New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-01


Virginia, of the Washington Address, OF tne mar
rowgansetts. of Smiths Virginia, ana many
Others in this volume will be read Win aV'u'y
by everybody to whom tho collecting OK Doors 's
ever been either q passion or pastme. But leu us
ANN Ear a moment to q disclosure Of different
sort"
There are dark places in the business of buying
and selling old books Into some of these Mr. Stevens
let's RAYS of cht, and among those which he i'lum-
mos are knock outs" There had been competition
at some sale between him and an unnamed DOOR
seller then acting for tho British Museum. ne
Museum agent won but thought Stevens he'd maze
him pay too much. and suggested that az aho.hei
time they might agree not to oppose enc" o'uo''
Mr.. Stevens tells us what followed;
Every WE'LL replied. "if YOU will bring mo moro
from Mr. Panizz something TO thiseffect: MT Sow
ems please have a Knockout with the bearer inc
agent of the British Museum. on lot. ana
greatly oblge Mr.. John Bull and your obt serVa".'
Antonio Planizzi.' will consider Inc propose
ton. and if Mr.. Lenox, or any other oi lily me-
ested correspondents, ~ not UNWILLING " ~ -, .
or consume TO rob or cheat the proprletors' the
th;na NAV uossibly be done. Meanwhile. until
this arrangement is concluded. let us hoio our
topcuas and uursue an honest course" Ihat man
never AGAIN suggested to me TO join nm III u
Knockout"
Mr.. Henry Stevens you perceive. describes II
knock out in terms very like those lately used DIV
Mr. Commissioner Kerr in the City of London court.
Mr. Quaritch will hardly venture to say that Mt
Stevens did not know what he WAS talking about.
But. as 1t may be difficult to set limits TO Mr.
Ouar,tch's venturesomeness IN this matter be may
BE referred for further proof of Mr. Stevenss know-
edge TO chapter Xxx, where he will read how the
Vermonter breaks Knockout" The story Is 100
long to retel here, but the Vermonter on that
occasion so spoiled the little game of the London
booksellers that, as Mr.. Stevens observes, their
dividend among above twenty hardly paid for their
grog."
1t is Obvious enough from various incidents set
down in Mr. Stevons's Rocollcctons that the inter-
course between himself and Mr. LcnoX at times
gave rise to a little friction But his tribute to
the character and capacity of the founder OF the
Lenox Library IS mono tho less cordial. Mir stevens
describes Mr. LenoX as = man OF few words ana
few intimate friends, of varied Information, much
studous reading. generous and charitable SELF
wlled averse for notOrlety, single-hearted plous'
full OF sympathy and freely communicative
with those who had his confidence. Tho library
which he formed is no doubt "patchy that IT, II
is a very f1e and full collection on various sub
iecs and empty Of books OH Others. Dir. Lenox De-
gan with Bibles. then turned to BOOKS relating 10
North and South America with everything per-
tanning to the great Age OF Discovery. whether IN
Spanish, Portuguese English French. Dutch,
Italian or German; then bought all the bun'ans
lac could lay hands Oh, then all the Millions, OF
which his collection cXcels says Mr.. stevens the
British Museum aud Bodlean toge her ; then for
a moment was Interested il Shakespeare. The re-
suit is library whose riches only less astonlsh-
ing than its poverty As tho work OF
enc man for thirty-ive years 1t Is a
marvel Three or four more such livcs as his re-
marks bis biographcr, would render the LenoX col
lection an al,-round public library. But where are
We 70 look for his successor, or where for another
Stevens &. W. ,.