Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-16
story is true there can be no doubt that
his suspicion is justified.
A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR REGULATION

days ago, that a copy of the so-called
Mazarin or Gutenberg Bible had been sold
at auction in New York for IS, 000 The
comment excited by this rumor was for
the most part depreciatory, as is usually
the criticism of people who do not under
stand what they are trying to pass judg-
ment upon. If a similar sum had been
given for fast horse these same critics
would have thought the money well be-
slowed, though the degree of intelligence
that goes to horse.racing has never been
supposed to be very high. The fact is
that the Gutenberg Bible is really work
of extraordinary interest and literary
value, being practically the first book
printed with movable type in Europe, and
being moreover very beautiful example
of early Typography. The very history OF
this Bible is almost romance, and it is
interesting to observe how the usual fate
of great inventors chung to poor Gutenberg
in this case, and how after having ex-
hausted his fortune and broken down his
health in the great work, he was at last
obliged to surrender all his possessions and
leave the fortune, if not the fame of the
exploit, to be gathered by other and far
less meritorious hands. The Gutenberg
Bible, however, apart from its history, is
most beautiful volume. The copy which
i Rr;p1ax- cala +ba
other day was printed on vellum, and there.
fore was very much more valuable than
one on paper The Gutenberg Bible,
though the first copy of the Latin vulgate
ever printed, is a marvel of typographical
excellence. The first type cast was mod
eled after the current manuscript hand,
which was square, bold Gothic text, often
exquisitely regular and even. The man
uscript text of the period possessed finer up
and -down strokes than it was possible to
reproduce in type metal, and consequently
the Gutenberg Bible is much blacker and
less delicate in appearance than the best
contemporary manuscript psalters and
missals. But it is, nevertheless, really
wonderful success, and as at that time the
art of the illuminators was called in to
finish all books, this work is most beauti-
fully ornamented down every margin, and
at every initial letter.
The Gutenberg Bible was called the
Mazarin Bible because the first copy of it
recognized was found at the sale Of the
Cardinal Mazarin's library. 1t has ON
several occasions previously fetched high
prices. A copy, now in the Perkins
Library, also on vellum, sold in 1873 for
1000, or $4,000, an excess of $1,000
over the Brinley collection copy. Indeed
the prices paid for this Bible probably ex.
coed those paid for any other work thus
far. The famous Valdarfer Boccaccio,
purchased by the Marquis of Blandford at
the sale of the Duke of Roxburgh's
library, cost its purchaser on that occasion
81, 260, or ST., 800. This was considerably
beyond what the Brinley Mazarin fetched,
but considerably below what the Perkins
Mazarin sold for. A first folio of Shakes
peare, in prime condition, may be esti-
mated as worth from f700 to $500, or from
81, 400 to 81 600. No doubt extraillus-
trated sets of books have been made to cost
much more than any of these sums, and at
intervals such monuments of industry,
skill and taste are purchased by rich col
| lectors for really immense sums. 1t re-
mains the fact, however, that the Mazarin
Bible, the Valdarfer Boccaccio, and the
First Folio Shakespeare, are the three
dearest books extant to-day, and the most
eagerly sought after.
OF course there are many people to
whom the raptures of book collecting are
incomprehensible who know nothing
about the niceties of tall copies, and first
editions, and uncut leaves, and large paper
copies who areindiferent to the differences
of binding, and would be blind to the
beauties of Padaloup and Derome, of
Roger Payne and Lewis, of Matthews and
Hayday who in short take no in.
terest in books or what belongs to them,
and would pass by an Aldus, an Elzsvir
or a Baskerville with the same calm
contempt. Such persons may perhaps
think that it would be in accordance with
the spirit of the age to revive that ancient
act called the First of Richard the Third,
which undertook to regulate the price of
books by the verdict of jury of twelve
honest and discreet persons" 1t seems
that books were at that time (l433) con-
sidered too dear, but what was worst of
all the French printers had flooded the
market with better articles than Cax-
ton and his colleagues could pro-
duce, and so it was sought to at once
protect home industry and regulate fares
and freights in the manner described. 1t
would be quite in harmony with the new
theory of paternal government to propose
re-enactment of this old law. Why
should people be allowed to take IS, goo for
book? Why should not those who have
books to sell be compelled to sell them
cheap: It cannot be pretended that there
is not "public use in book-selling, and
therefore under the decision of the United
States Supreme Court in the Chicago Ele-
vator case it is within the power OF the
Legislature to regulate the rates at which
they shall be sold. We shall expect to
see this question handled by the Anti
Monopoly League at an early opportunity,
for it is clear that the whole matter needs
regulation quite as much as do railroads,
since dear books involve restraints upon
the acquisition of knowledge.
A coNUNDRUM FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
It is alleged that the United States Gov
eminent charges the Central Pacific Rail-
road Company with having in some mys-
terious way transferred a large proportion
- - 4roA;o N ,tr leasaI Epac opd fbo4