New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-09

their commercial value he knew next 10 hothins'
and he was not always familiar with the nlcet'es
which go to make up the purely blDlograpnica'
value of book. He took an interest ht0erly, III
bindings, and he had not given the tmc ana uouoio
IN the study of bindings which m0n who wishes
10 be Judge of them must give. doubt whetnssr
he knew the history of the art OF binulhg accu-
rately or could have named the great DihdeiS On
hand in their chronological order III Is cer'.n nO
had no such minute acquaintance Win 'ie s'S i'S
of the great artists of past times as man snoui
have in order to buy skilfully. But MT ouii.uel
knew very well what interested him, and what he
hkaa ba was keen TO possess, and ready to pay q
yery long price for. So of modern work. Ho
wanted specimens of TIautz- Bauzonnet. the only
binder of the present century whose name ailu
work will lie treasured by the next. lie pouEn'
several. They are in Harvard College Library nov,
and they are GOOD examples of one or TWO sly ~. "
the master but not of his best style IL wac -
acteristic of Mr.. Sumner that Nc pous"S
without stopping to consider how much ho "I'
having for the binding, which was whaI ho ""n'0"'
aud how much for the book itself, Yhch hc uin NV
want at all. Occasionally, when was askeu' !
took the liberty of saying Thought some puio"'
Ina meditated was too dear; upon which no woulu
mt il down reluctantly and go to sone'hlns oioI'
Rut when went to see him next morning the doom
IN opestion was toleIably sure to be on Ills tloic.
~ no saw me looking at it he would say: " les
know maid too much but it gives me pleasure an"
VIII, sbould not indulge myselff" In London nc
,roS sometmes even less clrcumspect than in Paris
what be maid for some of the autographs lie there
bougbt and for books with manuscript annotatlohS
of famous people-a thing of which he was verv
fond-I should not like to repeat. There was an
ivory binding, or rather book coFer, ON which nc
had set his heart. He told me the price named to
him. and asked me to go and look at the book. L
went and though it was not matter on which l
thought myself entitled to an opinion. was certain
the price exorbitant. 1 got an expert to eX-
anime it, who pronounced it interesting but OF no
great value, nothing like the sum asked. But MI.
Sumner wanted it, he would not bargain, anu he
endei by paying the price; certainly five times the
worth OF the thing from any possible point OF view
Most of the manuscripts and early printed books Oh
which he died possessed he had bought long before.
The number was considek lble, and be took genu-
inc delight IN such treasures, and never any pains
to make q display of them. You might know the
visible contents of his very well without ss-
pecting what riches lay hid from view. Talking
with him one day in Washington about q book of
Hours, he went to tho other end OF the room and
pulled open large drawer filled with Illuminated
manuscripts and said as no handed me the very
one we had been discussing: You see, am not
altogether dep5urca." And that modest phrase, not
too literally interpreted might well enough describe
his collection whole. g. W. s.