New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-12
ON BOOKS.
III.
LORD ROSEBERY ON THE RIGHT Use Op
THEM - BROwNING'S PROOF-SHEETS
LORD ACTIONS ORGANIZATIONS
AND PUBLISHERS OF BOOKS.

chief, but TO a meeting held in celebration %
the opening Of the new Battersea
Library. Lord Rosetcry buys hooks and
reads them, and what he says on the
subject Is worth attending to. lie began, never
thccss, with a remark which few men who care
for books will be likely 10 agree with. Iquote IL
in full:
The other day I was in famous library-tbe
most famous library perhaps in the world -and
placed in room which contained all TIE
choicest books in that library. There were all the
broad margins and the vellum leaves and the
historical bindings There the A1ncs. and
the Caxtons, and the first editions of the cassics
There was everything that was most valuable and
most sumptuous in the book world, but | could
not help rejecting that there was one thing want
ing TO give it real value working collection
something which would have been unutterably
oaious TO the lover of these books, but which
in these days is the real stamp and the only
stamp, of celebrity for literature-the thunb-mark
OF the artisan
There is something in that which fills the mind
with terror. Is this to he the result Of the demo
cratic and dwelling spirit Of the age? The library
OF which Lord Rosebery is speaking is the Althorp
Library, and he does not speak of il too highly.
II is a matchless collection of books-matchless
among private COllt'llOuS u CoHisllls 10 IldilN
rare b1ks, probably, as did the Sunderland
Library, and, unlike the Sunderland books, the
treasures Of Althorp arc in fine condition. Con-
dition, almost much as rarity, is measure Of
value. But what ask Lord Rosebery. would he
the condition of these precious volumes If they
were adorned as he would have them-with the
thumb-mark Of the artisan? Whether he uses the
phrase literally OF met phorcally matters nothing;
inn q mis- IN
of the true purpose and function of such library
as Earl Spencer's Lord Rosebery Is incapable OF
such a misconccption, but the Battersea artisans
who listened 10 him are quite capable Of il.
They are even capable OF taking the thumb
mark literally. Lord Rosebery is a Trustee Of
tbe British Museum. How would ne relish
nroposal that the locked glass cases Of the Kings
Library in the British Museum should he thrown
omen. and each artisan left free 10 imprint his
individual thumb-mark on their contents We
NAV be quite sure lie would resist such proposal
The artisan would gain nothing, and the Museum
and the world would soon lose some OF their most
beautiful and admirable POSSESSIONS The Museum
Guards its Jewels iealously 50 does Lord spencer
his at Athorp most rightly in both cases ~
docs tho Tenox Library in Ncw-lorS 50 does every
orcst library in the world The Hbhotaeque
Rationale al Paris is perhaps the most hp'fal oil
all in It's rules and IN its trustinness oil ue
public But | should ike 70 see the lace OF IFS
ACCOMPLISHED and most courteous DIRECTOR " "
,,ere proposed 10 him 10 allow general access ID
tho missals and incunabula which enI'ch 'Ae
NOSE secret cloistcrs Of the Rue Nivlenne.
OF two things one. II is either worth "nl'
10 preserve the loveiest and M Il ancient 'Na"p
Of the art Of the printer. the hlAmliia''l' ~"
hinder or il is not. II Lord Ro>ehcry Is ready
~ maintain that it is not. he may iHstiN MS
very dangerous hint about the thumb-mark oi me
artisan | know very well he VIII not maln'"n
!, and the only alternative is To admit arh 70
insist that these monuments of arts. some o. N"l.h
are lost and the rest now hut impcri'''N p'''-
,isod shall be preserved under me s'tcF>'
watch and entirely protected from thNm''a'a'N''
whether of tie artisan or the millionaire
Tho beNef that poet must be pauper -
nerbars too deeply rooted in the human miaa
70 he disturbed by mere facts. II Is only ne
o,her dav that extracts from Brownings VIII
wore nubli,hed. showing clearly enough tna'
10 was not a needy man. though they gave
nothing like a full disclosure of his circumstances
Ue had. in fact. a large house IN an expensive
or,r,cr Of Iondon and palace IN Venice, an"
never in all his life knew what IT. was To ""n'
money. Yet here j. a ,'rious ana on h'"s' s"''
ecfs wcll-informcd London paper pointing
moral about autographs at Brownings expense
saving automatically d" II Mr.. Browning had "hf
cot as much for the copyright Of Ills carrier 'ol'
nositions as was paid after his death Tor 'lr az.
! vance proofs of his later ones. ne might III o''
ace have afforded 10 be less ANXIOUS about TIC
| Judgment of the Press
Well the autographs and advance sheets IN
| oue,tion sold. seven OF item. for some S'o" i"N
werc IIaywara's Browning had sent tlen "
Harvard for review. and that severe critics op''
| ; MAY, mr. may not have been soticned hy lie
| o,,o,,ion Tins shown him. But Browning ami
e,v tonching press notices. II II existed NV
ma reference 10 the profits arising ont OF 'he s''
-, his nocns lie published Pauline IN 1917
~, ii. own expense and perhaps some oil ne
o,hcr earlier works. Sordello and faraces'''
,.r instance But lon- before Browning became
what is called popular. and long before th' az
,onshing Mrs Furnivall had invented Drown.
! inc societies, this difficult wIiier was ni'''"'
money ont of his writings M'SSis. 'u'.'"
| Elder paid him AZ a rate when br""uiu-
thought more than liberal. lie. al "'s', ""
an author who could get on with his y"
| have heard him again an" "~"i"
dealings Of his publishers. ard A. TIC p""''
',s Mr. Gcorc, Smith. it is cas- 10 believe he
/ deserved
IN, beior dcpcu,cnt on lis copyrights IL h'Ne
| the less nonsense. r., MP
II the Browning societies had any us't"l p".'
nose they might explode such he'ions as '"en.
But it appear, they prefer 10 listen TO MIS- -
Courev Laaan. at University Collese III 'o"''
Street reading paper on The bcau'i'"' 'o'""'..
| rloces If Browning" II is an odl way oil uoi"-
houor 70 the poets memory. but II the browH'"~
;,,os ,,.ra NOT odd they would not he bio""'
ing societies.
Lord Actions library is 10 he Sold says iu'
| Daily News: an almost starting P"''
crary intelligence from an uh'N"',o' INV
| =, a.. ,ohler libraries of England: II Is "oiN
inc library. Bat it wa, only the other a.,
,ho, Mfr Gladstone in one breath was pras,"'
Lard Acton as an owner and reader OF pooA''
and in another lamenting the hard fate OF '"O'.
| Ohio haze 10 dispcrsc their books. lne'e :,
AANA