THE BOOKMART.

APRIL 20, 1884.

The BOOKMART is published the 20th of each month TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.

One Dollar per Year to subscribers in the United States and Canada.

Five Shillings per Year to Foreign subscribers. ADVERTISING RATES PER LINE EXCLUSIVE OF ADDRESS.

For Books Wanted and Books For Sale five cents (2d.) To subscribers three lines free under Books Wanted.

For New Books by publishers ten cents (5d.) For School and College Text Books three cents. For short advertisements fifteen cents (8d.) For Supplement List, Edition De Luxe fifteen cents. Displayed Advertisements, in column or across the page, are charged according to the space occupied:

urious and singular books are the next in

our classification. The category is too large. The books that be "curious" (not in the booksellers' sense of "prurient" and "disgusting," are innumerable. All suppressed and condemned books, from "Les Fleurs du Mal" to Vanini's "Amphitheatrum," or the English translation of Bruno's "Spaccia della Bestia Trionfante," are more or less rare, and more or less curious. Wild books, like William Postel's "Three Marvellous Triumphs of Women," are "curious." Freakish bodies, Ilke macaronic poetry, written in a medley of languages, are curious. Books from private presses are singular. The old English poets and satirists turned out many a book curious to the last degree, and priced at a fantastic value. Such are "Jordon's Jewels of Ingenuity," "Mycro-cynicon, six Snarling Satyers" (1599) and the "Treatize made of a Galaunt," printed by Wynkyn de Worde, and found pasted into the fly-leaf, on the oak-board binding of an imperfect volume of Pynson's "Statutes." All our early English poems and miscellanies are curious; and, as relics of delightful singers, are most charming possessions. Such are the "Songes and Sonnettes of Surrey" (1557), the "Paradyce of daynty Deuices" (1576), also the "Small Handfull of Fragrant Flowers," and "The Handful of Dainty Delights, gathered out of the lovely Garden of Sacred Scripture, fit for any worshipful Gentlewoman to smell unto," (1584). "The Teares of Ireland" (1642) are said

though one would not expect it, to be "extremely rare," and, therefore, precious. But there is no end to the list of such desirable rarities. If we add to them all books coveted as early editions, and, therefore, as relics of great writers, Bunyan, Shakespeare, Milton, Sterne, Walton, and the rest, we might easily fill a book with remarks on this topic alone. The collection of such editions is the most respectable, the most useful, and, alas, the most expensive of the amateur's pursuits. It is curious enough that the early editions of Swift, Scott, and Byron, are little sought for, if not wholly neg lected; while early copies of Shelley, Tennyson, and Keats, have a great price set on their heads. The quartoes of Shakespeare, the first editions of Racine, are out of the reach of any but very opulent purchasers, or unusually lucky, fortunate bookhunters. Before leaving the topic of books which derive their value from the taste and fantasy of collectors, it must be remarked that, in this matter, the fashion of the world changes. Dr. Dibdin lamented, seventy years ago, the waning respect paid to certain editions of the classics. He would find that things have become worse now, and modern German editions, on execrable paper, have supplanted his old favourites. Fifty years ago, M. Brunet expressed his contempt for the designs of Boucher: now they are at the top of the fashion. The study of old booksellers' catalogues is full of instruction as to the changes of caprice. The collection of Dr. Rawlinson was sold in 1756. "The Vision of Pierce Plowman (1561,) and the "Creede of Pierce Plowman" (1553,) brought between them no more than three shillings and sixpence. Eleven shillings were paid for the "Boke of Chivalrie" by Caxton. The "Boke of St. Albans," by Wynkyn de Worde, cost £1: 1s., and this was the highest sum paid for any one of two hundred rare pieces of early English literature. In 1764, a copy of the "Hypnerotomacia" was sold for two shillings, "A Pettie Palace of Pettie his Pleasures," (ah, what a thought for the amateur!) went for three shillings, while "Palmerin of England" 1602,) attained no more than the paltry sum of fourteen shillings. When Osborne sold the Harley collection, the scareest old English books fetched but three or four shillings. If the wandering Jew had been a collector in the last century he might have turned a pretty profit by selling his old English books in this age of ours. In old Freuch, too, Ahasuerus would have done a good stroke of business, for the prices brought by old Villons, Romances of the Rose, "Les Marguerites de Marguerite,,' and so forth, at the M'Carthy sale, were truly pitiable. A hundred years hence the original edition of Thackeray, or of Miss Greenaway's Christmas books, or "Modern Painters," may be the ru ling passion, and Aldines and Elzivirs, black letter and French vignettes may all be despised. A book which is common place in our century is curious in the next, and disregarded in that which follows. Old books of a heretical character were treasures once, rare unholy possessions. Now we have seen so many heretics that the world is indifferent to the audacity of Bruno, and the veiled impieties of Vanini.

The last of our categories of books 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, Bozrèian, Thouvenin, Trautz-Bauzonnet, and Lortic-are 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 (14791565,) remarkable for their mottoes and geometrical patterns on the covers. Then comes De Thou (who had three sets of arms,) with his blazon. the bees stamped upon the morocco. The volumes of Marguerite of Angoulème 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 favorite colour, and their books wear liveries of citron, red, and olive morocco. The Abbè Cotin, the original of Molière's Trissotin, stamped his books with intertwined C's. Henri III. preferred religious emblems, and sepulchral mottoes-skulls, crossbones, tears, and the insignia of the Passion. Mort m'est vie is a favourite device of the effeminate and voluptuous prince. Molière himself was a collector il n'est pas de bouquin qui s'echappe de ses mains,-"never an old book escapes him," says the author of "La Guerra Comique," the last of the pamphlets which flew fromside to side in the great literary squabble about "L' Ecole des Femmes." M. Souliè has found a rough catalogue of Moliére's, but the books, except a little Elzevir, have disappeared.* 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 collectors-Longepierre, the translator of Bion and Moschus; D'Hoym the diplomast; M'Carthy, and La Vallière, are all valued at a rate which seems fair game for satire.

Among the most interesting bibliophiles of the eighteenth century is Madame Du Bary. In 1771, this notorious beauty could scarcely read or write. She had rooms, however, in the Château de Versailles, thanks to the kindness of a monarch who admired those native qualities which education may polish, but which it can never conter. At Versailles, Madame Du Barry heard of the literary genius of Madame de Pompadour. Her large library of some four thousand works of the lightest sort of light literature was bound by Biziaux. Mr. Toovey possesses the Brantône 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 iu 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 improvis d library, marked the books which Madame Du Barry possessed before her large order was so punctually executed. 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 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 Tuilleries, but at Ver. sailles 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 selvre a des autres preoccupations!" thought a collector's whole heart should be with his treasures.

He

ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM.-A bibliography of this important department of science, including over 2000 titles in German, French, English, Scandinavian, Spanish, Dutch, and other languages, has just appeared, covering the twenty-three years 1860– 1883. It is intended to be a full list with the exception of mere school books, and is compiled by G. May, with index by O. Salle. Trübner & Co., are the English publishers.

COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY, PRINCETON, N.J

HE Library of the College of New Jersey is prob ably of nearly equal age with the College itself, and that dates from 1746. In a notice of it, written probably by President Davies in 1760, it is said to have been "formed almost entirely of the donations of several public spirited gentlemen on both sides of the Atlantic." Among these might have been mentioned Jonathan Belcher, whose name the College would have borne had he permitted it; and who, dying as Governor of New Jersey in 1757, left to the library 474 volumes. Classics and folios abounded in the mansions of those days, and the intellectual character of the collection, relatively to its whole mass, may have stood higher then than since. The first printed catalogue, printed at Woodbridge, N. J., in 1760, consists of 36 pages, small quarto, and gives the titles of near. ly 1,300 volumes, 231 being folios.

March 6, 1802, the interior of Nassau Hall, where the books were then lodged, was burned, and it was for some years supposed that the entire library was destroyed. A few books are known to have escaped, viz, certain folios of Calasio, and an edition of Calvin in eleven folios, Amsterdam, 1671, still in the library, with their titles in the catalogue of 1760.

Public generosity was appealed to for the means to replace the building; and records still in existence show that $32,000 in money were subscribed in the colonies. To restore the library, also, many noble volumes, still bearing the names of their doners, came from literary celebrities in this country and in Great Britain. Among these were John Lowell, Dugald Stewart, and Andrew Dalzel. To insure the safety of these new treasures, the library was placed in the building in which are the Geological Museum and Philadelphian Hall, and remaining there for half a century, escaped the flames which, in March, 1855, again destroyed Nassau Hall. Its increasing bulk finally crowded it out of the Museum building, and it was removed to its original lodging, where it stood from 1865 to 1873.

For nearly seventy years of this century the sole revenue of the library was derived from a tax of $1 a term on the students. Its increase was therefore extremely slow. In 1812 the librarian reported 4,000 volumes in the collection. In the same year the library of President Smith, containing also the books of President Witherspoon, was bought for the College. In 1823 the number of volumes was estimated at 7,000, and that number is given in the catalogue of 1831. In 1836, James Madison, an alumnus of 1771, left the library a legacy of $1,000. This was the only considerable gift of money made to the library previous to 1868. Several noteworthy donations of books were, however, received. James Lenox, of New York, has presented many very valuable books, among them the first three polyglots of the Holy Scriptures. Mr. Obadiah Rich, while resident in London, in 1834, procured the bestowment, by the Record Commission of the British Government of its publications, 86 volumes, folio, and 24 volumes octavo. The legislative documents of the United States, continued in an almost unbroken series, from the beginning of the Twentieth Congress, to the end of the Forty-second, make about 1,000 volumes, Matthew Newkirk, of Philadelphia, gave the great Description de l'Egypte. The family of W. D. Beattie presented 200 volumes of Classical and other valuable works;

and the libraries of Professors Hope and Giger, numbering several hundred volumes each, were given to the college in 1859 and 1865.

In 1868, the late John C. Green, of New York, presented to the college $100,000 under the name of the Elizabeth fund, in honor of his other. From the income of this fund the library was to receive $3,000 a year. Among other large additions thus made is the library of Trendelenburg, of Berlin, consisting of nearly 10,000 volumes and pamphlets, purchased by the faculty for $5,000. It contains a collection of 185 volumes of old editions of Aristotle and his commentators, with a large number of modern essays on his philosophy; and also several hundred volumes of comparatively rare classics.

By recent gifts from John H. Pierson, of New York, the library possesses 1,000 volumes on the late civil The entire library now numbers 29,500 vol

war.

umes.

The two society libraries contam together 12,000 volumes.

The library is open five days in the week for the exchange of books, and at almost all hours of the day for purposes of study,

The necessity of a separate and safer building for the library having been for some time apparent, Mr. John C. Green, of New York, in 1872-73, erected an elegant stone building, at a cost of $120,000, and presented it to the college for library purposes. It is an octagonal building, with wings to the east and west, 140 feet in its entire length, with a central elevation of about feet. The centre of the hall is occupied by a platform 12 feet in diameter, upon which is a circnlar desk for the librarian, Between this and the alcoves, which are ranged against the walls, is a passage way, 9 feet in width. The capacity of the two floors of alcoves is 108,000 volumes.

At the time of the erection. of the building, a fund was provided for the support of the librarian.-- Special Report Public Libraries of U. S.

SPECIAL FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.

PARIS, March 8, 1884.

OME satisfactory sales of Autographs have taken place; amateurs dispute as usual the "plums." Two letters from Washington brought, 600 and 200 francs-a letter from Francis I. to Charles V., 255 francs-Catherine de Medici, to Mary Stuart, 610 francs-a signature of the latter's, 200 francs-Marat, 150 francs-Madame Roland, to Servian, 250 francs a letter signed by Queen Elizabeth, 200 francs -one by Louis XIV., to Queen Henrietta, 300 franes. Annotation on a letter by Robespierre, 260 franes; a copy book exercise by poor Louis XVII., 310 francs. A curious letter from Napoleon when Lieut. Col., dated 11 January, 1793 and addressed to the Municipality of Bonifacio, 1,000 francs. Two letters from Cavour, in French, 200 francs, one from Bismark to King Wiiliam, 105 francs: Mugat to the Duke of Wellington, 200 francs. A note from Gambetta, signed also by Jules Ferry, and addressed to Jules Favre, 105 francs-Letters of Presidents Grevy and Mac Mahon, 25 francs each. One from Emperor Maximilian in French, and addressed to Napoleon III., 200 franes. Ditto from Victor Emanuel to Napoleon, written on the battle field of Palestro, 100 francs. Frederick II. of Prussia, to Cardinal Fleury, 350 francs. Peter I. of Russia, 250 francs: and from Nicholas I. 155 frances. A note of