The morning call., 1892-07-24
OLD AND NEW BOOKS.

THE CALL has received a letter from New
\ ork stating that Earl SpenceI's library is
now for sale at "about $780, 600 or less
that it contains $4,000 volumes, mostly
priceless" 3" and that its owners will be glad
to receive the valuable aid Of The CALL
in securing this library for America"
The collection consists mainly of ancient
books, such as a good copy OF the Guten-
berg Bible; TWO Papal Indulgences, printed
1450-1455; the Cloverdale and other rare
Bibles; a number of Psalters, among others
the Mentz Psalter Of 1859 on vellum; the
Bruges edition of Boethius Q477, Faust's
Cicero Q465). the Horace of Arnoldus de
Bruxelles Q474, the Catholicon OF Balbus;
eighty volumes issued by England's first
printer, William Caxton; the Book OF St.
Albans, and the CHRONICLES OF England"
Issued from the same press; the st. Hero
nymus. printed on the early press at
Oxford; the Speculum Humance Saliva
tiouiS (475), the first edition of Aretlno's
Florence, the Naldarfer BOccacc0; and
several thousand other rare products of tie
early printing press. 1t is expected that
these books would average e5. or So each.
some Of them being worth several thousand
dollars copy; and it is proposed TO raise
among rich men and book collectors fund
of 81, ,250, 600 to buy the library out and ont,
and then distribute it at auction sale.
TIE CALL regrets that it cannot see its
way to invite our rich men to subscribe to
this fund. Old books and old manuscripts
have a value as cGriosities. But the real
value Of books depends upon what is in
them. and that book is the most valuable
whose contents can be the most easily read.
These ancient tones, which are described
as "pliceltss," can only be read by scholars
who have acquired the art of deciphering
illegib!e type. Their proper place is in
museums Of cuTiosties. For all practical
purposes, the Bibles which the B ble Society
Is publishing for dollar are worth inf
nItely more than the Gutenberg Bible,
which is worth SO, 900. 1t would be an ex-
cellent thing TO collect under one roof speci-
mems OF all the earliest printed books, as
memorials Of the past, and illustrations of
the history OF printing. But when it is pro-
posed TO raise a million or more to pur-
chase such collection. the question arises
whether the money would not be more use
fully expended in the acquisition of books
which may serve to educate mankind. A
million jud cously expended on modern
books, placed at the disposition of the public,
would dispel a good deal of Ignorance,
which is the crying evil Of the times in which
We live.
The bibliophile would, perhaps, serve his
country better by purgng cur modern
libraries of obsolete books that he can by
aiding more relics of antiquity. The chief
obstacle which blocks the students path is
the vast accumulation of books which con-
front him in every branch of study. Our
public Libraries TEEN with volumes on every
department of learning. or these the vast
bulk are obsolete. Each new book destroys
the usefulness of several old ones. The
march of scientific discovery renders the
old textbooks worse than useless. They
are misleading. Old books of medicine
lead to malpractice; old laWbooks are traps
for the uDwary lawyer who has not kept
track Of recent statutes and recent rulings.
Old historical and political treatiSes are im-
bued with a philosophy which has long
since been discarded; even fetion obeys the
common law, and falls into desuetude when
taste changes. Tie seeker after truth Who
wanders through the public libraries OF the
day has to wade through so many volumes
which are out Of date, and have been super
seded by newer publications. that he wearies
Of his task, and is inclined TO take a lenent
view OF the conduct of the caiph who de-
stIoyed the library at Alexandra. eff these
books, wrote the caliph, contain doctrines
contrary to the Koran they are pernicious and
should be destroyed. If they agree with the
Koran they are superfiuous, for that work
contains all that men should know. Let
| them be burnt"