America Mr. Cole has previously contributed a paper
entitled "The First Folio of Shakespeare; A Further
Word Regarding the Correct Arrangement of Its Pre-
liminary Leaves" (Proceedings and Papers, v. 3, pp. 65-
83, and "Notes on Professor Baker's Paper: Some
Bibliographical Puzzles in Elizabethan Quartos," Papers,
v. 4, pp. 20-23). Mr. Cole was secretary of the Organi-
zation Committee of the Society.

\^\

//^

,lfc

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PEESS
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

AgrntB
THE CAMBEIDGE UNIVERSITY PEESS

LONDON AND EDINBURGH

THE MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA

TOKYO, OSAKA, KYOTO

KAEL W. HIEESEMANN

LEIPZIG

THE BAKER & TAYLOE COMPANY

NEW YOEK

The Papers of the

Bibliographical Society
of America

VOLUME TEN
1916

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON
Editor

CARL B. RODEN

ANDREW KEOGH

GEORGE PARKER WINSHIP

Publication Committee

The Society does not hold itself responsible for opinions
expressed by contributors of papers

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Published January, April, July, and October, 1016

CONTENTS OF VOLUME X

PAGE

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography, Robert Joseph

Kerner 3

Some Scandinavian Bibliographers and Their Works.
I. Hjalmar Pettersen and the Bibliotheca Norvegica,
J. C. M. Hanson 40

Semi-annual Meeting of the Society, December 31, 1915 . 46

Reviews and Notes 48

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography, /. Christian Bay 53

Note: Gesner Celebration in Chicago 87

Library Archaeology, C. B. Roden 89

Note 91

Shakespeare Bibliographies and Reference Lists, Clark S.

Northup 92

Bibliography in Relation to Business and the Affairs of Life,

H. H. B. Meyer 103

Bibliographical Problems, with a Few Solutions, jeorge

Watson Cole 119

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula, with a Guide for

Catalogue Entries, Arnold C. Klebs 143

A Call to Service, C. B. Roden 164

[Annual] Meeting of the Society, June 29, 1916 .... 166

Report of the Publication Committee 169

Elements of Bibliography, Louis N. Feipel 175

Some Scandinavian Bibliographers and Their Works. 11.
Gustaf Schlegel Berghman and his Elzevir Bibliog-
raphies, Aksel G. S. Josephson 208

Notes 214

ill

The Papers of the

Bibliographical Society
of America

VOLUME TEN
1916

NUMBER I

Edited by

THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON
JAMES C. M. HANSON
THEODORE W. KOCH

The Society does not hold itself responsible for opinions
expressed by contributors of papers

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO. ILLINOIS

Agents

THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS. London and Edinburgh

THE MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA. Tokyo. Osaka. Kyoto

KARL W. HIERSEMANN. Leipzig

THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY, New York

Published March 1916

400 copies printed

Composed and Printed By

The University of Chicago Press

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

THE FOUNDATIONS OF SLAVIC
BIBLIOGRAPHY^

BY ROBERT JOSEPH KERNER

University of Missouri

TT IS not an exaggeration to say that the burden of
*■ impartial scholarship for the next generation has fallen
upon American scholars. This is true in all the social
sciences and more so in special fields of history, such as,
for instance, that of Slavic Europe where religious hatred
and national strife have so long made their home. We
are now debating the question of preparedness in another
sphere of human activity. Is it impertinent at this time
to ask ourselves the question, "To what extent are we
prepared to take up the task of scholarship which the
men of Europe have thrown down?" Should we not
inquire as to our resources for undertaking the work —
our resources in books and scholars ?

At first thought, it appears that this grave responsi-
bility was but yesterday intrusted to our reluctant selves.
But, as a matter of fact, America's interest in scholarly

' The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness for assistance in pre-
paring this bibliography to the staff of the Library of Congress and especially
to Charles Martel, Chief of the Catalogue Division, and Mrs. Anna Evarts,
Librarian in charge of the Yudin Collection. He is also indebted to Henry
Ormal Severance, Librarian, and Miss Mary E. Baker, Head Cataloguer, of the
University of Missouri, for frequent advice. The Library of Congress rules of
transliterarion {A.L.A. Catalog Rules. Author and Title Entries. American
edition. Boston, 1908. pp. 72-73) have been used in this paper. Any depar-
ture from the same should be considered an error.

Bibliographical Society of America

work has been steadily increasing with the growth of
Hbrary resources. During the last decade an increasing
interest has been manifested in the history, languages,
and literatures of the Slavic people, as is demonstrated
by the fact that more than ten leading American uni-
versities are offering instruction in these very important
fields. Books dealing with these subjects are much in
demand and the questions before many a librarian
throughout the country are, "What are the bibliographi-
cal sources from which to draw scientific information
about the almost unknown Slavic people and what is the
best way to begin collecting in this immense field?"

This paper attempts, however inadequately, to answer
the first of these questions. A bibliography of Slavic
Europe in the Western European languages, covering
history, languages, and literatures, on which the writer
is now working, will attempt, at least partially, to answer
the second question.

The object of this paper, therefore, is to discuss in a
general way first the essentials of Slavic bibliography for
all the Slavs, and then for each of the Slavic nations
separately. The bibliography of Slavic bibliographies
here presented does not in any way pretend to be exhaust-
ive. It is hoped, however, that the fundamentals in each
field will have been pointed out and some idea given of
the state of bibliography under each of the subdivisions.
For the sake of convenience, the Slavic people will be
treated under the following heads: the Russians, the
Poles, the Slavs in Germany, the Bohemians and Slovaks,

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 5

and the Southern Slavs. The latter are further sub-
divided into the Slovenians, the Serbo-Croatians, the
Bulgarians, and the Macedonians.

I. THE SLAVS IN GENERAL

The universal bibliographical aids in the approach to
any field are well known to librarians, both as to their
virtues and as to their faults. It will suffice here merely
to mention some of them. They are the bibliographies
of bibliographies of Petzholdt, Vallee, Stein, and Langlois."^
These may very well be supplemented, for Slavic Europe,
by the general bibliographies of Germany and the Scandi-
navian countries, and especially by the Quellenkunde zur
W eltgeschichte (A. Hofmeister, R. Stube, P. Herre.
Leipzig, 1910) and the last edition of Dahlmann-Waitz
Quellenkunde der deutschen Geschichte (8. Aufl. Leipzig,
191 2. 1290 pp.). Both of these works represent thorough
bibliographical scholarship and contain a considerable
number of items very valuable for Slavic history.

There is no general Slavic bibliography, either retro-
spective or current.^ The scholar must search through

^ Petzholdt, J. Bibliotheca hibliographica. Leipzig, 1866; Vallee, L. Biblio-
graphie des Bibliographies. Paris, 1883-1887. 2 vols.; Stein, H. Manuel de
Bibliographie generate. Paris, 1897; Langlois, C. Manuel de Bibliographie
historique. Paris, 1896-1904. 2 vols.

3 For some idea of the history of Slavic bibliography see Hovorka, J.
Dejiny ceske a slovanstze Bibtiografie (Narodnl Listy, Prague, 1894. Nos. loi,
109, 122, 132) and Truhlaf, F. PamdtniJi Cestie Alzademie. Prague, 1898.
K. Estreicher in his Bibliografia Potslsa (Vol. I, Introduction. Krak6w, 1872)
has a short essay in both French and Polish on this same subject in which he
brings it down to 1870.

Bibliographical Socicly of America

the mass of national Slavic bibliographies before he can
feel sure that no important work has escaped him.
There exist, however, a few guides for short periods of
this gigantic field. V. Jagic, that tireless Southern Slav
scholar, who for over a quarter of a century has written
his name large in the annals of Slavic scholarship, pub-
lished in the valuable Archiv fUr slavische Philologie
a short review of works on Slavic philology dealing with
languages, literatures, ethnology, and antiquity, for the
years 1870-1875.'' This was followed in the same pub-
lication by F. Pastrnek's painstaking Bihliographische
Ubersicht iiber die slavische Philologie, 1876-1891 (Supple-
mentband zum Archiv f. slav. Philol. B. XIII. Berlin,
1892. 451 pp.), conceived in the same broad and scholarly
spirit. This work has on the whole attracted too little
attention for its importance. In fact, it is the only real
contribution to general Slavic bibliography that exists
today. It is to be hoped that another volume will mark
the close of the next quarter-century of that journal's
activity.

A work, which was originally meant to be a periodical
publication giving current Slavic bibliography and which
lodged soon after its first issue, was the publication
entitled Slavianoviedienie^ (St. Petersburg, 1901, 1903).
The Obozrteme trudov po Slavianoviedemm^ (St. Peters-

^ Bibliographisches Ubersicht der Erscheinungen aufdem Gebiete der slavischen
Philologie, 1870-1875 {Archiv fUr slavische Philologie. Vol. 1, 465-607. Berlin,
1876).

5 Slavic Researches. ^ Survey of Slavic Researches.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 7

burg, 1 9 13) for 191 2 is similar in nature and has appar-
ently met the same fate. Those seeking to find out
what the Poles have written in Polish about the Slavs
will find it almost complete down to 191 1 in E. Kolod-
ziejczyk's Bibliografia Slowianoznawstwa polskiegd^ (Kra-
kow, 191 1. 303 pp.). This work is on the whole well
classified and should serve as a stepping-stone to some-
thing better. At least, if the scientific world cannot have
a huge bibliography of the Slavs in general, it would
welcome bibliographies of the type of Kolodziejczyk's.
In that manner, the services of specialists would be
secured for each field.

In seeking to discover current, general Slavic bibli-
ography, we descend into still greater anarchy. Of the
current bibliographies which gave much promise, but
which were discontinued owing to lack of support, the
Catalogue slave bibliographique pour iSjy {-1881) (Prague,
1877-1881) begun by two Bohemian scholars, Michalek
and Kloucek, is most important. After an existence of
four years, it was forced to limit its scope to Bohemian
bibliography. In a more limited way, a Bohemian
periodical called the Vestnik kriticky a bibliograficky^
(Prague, 1869-1873. Continued as Vestnik bibliograficky,
Casopis pro Rozhled v Literature, Hudbe i Unteni.'^ Prague,
1875 ff. Monthly.) and the Przewodnik bibliograficzny^''

7 Bibliography about the Slavs in Polish.
* Critical and Bibhographical Messenger.

» Bibliographical Messenger, a Magazine of Survey for Literature, Music,
and Art.

^^ Bibliographical Guide.

8 Bibliographical Society of America

(Krakow, 1873 ff.) attempt the task of current Slavic
bibliography in part. Both are current today.

Current bibliography in the broad field of Slavic
philology is splendidly covered by at least four publi-
cations, three Slavic and one German. The Slavic
publications are the Filologichesk'iia Zapiski^^ (Russian.
Voronezh, 1861 ff.), the Listy filologicke a paedagogicke^^
(Bohemian. Prague, 1874 ff.), and the Rocznik Slawi-
styczny^^ (Polish. Krakow,?). The German publication
referred to is the Archiv fur slavische Philologie (Berlin,
1876 ff.) mentioned above. This may be trusted to
have caught nearly all of the important works in this
field published since 1876.

Current bibliography in history may be found in the
Jahresherichte der Geschichtswissenschajt (Berlin, 1880 ff.,
for years 1878 ff.). Since 1911, it may be said to have
been partially covered by the Archiv fiir osteuropaische
Geschichte (Berlin, 191 1 ff.). For the rest, one must
refer to the host of Slavic historical publications published
by each of the nations individually. It cannot be said
that there exists today any one journal which collects
and lists all the literature appearing currently on all
parts or even any one phase of this subject.

Books in Old-Slavic (Church Slavic or Old-Bulgarian)
may best be consulted in J. Karataev's Khronologiches-
kaia Rospis slavianskikh Knig,^"* etc. (St. Petersburg,

" Philological Memoirs.

" Philological and Pedagogical Papers. '^ Slavastic Annual.

'■• Chronological List of Slavic Books in the Cyrillic Alphabet, 1491-1730.
For the others, see Pastrnek, op. cit., 22-24, and Archiv f. slav. Philol. 1892 ff.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography g

1861) and in his other works on this subject. Many
scholars, since Karataev's work was pubHshed, have
added to this list. M. Murko's Geschichte der alter en
sudslavischen Literaturen (Leipzig, 1908. 248 pp.) and
P. Safafik's Geschichte der siidslavischen Literatur
(Prag, 1864) may be found helpful bibliographically.

For further material, the scholar must turn to the
national Slavic bibliographies, of which there are a large
number, some of them of a very high grade.

II. THE RUSSIANS

There exists no complete, general, restrospective
bibliography for the Russians. There are, however,
bibliographical journals which present a complete, general,
current bibliography of this subject. N. Lisovskii, the
most noted of recent Russian bibliographers, has given
an account of the history of bibliographical science in
Russia in his little book entitled Bibliografim, Obzor
Trudov hibliograficheskago Soderzhanim"^ (St. Peters-
burg, 1900. 50 pp.). Though written in Russian, it
deserves to be better known in American library circles.

Those seeking early bibliographies of Russian bibli-
ography should go to the two contributions of V. Undol-
skii'^ and G. Gennadi'^ on this subject. They cover the
field down to 1858, when it may be said to have been

'5 Bibliography, a Survey of Works of Bibliographical Content.

'* Ocherk bibliograficheskikh Trudov v Rossii (in his Bibliografichesk'i{a
rozyskaniQ. Moskva, 1846. pp. 3-26).

^1 Literatur a russkol Bibliograjii, etc. (St. Petersburg, 1858).

lo Bibliographical Society of America

taken up by the works which are to be mentioned
presently.

The first notable work in general Russian bibliography
was V. Sopikov's Opyt ross'iiskoi bibliografti^^ (St. Peters-
burg, i8 13-182 1. 5 vols. New edition. St. Petersburg,
1 904- 1 906. 5 parts in i vol.). For the years 18 13-182 5
only catalogues of such libraries as those of Plavilshchi-
kov and Smirdin are available. V. Mezhov, the
father of Russian bibliography, began his prodigious
activity in 1869 by publishing his first Sistematichesku
Katalog s 1825 do i86g'^ (St. Petersburg, 1869). Mezhov
continued for two decades to produce colossal bibli-
ographies in all fields, but many are unfortunately very
poorly classified. P. Efremov^" contributed to the general
bibliography of the period between 1855 and 1873, and
his commission with the booksellers was assumed by the
needy, but strenuous, Mezhov^' who brought it down
to 1888.

With the year 1888, the general, restrospective bibli-
ography ceases to exist, and the scholar or librarian must

'* An Attempt at a Russian Bibliography. Vol. I gives books in Church
Slavic arranged by classes; Vols. II-V are a catalogue of books in Russian
to 1813 by authors. The new edition with corrections was by Rogozhin. See
also Morozov, P.O. Alfabetnyt Ukazatel Imen, etc. St. Petersburg, 1876.
This suppUes a subject index.

'9 Systematic Catalogue from the Years 1825 to 1869. There are ten
supplements to this. St. Petersburg, 1869-1878.

^"Sistematichesku Rospis Knigam, 1855-1866 (Systematic List of Books).
St. Petersburg, 1867; Supplements, 1867-1873 (St. Petersburg, 1869, 1874).

" Sistematichesku Rospis Knigam, 1873-1881. St. Petersburg, 1880J 1881-
1882, St. Petersburg, 1884; 1883-1887, St. Petersburg, 1889.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography ii

turn to the pages of bibliographical journals current since
that year. The more important of these have been the
Knizhnyi Vtestnik^' (St. Petersburg, 1884 ff.), the Bibli-
ograf (St. Petersburg, 1885 ff.), and the PravileVstvennyl
Vtestnik'^ (St. Petersburg, 1888 £f.). Recently three
other valuable bibliographical journals were added to
make the net more complete: the Knizhnaia Lietopis
glavnago Upravlemia po Dtelam Pechati^"^ (St. Petersburg,
1908 ff.), the booksellers' Sovmiestnyl Katalog Knig"^
(St. Petersburg, 1913^.), and the Bibliograficheskim
Izviest'iia. ZhurnaP^ (Moscow, 1913 ff.).

In recent times, S. A. Vengerov made a most ambitious
attempt at a general catalogue of Russian books in his
Russkiia Knigi, 1708-1893 (St. Petersburg, 1898. 3 vols,
in 2). It lodged in the letter B. Since 1905 I. G.
Bezgin has been at work on a huge catalogue which bears
the title Opisanie vstekh russkikh Knig i povremenikh
IzdanW (St. Petersburg, 1905 ff.). The plan calls for
twelve series running contemporaneously, series I cover-
ing the years 1 708-1 799, series II-XII the eleven decades,
1 800- 1 909. The work appears to be in progress at the
present time.

Certain other general bibliographical contributions
of a special nature may be mentioned here. They are

" Book Messenger. '^ Government Messenger.

24 Book Chronicle of the Chief Administration for Printed Works.

25 Joint Catalogue of Books. =^ Bibliographical News. Journal.

=7 Description of All Russian Books and Periodical Publications. See
also Peddie, R. A. National Bibliographies. London, 191 2. pp. 27-28.

12 Bibliographical Society of America

G. Gennadi's^^ bibliography of rare Russian books pub-
lished under the title of Russktia knizhnyia Riedkosli
(St. Petersburg, 1872), lA. Berezin-Shiriaev's Material}'
dlia Bibliografii (St. Petersburg, 1 868-1 870), and his other
works.^^ Further collections of rare books may be found
in N. V. Guberti's Materialy dim russkot Bibliografii;
Khronologicheskoe Obozrienie riedkikh i zamiechateVnykh
russkikh Knig XVIII st.,^° etc., 1725-1800 (Moscow,
1878, 1881, 1891) and in A. Burtsev's^' Opisanie riedkikh
ross'iiskikh Knig (St. Petersburg, 1897).

Special bibliographies of a general historical or literary
nature are very numerous. Let us glance first at the
historical bibliographies. In this field, Mezhov
contributed heavily. He worked up the Russkata isto-
richeskam Bibliografiia, 1800-1854 (St. Petersburg, 1892-
1893. 3 vols. Incomplete) .^^ The two Lambins" covered
the period between 1855 and 1864, while Mezhov^"
continued the task for the years 1865-1876. Here the

^* Russian Book Rarities.

29 Materials for Bibliography. 8 books and 4 supplements; Opisanie
russkykh i inostrannykh Knig Hi dopolnileVnye Materialy . St. Petersburg, 1873;
Dopolnild'nye Materialy. St. Petersburg, 1884; Posliednie Materialy. St.
Petersburg, 1884; Ohzor Knig Hi okonchatelnye Materialy. St. Petersburg, 1896.

30 Materials for Russian Bibliography; a Chronological Survey of Rare
and Remarkable Russian Books of the Eighteenth Century, etc.

31 Description of Rare Russian Books.

32 Russian Historical Bibhography.

33 Lambin, P. i B. Russkai^ istoricheskaia Bibliografiia za 1855-64. St.
Petersburg, 1861-1884. 10 vols.

34 Russkaia istoricheska-Ca Bibliografiia za 1865-76. St. Petersburg,
1882-1890. 8 vols.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 13

attempt at a general historical bibliography lodged.
V. S. Ikonnikov wrote in 189 1 and 1892 a valuable work
on Russian historiography, which gives many biblio-
graphical items, under the title of Opyt russkoi Istorio-
grafii^^ (Kiev, 1891-1892). Historians may still find
useful K. Bestuzhev-Riumin, Quellen und Liter atur zur
russischen Geschichte von deraltesten Zeit his 182^ (Ubersetzt
v.T. Schiemann. Mitau, 1876. B. I of his Geschichte
Russlands). A band of Russian scholars, headed by
E. V. Artsimolovich, pubhshed in 19 10 a very handy
Httle volume for historical bibHography under the
title of Ukazatel Knig po Istor'ii i ohshchestvennym Vopro-
sarn?^ (St. Petersburg, 1910). The number of special
bibliographies on all phases of the social and natural
sciences is legion. Lisovskii gives a list of them in his
little bibliography, but it is too long to insert here."

The scholar or the librarian may consult with profit
bibHographies on regional Russia. For Finland, there are
the works of Vasenius, Grotenfeldt, Carpelan, Borodkin,

35 An Attempt at Russian Historiography.

3« A Guide to Books for History and Public Questions. American Libra-
rians will find A. L. Morse's Reading List on Russia, Albany, 1899 (New York
State Library Bulletin, Vol. I, No. 15. Jan. 1899) still useful.

37 Bihlwgraj'iih, Obzor Trudov, etc. St. Petersburg, 1900. 35 fE.

See also such works as: Rnssk'il Entsiklopedichesku Slovar. I. N. Berezin
ed. (Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary). St. Petersburg, 1873-1879. 16 vols;
Russkii Biografichesk'ii Slovar, etc. A. A. Polovtsov ed. (Russian Biograph-
ical Dictionary). St. Petersburg, 1900-1912. 16 vols.; and Vengerov,
S. A. Kritiko-biograficheskit Slovar Russkikh Pisaielel i Uchenykh (Critical-
Biographical Dictionary of Russian Writers and Learned Men). St. Peters-
burg, 1899-1904. 6 vols, in 4. No longer published.

14 Bibliographical Society of America

and others ;^^ for Lithuania, Stankiewicz^^ and Bal-
tramaitis ;'"' for Little Russia, Levitskii;"' for Bahic
Russia, Winkelmann, Poelchau, Girgensohn, and
Bucholz;^^ for the Caucasus, Miansarov j''^ for Asiatic
regions and neighbors, the contributions of Mezhov,''^
of Ternovskii/5 of Penkine,"^ of Schwab/^ of Zenker/*

38 Vasenius, V. La Litterature finnoise 1544-1877. Catalogue alphabetique
et systematiqiie. Helsingissa, 1878. Four supplements, 1878-1900; J. Groten-
feldt, K. Katalog der BlUiothek der finnischen Literatiirgesellschaft. Helsingissa,
1894; Carpelan, J. Finsk biografisk Handbok. Helsingfors, 1903; Borodkin,
M.M. Finliandita v russkom pechati. St. Petersburg, 1902. 333 pp.; Qvigstad,
G. u. Wiklund, K.B. Bibliographic der lappischen Literatur. Helsingfors,
1899.

•" Stankiewicz, M. Bibliografia Liiewska od 1547 do 1701 r. Krak6w, 1899.
A chronological catalogue with descriptions and annotations.

^^ Baltramaitis, S. Spisok Litovskikh i Drevne-Prusskikh Knig izdanykh
s 1563 pa igoj god. St. Petersburg, 1904. A chronological catalogue citing
authority for the titles quoted.

^' LevitskS, J. Galitsko-russkata Bibliografiia XIX stoltttiih. Lw6w,
1888-1889. 3 vols.

*^ Winkelmann, E. Bibliotheca Livoniae historica. Berlin, 1878; Poelchau, A.
Die livldtidische Geschichtslileratur im Jahre 1883 {et seq.). Riga, 1884 ff.; Gir-
gensohn, I. Livldndiscke Geschichtslileratur i8go-igio {Deutsche Geschichls-
bldller. B. XII, igii. pp. 283-2Q1). Buchholz, A. Bibliographie der Archaeo-
logie Liv-, Est- und Kurlands. Riga, 1896.

■•5 Miansarov, M. Bibliographica Caucasia et Transcaucasica. St. Peters-
burg, 1874-1876.

** Mezhov, V. Bibliographia Sibirica. St. Petersburg, 1891-1892. 3 vols, in i;
Bibliographica Asiatica. St. Petersburg, 1891-1894. 3 vols, in i; Turkestanktl
Sbornik. St. Petersburg, 1878.

« Temovskil, A. A. Bibliografiia Sibiri. 1895.

^^ Penkine, Zakaspisk'ii Krai. St. Petersburg, 1888.

^^ Schwab, M. Bibliographie de la Perse. Paris, 1876.

^' Zenker, J. L. Bibliotheca Orientalis. Leipzig, 1846-1861. 2 vols.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 15

of Pozdieer,"'' of Grififin,^" of Windeyer,^^ of Cordier,^^
and of Wenckstern."

Those searching for items in Russian Hterature will
turn to A. V. Mezier's Russkata Slovesnost s XI po XIX
Stoltettm vklmchiteVno^'^ (St. Petersburg, 1 899-1 902. 2 vols.),
to N. A. Rubakin's, Sredi knig^^'^ (Moscow, 1911-1912.
2 vols.) and to V. Mezhov's Istor'im russkot i vseohshchel
Slovesnosti za 16 Lut s 18 j^ do iSyo^^ (St. Petersburg,
1872) and his Bibliograficheskn Ukazatel perevodnot Belle-
triskif etc. (St. Petersburg, 1897).

To enter upon a description of catalogues of Russian
libraries and collections of Russian books would lead us
too much into detail. Lisovskii's Bibliography is fairly-
full in this respect down to 1900. A few leading ones,
however, deserve mention here. There is the famous
Russica^'^ of the St. Petersburg Public Library, an alpha-

'" Pozdieer, D. M. Opisante Manzhurii. 1897. 2 vols.

so Griffin, A. Library of Congress Select List of Books with References to the
Periodicals Relating to the Far East. Washington, 1904.

5' Windeyer, M. China and the Far East, iSSg-iSgg. Albany, 1901 (New
York State Library Bulletin, 59).

5^ Cordier, H. Bibliotheca Sinica. 2d ed. Paris, 1904-1908.

53 Wenckstern, F. v. A Bibliography of the Japanese Empire. Leiden,
1895-1907. 2 vols.

54 Russian Literature from the Eleventh to the Ninteeenth Century inclusive.
54a Among books.

ss The History of Russian and General Literature for Sixteen Years from
185s to 1870.

515 Bibliographical Guide to Translated Belles Lettres.

S7 St. Petersburg. Public Library. Catalogue de la Section des Russica
ou Ecrits sur la Russie en Langues etrangeres. St. Petersburg, 1873. 2 vols.

1 6 Bibliographical Society of Atnerica

betical bibliography of works on Russia in languages
other than Russian. This is not as important as its
reputation would appear to make it. There is also the
catalogue^^ of two volumes of the same institution pub-
lished in 1907. A number of American universities,
namely Yale, Cornell, and Pennsylvania, have catalogues
for their Russian or Slavic collections.^'

The bibliography of the periodical press is repre-
sented by several important contributions. A. N. Neus-
troev's guide under the title of Ukazatel k russkim
povremennym Izdammm i Sbornikam za lyoy-iSoz^""
(St. Petersburg, 1875) was superseded by N. Lisovskii's
Russkam penodicheskaia Pechat, i'/'Oj-i8g4^^ (St. Peters-
burg, 1895 ff.). Sreznevskii in 1901 compiled another
guide of capital importance, bringing the list down to
1899 under the title of Spisok russkikh povretnennykh
Izdami s lyoj po i8gg god^^ (St. Petersburg, 1901).

III. THE POLES

No branch of the Slavic people is so well provided
with comprehensive and scientific retrospective bibli-

58 Kalalog russkikh Knig. 2 vols.

S' Yale University. Catalogue of (Russian) Books (and Books on Slavic His-
tory, Literature, Philology, etc.) N.P. 1896; Cornell University. The Schuyler
Collection (Library Bulletin. Ithaca, 1886. Vol. I, 301-315); A Catalogue of the
Russian Books Presented to the University of Pennsylvania by Charlemagne
Tower. St. Petersburg, 1902. 138 pp.

•*» Guide to Russian Periodical Publications and Collections for the Period
1703 to 1802.

'' The Russian Periodical Press 1 703-1894.

^ List of Russian Periodical Publications from 1703 to 1899.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 17

ographies as the Polish nation. The foundations of
Polish bibliography are to be found in the monumental
work in twenty-four volumes of K. Estreicher, published
from 1872 to 1913 under the general title of Bibliografia
Polska^^ (Krakow). This huge, but scientific, work is
almost exhaustive for the entire field of Polish printing
activity from 1455 down to the end of the nineteenth
century.

For the earlier period, T. Wierzbowski's Bibliographia
Polonica XV. ac XVI. ss (Varsoviae, 1889-1894. 3 vols.)
may be used as a supplement. In a similar manner, one
may make use of F. Kopera's Jagellonian bibliography
published under the name of Spis Drukow Epoki Jagiel-
lonskiej^^ (Krakow, 1900). Much valuable material may
still be found in A. Jocher's Obraz bibliograficzno-
historiczny Literatury i Nauk w Polsce, od Wprowod-
zenia do niej Druki po rok i8jo wlacznie^'^ (Wilno,
1 840-1 844. 3 vols.).

'^ Polish Bibliography. The work was published in three parts: (i) Vols.
I-VII and Vol. X for 1800-1870; (2) Vols. VIII-IX for 1455-1799, Vol. XI
for 1871-1889; (3) Vols. XII-XXIV for the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries;
also for 1881-1900.

In addition one may find some material in the Encyclopedija Powszechna
(General Encyclopedia). Warszawa, 1859-1868. 28 vols, (new edition in
progress) ; and in the Slownik geograficzny krolestwa Polskiego i innych krajow
slowianskich. F. Sulimierski et al. editors (Geographical Dictionary of the
Polish Kingdom and other Slavic Lands). Warszawa, 1880- 1904. 15 vols,
in 16.

^ List of Publications in the Epoch of the Jagellonians.

*5 A Bibliographical-historical Survey of Literature and Science from the
Beginning to the Year 1830.

1 8 Bibliographical Society of America

The historian should use the painstaking Bibliografia^^
Historyi Polskiej (Krakow, 1 891-1903. Seven parts.
2150 pp.) of L. Finkel, another noted PoHsh bibhographer.
This is a well-classified work and may be relied on to
have caught anything worth while on the history of
Poland. It is indispensable to the scholar.

Those wishing to secure literature about Poland pub-
lished in German in Germany will find it in L. Kurtz-
mann's Die polnische Literatur in Deutschland, hihlio-
graphisch zusammengestelU (Posen, 1888. 89 pp.). The
smaller libraries in America may find Mrs. Jozefa Kud-
licka's Selected List of Polish Books (Chicago, 1913),
though inadequate, still useful.^^

It is not an easy task to watch current Polish bibli-
ography. The Przewodnik bibliograficzny: Miesi^czny
dla Wydawcow, Ksiqgarzy, Antykw^zow, etc.^^ (Krakow,
1873 ff.), has as its task the survey of the whole field.
Various publications of the Academy of Sciences in
Cracow^' have carried on piecemeal the ideal of supply-

" Bibliography of Polish History. Finkel, L. Sawczynski, H. and Model-
ski, E. T., pubhshed a continuation of this work under the title of Bibliografia
Historyi polskiej, igoi-igio. Krak6w, 1914. See also Lelewel, J. Rozbiory
Dziel obejmujqcych albo Dzieje, albo Rzeczy polskic. Poznan, 1844.

*' Hiersemann, K. Polonica. Leipzig, 1908. 41 pp. (Katalog 356) may
be of some value to the librarian.

**The Bibhographical Guide. Monthly for Publishers, Booksellers, and
Antiquarians, etc.

*' A rchiviim do Dziejow Liter atiiry i Oswiaty w Polsce wydawne przez Komi-
syje Akademii Umiej^tnosczi. Krak6w, 1878-1895; Bulletin international de
I' Academie des Sciences de Cracovie. Classe de Philologie. Classe d' Histoire
et de Philosophic. Cracovie, 1901 ff. Monthly, except in August and September;

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 19

ing a current bibliography. But it cannot be said that
the work is done successfully. The scholar should
examine also the following periodicals: for general bibli-
ography the Bibliotheka Warszawska^° (Warszawa, 1841
ff.), the Przqglad Polski'' (Krakow, 1876 ff.), and the
Ateneum,"^^ Pismo Naukove i Liter ackie (Warszawa, 1876
ff .) ; for history, the Kwartalnik historyczny''^ (Warszawa,
1887 ff.) and the Przqglad Historyczny;'^'* and for philology,
the Prace filologiczneJ^ Much current bibliography will
be found in them. As usual, foreign journals have
brought notices, criticism, and current bibliography.^^

IV. THE SLAVS IN GERMANY

The Slavs who have lived or are now living in the
German Empire consist mainly of the Poles, the Kashubs,

Komisija Bibliograficzna. Katalog Lileratury tiaiikowy polskiej. Krak6w,
19145. One may also consult two other publications not published by the
Academy: Warszawski Rocznik Literacki Warszawa, 1880 ff., and Ksiqzka.
Miesi^cznik poswi^cony Bibliografii, 1900 ff.

70 Warsaw Library. See Index: Estreicher, K. Zestawienie Przedmiotow
zawartych w 136 Tomach Bibliotheki Warszawskiej z Let 1841-1874. Krakow,

1875- 319 PP-

''The Polish Survey. Monthly. Index: Pieniazek, J. Spis Przedmiotow
zawartych W 80 Tomach, 1860-1S86. Krak6w, 1886. 62 pp. Supplement of
Vol. CCXLI.

72 Athenaeum, a Scientific and Literary Paper. Monthly. Vol. LII
contains an index for Vols. I-LII: Zestawienie Przedmiotow zawartych w 52
Tomach Ateneum z Let, i8j6-i888. A. Chmiel, Warszawa, 1889. 122 pp.

" Historical Quarterly. '4 Historical Survey. " Philological Works.

7^ For instance see the Jahresberichte der Geschichtswissenschaft, Historische
Zeitschrift, Revue historique (especially 1878), Revue des Questions historique
(especially Vol. XV, 251 ff.), and Archiv f. slav. Philol. (especially on Polish
language and Uterature, Vols. XII, XXXII, XXXIII). Others might be
enumerated here, but these may serve as types.

20 Bibliographical Society of America

the Slowinzians, the Masurians, the Polabians, and the
Sorbs or Lusatian Serbs. All of these may be said to
be covered bibliographically by the general works on
Germany and Poland with the exception of the Sorbs or
Lusatian Serbs. They have a national bibliography of
their own. This was compiled by J. A. Jenc after thirty
years of labor and published in the leading Serbian jour-
nal, the Casopis Macicy Serbskeje (Budysin, 1880). It
covers the period from 1574 to 1880. The Catholic
literature of the Sorbs was collected by H. Ducman in
three instalments under the title of Pismowstwo kathol-
skich Serbow (C.M.S. 1869, 1874, 1889) in the same pub-
lication, which is at present the best source of current
bibliography.

V. THE BOHEMIANS AND THE SLOVAKS

No one can pretend to study or write the history of
the Slavs in Austria-Hungary without consulting the works
which deal with the general history of Austria-Hungary in
addition to the country or nation under investigation.
In a similar manner, one cannot write a scientific history
of Austria-Hungary in general without taking due cogni-
zance of the internal historical evolution of its many
nationalities in particular. This makes the task of the
bibliographer fully as difiicult as that of the historian."

"Junker, C. Uber den Stand der Bibliographie in Osterreich. Wien, 1897.
23 pp. (Internationale bibliographische Conferenz. Zweite Sitzung. Brussels,
1897). This is the most accessible account of Austro-Hungarian bibliography.

For this and for many precious items in bibliography see: Wurzbach,
K. v., Biographisches lexikon des kaiserthums Osierreichs. Wien, 1855 ff. 60

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 21

In the problem at hand, it is necessary to discuss the
general bibliographical aids, first for the Hapsburg
empire, then for Austria and Hungary separately, and
finally for the Bohemians and the Slovaks.

There exists no general, retrospective bibliography
for Austria-Hungary. Nor does it appear that one was
ever attempted. A current, general bibliography was
begun in 1852 under the title of Allgemeine Bibliographie
fur das Kaiserthum Osterreich'^^ and was continued with
interruptions under various titles down to 1889 when
it ceased publication as the Osterreichischer Catalog.
Since i860, the book dealers of Austria, joined by those

vols.; Osterreichs Staatsworterbuch. Hrsg. v. Dr. Mischler u. Dr. Ulbrich.
Wien, 2 Aufl. 4 B; Slovnik Naiicny (Bohemian Scientific Encyclopedia or
Dictionary). Prague, 1860-1890. 12 vols.; a.nd Otkiv Slovnik Naucny {Otto's
Scientific Dictionary or Encyclopedia). Prague, 1888-1898. 13 vols.

'* Under this title it appeared as an appendix to the Osterreichische Bldt-
tern fiir LUeratur und Kunst and the Wiener Zeitimg down to 1857. In 1858
it appeared twice monthly as Bibliographisches Central Organ des Osterr.
Kaiserstaates, I Jahrg. Wien. 1859. II Jahrg. Wien, i860. 276 Spalten. In
i860 its publication was stopped. Meanwhile C. Wurzbach had published the
BiUiographisch-stalistische Ubersicht der Literatur des Osterr. Kaiserstaates
votn I. Jan. bis 31. December, 1S53. Wien, 1854. 2. Aufl. 1856. He hoped to
pattern the general Hapsburg bibUography after that, but Bach's resignation
in 1859 caused the abandonment of the scheme. In i860, the Verein des
Osterreichischen Buchhandler was organized, and in 186 1 the Osterreichischer
Catalog continued the general bibUography. This excellent publication came
to an end, after a decade of valuable service, owing to lack of support. In 187 1,
the general bibliography was continued unscientifically as Beilage zur Osterr.
Buchhandler Carres pondenz. Alphabetisches Verzeichniss der Biicher, etc.
Between 1872 and 1882 the Halbjdhriges Inhaltsverzeichniss der in Biblio-
graphien der Osterr. Buchhandler Correspondenz aufgenommenen Neuigkeiten
und Fortsetzungen took its place. Between 1883 and 1888 it was again the
Osterreichischer Catalog. See Junker, op. cit.

2 2 Bibliographical Society of America

of Hungary in 1888, have published the Osterreichische-
ungarische Buchhandler Correspondenz''^ (Wien, i86off.)-
This journal is now current and records all the publi-
cations made each week in the entire Hapsburg mon-
archy. From the year 1889 to the present time, the last-
named journal and three Slavic publications, namely
the Cesky Katalog Bihliograficky^° (Prague, 1889 £f.
Annual), the Ceskd Bibliografie^^ (Z. V. Tobolka, ed.
Prague, 1903. Annual), and the Przewodnik Bibli-
ograficzny^'' (Polish. Krakow, 1873 ff.) are the only
regular, current bibliographies of Austria proper worthy
of mention.

If we turn to what there is left of Austrian bibli-
ography, we find that F. Ritter von Krones's Grimdriss
der osterreichischen Geschichte mil besonderer RUcksicht
auf Quellen und Liter aturkunde (Wien, 1882. 926 pp.)
is a very valuable contribution and one which has often
been overlooked in the search for materials. Along with
Krones, one might find it worth while to use the Biblio-
theks-Katalog des Museum Francisco-CaroUnum in Linz
(verf. von G. Bancalari. Linz, 1897. 668 pp. Nachlrag.
Bilcherzugang, i8g6-igoo. Linz, 1900. 767 pp.). C.
Junker and L. Jellinek published the Osterreichische
Bibliographie (hrsg. v. Verein der Osterr. ungar. Buch-
handler. Wien, 1899-1901. 3 vols. Weekly. No

7' See also Festnummer anldssUch dcs 50 jahrigen Bestehens, 1860-igio.
Wien, 191 1. It is very important for the book trade.

*" Bohemian Bibliographical Catalog.

*' Bohemian Bibliography. ^' Bibliographical Guide.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 23

more published) which resembles very much the other
Correspondenz publications mentioned above, but it is
limited to Austria alone. A handy guide to the study of
Austrian history was compiled by R. Charmatz under
the title of Wegweiser durch die Literatur der osterreichi-
schen Geschichte (Stuttgart u. Berlin, 1912. 138 pp.).
It is well classified, although furnished with an inade-
quate index. Its comments are not always applicable,
and it is limited to works in German. Nevertheless,
it will remain for some time to come the handiest guide
to this complicated field and may be recommended with
these qualifications to librarians.

If we turn now to Hungary (for the Slovaks inhabit
that country) , we find it very well provided with scientific
bibliographies so far as the productive activity of the
Magyars is concerned. The Slovaks, however, do not
fare so well. K. Szabo^^ has compiled a Hungarian
bibliography entitled the Regi Magyar Konyvtar (Buda-
pest, 1879-1898. 3 series in 4 vols.). It has taken
precedence over all others. The second and third parts
of that work contain material on Hungary and its peoples
in other languages than Magyar. This includes the
Slovaks, whose publicational activity has been meager,
owing to the persecution to which they have been sub-
jected at the hands of the dominant Magyars. G. Petrik
in his Hungarian bibliographies covers the period between

*3 Ancient Magyar Library. Szab6 has divided the material as follows:
Series I, Books in Magj'ar, 1531-1711; Series II, Books pubUshed in Hungary
not in Magyar; Series II, Books by Hungarian authors not in Magyar.

24 Bibliographical Society of America

171 2 and igoo/-* and K. Renyi^^ since 1902 has pub-
lished a current Hungarian bibhography which must be
consulted for all publications since that date. Mean-
while, those unable to read Magyar or Slovak wdll find
partial consolation in K. Benkert's Ungarns deiitsche
Bibliographie, 1 801-1860 (Budapest, 1886. 2 vols, in i)
and in I. Kont's Bibliographie Jranqaise de la Hongrie
{ij2i-igio) avec inventaire Sommaire des Documents
Manuscrits (Paris, 1913. 323 pp. Travaux de la Con-
ference d'Etude hongroises a la Sorbonne). Both are
ver}^ valuable and carefully prepared.

Bohemian bibliography will soon be in an excellent
state. With the completion of the monumental Bibli-
ografie Ceske Historie^^ (Prague, 1900 £f. Vol. V, 1912)
by C Zibrt, it will take front rank alongside of Poland
and Hungary. Zibrt's work is almost exhaustive for
history and has now reached into the seventeenth century
after a most comprehensive bibliographical foundation.
One must master the classification, however, before he
can get about in it easily. It is not too much to say that
no one can study the history of Central Europe in a

^* BiUiographia Hungariae, 1J12-1860. Budapest, 1888-91. 3 vols.;
Magyar Konyveizet (Magyar Bibliography) 1860-1875. Budapest, 1885; Sup-
plement, 1876-1885, Budapest, 1890; Supplement, 1886-igoo, Budapest, 1903.
This is an author catalogue with classified subject indexes.

*s Magyar Konyvkerekedok Evkotiyve. Magyar Konyve^zet (Magyar Book-
Sellers' Annual. Magyar Bibhography). Budapest, 1902. Annually. This
author catalogue contains among other things a classified subject index of
books and a list of periodicals.

^^ Bibhography of Bohemian History. Vol. I, BibUographical Aids; Vols.
II-V, Sources. (Vol. V deals with the seventeenth century.)

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 25

scholarly way and ignore the bibliographical contri-
butions of Zibrt's work.

Until this laudable work is finished, the scholar must
use a variety of bibliographical sources covering the
period after the seventeenth century. For this reason,
one should consult J. Jungmann's Historie Literatury
Ceske ^^ (Prague, 1849. 771 pp.), A. Hansgirg's Katalog
Ceskych Knih od I I. 1774 az do konce r. 18 jg^^) Prague,
1840. 72 pp.), F. Doucha's Knihopisny Slovnik Cesko-
Slovensky, iy'/4-i864^'^ (Prague, 1865), and I. Hanus'
Quellenkunde und Bibliographie der bdhmisch-slovenischen
Literatur-Geschichte vom Jahre 1348 bis 1868 (Prag, 1868).
Since 1893, the Germans of Bohemia have published, from
time to time, the Ubersicht iiber die Leistungen der
Deutschen Bohmens auf dem Gebiete der Wissenschaft,
Kunst, und Literatur im Jahre i8gi (-1893; 1895-1897.
Prag, 1893 ff.). Moravia has been included with Bohe-
mia in all the bibliographies mentioned above and so
has Austrian Silesia. For the latter, however, J. Partsch's
Literatur der Landes- und Volkeskunde der Provinz Schle-
sien (Breslau, 1893) will be found useful.

The general current bibliographies for the Bohemians
have already been mentioned above. In addition, the
bibliographical appendix of the scientific historical review,
the Cesky Casopis Historicky^° (Prague, 1895 ff.), checks

*' History of Bohemian Literature.
** Catalogue of Bohemian Books, 1 774-1839.

*9 The Bohemian-Slovak BibUographical Dictionary. It is arranged
alphabetically by authors.

9° Bohemian Historical Magazine.

26 Bibliographical Society of America

up in its annual list the most important contributions
to the history of the Bohemians. Along ^vith this, from
the German side should be mentioned the Mitteilungen
des Vereins fur Geschichte der Deutschen in Bbhmen
(Prag, 1863 ff.) and Deutsche Arbeit (Miinchen-Prag,
1 90 1 ff.). The philological contributions may be found
in the Listy filologicke a paedagogicke,^'- mentioned above.
Many other general and scientific journals could be
mentioned here, but space forbids.

Of all the Slavs, the bibliography of the Slovaks is in
the least developed state. The scholar must search all
the works mentioned above, especially Szabo, Petrik,
Zibrt, and Hanus. But no bibliography for the Slovaks
as such exists. Current Slovak bibliography, apart from
the Bohemian, may be traced in the Slovenske PohVady'^''
(Turc Sv. Mart., 1849 ff. ?) which, with interruptions and
under varied editorship, has existed from the middle of
the nineteenth century down to the present time.

VI. THE SOUTHERN SLAVS

For the sake of convenience, the bibliographies dealing
with the Southern Slavs may be divided into those which
cover the Balkans in general and those which treat each
of the Slavic nations separately. To the first belong
comments on the bibliography of the Balkan peninsula,
including Turke}', Rumania, and Greece; to the latter,
bibliographical data on the Slovenians, the Serbo-

»' PhUological and Pedagogical Papers.
»2 The Slovak Survey (or Observations) .

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 27

Croatians, the Bulgarians, and the Macedonians. It will
be noticed, therefore, that the section on Austro-
Hungarian bibliography just discussed should be used
in connection with the one that is to follow.

It is a commonplace to say that Balkan bibliography
is in a state of anarchy. We are at sea as to how to
approach it with any surety, for Balkan affairs have so
long been affairs of Europe that the scholar must seek
far and wide. It is not the purpose here to enumerate
exhaustively the bibliographical apparatus of this field.
A few. of the more important items will suffice, for, after
all, the important material for the Slavic Balkans will be
caught in the national bibliographies which will follow
presently.

G. Bengesco has compiled a serviceable, but not
exhaustive, bibliography of the Eastern question for the
nineteenth century in his Essai d'une Notice hihliogra-
phique sur la Question d' Orient. Orient-Euro peen, 1821-
i8g7 (Bruxelles, 1897. 327 pp.). It is arranged in the
order of the dates of publication. The New York Public
Library published in its Bulletin a List of Works in the
New York Public Library Relating to the Near Eastern
Question and the Balkan States Including European
Turkey and Modern Greece (January-May, 1910. Reprint.
New York, 1910. 166 pp.). It is classified by countries
and within these divisions it is arranged alphabetically.
It is the most serviceable bibliography of that subject in
print today. It may be questioned whether the periodical
literature mentioned in the bibliography is of sufficient

28 Bibliographical Society of America

importance, but it should be borne in mind that where
standard works do not exist, periodical literature may be
resorted to, although with caution. V. Jovanovic's An
English Bibliography of the Eastern Question, i48i-igo6
(Belgrade, 1908. iiipp. Srpska kral'evska Akademija,
Spomenik, Vol. XLVIII, 2d series, 40) is another work
arranged by dates of publication. In spite of this, it is
a very useful work. Booksellers like Hiersemann and
Baer have published catalogues from time to time which
may supplement the works mentioned above. ^^

The bibliography of the Ottoman or Turkish Empire
or of Greece is highly unsatisfactory. J. Hammer-
Purgstall gave a bibliography in the tenth volume of
his monumental work Geschichte des osmanischen Reiches
(Pest, 1831-1835. 10 vols.). The bookseller L. S. Olschki
compiled among others a small bibliography under the title
of Histoire de r Empire Ottoman (Catalogue LII). These
are useful because of the lack of adequate bibliographies.
G. Auboyneau began a work, continued by Fevret, which
promises much if it is ever brought to completion. Its
publication began four years ago under the title of Essai
de Bibliographie pour servir a V Histoire de V Empire Otto-
man, etc. (Paris, 191 iff.). Greek bibliography may be
found in the works of Bretos and Cornilas.^^

w Hiersemann, K. W. Catalogues 261, ig4, 354, 439, etc. Leipzig, 1901-
1915; Baer, J. Ungarn .... Kroatien, Dalmalicn, Bosnien, Herzegovina,
Rumdnien, Scrbien, Montenegro, Turkenkriege. Frankfurt a. M., 1909.

M Bretos, A. P. Modern Greek Philology, etc. (in Greek). Athens, 1854-
57. 2 vols, in i; Cornilas, D. A. Catalogue raisonne des Livres publics en Crece,
1868-72. Athenes, 1873.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 29

Rumanian bibliography is highly important for the
Slavic Balkans. The bibliography of I. Bianu and
N. Hodos Bibliografia Romdnescd Veche, ijo8-i8jo^^
(Bucuresci, 1903 ff. Tomul I, 1503-17 16) promises to
be a most valuable contribution. It is chronologically
arranged with descriptive entries. G. Bengesco's Bibli-
0 graphic Franco-Roumaine du XI Xe siecle (Bruxelles,
1895. 218 pp. To 1893) will be useful especially to
readers of Western European languages.

A. THE SLOVENIANS

Scattered as the Slovenians are in Carinthia, Carniola,
Styria, and Istria, all lands which belong to the Haps-
burgs, it is not easy to expect general bibliographies
when the government has no desire to encourage them.
The first systematic survey of Slovenian bibliography
proper was published by M. Cop in 1831.'^ For a long
while P. Safafik's Geschichte der siidslavischen Liter atur
(Prag, 1864. Vol. I, pp. iii-iv), which contains a bibli-
ography of Old-Slovenian bibliographies, was the only
contribution after Cop's to Slovenian bibliography.
Until the pubHcation of F. Simonic's bibliography, it
was necessary to consult the leading publication of the
Slovenska Malice,'^'' namely the Letopis Malice Slovenske^^

95 Bibliography of Old (or Ancient) Rumania.

^ See the preface to SimoniC, F. Slovenska Bibliografia. Laybach,
1903-1905.

97 The Slovenian Mother.

98 Chronicle of the Slovenian Mother. Much valuable material may be
found in the Ljublanski Zvon. Laybach, 1881 ff., and in the Kres. V. Celovici,
1881 ff.

30 Bibliographical Society of America

(Laybach, 1869 ff.)- A decade ago, however, F. Simonic
completed the first volume of his Slovenska Bibliografia^^
(Laybach, 1903-1905), and this has superseded all that
have gone before it. It consists of works in Slovenian
alone and is arranged alphabetically. It covers the
period from 1550 to 1900. The Zbornik Slovenske
Malice (Laybach, especially 1906 £f.) has published addi-
tions to, and continuations of, this work from time to time.

Slovenian ethnology for the years 1 898-1 904 may be
found in J. Slebinger's Bibliographie der slowenischen
Volkskunde, i8g8-igo4 (Zeilschrifl fur Osterr. Volkskunde.
Jahrg. X, 243-247).

If we turn to the provinces in which the Slovenians
live, we find a number of very useful bibliographies, even
though they contain, by contrast to Simonic's work,
materials almost wholly in German. For Carinthia,
there is T. Strastil von Strassenheim's Bibliographie der
im Herzogthume Kdrnlen bis igio erschienenen Druck-
schriften (Klagenfurt, 1912. 116 pp.). For Styria, there
exist three valuable bibliographies, two by A. Schlossar,
Bibliolheca Historico-Geographica: Die Liter alur der
Steiermark in historischer, geographischer und ethnographi-
scher Beziehung (Graz, 1886. 170 pp.), and Die Litera-
tur der Steiermark in Bezug auf Geschichte, Landes-
und Volkskunde; ein Beitrag zur osterreichischen Biblio-
graphie (2e. Aufl. Graz, 1914); and one by J. Zahn,
Styriaca; Gedrucktes und Ungedrucktes zur Sleiermdrki-
schen Geschichte und Kultur geschichte (Graz, 1894-1905.

9» Slovenian Bibliography.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 31

3 B.), These works are on the whole well classified.
C. Combi's Saggio di bibliografia istriana (Capodistria,
1864. 484 pp.) is a valuable bibliography of Istria.

Besides the periodicals in Slovenian already men-
tioned, there are a number of periodicals in German of
considerable importance."" These will be found val-
uable for current bibliography.

B. THE SERBO-CROATIANS

Bibliography relating to the Serbo-Croatians is very
unsatisfactory. There is no standard bibliography for
both Serbians and Croatians or for either. The mis-
cellaneous bibliographical guides which exist must be
fitted patiently together, but always with a feeling that
the work is imperfect and that many an important work
may be omitted. Except in the case of Dalmatia and
Friuli, none are scientifically constructed. They resemble
booksellers' catalogues more than anything else.

Those who wish bibliographies of Old-Serbian should
consult P. Safafik's Geschichte der siidslavischen Liter atur'^"'-

100 Yox Carniola and Carinthia there are : Mitteilungen des Geschichisvereins
fur Kdrnten. Klagenfurt, 181 1 ff.; Mitteilungen des historischen Vereins fur
Krain. Klagenfurt, 1848-68; Archiv fiir vaterldndische Geschichte und Topo-
graphie. Klagenfurt, 1849-1900; Mitteilungen des Museahereins fur Krain.
Klagenfurt, 1866-1907 (since 1908 under the title of ZeilschriftfUr Heimatkunde).
For Styria there are: Steiermdrkische Zeitschrift. Graz, 1821-1834. 3 vols. Neue
Folge, 5 vols.; Steiermdrkische Geschichtsquellen. Graz, 1864-1870 (continued
by Beitrdge zur Erforschung Steierischer Geschichte. Graz, 1870 ff.); Mittei-
lungen des historischen Vereins fiir Steirermark. Graz, 1850-1902; Beitrdge
zur Kunde Steiermdrkischer Geschichtsquellen. Graz, 1864 ff. Both were
superseded by Steierische Zeitschrift fiir Geschichte. Graz, 1903 ff.

"' See Vol. Ill, Abth. II, pp. xii-xiii. The bibUography of Illyrian
bibliographies may be found in Vol. II, Abth. II, pp. ii-iv.

32 Bibliographical Society of America

already mentioned. The standard Serbian bibliography
is that of S. Novakovich published under the title of
Srpska Bibliografija za Noviju Knjizhevnost^°^ (Belgrade)
1869), It is arranged chronologically, but there are
author and subject indexes. There have been additions
to it by Novakovich down to 1875 and by others after
that date in the Serbian periodicals, the Glasnik,^"^
the Spomemk,^°^ and the Glas. M. Stayic published
two booksellers' catalogues of Serbian books which, in
view of the lack of careful, recent bibliographies, are
useful.^s

Readers of Western European languages may find
much valuable material ir J. Ivanich's, /'li de Biblio-
graphie frangaise, anglaise, et allemande sur la Serbie
et les Serbes (London, 1907. 35 pp.) and in N. Petro-
vich's Essai de Bibliographie franqaise sur les Serbes et
les Croates, 1 544-1 goo (Belgrade, 1900). They are ar-
ranged according to dates of publication and are excel-
lent within the limits which have been set for them by
their compilers. The index in each case, however, is
entirely inadequate.

"" Serbian Bibliography of Modern Literature.

'"J See Glasnik. Srpskoi uchenoe druzhstva. Belgrade, 1865 ff. Nos. 59, 6r.

"I Spomenik. Belgrade, 1890 ff. Vol. XXVII. Zhivalevich, D. A. Serbian
and Croatian Bibliography for the Year iSgj. Belgrade, 1895. Title in Serbian.
For 1895 see Stayic, M. Katalog Knjiga Srpske Knjizhevnosti za igo^ God.
Belgrade, 1905. 410 pp.

^"^ Katalog srpskikh Knjiga. Belgrade, 1897. 248 pp.; Glavni Katalog
Tselokupne Knjizhevnosti. Belgrade, 1912. (The latter has the following
French title: Catalogue generate de toute la Litteratiire serbe.)

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 33

Purely Croatian bibliography is to be found in I.

Kukuljevic Sackinski's Bibliografia Hrvatska^"^ (Agram,
i860. I vol. 233 pp. No more published. Dodatek-
Supplement, ibid. 1863). This bibliography is now inade-
quate, although in i860 it was a decided step forward.
V. Gaj's Knjiznica Gajeva (Zagreb, 1875. 210 pp.),
a little bibliography or catalogue of his father's library,
is very limited in scope. There appears to have been
no worthy effort to take care bibliographically of the
Croatian literature which has appeared in the half-
century since. The best approach to Croatian historical
bibliography is to be found in the historiographies of
F. Racki crthrvalske ^Historiografie,^"'' i8jj-i88j
(Jugoslavenska Akad. Rad. Vol. LXXX, 1886) and J.
Mai Neuere kroatische Historiographie) Zeitschrift f.
osteuropdische Geschichte. B. IV. Heft 2. Berlin, 1913).
When we turn to the bibliography of Dalmatia,
Montenegro, and the Adriatic Coast, we find the excel-
lent bibliographical works of G. Valentinelli. In his
various bibliographies of Dalmatia, Montenegro, and
Friuli, Valentinelli not only furnishes a wealth of mate-
rial neatly classified and annotated, but creates a standard
which is extremely high for Balkan bibliography. His
important bibliographical works are: BibliograHa della
Dalmazia e del Montenegro (Zagrabia, 1855. 339 pp.),

'°* Croatian Bibliography. Both the bibliography and its supplement are
divided into three divisions; into books printed in Glagolitic, in Cyrillic, and
in Latin script. The divisions are arranged alphabetically by authors.

"^ Sketch of Croatian Historiography.

34 Bibliographical Society of America

Supplementi al Saggio hihliographico della Dalmazia e del
Montenegro {ibid., 1856), and Bibliografia del Friuli
(Venezia, 1861. 540 pp.)."^ These may be supple-
mented by C. Tondini's Notice sur la Bibliographie du
Montenegro (Paris, 1889), by M. Dragovich's Pokushaj
za Bibliografiji Tsrne Gore^°^ (Cettigne, 1892), and by
A. Tenneroni's Per la Bibliografia de Montettegro (2d ed.
Roma, 1896). This field of Southern Slavic bibliography
should have been better followed up after the excellent
start made by Valentinelli more than fifty years ago.

Good guides to current Serbo-Croatian bibliography
have as yet to be founded.""

C. THE BULGARIANS

Bulgarian bibliography dates from the middle of the
last century. In spite of the fact that it is so recent, it
is nevertheless, by the very nature of its subject, very
scattered. This has, in part, been due to the history of
the Bulgarian people, whose early glory had long been
forgotten by the people of Europe and who had not even
been recognized as Slavs by their own kinsmen until well

"* His less important works are: Bibliografia Dalmazia. Tratta da'
codici della Marciana di Venezia. Venezia, 1845. 45 PP; and Specimen Bib-
liographicum de Dalmatia et Agro Labeatium. Venetiis, 1842.

109 Attempt at a Bibliography of Montenegro.

""The Serbsko-dalmatinski Magazin. Carlstadt, etc., 1836-1851. 16 vols.,
contained items in current bibliography. The publications of the Royal
Serbian Academy: Sbornik za Istoriju, etc., 19025.; the Glasnik, 1847-1863
(17 vols.) and 1868-1883; the Glas; and the Ljetopis Matitse Srpske aXi.con\.a.m.
material which may be considered current bibhography. The Ljetopis and
Sbornik of the Jugo-Slavenska Akademia u Zagrebu should also be consulted.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 35

down into the nineteenth century. The first printed
book in Bulgarian dates from 1806, the first Bulgarian
periodical from 1844, and the first work on Bulgarian
bibliography from 1852. Nevertheless, of all the Balkan
Slavs, the Bulgarians have made the greatest strides in
bibliographical science.'"

Until C. Jirecek, the distinguished Bohemian scholar,
compiled his work on Bulgarian literature under the
title of Knigopis NovoVHgarskata Knizhnina, 1806-
iSyo^^^ (Viena, 1872), there did not exist a Bulgarian
bibliography worthy of the name. This was the first
important step in that direction. A work which was
scientifically constructed and which carried Bulgarian
bibliography from 1641 to 1877 was compiled by A.
Teodorov-Balan in his B^^lgarski Knigopis"^ (Sofia, 1893).
These two works were superseded by the latter's bulky,
synthetic bibliography B"lgarski Knigopis za Sto Godini""^
(Sofia, 1909. 1667 pp.)- This huge volume covers
Bulgarian bibliography from 1806 to 1905 and was

"' For an excellent account of Bulgarian bibliography see Mikhov, N.V.
(Michoff , N.V.) L'Histoire et I'Etat actuel de la Bibliographie Bulgare. (Extrait
de Bulletin de I'Institut international de Bibliographie. XVe annee [1910].
Bnixelles. pp. 247-253. no. 41.)

'" Bibliography of Modern Bulgarian Literature. This work contains
an author catalogue with an alphabetical subject index.

"•5 Corrected and supplemented by S. Argyrov, N. Nachov, and J. Kermid-
shiev. See the Periodichesko Spisane na B"lgarskoto Knizhovno Druzhestvo.
Braila, etc., 187 1 ff., especially after 1894. Teodorov-Balan's bibliography is
arranged under four subdivisions: (i) by subjects; (2) by date of publication;
(3) by place of publication; (4) by language of the original work.

"■» Bulgarian BibUography of a Hundred Years. It contains 15,258 items.

36 Bibliographical Society of Ainerica

published under the auspices of the Bulgarian Scientific
Society. In spite of the fact that many lacunae are said
to exist in this work, Teodorov-Balan's contribution will
remain the standard Bulgarian bibliography for years
to come. Unfortunately, it lacks an index of subjects
broad enough to include all its precious items.

I. P. Kepov"^ has published a bibliography useful
for students of history, and N. Mikhov has compiled two
handy little bibliographies especially useful to Western
readers under the titles: Bihliographie de la Turquie,
de la Bulgarie et de la Macedoine. Notice (Sophie, 1908.
2. piece, 19 13), and Les Sources bibliographiques sur
VHistoire de la Turquie et de la Bulgarie (Sofia, 19 14.
119 pp.). J. G. Kersopulov's Essai de Bihliographie
Franco-bulgare, i6ij-igio (Paris, 191 2. 67 pp. Extrait
de la Rev. d. Bibliotheques , Nos. 7, 8, 9. Juillet-Sept.,
191 1) contains much useful material. A host of other
scholars in many fields of activity have assisted in round-
ing out Bulgarian bibliography, but they are too numerous
to mention here."**

The best current Bulgarian bibliography is to be
found in the Bibliograficheski Biuletin^^'' (Narodna BibHo-
theka. Sofia, 1897 ff.) published by the National Library

"s See Mikhov, N. L'Histoire et VEtat aduel dc la Bibliographie bulgare,
op. cit. The Bulgarian title of Kepov's work was not accessible to the
writer.

"* See Mikhov, N. L'Histoire et VEtat aduel de la Bibliographie bulgare,
op. cit.

"1 Bibliographical Bulletin. The same institution also publishes the
Annuaire de la Bibliotheque nationale.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 37

at Sofia. The catalogues and other pubHcations of this
institution may also be found useful.

Bulgarian periodicals may be found enumerated in
the works of J. Ivanov and S. Bobchev. Ivanov made
a distinctly valuable contribution to Bulgarian bibli-
ography in his B" I gar ski Periodic heski Pechat"^ 1844-
i8go (Sofia, 1893. Tom. I. 587 pp.). This work is
arranged under three heads: (i) chronological; (2) bio-
graphical (i.e., notices about editors); and (3) commen-
tary (giving the name of each periodical). Another
important work, although more a memoir than a bibli-
ography, is that of Bobchev. It is A Review {i844-i8g4)
(Philippople, 1894. 116 pp. Bulgarian) written in cele-
bration of the fiftieth anniversary of Bulgarian periodical
history. An attempt by Teodorov-Balan and Nicolaiev
to found a guide to periodical literature failed in 1905
after a year of activity. In 19 10 another was begun at
Plevna. Its fate, however, is unknown to the writer.

D. THE MACEDONIANS

It is not necessary for a bibliographer to enter the
lists in the long and acrimonious controversy as to what
branch of the prolific Slavic race the Macedonians belong.
It is his duty, however, to collect the materials which have
made this controversy the cause of much strife. D.
Matov has compiled a bibliography of Macedonian
ethnography in his work entitled Knigopis po Etnograf'iiata
na Makedoniia"^ (B"lgarski Preglad'. Sofia, 1897. Kn'.

"* The Bulgarian Periodical Press.

"9 Bibliography of Ethnography in Macedonia.

38 Bibliographical Society of America

V-VI). It contains works in French, German, Serbian,
Bulgarian, Russian, Bohemian, Croatian, and Greek.
L. Niederle, in his penetrating work Makedonskd Otdzka^^°
(2d ed. Prague, 1903), has prepared a very handy and
critical bibliography of that thorny polemic.

Along with bibliographies on Macedonia, it may be
helpful to glance at Albanian bibliographies because the
two former Turkish provinces have had a common his-
tory for ages. The German compilation Albanesische
Bibliographie (Wien, 1909. 143 pp.) prepared by F.
Mamek, G. Pekmezi, and A. Stotz contains in addi-
tion a small bibliography of Albanian bibliographies.
E. Legrand's Bibliographie Albanaise (Paris, 1913) is
arranged by dates of publication and contains a small
index of subjects and authors together with comments.

It is hoped that the network of bibliographies con-
structed above will be sufficient to catch the important
contributions, whether retrospective or current, in the
field of Slavic history, languages, and literatures. For the
librarian, it may serve as the first step in the building
up of a well-rounded Slavic collection.

After all, it is to the librarian that the scholar and the
interested public must turn, for he alone can prepare us
to assume the task of responsible and impartial scholar-
ship so lately conferred upon us. Nor is our desire to
increase the bibliographical resources of this field in

"" The Macedonian Question.

The Foundations of Slavic Bibliography 39

America wholly an idealistic one. Besides the duty to
science in all its manifold ramifications, there lies the
further practical need that the American should study
possible fields for his future economic activity. For this
Slavic Europe still offers virgin opportunities in many
ways. Thus science and material advance may go hand
in hand.

A witty man once remarked that in ancient times
nations hated each other because they did not know each
other, but that now they hate each other because they
know each other too well. Let us hope that, as Anglo-
Saxon America comes to know Slavic Europe better, this
little saying may be emphatically contradicted.

SOME SCANDINAVIAN BIBLIOGRAPHERS
AND THEIR WORKS

I. HJALMAR PETTERSEN AND THE BIBLIOTHECA

NORVEGICA

Hjalmar Marius Pettersen was born January 13, 1856. After
taking his final degree (Candidatus Magisterii) at the University
of Christiania in 1882, he became in 1887 an amanuensis in the
University Library.

Hjalmar Pettersen's bibliographical interests must have been
aroused at the very outset of his career, for already in 1890 ap-
peared his "Anonymer og Pseudonymer i den Norske Literatur,
1678-1890." This work, although an important link in the many
attempts, more or less successful, to lay bare the mysteries of the
anonymous and pseudonymous literature of the world, is not the
work on which his reputation as a bibliographer will rest. By
far the most important of his contributions to bibUography is
the Bibliolheca Norvegica.

It is fairly safe to assume that an undertaking so vast and
comprehensive, and setting withal so high a standard of excellence
as this monumental work, would here in America be an impos-
sibility, without the support of the federal government, the
Carnegie Institution, or other foundation, or the private benefac-
tion of a Morgan or a Huntington.

A person combining the necessary qualifications of scholarly,
bibUographic, and technical training, patience, and stamina, with
private means and the necessary leisure to pursue investigations at
the great book centers, particularly the national libraries of Europe,
is not likely to make his appearance in our civilization for some time
to come.

Hjalmar Pettersen seems to possess most of the above-
mentioned qualifications and advantages, with a number of others

Some Scandinavian Bibliographers and Their Works 41

not mentioned. He is a splendid linguist, a man of broad and
thorough scholarship, a bibliographer of lifelong training, and an
indefatigable worker. At his delightful home at Bygdo, near
Christiania, he has collected one of the finest private libraries of
Northern Europe, and he has been able to spend much time at
the great national libraries, notably the British Museum. As a
result, there have appeared so far three volumes of what promises
to be one of the greatest achievements in the field of national
bibhography yet accompHshed by any single bibliographer.

"Norsk Forfatterlexikon, 18 14- 1880," which J. B. Halvorsen
at the time of his death in February, 1900, had carried almost
single-handed well into its fifth volume and which Dr. H. Koht,
now professor of history at the University of Christiania, carried
to a successful conclusion, seemed at the time a monument of
industry, of bibliographical erudition and skill, not likely soon
to be equaled. The Bibliotheca Norvegica, to judge by the three
great quartos so far pubUshed, promises to set, if possible, a still
higher mark.

In the introductions to the three volumes which have appeared
the author has not stated definitely the exact scope of his under-
taking. So far as the work has progressed, however, this is indi-
cated by the titles.

In Volume I, 1899-1908, he aims to present a "Descriptive
Catalogue of Books Printed in Norway, 1643-1813." In Volume
II, Parts I-II, 1908, he attacks the rather formidable problem of
collecting books and papers relative to Norway and the Norwegians
which have appeared in foreign literature. In Volume III, Part I,
191 1, nothing daunted by the enormous amount of labor which
must have gone into the preceding volumes, he begins what must
prove to be a still greater undertaking — the compilation of
a descriptive catalogue of the works of Norwegian authors prior
to 1814.

At first blush it would seem that the author is here entering
upon a task which he has already in part covered (cf. Volume I,

42 Bibliographical Society of America

Books Printed in Norway, 1643-1813). To appreciate the
underlying reasons for this apparent duplication, one must
know something of conditions of life and the status of the
printing press in Norway during the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries.

As stated. Volume I contains a "Descriptive Catalogue of
Books Printed in Norway, 1643-1813," that is to say, from the
introduction of printing in Norway to its separation from Denmark.
It may seem strange that the first printing to be done in Norway
should be that traced to the itinerant Danish printer, Tyge Nielsen,
who in 1643 paid a brief visit to Christiania and of whose activity
in that year three small pamphlets remain as witnesses. Even in
distant Iceland, books had been printed half a century before this.
Why Norway should be so far behind the other Scandinavian
countries in this respect is attributed by the author to various
reasons, chief among which is the circumstance that the few writers
whom the country could boast at the time looked to Copenhagen
as the administrative and intellectual center of the United King-
dom. Visits to that city were facilitated by the fact that it was a
natural stopping-place for the learned on their way to and from the
universities and other intellectual centers located farther to the
southward. It was accordingly a matter of convenience for them
to have their works printed in Copenhagen.

Not until 1650 did Christiania, the capital, receive its first resi-
dent printer. This was Valentin Kuhn. Christiania was the only
city to boast a press until 1683, when Fredrikshald received one.
Bergen followed in 1729, and Trondhjem in 1739.

From the above mentioned it will be readily seen therefore
that the titles listed in Volume I form by no means a fair repre-
sentation of the literary activity of Norwegian writers prior to
the union with Sweden.

The "Descriptive Catalogue of Books Printed in Norway
1643-1813 " is divided into two main parts — one for books, another
for verses and poems written for special occasions.

Some Scandinavian Bibliographers and Their Works 43

In Part I the titles of books are reproduced with the most
minute bibhographical accuracy. The titles in Part II have for
reasons of space been somewhat curtailed. Important articles
appearing in newspapers which Mr. Pettersen had at one time
planned to cover, he has been forced to omit.

It was a happy idea on his part to include in the entries,
wherever possible, an indication of the author's profession and to
add to this the dates of his birth and death. These biographical
data are naturally of great importance and will be appreciated
by writers and investigators interested in this period of Norway's
literary and intellectual history.

The arrangement of the titles is alphabetical by authors'
names. Under each author, titles are usually placed in chrono-
logical order. In his treatment of anonymous books, Mr. Petter-
sen shows the influence of the British Museum Catalogue of
Printed Books and the system of cataloguing instructions prevail-
ing in German universities, rather than the plan agreed on by the
American and British Library Associations, based largely on Bar-
bier's practice of entering uniformly under the first word not an
article. The fact that a subject index is appended makes the
reason for this adherence to the British Museum plan less obvious.
It has the advantage of bringing together various classes of related
books, e.g.. Hymn Book (Psalmebog), Songs (Sange), with occa-
sional references from the first word when a noun in the nominative
case or a striking word likely to be remembered by the searcher.
Less serviceable does this plan appear under such titles as the last
one on p. 124, the entry word "Forsog," appearing first at the end
of the second line.

In Part II the poems and verses are arranged according to the
subject, usually the name of the person in whose honor they were
written.

Otherwise the customary bibliographical rules are followed.
Books not seen by the author are indicated by an asterisk and the
authority for the title added.

44 Bibliographical Society of America

In the second volume, "Norway and the Norwegians in Foreign
Literature," the compiler presents, in 566 pages preceded by an
author and subject index of 90 pages, three columns to the page,
five thousand items or titles. These he designates as fragments
which he has from time to time collected. An intimation is given
that the two parts may be followed by a third. Even as they now
stand, the five thousand titles, most of them accompanied by
valuable bibliographical and historical notes, form by long odds
the most extensive collection of "Norvegica" as yet brought
together. The subject index contains an indication of the lan-
guage of each title, provided that it is not in Norwegian, Danish,
or Swedish, a feature which will be appreciated particularly by
users of the bibhography not residents of the Scandinavian coun-
tries. A large number of references lead one to articles in periodi-
cals and collections. To facihtate reference in such cases there is
given under each main title of a periodical or collection a full list
of the articles on Norway and the Norwegians contained therein.
(Cf., for instance, "lUustreret Tidende," pp. 213-225.)

In Volume III, "Norwegian Authors before 1814," the author
has entered upon a task no less extensive than that represented by
the preceding volumes. An indication of its magnitude is con-
tained in the last sentence of the introductory note, viz.: "A
separate volume will be devoted solely to Ludvig Holberg." The
first part of Volume III, published in 191 1, contains 1,986 entries,
preceded by an author index of 54 pages, two columns to the page.
Here again the author's annotations greatly enhance the value of
the work.

It is to be hoped that Mr. Pettersen will find time and strength
to carry out some of his plans for further investigation along the
lines indicated by the work so far accomplished. Even in its
present incomplete form, the Bibliotheca Norvegica represents a
section of the national bibhography of Norway which no important
library can well be without. Together with Halvorsen and Koht's
Norsk Forfatterlexikon, it answers the questions relative to Nor-

Some Scandinavian Bibliographers and Their Works 45

wegian bibliography which most frequently confront librarians
and bibliographers. In this respect it is for Norway what Bruun's
Bibliotheca Danica is for Denmark. It is, however, even more
comprehensive and exhaustive than the Danish national bibliog-
raphy, and will, if completed, not only place Norway in the very
foremost rank with respect to a thorough representation of the
literary activity of Norwegian authors, but will furnish the fullest
and most accurate data as to what writers of other countries and
nations may have had to say about Norway and the Norwegians.

J. C. M. Hanson

University of Chicago

SEMIANNUAL MEETING OF THE BIBLIO-

GRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

IN CHICAGO, DECEMBER 31, 1915

A small, but select circle of members assembled at the call of
the President in a room of the LaSalle Hotel where the various
midwinter meetings of the group of library organizations had
assembled during the last three days of the year. The program
of the evening consisted of a paper on "The Foundations of Slavic
Bibliography," by Dr. Robert Joseph Kerner, of the University
of Missouri, and a paper on "Indexes," which had been sent in
by Mr. Harry Lyman Koopman, the Librarian of Brown Uni-
versity. Dr. Kerner's paper' proved to be a most important con-
tribution to the science of Bibliography, not only on account of
the subject which is practically unknown among American
librarians and bibliographers, but because of the thoroughly
scholarly and yet interesting way in which it was presented, and
its peculiarly international setting. The discussion that followed,
if it might be called discussion, was confined to expressions of
appreciation.

Mr. Koopman's paper^ dealt with the subject of indexes from
the point of view of the maker, the reader, and the printer.
It contained numerous references, both humorous and otherwise,
to blunders and excellences of index makers. "There are two
great classes of indexes," he said, " those which point at something
and those which point out something. In the first kind, after the
subject word, only the page number is given; in the second an
indication is given of what is to be found on the page about the
topic. In the latter case the reader or searcher sees at a glance

' See pp. 1-39 above.

2 Published in the Printing Art, Vol. XXVI, pp. 373-79. January, 1916.

Chicago Meeting of Bibliographical Society 47

whether or not what he wants is on the page; in the other case
he must turn to every page until he finds, or learns that he cannot
find, the reference for which he is seeking." Two definite examples
of these two kinds of indexes were given, both histories of Brown
University, the one exemplifying the index pointing out something
being by Dr. Reuben A. Guild, "who used to boast with pardon-
able pride that his was a librarian's index." In discussing Mr.
Koopman's paper several of those present related their experiences
with indexes, mostly of the blundering kind.

After this a discussion took place about the feasibility of the
Society undertaking on a co-operative basis the compilation of a
new "Petzholdt," a subject which has been under consideration
several times. Mr. Josephson who opened the discussion suggested
that the printed cards of the Library of Congress and the John
Crerar Library might be used as a basis, arranged alphabetically,
and sent on the circuit to a number of the larger libraries of the
country, both for additional titles and for indication of such of
the materials already reported as might be on their shelves. Of
course, care must be taken to include important items not found
in any of the co-operating libraries. A complete bibliography of
bibhographies was not suggested, but a selection of the important
and not superseded works. It was thought by those present at
the meeting that they would hardly be competent to take any
action, and furthermore, that the matter might be presented more
fully at the forthcoming annual meeting.

REVIEWS AND NOTES

The Catalogue of the John Boyd Thatcher Collection of Incu-
nabula,^ now deposited in the Library of Congress, discloses the
contents of an important collection of early printed books and a
valuable addition is made to the all too small number of catalogues
of incunabula collections in this country. The Thatcher collec-
tion being now on deposit in the Library of Congress, the books
it contains are made available to students. It would be interest-
ing to make an analysis of the subjects of which the 840 volumes
in the collection treat. A casual examination of 68 titles reveals
40 works on theology, 5 volumes of classical authors, i of neo-
Latin poetry, i book on oratory, 4 historical works, 4 philosophical,
4 medical, 2 works dealing with scientific subjects, 2 with mythol-
ogy, 3 with law, and i encyclopedic work. That theology should
prevail is, of course, natural, especially as the object of Mr.
Thatcher was not to collect books on the subjects that particularly
interested him, such as history, but to gather together examples
of the work of as many printing offices from the first half-century
of printing as possible. In this he succeeded remarkably well,
as is shown by the ten and a half pages of index to printers that
the editor of the catalogue has compiled. Mr. Ashley has wisely
refrained from collating with minuteness all the books in the collec-
tion and confined himself to give full descriptions of such books
as have not been described elsewhere, and of which the Thatcher
collection seems to contain quite a number. For the rest, enough
is given to identify each book, with references to authorities.
Much care has rightly been given to describing the copy in hand,
including occasional notes on fly-leaves in Mr. Thatcher's own

' Library of Congress: Catalogue of the John Boyd Thatcher Collection of
Incunabula. Compiled by Frederick W. Ashley, Chief of the Order Division.
Washington: Government Printing Office, 1915.

Reviews and Notes 49

hand. Former owners are mentioned, but no index to these has
been given, as might easily have been done.

Another collection made with somewhat similar purpose but
on a much smaller scale is that formed by the late William Loring
Andrews and in 1894 presented by him to the Library of Yale
University.^ It consists of 2 manuscripts and 36 printed books
dating from 1462 to 1554. The collector's object was to bring
together a series of books to illustrate the development of printing
during the first century after the invention of the art. Of this collec-
tion Mr. Addison Van Name, Ubrarian emeritus of the university,
has prepared a most interesting and instructive catalogue. The
books form, says the author, "a selection rather than a collection,
not large but wisely chosen, and no less attractive than instructive."
So also is the catalogue, both attractive and instructive. Mr. Van
Name has really produced a model for a catalogue of a pedagogical
collection of specimens of printing. For each item he gives first
the title with such additional textual description as is required,
then, in non-technical language the collation followed by a bib-
liographical and literary account of the book and the personal
history of the copy in hand. The pedagogical purpose of the
catalogue is plainly set forth by the author in what he says of the
collection itself, i.e., that while it is its main office "to set before
the students of the University as a whole the more general features
of the art of the early printer, a further service which it is prepared
to render must not be overlooked. To such as are prompted to
go into the subject more deeply it offers an excellent body of the
original material upon which any serious study must of necessity
be based." This is just as true of the guide to the collection which
Mr. Van Name has produced. If there is any body of students
that should feel it particularly incumbent on them to go more

^ Catalogue of the William Loring Andrews Collection of Eariy Books
in the Library of Yale University. New Haven: Yale University Press,
MCMXIII.

50 BiUiograpkical Society of America

deeply than others into this study, it is those who intend to take
up librarianship as their life-work. Every library school should
possess a collection, or selection of books illustrating early printing
described in a guide-catalogue such as Mr. Van Name has produced
for these books.

From Revista de Bibliografia Chilena the editor has received
a copy of Ramon E. Laval's Bibliografia de Bibliografias Chilenas,
Santiago de Chile, 191 5. It is an alphabetical list of 358 titles,
presented in such a way as to give a veritable history of the bib-
liographical endeavor of the country. As the author points out
in his introduction, few countries are able to make such a showing
in this field as Chile, considering that the art of printing was not
introduced there until 1803, nor can many countries count among
their bibliographers men like don Jose Toribio Medina who is
represented in the present bibliography by not less than 56 num-
bers, mostly of considerable compass. There is an index of names,
but not of subjects unless they be personal and therefore included

in the name index.

A. G. S. J.

The material for a list of incunabula in American libraries,
which was compiled by Mr. John Thomson, librarian of the
Free Library of Philadelphia, has been transferred from the
Newberry Library in Chicago to the Widener Memorial Library
of Harvard College. Mr. G. P. Winship has undertaken the care
of this material, and will endeavor to answer any reasonable
inquiries concerning the information contained in it. Mr. Winship
hopes to submit to the Society at an early date a report on the
present condition of the list, with suggestions for its publication.

The Papers of the

Bibliographical Society

of A

merica

VOLUME TEN, NUMBER 2
APRIL. 1916

Edited by

THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON
JAMES C. M. HANSON
THEODORE W. KOCH

The Society does not hold itself responsible for opinions
expressed by contributors of papers

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO. ILLINOIS

Agents

THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, London and Edinburgh

THE MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto

KARL W. HIERSEMANN. Leipzig

THE MISSION BOOK COMPANY. Shanghai

THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY, New York

THE CUNNINGHAM. CURTIS & WELCH COMPANY. Los Angeles

400 copies printed

Composed and Printed By

The University ol Chicago Press

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

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CONRAD GESNER

(1516-1565)

THE FATHER OF BIBLIOGRAPHY

AN APPRECIATION

BY J. CHRISTIAN BAY

"0 bibliographorum quicquid est, assurgite huic tarn
colendo nominil" — F. A. Ebert {Allg. Bibl. Lex., I [1821],

673)-

•T^HE noble art of describing a useful and beautiful book
"*• fully and adequately is recognized as one of the
necessary elements in a librarian's education. It is a
noble art because its perfection rests within an unattain-
able ideal. Considered as necessary work in the interest
of humanity and general enhghtenment, bibliography
gains ground as the years pass. Times and conditions
might be pointed out when bibhographers were tolerated.
But to the person fortunate enough to possess the sacred
fire of the art, his work is its own reward, and he blesses
the men, living and dead, who kindled the spark within
him. This is true even more of the art of bibhographical
compilation, or the recording of sources of study in the
interest of students and librarians. Let it be said openly:
It is its own reward!

The ideal view of a chosen art and its attendant
work is bound at least to prevail over every temporary
53

24 Bibliographical Society of America

and incidental theory by which it is practiced. The
medical man who studies his cases with his mind sincerely
absorbed by their scientific aspects and the thought of
preserving health and life, is bound to succeed in the
highest sense, as is anybody else in whose life-work an
avocation submits to a vocational ideal.

In the present era of social chaos and shifting views
the bibhographer will commemorate with some such senti-
ment the quadricentennium of the birth of Conrad Gesner,
the founder and father of the art we recognize as ours. In
his Hfe and work we find not only those very traits of free
idealism and faithful appHcation which ever and again
mark the work we admire the most, but also the incentive
to strive for the ideal he saw. He held no official position
in botanical work, yet he confessed the purpose of visiting
every year one of the mountains of his lovely Switzerland,
preferably at the time when the native plants bloomed,
in order to study the locality thoroughly. He was by
temperament and education a scientist, with scant
regard for dilettantic effort; yet in his autobiography,
printed in his Bihliotheca universalis, he pronounces a
principle good enough for any bibhographer in any age:
nullus enim liber tarn malus est quin aliquando conducat
aliqua ex parte, quod etiam Plinius visum est.

Phnius was the first humanist. Gesner belonged to a
period in the history of science distinguished for magnifi-
cent scholarship and elaborate method. His period of
development and maturity was the ripening period of
the Reformation. It was no rare occurrence that a

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 55

man made himself master of the essentials of all knowl-
edge thus far accumulated. But wisdom is one thing,
knowledge is another; — there is still another attribute
necessary to induce progress, namely, ingenium. Gesner
had that peculiar ingenium which marshals both wisdom
and knowledge and, incidentally, the s>Tnpathy of man-
kind. It is impersonal, yet it always makes a personal
appeal. It is a power which cannot be evolved by
teaching. It is that sane adaptation of knowledge and
learning to actual purposes in the work of mankind,
which belongs inseparably to the true humanistic spirit
of all ages, and was one of the most refreshing traits in
the men who perfected the Reformation. Whether a
power or a spirit or merely masking as a method, it is
insuperable. There was an ingenium gloriously new and
fresh and active when Gesner's conscious life began. It
emanated from Erasmus Roterodamus, whose hair
had begun to be tinged with gray when Gesner was born.
The world just then was expending its energy in bursting
the chr>'sahs-sac of hermetic mysticism and scholasticism,
and the vision arose of a world alive and active, not
moving mechanically amidst shadows and forms of a dead
past. We still are able to measure that dead past by
countless traditions, some of which are focused clearly
in the person of Dr. Svagmaticus, one of the types de-
scribed by Erasmus. The Doctor is a man of pro-
found learning, a specialist in Ciceronian Latin, who
thinks his flawless classical language will suffer if he
descends to talk with living men and women of his own

56 Bibliographical Society of America

time. He is a fine type of the method which Erasmus
consigned to history.

Humanism meant the recognition of an inner life, of
ever-present problems of an active world, in place of
external magic in thought and word. In science, it
meant the substitution of observation for dogmatic
theorizing. In philosophy, it was exemplified by the
disposition of Erasmus to kiss the leaves of De officiis or De
senectute, rather than to study their variations of linguistic
form. In bibliography, Gesner demonstrated his human-
istic contact by annotating the first general bibhography
which saw the Hght in printed form ! In Gesner's hands,
Plinius, by a new method, was carried fifteen hundred
years forward. It is significant that Gesner, in a letter
dated 1545, addressed to Bonifacius Amerbach, refers
to Desiderius Erasmus "felicis memoriae'^ ; and the signifi-
cance may be personal, for Gesner's remembrance may
have been personal.

So the dawTi of a new age and a ^\'ider view was tinting
the sky over a world burdened -with purposeless erudition
and fettered by impotent endeavor, when Conrad Gesner
saw the light on March 26, 15 16.

He was the son of Ursus Gesner, a furrier in Zurich, and
his wife Agathe Frick.^ Being one of "very many"
children, he was in early childhood placed in the home of
a granduncle, Hans Frick, a minister of the gospel, who
sent the boy to school and inspired him with interest in

' This name given in Gesner's last will.

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 57

botanical occupation. In the brief autobiography printed
in his Bihliotheca, Gesner explains how his early period as a
professor of Greek in Lausanne was terminated on account
of his incUnation toward the art of medicine : cum a puero
ingenium meum in medicinae studium procliva ferretur {ab
infantia enitn educavit me avunculus mens magnus, sacerdos
olim Tiguri, ac in re niedica praesertim herbaria non im-
pertus), etc. As we see, the old story: the best and surest
way of beginning a child's training in knowledge is the
naming of objects in nature; once this key is used, the
eyes are opened, through discussion and description of
living things, to the value and the high satisfaction of
accurate observation and description. Not infrequently
have naturaUsts done acceptable and useful work in
pure bibhography.

Poverty ruled the middle class during the tempestuous
times of Conrad Gesner's boyhood and youth. For three
years the boy, already proficient in the works of Livius,
Virgil, Cicero, Plutarch, Homer, and Aristophanes, found
a home with his teacher of Latin, Professor Johann J.
Amman, who is remembered as a confidential friend of
Erasmus; the Epistolae obscurorum virorum, when first
read by Amman, caused this scholar to laugh so immoder-
ately that a dangerous abscess in his face opened and
healed: an auspicious incident abundantly justified
in the literary history of the Epistolae.

In the battle of Kappel (1531) Zwdngli fell, to whom
Conrad Gesner had applied for assistance in pursuing his
studies, and also Gesner's father, a faithful follower of

58 Bibliographical Society of America

the cause of the Reformed rehgion. An uncle, Andreas
Gesner, was carried from the battlefield with fourteen
wounds, but lived to become the progenitor of the great
Zurich family whose members in later centuries became
known for excellent work in science and art, and adopted
the doubled 5 in the form of its name. Amman himself,
suffering wath his nation, was forced to send the favorite
pupil home to a widowed mother; but another teacher,
Oswald Myconius, found the means of securing for the
boy a home with a friend in Strassburg, and here Conrad
remained for some months, absorbed in studies but
jaded by menial work, poor prospects, and an undecided
future.

His teachers of this period, Amman and Myconius in
Zurich, and Capito in Strassburg, agree in their high
opinion of the young man's talents and application. A
classical scholar, with a tendency toward occupation with
natural history and poly historic pursuits, he was ripe for
that decisive influence which only a really great teacher
can give, only a truly attuned mind receive. An oppor-
tunity came in 1533, when a traveling scholarship was
awarded to Gesner, whereupon he proceeded to France in
the company of Johannes Fries, afterward kno\\Ti as
one of the ablest Latin scholars of his time. In April,
1533, the two young men arrived at Bourges, then the
most famous university in France.

Gesner admits that the great teacher whom he hoped
to find did not appear. But he met a number of young
men of high ideals and studious pursuits, and formed a

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 59

firm friendship wdth Theodor de Beza. The scholarship,
however, was inadequate, and Gesner found it necessary to
resort to teaching private pupils in order to eke out his
meager living. But progress in studies and the acquisition
of culture were obhgatory upon the holder of the scholar-
ship, and for this reason he went to Paris, after a year's
residence in Bourges, and became a free student — or,
rather, obtained that oHum which he needed to read, or
browse, amidst the treasures of the royal library. Years
after, reconsidering this period, he dwells upon it as the
happiest in all his life. He enjoyed a full freedom, was
responsible only to his own high ideal of perfect scholar-
ship, and read, omnivorously, after his own plan, indulging
himself in every fond adventure with books. Probably he
collected data for his Bibliotheca; certainly he laid a
soKd foundation for the phenomenal orientation in all
branches of literature which in later years was exempli-
fied in his writings.

But this pleasant occupation could not last. Toward
the end of the year 1534, owing to indiscretions on the
part of over-eager reformers, the religious tension, caused
by the rise of Protestantism in France, snapped; and
Paris witnessed a violent demonstration against the
adherents of the Reformed church. Gesner was obliged to
effect a speedy retreat to Strassburg, whence he returned
in 1535 to his native city.

The marriage of the young scholar almost immediately
on his return from France, and at the age of but nineteen,
cannot be fully discussed here. So much of Gesner's

6o Bibliographical Society of America

correspondence remains unpublished, and so little evi-
dence exists bearing upon this undoubtedly momentous
incident, that even Hanhart, the author of the only exist-
ing personal biography of Gesner, is ignorant of the wife's
name. In one letter Gesner himself speaks of a provi-
dence, volentem duett, nolentem trahit, but undoubtedly
his marriage interfered with the progress of his academic
career, particularly because his wife seems to have been
frequently ill and suffering, and to have placed him in
serious difficulties. We find him asking the loan of four
gold gulden of his friend Riischeler. It is difficult, also,
to conjecture that the explanation which he advanced to
his patron and former teacher, Myconius, satisfied and
edified any other than himself. He hopes and thinks
that his marriage to a young and beautiful although poor
girl wdll not only cause no interruption in his studies but
act as a wholesome incentive to his mental development;
for, he says, "if she has a bad temper, I shall learn to
exercise patience, and in this respect to earn the reputa-
tion of Socrates; but if she is good, I have deserved
no blame." However this may be, he was assigned
for the time being to serve as teacher in one of the Zurich
schools, permitted to retain his scholarship, and con-
signed to starve "with good cheer, as did many a
scholar, married and unmarried. It is evident from his
few known letters of this period, that Gesner had taken
his fate into his own hands. But his friends remained
faithful. From linguistics and theology his mind turned
toward medicine, remembering probably Epiphanius,

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 6i

who was, in Gesner's opinion, empiricus magis quant
dogmaticus.

In 1537, Gesner, after a protracted stay in Basel,
moved his home to Lausanne, where he had been
appointed to a professorship of Greek in the newly
established academic school. Greek was his favorite
language and a vehicle of culture which he loved through-
out his life. Many of his letters are written in this
language, which he preferred to Latin. His literary
activity began at this time. The period was one which
might well animate a desire to contribute to the spread
of accumulated knowledge. Pubhshing was rapidly
growing into an art and quite easily becoming a profitable
trade. Compends of all kinds were needed to meet the
universal demand for knowledge. Carefully edited, the
classical authors were being made available for the public.
Previously they had been multiplied only by laborious
copying, often incorrectly, of the codices reposing in
public and private collections. Opportunities for printed
communication multiplied fast. In Zurich, the printing
house of Froschauer flourished; from Basel, Froben's
magnificently designed books spread over the whole
civiHzed world. Gesner's first literary work was a Greek
dictionary (1537), but its printing did not satisfy the
compiler. Two other books belong to his Lausanne
period, namely, Enchiridion historiae plantarum (Basil.,
1 541) and Catalogus plantarum (Tiguri, 1541). The
latter was dedicated to his fatherly friend, Amman,
with the sentiment true in all times, that "such is

62 Bibliographical Society of Afnerica

the nature of the spirit yearning toward ideal things,
that while it always tries to penetrate farther, its inner
activity will always appear far more perfect than its
expression in word and writing." The activity indeed,
in Gesner's case, extended over a considerable variety of
subjects, from the substitution of medicinal substances
in practical therapy to the flora of the region of Lausanne.
Much of the result of his work was published, however,
much later.

In Zurich, Gesner's friends were active on his behalf.
Medicine claimed him more and more — it was, as above
mentioned, the ingenium which followed him and claimed
him. So, after having secured at home the necessary' %

funds, he resigned his professorship and proceeded to \

Montpellier, then the center of medical activities in
southern Europe. Here natural history also flourished, f

and it was Gesner's privilege to experience the influence |

of great teachers, men of superior knowledge and mature
accompHshment, such as Laurent Joubert and Guillaume \

Rondelet, and also to form friendly acquaintance with
young men eager for independent activity. Gesner, in all
probability, gave more attention to research than to sys-
tematic study. Instead of attending lectures he explored,
botanically and zoologically, the Mediterranean coast.
He finished his medical studies in Basel, under Torinus
and Singeler, and received the doctorate of medicine in
February, 1541. His main thesis contained, quite in
opposition to Aristotle, the assertion that sensation and
motion are due to nervous activity.

Conrad Gcsner, the Fat Iter of Bibliography 63

From the spring of 1541 Gesner made his home once
more in Zurich, where he was appointed professor of
natural history in the Collegium Carolinum, His wife's
health continued uncertain, and we find him on several
occasions addressing letters to his friends from medicinal
bathing and watering places. But there was now to be
done that work of which he had dreamed and for which he
had made preparation during his years of wandering.
His practice as a physician never was extensive, and
he substituted for it, as a source of income, an immense
activity as a translator and editor of philological and
medical classics. Notable among these is his edition of
the Greek epigrams of Johannes Stobaeus, with a Latin
translation, published by Froschauer in 1543 and re-issued
in Basel in 1549 (the definitive edition), with many
extensions and emendations gained from the use of the
Mendoza codex in Venice. He made the acquaintance
of Mendoza's librarian, Arlenius, during a visit, in
Froschauer's company, to the Leipzig Messe, and after-
ward spent a fruitful month of research in Venice, where
Mendoza's library was opened to him with the greatest
liberality. Another book of this period was a new edi-
tion of his Greek-Latin dictionary of 1537. Its preface
often has been quoted by teachers of the classical lan-
guages, as it contains Gesner's renowned apology for
the usefulness of Greek as a means of culture.

The visit at Venice in the summer of the year 1544
was enjoyed not only by Gesner the linguist but also
by Gesner the naturalist. He collected specimens from

64 Bibliographical Society of America

all three kingdoms of nature. While resuscitating the
silent treasures of Stobaeus — work which was followed by
a somewhat expurgated edition of the old wag Martial's
epigrams — Gesner roved about that famous collecting-
ground, the coast of the Adriatic. He saw the sea.
On his way to the sea he had passed by mountains whose
secrets he did not, and could not, solve. It is a tempta-
tion, here again, to surround Gesner with the spirit of his
times. He collected fossils, at a time when the science
of paleontology did not exist. A century and a quarter
later, another naturalist, Nicolaus Steno, found fossil
shark's teeth in the Appennines, and deduced the history
of the shark on a scientific basis. Gesner's scientific
study was purely empirical. He had grown away from
fancy and had gained a sense of facts. He carried his
observations out of the dark cell of scholastic speculation
and placed them in the light of day, as free facts. Soon
after his return home, and while his mind must have been
almost wholly preoccupied with bibUography and natural
history, he undertook a new edition of Calepinus, the
famous Latin dictionary of that time, to which was added
a most useful compend of typical proper nouns.

Considering all these activities, it seems almost in-
credible that they were merely side-lights to other and
greater work, and pot-boilers in the economy of a man
born with a pen in his hand. Behind and above them
stood another work, one destined to cover Gesner's name
with ineffable honor, because it collected for the first time,

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 65

and preserved for posterity, a faithful record of the Kterary
activities of the first century of printing and publishing:
the Bibliotheca universalis, published by Froschauer in

1545-

It would be interesting to know in some detail the
development of this monumental work in the course of the
years and days of Gesner's life. But no data are found
in such portions of his correspondence as have been
pubhshed. They may exist. The preface suggests some
principles and methods. The work in its complete
form seems sufficient to occupy even a diligent bibliog-
rapher during his entire lifetime. Its first part, the vol-
ume issued in 1545, contains a catalog of authors arranged
alphabetically by given, or first, names, and the works of
each writer are given by short titles and briefly described.
Of the greatest and most lasting value are the critical
remarks and the descriptive evaluation. Unpublished
manuscripts, codices, collections, and even projected but
still unfinished works are quoted or mentioned, so that
each author is represented by his entire literary produc-
tion. The critical notes preserve even to this day the
charm of a kindly spirit and an anxiety to do full justice
to the writer's efforts, in view of his most typical work.
The work reveals even today a broad, benevolent view,
a happy union of Germanic sense of completeness and
Gallic breadth of view. Gesner had not in vain oscillated
between Germany and France during his years of wander-
ing, nor did he deny his national traits, notably the innate
equihbrium of sympathy and judgment typical of the

66 Bibliographical Society of America

Swiss. His annotations deserve the most serious study,
and on the whole the bibHographer of the present day may
well reserve a nook in his memory for the Bibliotheca —
remembering that in library science, as in all other fields
of human effort, there is a red thread which connects all
members of noble lineage; and whoever follows this
thread will be less tempted than others to undertake work
with books in the spirit that no effort of real value has
been made before the advent of the present generation.
Gesner's Bibliotheca, as a literary-bibliographical
apparatus, may be arranged in the following manner:

1. Bibliotheca universalis. 1545. [See facsimile \

7 p. 1., 631 numbered leaves, i 1.

Contains author catalog, alphabetically arranged by forenames.

2. Pandectarum sive partitionum universalium libri XXI, sive
Bibliothecae Tomus II. Tiguri, Froschauer, 1548. fol.

6 P- 1-, 374 numbered leaves, i 1.
Contains a classified arrangement of the contents of the Bibliotheca, and
supplements. Only libri I-XIX were issued; /. XX, reserved for the
subject of Medicine, never was published, /. XXI (Theology) was pub-
lished separately in 1549, and contains an alphabetical index to the
previous parts.

3. Partitiones theologicae, pandectarum universalium liber ultimus.
Tiguri, Froschauer, 1549. fol.

8 p. 1., 157 numbered leaves, [13] leaves.
Contains the subject catalog of Theology.

4. Appendix Bibliothecae Conradi Gesneri. Tiguri, Froschauer,
1555- fol-

8 p. 1., 105 numbered leaves, i 1.
EXTRACTS AND SHORTENED EDITIONS, WITH EMENDATIONS

a) Elenchus scriptorum otnnium .... a C. Gesnero editus,
nunc .... redactus et auctus [per C. Lycosthenes], Basil.,
1551. 4to.

ii'

TS*^

bTbUiothfxa

ViiJuerfalis, (lucCataloausomni^

um faiptonim locupltdffimus.in tribus Iin gius, Ladna, Gnrca, & He*

braica:cxtaiirium&noncxuiinu,uetCTuirf&reccntionim m huncufqi

dtem.dociorum&indoiftorunfi.publicatortim &in Bibliotheas latent

uum. Opus nouum, 8ino Bibliotheas }«ntum publics priuatisucin=

fiituendis nacflariuiti.fcd ftudiofe omnibus cuiufcuncp arus auc

{ucndar adltudia melius fonnanda unliffimum : auiiiore

CONRAD o GESNERO Tigurifco doifioK medico.

TIGVRI A?yD CH.irjTOPHORVM

tTo(<.h<>ncTvai\f)\(cicptciiAn, Ajma
A'. . D , X 1- \ ,

Conrad Gesrier, the Father of Bibliography 67

b) Epitome Bibliothecae Conradi Gesneri. [per J. Simler] Tig.

1555- fol-

Both of these extracts are without importance.

EDITIONS AFTER GESNER'S DEATH

1. Bibliotheca instituta et collecta pritnum a Conrado Gesnero,
deinde in epitomen redacta et locupletata, jam vera postremo
.... aucta per Josiam Simlerum. Tiguri, Froschauer, 1574.
fol.

2. Bibliotheca instituta et collecta primum a Conrado Gesnero, jam
.... amplificata per J. Jac. Frisium. Tiguri, Froschauer,
1583. fol.

Fries's ed. the more complete, Simler's the more correctly
printed.

SUPPLEMENTS

Roberti Constantini Nomenclator insignium scriptorum, quorum libri

extant vel manuscripta vel impressi, ex bibliothecis Galliae et

Angliae, indexque totius bibliothecae atque pandectarum Conradi

Gesneri. Parisiis, Wechel, 1555. 8vo.
Antonii Verderii Supplementum epitomes Bibliothecae Gesnerianae.

Lugd. Batav., Honorati, 1585. fol.
/. Hallervordii Bibliotheca curiosa. 1676. 4to. Title ed., 1687.

4to.
Welschius, G. H., Specimen supplementorum ad Bibliothecam

Gesnero-Simlero-Frisianum In Amsen. lit., ed. Schelhorn, VI,

490-507.
Fabricius, J., Historia Bibliothecae Fabricianae III: 96-106.

It is tempting to quote from Gesner's notes, to demon-
strate by examples how he penetrated bibliographically
the material pertaining to his purpose; how unerringly
he brought to light the typical aspects of each work and
even of each paper of genuine value in the progress of

68 BihUograpJiical Society of America

science and literature. He analyzed his material most
liberally, connecting the things which belonged together,
and sifted the contents of voluminous works in the deftest
manner. Both for its contents and for its method, the
BiUiotheca deserves to be read at least in spots and by
sections: it will reveal a bibliographical skill and perti-
nacity scarcely matched and, alas! hardly attainable in
these later days, when the vast accumulation of printed
records and archivaHa not only serves as, but really is an
excuse for, necessary work being left undone by modem
guardians of books. Yet it would be unjust to conclude
that the brilliant beginning of our art made by Conrad
Gesner has failed to inspire even into our day a spirit of
similar faithfulness — for there is a free-masonry, ever
alive, among us, which admonishes us to observe Ebert's
entreating call: Assurgite huic tarn colendo nomini!
The bibHographical collection of every Hbrary is witness
to the fact, and the viva voce reference service of modern
times strives toward the old, unchangeable ideal.

The pandects possess a special interest not generally
known, in that each book was dedicated to some famous
printer, the dedications mentioning specifically the
books each had produced.

Every bibhographer having had occasion to use the
work will agree with Ebert, Petzholdt, and Brunet that
the compilation of the Bihliotheca is one of the greatest
accomphshments of any one man in the sixteenth century.
Gesner's contemporaries were justly generous in their
recognition of the service rendered by the young author

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 69

to the whole of the world of learning. Count Jacob
Fugger at once invited Gesner to visit him at Augsburg
and wished to retain his services permanently. Nothing
came of this plan, however, except that Gesner borrowed
in Augsburg several codices of Greek writers previously
but imperfectly known, which subsequently were edited
and pubHshed. His skill as an editor of classical texts
was so great that he produced his translations of the first
part of the Melissa of Antonius and Tatianus Assyrius'
Oratio contra Graecos in but a few days. Such occupa-
tion, however, was of a mere temporary and passing inter-
est to Gesner; while collecting and publishing, in 1546,
the prose and poetry of the pure Latinist Antonius
Thylesius, he was in the midst of projecting another
gigantic work, his Eistoria animalium.

Zoology during the time between Plinius and Gesner
is characterized by a bewilderment arising from the
multipHcity of forms. There were then as now collectors,
excursionists, and even faunists, but their efforts were
restricted to the production of lists of descriptive names,
principally of useful and curious animals. The study
of relationships had scarcely begun. Gesner found, as
Linnaeus did in his day, a chaotic accumulation of fact
and fancy. He founded no system, but undertook the
stupendous task of sifting out and arranging the true
knowledge of the animal kingdom thus far available.
But he did not stop here. He extended the knowledge
of each species as far as his time and means permitted.

70 Bibliographical Society of America

He did this at a time when myths and legends even of
objects in nature, if recorded in the literature of ancient
times, were valued far more than any accurate observa-
tions by a contemporary. His Historia animalium
undoubtedly, as Cuvier asserts, must be considered the
beginning of modern zoology : a work in which the subject
is treated on the basis of exact conception of facts. The
mechanical elaboration of the manuscript in itself was
a task of some magnitude, as the printed folio pages
number about 3,500. Gesner also personally prepared
drawings for the illustrations.

The work comprises five parts. In each, the animal
species are arranged alphabetically by name, and the
descriptions are divided uniformly into eight chapters:
the name in all dead and modern languages; the descrip-
tion, morphological and anatomical; geographical range
and habitat; length of life, growth, development, procrea-
tion; diseases; habits and instincts; uses in medicine;
usefulness generally; and finally the place of the animal
in literature and history. In each instance, Gesner
made a careful analysis of all information derived from
ancient and mediaeval sources, criticized and discussed
it, and added what he himself had been able to ascertain,
either by personal observation or through correspondence.
Due credit is given to all sources of information, to every
correspondent, and authenticated facts are verified even
to the locality whence they are recorded. Gesner had
many correspondents. When, in the twelfth book of the
Pandeda, he had summarized the status of zoological

Conrad Gesticr, I he FatJicr of Bibliography 71

knowledge by giving an alphabetical list of the animals
then known, he had sohcited information on the general
subject of natural history from every part of the world,
and a large number of naturalists seem to have responded,
not only by giving information, but also by sending
specimens for identification and description. Naturally,
the animals of Switzerland were treated the most fully,
but all through the five books of zoology is scattered a
wealth of reliable facts and sound information which make
the seemingly superannuated, ponderous tomes interesting
reading even in this day. Many biological observations
later repeated by others and published in good faith as
new can be traced back to Conrad Gesner, and his study
of the linguistic sources of names, and of the evidences
of certain animals in ancient poetry and prose, in prov-
erbs and other popular parlance, still contains a mine of
information which might yield valuable material for
cultural history, comparative linguistics, and semasi-
ology.

Every animal described is represented by an illustra-
tion in woodcut. These figures were for the greater part
original, except in the case of the fishes, where most
illustrations were copied from Rondelet and Belon. As
for the mythical animals, particularly those of the sea,
some have been identified in modern times, such as the
seamonk, which Steenstrup proved beyond doubt identical
with a gigantic decapod cuttle-fish. But mythical and
hypothetical animals are not foreign to present-day
phylogeny !

Biblioi^ra pineal Society of America

The following is the brief bibliographical presentation
of the Historia animaliiim:

Ilistoriae animalium lib. I de quadrupedihus viviparis. Opus
philosophis, medicis, grammaticis, philologis, po'etis of omnibus
rerum linguarumque variarium studiosis utilissimuni simil
jucundissimumque futurum .... Tiguri, Froschauer, 1551.
fol.

1 104 p. and 48 p. variously paged.

.... lib. II de quadrupedihus oviparis. Tig., Frosch., 1554. fol.

110 p. and 27 p. variously paged.

. . . .lib. Ill qui est de avium natura. Tig., Frosch., 1555. fol.

17 1. and 779 p.

. ... lib. Ill qui est de piscium et aquatilium animantium natura,
cum iconibus singulorum ad vivum expressis fere omn. DCCVI.
Continentur .... Guilelmi Rondeletii quoque, et Petri Bellonii
de aquatilium singulis scripta. Tig., Frosch., 1558. fol.

20 1. and 1297 p.

. ... lib. V qui est de serpentum natura; ex variis schedis et col-
lectaneis .... compositus per Jacobum Carronum. Adjecta
est ad calceni scorpionis historia a D. Casparo Wolphio. Tig.,
Frosch., 1587. fol.

6 1., 170 p. and ii 1.

The best and most complete edition. Lib. V is
extremely scarce, being a posthumous publication issued
in a small edition. The whole work is a specimen of
Froschauer's best style, and the woodcuts particularly,
being fresh, clear and sharp in outline, will preserve the
five volumes as one of the memorable typographical
monuments of the sixteenth century.

The Frankfurt editions were published as follows :

Liber I. Francof., Laurentius, 1585. fol. Other issues in 1603
and 1620,

967 p. and 42 p. variously paged.

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 73

Liber II. Ibid., etc., 1586. fol. Another issue in 16 17.

119 p. and 4 p.

Liber III. Ibid., etc., 1585. fol. Another issue in 1617.

732 p. and 33 p. variously paged.

Liber IV. Ibid., etc., 1604. fol. Another issue in 1620.

1052 p. and 30 p.

Liber V. Ibid., etc., 1621. fol.

170 p. and 13 p.

They are good reprints, but typographically inferior
to the originals.

The various reprints published in Heidelberg by
Johannes Lancelot have no special interest.

EDITIONS IN GERMAN

Thierbuch, das ist ein kurtze bschreybung oiler vierfussigen Thieren,
so auff der erde und in wassern wonend, samptjrer war en conter-
factur .... Erstlich durch . . . . D. Cunrat Gessner in
Latin beschriben, yetzunder aber durch D. Cunrat Forer ....
in das Teiltsch gebracht Zurich, Froschauer, 1563. fol.

172 1. and 6 p.

Vogelbuch .... durch Rudolph Heusslein in Teiitsch gebracht.
.... Zurich, Froschauer, 1581. fol.

261 1. and 10 p.

Fischbuch .... durch Cunradt Forer . ... in das Teiitsch ge-
bracht. Zurich, Froschauer, 1575. fol.
Copies exist with illuminated illustrations.

202 1. and g p.
EDITIONS OF ILLUSTRATIONS ARRANGED SYSTEMATICALLY

I cones animalium quadrupedum, quae in historiis animaliumConr.

Gesneri describuntur Tiguri, Froschauer, 1553. fol.

Another edition, augmented, in 1560.

Icones avium. Ibid., etc., 1555. fol. Another edition, aug-
mented, in 1560.

74 BihliograpJiical Society of America

Icones animalium aquatilium. Ibid., etc., 1^60. fol.

Copies exist with illuminated illustrations. The editions were
small, and copies now are very rare. Re-issued in Heidelberg,
1606, but these issues are inferior to the originals.

In 1556, while in the midst of his labor with the works
just mentioned, Gesner published his edition of Aelianus —
a translation from Greek into Latin, with a splendid
apparatus of notes. His subsequent elaboration of his
work, with this codex, was used by Gronovius in his edi-
tion of Aelianus published in London in 1744.

Although pertaining to a later period, Gesner's works in
geology and mineralogy may properly be mentioned here.
His last book pubhshed by his own efforts was : De rerum
fossilium, lapidum, et gemmarum genere, figuris et simili-

tudinibus liber (Tig., 1565, i2mo); it was issued

with a collection of papers of some of his pupils (Joh.
Kentmann, Georg Fabricius) and others (Valerius Cordus)
under the common title: De omni rerum fossilium genere,
gemmis, lapidibus, metallis, et hujusmodi, libri aliquot,
plerique nunc primum editi, opera Conr. Gesneri (Tig,,
1565). This Httle book based on Gesner's collections,
contains some of the very first illustrations of crystals and
fossils, and the angles of some crystals were observed and
used as a key to the determination of the substance they
represent.

It is not difficult to reconstruct the circle of friends and
students surrounding Gesner at home as well as at a dis-
tance, for he gave credit most conscientiously in all his

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 75

works for the help he received. The routine of his labors
and his methods of work are less clearly viewed across
the space of four centuries, and indeed it is difficult to
imagine one man mastering even in a general way the
publications already mentioned and accomplishing as
much as Gesner had accomplished before he reached the
age of forty. In 1552, he became very ill, and recovered
but slowly his faculties for the severe work to which he
seemed wedded. Visitors passing through Zurich, and
seeking an opportunity to visit the celebrated man, com-
mented upon the pallor of his face and the stamp of old
age upon his person. In 1558, he wrote to Bullinger that
a tired feeling had settled upon him: "For twenty years
the happiness never fell to my share even once to be
relieved of uninterrupted and exhausting night work. I
do not by any means wish for an inactive and idle otium,
but only for a somewhat freer ease and a life more
corresponding to my vocation as a physician and a public
teacher. Hitherto I have been able to consider these
only as occupations on the side, because of my being
occupied with the writing of books and with their
printing." It is pathetic to hear him appeal for a light
and easy spirit in place of the melancholy always posses-
sing him. He lives as poorly as the poorest and common-
est day-laborer, dancing attendance upon Froschauer's
insatiable presses — and Froschauer demanded large books
for these, rejecting all small publications as unremunera-
tive. He complains that Frobenius demands of him a
Latin translation of Galen's works and that Froschauer

76 Bibliographical Society of America

insists on an extract of the first three books on the animal
kingdom.

This is the reverse of the medal: the private life and
feelings of a man doing precisely what was wanted of him ;
carrying the burden of his ingenium and chafing under it ;
wishing for freedom and appealing for it. Bullinger
did his best; the income of a canonicate was awarded
to Gesner, and he gained new hope and strength for a
time. He established in his house a museum containing
his collections of specimens and his excerpts, drawings,
and books. The wdndows in time were covered with
paintings of rare and interesting fishes. Gesner also
had developed his little home plot into a botanical
garden where he collected and grew many remarkable
plants, especially from the Alps; but he was obliged to
sell the plot in order to extend his house, to which he
added space enough to permit of all his collections being
kept in one place. Afterward, toward the end of the
fifties, he purchased a larger tract and established once
more the botanical garden of which he had dreamed since
early youth.

In 1555, Gesner made his second botanical explora-
tion of Mt. Pilatus, near Lucerne, and was accompanied
by Peter Boudin, an apothecary from Avignon, Johannes
Thomas, a painter of note, and Peter Hafner. The
botanical collections and observations were published the
same year, together with Gesner's paper on the plants
supposed to be self-lighting at night (Lunaria), and other
dissertations by various authors on related subjects. The

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 77

little expedition received a most gracious treatment from
the citizens of Lucerne, and on entering the town its
members were offered the official cup of wine for wel-
come. Other honors were to fall to Gesner. In 1559
he was called to Augsburg on the occasion of the
visit of the emperor, Ferdinand I, who made several
attempts to improve the condition of the famous
Zurichian, but Gesner persistently refused to leave
Zurich. The official notice, however, was of indirect
help to him.

Gesner's botanical period had begun long before the
publication of his zoological works was ended. In 1555
he had accumulated nearly one thousand drawings of
plants, and until the end of his life he used every oppor-
tunity to increase this collection. He drew easily and
exactly, reproducing the figure of the whole plant on a
somewhat reduced scale, but the characteristic structures,
such as flowers, fruits, and seeds, in their natural size.
Some of these illustrations were intended for a new edition
of the botanical works of Hieronymous Bock (Tragus)
planned by Richel, the Strassburg printer, who had been
a pupil of Gesner's and afterward supported him material-
ly in many ways, such as providing the expenses of some
of his botanical excursions. Bock died in 1553. Gesner
had already contributed a chapter on botanical authors
and their writings to David Kyber's Latin translation
of Bock's famous herbal in 1552. Kyber died in 1553, and
Gesner edited his Lexicon rei herbariae, published in the
same year.

78 Bibliographical Society of America

Among nearly a dozen miscellaneous publications of
this period there is one, pertaining to philology, which
deserves special mention. It is:

Mithridates, sive de differentiis linguarum, turn veterum, turn quae
hodie apud diversas nationes in toto orhe terrarum in usu sunt,
observationes, Tiguri, 1555. 8°. Second edition, ibid., 1610.
The second edition is of scant value.

This is Gesner's contribution to general linguistics and
comparative grammar. The book contains remarks on
and parallelizations among 130 languages, and a final
chapter brings a vocabulary, perhaps the first, of the lan-
guage of the gipsies. The Lord's Prayer is translated
into twenty-two languages — the first attempt of this kind
in presenting popularly striking and commonly known
forms of utterance. Gesner also inspired Josua Mahler
to collect and elaborate the forms of German then in use,
with their Latin equivalents. Mahler's German-Latin
dictionary was published by Froschauer in 1561, and
remains a useful source of knowledge of the history
of German-Swdss speech. The preface was written by
Gesner. Finally, we would remember Gesner's work with
the popular names of natural objects. He collected data
on the etymology of names, and for a while gave some
attention to Gothic; but apart from these excursions of
interest the last ten years of his life were devoted to the
preparation of an encyclopedia of the vegetable kingdom.

His botanical garden was his chief source of joy and
interest in these later years. Rare and tender plants came
from the mountains and valleys about him, tulips were

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography 79

sent from the gardens of the Fuggers in Augsburg, and
Italian plants were furnished by Guilandinus in Verona
and by other friends beyond the Alps. A local physician,
Peter Hafner, and an apothecary, Jacob Clauser, also
maintained private gardens, and they exchanged with
their colleague both experiences and specimens, so that
Gesner at length considered himself justified in soliciting
the burgomaster and council of the city for the establish-
ment of a public botanical garden. Although basing
his appeal on the eersame Weisheit of the functionating
administrators, Gesner did not accomplish his purpose.
So he continued his efforts single-handed. While a
painter, a xylographer, and a draftsman worked in his
museum at home, Gesner explored the fields and moun-
tains. Racked with ischias and compelled to use medicinal
baths to allay the recurrent acute attacks, he records his
collecting trips in his letters with even such details as
these: Natavi his diebus in lacu, idqiie propter stirpes ali-
quas, licet quam annis aliquot desuetus.

An important fruit of these studies was Gesner's
edition in 1561 of the posthumous works of the young
botanist Valerius Cordus, who had died unexpectedly
in Rome in 1544. They contain principally Cordus'
four books of botanical studies in the mountain regions of
Central Germany, with some shorter papers: annota-
tions to Dioscorides, a description of a botanical excursion
to the Stockhorn by Ben. Aretius, etc. Gesner used
some of his own woodcuts, in addition to those of Leon-
hard Fuchs, to illustrate the plants observed by Cordus.

8o Bibliographical Society of America

In spite of a constantly recurring misprint, afterward
explained by Thalius, this, the definitive edition of the
discoverer of the propagation of ferns by spores, was a
splendid service to botany. Gesner contributed the
preface and a series of descriptions of rare plants, such
as the tulip. Richel published the work, and during the
same year there came from his presses another book by
Gesner himself: Horti Germaniae, a botanical guide for
garden-lovers and gardeners, which contains also a
descriptive history of the principal gardens of Germany
and Switzerland. This book was poorly printed, but
retains its value as a source of information on the botanical
gardens of the sixteenth century.

As years passed, Gesner's circle of friends, correspond-
ents, and students became more and more extended. The
professor of theology at Berne ascended the high moun-
tains of his canton, and sent his collections to his Zurich
friend. Many letters passed between them. In Basel,
Theodor Zwingger, a fam^ous physician, maintained a
Hvely correspondence with Gesner during the last five
years of the latter's life; in 1824, these letters still existed
— probably they are stiU extant. Felix Plater also
carried fuel to Gesner's furnace, as did Johannes Bauhin
and his younger brother Caspar, whose name afterward
came to mark an epoch in the history of botany. Cosmus
Holzach and Anton Schneeberger, Georg Kenntmann,
and many others, continued to look to Gesner for help

Conrad Gesncr, the Father of Bibliography 8i

and advice. At home, a shifting circle of students and
collaborators was ever at his heels. He continued to
feed the presses of his native city with books, mostly
medical compilations; he completed and edited the
posthumous work, a translation of Dioscorides, of his
friend Johannes Moibonus; he edited new issues of
Arduin's book on poisons and even of Reselhanus' cook-
book, Ars magirica.

His treatise on fossils already mentioned, and his
dissertation on corals are the last publications from his
own hand. Two hundred twenty-six letters on medical
and other scientific subjects were published twelve
years after his death by his faithful pupil Caspar Wolf,
under the following title:

Epistolarum medicinalium lihri tres. His accesserunt Aconiti primi
Dioscoridis asseveratio et de oxymelitis elleborati utriusque
descriptione et usu libellus. Omnis nunc primum per Casp.
Wolphium in lucem edita. Tiguri, 1577. 4to.

Eight-and-twenty additional letters subsequently were
published as follows :

Epistolarum medicinalium liber IV. Vitebergae, 1584. This very

rare booklet was reproduced in the appendix to Hanhart's

biography published in Winterthur in 1824.
Epistolae .... a Casparo Bauhino nunc primum editae. (With

Johannes Bauhin. De plantis a divis nomen habentibus.

Basileae, 1591, p. 91-163.)

Finally, one letter was published by Treviranus, in
his edition of the letters of Clusius, in 1830.

These letters contain many data not elsewhere acces-
sible, on the growth of Gesner's work and the elaboration

82 Bibliographical Society of America

of its details. They are but a small number of the total
which exists in the various libraries and archives in
Switzerland. Some day, when these are made accessible
by publication, we probably shall be able to reconstruct
in detail the picture of Conrad Gesner's life and the inter-
change of ideas and forces between him and his con-
temporaries.

In his botanical work, Gesner founded no system of
arrangement for the plant forms. He intended to
describe, in alphabetical order, all plants known to him or
through him. But he was far beyond his day in his
method of description, in that he illustrated and described
most carefully the very parts by which the plants may
be the most easily identified, namely, the flowers and
fruits. He also paid attention to locality of growth,
period of flowering, etc.

But the herbal he hoped to publish, the counterpart
of his great work on zoology, remained unfinished. In
1564, he had been weak and suffering and was obliged
to resort to the Aargau baths. His mother had died
in April. Scarcely returned home, Gesner was attacked
by a pernicious form of pleurisy then epidemic in Zurich.
The conferring of the privileges of a coat-of-arms —
an extension of the imperial protection which already
guarded him from the piracy of publishers — was a pleasure
and an honor keenly felt, but did not serve for the material
assistance which he needed. He recovered temporarily,
arranged his plant iUustrations, now more than fifteen
hundred, and reduced his household as much as possible.

Conrad Gesncr, the Father of Bibliography 83

in order to save his strength for the most necessary
duties. He had saved the life of BulHnger, but, as the
epidemic progressed and ravaged the town, suffered
the sorrow of witnessing the death of several near and
dear friends. He never went to bed now, but rested
from time to time, and attended to his duties as city
physician and professor. From August to December,
1565, he constantly anticipated a recurrence of the
disease. The attack came on December 8. An abscess
formed in his side, and he knew the end was near. On
the fifth day of his illness, in the presence of his wife,
Bullinger, and Josias Simler, perhaps also of Caspar
Wolf, he insisted on being carried from his bedroom into
his beloved museum. Previously, he had executed his
last will, committing his botanical collections to the
care of Caspar Wolf. And here, in the room where he
had dreamed and worked and incessantly labored in the
interest of true science, he breathed his last, about eleven
o'clock at night, on December 13, 1565. He was buried
the following day and brought to rest in the Miinster,
next to the place where the grave of Johannes Fries, the
friend of his youth, had been made the year before.

In 1566, Caspar Wolf published a prospectus announ-
cing an edition of the posthumous botanical works of Con-
rad Gesner. Publication did not follow. Wolf became
absorbed by other duties and finally stated that he lacked
both time and ability to accomplish it. In 1580, he trans-
ferred the material to Joachim Camerarius in Niirnberg,

84 Bibliographical Society of America

whose plagiarism of Gesner's work we need not dwell upon.
Passing through several hands, the manuscripts and
drawings finally, in 1744, were purchased by the well-
known naturalist Christoph Jacob Trew, in Niirnberg,
in whose worthy hands they received the care they
deserved. Trew engaged the professor of botany in
Erlangen, Casimir Christoph Schmiedel, as an editor, and
in 1753 Gesner's botanical works at length saw the light:

Opera botanica . ... ex bibliotheca D. Christophori Jacobi Trew
.... nunc primiim in hicem edidit et praefatus est per Dr. Cas.
Christoph. Schmiedel. Norimbergae. I. M. Seligmann, 1751-
177 1. 2 vol. fol.

Volume I has this title: Conradi Gesncri Opera botanica per
duo saecula desiderata quorum pars prima prodromi loco continet
figuras ulta CCCC minoris formae partim ligno excisas partim
aeri insculptas.

Volume II has this title: Opera botanica quorum pars secunda
continet centuriam primam plantarum maximam partem figuris
aeneis expressarum .... atqtie historiam fatorum operis.

Volume II issued in two parts, with special title-pages, dated
1759 and 1770.

Vol. I: i-lvi p. and 130 p.; 22 plates of woodcuts and 21 illumined copper-plates. —
Vol. II: i-xi p. and 43 p. and 65 p.; 31 illumined copper-plates.

It may be taken for granted that in this beautiful
publication everything of botanical interest remaining
from Gesner and still available was used.

Gesner's letters, excerpts, notes, etc., with the excep-
tion of such as had been deposited in various Swiss
libraries and archives, in time, after the death of Trew

Conrad Gesner, the Father of Bibliography

in 1769, passed into the possession of the University of
Erlangen. Some forty or more years later these treasures
still remained unpacked, and Hanhart thus was deprived
of the desired opportunity to use them in the preparation
of the biography now serving as the chief source of informa-
tion on Gesner's life.

Gesneria was chosen by Plumier as the name of an
American plant.

Conrad Gesner's Coat-of-Arms
Reproduced from the book-plate of Johannes Gessner,

Bibliographical Society of America

SOURCES

Simler, Josias. Vita clarissimi philosophi et tnedici excellentissimi

Conradi Gesneri. Tiguri, 1564. 4to.
Hanhart, Johannes. Conrad Gessner, ein Beytrag zur Geschichte des

wissenschaftlichen Strehens und der Glaubensverbesserung im

i6ten Jahrhundert. Winterthur, 1824.
Bibliotheca universalis, 1545, p. 180: "Conrad Gesner."
Schmiedel, Cas. Christoph. Vita Conradi Gesneri (In Schmiedel's

ed. of Gesner's Opera botanica, I [1751]: p. i-xl).
Wolf, Rudolf. Konrad Gessner von Zurich (In his Biographien zur

KuUur geschichte der Schweiz, I [1858]: p. 15-56 and frontis.

to the volume).
Meyer, Ernst. Geschichte der Botanik. Bd. IV (1857) : p. 322-334.
Biographic universelle. Article "Gesner" (by Cuvier).
Ersch and Gruber. Encyclopddie. Article "Gesner" (by Escher).
Morley, Henry. Conrad Gesner (in his Clement Marot, and Other

Papers, Vol. II [1871], p. 97-131).

NOTE

Gesner Celebration in Chicago

It was at the Red Star Inn, on the evening of the twenty-
seventh of March, four hundred years and one day since the
"Father of BibHography," Conrad Gesner, first saw the Hght of
day. In an upper room of this celebrated hostelry, along the
sides of a T-formed table, had gatherd thirty men, all engaged in
library service in the city. They had come together at the call of
Mr. Roden, who had found that it was his turn to ''arrange for a
Library Smoker — that salutary expedient by which we males
occasionally assume protective coloration and escape from our
environment to re-substantiate our identity."

The Library Smoker as an institution, though a very informal
one, dates back a few years, and the gatherings have been held
with a fair amount of irregularity — between the present meeting
and the one last preceding about a year had elapsed. As a rule
there has been no kind of formal program, though occasionally
one or the other has been asked to speak about something that he
has had specially at heart. It has been customary for the chair-
man for the evening — the chairman for one evening has usually
passed the office on in a quite informal way to someone else of those
present — to ask, in the call, for questions to be taken up for dis-
cussion; and there has been much talking across the dinner table
from man to man, besides the answers that those present have
made to the questions that have been sent in. A couple of times
the chairman has turned the tables on a questioner by calling on
him to answer his own query. On this occasion there was nothing
of the kind. Nor can there be said to have been a formal program.
But there was the occasion. It was the four-hundredth anni-
versary of the birth of the author of that Bibliotheca Universalis

88 Bibliographical Society of America

which was the first and the only successful attempt to record all
the world's literature to date. And, as the call stated: "Mr. Bay
will address the assembly on Conrad Gesner. All of us," Mr.
Roden surmised, ''save Mr. Bay, will know more about Conrad
Gesner after than we did before the meeting."

Mr. Bay did address the assembly, not only about Conrad
Gesner, but also about smoking, which, he said, was "conducive
to calm and continuous thinking," quoting here a Httle book
which one of those assembled, Mr. W. A. Brennan, had recently
issued. "Calm and continuous thinking" the speaker praised
as one of the characteristics of Conrad Gesner who, by the way,
did not know of and probably had never felt the need of the assist-
ance that a pipe or a cigar gives to this process in modern man.
What else Mr. Bay had to say about Conrad Gesner will be found
in the opening contribution to the present number of the Papers.

Another subject more conforming to our practical and "effi-
cient" age was called to the attention of the assembly by Professor
Clapp, who, as acting chairman of the Committee on American
Speech, asked the co-operation of librarians in the production of
a bibliography of voice culture and voice hygiene.

After Mr. Bay's address preprints of his "appreciation" of

Gesner were distributed among those present who, it is hoped, all

went away resolved to practice, in the future, with or without

the aid of tobacco leaves, that "calm and continuous thinking"

for which Conrad Gesner (and Mr. Bay) will henceforth stand for

them as exponents.

A. G. S. J.

LIBRARY ARCHAEOLOGY

The accomplished hbrarian of Princeton University deHghts in
tracing things back to their veriest beginnings, and one may assume
that in his two neat Httle volumes on library history' — the fruits,
or shall we say the by-products, of a combination of the learning
of a scholar, the industry of a bibliographer, and the ingenuity of
an archaeologist — Dr. Richardson has indulged his fondness for
remote research to his heart's content. Of the three qualities
named, while duly cognizant of the learning and industry so
abundantly evident throughout these pages, we are bound to admit
that in the first-mentioned book we were most of all impressed with
the ingenuity of the argument and the skill with which proof, or,
at any rate, the color of proof, has been fashioned out of such
fragments of fact and assumption as were available. Like the
eminent naturalist who was able to reconstruct an entire prehis-
toric skeleton on the basis of a single bone. Dr. Richardson has
deduced the existence of libraries in the very earliest times from
isolated and unrelated facts hardly more palpable than those which
served the naturalist. It is startling, perhaps, to follow the process
by which the term "library" is deprived of its long-accepted
and respectable pedigree, and pushed back to a kinship with
processes and made to connote objects used long before its putative
parent, liber, was thought of. It is no less startling — and no more
so — to read of "mnemonic libraries," i.e., records carried only in
the memory, and to encounter as illustrations the instances of a
dog burying a bone; of the starry heavens, which were open books

' Richardson, Ernest Gushing. The beginning of libraries. Princeton
University Press, 1914.

. Biblical Libraries. A Sketch of Library History from 3400 B.C. to

150 A.D. Princeton University Press, 1914.

go Bibliographical Society of America

to the astrologers and soothsayers; of the hbraries of the gods and
preadamites. It becomes a little easier to keep up with the argu-
ment when it comes to the stage of picture-writing and its applica-
tions, of quipus and wampum and tattoo marks, of message sticks,
cairns, pyramids, rock carvings, and thence onward to hierogl^-phs,
clay tablets, and kindred prototypes of modern books. It is still
not without a wrench to preconceived notions that one is able to
accept the definition of a library as being any collection of records,
whether ponderable or imponderable, written or carved or knotted,
or only remembered and orally transmitted. But at no point is it
possible to deny the ingenuity, skill, and patience with which the
thesis is carried to conclusion, or to ignore the learning and research
applied to its upbuilding.

The second work presents fewer difficulties to the undisciplined
mind, since it deals with a more or less historic period in the career
of humanity, and the writer is able to adduce evidence of a more
substantial and comprehensible nature. But even here Dr.
Richardson finds it necessar}-, in a somewhat contentious intro-
duction, to expound in no uncertain terms the competence of the
term "library-" to denote any collection of records, whether large
or small, literary or unliterary, accidental or premeditated, living
or dead. This broad definition, once accepted, lends validity to
the assertion that "there were thousands and even tens of thou-
sands of collections, containing millions of written books or docu-
ments, in biblical places in biblical times."

The ensuing chapters again bear witness to the author's learn-
ing, dihgence, and skill in research. Records of Assyriological and
Egyptological exploration, bibUcal geography and histor\', classical
paleography, and the writings of ancient authors are brought
together and made to yield up abundant information regarding the
numerous temple and palace libraries and archives the existence
of which has been more or less well known to students, and the
contents of some of which have contributed so much to revealing
the political and social history of remote antiquity. The present

Library Archaeology 91

reviewer found himself most attracted by the chapters on Greek
and Roman libraries — perhaps again because of preconceived
notions, since some analogues of modern public-library activity
have been discovered, or attributed to this period to which the
modern librarian is wont to point as the ancestors of his line.

While it is to our loss that the learned author chose to make
these essays almost entirely archaeological instead of bibliographi-
cal, leaving out, or perhaps only postponing, all consideration of
the contents of ancient libraries on their literary side, yet we are
pleased to receive these two volumes, together with an earlier one
on Egyptian libraries, as unique and interesting contributions to
the bibhography of that profession whose sole aim is the cultiva-
tion, promotion, and dissemination of literature, and whose own
professional literature is so singularly barren of any of the qualities
so valiantly championed.

C. B. RODEN

NOTE

A new list of members of the Society will be printed in the
October number of the Papers.

Members are requested to send names of prospective members
to the Secretary of the Society, Mr. H. O. Severance, University
of Missouri Library, Columbia, Mo., who will send them invita-
tions to join the Society.

Institutions (libraries, clubs, etc.) as well as individuals are
eligible to membership.

A circular of information has been prepared and copies will be
sent to anyone applying to the University of Chicago Press, 5750
Ellis Avenue, Chicago, or to the Secretary.

SHAKESPEARE BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND REFERENCE

LISTS'

BY CLARK S. NORTHUP

[The asterisk indicates a bibliography of special importance.)

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616

*Aldis, H. G., and Others. In CHEL.
V. 425-9, 470-518. 1910.

[4775

[Allibone, S. a.] Works of Shakespeare,
etc. In Contributions to a catalogue of the
Lenox Library, no. v. N.Y. The Lenox
Library. 1880. Large 8vo, pp. 128.

[4776

Arnold, T. J. I. Shakespeare, in de
nederlandsche Letterkunde en op hat
nederlandsch Tooneel. BibUographisch
Overzicht. In Bibliographische Adversaria
iv. 97-132. 's-Gravenhage. Nijhoff. 1878.
Also reprinted, 1879, i6mo, pp. 36.

[4777

The Athenaeum. The original Bodleian
copy of the First Folio of Shakspeare.
Feb. 25, 1905, pp. 241-2.

[4778

Baker, G. P. See no. 1755.

[4779

Ballinger, J. Shakespeare " and the
tQunicipal libraries. In Libr., 2d ser.
vii. 181-91. L., 1906.

[4780

Bartlett, Henrietta C, and Alfred
W. Pollard. A census of Shakespeare's
plays in quarto, 1 594-1 709. Published for
the Elizabethan Club of Yale University on
the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's

death. In memory of Thomas Raynesford
Lounsbury. New Haven. Yale Univ. Press.
1916. 4to, pp. xli, 152.

500 copies were printed from type on English
handmade paper. Contains titles and colla-
tions of each ed. with an account of the prov-
enance, condition, and binding of each copy
e.xtant; supplements the earlier work of Sir
Sidney Lee (see nos. 4S33, 4835).

[4780a

Basse, M. See no. 3330.

[4781

Bates, Katharine L., and Lilla Weed.
Shakespeare: select bibUography and bio-
graphical notes. [Wellesley, Mass.]
Wellesley College. 1913. 8\'0, pp. 83, [i].

An enlargement and revision of that given in
Bates and Godfrey's English drama: a working
basis, 1896. See no. 1736.

[4782

Bayer, J. Shakespeare dramai hazauk
ban. Budapest. 1909. 2 vols.

A full bibliography of Shakespeare in Hungary,
with criticisms of Hungarian renderings.

[4782a

Bohn, H. G. The biography and bibliog-
raphy of Shakespeare. L. Bohn. 1863.
Sm. 4to, pp. xvi, 366, (2251-2368). Port.,
pi., facsim. Philobiblon Soc, Bibl. and
Hist. Miscellanies, 1863, viii.

Reprinted from his ed. of Lowndes.

[4783

BojANOwsKi, P. F. W. VON. Katalog der
BibUothek der Deutschen Shakespeare-

' Printed as a specimen of Professor Northup's "Bibliographies of English Philology"
(see notice in back of this number).

Shakespeare Bibliographies and Reference Lists

Gesellschaft. Weimar. R. Wagner Sohn.
1909. 8vo, pp. vi, 88.

An earlier ed. appeared in igoo. 8vo, pp. 56.

[4784

Brassington, W. S. Handlist of col-
lective editions of Shakespeare's works pub-
lished before the year 1800. Stratford-
upon-Avon. J. Morgan. 1898. 8vo.

[4785

The British Museum. In its Catalogue,
1897. 232 cols.

Rev. by R. Fischer in Anglia Bet. xi. 33-5.
In the Supplement, S — Stephanus, cols. 201-8.
1904.

[4786

Burton, W. E. See under Drama, no.
1917.

[4787

Churchill, G. B. Shakespeare in Amer-
ica. In Sh. Jahrb. xlii. [xiii]-xlv. 1906.

[4788

Clarke, Helen A. List of Shakespeare
operas, operatized dramas, and overtures.
In Shakespeariana v. 457-62, 540-45. Phila.,
1888.

[4789

*CoHN, A. Shakespeare-Bibliographie.

In Sh. Jahrb., 1864-99, i--xxxvi. Berlin.

1865-1900. 8vo.

Many of the instalments were reprinted. Con-
cerning the author see Gotthilf Weisstein in the
Berlin National-Zeitung, Sept. 16, 1905; R.
Prager in Sh. Jahrb., 1906, xlii. 220-24 (port.).
Continued annually by Richard Schroeder (for
1900-2, 1905-6), Gustav Becker (for 1903-4),
and Hans DaflBs (for 1907-).
Rev. by C. S. Northup in JEGP., Apr., 1912, xi.
228-9 (includes a reference list of volumes and
pages).

[4790

Cole, G. W. The First Folio of Shake-
speare ; a further word regarding the correct
arrangement of its preHminary leaves.
N.Y. Printed for the author. 1909. 8vo,
pp. 21. 2 folding tables.

Reprinted from BSAP.. iii. 65-83, N.Y., 1909.
Rev. in Libr., 3d ser. i. 211-17.

[4791

Durning-Lawrence, Sir E., and Others.
"Star-ypointing": the Second Folio of the
Shakespeare plays. In NQ., June 7-Oct. 18,
1913, nth ser. vii. 456, viii. 11-12, 141-2,
iq6, 232-3, 294-5, 317, 320.

[4792

EsDAiLE, A. J. K. Shakespeare literature,
1 901-1905. In Libr., 2d ser. vii. 167-80.
1906.

[4793

Falzon, p. L. Shakespeare and Italian
literature. In NQ., Jan. 13, 1912, nth ser.
v. 25-6.

[4794

Fleay, F. G. Tabular view of the
quarto eds. of Shakespere's works, 1593-
1630. In NShSTr., pt. i, 40-50. L., 1874.

[479s

. See no. 1776.

[4796

Fleming, W. H. Bibliography of First
FoUos in N.Y. In Shakespeariana, March,
1888, v. 102-17.

[4797

Fletcher, R. H. In his A brief Shakspe-
rean glossary, grammar and booklet of other
information necessary to students, Grinnell,
la., 1913, i6mo, pp. 5-11.
Selective, with comments.

[4798

FuRNESS, H. H. A new variorum ed. of

Shakespeare. Phila. Lippincott. 1871 — .

Large 8vo.

In progress. Since the death of the editor, the
work has been carried on by his son, Horace
Howard Furness, Jr. The list of books at the
end of each play furnishes a useful bibliography.

[4799

Gaehde, C. See under Garrick, D., no.
2476.

[4800

G[reg], W. W. The bibliographical history
of the First FoHo. In Libr., 2d ser. iv.
258-85. 1903.

[4801

Bibliographical Society of America

G[reg], W. W. Catalogue of the books
presented by Edward CapeU to the library of
Trinity College in Cambridge. Cambridge.
The Univ. Press. 1903. 8vo, pp. viii, [2],
172.

Valuable for transcripts of title-pages and for
full collations.

[4802

A descriptive catalogue of the

early eds. of the works of Shakespeare pre-
served in the library of Eton College. L.
Oxford Univ. Press. 1909. 8vo, pp. viii,
27.

Rev. in Nat., May 27, 1909, Ix.xxviii. 532.

[4803

. In his A list of English plays writ-
ten before 1643 and printed before 1700, L.,
1900, pp. 94-104, and List of masques,
pageants, etc., L., 1902, p. cxxviii. See
no. 1871.

[4804

. On certain false dates in Shake-
spearian quartos. In Libr., 2d ser. ix.
"3-31. 381-409- 1908.

See also x. 208-11, 3d ser. i. 36-53; and Athen.,
May 2, 1908, p. 544, May 9, p. 574 (S. Lee),
May 30. pp. 669-70 (W. W. Greg). Comment
in iVa/., May 21, 1908, Ixxxvi. 462, June 4, p. 510
(J. Phin) Nov. 12, Ixxxvii. 459.

[480s

Griffiths, L. M. Evenings with Shake-
speare. Bristol. Arrowsmith. 1889. 4to,
pp. xvi, 365.

Books about S., pp. 45-52. Reading tables,
with bibliography, pp. 57-187. Eds., pp.
254-319.

[4806

Gyulai, a. Shakespeare in Hungary.
See no. 102.

[4807

Haas, L. Verleger und Drucker der
Werke Shakespeares bis zum Jahre 1640.
Erlangen. 1904. 8vo.

[4808

Hall, H. T. The separate editions of
Shakspere's plays with the alterations
done by various hands. 2d ed. Cambridge.
W. Wallis. 1880. 8vo, pp. 75.

[4808a

Halliwell-Phillipps, J. O. A brief
hand-list of books, mss., etc., illustrative of
the life and writings of Shakespeare, collected
between the years 1842 and 1859. L. 1859.
8vo.

30 copies, priv. pt.

[4809

A brief hand-list of the collec-

tions respecting the life and works of Shake-
speare, and the history and antiquities of
Stratford-upon-Avon, formed by .... R.
B. Wheler .... and presented .... to
that town, etc. L. 1863. 4to.
100 copies, priv. pt.

[4810

A brief hand-list of the early

quarto eds. of the plays of Shakespeare;
with notices of the old impressions of the
poems. L. i860. 8vo.
25 copies, priv. pt.

I4811

A brief list of a selected portion

of the Shakespeare rarities that are pre-
served in the rustic wigwam at Hollingbury
Copse, Brighton. Brighton. [J. G. Bishop,
printer.] 1886. 8vo, pp. 19.

[4812

. Brief notices of a smaU number

of the Shakespeare rarities .... pre-
served .... at Hollingbury Copse, etc.
[L. Priv. pt.] 1885. i2mo, pp. 24.

Second ed., 1885, pp. 24.

I4813

. A calendar of the Shakespeare

rarities, drawings and engravings, pre-
served at HolUngbury Copse, etc. L.
[Priv. pt.] 1887. 8vo, pp. 168.

Second ed., enlarged. Ed. by Ernest E. Baker.
L. Longmans. 1891. 8vo, pp. xviii, 170.

[4814

A catalogue of the Shakespeare-

study books in the immediate library of
James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, etc.
L. Priv. pt. by J. E. Adlard. 1876.
8vo, pp. 72.

[481S

Shakespeare Bibliographies and Reference Lists

Halliwell-Phillipps, J. O. A. A hand-
list of sixty folio volumes, containing collec-
tions made by J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps, from
1854 to 1887, on the life of Shakespeare, and
the history of the English stage. Brighton.
Printed by J. G. Bishop. 1887. 8vo, pp. 7.

[4816

. A hand-list of the selected

parcels in the Shakespearian and dramatic
collections of J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps, etc.
L. Priv. pt. 1876. 8vo.

[4817

An inventory of a selected por-

tion of mss and printed books, chiefly relat-
ing to Shakespeare and the old English
drama, in the library of J. O. Halliwell-
Phillipps, at Tregunter Road, L., and at
Hollingbury Copse, Brighton. Brighton.
Printed by J. G. Bishop. 1883. 8vo, pp.
7, [i], no. I.

25 copies printed.

[4818

. A list of works illustrative of the

life and writings of Shakespeare, the history
of Stratford-on-Avon, and the rise and
progress of the early English drama, printed
for very limited and private circulation at
the expense of J. O. Halliwell, 1850-1866.
L. [The Chiswick Press.] 1867. 8vo, pp. 69,

[i].

[4819

Rough list of Shakespearean rari-

ties and ms collections, at Hollingbury
Copse, Brighton, April, 1880. Brighton.
Printed by Messrs. Fleet & Bishop. 1880.
8vo, pp. 16.

so copies printed.

[4820

Shakesperiana. A catalogue of

the early eds. of Shakespeare's plays, and
of the commentaries and other publications
illustrative of his works. L. J. R. Smith.
1841. 8vo, pp. 46.

[4821

Hubbard, J. M. Catalogue of the
works of William Shakespeare original and
translated together with the Shakespeariana

embraced in the Barton Collection in the
BPL. [Boston.] Printed by order of the
Trustees. 1880. 8vo, pp. [ii], 227.

[4822

Ingleby, C. M. The bibliography of the
Shakspere controversy. In his A complete
view of the Shakespeare controversy, L.,
Nattali and Bond, 1861, 8vo, pp. 339-48.
See also Acad. ix. 313 (1876).

[4823

-, Lucy T. Smith, and F. J. Furni-

VALL. The Shakspere allusion book: a
collection of allusions to Shakspere from 1591

to 1700 Originally compiled by

C. M. Ingleby, Miss L. Toulmin Smith, and
by Dr. F. J. Furnivall, with the assistance of
the New Shakspere Society; and now re-ed.,
revised, and re-arr., with an introd., by J.
Munro. L. Chatto & Windus. 1909.
8vo, 2 vols. The Shakespeare Library.

A combined ed. of Ingleby's Centurie of prayse

(1874, 2d ed. by Miss Lucy Toulmin Smith,

187Q), and Fumivall's Some 300 fresh allusions

to shakspere (1886), with additions. Includes

about 786 allusions.

Table of Shakspere quartos, 1593-1685, from

NShSTr., 1874, i. 43-S. comp. by F. G. Fleay,

ii- [siq]-S23-

Entries of Shakspere's works in the Stationers'

Registers, 1593-1640, ii. 525-34.

See also More Shakspere allusions, by J. Munro,

MPh., Jan. 1916, xiii. 129-76.

[4824

Irwin, T. J. A guide to the operas;
symphonic poems; overtures; incidental
music; and songs based on Shakespeare's
plays. Fresno, Cal. Theo. J. Irwin. 1914.
8vo, pp. 12.

[4825

Jaggard, W. Folk-lore, superstition and
witchcraft in Shakespeare. In Margaret
Lucy, Shakespeare and the supernatural,
Liverpool, The Shakespeare Press, 1906,
8vo, pp. 34-38.

Rev. by C. S. Northup in MLN. xxiii. 193-194.

[4826

Shakespeare bibliography: a

dictionary of every known issue of the writ-
ings of our national poet and of recorded

Bihlio graphical Society of America

opinion thereon in the English language,
with historical introd., facsimiles, portraits,
and other illustrations. Stratford-on-Avoii.
Shakespeare Press, igii. 8vo, pp. xxi,
[3], 729- 29 illus.

Rev. in Allien., May 27, 1911, pp. 610-611; in
Nal., July 6, 1911, xciii. 9-10; in NQ.. July is,
iQii,nthser. iv. so; inSat. /Jct., June24, 1911,
cxi. 782; by A. G. Newcomer in Dial, Sept. 16,
1911, li. 192-4; in N.Y. Times Sat. Rev.. June 4,
101 1, xvi. 351; by Darrell Figgis in Bookman
(L.), Sept. 1911. xl. 254-5; in Times Lit. Sup.,
May 4, 191 1, p. 176; by C. S. Northup in
JEGP., April, 1912, xi. 218-30; by A. W.
P[ollard] in Libr., July, 191 1, 3d ser. ii. 33I-3S-

[4827

Jaggard, W. Shakespeare's publishers.
See no. 2964.

[4828

Jahrbuch der Deutschen Shakespeare-
Gesellschaft. See Cohn, A., no. 479°-

Knortz, K. An American Shakespeare-
bibliography. Boston. Schoenhof. [1876.]
8vo, pp. ii, 16.

[4828a

. Shakespeare in America. Ber-
lin. Theodor Hofmann. 1882. 8vo,

pp. 85.

[4829

Laer, H. Litteratur. In his Die Dar-
stellung krankhafter Geisteszustande in
Shakespeare's Dramen, Stuttgart, NefE,
1898, 8vo, pp. 189-200.

[4830

Lee, Sir S. In his Life of William Shake-
speare, L., Smith, Elder & Co., 1898, 8vo,
pp. 299-325.

A select list. In the new ed., 1916, pp. 342-632,
641-50.

[4831

. Four quarto eds. of plaj^s by

Shakespeare, the property of the Trustees
and Guardians of Shakespeare's Birthplace.
Stratford-upon-Avon. Printed for the Trus-
tees and Guardians of Shakespeare's Birth-
place. 1908. 8vo, pp. [ii], 63.

On The merchant of Venice, 1600, A midsummer
night's dream, 1600, King Lear, 1608, The
merry wives of Windsor, 161 9.
Rev. in Nat., Apr. 30, 1908, Ixxxvi. 396.

[4832

. Notes and additions to the

census of copies of the Shakespeare First
Folio. In Libr., 2d ser. vii. 113-39. -L.,
1906.

[4833

. A Shakespeare reference library.

O.xford. The Univ. Press. [1910.] 8vo,
pp. 14. The English Assn. Pamphlets 15.

[4834

. In Shakespeare's comedies, his-
tories, and tragedies. A supplement to the
facsim. of the First Folio .... containing
a census of extant copies. Oxford. Frovvde.
1902. Fol.

[4835

The Library of Congress. Has in com-
pilation an annotated bibliography for use in
connection with the tercentenary celebra-
tion of 1916.

[4836

LiRONDELLE, A. In his Shakespeare en
Russie, 1 748-1840, etude de litterature com-
paree, Paris, Hachette, 1913, 8vo.

[4837

Livingston, L. S. The four folios of
Shakespeare's plays: an account of the four
collected eds. together with a census of the
known perfect copies of the First Folio.
N.Y. Dodd, Mead & Co. [1907.] 8vo,

PP- 32.

[4838

LotTNSBURY, T. R. In his Shakespeare as
a dramatic artist, N.Y., Scribner, 1901,
8vo, pp. 419-34-

[4839

Lowndes, W. T. See above, no. 4783.

Luce, M. In his Handbook to Shake-
speare's Works. L., Bell, 1906, 8vo, pp. 449-

51-

Rev. in Allien., Aug. 25, 1906, pp. 210-11.

[4840

Morgan, J. A. Digesta Shakespeareana.
Press of the N.Y. Shakespeare Soc. 1886-7.
Small 8vo, pp. [ii], 224, xvii.

[4841

Shakespeare Bibliographies and Reference Lists

Moves, J. Bibliography of Shakespearean
medicine. In his Medicine and kindred
arts in the plays of Shakespeare, Glasgow,
MacLehose, 1896, 8vo, pp. 1 13-16.

[4842

MuLLiNS, J. D. Catalogue of the Shake-
speare Memorial Library, Birmingham.
[Birmingham. 1872-6.] Svo, 3 parts, pp. iv,
344-

See also below under Shaw, A. C, no. 4858.

[4843

The Nation. Sept. 2, 1909, Ixxxix.
203.

On the quartos.

[4843a

*Neidig, W.J. The Shakespeare quartos

of 1619. In MPh., Oct., 1910, vii. 145-163.

Important. Contains reproductions of title-
pages, etc.

[4844

Neilson, W. a., and a. H. Thorndike.
In their The facts about Shakespeare,
N.Y., Macmillan, 1913, i6mo, pp. 243-263.
The Tudor Shakespeare.

Rev. in Nat., Jan. 15, 1914, xcviii. 67.

[484s

Neubner, a. In his Missachtete Shake-
speare-Dramen, eine literar-historische Un-
tersuchung, Berlin, Paetel, 1907, Svo,
pp. xi, 197. Neue Shakespeare-Biihne iii.

[4846

NoRRis, J. P. A bibliography of works
on the portraits of Shakespeare. Phila.
Priv. pt. 1879. 8vo, pp. 9.
so copies were printed.

[4847

Ordish, T. F. The First Folio Shake-
speare, 1623. In BW. i. 161-6, 206-9, 255-9.
1888.

[4848

[Petzholdt, J.] Kritische Uebersicht
der Shakespere-Bibliographie. In Neiier
Anz. fiir Bihliographie und Bibliothekswiss.,
Jahrg. 1863, pp. 248-53. Dresden, 1863.

[4849

Plomer, H. R. The printers of Shake-
speare's plays and poems. In Libr., 2d ser.
vii. 149-66. 1906.

[4850

-. Shakespeare printers. In Bib-

liographer, ii. 174-88, 299-319. N.Y., 1903.

Facsimiles.

[4851

Pollard, A. W. False dates in Shake-
speare quartos. In Libr., Jan., 191 1, 3d ser.
ii. 101-7.

[4852

-. Shakespeare folios and quartos;

a study in the bibliography of Shakespeare's

plays, 1594-1685. L. Methuen. 1909.

Fol.,pp.vii, [i], i75,[i]. 37illus.

A page of errata follows p. [iv].
Rev. in Nat., Jan. 6, igio, xc. 9-10.

[4853

Prolss, R. Von den altesten Dracken
der Dramen Shakespeares unddem Einfiusse,
den die damaligen Londoner Theater und
ihre Einrichtungen auf diese Dramen aus-
getibt haben; eine Untersuchung vom litera-
rischen und dramaturgischen Standpunkte.
Leipzig. F. A. Berger. 1905. Svo, pp.
iv, 141.

[4853a

Reichel, E. Shakespeare-Litteratur.
Stuttgart. 1887.

[4854

Rivers, J. Shakespeare a la frangaise.
In Libr., Jan., 1905, 2d ser. vi. 7S-85.

[4855

Rolfe, W. J. In his A life of William
Shakespeare, Bos., Estes, [1904], Svo, pp,

491-517-

[4856

Die Shakspeare-Literatur in Deutsch-
land. Vollstandiger Catalog sammtlicher
in Deutschland erschienenen IJebersetzungen
W. Shakspeare's . . ., aller beziiglichen
Erlauterungs- und Erganzungsschriften. Von
1762 bis Ende 1S51. Cassel. 1852. Svo,
pp. 44.

[4857

Bibliographical Society of America

Shaw, A. C. An index to the Shakespeare
Memorial Library. Birmingham. The
Free Libraries. 1900-1903. 4to. 3 parts.
See also above under Mullins, J. D., no. 4843.

[4858

Sherzer, Jane. American eds. of Shake-
speare: 1 753-1866. In PMLA. xxii. 633-
696. Baltimore, 1907.

[4859

Stopes, Mrs. Charlotte. See under Bur-
bage, J., no. 1015.

[4860

Tedder, H. R. In The encyclopaedia
britannica, nth ed., xxiv. 793-7. Cam-
bridge, 191 1.

[4860a

Thimm, F. Shakespeariana from 1564 to
1864. L. Franz Thimm. 1865. 8vo, pp.
vi, 92.

New ed. to 1871. L. 1872. 8vo.

See also Anglia Bei. xiv. 235-40.

[4865

Wallace, Charlotte E. Fools and
clowns of Shakespeare: a reference list. In
BuBibliog., Apr., 1898, i. 70-1.

[4866

Watson, G. E., and Others. Shake-
speare and the Bible. In NQ., Dec. 23, 1876,
Jan. 6, Feb. 17, 1877, 5th ser. vi. 509, vii.

14, 135-

[4867

Wheatley, H. B. Notes on the life of
J. P. Collier; with a complete list of his
works, and an account of such Shakespeare
documents as are believed to be spurious.
L. Stock. 1884. Small 8vo, pp. 67.

[4868

. Post-Restoration quartos of

Shakespeare's plays. In Libr., July, 1913,

3d ser. iv. 237-69.

[4869

*[Wheeler, F. a.] a catalogue of
Shakespeareana, with a prefatory essay
by Sidney Lee. L. Priv. pt. at The
Chiswick Press. 1899. Imp. 8vo, 2 vols.

too copies printed. Comprises 922 items,
annotated. Mr. Lee says: "I believe this collec-
tion of Shakespeareana to be, within its limits, the
most interesting and valuable in existence. A
sustained effort has been made, on the one hand,
to assemble as many volumes as possible in
English or foreign literature of the i6th and early
17th centuries, which critics have shown grounds
for believing were studied by Shakespeare
himself. On the other hand, there have been
brought together numerous 17th century books
of both English and foreign origin, in which the
authors have either made specific reference to
Shakespeare, or have evinced knowledge of his
work by way of imitation or plagiarism." He
also expresses the opinion that the collection is,
on the whole, of greater interest than those of
Edward Capell, Edmund Malone, or Halliwell-
Phillipps.

[4870

Shakespeare Bibliographies and Reference Lists

Wilson, J. Shaksperiana. Catalogue
of all the books, pamphlets, etc., relating to
Shakspeare, with an account of early eds.
of his plays and poems. L. J. Wilson.
1827. 8vo, pp. xli, 69.

[4871

WiNSOR, J. A bibliography of the
original quartos and folios of Shakespeare,
with special reference to copies in America.
Bos. Osgood. 1876. Fol., pp. 109.

Reprinted with changes and additions from his
monthly reports as Supt. of the BPL., Apr.,
1874-Sept., 1877.

250 copies printed, of which 106 were burned in
June, 1 880.

[4872

. Shakespearian catalogues, 1801-

1814. In Lit. World, Oct., 1878, ix. 77-8.

[4873

ZiOLECKi, Dr. Shakespeare in Poland,
Russia, and other Slavonic countries. In
NShSTr., 1880-6, ii. 431-41.
Read Dec. 14, 1883.

[4874

Bacon-Shakespeare Controversy

Baxter, J. P. In his The greatest of
literary problems, the authorship of the
Shakespeare works. Bos., HMC., 1915,
8vo, pp. [633]-[664].

[4875

Boston Public Library. The Shake-
speare-Bacon question. In its Bulletin, Apr.,
1883, V. 341-2.

I4876

Wyman, W. H. Bibliography of the
Bacon-Shakespeare controversy, with notes
and extracts. Cincinnati. Peter G. Thom-
son. 1884. 8vo, pp. 124.

First ed. priv. pt., 1882.

Rev. in NQ., July 5, 1884, 6th ser. x. 19; in

Bibliographer , vi. so-i; in LChr. i. 135.

[4877

. Recent Bacon-Shakespeare liter-
ature. In S hakes peariana, March, Apr.,
July, 1886, Apr., Dec, 1887, May, Dec,

1888, iii. 118 ff., 163 ff., 302 ff., iv. 161 ff.,
552 flf., V. 205 £f., 547 ff., Poet-Lore i. 69-82,
ii. 613-16. N.Y., 1886-8. Bos., 1889-90.

The continuation brings the total number of
entries to 462.

[4878

Hamlet

Timmins, S. Bibl. preface; list of

Hamletiana. In his ed. of Hamlet, 1603,

1604, L., Low, 1859, 8vo.

Additional items by William Bates in NQ., May
19, i860, 2d ser. ix. 378-80; see also pp. 458-9.

[4879
Jtclius Caesar

Bartlett, Henrietta C. Quarto eds. of
Julius Caesar. In Libr., Apr., 1913, 3d ser.
iv. 122-32.

[4880

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Halliwell[-Phillipps], J. O. An account
of the only known ms. of Shakespeare's plays,
comprising some important variations and
corrections in The merry wives of Windsor,
obtained from a playhouse copy of that
play recently discovered. L. J. R. Smith.
1843. 8vo, pp. 24.

[4881

Poems

WiNSOR, J. Shakespeare's poems. A
bibliography of the earlier eds. In Harvard
Coll. Libr. Bulletin, i. 9. 207-8, 10. 264-8.
Cambridge, 1878-9.

Also published in Bibl. Clr. 2.

[4882

Sonnets

Alden, R. M. In his ed. of the Sonnets.
Bos., HMCo., 1916, 8vo.

[4883

Dowden, E. a survey of the literature
of the sonnets. In his ed. of the Sonnets,
L., Paul, 1881, 8vo, pp. 36-110.

[4884

lOO

Bibliographical Society of America

The Taming of the Shrew

Williams, T. In Shakes peariana v. 445-
56,497-513- N.Y., 1888.

[4885

Timon of Athens

Wright, E. H. In his The authorship
of Timon of Athens, N.Y., The Columbia
Univ. Press, 1910, 8vo, pp. 103-104. Co-
lumbia Univ. Studies in Eng.

[4886

TUus Andronictis

LjUNGGREN, E. A unique copy of the
first ed. of Shakspeare's earliest tragedy. In
Athen., Jan. 21, 1905, pp. 91-2.
See also p. 156.

[4887
Venus and Adonis

[RoFFE, E.] Some bibliography unto
"Venus and Adonis." SomersTown. 1876.
Small 4to, pp. xxi. Woodcuts.
Printed at the Rochester Press.

[4888

The Papers of the

Bibliographical Society
of America

VOLUME TEN, NUMBER 3
JULY, 1916

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON
Editor

CARL B. RODEN

ANDREW KEOGH

GEORGE PARKER WINSHIP

Publication Committee

The Society does not hold itself responsible for opinions
expressed by contributors of papers

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO. ILLINOIS

Agents

THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS. London and Edinburgh

THE MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA. Tokyo. Osaka. Kyoto

KARL W. HIERSEMANN. Leipzig

THE MISSION BOOK COMPANY, Shanghai

THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY, New York

THE CUNNINGHAM. CURTIS & WEIGH COMPANY. Los Angeles

400 copies printed

Composed and Printed By

The University of Chicago Press

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

BIBLIOGRAPHY IN RELATION TO BUSINESS
AND THE AFFAIRS OF LIFE

BY H. H. B. MEYER
Chief Bibliographer, Library of Congress

T^O THE business man or the man of affairs nothing,
•*■ at the first touch, appears so remote from the
ordinary concerns of Hfe as bibhography. One of these
subliminated men in the street asked me if a bibHographer
was not really a "book sharp." I accepted his definition
with more alacrity than I did that of another, who per-
haps more nearly reflected such popular comprehension
as exists, by saying "a bibliographer seems to be pretty
much like a librarian, only worse."

Until quite recently the best that could be expected
from the average citizen was a good-natured tolerance of
the bibliographer as a harmless, amiable sort of an idiot
whose head is, most of the time, buried in a book. But
the last few years have wrought a wondrous change.
The business man has discovered the bibliographer in the
form of the special librarian, and he has announced his
discovery in the well-known raucous cry, "I want what
I want when I want it," and the special librarian is
hurriedly doing his best to give it to him even before
he wants it.

What has taken place might easily have been prophe-
sied. With the spread of the writing habit among all
sorts and conditions of men, an enormous mass of
103

I04 Bibliographical Society of America

literature, covering every conceivable topic, has come into
being. It is hardly possible to name a subject on which
enough literature does not exist to make a respectable
bibliography. Amid this overwhelming mass of litera-
ture, the business man and the man of affairs, inexpert
in methods and peculiarities of publication, and in regard
to the means which have been worked out by bibli-
ographers to indicate the whereabouts of a particular
piece of writing, need expert assistance. Hardly less do
the scientist and the professional man need help, although
they are more reluctant to admit it. This reluctance
is exemplified by an incident which occurred in the
Library of Congress. A gentleman appeared with a letter
of introduction from a friend of mine, a librarian in a
city of the Middle West. If I were to mention his name,
or the highly specialized subject in which he was inter-
ested, many of you would recognize a scientist of some
repute. Let us say then that he had been investigating
the ice sports of the Polynesian Islands, and cashed to
trace their origin to the mainland of Southern Asia.
We were able to place before him a considerable body of
literature which bore on his subject, and he wrote enthu-
siastic letters to my friend, expatiating on the pleasure
and deHght that it was to meet such intelligent beings
as bibliographers and librarians, so interested in his
subject, so helpful, etc. But alas for our good reputation !
We could not stay with him in his quiet, well-secluded
nook. We were borne along by the never-ending throng
of questions which sweeps in an ever-growing stream

Bibliography in Relation to Business 105

through the Library of Congress; and the scientist,
when he had returned to his home, my friend the Hbrarian
wrote me, expressed a very poor opinion of librarians, and
bibhographers especially, as a very shallow, pretentious
lot who really did not know much and who flitted from
one thing to another, never taking time to study any-
thing really seriously.

Our scientific gentleman was in error on both counts.
In the first place, he mistook an acquaintance with the
sources of knowledge for knowledge itself. He did not
have that proper perspective which so many specialists
lack. If we should attempt to go into every subject as
deeply as he did into his specialty, our brains would
soon become littered with knowledge, and a mental
disintegration would take place, comparable only to the
nervous disintegration which overtakes the professional
tea-taster. In the second place, his final reluctance to
acknowledge that he had been helped was probably due
to disappointment and pique. But here our perspective
was better than his. From long experience we knew that
he had been helped in the only way in which he was
entitled to help. He had been guided through the
intricacies of the necessarily elaborate organization of the
Library of Congress, directly to the literature of which he
stood in need. When he left us, we did not need to be
told that we had helped him; we were sorry that he did
not seem to have a better opinion of us, we wished him
Godspeed, and stood ready to welcome the next inquirer,
who would probably repeat the process.

io6 Bibliographical Society of America

We seldom encounter this reluctance to acknowledge
a service rendered on the part of the business man.
Usually he is quick to recognize the fact that we have
given him, as he expresses it, some valuable "tips," and
not infrequently his recognition takes the form of a naive
attempt to repay in kind. Perhaps we foster the spirit
of competition, which after all is the very soul of business
and trade; but I like to think that we foster the spirit
of emulation, of seeking to do better than the other fellow,
rather than that low form of competition which seeks only
to pull down or destroy the other fellow, in order to hog
all the profits, and which cares very little to improve the
output, or place it more cheaply and quickly in the hands
of the consumer.

I have dwelt at considerable length on this phase of
my subject, because it illustrates, as nothing else can,
the difference between the new practical bibliography
in the service of business and the affairs of life, and the
old bibliography which concerns itself with first editions
and sometimes worst editions, with misprints as well as
imprints, and all those quaint, interesting, and curious
things which make up the delightful realm of book-lore.
It is this attractive subject which has been assigned to
my fellow-speakers, Mr. Carlton and Mr. Cole. Mr.
Carlton passes away his time in the quiet recesses of the
Newberry Library, an institution devoted to art, litera-
ture, and other aesthetic and cultural departments of
human knowledge, while Mr. Cole "ecstasizes" his
talents, if I may coin a word, in what is perhaps the finest

Bibliography in Relation to Business 107

private libran* ever brought together. Truly there must
be a law of compensation, and I hate to think of what is
in store for these two gentlemen — whereas I love to
linger fondly on the bookman's paradise to which the
rough, thorny, and sometimes unlovely path which I and
some of my fellows are treading must lead.

These remarks illustrate sufficiently the great contrast
between bibUography, the ser\-ant of the muses, and
bibliography, the servant of the planner and doer of the
world's work. The change which has come over bibU-
ography is the same change which has swept through all
other fields of human activity — a breaking do\^-n of old
barriers, a branching out in new directions, a finding of
old methods too cumbersome and not quick enough, inno-
vations in method which only too often turn out to be
compact of over-condensation and careless inaccuracy.
We are distracted by the rapidity with which demand
follows demand, and overwhelmed by the mass of the
material we are called upon to handle.

It is this enormous, un^-ieldy, fluctuating mass of
material with which we concern ourselves for the most
part in the Di\-ision of BibHography of the Library of
Congress, and sometimes when we tackle a new problem
and look at what confronts us, it seems as if we were
living in the midst of a chaos hardh- less than primeval.
To make matters worse, the individual entries also are
only too often without form and consequenth' \-oid.
This was bound to result from the incursion into the field
of bibUography of such a large number of young men and

io8 Bibliographical Society of America

women trained in the business world, with no idea of a
catalogue entry, or of a bibliographical description. It
really appears as if the butcher, the baker, and the candle-
stick maker had all turned bibliographer, and the results,
only too frequently, are such references as "Smith's
article on railroads." To be referred to "Smith's article
on railroads" is about as useful as to be told to go to the
devil, and much more likely to make you think "damn,"
even if you don't say it.

I know that it is difficult for trained bibliographers
and librarians to realize that such formlessness is to be
found an3rwhere. But it is brought home to us with
painful insistence in much of the co-operative work
which we have been carrying on with special librarians in
various fields. Whoever undertakes a co-operative enter-
prise must, in order to be successful, accept whatever
is sent in by the co-operators and work it up himself into
a uniform result. The amount of time we lose in running
down faulty references is no laughing matter, I can assure
you.

With the wonderful growth of catalogues, an ele-
mentary knowledge of cataloguing has become an essential
part of every man's education. How much more so,
then, should it be a part of the equipment of those who
undertake practical bibliography. This arraignment of
some of my fellow-workers may appear rather severe, but
I feel that I am entitled to make it, because on so many
occasions I have said that there is no group of workers in
our profession with whom it is a greater pleasure to

Bibliography in Relation to Business 109

co-operate, who are more alive to their opportunities,
or who have done more to win the respect and considera-
tion of men of afifairs and business. They have extended
the bounds of bibhographic activities into fields which
the public and academic libraries have refused to enter, or
in which they have failed to recognize an opportunity.

I have directed your attention to the difficulties which
the uncertain form of bibliographical descriptions, found
in practical bibliography only too often, create for us.
Another difficulty arises from the vast bulk of the material
in which we are obliged to work, much of it like a track-
less forest of continental dimensions, or an impenetrable
African jungle. At the outset I wish to pay a tribute to
the H. W. Wilson Company and their incomparable
publications. Can you imagine where we should be
without The Readers^ Guide to Periodical Literature, and
its supplement, without The Cumulative Book Index, The
Industrial Arts Index, and The Index to Legal Periodicals,
to say nothing of their miscellaneous publications.
Those, together with the Magazine Index of the Boston
Book Company, and the Engineering Index of the engi-
neering magazines, are among the most valuable guides
we have.

Someone has said that practical bibliography consists
in lifting titles from the Wilson publications. As a tribute
to the Wilson publications that is excellent, but the
only fact the remark discloses is that its maker never
practiced bibliography. How many of you have ever
stopped to enumerate such general guides, and have

no Bibliographical Society of America

discovered that there are between fifty and sixty which
need to be consulted in running down an important
subject ?

As you all know, the Wilson pubhcations cover the
more important American magazines and a few of the
British. The books included are those published in
the United States and English books handled by Ameri-
can firms. They are not all-comprehensive, and the best
literature relating to rubber, for example, is unknown to
them, simply because British documents and French
and German technical monographs fall outside of their
scope. As another instance, the most important contri-
butions to the literature of funeral rites and customs are
found in books of travel, treatises on anthropology, and
the older magazine literature. The Wilson publications
analyze only composite books and cover only recent
years. But take such a recent subject as advertising:
some of the material most valuable to the advertiser is
to be found in highly specialized trade journals which it is
impossible to include in general indexes. I mention these
merely to show that practical bibliography is not latroci-
nation. The matter is not quite so simple. It takes
time and experience to become acquainted with the scope
and character of these general indexes and guides, to say
nothing of the myriad special guides and indexes. If I
were to voice a need, it would be to express a wish for
a short guide or handbook to practical bibliography which,
while not pretending to be another code of catalogue rules,
should make clear the nature and character of an analyti-

Bibliography in Relation to Business iii

cal reference, and prevent those insufficient references
which save a minute of the time of the bibliographer,
and waste hours of the time of everyone who uses his
bibhography and is obliged to run down his loose-ended
references. It should also point the way through the
jungle of guides, indexes, and bibliographies, indicating
their scope, their character, and the period covered, so
that an inquirer will be directed to the sources most
likely to supply the references he desires. Such a guide
might well contain a list of accepted abbreviations for
the titles of periodicals, should explain the principles
underlying a good index to a bibliography, and should
point out the advantages and disadvantages of various
arrangements of the references, alphabetical, chrono-
logical, or classified, as applied to different subjects.
The time has perhaps come when those who have had
experience in practical bibliography should formulate
their experience for the use and guidance of the inexpert.

One characteristic of modern civilization which strikes
even the most casual observer is the large individual
masses with which it deals, and the extent and variety
of its interests. So we have bonanza farms of thousands
of acres, where the plowing is done not by a plow, but
by plows operated in series by a prime mover. We handle
bulky commodities like coal and ore in great masses,
emptying a car as easily as a workman tosses a shovelful.

It is no exaggeration to say that these characteristics
belong also to practical bibliography. The aesthetic

112 Bibliographical Society of America

bibliographer may resent the comparison of his gentle
labors to the heaving of coal and iron-ore or to digging
in the ground; but the practical bibliographer, when he
is called upon to produce overnight a bibliography which
in the old days he would have lingered over for weeks, if
not months, realizes the truth of the comparison. The
general indexes gather up in carload lots the references
which he dumps into his hopper, and behold — a list
which is a marvel to the uninitiate !

The practical bibliographer, who is not confined to
a single group of subjects, realizes as no one else can the
vast extent of the bibliographical activities of recent
years. A glance over the bibliographies we have listed
in the Library of Congress prompts me to venture the
statement that more of them have been compiled in the
last twenty-five years than in the whole previous history
of the world. And what are we doing to take care of all
this production, and to see that it is not lost ? Practically
nothing. Some are listed in the Library Journal, others
in Special Libraries, and the Wilson publications include
many. Our efforts in this direction are spasmodic. What
we need is an indexed catalogue of bibhographies —
I use the term advisedly — in which all bibliographies
shall be entered alphabetically under names of authors or
compilers. Combined with this, there should be a minute
analytical subject index, which should refer to the indi-
vidual items in the other list. This would necessitate
numbering the items, but to use ordinary numbers for
this purpose would make the intercalation of additional

Bibliography in Relation to Business 113

bibliographies difficult, and involve a remaking of the
index for each new expanding edition of the work. The
solution of the problem Hes in the use of a Cutter number
for numbering the items in the catalogue. This permits
of endless intercalation without disarrangement of the
sequence of numbers, and every entry in the index is
good for all time. With such a system, cumulation of
both catalogue and index would be easy. The task,
I know, is a labor of Hercules, but something of this kind
must be done, if we would avoid endless repetition and
dupHcation of work. Such an indexed catalogue would
tell us at once what bibliographical work has been done
on any given subject. Even the poorest list represents
some little thought. Why not use this as a foundation
on which to build, or, if a more finished product is dis-
covered, why not supplement it, rather than, in either
case, go over all of the same ground again ? The first
compilation of the indexed catalogue I have in mind
could be achieved by co-operation, or might well be left
to a single office, but its continuation and expansion
certainly offer an ideal field for co-operative work. We
are all of us constantly running across lists and bibli-
ographies which we are obliged to examine with greater
or less care. After our examination, we are in the best
possible position to suggest the words or phrases which
would represent it in the subject index. If these words
or phrases, together with an author entry for the cata-
logue, were sent to a central office, it would be an easy
matter to assign a Cutter number to the catalogue entry

114 Bibliographical Society of America

and to affix it to the index words or phrases, and they
would all drop into their proper places as easily and surely
as the matrices in a linotype machine.

Lacking a general cumulative index of bibliographies,
we find the most notable and useful achievements of
practical bibliography to be lists devoted to special sub-
jects. I could fill a deal of space and take up a lot of
time enumerating these. But that would be a weariness
and an infliction which I shall spare you. I shall, how-
ever, mention a few for the sake of the valuable features
they possess.

The volume prepared by Mr. R. H. Johnston, librarian
of the Bureau of Railway Economics, of Washington,
D.C., with the title Railway Economics: A Collective
Catalogue of Books in Fourteen American Libraries, gives
the location of the material listed in the more important
American libraries having valuable collections of railroad
literature. This is a feature worthy of the careful con-
sideration of all bibhographers, and is especially desirable
in the treatment of subjects, the hterature of which is
printed in rare, unusual, bulky, or expensive publications.

The Guide to Reading in Social Ethics and Allied
Subjects by Teachers in Harvard University is a fine
example of an annotated bibliography. Annotations
call for the most careful and discriminating judgment.
They have no excuse for existence unless they really
convey desirable information. Only too often anno-
tations repeat in an expanded form the information con-
veyed by the title. As Hamlet says of the players,

Bibliography in Relation to Business 115

"That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful ambition
in the Fool that uses it." I have on several occasions
expressed my attitude toward annotations by saying
that you can have as much annotation as you are willing
to pay for. The only limit is available outlay of time or
money, and that limit is soon reached. By all means
let us have annotations, but we ought to be willing to
pay for them. In the Division of Bibliography of the
Library of Congress, we find the best inexpensive substi-
tute for annotations to be a classification of the entries,
and an author and analytical subject index. We try
to bring out in the index many of the points which would
naturally be dwelt on in annotations.

An example of a well-classified bibliography is the
list on "Metal Corrosion and Protection," first printed
in the Monthly Bulletin of the Carnegie library of Pitts-
burgh for December, 1906, revised in the issue for July,
1909, and finally printed in a revised and corrected form
in Cushman and Gardner's The Corrosion and Preserva-
tion of Iron and Steel, 19 10.

The comprehensive "Bibliography" compiled by
W. H. and L. V. Dalton and printed in Sir Boverton
Redwood's Petroleum, a Treatise, 1906, would be a most
valuable contribution to practical bibliography, if the
5,900 items had been classified, or if an analytical subject
index had been provided. As it stands it is hardly more
than the raw material of a bibliography.

That bibliographies of special subjects should be pre-
pared by specialists goes without saying, and I point

ii6 Bibliographical Society of America

with pride to the work done by some of my colleagues in
the Librar>^ of Congress. The Bibliography of Inter
national Law and of Continental Law, by Dr. E. M.
Borchard, the law librarian, is a treatise on the subject.
The discussion fills the body of the work and the biblio-
graphical entries are given in footnotes. Of the several
publications by Mr. P. Lee Phillips, chief of the Division
of Maps and Charts, I single out the List of Geographical
Atlases in the Library of Congress, in three volumes. The
work is a model of a comprehensive special bibliography.
The material is so well and carefully arranged, and the
indexes so full, that the three volumes have become
a standard reference work all over the world.

Hardly less comprehensive are the publications for
which Mr. O. G. T. Sonneck, chief of the Di\dsion of
Music, is responsible. The Catalogue of Opera Librettos
Printed before 1800, issued in two volumes in 19 14, has
already taken its place as a standard reference book.
A companion work, the Catalogue of Full Scores of Operas,
is now in the press. The Catalogue of Early Books on
Music {before 1800), compiled by Miss Julia Gregory
under Mr. Sonneck's direction, is a work indispensable
to anyone interested in the development of modern
music.

This paper would be quite incomplete without some
reference to "clearing-houses." In this instance it
should be to a clearing-house for bibhographical informa-
tion. It certainly would be well to know, when one is

Bibliography in Relation to Business 117

about to take up a subject, whether anyone else has
already gone over the ground or is working on it. What
we need is a registry where a record of bibliographical
activities can be kept, a place where we can go to find out
whether any particular subject is being worked up and
who is doing it — in other words, a clearing-house. This
is one of the activities which has been suggested as a
proper function of the Library of Congress — one of many
such suggestions which come to us as regularly as the
phases of the moon. In fact, these suggestions are so
frequently made that I am often reminded of what Lowell
said of Carlyle. Some of you will remember the passage
which reads, "the world's wheels have got fairly stalled
in mire and other matter of every vilest consistency and
most disgustful smell. What are we to do? Mr.
Carlyle will not let us make a lever with a rail from the
next fence, or call in the neighbors. That would be too

commonplace No; he would have us sit down

beside him in the slough and shout lustily for Hercules."
Just so, when the wheels of library and bibliographical
progress get stuck in the mud, what do we do ? Do we
pile up a few of the "best sellers" as a fulcrum, and with
the library staff as a lever try to start things again ?
No. Instead, we all gather round and shout lustily for
the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is
as much interested in this question of a clearing-house
for bibliographical information as anyone, and will
undoubtedly contribute its share; but if I may venture

ii8 Bibliographical Society of America

a suggestion, it is that this is a proper function of the
BibHographical Society of America.^

Having worked around to the usual point of suggest-
ing something for someone else to do, there is nothing
more for me to say. I have tried to point out the kind of
work practical bibUography is doing, to describe briefly
the tools with which we are doing it, their defects and
shortcomings, and how they may be improved. I hope
that I have left with you the impression that practical
bibliography is an important factor in the progress of
civilization.

' The A. L. A. headquarters, 78 East Washington Street, Chicago, has
recently undertaken this function, but the secretary, Mr. Utley, informs me
that so far the responses, to the requests to go on record published in the
Library Journal and elsewhere, have been very few.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL PROBLEMS. WITH A FEW

SOLUTIONS

BY GEORGE WATSON COLE

17 VERY writer as he passes along the highway of life
*-^ selects some object, picks it up, and casts it as his
contribution on the cairn within which knowledge uni-
versal lies buried. The bibliographer passes that way,
rearranges the heterogeneous mass, reduces it to order
and symmetry, and by so doing erects to her a worthy
and fitting monument. Without some adequate means
of perpetuating thought, mankind would still be on a level
with its progenitors, the cave men and lake-dwellers.

An uncontrollable desire to write has ever possessed
our race. It first manifested itself in the pictograph,
later in the ideograph, and, in its most malignant aspect,
in the alphabet. Since the time of Cadmus it has assumed
an incurable form and is now highly epidemic.

No proper consideration of bibliography can be under-
taken without a recognition of the presence of the author.
There had to be a considerable number of books before
there could be any books about books. And so it is that
bibliography forms one of the last links in a series of
books having for their chief consideration authors and
their writings. In this chain we find biographies, books
of literary criticism, anecdotes and reminiscences of
authors, edited collections of their writings, and, finally,
books about books, or those that especially interest us
119

I20 Bibliographical Society of America

as bibliographers. These different classes of books, as
might be expected, overlap each other to a greater or
less extent. At one end of the chain we have the author
writing books, at the other, the bibliographer describing
them, and between them several intermediate links.

The author, catholic in his tastes, takes the whole
domain of thought as his field. The literary critic
restricts himself to the consideration of the wTitings of
others, a calling, chosen perhaps, because of his lack of
success in the field of literary creation, where the rewards,
if success be attained, are infinitely greater. The biogra-
pher, contented with a more restricted field, confines his
work to the consideration of a particular person. His
labors interest us as bibliographers but sHghtly, unless
perchance they deal with an author, and then only in so
far as they relate to his career as a producer of books.
The aim of the literary editor is to give to the world the
best edition of the works of his favorite author, and he is
naturally much interested in priority of editions and
purity of texts. Lastly, the bibliographer, who stands
at the end of our imaginary chain, is above all interested
in editions and the changes they have undergone; but
his interest, like that of the others, goes back, though in
lesser intensity than theirs, through the works of an
author to his personality.

No true artist has ever felt that he has imparted the
best that was in him, and multitudes have passed away
with their fondest visions unexpressed. The world has

Bihliographical Problems, ivith Solutions 121

ever been filled with mute, inglorious Miltons, with
inspired but unprolific Raphaels, dreamers of dreams and
beholders of visions, who never even put pen to paper
or brush to canvas.

Books are the world's greatest means of preserving
and transmitting the mental activities of mankind.
Before the age of printing the processes by which books
were made differed widely from those of the present day.
Lacking the uniformity of print, changing in character
from generation to generation, and from age to age, the
science of paleography was of necessity developed and
perfected, so that one age might the more easily decipher
the works of those which preceded it.

The thoughts of an author, in their transmission from
his brain to the public, necessarily pass through various
processes, in each of which dangers constantly arise
of their being distorted or changed. Many, perhaps
most of these, are due to his own mental lapses, as well as
the lapses of others, while engaged in preparing them for
the public. Few if any authors have ever given to the
world their richest thoughts. Even the masterpieces
of authors necessarily lose much of their divine fire by
the process they undergo in being transferred to manu-
script and later to print.

The very process of our ordinary writing is a clog to
the expression of thought, an aid that lags painfully
behind, while the mind flies on far ahead and has repeat-
edly to come back to assist its slower interpreter, thus
losing completely or obscuring the visions it has just seen.

122 Bibliographical Society of America

The world loses much inspired literature because of its
present cumbrous method of writing, but it is perhaps
spared more than it loses. If the author, fired with the
enthusiasm of his subject, is liable to make mistakes,
what shall we say of the scrivener or typewriter, who
undertakes to transcribe the thoughts and ideas of
others, a process mentally deadening and largely
mechanical ?

It is a well-recognized fact that every time a manu-
script is copied errors are bound to creep in, that every
time a printer puts a manuscript in type numerous
departures from the original text are bound to occur.
The errors liable to be made in each of these cases, as is
well known, are of a different character, as much so as
the means employed in their production.

Some well-known writers, like Tennyson, have been
in the habit of privately putting their manuscripts in
type, and poHshing them at their leisure, before finally
permitting them to be published. Examples of this are
copies of Byron's poems. The Lament of Tasso and Man-
fred^ that exist with manuscript corrections and alter-
ations in the author's handwriting. These are not proofs
in the ordinary sense of the term, but sheets actually
printed, folded, and stitched, and are quite unlike the
first editions of these poems.

Authors' manuscripts are preserved in which the
workings of the writers' minds are plainly visible. In
some places long stretches appear in which the words
apparently came trooping, as if by inspiration, needing

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 123

few, if any, changes; in others, language seems to have
come with hesitation and laboriously, as is witnessed by
the frequent erasures and interlineations. In one place
the thought is found pruned, amplified, or embellished,
while in another it is delightfully spontaneous. These
intimate products of the author's brain and hand are
eagerly sought for and treasured by bibliophiles, their
interest and value being measured, as is but natural, by
the relative prominence and distinction of the author.

Such are some of the obstacles with which the author
has to contend in putting his thoughts into proper form
for transmission to his readers. Let us now suppose that
he has struggled through all this, and that at last his
manuscript — in his own none too legible hand, trans-
cribed by an amanuensis, or in typewritten form — is
ready for the printer; that it has passed the rigid censor-
ship of the professional reader and has at last, to his
great joy, been accepted for pubUcation.

Before it can appear in print, it has yet to undergo
still greater ordeals at the hands of those, who, devoid
of the afflatus that has upborne the author, are in com-
parison mere machines, and on whom it devolves to
change his work from manuscript to print. These, to
mention only the most important, are the compositor,
the proof-reader, the pressman, and the binder.

There is little doubt but that we should have more
accurate printing if both the author and bibUographer,
as well as the proof-reader, better understood the pro-
cesses of the printer. Not only would we have finer and

124 Bibliographical Society of America

more accurate books, but more perfect descriptions of
them. From the author's point of view few books are
perfect; from the bibliographer's, the only perfect book
is the one caught on its w^ay from the printer's office to
the binder's, or, after it has been folded and gathered
with all its inserts, before it has been taken in hand by
the sewer, before the binder's shears have shorn it of any
of its original material, and before his craft has skilfully
concealed the printer's irregularities.

Bibliography claims as its province the consideration
of all the methods by which thought is transmitted from
the mind of the author to the public, but more especially
the perpetuation of thought, in these latter days, by
means of the printing-press.

A printed book is by no means the simple thing it
seems; on the contrary, it is a very composite affair.
Thoroughly to understand its complexity, it is necessary
to go back to its very genesis and to follow its growth
step by step, until it is ready to be placed in the hands
of its readers. These steps have varied but little during
the entire history of book making. More or less durable
substances have been used as vehicles for transmission,
stone or clay, papyrus, parchment or paper, depending
upon the advance mankind had made toward civilization.
The bibliographer needs therefore to be somewhat of
a linguist, something of a paleographer; but, above all,
he must be familiar with the numerous processes which
enter into the mechanical construction of books, more

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 125

especially with those connected with the printed volume,
as his work is most likely to be mainly confined to the
latter, though no information he may possess in other
fields will ever come amiss.

There is every reason to believe that in the early days
of printing the art was employed to impose upon the
public by passing off the printed book as the work of the
scrivener. Hence it was made to resemble as closely as
possible the manuscript of those days, a masterpiece,
indeed, of patient and elaborate hand work. The first
printed books were therefore close imitations of the best
products of the scrivener's art, and so it came about that
the earliest products of the printing-press were themselves
masterpieces of printing, and as such have scarcely ever
been surpassed, as specimens of the printer's art, even to
the present day.

When the public could no longer be deceived by the
resemblance of the printed book to its manuscript brother,
and the art of printing had become common knowledge,
a decline in quality and workmanship began to take
place.

The earliest book printed in the English language
appeared toward the end of the fifteenth century {ca.
1475). English literature was then in its formative
state, and continued to grow until the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, when the drama, the characteristic hterary
expression of that age, reached its zenith in the plays of
Shakespeare and his fellow-dramatists. Contemporary
with this class of literature appeared, in 161 1, a work of

126 Bibliographical Society of America

an entirely different order, the Authorized Version of the
Bible. It is generally recognized that this and the
First Folio of Shakespeare, which appeared twelve years
later, in 1623, did more than any other two books to
crystalize the English language into the literary form we
now possess. This is apparent from the fact that, although
three centuries have elapsed since their appearance, both
of these books can be read today with almost as much
ease as the latest literature to be found in our book-stores.

At the Bretton Woods meeting, in 1909, the attention
of this Society was called by Professor George P. Baker
to the puzzling character of the products of the Eliza-
bethan printers, as exemplified in the quarto editions of
the plays of that day. This is a field that has been
made the subject of much investigation by our friends of
the Bibliographical Society in England. There is little
doubt that the work accomplished, with books of that
age, by members of our Sister-Society, has done much to
develop the aims and scope of bibliography and to reduce
it to a more systematic basis. This is shown in a marked
degree by such articles as those of Alfred W. Pollard,
Falconer Madan, Walter W. Greg, Ronald B. McKerrow,
and others, in the more recent publications of that
Society. One has but to read their papers with some
care to note the advance that the bibliography of the
present day has made over that of but a few decades ago.

The bibliographer of today, as already intimated, is
no longer content merely to describe books or to make
lists of those dealing with a specific subject. Rather,

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 127

he studies the book as a composite object, analyzes its
component parts, and tries to conceive of it as it passed
from the hands of the printer to those of the binder. In
fact, he is never so happy as when a volume comes to him
loosely sewed, in old or contemporary binding, or, better
still, in stitched sheets, so that he can examine its sepa-
rate parts and see how they were put together. Viewed
from this standpoint, modern bibliography may not
inaptly be termed the comparative anatomy of the book.
Ideally, therefore, the perfect book, as already stated, is
the one that has been printed and folded with its full
complement of plates, maps, portraits, cancels, etc. — is,
in fact, the book in the exact condition in which the
binder prepared it to be placed in the hands of his
sewer.

The bibliographer therefore tries to picture the book
in this, its elementary state, as composed of a series of
units or sheets, each of which has undergone at least two
separate operations: it has been printed on one side and
dried, and then turned over and printed on the other.
Now this, especially with the comphcated output of the
Elizabethan printers, is no light task; for, it is probably
safe to say that every device that printers or binders
could possibly adopt is exemplified in these books. As
Mr. McKerrow says :

The numerous processes through which a book passes are all
perfectly simple and very httle trouble will suffice for the under-
standing of them. What is needed is that they shall be grasped
sufficiently clearly for the book to be always regarded, not as a

128 Bibliographical Society of America

unit, but as an assemblage of parts each of which is the result
of a clearly apprehended series of processes.

.... Every book presents its own problems and has to be
investigated by methods suited to the particular case. And it
is just this fact, that there is always a chance of lighting on new
problems or new methods of demonstration, that with almost
every new book we take up we are in new country unexplored
and trackless, and that yet such discoveries as we may make are
real discoveries, not mere matters of opinion, but provable things
that no amount of after-investigation can shake, that makes this
kind of research, trifling as it may at first sight appear, one of the
most absorbing of all forms of historical enquiry.

Bibliographers, in their endeavor to reduce their work
to a more exact system, have considered some features of
books as axiomatic, among these, that no book is com-
plete unless it has an even number of leaves, by which
is meant an even number of leaves in the preliminaries of
a volume, as well as in its body or text. This, we venture
to say, is not a safe premise upon which to predicate the
completeness of a book. The principle, while right in the
main, is based upon incorrect deductions.

A collation by signatures, to be logical, should begin
where the printer began his work and not with the pre-
liminary leaves. It should begin with the text, especially
if that begins with a full sheet or signature-mark — a pretty
conclusive indication that the work was set in type from
manuscript and is not a page-for-page reprint. In the
latter case the text may by chance begin anywhere else
than on the first leaf of a signature. By adopting this

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 129

method, instead of beginning with the prehminary leaves,
when we reach the end of the book we shall find our-
selves in the same position that the printer was in, and
in a far better position to understand his problems and
how he went about to solve them.

After having printed the last sheet but one, the printer
was of necessity guided by the amount of matter yet to
be put in type. This may have been enough to fill a single
page, an entire leaf, two, three, or even four leaves, or
perhaps a complete sheet. In the last event his course
was obviously clear. But how about the others ? The
preliminaries yet remained to be printed. Was he going
to press with a single leaf, for example, to complete the
end of the book, in order to begin the preliminary pages
with a new sheet ? This is unlikely. The amount of pre-
liminary matter being known (as it was not when he
began printing) he would cut his garment to fit his cloth
and print a full sheet or such a portion of one as may have
been necessary to complete the book and its preliminaries.
Hence in the collation of many volumes it is necessary to
take into consideration the possibility that the first
pages of the preliminaries may have been imposed as a
part of the same sheet that was used at the end of the
volume.

In our attempts to account for the processes that took
place in the printing-office, it is safe to assume — unless
there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary — that the
printer never did anything by which he wasted or lost
time, labor, or material — in other words, that he always

130 Bibliographical Society of America

did what was to be accomplished in the simplest and most
direct or economical way; that he never printed a single
page or two, when he had type enough set to print a half
sheet or a whole one.

Happily we are able to show that what we have just
been trying to explain is not merely a theory, but has
actually occurred in practice; and, if once, why not
repeatedly under similar circumstances ? The Remem-
brancer, London, 1775-84, was published in seventeen
volumes, in signatures of four leaves each. In vols. 11.
and XIV., the title-page occupies a single leaf, followed
by the text, which begins on the first leaf of sheet B. The
last signature in this and in nearly all the other volumes
of the set consists of but three leaves. As ordinarily
given, a collation of these volumes would assume the
existence of a blank leaf before the title-page and of
another at the end of the volume, the latter completing
the usual sheet of four leaves. Were the bibliographer
to make this assumption, he would place on record two
leaves which never existed in any of these volumes. For
it happens that some, if not all, of these volumes were pub-
lished in parts. An examination made of several of these
parts, loosely stitched, showed that the title-pages of vols.
II., III., and IV. were and still remained integral parts of
the last sheets of their respective volumes. It is highly
probable, therefore, that the other volumes of this work,
containing similar leaves, were treated in like manner.
The bibliographer should therefore be on his guard not
to fall into the error of adding to his collations leaves

Bibliographical Problems, ivith Solutions 131

that never by any possibility belonged to the volumes
he describes.

A few examples of the perplexing problems that con-
front the bibliographer who has to deal with irregularities
in books, especially with the somewhat erratic output of
the English printing-press prior to the year 1640, may
prove of interest. The preliminary and end leaves of
volumes, as is well known, and as we have just seen,
are those which usually give the most trouble. Further-
more, during the three hundred and more years that
have elapsed since these volumes were printed, many of
them have been neglected or abused and, with bindings
loose or entirely gone, the outer leaves one by one have
disappeared or become mutilated and soiled. When they
have been rescued, and their rarity or value recognized,
they have been sumptuously bound and the effects of
their previous misfortunes skilfully minimized or removed.

Every leaf in a book is supposed to have attached at
its back a corresponding or companion leaf in order to
permit of its being firmly sewed. So, when we find
an uneven number of leaves in a sheet or gathering, it is
customary to conclude that a leaf is missing (as in the
case just described), even though it be a blank one and
may have been removed by the original or a subsequent
binder. Such leaves, when found in perfect copies,
instead of being blank, sometimes contain half-titles,
wood cuts, imprimaturs, lists of errata, or other printed
matter without which the book would certainly be

132 Bibliographical Society of America

incomplete. Blank leaves are missing from some books
in modern bindings because they were originally used as
paste-downs, i.e., pasted to the inside of the covers of
the binding. These are sometimes found so employed,
especially in volumes bound in old, limp vellum. It
need hardly be said that when such volumes are rebound
all e\ddence of the existence of these blank leaves dis-
appears, and that but for their occasionally turning up
in their original covers the use they were put to would
never be suspected. An article in the current number of
The Library (April, 19 16), written by E. M. May, calls
attention to such an example, and three others are
recorded among the Jesuit Relations, in the Church
collection. In one of these, curiously enough, the last
two blank leaves had both been pasted to the cover, one
above the other.

In some volumes in modern binding, the owners have
carefully preserved the original fly-leaves of contempo-
rary paper. These need not, if due care is taken, be
mistaken for parts of the first or last signatures. The
method of determining whether blank leaves are or are
not a part of the book in which they are found is interest-
ingly shown in Marston's Works, London, 1633. This is
a reissue, with a new title-page, of his Tragedies and
Comedies Collected into One Volume, pubhshed earlier the
same year. The reissue has a dedication to "the Right
Honourable, the Lady Elizabeth Carie, Viscountess
Fawkland." In this epistle dedicator}^, Marston, in
gi\dng his reasons for the change of title, says that the

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 133

chief causes of the aspersions cast upon the plays of his
day were their obscene speeches, scenes of ribaldry, and
scurrilous taunts and jests; that, though his plays were
written in his youth, they were free from those odious
features; so that, in his then declining age, he had nothing
to be ashamed of in this respect; and that, in view of the
general unpopularity of plays, he would have been more
careful in revising them, when they first appeared in their
collected form, had he not been far distant. These
considerations, coupled with the fact that the very words
"tragedies" and "comedies" had themselves become
unpopular, led him to change the title of the volume to
The Workes of John Marston, instead of Tragedies and
Comedies, that under which it first appeared.

At the end of this volume are three blank leaves
necessary to complete the last signature (Dd) of eight
leaves. Had they been absent, the question would
naturally arise. What, if anything, was printed on them ?
Happily, in the copy examined, all of them are found to
be blank and genuine. On the last leaf (Dd8) is a portion
of a water-mark, plainly to be seen in the upper inner
margin. This exactly coincides with other parts of
a water-mark in the same position in leaves i, 4, and 5,
the four combined forming the complete water-mark of
a single sheet. The remaining leaves (2, 3, 6, and 7)
show no traces of a water-mark, but the relative positions
and distances between the perpendicular chain-lines,
as they meet at the tops of the leaves, are identical,
showing that they form parts of the same sheet and that

134 Bibliographical Society of America

all these leaves originally formed a complete sheet.
This illuminating example shows the necessity of a
careful examination of the texture of the paper, its
chain-lines and water-marks, in determining the genu-
ineness of the leaves composing a sheet or signature.

This description, complicated though it seems, can
be made quite plain if a sheet of ruled paper wdth an
improvised water-mark is folded three times, so that the
chain-lines are perpendicular and the up-and-down bolts
come on the last four leaves. If then each page is
numbered and marked blank or text, as the case may be,
the description given above can easily be followed.

In order to avoid the pitfalls and snares that abound
in printed books, especially those of the early seventeenth
century, we must in all cases put ourselves as nearly as
possible in the position of the printer and follow his
progress step by step, if we would not fall into error in
accounting for and describing the anomalies we are
constantly meeting in the books printed during that
period. When we find anything unusual in a book, the
first question should be, What was the problem that con-
fronted the printer, and how could he most easily and
naturally solve it ?

Another assumption, hitherto adopted by bibli-
ographers, is that a leaf missing in the middle of a volume
has been cancelled and that the volume is therefore
incomplete. This view doubtless originated from the
finding of cancels (leaves printed to take the place of

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 135

others that have been removed) tipped to the stubs of
leaves that have been torn out (cancelled leaves). This
deduction in most cases proves true. But suppose that
the missing leaf is the last one of a signature : must we
decide that the printer, after having made the necessary
corrections in type, went to press with a single leaf so
that it could be pasted to the stub of the cancelled leaf ?
Hardly! As he had yet to proceed with the printing
of the rest of the book, is it not more reasonable to
suppose, nay, is it not almost certain, that he imposed
the type of the cancel as the first leaf of the following
sheet and tore out and threw away the imperfect one?
An interesting example in point is that of a leaf missing
in all known copies of Thomas Churchyard's Miserie
of Flaunders, London, 1579. Sheet C has only three
leaves, but the text, as the catchword indicates, runs
on without a break to the first leaf of D. It is quite
probable that for some reason, now unknown, the last
two pages of C4 were cancelled, and that, instead of
reprinting a single leaf, the printer, after having made the
necessary changes or corrections, reprinted the matter
on the first leaf of sheet D instead of reprinting a single
leaf or the whole of sheet C, so that on collating the book
by signatures two pages or a complete leaf appears to
be missing; notwithstanding, the book is undoubtedly
complete.

An interesting case of a suppressed leaf and the sub-
sequent discovery of its contents is found in Sir John
Beaumont's Bosworth Field, a Poem, published in 1639.

136 Bibliographical Society of America

In all known copies of this work, leaf N3, pp. 181-182,
has been cancelled. The identity of the suppressed
matter was surmised by some unknown person. He, or
someone to whom he revealed his conjectured discovery,
seems to have had a leaf printed, containing two poems
which he supposed had been printed on the missing leaf.
This substituted leaf appears in some copies. Now
it happens that the cancelled leaf has been so clumsily
removed in a few instances that the initial letters of the
lines are still to be seen on the stubs. The first letters
of the words of the poems on the substituted leaf do not
correspond with these initial letters. It remained for
Mr. F. G. Kenyon, in 1899, to identify the missing poem,
by means of these initial letters, as a poem contained in
a manuscript volume of Beaumont's poems preserved
in the Stowe collection of manuscripts in the British
Museum. Both the original and the supposititious poems
are printed in the Grolier Club's Catalogue: English
Writers from Withier to Prior, i. (1905), pp. 27, 28. It is
the possibility of new discoveries of a like nature that
is one of the principal allurements of bibliography.

Much conjecture has been occasioned by the fact that
the text of all known copies, and so presumably of all
copies, of Sir Fulke Greville's Certaine Learned and
Elegant Workes, published in 1633, begins on p. 23. The
missing pages, 1-23, are supposed to have contained
A Treatise on Religion, which, Corser informs us, was
suppressed by Archbishop Laud. This poem, consisting
of 114 six-line stanzas, was published about forty years

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 137

later (1670) in the Remains of Sir Fulke Greville in Poems
Never Before Printed.

All copies of Captain John Smith's Generall Historie
of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles, which
originally appeared in 1624, seemingly lack an entire
signature (0, pp. 97-104). Their omission remained
unexplained until Henry Stevens, the well-known London
bibhographer and bookseller, discovered by differences
in type, initial letters, and headlines, that the manu-
script of the book had been given out to two different
printers and that this apparent omission arose from their
mistake in calculating the number of pages the first
portion of the manuscript would fill. The second printer
began his work with sheet P, but when the first printer
had finished setting up his part, he found that he had
not even enough matter to fill sheet N, to say nothing
of sheet O, which had also been allotted him. In order
to complete his last sheet, he filled it with some verses
to which he prefixed this explanation :

Now feeing there is thus much Paper here to /pare, that you
Jhould not be altogether cloyed with Proje; fuch Verfses as my worthy
Friends bef towed vpon New England, / here prefent you, becaufe
with hone/tie I can neither reiect nor omit their courtefies.

A volume might be filled with instances in which
interesting and valuable discoveries have been made by
careful bibliographical investigations and comparisons.
As already intimated, bibliography is taking on fresh
interest and is rapidly being reduced to a more systematic
if not to a scientific basis.

138 Bibliographical Society of America

Of an objectionable feature, suppressed in subsequent
editions, we have an interesting example in Marston's
play The Malcontent. An examination of four copies,
all dated 1604, discloses some interesting features. These
copies represent three different editions, each printed
from a separate setting of type. At the beginning of the
third scene of the first act, in the first two of these editions,
there appears an expression that, as will presently be
seen, must have been received by the public with the
greatest disfavor. The passage in the most complete of
these copies (Kemble-Devonshire Collection, vol. 463,
no. 4) occurs just after a song which is followed by the
entrance of Malevole. Pietro, who has ceased speaking
during the song, resumes his part :

Pie. See: he comes: now /hall you heare the extreamitie
of a Malecontent: he is free as ayre: he blowes ouer euery man.
And /ir, [addressing Malevole] whence come you now ?

Mai: From the publicke place of much di//imulation, (the
Church.)

Pie. What did/t there ?

Mai: Talke with a V/urer: take vp at intere/t.

And so the play runs on.

Now the remarkable thing is that Kemble, the actor,
a former owner of this copy, has written on the margin
of the title-page this comment: "This is the only Copy
I ever saw of this Play, in which the word Church was
not erased." This statement is fully borne out by the
condition of two other copies.

In the second (6), an imperfect copy, laid into the
volume just described, the objectionable word has been

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 139

entirely cut out with a knife or some sharp instrument.
In a third {c), which was also owned by Kemble (vol. 59,
no. i), the word "Church" has been completely erased
by scratching.

In d, the fourth copy (Hoe Sale, 1:2217), the offensive
words have disappeared, but the parentheses in which
they were originally inclosed have been retained, indi-
cating an omission, thus:

Mai: From the publick place of much dijjiniulation. ( )

These copies not only disclose in an interesting and
original manner the contemporary reception given to this
play; but, what is of greater value, the sequence of edi-
tions, especially of the one just described, which is
unquestionably the last of the three.

Bibliographers everywhere have heretofore labored
and are still laboring under great disadvantages — first of
all, from the faulty descriptions of books handed down
by their predecessors. These have led to much confusion
as to editions, in numerous instances giving rise to
apocr}^phal ones that have never existed, except in the
minds of their creators. The inability to compare copies
side by side is a disadvantage which will always exist but
which will in the future be overcome to a great degree
by the better and more minute descriptions now exacted,
and by the ease and trifling expense of producing photo-
mechanical facsimilies for purposes of comparison. The
American bibHographer has in the past labored under the
great disadvantage of not ha\dng the books to describe.

140 Bibliographical Society of America

Fortunately, our collections of rare books are now so
increased in numbers and importance that in some fields
work can be carried on almost as successfully here as in
the libraries of the Old World.

The extra-illustrator, as well as the zealous collector,
who takes pleasure in binding into his copies variant
plates, pages, or other matters, have in their turn done
much to confuse the bibliographer in his work. An excel-
lent example in point is the set of De Bry's Voyages
brought together by James Lenox, in which he bound a
number of variant leaves, so that it is now impossible,
without taking the volume apart, to distinguish between
the original leaves and those he inserted.

After all, the examination of several copies side by
side is the surest way of arriving at an accurate descrip-
tion of any book. What would have been said several
years ago if one had picked up a volume in an American
collection and found on a fly-leaf a penciled note couched
in these words, presque unique, while at the same time four
other copies lay within reach of his hand ? But even this
is no longer an exaggeration. True, the words just
quoted may have been written by some unscrupulous
bookseller who was trying to enhance the value of his
wares, perhaps by one who knew no better; or, they
may have been copied from some untrustworthy source,
without any attempt to establish their accuracy.

The aims and scope of present-day bibliography may
perhaps be summarized in the words that follow. A
model bibliography should give:

Bibliographical Problems, with Solutions 141

1. A full and accurate description of a perfect copy
of a book, both from a material and literary point of
view, so full that another copy, or even a considerable
fragment of it, can be identified with absolute certainty.
A description, to accomplish this purpose, should invari-
ably include, especially in the case of old books —

a) Size by fold ;

b) The enumeration and number of signature-marks
and total number of leaves;

c) A minute and full description of each separate
portion of the book, including captions, and more espe-
cially of its preliminary and end leaves.

2. Following this description, may well be given
references to sources where information regarding the
book and other editions of it can be found, as well as
some condensed information regarding its place in the
literature of the subject of which it treats. References
to or apt quotations from critical estimates of the work,
especially if they be by writers of recognized authority,
are always of interest and value.

3. The location of other copies when known, or when
it can be ascertained, is highly desirable, especially if the
work described is one of great rarity.

4. Interest is added if some details can be given con-
cerning the author and his immediate connection with the
work in question, such as pertinent Hterary anecdotes, and
incidents connected with the writing of the book or with
its pubHcation and pubHc reception.

Where this can be done bibliography will be lifted out
of the class of work considered dry and uninteresting,

142 Bibliographical Society of America

and will take its place among the recognized intellectual
activities of the day; it will afford a field of investigation
not only attractive but full of interest and adventure;
it will become accurate, comprehensive, readable, authori-
tative even. And who knows but that in the future it
may become a favorite field of effort, crowded, instead of
avoided as now, and one of the distinctive and prominent
pursuits of lovers of knowledge? If so, a classification and
evaluation of the field of knowledge, will be developed
or, at least, of special sections of it, which in themselves
will in a greater degree than hitherto be sought for, as
aids, by literary workers. I am sure that all bibli-
ographers will welcome the day when the publication of a
bibliography will be as eagerly looked for and anticipated
as are now the works of writers in some other fields of
literary activity.

DESIDERATA IN THE CATALOGUING
OF INCUNABULA

WITH A GUIDE FOR CATALOGUE ENTRIES

BY ARNOLD C. KLEBS, M.D.
Washington, D.C.

OPECIALISTS, as a rule, are self-sufficient beings
^ who do not bother about other people's specialties
and who do not care to have others intrude upon theirs.
I suppose that bibliographers and medical men are no
exception to the rule. As a member of this latter guild,
circumstances have forced me to peep out of my pigeon-
hole. Historical research and the collection of material
for a catalogue of fifteenth-century books on medicine
owned in this country have brought me in contact with
incunabula and through them with your profession, whose
labors have smoothed the path toward a proper compre-
hension of them. One fact has been strongly impressed
upon me during my researches: it is the apparent lack of
co-operation between those interested in these books
mainly from the typographical point of view and those
more attracted by their contents.

A priori it may seem paradoxical to emphasize the
desideratum of paying attention to the contents of a
book. And still it may well be done, as we have the fact
before us that until very recently incunabula have been
considered mainly as objects precious to the collector and
143

144 Bibliographical Society of America

of scientific value only so far as they could serve in
throwing light upon the early technical, and possibly
artistic, development of the art of printing. The students
of the literature contained in them gave preference to
the earlier manuscripts or consulted later editions. To a
certain extent this finds its explanation in the fact that
many incunabula are inferior to the productions of earlier
penmanship or to those of the later presses, both in
regard to contents and typography. And yet we find
among them many unique and rare specimens which are
not extant in any other form, so that they can properly be
ranged as historical sources of major importance. There
is for this reason a legitimate demand for cataloguing
them in such a way as to make them readily available to
all interested.

The first scientific bibliographer of incunabula, Hain,
in his monumental Repertorium realized the importance
of subject entries and placed a synoptic title behind the
author's name, a practice which most of his successors
adopted, although very often the title was shortened or
conventionalized so as to hide the subject altogether.
The custom of arranging the entries according to their
printers, favored particularly by English bibliographers,
Proctor, Pollard, and others, although perfectly legitimate
for the purposes they had in view, nevertheless has
further helped to obliterate the subject. Mr. Pollard's
recent catalogue of the Dyson Perrins collection (1914),
with its subject index, forms a notable exception, pointing
in the right direction, which has been so admirably outlined

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 145

by the editors of the Gesamt-Katalog. The British
Museum Catalogue when once completed will undoubtedly
be provided with a subject index, but it will be very
difficult to bring this up to the highest scholarly stand-
ards, because of the lack of uniformity in the subject
entries and the generally one-sided aim of a typographical
catalogue.

A great deal of trouble is caused us of the other guild
by erroneous or ill-considered entries of authors' names.
A bibliographer who will bestow infinite pains and much
time upon accurate type measurements and other subtle-
ties of typographical analysis will cheerfully enter as one
and the same person a savant of the twelfth and one of
the fifteenth century, simply because they have the same
personal name. A translator will figure as an author, a
commentator or glossator will become a translator, and a
prince, to whom a work was dedicated, will parade as
its creator. Almost all such works sailing under false
colors are lost to the scholar who is interested in a certain
subject and cannot afford the time for a detailed search
among all the entries. It will probably never be possible
to bring about an absolute uniformity of name entries,
but surely much can be done, by co-operation, toward
establishing certain standards which will make impossible
such obvious errors.

When one sets out to compile a catalogue or a bibHog-
raphy for the press one can, to a certain extent, deviate
from precedent by correcting customary name entries, and
by calling attention to such corrections in appropriate

146 Bibliographical Society of America

cross-references. But for ordinary library entries inno-
vations of this kind hardly pay, and it is much safer to
adhere to the names by which the authors are most fre-
quently quoted. It is a pity, for instance, to bury the
work of Petrus Hispanus because of the few months of his
popedom as Johannes XXI. The best modern practice
is to give, whenever possible, the family name, and not to
substitute town names or epithets for them, as Hain did
so frequently. If there is no distinct family name, the
personal name must serve as leader, and there is no good
reason to shy at this, as it corresponds to mediaeval
practice. Epithets, titles, and the like can always serve
to distinguish two identical surnames or personal names
entered as leaders. The British Museum Catalogue
attempts to distinguish the various name entries by several
combinations of majuscule and minuscule types, a prac-
tice which complicates matters without any corresponding
gain.

The excellent example given in Collijn's Stockholm
catalogue and adopted by the Gesamt-Kalalog, that of
giving for each work brief biographical notes about the
author, might be followed more generally, and a few more
lines might characterize also the different works, and their
versions and translations. The author's name, in mediae-
val literature especially, was not used in the same sense as
we use it today, or at least as we pretend to use it, viz., in its
literal sense. Very often it simply headed another man's
work, which circulated anonymously in manuscript form
and was not rarely of great antiquity. Or the name of a

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 147

famous ancient authority was used by some enterprising
publisher to enliven the interest of the reading public in
the work or compilation of some contemporary author.
Generally speaking, in those times when erudition counted
for more than original research, plagiarism did not have
the bad odor it has now, and therefore was frequently
indulged in. It is most desirable that in a catalogue such
surreptitious authorship should be properly characterized.
So far as I know it has not been done.

Cataloguers in general seem to be anxious to find
authors for anonymous works. The aim is undoubtedly in
the right direction and distinctly to be encouraged in gen-
eral. But in the older works, and in incunabula in par-
ticular, there are serious obstacles to its fulfilment which
can be overcome only by a complex search of the manu-
scripts or by other scientific investigation. Some anony-
mous works of this class have acquired as such a definite
individuality, by a popularity extending through cen-
turies. This individuality is sometimes destroyed by the
addition of an author's name. So, for instance, the
famous Regimen Sanitatis of the School of Salerno is in
no way improved by Mile Pellechet's assigning it to
Arnoldus de Villanova, who happened to have written
a commentary on it but did not compose the Regimen
itself. Similarly, the Hortus Sanitatis, that most trouble-
some of bibliographic puzzles, is sometimes artificially
squeezed under the aegis of one Dr. Johannes of Kaub,
Cube, or Cuba, on the basis of his very slender editorial
claims to a work the roots of which reach into the remotest

148 Bibliographical Society of America

antiquity of civilization, and which we can hope to
untangle only by keeping the various editions together
and not by separating them under various author names
which at best are conjectural.

The standardization of author's-name entries ought
not to present unsurmountable difficulties. Those in the
way of adequate entries of the titles, however, are greater.
The practice of giving in the main heading after the
author's name a textual rendering of the "Incipit" and
the usually loquacious introductory sentence is a mon-
strosity. It is poor cataloguing because it promotes
obscurity and can impress no one but the tyro. If a
work has not already been described, it ought to be
described, but in its proper place, and not here where
one expects to find a clear indication of the contents of the
book. Since such a clear indication in a title was not the
fashion in the fifteenth century it is obviously the cata-
loguer's duty to supply it, and to do it in a brief, succinct
form is perhaps the highest part of his task. One has only
to run over modern catalogues to find manifold evidences
of neglect of this important feature. An unimaginative
entry like " Geber: Liber Geber," to be found in the list of
a noted bibliographer, is hardly justifiable on grounds
of necessary brevity, or of precedent, or of the special
importance of the book. There are some titles conse-
crated by long popularity, such as "Legenda aurea,"
"Rosa anglica," " Canon," "Speculum vitae," and others,
which immediately convey to the adept an idea as to the
contents, while they are meaningless in themselves.

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 149

The erudite bibliographer may consider it entirely super-
fluous to add explanatory words to such titles; and still
it seems good practice to do so, if for no other reason than
to facilitate the mechanical compilation of a subject
catalogue by less experienced library assistants. If we
keep in mind that the contents of incunabula (by classical,
mediaeval, and contemporary writers) can suitably be
classed as grammar, literature, jurisprudence, theology,
art, and science, it ought not to be difficult to choose such
a title as will allow of the proper assignment.

Another desideratum, self-evident to many, though
most frequently overlooked, is that the same works should
always be entered under the same headings, no matter
whether inside the book they are designated in the same
way or differently. This main heading should remain
immutable, even if the work in its course through many
presses and publishers' hands, and with the help of
commentators, expositors, translators, and others, has
been modified in appearance. It is most desirable that,
while the main title remains the same, the facts of such
literary contributions, as well as those of new additions,
should be properly stated, viz., with the full name of
the contributor or translator. Such contributions and
additions are sometimes more valuable from the literary
and historical point of view than the first work, which,
by the accident of its position in the book, overshadows the
others unless they are brought out in some such way as
suggested. While it seems perfectly proper that the
synoptic title in the main heading should be given in the

150 Bibliographical Society of America

language of the text, there is no earthly reason why we
should use the Latin jargon introduced by earlier bibliog-
raphers, instead of the much clearer " Edited by . . . . ,"
or "Commentary by . . . . ," when indicating the nature
of these contributions. It is a curious fact that some
cataloguers should still insist on employing a dubious
Latinity, when the best bibhographers have found out long
ago that a clear description of an incunabulum simply
cannot, for obvious reasons, be made in Latin.

The main heading is usually completed by the entry
of the place, the printer, the publisher, the day and year
of publication, and the format of the book. This, fol-
lowed by carefully determined bibliographic references,
ought to be ample for all purposes of cataloguing and
bibliography. In regard to this part of the heading we
have reached a fairly satisfactory stage of uniformity,
although some will spell the names of place and printer
in various ways, and some will give the day and year
only in the way in which they appear in the colophon
or elsewhere in the book, while others will give them only
in the terms of our calendar. Here also we encounter the
mysterious Latin symbolism, especially when date, place,
or printer are lacking. But these are questions of form
only and not of substance, such as those I have tried to
bring out in regard to the other part of the main heading.

Since the greater part of the 30,000 incunabula have
found adequate descriptions in works which must be
within easy reach of anybody who wishes to occupy
himself profitably with incunabula, it seems lost labor and

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 151

energy to repeat these descriptions again and again in
library catalogues. I know some librarians who insist
on doing it because, they say, they can more readily
identify their copies. Personally I think that if we put
the energies spent in this laborious task to a more careful
construction of the main heading we render a better
service. A sheet bearing such a main heading, inserted into
every incunabulum, will permit of immediate identifica-
tion without requiring a profound search for names, titles,
or dates, for which the ordinary hbrary attendant is little
qualified and which also puts the fifteenth-century paper
to a severe test, although fortunately it is more soUd
than the modern product. I am inserting such sheets
into the copies of incunabula in the Surgeon General's
Library.

In conclusion I should like to make a further plea
for a more attentive study of those features which are
peculiar to a given copy. In the latest home-made
catalogue, that of the John Boyd Thacher collection,
Mr. Ashley has successfully adopted this practice and so
set a good example. The measurements of the cut-page
are given — important, since the size of the halo is in pro-
portion to the sanctity of the copy; imperfections are
noted, and the work of the illuminator, rubricator, and
binder is described. CoUijn in his catalogues of Swedish
libraries has gone still further and made a special study of
the various manuscript entries, giving in index form the
information obtained. Often historic data of considerable
importance are thus furnished. It ought to be the pride

152 Bibliographical Society of America

of every owner of incunabula to extract this information
out of his books, information which distinguishes his
copy from all others and establishes its individual history
in the libraries of former owners, I quite agree wdth the
English reviewer (Literary Supplement, London Times,
No. 750) of the latest volume (IV, Subiaco and Rome) of
the British Museum Catalogue, when he characterizes
as "irritating" the unqualified entry of "Bought in April,
1866" for the Durandus of 1474. He sarcastically adds
that quite another annotation would be equally applicable,
"if, as is highly probable, some of the early printed books
in the Museum once formed part of the notorious Libri
accumulations."

While fifteenth-century books interest me mostly
because of their contents, I am not insensitive to their
artistic and technical charms, and I fully realize the
importance of a study of them in this aspect. But I
also believe that best results will be obtainable by closer
co-operation such as obtained in the times when these
books left their presses. Artists and artisans, then, were
members of the same major guilds in some towns, together
with the physicians, and some of the latter are known to
have been printers themselves or acted as patrons or
publishers. Considerations of this kind have led me to
intrude upon your proper field and to learn something
about the best methods for systematically describing
incunabula. Strange to say, there are nowhere definite
rules about it. Everyone seems to evolve them out of his
inner consciousness, following laboriously whatever prece-

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 153

dent may be handy. True, Mr. Pollard, in his introduction
to the British Museum Catalogue, outlines the principles
which guided him ; the editors of the Gesamt-Katalog add
some more information, giving excellent examples of
descriptions; other details are brought out in various
technical journals; but there is, so far as I know, no one
place that may bring solace to the cataloguer who wishes
to enter his one precious incunabulum according to the
approved rules of the art. For our own convenience
I have therefore drawn up, with the help of Mr, Cary R.
Sage of the Surgeon General's Library, a brief guide for
such entries, and I append it here, hoping that with the
help of your suggestions and additions we may evolve
something that may seem generally acceptable and
useful.'

GUIDE FOR CATALOGUE ENTRIES OF INCUNABULA

Note. — Before making any entries at all, examine the quire arrangement
of the book, verify signature and foliation marks. If there are none printed,
supply them on the recto of each leaf (faint black pencil). It saves trouble
later.

I. Incunabula not Needing a Detailed Description

This is the case in the majority of incunabula which are
adequately described in one or the other of available bibliographies.
When slight variations are found, such as missing or misplaced

' The literature of the subject has been reviewed lately by the librarian o f
the Surgeon General's Office, so that I did not think it necessary to refer to it
here again. This review, together with Peddie's little book, ought to fulfil all
practical requirements in this direction. See Lieutenant Colonel C. C.
McCuUoch, "On incunabula," Bulletin Medical Library Association, igi5, V,
1-15. "R. A. VtAdie, Fifteenth Century Books. London: Grafton & Co., 1913.

154 Bibliographical Society of America

letters, evidently accidents which occurred during the printing of
an edition, it is better to state these variations than to attempt a
new description. Separate and distinct entries, on cards, for a
list by authors and by printers, are much to be recommended.

A. List of Books by Authors {or Titles)

Aa. MAIN HEADING

Entries for this are made in the following sequence:
(i) Author's name. (2) Title (supplied) of work. (3) Additions.
(4) Place. (5) Printer and publisher. (6) Day and year of
publication. (7) Illustration. (8) Number of parts or volumes.
(9) Format. (10) BibHographic references and notes about the
individual copy.

1. Author^ s name. — In general, follow good precedent. WTien-
ever possible, and when it will not conflict too much with current
practice, give preference to family name:

Falcutius (or Falcucci), Nicolaus (or Niccolo), not Nicolaus Falcutius.

Avoid epithets, titles, and town names in the leading name:

Jacobus Forliviensis, not Forliviensis, Jacobus; Petrus Hispanus, not
Hispanus, Petrus, or Johannes XXI. Amoldus de Villanova, not Villanova,
Arnoldus de.

When the author is unknown and cannot be supplied (in brackets)
the first word of the title serves as leader.

2. Title of work. — A brief synoptic title in the language of the
text has to be supplied. It must clearly characterize the contents
of the book. Titles of identical works must have the same wording,
even if they differ in the original. In a work which is a commentary
on some other author's work, do not omit the latter's name, as, for
instance, "Aristoteles" and "Rhazes" in: Paulus Venetus:
Summa naturalium Aristotelis; and Arculanus, Joannes: Ex-
positio in IX librum Rhazis ad Almansorem.

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 155

Translations :

Italian by . . . . ; German b^ . . . . ; or simply: Italian, German,
etc. (unknown translator).

Editor, Interpreter, Corrector, Emendator, Glossator: note their
names and function.

3. Additions. — Commentaries, expositions, etc., should be
characterized as such, with the names of commentator, etc., and as
distinct contributions to the main work, the same as true additions
of independent tracts or the like by the same or other authors.

If the entry of such additions is Hkely to overburden the main
heading, enter here the word "Additions" and give the details
at the end. Such an entry can serve for several editions with the
same contents (see also below under iii, "Literary Collation").

4. Place of publication. — Give in the language of the country:

Venezia, not Venetiis, Vinegia, or Venice; Lyon, not Lugdunum or
Lyons; Leiden, «o/ Lugdunum Batavorum; Regensburg,wo/Ratisbon,etc.

Be sure to enter the town of publication and not that of editor's
letter or author's studio, which may be different.

5. Printer'' s and publisher'' s names. — Give, with the names of

their associates, in the spelling adopted by Haebler, Burger, and

Proctor:

Bonetus Locatellus for Octavianus Scotus.

Do not add: first or second press, etc. If place, printer, or pub-
lisher is not named in the copy and cannot be supplied (in
brackets) on good authority, leave a blank between the brackets
for future insertion, or state: Place or press unknown. (Do not
forget that Proctor's list does not distinguish between signed and
unsigned books.)

6. Day and year of publication. — Give in English, with Arabic
figures and in terms of our calendar. When modern terms have
to be calculated it is better to indicate both terms:

xvii Kal. April [16 March]
Mittwoch vor Urbani [23 May]

156 Bibliographical Society of America

Enter not only the date at the end, but also those of different
parts. Contemporary manuscript entries (rubricator) may be
entered :

[Before 17 March 1476]

7. Illustration. — Note as: Woodcut or woodcuts (by —
[artist's name or initials]), Title woodcut, Diagrams, Printer's or
Publisher's device, etc. If there is color printing in the book,
note: Black and red title, or simply: Color. Here also may be
entered a word or symbol denoting prevalent type: Roman,
Gothic, etc.

8. Number of parts. — Only if there is more than one part or
volume: 2 vols., 5 pts., etc.

9. Format. — Use conventional terms: Folio, Quarto, Octavo,
Duodecimo, etc. (number of folds of sheet), or abbreviated:
2°, 4°, 8°, 12°, etc.

ID. Bibliographic references. — Do not give Hain first unless he
gives a complete description (*Hain). Search for identification of
present copy at least: Hain, Copinger-Burger, Pellechet, Reichling,
Haebler (Spain), and Campbell (Netherlands). Enter the most
complete description as first reference, others only if they complete
the first one. Cite Proctor and Burger only if they supply informa-
tion about an unknown printer.

Here may also be added notes about the particular copy (see
below, vi).

Ab. CROSS-REFERENCES (Main Heading)

I. Different versions of author or title entry:

Nicolaus Falcutius. See Falcutius, Nicolaus.
Abano, Petrus de. See Petrus de Abano.
Albucasis. See Abulcasis.
Bulchasem. See Abulcasis.
Cube, Johannes of. See Hortus sanitatis.

Capua, Joannes of (translator): See Directorium humanae vitae
(Bidpai) etc.

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 157

2. Names in title of main heading:

Aristoteles. See Paulus Venetus.

Rhazes. See Arculanus, Joannes (Exposit.)

3. Names of contributors, authors of additions, or parts of collec-
tions.— Here give name, with title of contribution, if it has any,
i.e., treating it exactly like a main heading (outside of serial num-
bering, if such is used) :

Hippocrates: Aphorismi. With commentary of Galen. Translated
by Constantinus Africanus.

In: Articella. Venezia, 1487, 1493, 1500.

B. List of Books by Printers

Duplicates of entries made under Aa ("Main Heading")
can be used for this list, but separate headings are preferable and
best made in tabular form in the following sequence {Gesamt-
Katalog) :

1. Name of printer (publisher) and place.

2. Author and title (clear but very brief).

3. Place given in book, and

4. Press given in book; if so, *, if not, — .

5. Year.

6. Day (modern calendar).

7. Format: 2, 4, 8, etc.

8. Leaves: total number.

9. Foliation, Signature, Catchwords; if printed only, F., S., or C.

10. Columns: their number.

11. Lines: number per page or "varying."

12. Type: Haebler's or Proctor's number for particular press, or measurement
in mm. of 20 lines.

13. Initials: Haebler's minuscule Roman annotation.

14. Rubrication, i.e., printed paragraph marks: Greek minuscules.

15. Woodcuts: their number up to 10, then "numerous." Printer's device :
PrD., with Haebler's Roman numerals.

16. Color printing: indicate colors, (b: Black; r: Red; etc.).

For unknown place or printer, i is left blank. The cards
are filed separately until the missing information can be supplied.

158

Bibliographical Society of America

Sample entry for Printer's List (3X5 card):

Printer

Giinther Zainer Augsburg

Title

Rodericus: Spiegel des menschlichen Lebens.

u
u

[1477I

174

32-36

2
1 1 8-9

num

b,r

YEAR

DAY

<
0

LEAVES

FOL.

SIG

CATCH

COLS

Lines

Type

INIT.

IT
CD

WOOD C.

COLOR

II. Incunabula Needing a Detailed Description

Order: (i) Main heading, (ii) Collation, (iii) Literary colla-
tion or contents, (iv) Description, (v) Owners. (\i) Individual
copy.

(Note: (i) and (vi) ought to be given for every book, (iii) for composite
works; of the others, only those not provided already in bibliographic reference
books; (v) only if inter-library annotations seem desirable.)

(i) Main heading : Duplicate of the entries under Aa above,
(ii) Collation (of book as product of the press [see below, iii]) : —
Give in the following order, underscored (italics) :

1. Number of /ecDe^; 300 leaves. Not: 300 11. or 1. If (iv)
is not given, state which leaves are blank.

2. Count of quires, gatherings, signatures, etc.

Without numbering in print: [In square brackets.]

Supply both signatures with indices and continuous
leaf-numbers. (Note under head title of this guide.)
For signatures use the Roman alphabet (without j, u,
and w, 23 letters), one letter in succession for each

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 159

quire. Number of leaves in each quire is denoted by
Arabic index numbers:

736 leaves, [a-z* A-Z* aa-zz-* A.\-ZZ*] describes the quire
arrangement of a book in which every gathering contains 8
leaves

Brit. Mus. Cat. would give this: [a-ZZ*], simpler indeed, but
recommendable only if alphabetical arrangement is generally
understood.

94 leaves, [a-b'" c* d* e-m'] shows an irregular alteration
of gatherings.

15 leaves. [a*+' b']: inserted leaf.

42 leaves, a-f* ' ^ (abbreviation for a*bVd*e*f') shows a
regular alteration of gatherings. It sometimes happens that
groups of sixes, tens, sixes, eights, i.e., 6.10.6.8 or other
arrangements alternate regularly several times. (B.M.C.)

With printed numbering:

When signatures are printed, with or without indices, note
Sign: giving from beginning to end the signatures as printed
with indices supplied for the leaves.

Unsigned quires, corrected errors, preliminary and additional
matter are given in brackets. Preliminary matter: *or ** with
indices.

When foliation or pagination is printed, note Numb: giving
foliation numbering as printed (in addition to above), making
corrections in same manner as before:

no leaves. Sign: [*••] a-d* e-p^q*. Numb: [27] Das ander
Blat — Das Ixxxiiij Blat.

Indicate doubtful count:

84+? leaves. Sign: a-o«; Numb: [2o]-LXIIII[?].

*3. Stated page. Select one page which as regards type
and number of lines to the page represents a good
average. State its leaf number, recto or verso, as a or b.

*4. Lines. Their number on this page:

2,a: 46 lines

Or, if page is not stated: 46-50 lines, or: lines varying, or:
20 lines with interlinear glosses, as case may be.

i6o Bihliograpkical Society of America

*5. Columns. Their number, unless there is, throughout

the book, only one column:

2a: 34 lines, 2 cols., or

43-46 lines, 1-2 cols., or

lines varj'ing, 2 cols., text surrounded by commentary.

*6. Measurement of stated page. Printed part only,
inclusive of columns, height first (in mm.) :
3a: 30 lines, 138X90-1 mm.

When there are headlines, marginalia, or catchwords
they are not included in the measurement. B.M.C.
gives them in addition to above in parentheses.

7. Type or types used:

Type: 4, 5, Indication by Haebler's or Proctor's
numbers for different fonts of each printer.
When press is unknown or instead of above form, state:

TjT^e: 20 lines = 80 mm., or simply Tj^je: 80

Measure from top of first to top of twenty-first line,
projecting upper and lower parts of letters not counted.
Type may also be described in accordance with
Haebler's M- and Qu-classes:
Type: M''' 93 mm.

8. Special features. State only presence, not absence

of: Headlines. Catchwords. Marginalia. Borders.

Initials:

Minuscules or guide letters for initials. Three-line initials.
Spaces left for initials or 8-10 line spaces left for initials, Lom-
bardic, Calligraphic, Contour Initials (or other descriptive terms),
or better simply Initials: a, I, k, after Haebler's grouping, which
also embraces various types of borders.

Rubrication marks (i.e., printed paragraph marks):
State presence simply by some clear symbol, or indicate
character of these marks according to Haebler's classi-
fication by Greek minuscule.

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula i6i

Pinholes: Look out for them in early unsigned
books. If present give number per leaf,
g. Illustration and color printing. Use such terms as:

Title woodcut. 5 woodcuts. Numerous woodcuts
(if more than 10). Printer's and Publisher's devices
or marks. (Title woodcuts and Printer's marks may
be specified following Haebler: Title woodcut A or B or
C; PrD. or PrM: I or II. See his Repertorium.)
The fact that color printing occurs is simply noted or
colors are indicated:

10 woodcuts, of which i black, red, yellow, sepia; or 6 diagrams,
2 of which black, red, yellow; or PrD: IV black and red.

*NoTE. — It is very doubtful if there is anything to be gained in stating a
definite page (*3) and referring counts and measurements (*4, 5, 6) to it. The
scheme has distinct disadvantages, but is here mentioned because it corresponds
to the practice of the B.M.C.

(iii) Literary Collation (of book as product of the author
or editor. See above: ii). Give main divisions of
work and additions, and their location in the book
(foliation), or simply contents, as in the following
example:

AESOPUS: Vita et fabulae. [With additions.] [Strassburg: H. Knob-

lochtzer, about 1481.] Folio.
BMC. I, 88. Ges.-Kat. 289. HC. 325.

114 leaves. Sign: a-o^-^ p-qS. j«; 42 lines, 200X116 mm. Types:
3, 4. {20 lines = i2omm. for verse, g6 mm. for prose). Init: a, e;
borders: 0, p. Ruhr: ^. Numerous woodcuts.

Contents: (i) Vita Aesopi, Latin by RinuciUs. (2) Aesopus: Fabti-
lae. Lib. I-IV in the version of Romulus with the verses of the Anonymus
Neveleti. (j) Fabulae extravagantes. {4) Rinucius et Avianus: Fabulae.
(5) Fabulae colledae.

Here notes may be added about the book and illus-
trations (artists), its relation to other editions, etc.

i62 Bibliographical Society of America

(iv) Description (typographical)

This must avoid dupHcating information given under
iii. It attempts only the reproduction of selected sen-
tences, exactly as printed with the indication of their
position on stated pages and lines. This is therefore not
the place to show the literary contents of the book.
Printed passages are merely selected with a view toward
the identification of different issues even when copies are
in a state of partial mutilation. Sentences at the begin-
ning and end must always be selected for reproduc-
tion, and if desirable such parts in the inside which
are easily located by their signatures, new paragraphs,
etc.

Exact reproduction of the spelling and typography of
selected sentences. Follow original as closely as possible.
Do not spell out abbreviations (draw "peculiar sorts"
by hand). Use only one form of r and s. Do not write
j, u, J, U when original has i, v, I, V, or vice versa. Dis-
tinguish between majuscules and minuscules. Note all
blank pages and leaves. Underscore (Italics) everything
except the reproduced text. Mark the end of Hues ||,
when larger space follows |||. Emphasize misprints [!].
Left out matter . . .

EXAMPLES

Blank pages, printed signature, line ending: i blank. 2a with sign, a: . . . .

Ends loa line 15: . . . lob blank.
Printed and supplied signatures, verses: i blank ? 2a with sign. a2: . . . .

2b. line 2j: . . . . ja with sign, a.^: . . . . Sign, b: . . . . Ends 28a line

20: .... 28b blank. 2ga with sign, ei: . . . . Ends 51b line 14: ....

Below: j distichs, etc.
Title and printer's device: la Title: .... Below printer's mark.

Different Columns : laa with sign, a.: .... Ends 4aP line 46 .... Quire
register ends 25bS line 15: .... or: Below quire register in j cols. Ends
y line 39: ....

Desiderata in the Cataloguing of Incunabula 163

Example of complete description (cont. from p. 161, iii):

la blank. lb: Woodcut. 2a: Title border in which: Vita Esopi fabulatoris
clarissimi e greco latini per Rimicium [!] || facta ad reuerndissimum patrem
domina Anthoniu tituli sancti 1 1 Chrysogoni presbiterum Cardinalem. 1 1 (Q) Vi
per omne vita vite studiosissimus fuit is || fortuna seruus/ Natione phrygius
ex am- || monio phrygie pago fuit esopus . . . Sign, b: xat' beniuolcuti [!Jmee
Inquit esopus [!]. beniuolenti tue traditum e || . . . Ends 114b, line 24: . . .
dubito inqt vulpecula. an canes isti |1 decretum pacis audierint Et sic dolus
doloestillusus.il Finis diuersarum fabularum. |1

(v) Owners. If desirable to enter at all, give various owners

by towns; for former owners see (vi).
(vi) Individual copy.

Measures in mm. of cut or uncut page. Date and
price of purchase. "On vellum" if so.

Imperfections, mutilations, leaves misplaced in bind-
ing (C3 C4 are misbound before sheet Ci).

Rubrication and illumination. (Describe technique,
design, color. If coat-of-arms try to determine the
owner, also artist.)

Ex Libris. Owners plate (Describe).

Manuscript notes. Transcribe if important.

Binding. ("Modern, Old stamped pigskin. Embossed
inscriptions and pictures. Old shelf-marks. Pigskin
painted white. Old parti-colored lined leather. Old vellum
with MSS musical annotations. Palimpsest," etc.).

A CALL TO SERVICE

A FIELD of bibliographical usefulness which has
^*' hitherto been but sparsely tilled is that of the
origins of printing in the various states of the Union west
of the Alleghenies. Much interesting work has been
done and many valuable bibliographies have been com-
piled relating to the planting and growth of the art in
New England and the South. But in the Middle West,
where one commonwealth after another is now passing,
and duly celebrating, the centenary of its statehood, the
annals of the pioneer presses, their migratory adventures,
and the significance of their early imprints as historical
source material have been generally neglected.

Yet, where such researches have been efficiently
carried out, as, for example, in Wisconsin, they have fre-
quently led to discoveries of much local interest and, not
uncommonly, to historical data of considerable value.
Lists of the productions of the first presses in various
localities afford important clues to the historian and are
eagerly welcomed by the antiquarian bookseller. The
tragic fate which has already overtaken many invaluable
records and archives in some of these states points to the
need of prompt action if the material still extant, both
that which is known and that which still lies hidden
awaiting discovery by the enterprising bibliographer, is

164

A Call to Service 165

to be rescued and preserved. Here lies an opportunity
for bibliography once more to prove its claim to the title
of the "auxiliary science" by making a contribution of
distinct service to American local history. In the hands
of competent and enthusiastic practitioners, each devoting
himself to the region with which he is in closest touch,
such an undertaking would yield both profit and pleasure,
while it might well tax the resources, the ingenuity, and
the enterprise of the most skilful.

The Society would gladly extend the hospitality of its
pages to contributions of this sort deemed worthy of
publication, and invites correspondence with persons
interested, in all parts of the country. It is particularly
desirable that record should be made of any work along
these lines which is now in progress or in contemplation,
in order that duplication may be avoided and co-operation
arranged for. Reports to this effect are requested.

The Publication Committee
by C. B. RoDEN, Chairman

The Chicago Public Library

MEETING OF THE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL

SOCIETY OF AMERICA, AT ASBURY

PARK, NEW JERSEY,

JUNE 29, 1916

The meeting was called to order by President Roden. In the
absence of the Secretary, A. G. S. Josephson acted in that capacity.
The Treasurer presented his report as follows :

Receipts

1914

Received from former Treasurer

Membership dues, 1914 (including several payments of back

dues)

University of Chicago Press

Sales of publications, January to June, 19 14

Part payment of printing an article in Papers, Vol. VIII,

Nos. 1-2

1915 Membership dues, 1915 (including several payments of back

dues)

University of Chicago Press

Sales of publications, July, 1914, to June, 1915

Interest on bank balance

Total $1,117-

Expenditures (Checks Nos. 1-25, Vouchers Nos. 1-16)
University of Chicago Press

1914

191S

IO-59

392.12

4451

19.94

526.53

119-30

4-73

,117.72

Papers, Vol. VII, Nos. 3-4 (400 copies) S 170. 27

Sundries — postage, letterheads, etc

University of Chicago Press

Papers, Vol. VIII, Nos. 1-2 (400 copies)

Papers, Vol. VIII, Nos. 3-4 (400 copies)

Papers, Vol. IX, Nos. 1-2 (400 copies)

Papers, Vol. IX, Nos. 3-4 (400 copies)

Sundries — postage, letterheads, etc

Balance, State Street Trust Company, December 31, 19x5. .

31-57

269.34
106.65
148.97
217.70
46.17
127.05

$1,117-72
166

Asbury Park Meeting of the Bibliographical Society 167

Life Membership Fund

Principal $ 250.00

Interest accrued to January 10, 1916 76.42

Total $ 326.42

Respectfully submitted,

Frederick W. Faxon, Treasurer

The report of the PubHcation Committee for the years 1914-16
was read by title and referred to the Council. The following
amendments to the Constitution of the Society were adopted:

Article III. — Strike out the words "a Librarian" and substitute
the words "an Editor" in the first sentence, which will then read, as
amended: "The ofiicers of the Society shall be a president, two vice-
presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and an editor."

Article VI. — Strikeout the words italicized: "All fees of life mem-
bers, together with such other sums as may be given for the purpose,
shall be set aside as a permanent futtd, the income only of which shall be
used," and substitute: "publication fund, to be used to defray the cost
of publications of the Society authorized in accordance with Section 8
of the By-Laws, and all proceeds from the sale of such publications shall
be added to said publication fund."'

The selection of an editor was left to the Council.

The following papers were then read by the authors: "Bib-
liography in Relation to Business and the Affairs of Life," by
H. H. B. Meyer, Chief Bibliographer, Library of Chicago; "Bib-
liographical Problems, with a Few Solutions," by George Watson
Cole, Librarian, Library of Henry E. Huntington; " Some Problems

' The reason for the first amendment was a desire to have the library
permanently deposited in some library, willing to take care of it, while it seemed
inexpedient to have the librarian of such library as a permanent member of the
Council. On the other hand, an editor, as member of the Council, seemed
desirable.

The reason for the second amendment was the conviction that the life-
membership fund probably would not for a long time be large enough to yield
any considerable income to the Society, whereas, as a publication fund, it would
be a valuable aid in the issuing of special publications.

1 68 Bibliographical Society of America

in the Scientific Cataloguing of Medical Incunabula," by Arnold C.
Klebs, M.D., Washington, D.C.

The Nominating Committee, consisting of Aksel G. S. Joseph-
son, Andrew Keogh, and Azariah S. Root, presented the following
report, which included the naming of three councilors, on account
of the death of Mr. Luther S. Livingston, and because of the fact
that there was no meeting of the Society in 191 5:

For President, George Watson Cole, Librarian, Library of
Henry E. Huntington; for First Vice-President, Frederick W.
Jenkins, Librarian, Russell Sage Foundation Library; for Second
Vice-President, Clarence Brigham, Librarian, American Anti-
quarian Association ; for Secretary, Henry O. Severance, Librarian,
University of Missouri Library ; for Treasurer, Frederick W. Faxon,
Boston Book Company. ■

As Councilors were named: for two years, to fill out the term
of the late Luther S. Livingston, George Parker Winship, Librarian
of the Widener Memorial Library, Harvard University; for three
years, Charles Martel, Chief of the Catalogue Division, Library of
Congress; for four years, Henry Morse Stephens, University
of California.

As there was no further business before the Society, the meeting
adjourned.

The Council met on June 30. Those present were: George
Watson Cole, in the chair; Frederick W. Faxon; Charles Martel;
Carl B. Roden; and Aksel G. S. Josephson, Acting Secretary,

On the motion of Mr. Roden, Mr. Josephson was elected Editor.

The following Committees were appointed:

Membership. — Frederick W. Faxon; Aksel G. S. Josephson;
Henry O. Severance.

Program. — George Watson Cole; Clarence Brigham; the «

Secretary, ex officio.

Publications. — Carl B. Roden; Andrew Keogh; George Parker
Winship.

Ashury Park Meeting of the Bibliographical Society 169

The accompanying Report of the Pubhcation Committee was
presented. It was voted to print a special edition of 500 copies
of this Report to be distributed with the Circular of Information.
The Council then adjourned.

REPORT OF THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

During the last two years, since the appointment of the present
Committee, five parts of the Papers have been issued, namely,
the three double numbers for July-October, 1914, January-
April and July-October, 191 5, and the numbers for January and
April, 1916. The number for July, 1916, will contain the papers
read at this meeting, and the October number a brief treatise,
"Elements of Bibliography," by Louis N. Feipel, and the first
instalment of a bibliographical contribution, "The Literature of
the Invention of Printing; A Chronological Check List," by Aksel
G. S. Josephson.

The Committee has taken under consideration the selection
of one or two main lines of publication and found two fields which
it seems well that the Society should try to cultivate. One of these
sketches, with bibliographies, of the principal book clubs of
America, has already been entered, through the account of "The
Club of Odd Volumes," by Percival Merritt, which was printed in
the July-October, 191 5, number of the Papers. Other similar
sketches, supplementary to Growoll's "American Book Clubs,"
will follow.

The other field is that of early American, especially Western,
printing, which should be taken up both in general surveys, by
states, and in monographs on individual printers. Some of the
latter will undoubtedly be too large for issue in the Papers, and
will have to be published as separate volumes.

The Committee is now planning to pubhsh a work that is
the outcome of a suggestion made by the Society to the author

lyo Bibliographical Society of America

some years ago, namely, "Bibliographies of English Philology,"
by Clarke S. Northup, as already announced in the January and
April numbers of the Papers.

The paper read at the meeting held in Chicago on December 30,
1916, "Foundations of Slavic Bibliography," by Robert J. Kerner,
was found to be of unusual interest and has, therefore, been re-
printed in a limited edition. Copies have been sent to the principal
journals devoted to or dealing with Slavic literatures, languages,
and history, and the instructors in these disciplines at Amer-
ican and English universities and colleges have been specially
circularized.

It is planned to issue in a similar edition the treatise on " Ele-
ments of Bibliography" previously mentioned, and copies in proof
are being submitted to the faculties of Hbrary schools in an
endeavor to interest them in the publication of the work.

Last year the Committee made arrangements with the late
Mr. John Thomson, Librarian of the Free Library of Philadelphia,
to have the material for the "List of Incunabula in American
Libraries," on which he had been at work for several years,
turned over to the Society; these arrangements were completed
and the material placed in the Committee's charge before the
death of Mr. Thomson. The only condition imposed by Mr.
Thomson was that, in case of publication, full credit be given
to the Free Library of Philadelphia. The material was first
deposited in the Newberry Library, but is now placed in charge
of George Parker Winship, at the Widener Library of Harvard
University. The material is in various stages of completeness, no
part, however, being ready for immediate publication, on account
of the large number of additions to the list that will have to be
made — only part of which are at present on hand — and also on
account of the considerable changes in ownership of these books
which have taken place during the last few years. Also in other
respects careful editing of the material will be necessary, b ef ore
going to press.

Ashury Park Meeting of the Bibliographical Society 171

Mr. Winship has not yet had time to give the material any very
careful study, but as a result of such study as he has had oppor-
tunity to give to the matter he has sent in a preliminary report,
in which he says:

.... The incunabula list is clearly of very great value, and every
effort should be made to secure funds for printing it. A list of fifteenth-
century books in American libraries would make available a large body of
material of which no Hbrary can hope to have a considerable proportion,
and which most students ignore because they assume that it is not acces-
sible. Only by means of such a list can this mass of widely scattered
works be brought to the attention of those who might wish to use these

books I have not yet made up my mind whether it will be wiser

to try to print now, or to wait for the — at present very uncertain —
German General Catalogue. I am rather inclined to the opinion that
the American Hst will have a longer life of usefulness if its production
is delayed until it can refer to the German as well as the British Museum
Catalogue. It could then be frankly an appendbc to those fundamental
works — a list of copies in America, with notes of peculiarities and identi-
fications of individual copies. This is what the list in its present form
attempts to do, but it refers of necessity to a wider variety of authorities
than would be necessary after the German work comes out.

For my part, I am decidedly of the opinion that the publication

of the list should be deferred until after the German catalogue has

been published. In the meantime it might be well to prepare a

brief list of those incunabula of which no description has hitherto

been issued, and to send that list to Dr. Haebler, of the Prussian

Commission, so that he may check up the titles of which he has

no record. These books should then be described fully and the

descriptions forwarded to Dr. Haebler for insertion in the jcsamt-

Katalog.

Aksel G. S. Josephson,

Chairman

The Papers of the

Bibliographical Society

of A

merica

VOLUME TEN, NUMBER 4
OCTOBER, 1916

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON
Editor

CARL B. RODEX

ANDREW KEOGH

GEORGE PARKER WINSHIP

Publication Committee

The Society does not hold itself responsible for opinion
expressed by contributors of paper

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Agents

THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS. London and Edinburgh

THE MARUZEN-KABUSHIKl-KAISHA. Tokyo. Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Sendai

KARL W. HIERSEMANN. Leipzig

THE MISSION BOOK COMPANY, Shanghai

THE BAKER & TAYLOR COMPANY, New York

THE CUNNINGHAM. CURTIS & WELCH COMPANY, Los Angeles

400 copies printed

Composed and Printed By

The University of Chicago Press

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

ELEMENTS OF BIBLIOGRAPHY

BY LOUIS N. FEIPEL
FOREWORD

nPHERE has always been an interest in bibliography,
-*- but never so widespread and so systematically
active an interest as of recent years. Indeed, it might
aknost be said that bibliography had leapt into impor-
tance suddenly. Bibliographical societies now exist in all
leading countries of the world; and their transactions, as
well as the journals and magazines devoted to book and
library questions, indicate how strong a hold the subject
has already taken upon the public.

The art, or science, of bibliography has, in these days,
attained a high state of perfection, and yet there is any
amount of poor or indifferent bibliographic work done.
Bibliographies are being compiled by all sorts of persons,
many of whom are possessed of no expert bibliographical
training whatever. The reason for this is partly that there
is no satisfactory treatise on the subject which covers the
entire ground briefly and in a systematic manner. The
best extant treatises are in foreign languages, and the
English contributions to the subject are not well adapted
to systematic study or self-training. Nevertheless, the
study of a simple, well-prepared manual, supplemented
by actual perusal and examination of books of all kinds
175

176 Bibliographical Society of America

and ages, is the only practical way in which to acquire
the art of bibliography.

As to the practical value of a knowledge of bibliog-
raphy there can indeed be little room for doubt. A recent
authority on this matter may well be quoted. He says:

In every possible avenue of research or inquiry, bibliography
plays an important part. An acquaintance with bibliographical
writings, conjoined with access to the best examples, is a kind of
master-key which will unlock the stores of knowledge of all ages,
and, when used with intelligence, has the power of opening up
sources of information which might otherwise be unsuspected or
neglected.'

In truth, bibliography is acknowledged to be a great help to
the student, indispensable to the librarian in his capacity
of provider of books for all sorts of students, and ''the
young man's guide and the old man's comfort in the choice
of a library." It is obvious, therefore, that whoever com-
piles a bibliography is a benefactor to all who buy or read
or study books, inasmuch as he contributes to the knowl-
edge not only of books, but of the history of literature,
art, or science.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Scope and extent. — Bibliography, or the compilation of
bibliographies, is one of the most important branches
of bibliology, or the science of books. It is the chief
source of information for seekers after book knowledge,
and is as varied in its resources as the questions pro-
pounded to it are multifarious.

'J. D. Brown, Manual of Practical Bibliography, 1907, pp. 155-156.

Elements of Bibliography 177

The word /3t|SXto7pa0[a was used in post-classical Greek
to mean the writing of books, and as late as 1761, in
Fenning's English Dictionary, a bibliographer is defined
as "one who writes or copies books." The transition
from the meaning "a writing o/books" to that of "a writing
about books " was accomplished in France in the eighteenth
century. Bibliography is still sometimes extended in
meaning to cover nearly everything in which a book-loving
antiquary can be interested, including the history of
printing, bookbinding, book illustration, and book col-
lecting. Strictly speaking, however, bibliography should
confine itself altogether to the description of books qua
books.

The ideal of bibliography — an ideal which, it is need-
less to say, will never be achieved, but which may be
closely approximated — is the description, in minute detail,
of all the books of the world, past, present, and future, so
as to be available forever. Bibliography may, therefore,
be defined as (i) the art of discovering book information
and imparting this information to others; (2) by deriva-
tion, the great mass of compiled literature which contains
this information; and (3) specifically, a compilation of
book information relating to a particular person, place,
thing, or period. The relation existing between these
various connotations is that of means and end — the first
constituting the means by which the last two are produced.
It follows, therefore, that the perfection of the art of
bibliography consists in adapting the means to the end
in the most satisfactory manner possible, and in order to

178 Bibliographical Society of America

do this a thorough study of the principles underlying the
art is essential.

Elements and factors. — The prime requisite of bibliog-
raphy is the existence of books. A book is any composition r^
recorded on a number of leaves bound together in proper
order so as to convey ideas to anyone conversant with the
form of composition used. Printing is not essential;
neither is publication. In fact, some of the most interesting
and valuable books have never been printed or published.
These are known as manuscript books or inedita. Large
books often appear in more than one volume. Certain
small books are called pamphlets — a vague term usually
understood to mean a book of less than one hundred
pages, unbound, and devoted to some ephemeral subject.
Periodicals are hybrids among books, the typical period-
ical being a serial publication, the units of which are made
up of a number of inseparable pamphlet contributions,
and which appears at more or less regular intervals
throughout the year. Bound volumes of periodicals have
always been treated as books; separate copies of a peri-
odical are not ordinarily looked upon as books, except
from the standpoint of manufacture and library circu-
lation; but the various articles included in a periodical,
when considered separately, are rightfully treated as
pamphlets. Indeed, many of them are reissued in sepa-
rate pamphlet form.

An edition of a book is the whole impression of that
book printed from one set of type forms or plates. Sue-

Elements of Bibliography 179

cessive impressions of an edition are called reprints. A
new edition requires new typesetting or alterations in the
old. Editions and reprints ordinarily comprise a number
of copies. A limited edition is one which consists of a
limited number of copies, usually a small number. The
copies belonging to different editions necessarily differ
from each other in point of composition, and may or may
not differ also in physical condition. Copies of the same
edition are not supposed to differ from one another in
point of composition, and they are also ordinarily uniform
in physical make-up. This physical make-up, or format,
however, differs sometimes in one and the same edition.
The difference may be in size, quality of paper, binding,
or other physical details. In any case, some qualifying
phrase should be used to denote such difference, e.g.,
large-paper edition, library edition, quarto edition, india-
paper edition, cloth-bound edition, interleaved edition,
etc. In course of time, too, copies of the same book
necessarily come to differ from one another as a result of
ownership and use, many of them thus receiving adventi-
tious value in the eyes of connoisseurs, or becoming objects
of curiosity for book collectors.

Book information comprises the facts and conjectures
centering about a book considered as an entity. This
entity involves creation (conception, composition, and
production), career, and ultimate fate. The aggregate
constitutes the history of the hook, and the component
parts are spoken of as bibliographical details. A collec-
tion of such bibhographical details concerning a given

i8o Bibliographical Society of America

number of books forms a contribution to bibliography, or,
as popularly understood, a bibliography.

Every book originates in an idea. Every idea origi-
nates in a human mind. Therefore every book derives
from man. In other words, every book has an author.
By the aid of language or some other mode of expression,
an idea is converted into words, musical notes, or
pictures, which, when properly arranged by some graphic
art into a homogeneous whole, form a book. A great
number of books never advance beyond this stage
of production. Naturally, they are very Httle known
beyond the immediate circle of the author's acquaint-
ance. They constitute, however, a fruitful field for the
hunter after curious book information. When a book
has reached the stage of production just indicated,
its author usually endeavors to endow it with permanence
by means of multiplying the number of copies and dis-
tributing them widely. This is ordinarily secured with
the aid of the printmg-press. Prior to the invention
of the printing-press, recourse was had to duplication by
hand. Many books have been thus preserved to future
generations. In spite of duplication, however, many a
book has ceased to exist. Books that are still in existence
are termed extant books; those no longer in existence are
styled non-extant.

The important facts in the history of a book up to this
stage are usually given in the book itself. The parts of a
book devoted to this information are the title-page and
the preface. The title-page of a book, as at present under-

Elements of Bibliography i8i

stood, is the leaf bearing the name — i.e., title — by which
the author or publisher wishes the book to be known. The
title is ordinarily accompanied by the name of the author,
the place and date of publication, the name of the pub-
lisher, and very often by other data. The preface usually
contains a statement of the origin of the work. These
sources of information are invaluable, but occasionally
they have been found to be untrustworthy. Hence they
should be supplemented by investigations elsewhere.

The history of a book necessarily includes a description
of lis form and of the subject-mailer treated therein. For
the former, a knowledge of the arts of typography, illus-
tration, and bookbinding is essential. For the latter, a
good general education is of greatest importance.

The subsequent /a/e of a book is the concluding chapter
in the history of a book. Many books have become
famous solely on account of their fate.

If the events connected with a book can be traced
through the various stages enumerated above, a more or
less complete history of the book is secured, which, when
properly compiled, forms a contribution to bibliography.

Kinds and uses. — Bibliography, considered from the
point of view of utility, may be divided into four kinds,
namely, historical, eclectic, commercial, and inventorial.
The first two are essentially cultural and altruistic in
their appeal, while the latter two are practiced primarily
for the benefit of the practitioner. Hislorical bibliography
serves primarily the needs of the book collector and of
the student of the art of printing; eclectic bibliography is

i82 Bibliographical Society of America

mainly directed toward the appraisal of the subject-
matter contained in books, with a view to determining
their relative suitability for purposes of study or recrea-
tion; commercial bibliography is the chief medium of
exchange of books between bookseller and book buyer;
and inventorial bibliography is practiced by all sorts of
book owners for the sake of registering their book posses-
sions for one reason or another. Each kind is actuated by
distinct motives, regulated by more or less well-established
principles, and practiced according to rather well-defined
rules formulated from those principles.

The aim of historical bibliography is to trace the origin
of books, describe their form and contents, and record
the events connected with their careers. It does for books
what history does for nations, and what biography and
genealogy do for persons. When properly executed,
historical bibliography not only supplies information
about various books, but also reflects the state of civihza-
tion of the eras to which the books belong.

The material of historical bibliography comprises
primary and secondary sources of book information.
Primary sources constitute the bulk of contemporary
historical bibliography, while the secondary sources con-
stitute the great body of antiquarian book knowledge.
The primary sources are to be found in the private and
public documents of the persons and institutions con-
cerned in the production of books. They comprise jour-
nals and correspondence of authors and their friends,
and subsequently the correspondence and documents

Elements of Bibliography 183

exchanged between authors and pubHshers. Then follow,
if the book is published, advertisements and announce-
ments, including those carried by the book itself and such
as appear elsewhere. These are finally supplemented by
reviews and news items in the journals of the day. If
the book continues to live in the minds of the people for
any length of time, contemporary records of the book
are apt to multiply indefinitely, and bibliographical lore
is correspondingly increased. The aggregate of the fore-
going constitutes the storehouse from which succeeding
ages must derive their bibliographical information, and
without which antiquarian bibliography would be an
impossibility.

Antiquarian bibliography usually takes the shape of a
more or less connected authoritative description and
account of the history of a single book, or of a number of
related books, of former times. The various kinds range
from extensive histories of the literature of a nation to a
brief paragraph throwing additional light on a single
book or on a single phase of its history. The essential
features of this kind of bibliography are (i) the compara-
tive antiquity of the book or books concerning which
information is being imparted, and (2) the fact that this
information is derived from acknowledged authoritative
sources.

Theoretically, the goal of historical bibhography is
the history, as complete as possible, of every book, no
matter whether it is extant or non-extant. Practically,
however, this resolves itself into the compilation of

184 Bibliographical Society of America

histories of national literatures, encyclopedias of book
information of all sorts, and bibliographies of select
books of one sort or other. The first two represent
extensive, the last intensive bibliography.

Eclectic bibliography, which aims to discriminate
between books for the benefit of the reader or student of
literature, is peculiarly the province of the educator. Its
character is distinctly selective. It strives to advance
the good and to suppress the bad. Impartiality and
impersonality, together with sound judgment, are essen-
tial requirements for the proper practice thereof.

Commercial bibliography is a phase of salesmanship.
It is nothing else than advertising ability applied to the
sale of books. Shrewdness is naturally a prerequisite of
success. Absolute truthfulness is not always in evidence,
but untruthfulness is bound to end in loss of prestige or
in failure in the long run. The qualifications for success
in this field are those possessed by the successful press
agent in general.

Inventorial bibliography is the application of accounting
methods to books considered as personal property. It is
probably the most widely practiced phase of the art of
bibliography, being requisitioned wherever a valuable
collection of books is deposited.

There are three main groups of persons who profit
directly by bibliography, namely, students, librarians, and
private book collectors. For the student, bibliography
serves as a guide to literature, rather than as a technical
description of books; it is a guide to the contents of books

Elements of Bibliography 185

rather than to their external pecuHarities, that he requires.
And it would seem as if the student's wants were those
which had thus far received the most attention.

The librarian, by virtue of his profession, never loses
sight of the possibility of a demand for a book being
made by some reader, and he is anxious that no applicant
should go away empty-handed. The aim of the librarian
is to supply the wants of all comers, and he has therefore
to consider the contents as well as the externals of the
books he collects. Theoretically, the librarian strives to
have his library contain books on all topics, and all the
works of all writers; but since this is an unattainable end
as well as an ideal of questionable worth, he works up to
it as reasonably as he sees fit and as nearly as his resources
will allow. And for this work of buying, making sure that
the books are complete and of the best editions, cata-
loguing them, and filling up gaps in the collection,
bibliography is without doubt his most essential tool.

The private book collector differs from the librarian
in that he has no tastes or requirements to consider but
his own. He needs to provide only the books on the
subjects or of the kind that he cares for. His book
acquisitions are very often appraised not according to
their use as reading-matter, but according to their origin,
their history, and their scarcity. They are prized not so
much for what they contain as for what they are, namely,
specimens of an art that can never be replaced. For this
sort of person, bibliography serves several distinct pur-
poses: it tells him what books exist and what constitutes

1 86 Bibliographical Society of America

complete copies thereof, and it may tell him whether they
are abundant and easy to get, or whether they are so rare
that he has but a small chance of ever setting eyes or
laying hands on them.

Compilation. — The various bibliographical details of a
book fall into certain more or less well-defined groups or
categories, e.g., authorship, title, subject, literary form,
place and date of publication, size, binding, price, typog-
raphy, number of copies printed, edition, etc. The
inclusion or omission of any of these details is determined
by the object aimed at in any piece of bibliographical
work; and the perfection of the work naturally depends
to a great extent on the judgment displayed in the selec-
tion of the items included or excluded. This phase of
the subject might well be termed the psychology of the
art of bibliography.

The compiling of book information, being a special
phase of narrative and descriptive writing, is governed
by the established rhetorical rules of narration and
description. However, these rules must necessarily be
modified to suit the needs of the particular work. These
modifications express themselves in the style of the work,
this style being largely dictated by the successes of past
masters of the art.

The different points of bibliographic style have been
quite fully analyzed in various treatises on cataloguing.
Peculiarities of diction, punctuation, capitalization, abbre-
viation, and t}q3ography are to be avoided. The observ-
ance of this precept, however, is unfortunately not as

Elements of Bibliography 187

prevalent as it might be, particularly among public-
library cataloguers. On this point, the remarks of Herbert
Spencer may well be repeated :

A reader or listener has, at each moment, but a limited amount
of mental power available. To recognize and interpret the symbols
presented to him requires part of this power; to arrange and com-
bine the images presented requires a farther part; and only that
part which remains can be used for realizing the thought conveyed.
Hence, the more time and attention it takes to receive and under-
stand each sentence, the less time and attention can be given
to the contained idea, and the less vividly will that idea be
conceived.'

Bibliographical writing may take either of two forms,
namely, the catalogue or the narrative. The choice
depends upon the object to be attained, narrative being
particularly adapted to treatises intended to be read as a
whole, while the catalogue form is better suited for occa-
sional or particular reference. In either case, a logical
arrangement of the subject-matter is essential for proper
presentation and consultation. In short, the ideal of
bibliographical exposition is that which supplies the
greatest number of wants with the least expense of time
and effort on the part of the user. The form and arrange-
ment which are best suited to one kind of bibliography
may be utterly unsuited to another. In every case, the
end should determine the means.

The unit of bibliographical compilation is the descrip-
tion of a single edition or copy of a book. This unit is

' The Philosophy of Style.

1 88 Bibliographical Society of America

known as a hook entry. In its most meager form it consists
of a transcript of the essential parts of the title-page.^

The essential parts of a title-page are : the title proper
(i.e., the name of the book), author, and imprint (place
of publication, publisher, and date). To these are then
appended any other details which may be called for by
the nature of the work in hand. The most common addi-
tions are data regarding the physical make-up, and
descriptive notes of the contents. Physical make-up
includes size, collation, paper, binding, and typography.
Size is usually represented by a letter or symbol indicating
the number of leaves into which the original sheets are
folded, thus approximating the size of the printed page.
For greater exactness, the size is sometimes indicated by
giving the dimensions of height and width (but not thick-
ness) in centimeters or inches. The collation consists of a
statement of the number of volumes, pages, illustrations,
maps, etc., entering into the make-up of the book. Speci-
fications regarding paper, binding, and typography are
very often of great value. Descriptive notes of the contents
also serve a great variety of uses. Entries may thus be
succinct or elaborate, depending on the number and extent
of the component parts.

When the various entries of a given piece of work are
placed in sequence according to the form of arrangement

'The first printed books had no title-pages, but the title itself was usually
printed on the first leaf of the book. Later on, the title was printed on the
second leaf of the book, forming the title-page proper; but the first leaf often
retains an abbreviation of the title, which has received the name of half-title
or bastard title.

Elements of Bibliography 189

previously agreed upon, the result is a bibliography in
catalogue form. In other words, it is merely a list of
book entries. For certain kinds of bibliographic work,
this form possesses great advantages. For others, how-
ever, the entries must be further knit together by means
of a connecting narrative, in which event a bibliography
in narrative form is produced.

The kinds of arrangement for bibliographical units are
as various as the different items that go to make up a
complete description or history of a book. The arrange-
ment may be according to date, author, title, subject,
literary form, size, binding, price, printer, publisher, owner
of copyright, or any other peculiar factor. Very often
the arrangement is a combination of two or more of the
above-named items, subordinated one to the other. Very
often, too, the arrangement is absolutely arbitrary on
the part of the compiler. Where there is a choice of
arrangements, no one of which will answer all of the
purposes to be subserved, the most natural one should
be selected and followed, leaving the other purposes to be
served by supplementary indexes or tables. If one of
the objects of the proposed bibliography is to present a
historical conspectus of the subject-matter, the main
arrangement should be chronological; a properly con-
structed index would then sufhce to furnish any other
groupings desired.

On this matter of arrangement, on which the effec-
tiveness of bibliographic work so greatly depends, no
sounder advice can be given than that contained in the

I go Bibliographical Society of America

remarks of A. W. Pollard, in the Encyclopaedia Brilannica
(nth ed.) Ill, 910. Mr. Pollard says:

In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries there was a
tendency, especially among French writers, to exaggerate the scope
of bibliography, on the ground that it was the duty of the bibliog-
rapher to appraise the value of all the books he recorded, and to
indicate the exact place which each work should occupy in a logical
classification of all literature based on a previous classification of
all knowledge. Bibliographers are now more modest. They recog-
nize that the classification of human knowledge is a question for
philosophers and men of science, that the knowledge of chemistry
and of its history needed to make a good bibliography of chemistry
is altogether extrinsic to bibliography itself; that all, in fact, to
which bibliography can pretend is to suggest certain general prin-
ciples of arrangement and to point out to some extent how they
may be applied. The principles are neither numerous nor recondite.
To illustrate the history of printing, books may be arranged accord-
ing to the places and printing-houses where they were produced.
For the glorification of a province or county they are sometimes
grouped under the places where their authors were born or resided.
For special purposes, they may be arranged according to the lan-
guage or dialect in which they are written. But, speaking generally,
the choice for a basis of arrangement rests between the alphabetical
order of authors and titles, a chronological order according to date
of publication, a "logical" or alphabetical order according to sub-
jects, and some combination of these methods. In exercising the
choice, the essential requisite is a really clear idea of the use to
which the bibliography, when made, is to be put. If its chief
object be to give detailed information about individual books, a
strictly alphabetical arrangement "by authors and titles "(i.e., by
the names of authors in their alphabetical order, and the titles of
their books in alphabetical sequence under the names) will be the

Elements of Bibliography 191

most useful, because it enables the student to obtain the informa-
tion he seeks with the greatest ease. But while such an alphabetical
arrangement offers the speediest access to individual entries, it
has no other merit, unless the main object of the bibliography be
to show what each author has written. If it is desired to illustrate
the history and development of a subject, or the literary biography
of an author, the books should be entered chronologically. If
direction in reading is to be given, this can best be oflfered by a
subject-index in which the subjects are arranged alphabetically
for speedy reference, and the books chronologically under the sub-
ject, so that the newest are always at the end. Lastly, if the object
is to show how far the whole field has been covered and what gaps
remain to be filled, a class catalogue arranged according to what
are considered the logical subdivisions of the subject has its advan-
tages. It is important, however, to remember that if the bulk of
the bibliography is very large, a principle of arrangement which
would be clear and useful on a small scale may be lost in the quan-
tity of pages over which it extends. An arrangement which cannot
be quickly grasped, whatever satisfaction it may give its author,
is useless to readers, the measure of its inutility being the worn
condition of the alphabetical index, to which those who cannot
carry a complicated "logical" arrangement in their heads are
obliged to turn, in the first instance, to find what they want. It
should be obvious that any system which necessitates a preliminary
reference to a key or index rests upon grave suspicion, and needs
some clear counterbalancing gain to justify the loss of time which
it entails. The main classification should always be that which
will be most immediately useful to readers of the books. To throw
light on the history of a subject, and to indicate how far the field
is covered, are honourable objects for the compilers, but should
mostly be held subordinate to practical use. It is noteworthy, also,
that they may often be better forwarded by means of an index or
table than by the main arrangement.

192 Bibliographical Society of America

In order to facilitate reference, the units of a bibliog-
raphy, in catalogue form, the key to which is supplied by
an index, should be numbered consecutively, and the
references in the index should be to the numbers of
the entries and not to the pages on which the entries
appear. This device may be found exemplified in a
number of excellent bibliographical compilations.

The greatest bibliographical failures are those which
pretend to combine in a single arrangement the advan-
tages possessed by all or several of the existing forms.
The classic example of this is what is known as a "dic-
tionary catalogue," pretending, as it usually does, to
supply all the advantages of bibliographical arrangement
in the alphabet form. Unindexed class bibliographies, if
at all extensive, are also apt to prove disappointing.

Conclusion, — Scholarly bibliography usually involves
a great deal of research on the part of the compiler ; and a
thorough knowledge of bibliographical sources and
authorities, as well as of general reference books, is of
prime importance. This want can only be supplied by a
thorough course of training in the use of the tools in
question.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Bibliographical encyclopedias. — A bibliographical ency-
clopedia may be defined as a universal handbook of book
information. The ideal toward which bibhographical
work of an encyclopedic nature should be directed is the
provision in an accessible form of a standard description

Elements of Bibliography 193

of a perfect copy of every book of literary, historical, or
typographical interest, as it first issued from the press,
as well as of all the variant issues and editions of it.
Wherever such standard descriptions have been made,
adequately checked, and printed, it is manifestly possible
to describe every individual copy of a book by a simple
reference to them, with a statement of its differences, if
any, and an insistence on the points bearing on the special
object with which it is being redescribed. Only in a few
cases, however, has any approach been made to a collec-
tion of such standard descriptions. At the present time,
the number of such standard works is very small, owing
partly to the greater and more accurate detail now
demanded, and partly to the absence of any system of
co-operation among libraries, each of which is willing to
pay only for catalogues relating exclusively to its own
collections. It is to be hoped that through the foundation
of bibliographical institutes more work of this kind may
be done.

The nearest approach to such a work is doubtless the
Catalogue of Printed Books in the British Museum. This
was begun in 1881, and, although completed some years
ago as far as the original alphabet is concerned, it is
being supplemented right along. The catalogue is
arranged in an alphabet of authors' surnames, and includes
frequent collections of matter relating to authors, as well
as works by them. It is not so fully descriptive as some
of the bibliographical dictionaries about to be mentioned,
but surpasses them all in point of comprehensiveness.

194 Bibliographical Society of America

The general catalogue of the Bibliotheque Nationale of
Paris, prepared on similar lines to that of the British
Museum, is still in the early letters of the alphabet, and
no doubt it will be many years before it reaches completion.

The best general bibliography of the best and rarest
editions of books is doubtless the important work of
J. C. Brunet, entitled Manuel du libraire, the fifth edition
of which was published at Paris in six volumes in 1860-65.
Two supplementary volumes were issued in 1878-80.
The original edition was published in 18 10, in three vol-
umes, and is practically obsolete. The arrangement of
entries is by authors' names, in alphabetical order, with a
classification and a topical index. The book descriptions
are very full, and prices are often given, together with
other useful notes and information. The Tresor de livres
rares et precieux, by J. G. T. Graesse, published at Dresden
in seven volumes, in 1859-69, is also a valuable bibliog-
raphy on the same lines as Brunet 's manual.

Georgi's Allgemeines Europdisches Bucher-Lexicon (11
vols.), published in Leipzig in 1742-58, and Maittaire's
Annates typographici ah artis inventae origine ad annum
1664 (5 vols.), published at The Hague in 1719-41, with
a supplement by Denis issued at Vienna in 1789, in two
volumes, are earlier contributions to this form of bibliog-
raphy ; while the Dictionnaire bibliographique of Santander
(Brussels, 1805-7) ^'^^ Ebert's Bibliographical Dictionary
(originally published at Leipzig in 1821-30, and after-
wards translated and published at Oxford in 1837) are
other admirable examples of select general bibliographies.

Elements of Bibliography 195

National bibliographies. — There are a great number of
national bibliographies, but they are for the most part
either incomplete or out of date. Lowndes's Bibliogra-
phers' Manual of English Literature and Allibone's Dic-
tionary of English Literature and British and American
Authors are probably the most familiar to American stu-
dents. Lowndes's Manual was originally published in
1834, but is now best known in the revised edition of
H. G. Bohn (London, 1857-64). It is of great value for
its approximate prices and for its other information, but
the subject-matter is not very clearly set out. Allibone's
Dictionary was originally published in Philadelphia,
1859-71, in three volumes. It is a very pretentious work,
but extremely inaccurate. Its chief value lies in its
select criticisms on the works of authors. A supplement,
edited by J. F. Kirk, was issued in 1891, in two volumes,
which brings the work down to 1890. This supplement
is more accurate than the original volumes.

A notable forerunner of these two works is the Biblio-
theca Britannica, compiled by Robert Watt and published
at Edinburgh in 1824. Two of its four volumes are
devoted to authors, and two to subjects. Sabin's Dic-
tionary of Books Relating to America, published in New
York, 1867-92, in twenty volumes, extends only as far
as the name "H. H. Smith."' Roorbach's Bibliotheca
Americana (New York, 1849-61), 4 vols., covers the period
from 1820 to 1 86 1. Of Evans's American Bibliography,

'According to a recent announcement, Sabin's "Dictionary" is to be
completed by Mr. Wilberforce Eames.

196 Bibliographical Society of America

designed to cover the period from 1639 to 1820, eight
volumes, bringing the list down to the year 1792, have
been published. |

Other national bibliographies of importance are the
following: Haeghen (F. Van der), Bibliotheca Belgica, t

Ghent, 1879-98, in parts; Brunn (C. V.), Bibliotheca
Danica, Copenhagen, 1872-96, 3 vols., covering Danish
literature from 1482 to 1830; Querard (J. M.), La France
litteraire, Paris, 1827-64, 12 vols., covering the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries; Heinsius (W.), Allgemeines
Biicher-Lexicon, Leipzig, 1812-94, 19 vols., covering Ger-
man Uterature from 1700 to 1892; Kayser (C. G.),
V ollsldndiges Biicher-Lexicon, Leipzig, 1833-1912, cover-
ing Germany and adjacent states from 1750 to 19 10
(now superseded by Deutsches Biicherverzeichnis, bear-
beitet von der Bibliographischen Abteilung des Borsenvereins
der Deutschen Buchhdndler zu Leipzig); Hidalgo (D.),
Diccionario general de bibliografia espanola, Madrid,
1862-81, 7 vols.; Silva (I. F. da), Diccionario biblio-
graphico portuguez, Lisbon, 1858-93, 16 vols.; Pettersen
(H jalmar) , iVor.y^ boglexikon, 164J-181J, Christiania, 1899,
in progress; Linnstrom (Hjalmar), Svenskt boklexikon,
i8jo-i86j, Stockholm, 1867-84, 2 vols. ; Thieme (Hugo P.),
Guide bibliographique de la litterature franqaise de 1800 a
igo6, Paris, 1907; and Fedem (Robert), Repertoire bibli-
ographique de la litterature franqaise, New York, 1913.

Histories of literature in narrative form usually stop
short of bibhography proper, contenting themselves wath
a critical account of the most notable literary works in

Elements of Bibliography 197

their relation to history and civihzation. There is no
good reason, however, why this should be so. Literary
historians who study their subject with sufficient close-
ness ought to be able to state which are the best editions
of every literary work that comes under their notice. A
national literary history which recognized this biblio-
graphical side of the subject would be an inestimable
boon to students in assisting them in a proper study of
the books; but in the absence of such a desideratum,
students must perforce rely on other bibliographical aids.
Two noteworthy examples of existing histories of English
literature are deserving of mention. The Cambridge His-
tory of English Literature (in progress) is a good specimen
of the unillustrated sort, while Garnett and Gosse's Eng-
lish Literature (1903, 4 vols.) is notable for its illustrations
and facsimiles.

Annals of book-hunting. — In former days, collectors
regarded books more in the light of articles of vertu, or
valuable curiosities, than as vehicles for the spread of
knowledge. Naturally the tendency was to make a
hobby or sport of the serious work of library formation.
And it cannot be denied that the fascination of book-
hunting of this sort is very great. To it, indeed, we owe
that vast collection of antiquarian book knowledge of
which writers like Dibdin are the chief exponents. John
Hill Burton's Book-hunter is one of the most entertaining
studies in this by-way of bibliography, and may be recom-
mended for reading to every student of the art. P. H.
Fitzgerald's Book Fancier, as well as the works of

1 98 Bibliographical Society of America

W. Carew Hazlitt, Henri Bouchot, Leon Gruel, and others,
are like good examples of this form of bibliographical
writing.

The annals of book-hunting naturally center chiefly
about the collection and description of rare books. The
quality of rarity, as apphed to books, may be either abso-
lute or relative. If of a book (or an edition) only a few-
copies are known to have been printed or to be extant,
then the rarity of the book is absolute. If, however, there
are many copies of the book, but they are rarely met ^\dth i

in the open market, their rarity will be only relative.
The following list comprises the various kinds of books
that are ordinarily regarded as rare :

1. Works pubKshed in many volumes, or highly illus-
trated, which, because of their high price, are rarely ever
acquired by private persons.

2. Pamphlets and other ephemeral pubhcations that
are soon lost unless they find a home in pubHc libraries.

3. Works of which only a few copies are printed.

4. Works which treat of subjects that are touched
upon by but a few writers, such as books in little-known
languages or dialects ; histories of particular cities, institu-
tions, etc. ; genealogies of private families; catalogues of
libraries ; and private controversial wtI tings and polemics
of authors.

5. Works which are left imperfect by their authors.

6. Privately printed books.

7. Works published in out-of-the-way countries or
localities.

Elements of Bibliography 199

8. Editions the greater part of which have been
destroyed by accident.

9. Works which for rehgious, moral, or political rea-
sons have been prohibited, confiscated, suppressed, or
destroyed.

10. Incunabula, i.e., books printed before the year
1500.

11. Editions of the classics pubhshed by the famous
printers of the sixteenth century.

12. Uncastrated or unmutilated editions of works that
have since been issued in corrected or mutilated form.

13. Editions printed from special type, or on special
paper or other material, particularly if only a few copies
have been struck off.

Histories of the art of printing. — Most histories of the
art of printing are at the same time contributions to
bibliography, for the simple reason that the early print-
ing had to do altogether with books. There are, besides,
a number of bibliographies that are devoted exclusively
to the history of books as products of the typographic
art. These consist mainly of catalogues of incunabula
and accounts of the productions of famous early presses.

Hain's Repertorium bibliographicum, published at
Stuttgart, 1826-38, in four volumes, is the most important
bibliography of incunabula. It is an author catalogue,
arranged in alphabetical form, in which the books are
fully and accurately described. The symbols used, how-
ever, are rather puzzling. An index to the names of
places and printers mentioned in the work was issued by

200 Bibliographical Society of America

Burger in 189 1. In 1895-98 W. A. Copinger issued a |

supplement of additions, corrections, etc., and in 1905-11 {

a further supplement, in seven volumes, was issued by
Dietrich Reichhng. References to Hain appear fre-
quently in other bibliographies, and they are generally
made to the numbered entries, thus making reference |

very easy.

Panzer's Annates typographici is another valuable bib-
liography, recording typographical annals from the
invention of the art of printing to the year 1536. The
arrangement of the entries is by towns and presses. It
was published at Niirnberg, 1 793-1 803, in eleven volumes,
and is at the present time a very costly work.

Other notable catalogues of incunabula are : Pollard's
Catalogue of Books, Mostly from the Presses of the First
Printers .... Collected by Rush C. Hawkins, ....
Deposited in the Annmary Brown Memorial at Providence,
Rhode Island, Oxford, 19 10; Pollard's Catalogue of Books
Printed in the XV th Century, Now in the British Museum,
in progress; Miss Pellechet's Catalogue generate des incu-
nabules des bibliotheques publiques de France, Paris, 1897
(continued by Polain), in progress; Proctor's Index to the
Early Printed Books in the British Museum, London,
1898-99, 4 vols.; Campbell's Annates de la typographic
neerlandaise au XV siecle, The Hague, 1874-89, 4 vols.;
Sinker's catalogue of those in Trinity College, Cambridge;
and those of miscellaneous collections, such as Dibdin's
Bibliotheca Spenceriana and the catalogue of Klemm's
library, which was rich in incunabula.

Elements of Bibliography 201

Mention must also be made of the bibliographies of
books printed at the early presses, such as those of Aldus,
of Stephanus, of the Elzevirs, of Plantin, of Caxton, of
Foulis, and others.

Subject and class bibliographies. — Bibliographies of
special subjects, Hterary forms, and classes of books con-
stitute probably the greatest portion of bibhographical
literature. A bibliography of a subject is to the
literature of that subject what an index is to a book.
It shows the extent of that literature and the amount of
work that has been bestowed upon it. It brings together
scattered fragments of book knowledge and makes them
readily accessible. Next to having knowledge is knowing
where to go for it, and the only enduring guide in that
direction is a bibliography.

Bibliographies of this sort may be either comprehen-
sive or selective. In the first case they serve primarily a
historical purpose; in the second case, a didactic purpose.
A good subject bibliography prepares the ground for the
historian, author, or teacher, who, with this as a guide,
proceeds to the elaboration of the work in hand. He
expounds the results by writing or by word of mouth,
and delivers them to the world so that they may influence
those who care to Hsten or to read. Nowadays, also, a
treatise on almost any subject is considered incomplete
if it does not furnish a bibHography of the subject, not
merely as an evidence of the author's industry, but
largely as a help to the student for further study. Such
bibliographies are ordinarily the work of the author of

202 Bibliographical Society of America

the treatise, who is as often as not an amateur in the art
of bibhography. A Hst of sources and authorities con-
sulted in the preparation of a work is often appended to
the work and labeled a "bibliography" of the subject.
This is very frequently a downright misapplication of
the term. For, unless proper restraint is exercised, the
list is apt to extend itself unduly and to include works
that are not strictly concerned with the subject in
question.

Guides to best books, outlines of courses of study, and
library bulletins of various kinds represent the bulk of
didactic work among subject and class bibliographies.
Of these, manuals and textbooks of literature are espe-
cially adapted to the narrative form. Other varieties
usually take the catalogue form. Good examples of the
latter may be seen in the Catalogue of the "A. L. A.^'
Library; Sonnenschein (W. S.), The Best Books; Perkins
(F. B.) and Jones (L. E.), The Best Reading; Acland
(A. H. D.), Guide to the Choice of Books; Sargant (E. B.)
and Whishaw (B.), Guide Book to Books; Robertson
(J. M.), Courses of Study; Baker (E. A.), Descriptive
Guide to the Best Fiction; Nield (J.), Guide to the Best
Historical Novels and Tales; Sargent (J. F.), Reading for
the Young; Leypoldt (A. H.) and lies (G.), List of Books
for Girls and Women and Their Clubs.

There is obviously no end to the number of special
bibliographies of things, authors, and other subjects that
may be compiled; but one division merits particular
mention as being of especial importance to the student

Elements of Bibliography 203

of bibliography. That division is the class of reference
books known as bibliographies of bibliographies.
Peignot's Re per loir e de bibliographies speciales, curieuses et
inslruclives (Paris, 18 10), Petzholdt's Bibliolheca biblio-
graphica (Leipzig, 1866), Vallee's Bibliographie des
bibliographies (Paris, 1883-87), and Stein's Manuel de
bibliographie gmerale (Paris, 1898) are all devoted to the
listing of bibliographies on all kinds of subjects. These,
with many others, may be found fully listed in A. G. S.
Josephson's Bibliographies of Bibliographies, second edi-
tion, published, first in the Bulletin, and concluded in
the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America.

Trade catalogues. — Trade catalogues constitute the
great bulk of commercial bibliography. Many of them
are models of accuracy and compilation. This is par-
ticularly true of German trade bibliography. This
branch of the art is particularly concerned with prices
and publishers of books. Publishers' trade lists and
co-operative trade catalogues are ordinarily restricted
to the description of books still in print. Lists of out-
of-print books offered for sale are usually issued by
second-hand book dealers and auction houses.

Some of the leading examples of trade catalogues are:
American Catalogue of Books; English Catalogue of Books;
Publishers^ Trade List Annual; United States Catalogue;
Lorenz (0.), Catalogue de la librairie franqaise; Kayser
(C. G.), V ollstdndiges Biicher-Lexicon; Book-Prices Cur-
rent; American Book-Prices Current; and Whitaker's
Reference Catalogue of Current Literature.

204 Bibliographical Society of America

The information contained in trade catalogues is
generally imparted through the medium of abbreviations,
many of which are arbitrary and are not intelligible to
the uninitiated reader. Lists of the most common of
these abbreviations are to be found in the leading biblio-
graphical reference books.

Bibliographical periodicals. — Bibliographical literature
in magazine form constitutes a great storehouse of book
information, which needs thorough indexing, however, to
make it generally useful. The leaders in this branch are
undoubtedly the Germans, French, and Italians. The
British and Americans do not seem to take to it kindly.
In addition to the strictly bibliographical journals, peri-
odicals of all sorts very often devote more or less space
to bibliography, chiefly in the shape of notices and criti-
cisms of new books.

Book advertisements. — Book advertising is a branch of
bibhography and at the same time a phase of advertise-
ment writing. It may take the form of news items or of
display advertisements. Its object is to give publicity
to books in order that they may be bought and read.
Its treatment of book description is naturally ex parte,
and should always be regarded in that Hght by the pubhc.

Book reviews. — Book reviewing is the province of the
literary critic. It finds a place in all newspapers and
magazines that devote all or part of their space to Utera-
ture. As an aid to the selection of books, its value is
determined by the literary standing of the journal and
the reputation of the reviewer as a literary critic. Book

Elements of Bibliography 205

reviewing is all too frequently the merest hackwork of
men who could not, to save their lives, write the book
on which, with anonymous assurance, they dare to sit in
judgment. However, there are quite a number of experts
among book reviewers, and they do good work; the bad
or indifferent work is done by literary hacks or men and
women who review books merely to pass the time and
add a few dollars to their weekly incomes.

Library catalogues. — Printed catalogues of large public
libraries and of small special libraries are useful contribu-
tions to bibliography. They are in the nature of inven-
tories of particular collections of books, and serve the
purpose, therefore, of finding-lists for the library and the
public. Catalogues intended for the use of the public
should be framed to meet the reading needs of that same
public, and should not contain any bibliographical details
that are not instrumental to that end. For official use
in the internal administration of the library, various
bibliographical details need to be recorded, but it is
wrong to impose them upon the reading public, which
does not ordinarily care to know about them and might
even conceivably be needlessly puzzled thereby.

For the internal administration of a library of any
size, the following book records or catalogues are usually
kept: book-order record; accession record; shelf -list
record; and analytical index. The book-order record
lists the books ordered for purchase and records the facts
connected with their purchase. The accession record is a
chronological list of books arranged in the order of their

2o6 Bibliographical Society of America

addition to the librar>^, together with pertinent facts
relating thereto. The shelf-Hst record is a perpetual inven-
tory of the books in the possession of the hbrary, the
entries of which are arranged in the same order as the
respective books on the shelves. The analytical index
(variously termed index catalogue, analytical catalogue,
and dictionary catalogue) is a reference list of headings,
indexing the authors, titles, subjects, and literary forms
of the books in the library, and serving the purpose of
an index to the entire book collection in the same manner
that the index of a book serves as a guide to the contents
of that particular book. The peculiarity of these four
tools of library administration is that they are essentially
private in character, and not primarily intended for the
general public. They may consequently revel in all sorts
of signs, symbols, and abbreviations, these being regulated
solely by the needs of the library.

Indexes to literature. — A great deal of useful informa-
tion contained in books and periodicals is not readily
accessible, for the reason that it is buried among a lot of
other material. The means whereby this information is
made available for ready reference is indexing. Indexes,
therefore, are properly to be regarded as contributions to
bibliography, for they describe the contents of books
minutely for reference.

Indexes are compiled for single books, and also for
sets of books, usually periodicals. The former are as
often as not wretched pieces of work. The latter are
ordinarily the work of professional indexers, and enjoy a

Elements of Bibliography 207

well-merited reputation. Notable examples are: Poole's
Index to Periodical Literature; The Readers^ Guide to
Periodical Literature; The A. L. A. Index to General Lit-
erature; The Annual Literary Index; the Boston Book
Company's annual Dramatic Index; and the Catalogue
of the Royal Society.

Handbooks of literary curiosities. — A large and impor-
tant department of bibliography concerns itself chiefly
with the curious or out-of-the-way information about
books. These bibliographical works are of various kinds:
for instance, dictionaries of anonymous and pseudony-
mous works, and lists of prohibited and expurgated books.
They follow the many unexplored or partly explored
by-paths of literature, and will very often prove to be
useful and entertaining to the student.

SOME SCANDINAVIAN BIBLIOGRAPHERS AND

THEIR WORKS

II. GUSTAF SCHLEGEL BERGHMAN AND HIS
ELZEVIR BIBLIOGRAPHIES

In the year 1872 a young Swedish physician, who was studying
the new method of massage under the celebrated Dr. Metzger
in Amsterdam, during his visits to the bookstalls of that city picked
up a few volumes, printed in the sixteenth century^, which attracted
him on account of their neat and artistic typographical make-up.
Little did their purchaser imagine that in a decade he would be
compelled to give up the profession which he had deliberately
chosen, and that his life henceforth would be devoted to the col-
lection and study of these little books.

Dr. Berghman was born in Stockholm on December 24, 1836,
the son of a wealthy merchant of that city. In 1853 he entered
the University of Upsala at the unusually early age of seventeen,
and spent the next seven years in studies of general, especially
historical, character. He was very comfortably situated eco-
nomically, and there was no need of his hurrying to determine his
future career. Finally he decided for the medical profession and,
the decision once taken, pursued his studies with diligence. In
i860 he took the preliminary so-called medico-philosophical
examination, and after seven years received the degree of licentiate
of medicine at the Carolinian Institute in Stockholm. During the
next few years Dr. Berghman was an interne at various hospitals in
Stockholm, until, in 1871, he became chief surgeon at the Military
Hospital. Besides his official duties, he carried on private prac-
tice. It was a little more than a year after his appointment to the
above-mentioned position that Professor Hjalmar Abelin, then
court physician, suggested to him that he go to Amsterdam to

208

Some Scandinavian Bibliographers 209

study the newly developed scientific method of massage under its
founder, Dr. Metzger. Dr. Berghman secured the necessary
leave of absence and went on the journey that was to have such a
great influence, not only on his professional career, but on his whole
life.

Returning to Stockholm after a year's stay abroad, Dr. Bergh-
man took up the practice of massage and became a very successful
practitioner in this branch of medical work. He resigned at last
from his position at the Military Hospital to devote himself
exclusively to his private practice. For about ten years he carried
on this work, contributing to the Swedish medical press numerous
memoirs on the method of healing which he practiced so success-
fully. But he had in him the germ of disease. Though he fought it
manfully for years, and treated his patients even when he could
no longer walk without crutches, he was forced at last to give up.
His medical career being at an end, he disposed of his instruments
and his medical library and took up the literary, artistic, and
historical studies which had been interrupted when he decided to
devote himself to the study of medicine.

In 1880 Alphonse Willems' work, Les Elzeviers, had appeared.
This book came into Dr. Berghman's hands while he was hesitating
as to whether he should devote his coming years to history, belles-
lettres, or mathematics, and determined his choice. The pro-
ductions of the Elzevir presses had already attracted his attention
at Amsterdam. Now he decided to take up the collecting and the
study of them in earnest. As early as 1885 he published the first
results of his studies:

Etudes | sur ] la bibliographie elzevirienne | basees sur
l'ouvrage Les Elzeviers | de M. Alphonse Willems, ]
par I le D' G. Berghman. ] Avec 470 figures reproduisant
les vignettes, culs-de-lampe | et lettres crises des
Elzevirs. ] Stockholm ] imprimerie dTvar H^ggstrom. |
1885.
[4], 76 p. 18 pi. "Tire a 100 exemplaires numerotes."

2IO Bibliographical Society of America

The work is divided in two parts: I, "Sur les procedes a suivre
pour discerner d'une maniere systematique les editions imprimees
en petit format par les Elzevir d'avec celles executees par leurs
emules et les imitateurs." II, "Remarques bibliographiques sur
diverses editions citees dans les Annales de M. Willems."

Illustrations are given of the marks, ornamental letters, and
other ornaments found in the productions of the Elzevir presses,
and they are accompanied by a Liste verificative des lettres grises,
arranged by the presses.

These ornaments constitute the chief material used in the
argumentation.

The publication of this book led to a correspondence with
M. Willems, and when Dr. Berghman was ready, twelve years later,
to issue a second study, based on a much wider choice of material
than the first, Willems turned over to his critic all the notes that
he himself had accumulated with the view of issuing a supplement
to his work, from which he, however, was prevented by other
duties. Re-enforced with this material, Dr. Berghman's second
study appeared in 1897 as:

NOUVELLES ETUDES [ SUR LA BIBLIOGRAPHIE ELZEVIRIENNE |

XVII, 172, [i] p. "Tire a 550 exemplaires, dont 50 sur grand papier de
HoUande."

Its contents run as follows: Avant propos. — Editions a
enregistrer dans les Annales typographiques des Elzevirs — A.
L'officine de Leyde. B. L'officine de la Haye. C. L'officine
d'Amsterdam. — Editions a enregistrer dans la division des Annexes.
A. Editions imprimees en Hollande. B. Editions imprimees a
Bruxelles. C. Faux elzevirs. — Editions a retrancher des Annales
typographiques des Elzevirs. — Remarques sur diverses editions

Some Scandinavian Bibliographers 211

citees dans I'ouvrage de M. Willems. — Appendice. Compte rendu
critique ["A complete catalogue of all the publications of the
Elzevir presses .... By Edmund Goldsmid." 3 vol. Edin-
burgh, 1885-88]. — Table alphabetique — Errata.

The book contains 577 bibliographical descriptions.

In thanking Dr. Berghman, who had sent him a copy of his
Nouvelles eiudes, M. Willems wrote: "I have found, then, in you
the collaborator of whom I have dreamed, and now we are associ-
ated forever One will hardly quote one of us without

also quoting the other."

In 1899, after the death of his wife (they had no children),
Dr. Berghman made his will, donating his collection of elzevirs to
the Royal Library at Stockholm. In 1909 he transferred the col-
lection from his home to the Library, where it occupies a separate
case in the exhibition hall. Together with the elzevir collection he
gave to the Royal Library a sum of more than 100,000 kroner, the
interest from which is to be used for such bibliographical publica-
tions as may seem particularly desirable and for the completion
and care of the elzevir collection. The first publication of the fund
was the catalogue of the elzevir collection, prepared by Dr. Bergh-
man himself, with the assistance of his grand-niece, Miss Lily
Theorell, and seen through the press by the late Dr. Bernhard
Lundstedt of the Royal Library:

Catalogue raisonne | des | impressions elzeviriennes | de la

BiBLIOTHEQUE ROYALE | DE STOCKHOLM [ ReDIGE PAR G.

Besides the catalogue itself, there is a preface by its author
and a biographical sketch of Dr. Berghman by E. W. Dahlgren,
the Royal Librarian. The plate is a picture of the collection in
its special case.

212 Bibliographical Society of America

The scope of this work is quite different from the two previous
works. The bibliographical and historical problems being solved,
there was no need of repeating them here. References to the
respective numbers in Willems and in Berghman's Supplement
suffice. What we here have before us is a catalogue of the Bergh-
man collection and something more. It is a survey of the literary
activities of the great printing and publishing house arranged
by subjects. An enumeration of the main division, showing
the number of titles under each, will not be without interest:
I, "Theologie," 221 titles; II, "Jurisprudence," 109 titles; III,
"Sciences et arts," 362 titles (this division consists of "Sciences
philosophiques," Sciences naturelles," "Sciences mathematiques,"
"Beaux-arts," etc.); IV, "Belles-lettres," 747 titles (including
also "Linguistique" and "Philologie"); V, "Histoire," 597 titles
(including "Histoire des religions et des superstitions"); VI,
"Autheurs classiques," 171 titles.

To these are added a division for " Bibliographie elzevirienne,"
listing 98 works. There is also an "Appendice: Additions au
Supplement," etc., containing 68 entries with full critical descrip-
tions, and finally 11 titles of works acquired after the close of the
mantiscript.

When the catalogue was issued, its author had already passed
away. He died on July 25, 1910.

It was a remarkable life-work that had been accomplished by
this man during nearly thirty years of constant illness, with
hardly a day without suffering. His life was probably lengthened,
at least his spirits were kept up, by an intellectual enthusiasm of
rare order for what some might regard as abstruse, not to say
petty — the determination of the relations of a printing and pub-
lishing house, long dead, to typographical productions either
bearing its name or by other marks connected with it. But there
was nothing petty in the aim of this bibliographer, nor in the
method used; the latter was the application of a wide knowledge of

Some Scandinavian Bibliographers 21

the histon-, art, and literature of the period in question; the aim
was simply to find the truth in this particular field, and this truth-
seeking was conceived in the spirit of Ranke — to find out what
actually happened.

Aksel G. S. Josephson

The Johx Crerak Library
Chicago

NOTES

The new (thirteenth) volume of the Transactions of the Biblio-
graphical Society (London) contains papers on a variety of subjects.
The opening paper, by the Secretary of the Society, Alfred W.
Pollard, entitled "Our Twenty-first Birthday," was read on the
meeting of the Society on the 20th of October, 1913, and is a
narrative of its acti\-ities during the first twenty-one years of its
existence, with interesting notes on the men who took a leading
part in the formation of the Society and its various undertakings.
On this, personal, side the paper, naturally enough, has one con-
siderable gap, in that there is no mention of Mr. Pollard himself,
who for nearly twenty years had been the Secretary and leading
spirit of the Society. We may expect that this gap will be filled
when the time comes for the quarter-centenary. Two papers,
Victor Scholderer's "Jacob Wimpheling, an Early Strassburg
Humanist," and P. S. Alden's "Erasmus' Relations with His
Printers," carr>' us back to the late fifteenth and sixteenth cen-
turies, a period of much intellectual activity and of constant
interest to students of the history of learning. Rev. P. Henderson
Aitken's "Some Notes on the Histor>^ of Paper" is of interest to
both paleographers and bibliographers, and the same is true of
Hilary Jenkinson's "English Current Writing and Early Printing."
Then there are two bibliographical studies of particular interest
to special students: Sir Herbert George Fordham's "Road-Books
and Itineraries Bibliographically Considered" and Cosmo Gordon's
"Books on Accountancy, 1494-1600." From the Journal of the
sessions we learn that the membership of the Society will remain
open until after the war.

The Glasgow Bibliographical Society has during the four
years of its existence published three portly volumes of its Records,

214

Xotes 215

mostly dealing with Scottish bibliography. The second volume
is devoted exclusively to the Foulis Exhibition, held in Glasgow in
the spring of 1913, and is made up of a Catalogue of the Exhibition,
a descriptive account of the same, and a monograph by the Presi-
dent of the Society, Dr. David Murray, on Robert and Andrew
Foulis and the Glasgow Press, extended from the address delivered
by him at the opening of the Exhibition. Dr. Murray's opening
presidential address, delivered at the first meeting of the Society,
November 18, 1912, has for title: "Bibliography: Its Scope and
Methods, with a View of the Work of a Local Bibliographical
Society "' ; after a comprehensive study of the field of bibUography
in general, and survey of the field for a local society. Dr. Murray
discusses the scope of a Glasgow bibhography, suggesting that
"the Glasgow Bibliographical Society could engage in no more
useful enterprise than the preparation of a scheme for a bibliog-
raphy of this ancient city, and by encouraging and assisting indi-
vidual members in filling up its various parts."

Vol. IX of Islandica contains a bibliography of "Icelandic
Books of the Sixteenth Century (1534-1600)" by Halldor
Hermannsson, in all 67 titles, including 18 of which no trace can
be found beyond more or less casual mention. Of these latter
only 4 are with certainty known to have existed, among them the
one recorded as probably the first book printed in Iceland, the
Breviaria of 1534. No copy of this is now in existence, but the
Royal Library of Stockholm possesses two leaves that have been
identified as belonging to this book; the last kno\vn copy, belong-
ing to Arni Magnusson's Ubrar\', was destroyed in the fire in
Copenhagen 1728. The title is taken from a note by Jon Olafsson,
Ami Magnusson's secretary, who afterwards wrote down the title
and colophon from memor}\

Mr. Hermannsson contributes to the last number of the
Publications of the Society for the Advancement of Sca^idinavian

2i6 Bibliographical Society of America

Study an account of " Icelandic- American Periodicals," of which
he accounts for some thirty, though only four are still being
published.

Henry S. Saunders contributed to the summer number of
The Sunset of Bon Echo an address, delivered at the Whitman
Fellowship Supper in New York this year, on "A Whitman
Bibliography in the Making." It was only six years ago that
Mr. Saunders began to collect Whitmaniana, and he found soon
that existing Whitman bibliographies were incomplete and inade-
quate; thus out of the collecting grew the bibliography which
soon will be ready for publication.

''The Librarian's Muse," by Forrest B. Spalding in the July
Library Journal, is an account, with quotations, of some American
poet-librarians, among them Sam Walter Foss, R. R. Bowker,
Arthur Colton, Charles Knowles Bolton. "Looking back on the
early history of hbrarianship in this country," the author says,
'' one is struck by the number of men who were not only librarians
of note, but authors, essayists, poets, and historians; men who
were constant contributors to the literature of their day. It is
to be regretted that in these days of high development of the
technical side of the work this type of librarian is fast disappearing,
as seems to be the case, although we still have among us a few who
can justly claim recognition for their literary work." It would be
of some interest to find out whether this technical development is
killing the literary aspirations of the men who enter the profession,
or scares away from the profession men whose interests are bookish
in another respect than the bibliographical.

A. G. S. J.

.t{>tt>ii^<i Lioi

NOV i 1928

Z Bibliographical Society

1008 of America
B4S5 Papers
v.9-10

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY

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