The Newtown bee., 1890-05-23
FRIDAY, MAY IS, 1890.
Prof platt's Old Books.

sides leaving behind him an enviable rep
utation as jurist, he left library which
probably cannot be equalled In the State
In regard to old and valuable volumes.
Prof Platt always made it point to pre-
serve everything of II literary nature that
came into his hands and as Il result he
leaves AS one of his legacies law cham
Der filed not only with the usual books
to be found in lawyers office, but shelf
after shelf filed with national and State
reports and unique old volumes written
by men contemporan0ous with history
from the time of the discovery of Ameri-
"a up to the present day.
A number of these books were pur-
chased at considerable expense and many
of them were gathered from the libraries
of Europe. They are printed mostly in
English, Latin and German, but the Eng
fish and Latin predominate. The covers
show that they have been used by gener-
alton after generation and the interlinea-
ry comments written by Mr. Platt and
those who used the books long before
him are not the least interesting feature
OF the works. Those of Mr. Plat are par
ticularly Interesting. lie was constant
reader and, as student, weighed the
words of a book instead of stolidly be-
lieving the statements contained in the
volume. Thus, In the books he has left
behind, it is not infrequent that mar
ginal note is found, in which Prof Platt
questions the authority of the writer. Not
infrequently, too, he quotes a fact to dis
prove the statement of the author. That
Prof Plat appreciated the most striking
passages In the books is shown by the
undertakings and crosses to be met here
and there on almost every page.
One of the rarest works in Prof Platt's
library is small volume printed in Lon
don in 1854. 1t is entitled ''The Law of
Gaming" The volume, as the title page
says, "eOmprehends the various statutes,
reports and determinations on that ex-
tcnsive subject, particularly relative to
horses, racing, cards and frauds, where
unto is added the answer and opinion of
the learned Sir John Strange, master of
the rolls, to II distinct queries on the
statute of the 18th OF Queen Anne, for
avoiding the penalties thereby inflicted
against gaming. Calculated for the eau
ton of youth and the experience of the
adept. Humbly inscribed to the noble
and right honorable members of the Jock
ey club"
The book Is one on which the rules
laid down in Hoyle Is founded, except
that 1t contains interesting facts relating
TO the propensities of the English people
of the last century for gambling and the
efforts of the authorities to restrain the
evil, except that ''the pleasure of the no.
bisity and the people may not be inter
fered with"
Another old book is "a Direction or
Preparative to the Study of the Law,
wherein is Showed what things ought to
be observed and used of them that are
addicted to the study of the law, and
what on the contrary part ought to be
eschewed and avoided" On fly leaf,
In the writing of Prof Plat, is a note
stating that this is "a very rare old book
by Lubbock, highly recommended by Lord
Chancellor Egerton."
Vellum, sheep and leather are not the
only bindings on the books in Prof Platt's
library. There is also book in pig skin
quaint old volume entitled "Lambard's
Justice. Eirenarcha or the Office of JUS
tlces of the Peace. First gathered in 1870
and published in l5S1.'' The pig skin
binding of the volume somewhat resem-
blcs yellum, but it is much rougher and
has evidently been subjected to frequent
usage. Between the book and the cover,
serving as support to the latter, is a
piece of thick illuminated parchment on
which are discernible few lines of mu-
sic and Latin words, perhaps the work
of some monk or composer.
But perhaps the most interesting book
in the collection is Owen Feltham's .Re-
solves, Divine, Moral, Political" printed
In London in 1870. Feltham was most
profound thinker and writer and the vol
ume Is made up of number of homilies
on subjects of general interest. They
cover every walk in life, and are address
ed to all sorts ofpersons. They are main
ly Instructive and, although written by q
man who could not be called devout
Christian, they express the sentiments OF
the Christian religion. The author pre-
faces his book by these lines, which ex.
press the contents of the volume;
Here tn universe In Natures frame,
Sustained by Truth and wisdom's hand,
Does, by Opinions empty name.
And Ignorance, distracted stand;
Who, with strong cords of Vanity, conspire,
Tangling the Total, with abstruse Desire.
But then the Noble Heart infr'd.
With rays dlvinely from above,
Mounts Though with wings moist and be.
miro.
The great Gods glorious light TO prove,
sighting the world; yet self re-nouncing, tries
That where God draws not, there she sinks
and dies.
In this book, there is letter from a
Jesuit priest to the author, In which the
priest says he admires the wit and talent
of Feltham and entreats him to employ
his gifts In a more befitting manner. The
reply of Feltham IL at once characteristic
ic and caustic. lie pays high tribute
to the Jesuit, who has taken such an in
terest In his welfare, but he INDUCES In a
lengthy argument relating to the propri-
city of his doings, and concludes by say
ing that II each Of them follow the die
tates of his conscience, they may be con-
fident OF meeting each other In the world
above.
Among the other books treasured by
Prof Platt during his lifetime are .'Lec-