The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-02
AN OLD BOOK WORN.
WHAT re FINDS IN A BOOK BE-
SIDE THE LETTER PRESS.

Fortunes in Fine Books-Layish EXIpend-
lures to Illustrate Modern Literature.
What New York Publishers Fay for
Engravings and Printing.
He was such queer-looking old gentleman
that the writer paused in his walk to examine
him more closely. He was standing in the
doorway of of those dimly lighted book
stores which line Nassau street, between Full
ton and Ann, eagerly scanning the pages of
hoary volume through his old-fashioned gold
spectacles. His wide-awake straw hat had
drifted back to the apex of his crown and
had anchored itself permanently among the
Struggling strands of snowy hair which
carcSsed the frayed collar of his alpaca coat.
His white waistcoat was unbuttoned, and the
ends of the black silk handkerchief which
served him in lieu of n necktie bristled de
family.
Il have just made an astounding discovery,
sir, ;" remarked the old gentleman. "Have the
kindness to look at this book and tell me what
you think of it
1t was one of a set of four volumes of the
works of Pliny tie Younger, published in
Strasbourg in 1870 The type was good and
the book was in fair condition. The binding
was vellum, and four tiny strings of sheepskin
hung from the corners, in order that the
reader might tie the volume up securely when
he was done with il. Thousands of Just such
books may DC seen any day exposed for sale
on the quays at Paris. They are the out
scourings of the early French and German
printing houses, and can be purchased for
few francs The writer did not see anything
extraordinary about the book, and he said so
frankly.
BESIDE THE LETTER PRESS.
Then the old gentleman chuckled. There
is something in n book beside the letter press,
the printers name and the date" he said.
"Sec here" and with that he gingerly lifted
up the edge of the vellum binding and ex-
posed the fragments of two or three sentences
Inscribed upon it in black letter, with here
and there illuminated capital rich in ara
beSque and gliding.
That declared the old gentleman, with
an air of triumph, after surveying the grabbed
scrawl critically for a few moments, twas
originally miSsal Transcribed with laborious
care by some Twelfth century monk in the
seclusion of the scriptorium of n medieval
cloister. The old fellow probably took four
or five years to complete it.
Il tell you there was some chance of n man
writing book that was fit to read when he
knew beforehand that it would take four or
five months TO complete every single cops
that was exposed for sale.
There have been great changes in the pub
fishing business since / gave il up" he re-
marked with quaver i'll his voice, changes,
to my mind, for the better. One of my chief
objections to printing used to be that it did
away with all that was beautiful in books
What can compare in beauty with the Tenth
century IniSsal. The gospels inscribed in sill
yer an:l gold letters purple vellum; every
capital Il flower garden, and the very margin
glorious with parti-colored figures of men,
birds, beasts and fishes. Still, this objection
of mine is slowly melting away. You see, in
my day the books we printed never had any
illustrations to speak of. y few wood cuts,
perhaps, and more rarely steel line engrav-
ing, and that was all"
GLANCE IN nnnKMAEING