The New York herald., 1878-09-16
BIBLIOTHECA CURIOSA.


BLACK LETTER AND MIssALs
There few tastes more expensive than that for
rare books and there are few tastes that are moro
pleasurable to their possessor No Capo Town digger
when he discovers diamond OF the first water is
more delighted with his treasure than the bbliona.
MAC who finds musty old black letter volume In
some out OF the way corner The most extensive
private collectors of books to be found In
England and the prices ihoy pay to enrich their Ii
braries often fabulous, tho report OF the Ddot
sale in Paris will testify Recently In this city
have had two fine libraries sold public auction, the
Meuzes and the Hastie-rracy, both OF which realized
thousands OF dollars. Now Messrs Bangs & Co.
announce tor sale, the 18th OF November, the
library Of Mr. Andrew ). Odeil, Of TINS city. Mr.
Ode was for number OF years the treasurer OF the
Delaware, Lackawanna ana Western Railroad Com
pany, and he devoted the time employed In dis.
charging the duties OF his position to the collection
of rare and costly books. Unlike many collectors
Mr.. Ode is diligent critical reader and 1t Is to
this fact that the unusual value of his books Is al
tribuable. The Ode library ut present consists OF
some twelve thousand volumes, comprising an ex-
tremeY interesting collection OF rare, curious and
standard Dooks both ancient and modern, in every
depart ment OF literature, among which are choice
editions of the Creek and Latin classics and old Eng
lsh black letter books, besides number OF missals
illuminated in gold aud colors. The catalogue OF this
been prepared by Mr. George p Phies, who Is proba
bly, the most expert bibliophilist In America.
Mr.. Odcll had the catalogue made for his
private and not for auction catalogue sale, but
illness has induced him TO SELL Mr.. Phies has
all the requirements considered necessary
in a cataloger. and is master OF nine Ian.
| guases, that experts will find it difficult to
discover any this catalogue, upon which he
has been at work for over year. The horid and OK.
aggerated style OF many we'll known catalogues has
been carefully avoided simple and intelligent de-
scripon being considered in better TASTE Numerous
photographed notes and references have been in
serted, but no reference In the entire catalogue is
made TO any photographed authority which was not
directly under the eye OF the compiler at the tme
About three hundred special copies OF this catalogue
have been PRINTED on laid linen paper with ornamen-
tai initial letters, headpeccs and titles OF rare books
elegantly printed IN coors, for which Messrs Sears &
| Cole are to be compiimented.
| The catalogue opens with the works OF Agrppa
seven in number. among which is the first book on
women's rights, entitled 'Female Pre-emnenco; or,
| The Dignity ana Excellence OF that Sex Above the
Male put INTO English In l67o by Horny Care An
excellent analysis OF this ingenious discourse will be
| found In "Moriey's Life OF Agrippa. In gancing ut
random through tho pages or the catalogue we lnd
among other notable books, complete list OF the
works OF Boethius, the collection OF which Mr..
.Ode made specially; copy Q. inc first edition OF
..Burton's Anatomy Of Melancholy, very book,
a fac-simile Of which brought $3.50 at recent
sale in London; black letter copy OF
s.The Works OF Thomas Coreate," the famous
| ''odcombian leggestre.cher." Including copy
of the orig mel EDITION letters from court OF
the great Moeul printed in 1916 On page 81 will be
found Coreate's amusing epstle, 'fo the High Ssne
scnal OF The right worshpful Fraternile OF srcnca
Gentlemen .he frst Tridaie of euery mon,n
at the sgnc OF tho Mere-Maide IN Bread streetc in
Ionoon.n In The postscript We have the names OF
some his particular friends, .louors OF and
literature" to whom no SENDS 'the recommendations
names OF "AIaster Benjamin Ionnsop me Poet at his
| Gu ,mber at the Backe Friars; NJ lohn Donne, tho
Martyr.' and lgnat,i CSnciaue:' NJ. Samuel Purkas
the great collector oil the Lucubrations OF sundry
classical authors for the description OF Aha, Africa
| nnhA m lGu M "A St~nA
my 'Crudtics and 'Cranbe,' at his house in Thames
street, also TO his childessc wife," copy OF tho nrst
edition OF Dante In small form printed Ny Aidus at
Vcucei 1902 All the editions previous 10 this date had
been printed IN loIio. The collection Of the works OF
Dbdip prince OF bibliomaniacs, Is unusually lu and
| contains u large majority OF tracts and pamphlets,
printed limited numbers, with autograph letters.
wuch was never published, but OF which nifty copies
were pointed. Also volume OF miscellaneous poems
OF winch the author was very much ashamed in his
later years, they the produot OF his youthful
days He destroyed every copy he could find, which
nothing that would have zone further enhanc-
ing the value OF the copies still extant Mr. Ode IS
also The fortunate possessor oil Inc collection Of
that inmi,abe satire the .Epistole Obscurorum Vi
| rorum," which Sir William Hamilton says 'are at
he most cruel ana the most natural OF satres"
| A rare copy OF Fossetier's tract. ouc OF twenty
printed IN black letter, on nne veum, from the only
aos y, pPs scovcry OF Amor,sa Ono et inc rs,
editions OF the "Gesia Romanorum." which Dibdin
says 'was the first work tue discovery Of the
Of printing which enabled the CURIOUS to become ac-
quainted with the works OF preceding authors, thus
| kindlng by tho Light OF such "a hro
| lstion among his contemporaries and successors.
| Consider Gesneras the. iathsr Of Bibography."
Nearly iuli collection OF the reprints OF Haiwell,
including his celebrated edition OF Shakespeare in
| sixteen volumes. Ioio. This edition contains fac.
smiles OF title pages &c, OF the early editions. ons
hundred and lty copies were printed the blocks and
| plates OF the woodcuis, facsimies ana engraviugs
being DESTROYED alter publication and the Issue
strictly limited. The copies were numbered aud
signed by tue editor and the printers. This copy Is
| No. 10
American collectors viii bo pleased to learn that
\ the tirgt American edition OF Homer original
Greek viii DO found IN this catalogue. New York has
tho honor OF having printed It, though several out
| side publishers helped 10 pay the expenses Il
bears The imprint OF Duyckinck, iather OF the late
h. A. Duycgnck and Is MOI to bo found In any public
lirrary IN tns country Tne lrst edition. In Latin OF
''sir John Mandevo's Traveis' is In this ooecu uop
also line copy OF Cotton Maiher,s sMaenaIla iac
smilc ol winch sold at the Menxlss sale Tor 1926.
Francis Patrzz Is represented Ny superb copy Of
the Nova dc Un,versls pnilosophia" of which re-
teen years have looked iror. time time th at wo
might discover this losi Copernican possible.
The work Of whcn speak tho Nova do Vniversis
Phiiosophia, Venice 1898 IL Is often stated tnat II
pubIished in 1894, aud It may DC suspected that
modern times" Mr.. Odc's copy bears The date 1891.
Mr.. Odeil has probably tho most complete edition
oil Peignovs works ever offered Tor sale 1t IL the
result OF many years OF active research and occupies
seven pages OF the catalogue AT Paris sales many of
these work, printed In limited editions, some not
exceeding thirty copies, iosch thcir weight IN gold
One OF Tie most curious works 10 THIS catalogue Is
volume 81 poems, OF the nrst ever printed IA
Amcrica which Duycknc describes "a
| American literature - 1t Is collection
OF congraula,ory poems to George Ill. his acccs
SION TO the throne OF England, and was prnted In
Massachusetts In 1861. Tue names Of the writer's OF
these poems have been supplied by Mr. Pnilc, after
exhaustive research The dedication is ascribcd both
| to l. cutenant Governor Hutchinson and Governor
Fraucis Bernard. Tbc book, winch was evidcutly q
presentation copy to George i'll, bound nnc Old
red morocco, super extra, 2lt back und cnges, the
sdos richly ornamentcd with deep gold border and
the monogram "G Rex" surmountea wnn crown.
stamped on the back Ia six places An ornament OF
Kind nas been cut oi both sides of the
and piece oil morocco neatly ntted IN anu gildod
50 as TO conceal the defect.
An exceedingly rare copy Is hero found OF "Pogo's
| facelie." IL was once the property Ot klchard
| HcDer-rot the Bishop American Catalogues
usually describe hntnd copy OF tbs raro first cdi-
| ton OF "Purchas Pilgrimage" printed by William
Stansby IN 1913 john Taylor. the water poet rep
resented by an original cory OF his complete works
| An Interesting volume is "a rare copy OF Wnm