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women detest the books which the collector desires and admires。 First；
they don't understand them； second； they are jealous of their mysterious
charms； third； books cost money； and it really is a hard thing for a lady to
see money expended on what seems a dingy old binding； or yellow paper
scored with crabbed characters。 Thus ladies wage a skirmishing war
against booksellers' catalogues； and history speaks of husbands who have
had to practise the guile of smugglers when they conveyed a new purchase
across their own frontier。 Thus many married men are reduced to
collecting Elzevirs； which go readily into the pocket； for you cannot
smuggle a folio volume easily。 This inveterate dislike of books often
produces a very deplorable result when an old collector dies。 His
〃womankind；〃 as the Antiquary called them； sell all his treasures for the
price of waste…paper； to the nearest country bookseller。 It is a
melancholy duty which forces one to introduce such topics into a volume
on 〃Art at Home。〃 But this little work will not have been written in vain
if it persuades ladies who inherit books not to sell them hastily； without
taking good and disinterested opinion as to their value。 They often
dispose of treasures worth thousands； for a ten pound note； and take pride
in the bargain。 Here； let history mention with due honour the paragon of
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her sex and the pattern to all wives of book…collecting men Madame
Fertiault。 It is thus that she addresses her lord in a charming triolet （〃Les
Amoureux du Livre；〃 p。 xxxv）：…
〃Le livre a ton esprit 。 。 。 tant mieux！ Moi； j'ai ton coeur； et sans
partage。 Puis…je desirer davantage？ Le livre a ton esprit 。 。 。 tant mieux！
Heureuse de te voir joyeux； Je t'en voudrais 。 。 。 tout un etage。 Le livre a
ton esprit 。 。 。 tant mieux！ Moi； j'ai ton coeur； et sans partage。〃
Books rule thy mind； so let it be！ Thy heart is mine； and mine alone。
What more can I require of thee？ Books rule thy mind； so let it be！
Contented when thy bliss I see； I wish a world of books thine own。 Books
rule thy mind； so let it be！ Thy heart is mine； and mine alone。
There is one method of preserving books； which； alas； only tempts
the borrower； the stealer； the rat； and the book…worm； but which is
absolutely necessary as a defence against dust and neglect。 This is
binding。 The bookbinder's art too often destroys books when the artist is
careless； but it is the only mode of preventing our volumes from falling to
pieces； and from being some day disregarded as waste…paper。 A well…
bound book； especially a book from a famous collection； has its price；
even if its literary contents be of trifling value。 A leather coat fashioned
by Derome； or Le Gascon； or Duseuil； will win respect and careful
handling for one specimen of an edition whereof all the others have
perished。 Nothing is so slatternly as the aspect of a book merely stitched；
in the French fashion； when the threads begin to stretch； and the paper
covers to curl and be torn。 Worse consequences follow； whole sheets are
lost； the volume becomes worthless； and the owner must often be at the
expense of purchasing another copy； if he can； for the edition may now be
out of print。 Thus binding of some sort not only adds a grace to the
library； presenting to the eye the cheerful gilded rows of our volumes； but
is a positive economy。 In the case of our cloth…covered English works；
the need of binding is not so immediately obvious。 But our publishers
have a taste for clothing their editions in tender tones of colour； stamped；
often； with landscapes printed in gold； in white； or what not。 Covers like
this； may or may not please the eye while they are new and clean； but they
soon become dirty and hideous。 When a book is covered in cloth of a
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good dark tint it may be allowed to remain unbound； but the primrose and
lilac hues soon call out for the aid of the binder。
Much has been written of late about book…binding。 In a later part of
this manual we shall have something to say about historical examples of
the art； and the performances of the great masters。 At present one must
begin by giving the practical rule； that a book should be bound in harmony
with its character and its value。 The bibliophile； if he could give the rein
to his passions； would bind every book he cares to possess in a full coat of
morocco； or （if it did not age so fast） of Russia leather。 But to do this is
beyond the power of most of us。 Only works of great rarity or value
should be full bound in morocco。 If we have the luck to light on a
Shakespeare quarto； on some masterpiece of Aldus Manutius； by all means
let us entrust it to the most competent binder； and instruct him to do justice
to the volume。 Let old English books； as More's 〃Utopia；〃 have a cover
of stamped and blazoned calf。 Let the binder clothe an early Rabelais or
Marot in the style favoured by Grolier； in leather tooled with geometrical
patterns。 Let a Moliere or Corneille be bound in the graceful
contemporary style of Le Gascon； where the lace…like pattern of the
gilding resembles the Venetian point…lace； for which La Fontaine liked to
ruin himself。 Let a binding； a la fanfare； in the style of Thouvenin；
denote a novelist of the last century； let panelled Russia leather array a
folio of Shakespeare； and let English works of a hundred years ago be
clothed in the sturdy fashion of Roger Payne。 Again； the bibliophile may
prefer to have the leather stamped with his arms and crest； like de Thou；
Henri III。； D'Hoym； Madame du Barry； and most of the collectors of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries。 Yet there are books of great price
which one would hesitate to bind in new covers。 An Aldine or an Elzevir；
in its old vellum or paper wrapper； with uncut leaves； should be left just as
it came from the presses of the great printers。 In this condition it is a far
more interesting relic。 But a morocco case may be made for the book；
and lettered properly on the back； so that the volume； though really
unbound； may take its place with the bound books on the shelves。 A
copy of any of Shelley's poems； in the original wrappers； should I venture
to think be treated thus； and so should the original editions of Keats's and
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of Mr。 Tennyson's works。 A collector； who is also an author； will perhaps
like to have copies of his own works in morocco； for their coats will give
them a chance of surviving the storms of time。 But most other books； not
of the highest rarity and interest； will be sufficiently clothed in half…
bindings； that is； with leather backs and corners； while the rest of the cover
is of cloth or paper； or whatever other substance seems most appropriate。
An Oxford tutor used to give half…binding as an example of what Aristotle
calls ＇Greek text＇； or 〃shabbiness；〃 and when we recommend such
coverings for books it is as a counsel of expediency； not of perfection。
But we cannot all be millionaires； and； let it be remembered； the really
wise amateur will never be extravagant； nor let his taste lead him into 〃the
ignoble melancholy of pecuniary embarrassment。〃 Let the example of
Charles Nodier be our warning； nay； let us remember that while Nodier
could get out of debt by selling his collection； OURS will probably not