The southern press., 1851-09-06
BIBLIaGRArHY.--A correspondent Of Nor
TONS Literary Adoertiser,iu q chapter upon this
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BDLoGRAPHY.--A correspondent Of Nor
TONS Literary Aduertiser, 10 chapter upon this
topic, furnishes the following interesting facts:
Manuscripts preserved from ancient times.
before the invention of printing and books had
superseded their use, are distinguished either as
Autographs, viz: written by the author himself
or copies, which of course are transcribed from
the former Such Of these as have been ex-
cIuded from the influence of the mir for a long
time, and have acquired mineral nature, are
called BibLioletha. A great many of these have
been discovered by antiquaries in old disnterred
Greek, Roman, and Egyptian urns and vessels
Incunabula or PalcOfypa, is the name for the
oldest printed books which were issued from
the origin of printing, until the end Of the 18th
or the first quarter of the 10th century. To
most of these firstling books there are no title
pages, the text beginning on the very first page,
or sometimes preceded merely by an index. Ii
tie pages have only been used since 1885 The
place and year of publication, and the name Of
the printer, are frequently omitted, and where
such information is given It is in Latin. If the
date is named, the number is either expressed
by Arabic figures or Latin characters, and not
unfrequently differs from the one which may be
found at the end of the volume A correspond
ing difference is occasionally observable even
between the several volumes of the same work.
Quaint and uneven characters, multiplied abb
breviations, want of signature marks, and strong
paper resembling parchment, are the peculiar in
dications by which the oldest printing may be
recognized. The characteristics Of the different
eras in the history Of the art of printing show
distinctly the successive stages through which
this noble art had to pass before she could APP
pear in the elegant and highly finished garment
of the present day.
Some photographs consider the work entitled
"A call to all Christendom to take up arms
against the Turks, published at Augsburg in
l454, to be the first printed book according to
others, the Psalterum, issued not before 1457,
is the oldest document of Typography. Among
of Munich, which possesses about $500, and
among these a German Bible of 1866, is per-
haps the most valuable.
Under the term Rare Books are compre-
hended those Of which only a few copies exist,
or which cannot be produced without great diff
fcuty.
Books printed before 1910 are among the
'rarest, those of the decennium from l470-80
are generally regarded as 'rarer' works, all the
other books issued up to 1900, are simply hon
ored with the predcat rare
Besides the Incunabua Rare Works, that
class books deserve an especial mention which
have gained certain distinction either by their
curious contents, by their permanent value, by
their elegant appearance, or by comments on the
margin, the autographs of celebrated men, in
whose possession they have been.
The first editions of the Greek and Roman
classes, called 'Editiones Principes,' are very
valuable and rare Among the editions are fa-
vorably known the Elziyir, the Bpont, and
Leipzig"
The following paragraph, which we find inan
exchange, makes mention Of an older printed
work than those mentioned in the above:
"The first edition of the Bible in print, ap-
peared at Mentz, between the years l450 and
1855 1t was beautifully executed, with clear
type, lustrous ink, and on good paper-contain-
ing 1882 pages. Of this edition, but eighteen
copies are now known to be in existence four
of which are printed on vellun. Two of these
latter are in England, one in Berlin, and one in
Paris. Ten of the rest of these eighteen are
in England. The New York Mirror says:
James Lenox, ESQ.,, of this city, has copy in
his library which was purchased by Mr.. David
Davidson, (agent for Messrs. Wiley and Put
nam.) at auction, in London l848, for the sum
of f50O sterling, or about $4,000, including
freight and charges. The custom-house Of
fcers passed it free of duty, in consideration Of
it's being a curiosity. 1t is the only one COM
plete copy on this side Of the Atlantic"