The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-02-03
RARE GEMS IN BOOKS.
LITERARY TREASURES IN THE Aston
LIBRARY IN NEW YORK.

Ancient Illustrations in Priceless Manu-
scripts.
/ Even many otherwise well informed
people are not aware that the public Ii
braries Of this city contain some of the
choicest literary gems extant-books for
which wealthy bibliophiles have offered
fabulous sums. If New York is not the
literary center OF America, then books
immense in number, rare in antiquity
and almost priceless in value are not
factors in the competition.
There are thirty-four public libraries
in New York, and the number and value
of the volumes within their walls have
grown SO rapidly that Paris, Munich and
even London will be surpassed in their
library collections if the present growth
continues.
The day when he citizen of New Am
sterdam was content to sit outside his
door, drink beer, smoke, grow fat and
die in the firm belief that he had enjoyed
life, has given way to an entirely differ
ent state of affairs.
twenty-five years ago one public Ii
brary collection was considered sufficient
to meet the demands of every class, call
ing or profession. Today nine institu-
tons can be picked out, each one of
which is patronizM by single class.
The Aston is tie richest of all our IL
braries. One million dollars worth of
books repose upon its shelves, but not
without frequent disturbance. From
| fifty to 100 studDus men and women are
delving into the enchanting mysteries of
some favorite theme every day that the
reading rooms are open to the public.
The library contains nearly $500, 900
worth Of rare looks and manuscripts,
which are seldom allowed to go into the
handsof the public, Perhaps the largest
and finest single volume in New York
may be found there. If any one thinks
that the contemporaries of Shakespeare
and Milton would marvel at the superb
product oimoderp illustrators he is very
much mistaken. Nothing has been pro-
duced in TIN last century that can equal,
much less ival, the illustrations in a
Seventeenth century manuscript entitled
"Antiphonale" 1t contains 22S pages Of
vellum, adorned by 272 small and 5;
large miniaturs in the highest style Of
the French art that day. Some of it:
illustrations have been attributed to Ii
Brun, the great painter of the time O.
Louis XIV. The larger paintings fol
the mort part a1e scenes from the Scrip
lures appropriate to the various church
festlvals,and many of the initial letter
which accompany the stanzas ar
, illumined n style wholly unknown a
the presentday. This volume, bound il
, purple morocco, with gilt mountings ant
, ornamented With the fower-de-luce, wa
designed for the coronation of Charlie
, V. AT a public sale it would easily com
mand several thousand dollars.
t Another valuable work is Sylvester
3 Universal Photography" in two vol
/ umes, combining upward of 300 finel
. executed facsimiles of medieval work
: OF art. Thin s,umptuous work is said t
have cost thesun of GEO. 900 for its exc
cution alone. Among other rarities is
? copy of the first letter written by Chris
l TOPPER Columbus after he uIsUUvere
} America. Thee are only six copies G
these in existence. The letter consists Q
only four leaves but at London auctio
sale in 1872 it bmught 800.
Another rare volume to be found onl
= in this Gbraryis Lloyd's History c
Columbia, Now Called Wales" pull
t lished in 1854. Itcontains the legendar
i narrative of the expedition of Prime
/ Modoc and Walsh company that voy
{ aged to Americaprior to Columbus, bu
never returned. Many foreigners hay
sent to this country for abstracts fro1
this rare volume,
The earliest known editions of Ptolt
my's geography repose on the shelves {
/ the Astor. The dates on their title page
: range from 1878 to 1921. There is also
e superb specimen of the "Biblia Sacr
Latina" of 1862, the first edition of til
@ Bible bound in oldcrimson morocco, wit
- gilt edges, which is worth $4,000. Il
side the covers are the names of thos
Immortal printers" Johann Faust an
Peter Schaffer. The oldest polyglt
edition of the Scriptures, executed {
l. the order of Cardinal Ximenes, whic
cost $4,000 ducats in gold and fiftee
r. years for its preparation, is also at tt
i. Astor. The Oldest manuscript of all
the "Lectiones Evangeliis," printed c
vellum and combining whole pages
d Examinations. This manuscript w:
II executed by the monks in A. D. 147
e and is almost priceless in value. n
n other library in America possesses sue
a treasure. Nextm point of antiquit
O is John Wyclif's English version of tt
y New Testament, written in 1890, al
= containing the autobiography of Hun
70 phrey, duke of Gloucester. There IA
i, also two rich Persian manuscripts of tt
- Fifteenth century, besides manuscript
of more receD; date.
Several COMPETENT Psychologist
Ie among them the late Miss Amelia
-. Edwards, who inspected the collectit
- during her visit to this city, have pr
L nounced the library especially rich
lie oriental works. The great work
Id James Audubon on the ''Birds of Amer
be ca" consisting of four volumes, won
r. probably bring $4,000. Elliott's Indi.
no Bible, dated 1861, the first Bible print
~ in America; the Geneva, or the Breech
y. Bible of 1860; copy of the papal br
q. against Luther, 1920; rare Shame
Mt manuscripts, and the valuable and
ce teresting collection of autograph lette
from emperors, poets, statesmen, pre-
= dents, soldiers and authors are includ
in this collection.-New York Herald.
A Sunday Suit.
N Mr.. Constant Squabbler-What XII
I'D | of snif do xo11 thai l,o1 hattQt o