Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-02-06
TUE HERALD.
6sme Very Curious Information Abcrt
Sesks and Thdr Sale.
Prem the New York Observer.

Prem the New York Observer.
The search for MSS. commenced
as early 90 the sixth century, sDs
was continued to the 10th, If it hal
ceased yet. A palimsest book O
Li1y Was discovered toward tbt
end of the last century (l773), ane
Cicero's "De Republica" in the be-.
ginning OF this 1925. Those VIII,
engaged In this search spared Meth
er personal toll nor expense of mon
ev. Every monastery and every Ii.
brary where MSS. were likely to bs
found were explored by them per,
sonally or by their agents, and the
discovery of Q new aud important
MS. was an occasion of joy among
the learned throughout Europe
Among those who devoted them.
selves to this work we may mention
Csssiodorus, Minister of State ia
Theodoric (sixth century,, He re-.
tired from court at quite an ad.
vanced age, to Monte Casino, which
was then, as it is now, famed fol
lis magnificent library (Sat. Rev,
May 25), and here be laoored till
the day. of his death, o period OF
thirty years, in his fsvorite and self.
imposed task. Charlemsgne Too
(ninth century, }. was q Jealous work.
OF in the same field. SO was Gilbert,
Abbot of Bobbio, afterwards Pope
Sylvester III tenth century,. Pc.
trsroa and Boccsoio fourteenth cen.
tury6 Poggio Braeoiolini and Nieco.
10 Niccoli fifteenth century,, the
Nedici Cosmo and bis grandson Lo.
reDxo, the former Of whom fouo ded
the library OF st. Marc on the nu-
aleus OF books left him by Niccolo
tor this purpose and which the later
afterward enlarged into the cele-
brated Medicesn- Laurentiap library
10 Florence.
Before the art OF printing was dis.
covered books were very scarce. In
many respectable houses not . sin.
gle volume was to be found; mon.
astsry which possessed o thousand
was thought to have an exceeding
large library. Some had not more
than one hundred, some less than
twenty and many had nothing more
than their ,aisssla and psslters, aod
. COPY Of the gospels. This rarity
Of books made them costly, and
great care was taken in their presar.
gstion. Book-borYowing was diff.
oalt, even for kings. At one period
= copy of the Bible was chained in
tho churches for the use OF such as
could resd and these read il to snch
80 could not. Books were also chain.
al TO the shelves and reading desks
ts libraries, and readers were allow
ID the use Of them only for 60 hour
or two at q time, that others might
have the privilege 10 turn, and even
IN :be houses of mobiles books we're
chained to q table in the hall for the
use OF such Of the household as
could read. In nearly every public
library thOre are books, often print.
I'd ones, with these old-time chains
attached to them.
Some persons seem to have mad
ness for books, and bibliomanidcs, as
they are called, have paid the most
extravagant prices for certain books
even in modern times, such as Curl
Gus or rare books, the first edition
(editio princeps) OF certain books,
books of certain editors, printers or
binders, books with certain peculiar
ties or ucisprints. Among these we
may mention what are known ss
the Brooches Bible, tho Vinegar Bi
bic, the EibIe of Pope Sixtus v,
which abounded 10 errors, though the
editor himself was infsllibIe and
corrected the proof IS it came from
the press.
Among che rare books the follow.
log nay he mentioned; how highly
they were valued the price at which
they have been sold will show: o.
The Magarine. Bible, so called be-
cause it was found in the
Library Of the Cardinal OF
that name. 1t is printed in script
10 imitation of handwriting and Is
the fret book printed in movable
sypes. Two copies Of this Bible
were cold in England, one on vellu 70
for SIT 900. and the other on paper
for $13, $50. OF this Bible there are
Only eighteen copies in existence
and of these two are in the United
States, one belonging to Mr. Brln-
Icy, for which he paid $12 900, the
other to Mr.. James LeDnox, of New
York, who bought his dog-ohesp fol
$4,000: both are probably paper COP
les. This same gentlemsn owns one
OF the eighteen copies extant OF the
first edition of the bible ever printed
Metz l440), for which no paid So, .
200 (App. Jour. Nov 1917. He was
also the purchaser at auction (sev.
sraI years ago. of Washington
Farewell Address which was knock.
cd down to him at 81, 500, the mos
costly MS. ever sold in this country
Co. A Bible printed by Faust snt
Sch@ffer (l462) $4,000. (3l. A
Miles Coverdsle Bible (1553) 81, 900
~ A MS. life of Christ. written il
the fourth century, $4,000. (5). A
first edition of Shakespeare, folit
(16s3), e2,995. (6). A copy o
Shakespeare. the only one known L
contain the two leaves cancelled il
As You Liko II, sold in London fo
$3.50 (Dl A particular copy o
Boccscio, known as the Vsldefal
Boccacio. belonging to the Duke o
Rexbury's library, was sold in ISL:
for sll.500, and resold some year
after (1sl9) for $4,000. This singl,
book gave rise to the Roxbury Club
90. In 1876 an Elzevar Juvens
sold in Englsnd for $1,000. 90 IL
the same year in New York, Latil
book by Thomas Aquinas, contain
Jog only twelve leaves, was sold 70
sl62. Aud (l0) in the same city ha
just been sold Nov. 1879 an edit
princeps ola Latin book printed i
Venice (lfs2). by Eihsrd Rstdoll
81 leaves for clio. And I'D l fin
10 the New York Observer, Dec. 81
1873. that q book was bought at s.
auction sale last summer in Parit
and presented to the Aston librar,
by one of the Astor family whic