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the Italian tyrant chained the dead and the living together； as Procrustes
maimed his victims on his cruel bed； so a hard…hearted French binder has
tied up； and mutilated； and spoiled the old play； which otherwise would
have had considerable value as well as interest。
We have tried to teach the beginner how to keep his books neat and
clean； what men and monsters he should avoid； how he should guard
himself against borrowers； book…worms； damp； and dirt。 But we are
sometimes compelled to buy books already dirty and dingy； foxed； or
spotted with red； worn by greasy hands； stained with ink spots； or covered
with MS。 notes。 The art of man has found a remedy for these defects。 I
have never myself tried to wash a book； and this care is best left to
professional hands。 But the French and English writers give various
recipes for cleaning old books； which the amateur may try on any old
rubbish out of the fourpenny box of a bookstall； till he finds that he can
trust his own manipulations。 There are 〃fat stains〃 on books； as thumb
marks； traces of oil （the midnight oil）； flakes of old pasty crust left in old
Shakespeares； and candle drippings。 There are 〃thin stains；〃 as of mud；
scaling…wax； ink； dust； and damp。 To clean a book you first carefully
unbind it； take off the old covers； cut the old stitching； and separate sheet
from sheet。 Then take a page with 〃fat stains〃 of any kind of grease
（except finger…marks）； pass a hot flat iron over it； and press on it a clean
piece of blotting paper till the paper sucks up the grease。 Then charge a
camel…hair brush with heated turpentine； and pass it over the places that
were stained。 If the paper loses its colour press softly over it a delicate
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handkerchief； soaked in heated spirits of wine。 Finger…marks you will
cover with clean soap； leave this on for some hours； and then rub with a
sponge filled with hot water。 Afterwards dip in weak acid and water； and
then soak the page in a bath of clean water。 Ink…stained pages you will
first dip in a strong solution of oxalic acid and then in hydrochloric acid
mixed in six times its quantity of water。 Then bathe in clean water and
allow to dry slowly。
Some English recipes may also be given。 〃Grease or wax spots；〃
says Hannett； in 〃Bibliopegia；〃 〃may be removed by washing the part with
ether； chloroform； or benzine； and placing it between pieces of white
blotting paper； then pass a hot iron over it。〃 〃Chlorine water；〃 says the
same writer； removes ink stains； and bleaches the paper at the same time。
Of chloride of lime； 〃a piece the size of a nut〃 （a cocoa nut or a hazel nut？）
in a pint of water； may be applied with a camel's hair pencil； and plenty of
patience。 To polish old bindings； 〃take the yolk of an egg； beat it up with
a fork； apply it with a sponge； having first cleaned the leather with a dry
flannel。〃 The following； says a writer in 〃Notes and Queries；〃 with
perfect truth； is 〃an easier if not a better method； purchase some
bookbinder's varnish；〃 and use it as you did the rudimentary omelette of
the former recipe。 Vellum covers may be cleaned with soap and water； or
in bad cases by a weak solution of salts of lemon。
Lastly； the collector should acquire such books as Lowndes's
〃Bibliography；〃 Brunet's 〃Manuel；〃 and as many priced catalogues as he
can secure。 The catalogues of Mr。 Quaritch； Mr。 Bohn； M。 Fontaine；
M。M。 Morgand et Fatout； are excellent guides to a knowledge of the
market value of books。 Other special works； as Renouard's for Aldines；
Willems's for Elzevirs； and Cohen's for French engravings； will be
mentioned in their proper place。 Dibdin's books are inaccurate and long…
winded； but may occasionally be dipped into with pleasure。
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THE BOOKS OF THE
COLLECTOR
The easiest way to bring order into the chaos of desirable books； is；
doubtless； to begin historically with manuscripts。 Almost every age that
has left any literary remains； has bequeathed to us relics which are
cherished by collectors。 We may leave the clay books of the Chaldeans
out of the account。 These tomes resemble nothing so much as sticks of
chocolate； and； however useful they may be to the student； the clay MSS。
of Assurbanipal are not coveted by the collector。 He finds his earliest
objects of desire in illuminated manuscripts。 The art of decorating
manuscripts is as old as Egypt； but we need not linger over the beautiful
papyri； which are silent books to all but a few Egyptologists。 Greece； out
of all her tomes； has left us but a few ill…written papyri。 Roman and early
Byzantine art are represented by a 〃Virgil；〃 and fragments of an 〃Iliad〃；
the drawings in the latter have been reproduced in a splendid volume
（Milan 1819）； and shew Greek art passing into barbarism。 The
illumination of MSS。 was a favourite art in the later empire； and is said to
have been practised by Boethius。 The iconoclasts of the Eastern empire
destroyed the books which contained representations of saints and of the
persons of the Trinity； and the monk Lazarus； a famous artist； was cruelly
tortured for his skill in illuminating sacred works。 The art was decaying
in Western Europe when Charlemagne sought for painters of MSS。 in
England and Ireland； where the monks； in their monasteries； had
developed a style with original qualities。 The library of Corpus Christi at
Cambridge； contains some of the earliest and most beautiful of extant
English MSS。 These parchments； stained purple or violet； and inscribed
with characters of gold； are too often beyond the reach of the amateur for
whom we write。 The MSS。 which he can hope to acquire are neither very
early nor very sumptuous； and； as a rule； MSS。 of secular books are apt to
be out of his reach。
Yet a collection of MSS。 has this great advantage over a collection of
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printed books； that every item in it is absolutely unique； no two MSS。
being ever really the same。 This circumstance alone would entitle a good
collection of MSS。 to very high consideration on the part of book…
collectors。 But； in addition to the great expense of such a collection；
there is another and even more serious drawback。 It is sometimes
impossible； and is often extremely difficult； to tell whether a MS。 is
perfect or not。
This difficulty can only be got over by an amount of learning on the
part of the collector to which； unfortunately； he is too often a stranger。
On the other hand； the advantages of collecting MSS。 are sometimes very
great。
In addition to the pleasurea pleasure at once literary and artistic
which the study of illuminated MSS。 affords； there is the certainty that； as
years go on； the value of such a collection increases in a proportion
altogether marvellous。
I will take two examples to prove this point。 Some years ago an
eminent collector gave the price of 30 pounds for a small French book of
Hours； painted in grisaille。 It was in a country town that he met with this
treasure； for a treasure he considered the book； in spite of its being of the
very latest school of illumination。 When his collection was dispersed a
few years ago this one book fetched 260 pounds。
In the celebrated Perkins sale； in 1873； a magnificent early MS。； part
of which was written in gold on a purple ground； and which was dated in
the catalogue 〃ninth or tenth century；〃 but was in reality of the end of the
tenth or beginning of the eleventh； was sold for 565 pounds