New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-07
NOTES ON BOOKS.
NE AspRrIRNBAM sALE-JoURNALIsM.

s1AoA 'Ah M" LONDON March q.
1t is not quite clear whether the decision Oh the
Trustees of the British Museum to rccominenu 'no
purchase of the Ashburnham manuscripts WV pass
without challenge one point MostpeoPio "",'
the manuscripts bought, but 1t Is not every oooy
that win be pleased by the acquiescence VI cue
Trustees in the French claims to 100 OF the LiDri
and sixtv of the Barrels collection. 1t has been
agreed with NJ Delisle Director of the National
library In Paris that he shall have these Tor
100000. The Museum is to buy the whole Sup
posing the Treasury ard Parliament sanction the
purchase) for 100000 and then sell to france
those claimed by France. II must be presumed
that the Trustees and Mr.. Thompson, the Keeper OF
Manuscripts in the Museum, had satisfied them
selves OF the validity Of the French title before they
agreed such terms. In that case they would nave
acted more prndently in declining to become tue
Intermediates between Lord Ashburnham ana Nd
Delisle Why should the Museum take any part IN
the restorationi The incriminsted manuscripts do
not belong to the Museum. They belong 10
Lord Ashburnham Why should National insti-
tuition buy treasures to which, as Its authorities
now admit the title is taintedf Suppose the
French Chamber declines to vote the money and
the bargain therefore remains incomplete. Inc
Museum will then have on its hands loO manu-
scripts which they have admitted ought 10 oelong
to France What will they do with them
OR is tho whole transaction to DO made
contingent to tho vote of the French Cham
iberi Parliament is not likely to approve such
Ian arrangement as that. Indeed, the dispute. and
1.-THE doubts and the diplomatzing in which the sim
lple question of the purchase has now become in
yoyed add immensely to the difficulties both of the
Museum authorities and of the Government, should
the later resolve to ask Parliament for thefnoney.
tits nobody's business to take care of the memory
of NJ Libri, of whom the late Lord Ashburnham
bought the 700 manuscripts now claimed by, NJ
lDelisle. In these hurried days people assume too
easiy that because the property is to be restored
M Libri was guilty of taking it. That is what M.
lDelise asserts, and what French court, trying NJ
IIbri in his absence, long ago declared proved but
"A French court is very far from being judicial BODY
lin the English OF American sense of the word. The
threading Judge of French criminal tribunal looks
hpon himself as part of the machinery of prosecu-
Hion His business is like that of the public prose-
cutor to secure conviction. and he generally does.
his Summing upD to the jury is only one more
speech against the accused. The questions at issue
In NJ Libri's case are such a criminal court was
peculiarly untitled to try. Only the other day
French court gave decision which illustrates very
well the incapacity of ordinary magistrate to de-
eide on photographed matters. The plaintih had
insured Book of Hours for $1,000. Without the
binding the volume was not worth tenth OF the
sum- In these days, need hardly say. binding
hnay be the most valuable part of book-as is the
Eroler Just sold out of the Sunderland Library for
Isl. 125. a book which of itself would not have
fetched the odd S25. But the wiseacro of French
hudge who tried the action brought by the owner
against the insurance company, ruled that the
binding. which bad been ruined by fire, formed
no part of the value of the book.
I The Libri case is too long to go into. Ii may be
admitted that he had in his possession and sold to
the late Lord Ashburnham manuscripts which once
xvere in possession of various libraries in France.
mint toward the system in which French libraries
lare managed may be gathered from an incident that
has Just occurred. The librarian OF certain
collection has been dismissed, the charge against
him being that manuscripts were missing nom the
library In vain did he and his friends protest that
there was no proof connecting him with the loss.
The place was wanted and he had to CO. He has
ance been able to prove that the manuscripts he
was accused of taking formed part of Lord Ash
,burnhams collection, and had been catalogued by
Lord Ashburnham many years before the French
mans appointment, now revoked, had been made
The manuscripts, If stolen, were stolen before that
poor fellow was librarian. That will not help him,
but with what sort Of face can French authorities
advance charges of wr0ngdealng against others
Because NJ. Libri acquired and sold volumes which
some French Horary once owned it does not in the
competent to form an opinion believed he did not
Prosper Merimee. sceptic he was about virtue
aud other things, defended Libri in a pamphlet
(which has never been answered NJ. Guizot was for
hun. NJ Paul Lacroix the father Of French bblio-
philes asserted Libri's innocence When he came 10
London Panizz the head of the British Museum dis
trusted him and forbade him access to the Museum
rarities. Libri induced him to look at the proofs,
with the result that Panizz. the foremost authority
,ea1 hut flfi,a de
were clean revoked the order for his exclusion and
ever after stood by him.
The manuscripts now to be given up at the price
named include beyond question some of the Oldest
and most precious of the Libri and BaroIs collec-
tons Among them is the inestimable Pentateuch
which is 10 go back to Tours. There still many
beautiful and valuable examples of early art left
in these two collections aud NJ Delisles claims do
not touch, of course, the Stowe collection which
was the property of tho Duke of Buckingham. nor
the so-caled Appendix, list formed by the late
Lord Ashburnham himself by separate purchases.
French scientific correspondence French auto
graphs and some early Provencal manuscripts COM
pose the greater part Of the list selected by NJ.
Deisle The early Romances, in which the Barrois
collection is so strong, ae not affected by the
French claim.
Why does Lord Ashburnham sell his father's IL
braryf The question has been often asked. but
nobody has answered 1t in public During the
fathers lifetime to the library was denied to
the public and to students alike, and complaints
used to be heard Of the owners exclusveness. The
son began by reversing his fathers policy. He
caused il to be made known that competent persons
might inspect aud study the manuscripts and books.
IA rush followed. Ashburnham Place, the fine old
thouse that goes with the title and estate, happens
Ito be situate SIX miles from the nearest inn. When
the Continental student arrived, he did in great
numbers it was found difficult to make him under
stand that he was TO travel SIX miles daily to his
work and SIX miles back again to his inn. Lord
Ashburnham in the kindness Of his nature. used TO
n.ah ofh