New-York tribune., 1883-03-11

profits the booksellers troubles VIII vanish MI
Matthew Arnold, with his usual cool sehse' 'onK
since saw and pointed out the muitlariouS ,n'''
chiefs of the present system OF Englsh puoisn,"s'
But who would expect publisher to listen 10 q
mere man of letteIsf
Among tho few modern books which are really
scarce NAV perbaps he included the first edition OF
Mr. Frederick Lockyer's Lyra Elegantiarun'
collection of rers de SOc66 unique in It's plan coh-
plete and put together with delicate ]udg'nen,, ~,
ANY booksellers catalogue on which IL occutS VIZ
tell you that the first edition was suppree''u w
eame it contained some Of Landors pieces. n
fuller account of the matter IS supplied Dy no'o W
n copy which has lately come ito my hands, once
the property of Mr. Francis Turner Palgrave' ninl-
self the editor OF one of the mosJ popular ahenoi-
ories extant, the Golden Treasury" ME- Ia,-
graves note on the verso of the fly title is as ioi
lows:
First edition suppressed at once In consequences
of Mr. John Forsters refusal 10 allow tne pOenls ny
W. S. LandOr whose copyright no was pos'o''0"
or to be here republished.
This note is dated March, 1867 The BOOK was
published as early rs January, 1867, MI Ialgra'oS
date under his signature on the previous page
being 3 Jan. The second edition IL a'So u"'ou
1867. And so hc.e is one more piece OF haru ego-
tism TO be placed to the account OF MI Jphn olSer
WIN has managed TO leave behind him one OF the
least amiable memories in recent literature. Inc
number of pieces from Landor Is forty-ohe' anu
read IN succession they give one viva NOTION Oh
that writer's charm and lightness OF touch III KIM
OF verse that might have been thought alien 10 nlS
grave genius.
The English second. hand booksellers catalogue IS
but too often n singuarly misleading guide 10 MIN
whom it is the fashion to call the intending rur-
chaser The most preteniiOus OF them are perha"s
least TO be trusted, and OF these many do Circulate
IN America. II were to be wished the American
collector would take 10 collecting Frehch D"oAS-
as hear with pleasure he to some extent haS-n
tor M other reason than to learn his photography
in an accurate way. The catalogues OF such oooA.
sclreras NJ. Morgnud Of Paris who Is also one of
The most learned and accomplished OF 0Ibhograpn-
err, would soon make him more exactin9 in respect
of the condition and description of his English
hooks IL is no doubt true that the American Is
alrsady mucb ahead of his elder cousins IN accurate
Information relating 10 books as he Is also III some
convcniences for using them. Only the other day
read in some English criticism that the Americans
were inde mad Perhaps we arc ana IL may DO
hoped we shall he madder yet both about indexes
ard about cataloguiGg. and other humble 1ut most
nse(nl branches of book knowledge. Ia too many
cases the English catalogue is wanting rot only IN
exact knowledge but in common honesty In
recent list Of books issued by Il firm NOT far re-
moved from lthongh not in Leicester Square NAV
I've found advertised MrIy's Wittlc"ins. etc. oi
Dr. Johnson with this note Of the bookseller " a
highly interesting copy. having superscrlptloh'
10 Mrs Ihrale Southwark in JJhnsons auto-
graph. inserted opposite the frontspece. The book
WAS published in 1891. Dr. Johnson died IN l|ol'
II he really wrote Mrs 1hrales name In this vol
ums seven Years after his death, the cataloguer
might condescend TO explain how he ala H. ana
what were the means OF communication between
this world aud that in which the great morast was
then reading. Ibis is rather more iiagrnnt eX-
ample than usual but 1t may serve to show how lar
the dealer presumes the credulty OF his customer
The auction catalogues are not always SAFER
guides than those OF tho dealers. Not long since
,the second edition OF ColerIdge's Poems was de-
scribed by Nessrs. SothrDy as containing numerous
manuscript corrections Of tho author. glance
was enough 10 show that the handw ritinS WAS not
Coleridve's. The auctioneer upon being challenged
remarked with calmnes': oh, we do not LAY that
the corrections are o.. ,olerldge's autograph
Which was true hut how many readers OF the cata-
loeue would nave observed the nice distinction
g. w S.