New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-21
NOTES ON BOOKS.
AND ON THE WRITER'S, BINDERS AND PUB
LISTERS OF-THEM.

,.o,, ,ur prcrI AR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNEl
pNo" ' LONDON, April ].
ur Matthew Arnold's lecture on Emerson has
,c rise TO as much criticism here as it did in Bos-
top Delivered at the Royal Institution in the pres
epce Of very cultivated and capable audience, 1t
was received with GOODNESS. 1t is a proof of the
hold Emerson has on Engiishmen that they were
even disposed to resent what they considered Mr.,
Arnold's disparagement of him. | heard several
opinions expressed in which there was distinc'
note of indignant surprise. True saiu lily
friends, MIR Arnold does at last award Emerson
high place as teacher, but nineteuthS oil MS """'
was devoted to explaining his Deficiencies I'LL" "
insisting on the inadequacy OF hls merits TO sulphur
his fame. Halt the addIcnces would nave " I""'"
clearer recollection of the elaborate crtic'S" vi,
him than of the few sentences OF cuogN AT 'nc emu
This quote as a pretty general estimate lV"s"s
from the reports ! have heard. | was prevented
from going to the lecture and cannot give yon lhe
impression of the moment. 1t Is TO DC Pu'i'H'u
next month. r..,
The Bostonian and other admirers ot Emerson
will perhaps be glad to hear that Mr.. Arnold III
his turn is beng criticised don't refer TO the SorV
of comment which one or two society Journals h'No
been making on him. which is moi. perhaps Oh inc
n ahest Importance. But he is seriously attacked oy
Nj Trail in The Contemporary Rer'er' ana ID lne
hipeteenh Century by Mr.. Swinburne. MI Il"HI'
author of The New LuCian' and OF other cieN'i
performances. undertakes the defence of the re-
ceived theology against Mr. Arnolds mnoNa'lhe lc,
forms and puts with new smartnesS many OF the oIu
ponts which defenders of the faith ever have ready
~ urce against the author of Literature and
dogma" Mr. Swinburnc's article is on NoIuS-
worth and BYRON He is respectful in his peculiar
way to Mr. Arnold, but will not accept IoI nv
ment the critical estimate of Byron which MI
Arnold has lately stated in his confident WHY
Bvron in Mr. Swinburne's eyes is no better IMAM
poetc,.l impostor; opinion which ne enIo'''s
with that profusiOn of expetVes characteristic Vi
him whether in poetcal or critical 1rehIy' AN 10
Mr. Arnold, Mr.. Swinburne Is pleased 10 SLY l
coppot Int feel that in his recent utterauces or e1
positions regarding Wordsworth and Byron he mas
now and then spread a wider sail before stronger
wind of sheer paradox than has critic OF any
thing like equal OF comparable reputation" Nhat
vould not Mr. Swinburne have said could he nave
road the passage on Victor Hugo IN Mr.. ATnolu
New-York address on Numbers" published III inc
same number of the same review The author ol
Il ATLANTA IN Calydon is a passionate worshpper
of the poet who divides with NJ de Lesseps the l'o
of The Great Frcnchman. Mr.. Matthew Arnold Is
so far from being passionate worshlpper tna' ITO
ventures to speak of him as writing " fustlah
Mr. Bedfords books brought hghprices, and the
birbest sum of all was paid by an American one
4 clad to see enthusiasm, and it is pity that the
name of this compatriot cannot be disclosed Mho-
syer he be, he thought 1t worth while to pay 1IIo'
or nearly 5000 for sir Bedfords copy OF kogeisS
italy and Poems, described by MeSSrs. SOlheOrS
.atalocue-moker thus: "The chef Gurre of +. Bed
fords binding in olive morocco super-e1tra covered
with minute gold tooling relieved by variegated
feathers. lined with red morocco and vellum, n.y.
leaves both covered with minute gold tooling. gilt
Vaufre edges a magnificent specimen OF bIDllo-
occic art" This may be called a masterpiece Oh
mis-description. To hear mosaic binding spoken
Of in such terms and OF minute gold toolg renewed
Inv varjcgatcd feathers, might make Pasdeloup turh
In his grave The value of these two volumes WIFI
out the binding would not exceed 80. Whether the
odd Eli bet too much for the covers is purely mat
Ter of opnon. fused TO see the books often enough
in the DAYS when visited Mr.. Bedford's shop He
lonpd them for one of the great exhibitions and
took unlimited pride in his performance. lheir
merit is. however, mainly of a mechanical kind
Mr. Bedford WAS quite honest about them and never
,,cteudcd that there was any originality OF design
90 add TO their prcciousness. The mosaic was pretty
accurate the tooling firm but heavy. They could
have been bought in those days for go A repro
duction Of them was sold for 500 in recent sale,
and we sec what figure they have now run mp to-
The hooks of which Mr.. Bedford died possessed
aid not constitute y library. 1t was ms haolt u
huy and bind books with view to selling them
o.,,,u and of many works he had two OF more
comics If YOU saw anything ON hs shelves winch
Won faucicd, YOU could generally my IT,
,hourh Bedford sometimes made Gldlcnity
euourh TO escape the rcprOach of competing
with the regular booksellers. As fashion changes
IN books as in everything else some OF these Npecu
latioos turn out well. others i'll. Books could be
named for which Bedford paid large sum and
which sold last week for less than the cost OF bind
ing recommend them to the attentive consider
alton of amateurs who please themselves Win re-
pariug their collections rs an investment. MOI
were tLc books always perfect. Is used to be SAID
thtt Bcdfords signature was a guarantee OF com
pl,teness. doubt whether it ever was; in later
times It was no guarantee at all CaracS Musee III
SCULPTURE. catalogucd by Mcssrs. Sothcby without
my hint Of impcrfecton, contained pencllled list
I'm Bedford, handwriting of missing plates and The
missing ones were also checked off III the index
yl, may also serve as a hint to the distant buyer
not 10 tra,t too absolutely to catalogues Bedior'
honestly set forth the fact. The auctloneer, not
dishonesty but carclessly, suppressed it. Whether
Bedford in his character of conscientious binder
ought to have bound an imperfect bool
is a different question. fine copy of the Chronlc0l
NnremberQcuse fetched $40. Milton's Doctrine anC
Discipline of Divorce, first edition, announced
. with authors autograph corrections" did not in
spjrc anybody with confidence enough IN the gen
,lncncss 10 bid more than IS Strings Arte>t Il
Spain, IN red morocco. which probably cost Bedior
Is. fetched $50. PickeringS 6ne edition OF Walton
and Colton's Angler. though only vellum bmdine
but with extra proofs brought the large sum o
Eg2 A copy OF Brunets Manuel dn Llbralre 1lS
Dyce's Beaumont and Fletcher, which used to b
knocking about the book shops at -, reached Tn
same respectable figure of els. DIbdm Is out
fashion yet his Northern Tour on large paper greer
morocco. gilt edge not TO be had for less thai
Col There was "a good reason for the high price
in many perhaps in most These books wer