Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-07-24

whom its ponderous proportions were eneased
In massive covers Of wood and leather, studded
Win knobs and bands often of gold and silver,
ana closed with broad clasps, to unfasten which,
ietung the covers swing open on their stout
hinges was privilege to which not every one
was permitted to aspire. For, as said Richard
De Bury, laymen. to whom it matters not
whether they look a: book turned wrong side
upward or spread before them in its natural
"ruer, are altOge her unworthy Of any commu-
nlcaton with books Precious metals and the
less crude but equally costly productions of
art contributed to swell their value i'm respect
oil which they stood at times on an equality
with houses and lands. When publicly ex-
posed they were frequently secured bv chains:
they were protected by special statutes: were
su6Jeats OF grave negotiations; solemnIy be-
queathed by will, and lent only to the higher
orders, who were compelled to deposit ample
pledges tor their return. Even so late as iii
LouIs Nj. was compelled by the faculty Of me-
dlcine at Paris tn deposit a valuable security
and give responsible endOrser. in order TO OBJ
tain the loan of the works of Rhasis an Arabian
physlclan Among the illustrations of cost
which the Industry of photographers has col
lected, We find that ST. Jerome to procure the
work. of Origen, impoverished his estate; that
hing Alfred, for one book, gave eight hides of
iih1' that the countess of AnJou paid for a copy
Of the hOmilies of Bishop Human, besides other
articles of barter, 200 sheep. Stowe says that,
IN wa, Bible finely written sold for 81 marks.
about LII, at a time when wheat was 3s i'd a
quarter, and labor Id. day; in l400 a copy Of
Jean De Mehuns - Romance Of the Rose yas
pablicly sold at Paris for 40 crowns moro than
Sl0O "a copy of the same work in MS was sold
at auction in London, 1857, for fl2 and an
other ut Paris, lS5S, for of that sum But
according to document in tho monastery of
St. stephen, at Caen, the works of Peter LOm-
bard were bought, in 1881. for francs 1t is
thus dlfhcult to ascertain the prices of books az
determined by the value Of material and labor
at remote periods; for the peculiar instances
which have been placed on record are more
ike to refer to exceptional and accidental con-
dltIons than to the ordinary and usual rates
aflXed by the understood laws of trade Print
ing, which, like many other inventions owed
II not Its discovery, at least its appIIcation TO
the more sordid inclnations and was not orig
lnally intended to effect any considerable re-
suits, except In the fortunes Of few individ-
uai', made no immediate or violent innovation
upon the then existing order of things Types
were made to initiate the slower process of writ
Ing, and the general appearance of Ms. vol
unes was carefully initiated. so that for some
tlme DOCKS still continued inaccessible to- even
had they been coveted by the people But the
desire was surely, though almost perceptibly,
growing gradually widening dema nd keep
Ing pace with and encouraging the deyelopment
increasing rapdity and diminishing cost. and
thelr sale becoming larger, while it reduced the
proporuOnate expense, enlarged the aggregate
prOhtS OF the maker. Nevertheless. as we have
observed. they were long beyond the common
reach Their early history liscloses how much
Importance was conferred ly their possession,
and what solcitude was awakened for their
care We may yet trace in the solemn iniunc
uOn which was then often written on the fv
leaf, = Cursed be he who shall steal or tear ont
the IeaVes, or IN any way iDjure this book the
moro familiar schoO-bOy cOuplet of the present
day, " Steal not this book, my honest friend
etc. Ii the progress of improvement has some
what lessened reverence, it has been only upon
better acquaintance, and fulfls the adage
Paper was made thinner and stronger tyDes
smaller and clearer, and the pompous fOlOs and
quartOs gayeway, reluctantly indeed to octayos
and duodecimOs, while the art of book manu-
tacture has constantly tended to that lowest
limit OF expense and smallest magnitude of
bulk, COMFORTING with comfort and conven ;ence
as well as proper regard for the beautiful
which If not yet attained. is, nevertheless the
object still pursued. The manufacture of
book now demands the assistance of various
branches Of mechanical skill Besides the
paper maker, the type-fOunder, and the printer
10 whom II gives large proportion Of employ
ment, 1T engages, exclusively, the book binder
Its material form has, till the present era of
cheap publications. Away borne u commercial
value extravagantly disprOportonate to it's
matter, or that which alone cOnstitu tes its real
worth, and, were argument required, state
lnent Of these proportions would sufficiently
demonstrate the reasOnableness Of a great re-
ductiOn from former prices of books intended
for public sale. In the ordinary class of books
sold in the United States, in permanent form,
of the four principal interests represented, the
most important, intrinsically, has the least
commercial value, Every purchaser of book,
as rule, pays more to the paper-maker, the
printer, and the binder respectively. than to
the author; and, although peculiar circum-
stances may compensate him, the reader has no
redress. He is obliged to pay the several prin-
cipal manufacturers more than he is required
to pay the real maker, and so far as he is con-
cerned, it is obvious that the privilege of de-
termning for himself the extent of material ex-
pense, is not only desirable for his own sake,
but also favorable to the reputation, is not the
gain of the writer.