New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-22
THE HAMILTON LIBRARY
ORIGIN AND COMING SALE OF RARE BOOKS
AND MANUSCRIPTS
IrR ON THE REGULAR corFEsroxpryr OF TIE TRIBUNE.


The echoes Of the hammer beneath which the first
portion of the Sunderland Library dispersed
have not yet died away and already the sale Of an
other and probably far more splendid collection Of
books is resolved on. Not many DAYS hence may be
expected the announcement that the Duke Of Ham,
ilton is going to dispose of the books and MANI
scripts at Hamilton Palace The decision is taken,
but is q secret for the moment. am indebted 10 q
friend who has been in communication with the
Dukes representative for what knowledge Of the
matter have, and for permission TO make use Of IT,
Before ! come to that | will venture to offer the
easy conjecture that it was The extraordinary sue
cess Of the Sunderland sale which stimulated the
Duke of Hamilton to part with his own treasures.
In roun numbers the Sunderland books fetched
500 OOO-not ona-ffth of the whole library having
been as yet sold. The remarkable thing about that
sale is not the amount of money obtained. II IL
that such prices should have been gwen for books
in such condition The library SEEMS To have been
originally chosen with none too much bibhographI-
cal skill The books in their best state were not
as a rule very fine copies. They were rare but the
lover of books has learned to require that
his volumes shall be not only rare but
IN fine condition The Sunderland books had
deteriorated nv neglect, and Whatever they may
have been IN the beginning, few If them were really
fine or De irable specimens Of literary brc-a-brac
Simpsons auction room. 70 amount Of care, it i,
true. will ma ke narrow margins broad or poor bind
ings good But to the original defects neglect may
add mn h damp worms, rough handling. dust,
and other deadly enemies NAV speedily reduce such
value and in crest a. the books once had to
ve-y low level indeed. They had reduced great
numbers of the Sunderland book TO a condition,
one hears, that can only be called piJabe, and yet
he prices wer- enormous. II is of little to seek
for an explanation Of this. When a photographed
fury once tizrs on man, il is hard TO -et limits
to his folly. If the victim be a secondhand book
seller of speculative turn anlimpaticnt of coTpe
ition his folly is nos likely to be less. hear that
Mr. Quaritch WAS asked what he expected to do
with his purchases. Keep them was the answer
OF die. when my executors may get half what
paid for them" From which itappear- that season
Of comparative sanity sometimes follows a period
OF madness.
What the actual condition Of the Duke Of HaInil-
tom, books may be- one cannot say without seeing
them The present DIXIE If Hamilton is not snip
pose to take deeper interest in Hterature
than does the Duke of MarlborouC, who
obtained an Act Of Parliament TO enable
him to dispose Of the Sunderland Library,
which his proyident ancestor had, as he thought
protected by making il an heir. ON. Both Dukes
want moncy-a fact of which neither makes a
crct and which is the best possible excuse for the
action O. both in scattering their books about the
wurll But il is certain that the books ar Hamilton
Palace or a large portion of "a m We're once In very
tine and beautiful coalition. The library seems 10
have been formed by the grandfather of the present
Duke when Marquis Of DoualIs and ClydesGale; in
the lifetime. that is Of the previous Duke. Now
h. NarQu- Of Douglas married the daughter OF
William Bockford, renowned in history the author
o.
finally yc1toro FonHill Abbey. The catalogue
of the Fouthll salc-of the contents of the
abbey, not the abbey itscli-whlch occurred in
1872. comprise. great and varied collection of
treasures AMI, among other things, books.
Beckfard was both great student and
great collector. Il is needless to remark that the
two characters do not always co together. The
loaded shelves Of Buckle and MacaulGy. who each
owned over 10000 volumes, tanned few books
of great value other than literary. 1t would be in
vidious TO mention. the other hand, great coec-
tors who have not been scholars; men who had the
same sort of interest IN their books which other men
have IN Sevrcs and old suufl-boNes. But Rockford
read deeply Iu the rare volumes which il was his
delight to array in sumptuouS bindings. Taste in
such matters has changed little his day, but
it still q recommendation to a book TO be quoted
as the Fonthll copy 1t il likely to be a good copy
llFu III 4 highly NftpItt'l Hl'ip'N' 'lllilE w
variou, degrees Of merit, often with silk liniuss,
leather joints and a silk marker elegantly flashed
off with metallic tag. generally fringe Of gold
BeckforI was half a Frenchnln. wrote " Nathck " |
originally IN French as everybody knows and yet |
-uccumJed 10 the contemporary English taste in |
j.adlugs-a taste neither then nor at any sulsc- |
Iueut period to be commended. have not a Font
hill catalogue with me to consult but such was The /
character OF most Of the Fonthill books which |
happen 10 have seen. They were. however, most |
desirable and often admirable example,. Perhaps |
il a more IS Id merit of the FoHtnu collection |
hltit once included Gibbons library, which Beck
ord had bought en- bloc at Lausanne and removed 20
Eu.and.
Well. but thu F0nthill Library was sold by auc-
ion so how can IL max. any large part Of the Duke
4 Hamlltol'- liJrary' / don't know how large
,arf IL does make But ther" is rea son 10 suppose
hat Bac.forl after selling his Fonthlll books,
male anot lcr col'cc ion thing Iii happens very
frequently indeed IN photographed history 4 man
locs NOT rld hinsolfo his hobby when b. parts with
ha treasures h, hobby led him TO amass. Be kiord
.id. 10 is certain, build another house near Bath
mi rs hc wa a student and author 10 his DEATH
is certain he Wa, never without books. The
cconl collection, il is believed, descended To his
laughter AMI her husband, who may well enough
NV become owner by purchase Of what he most
aucIrd In the first. For the Marquis OF Douglas ana
1lvdesdale was himself collector and q collector
appears. Of no mean rank lie did not limit HIM
IF To CATHERINE mp the remains of his fathor-tu-
avs library He bought not only books but manu-
crpts on his own account; bought on
large scale and with Judgment. as |
nfrr from the notes which the friend whom
mentioned above kindly all ws me to Use. What
ne Marqui. inherited and what he collected To-
ether make mp a library compare with which the
Library Is reduced to insi suicant pro-
ortions.
The catalogue of the books AMI manuscript, now
LL-.-I n.- n.I-.a H-Ia Larr. ,n-Ln E.nmn. ~