PART II.

=The Cabinet.=

OUTLINE OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Condemn the daies of elders great or small, And then blurre out the course of present tyme: Cast one age down, and so doe orethrow all, And burne the bookes of printed prose or ryme: Who shall beleeve he rules, or she doth reign, In tyme to come, if writers loose their paine The pen records tyme past and present both: Skill brings foorth bookes, and bookes is nurse to troth.

CHURCHYARD'S _Worthiness of Wales_ p. 18, edit. 1776.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

=The Cabinet.=

OUTLINE OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Tout autour oiseaulx voletoient Et si tres-doulcement chantoient, Qu'il n'est cueur qui n'ent fust ioyeulx.

Et en chantant en l'air montoient Et puis l'un l'autre surmontoient A l'estriuee a qui mieulx mieulx.

Le temps n'estoit mie mieulx.

De bleu estoient vestuz les cieux, Et le beau Soleil cler luisoit.

Violettes croissoient par lieux Et tout faisoit ses deuoirs tieux Comme nature le duisoit.

OEUVRES DE CHARTIER, Paris, 1617, 4to. p. 594.

Such is the lively description of a spring morning, in the opening of Alain Chartier's "_Livre des quatre dames_;" and, excepting the violets, such description conveyed a pretty accurate idea of the scenery which presented itself, from the cabinet window, to the eyes of Lysander and Philemon.

PHIL. How delightful, my dear friend, are the objects which we have before our eyes, within and without doors! The freshness of the morning air, of which we have just been partaking in yonder field, was hardly more reviving to my senses than is the sight of this exquisite cabinet of bibliographical works, adorned with small busts and whole-length figures from the antique! You see these precious books are bound chiefly in Morocco, or Russia leather: and the greater part of them appear to be printed upon _large paper_.

LYSAND. Our friend makes these books a sort of hobby-horse, and perhaps indulges his vanity in them to excess. They are undoubtedly useful in their way.

PHIL. You are averse then to the study of bibliography?

LYSAND. By no means. I have already told you of my passion for books, and cannot, therefore, dislike bibliography. I think, with Lambinet, that the greater part of bibliographical works are sufficiently dry and soporific:[95] but I am not insensible to the utility, and even entertainment, which may result from a proper cultivation of it--although both De Bure and Peignot appear to me to have gone greatly beyond the mark, in lauding this study as "one of the most attractive and vast pursuits in which the human mind can be engaged."[96]

[Footnote 95: _Recherches, &c., sur l'Origine de l'Imprimerie_: Introd. p. x. Lambinet adds very justly, "L'art consiste a les rendre supportables par des objets varies de litterature, de critique, d'anecdotes," &c.]

[Footnote 96: See the "Discours sur la Science Bibliographique," &c., in the eighth volume of De Bure's _Bibl. Instruct._ and Peignot's _Dictionnaire Raisonne de Biblilolgie_, [Transcriber's Note: Bibliologie] vol. i. p.

50. The passage, in the former authority, beginning "Sans cesse"--p. xvj.--would almost warm the benumbed heart of a thorough-bred mathematician, and induce him to exchange his Euclid for De Bure!!]

PHIL. But to know what books are valuable and what are worthless; their intrinsic and extrinsic merits; their rarity, beauty, and particularities of various kinds; and the estimation in which they are consequently held by knowing men--these things add a zest to the gratification we feel in even looking upon and handling certain volumes.

LYSAND. It is true, my good Philemon; because knowledge upon any subject, however trivial, is more gratifying than total ignorance; and even if we could cut and string cherry-stones, like Cowper's rustic boy, it would be better than brushing them aside, without knowing that they could be converted to such a purpose. Hence I am always pleased with Le Long's reply to the caustic question of Father Malebranche, when the latter asked him, "how he could be so foolish as to take such pains about settling the date of a book, or making himself master of trivial points of philosophy!"--"Truth is so delightful," replied Le Long, "even in the most trivial matters, that we must neglect nothing to discover her." This reply, to a man who was writing, or had written, an essay upon truth was admirable. Mons. A.G. CAMUS, a good scholar, and an elegant bibliographer, [of whom you will see some account in "_Les Siecles Litteraires de la France_,"] has, I think, placed the study of bibliography in a just point of view; and to his observations, in the first volume of the "_Memoires de l'Institut National_," I must refer you.[97]

[Footnote 97: Lysander had probably the following passage more particularly in recollection; which, it must be confessed, bears sufficiently hard upon fanciful and ostentatious collectors of books. "[Il y a] deux sortes de connoissance des livres: l'une qui se renferme presque uniquement dans les dehors et la forme du livre, pour apprecier, d'apres sa date, d'apres la caractere de l'impression, d'apres certaines notes, quelquefois seulement d'apres une erreur typographique, les qualites qui le font ranger dans la classe des livres rares ou curieux, et qui fixent sa valeur pecuniaire: l'autre genre de connoissance consiste a savoir quels sont les livres les plus propres a instruire, ceux ou les sujets sont le plus clairement presentes et le plus profondement discutes; les ouvrages a l'aide desquels il est possible de saisir l'origine de la science, de la suivre dans ses developpemens, d'atteindre le point actuel de la perfection. Sans doute il seroit avantageux que ces deux genres de connoisances fussent toujours reunis: l'experience montre qu'ils le sont rairement; l'experience montre encore que le premier des deux genres a ete plus cultive que le second. Nous possedons, sur l'indication des livres curieux et rares, sur les antiquites et les bijoux litteraires, si l'on me permet d'employer cette expression, des instructions meilleures que nous n'en avons sur les livres propres a instruire foncierement des sciences. En recherchant la cause de cette difference, on la trouvera peut-etre dans la passion que des hommes riches et vains ont montree pour posseder des livres sans etre en etat de les lire. Il a fallu creer pour eux une sorte de bibliotheque composee d'objets qui, sous la forme exterieure de livres, ne fussent reellement que des raretes, des objets de curiosite, qu'on ne lit pas, mais que tantot on regarde avec complaisance, tantot en montre avec ostentation; et comme apres cela c'est presque toujours le got des personnes en etat de recompenser qui dirige le but des travailleurs, on ne doit pas etre surpris qu'on se soit plus occupe d'indiquer aux hommes riches dont je parle, des raretes a acquerir, ou de vanter celles qu'ils avoient rassemblees, que de faciliter, par des indications utiles, les travaux des hommes studieux dont on n'attendoit aucune recompense." _Memoires de l'Institut_, vol. i. 664. See also the similar remarks of Jarde, in the "Precis sur les Bibliotheques," prefixed to Fournier's _Dict. portatif de Bibliographie_, edit. 1809.

Something like the same animadversions may be found in a useful book printed nearly two centuries before: "Non enim cogitant quales ipsi, sed qualibus induti vestibus sint, et quanta pompa rerum fortunaeque praefulgeant--sunt enim omnino ridiculi, qui in nuda librorum quantumvis selectissimorum multitudine gloriantur, et inde doctos sese atque admirandos esse persuadent." Draudius: _Bibliotheca Classica_, ed.

1611. Epist. ad. Lect. Spizelius has also a good passage upon the subject, in his description of Book-Gluttons ("Helluones Librorum"): "cum immensa pene librorum sit multitudo et varietas, fieri non potest, quin eorum opibus ditescere desiderans (haeres), non assiduam longamque lectionem adhibeat." _Infelix Literatus_, p. 296, edit.

1680, 8vo.]

PHIL. I may want time, and probably inclination, to read these observations: and, at any rate, I should be better pleased with your analysis of them.

LYSAND. That would lead me into a wide field indeed; and, besides, our friend--who I see walking hastily up the garden--is impatient for his breakfast; 'tis better, therefore, that we satisfy just now an appetite of a different kind.

PHIL. But you promise to renew the subject afterwards?

LYSAND. I will make no such promise. If our facetious friend LISARDO, who is expected shortly to join us, should happen to direct our attention and the discourse to the sale of MALVOLIO'S busts and statues, what favourable opportunity do you suppose could present itself for handling so unpromising a subject as bibliography?

PHIL. Well, well, let us hope he will not come: or, if he does, let us take care to carry the point by a majority of votes. I hear the gate bell ring: 'tis Lisardo, surely!

Three minutes afterwards, Lisardo and myself, who met in the passage from opposite doors, entered the Cabinet. Mutual greetings succeeded: and, after a hearty breakfast, the conversation was more systematically renewed.

LIS. I am quite anxious to give you a description of the fine things which were sold at Malvolio's mansion yesterday! Amongst colossal Minervas, and pigmy fauns and satyrs, a magnificent set of books, in ten or twelve folio volumes (I forget the precise number) in Morocco binding, was to be disposed of.

LYSAND. The Clementine and Florentine museums?

LIS. No indeed--a much less interesting work. A catalogue of the manuscripts and printed books in the library of the French king, Louis the fifteenth. It was odd enough to see such a work in such a sale!

PHIL. You did not probably bid ten guineas for it, Lisardo?

LIS. Not ten shillings. What should I do with such books? You know I have a mortal aversion to them, and to every thing connected with bibliographical learning.

PHIL. That arises, I presume, from your profound knowledge of the subject; and, hence, finding it, as Solomon found most pursuits, "vanity of vanities, and vexation of spirit."

LIS. Not so, truly! I have taken an aversion to it from mere whim and fancy: or rather from downright ignorance.

PHIL. But I suppose you would not object to be set right upon any subject of which you are ignorant or misinformed? You don't mean to sport _hereditary_ aversions, or hereditary attachments?

LIS. Why, perhaps, something of the kind. My father, who was the best creature upon earth, happened to come into the possession of a huge heap of catalogues of private collections, as well as of booksellers'

books--and I remember, on a certain fifth of November, when my little hands could scarcely grasp the lamplighter's link that he bade me set fire to them, and shout forth--"Long live the King!"--ever since I have held them in sovereign contempt.

PHIL. I love the king too well to suppose that his life could have been lengthened by any such barbarous act. You were absolutely a little Chi Ho-am-ti, or Omar![98] Perhaps you were not aware that his majesty is in possession of many valuable books, which are described with great care and accuracy in some of these very catalogues.

[Footnote 98: Pope, in his Dunciad, has treated the conflagration of the two great ancient libraries, with his usual poetical skill:

"Far eastward cast thine eye, from whence the sun And orient Science their bright course begun: One god-like monarch all that pride confounds, He, whose long wall the wandering Tartar bounds; Heavens! what a pile! whole ages perish there, And one bright blaze turns Learning into air.

Thence to the south extend thy gladden'd eyes; There rival flames with equal glory rise, From shelves to shelves see greedy Vulcan roll, And lick up all their PHYSIC OF THE SOUL."

"Chi Ho-am-ti, Emperor of China, the same who built the great wall between China and Tartary, destroyed all the books and learned men of that empire."