the library-第17节
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The last of our categories of books much sought by the collector includes all volumes valued for their ancient bindings； for the mark and stamp of famous amateurs。 The French； who have supplied the world with so many eminent binders；as Eve； Padeloup； Duseuil； Le Gascon； Derome； Simier； Bozerian； Thouvenin； Trautz…Bauzonnet； and Lorticare the chief patrons of books in historical bindings。 In England an historical binding； a book of Laud's； or James's； or Garrick's； or even of Queen Elizabeth's； does not seem to derive much added charm from its associations。 But； in France； peculiar bindings are now the objects most in demand among collectors。 The series of books thus rendered precious begins with those of Maioli and of Grolier （1479…1565）； remarkable for their mottoes and the geometrical patterns on the covers。 Then comes De Thou （who had three sets of arms）； with his blazon； the bees stamped on the morocco。 The volumes of Marguerite of Angouleme are sprinkled with golden daisies。 Diane de Poictiers had her crescents and her bow； and the initial of her royal lover was intertwined with her own。 The three daughters of Louis XV。 had each their favourite colour； and their books wear liveries of citron； red； and olive morocco。 The Abbe Cotin； the original of Moliere's Trissotin； stamped his books with intertwined C's。 Henri III。 preferred religious emblems； and sepulchral mottoesskulls； crossbones； tears； and the insignia of the Passion。 Mort m'est vie is a favourite device of the effeminate and voluptuous prince。 Moliere himself was a collector； il n'es pas de bouquin qui s'echappe de ses mains；〃never an old book escapes him；〃 says the author of 〃La Guerre Comique；〃 the last of the pamphlets which flew from side to side in the great literary squabble about 〃L'Ecole des Femmes。〃 M。 Soulie has found a rough catalogue of Moliere's library； but the books； except a little Elzevir； have disappeared。 ｛7｝ Madame de Maintenon was fond of bindings。 Mr。 Toovey possesses a copy of a devotional work in red morocco； tooled and gilt； which she presented to a friendly abbess。 The books at Saint…Cyr were stamped with a crowned cross； besprent with fleurs…de…lys。 The books of the later collectorsLongepierre； the translator of Bion and Moschus； D'Hoym the diplomatist； McCarthy； and La Valliere； are all valued at a rate which seems fair game for satire。
Among the most interesting bibliophiles of the eighteenth century is Madame Du Barry。 In 1771； this notorious beauty could scarcely read or write。 She had rooms； however； in the Chateau de Versailles； thanks to the kindness of a monarch who admired those native qualities which education may polish； but which it can never confer。 At Versailles； Madame Du Barry heard of the literary genius of Madame de Pompadour。 The Pompadour was a person of taste。 Her large library of some four thousand works of the lightest sort of light literature was bound by Biziaux。 Mr。 Toovey possesses the Brantome of this dame galante。 Madame herself had published etchings by her own fair hands； and to hear of these things excited the emulation of Madame Du Barry。 She might not be CLEVER； but she could have a library like another； if libraries were in fashion。 One day Madame Du Barry astonished the Court by announcing that her collection of books would presently arrive at Versailles。 Meantime she took counsel with a bookseller； who bought up examples of all the cheap 〃remainders；〃 as they are called in the trade； that he could lay his hands upon。 The whole assortment； about one thousand volumes in all； was hastily bound in rose morocco； elegantly gilt； and stamped with the arms of the noble house of Du Barry。 The bill which Madame Du Barry owed her enterprising agent is still in existence。 The thousand volumes cost about three francs each； the binding （extremely cheap） came to nearly as much。 The amusing thing is that the bookseller； in the catalogue which he sent with the improvised library； marked the books which Madame Du Barry possessed BEFORE her large order was so punctually executed。 There were two 〃Memoires de Du Barry；〃 an old newspaper； two or three plays； and 〃L'Historie Amoureuse de Pierre le Long。〃 Louis XV。 observed with pride that； though Madame Pompadour had possessed a larger library； that of Madame Du Barry was the better selected。 Thanks to her new collection； the lady learned to read with fluency； but she never overcame the difficulties of spelling。
A lady collector who loved books not very well perhaps； but certainly not wisely； was the unhappy Marie Antoinette。 The controversy in France about the private character of the Queen has been as acrimonious as the Scotch discussion about Mary Stuart。 Evidence； good and bad； letters as apocryphal as the letters of the famous 〃casket；〃 have been produced on both sides。 A few years ago； under the empire； M。 Louis Lacour found a manuscript catalogue of the books in the Queen's boudoir。 They were all novels of the flimsiest sort；〃L'Amitie Dangereuse；〃 〃Les Suites d'un Moment d'Erreur；〃 and even the stories of Louvet and of Retif de la Bretonne。 These volumes all bore the letters 〃C。 T。〃 （Chateau de Trianon）； and during the Revolution they were scattered among the various public libraries of Paris。 The Queen's more important library was at the Tuileries； but at Versailles she had only three books； as the commissioners of the Convention found； when they made an inventory of the property of la femme Capet。 Among the three was the 〃Gerusalemme Liberata；〃 printed； with eighty exquisite designs by Cochin； at the expense of 〃Monsieur；〃 afterwards Louis XVIII。 Books with the arms of Marie Antoinette are very rare in private collections； in sales they are as much sought after as those of Madame Du Barry。
With these illustrations of the kind of interest that belongs to books of old collectors； we may close this chapter。 The reader has before him a list； with examples； of the kinds of books at present most in vogue among amateurs。 He must judge for himself whether he will follow the fashion； by aid either of a long purse or of patient research； or whether he will find out new paths for himself。 A scholar is rarely a rich man。 He cannot compete with plutocrats who buy by deputy。 But； if he pursues the works he really needs； he may make a valuable collection。 He cannot go far wrong while he brings together the books that he finds most congenial to his own taste and most useful to his own studies。 Here； then； in the words of the old 〃sentiment；〃 I bid him farewell； and wish 〃success to his inclinations； provided they are virtuous。〃 There is a set of collectors； alas！ whose inclinations are not virtuous。 The most famous of them； a Frenchman； observed that his own collection of bad books was unique。 That of an English rival； he admitted； was respectable；〃mais milord se livre a des autres preoccupations！〃 He thought a collector's whole heart should be with his treasures。
En bouquinant se trouve grand soulas。 Soubent m'en vay musant； a petis pas； Au long des quais； pour flairer maint bieux livre。 Des Elzevier la Sphere me rend yure； Et la Sirene aussi m'esmeut。 Grand cas Fais…je d'Estienne； Aide； ou Dolet。 Mais Ias！ Le vieux Caxton ne se rencontre pas； Plus qu' agneau d'or parmi jetons de cuivre； En bouquinant！
Pour tout plaisir que l'on goute icy…bas La Grace a Dieu。 Mieux vaut； sans altercas； Chasser bouquin： Nul mal n'en peult s'ensuivre。 Dr sus au livre： il est le grand appas。 Clair est le ciel。 Amis； qui veut me suivre En bouquinant？
A。 L。
ILLUSTRATED BOOKS ｛8｝
Modern English book…illustrationto which the present chapter is restricted …has no long or doubtful history； since to find its first beginnings； it is needless to go farther back than the last quarter of the eighteenth century。 Not that 〃illustrated〃 books of a certain class were by any means unknown before that period。 On the contrary； for many years previously； literature had boasted its 〃sculptures〃 of be…wigged and be…laurelled 〃worthies；〃 its 〃prospects〃 and 〃land…skips；〃 its phenomenal monsters and its 〃curious antiques。〃 But； despite the couplet in the 〃Dunciad〃 respecting books where
〃 。 。 。 the pictures for the page atone； And Quarles is saved by beauties not his own；〃 …
illustrations； in which the designer attempted the actual delineation of scenes or occurrences in the text； were certainly not common when Pope wrote； nor were they for some time afterwards either very numerous or very noteworthy。 There are Hogarth's engravings to 〃Hudibras〃 and 〃Don Quixote；〃 there are the designs of his crony Frank Hayman to Theobald's 〃Shakespeare；〃 to Milton； to Pope； to Cervantes； there are Pine's 〃Horace〃 and Sturt's 〃Prayer… Book〃 （in both of which text and ornament were alike engraved）； there are the historical and topographical drawings of Sandby； Wale； and others； and yetnotwithstanding all theseit is with Bewick's cuts to Gay's 〃Fables〃 in 1779； and Stothard's plates to Harrison's 〃Novelist's Magazine〃 in 1780； that book…illustration by imaginative compositions really begins to flourish in England。 Those little masterpieces of the Newcastle artist brought about a revival of wood…engraving which continues to this day； but engraving u
