Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-05

Next in age, and perhaps in interest,
Is q ponderous, musty tome. which came
from the press in 1i93-the year after
Chris. had staked off San Salvador in
corner lots for the Spanish boom, ana
just about the time. l suppose, that he
had returned to this now effete sove-
reignty. This volume is called the
'Nuremburg Chronicles" and Is printed
on vellum, a kind of thin parchment, by
no means surpassed by the paper OF the
present day. The Chronicles start
with the Garden Of Eden and go down
through the succeeding ages to medieval
times. AS the story (and a powerfully
long one 1t is, tooD Is told in Latin and
printed in the black letter, I took Its
contents on faith. There are 900 wood
engravings in this book, though close
examination reveals the fact that many
Of the same cuts are used several times.
OH these publishers, will they never for
get their tricks. Some Of these pictures
are interesting, If not artistic. One rep
resents the manufacture OF our late kins-
man, Adam, in the Garden OF Eden, ana
another shows how Eve came along e
little later. A few pages further on
the artist depicts a period when every
thing appears TO have gone wrong, and
people were born with horns and hoofs
and ears like asses (some of the asinine
characteristics still linger with u.s., and
other hideous members. These cuts
would make the mouth of dime museum
manager TO water. one picture repre-
sents man with only one leg and an
immense foot at least yard long.
Doubtless the artist had the future city
of Chicago in his mind. Some worthy
ecclesiastic now nothing more than dust,
has made extensive and beautiful notes
In this book But his energies, alas!
have been lost upon the most of us, FOR
all his writing is in the black letter.
Old hooks are not necessarily the most
valuable Some of the most venerable
have come down to us by the hundreds,
as they were preserved I'm the monas-
teries. which were sanctuaries for chat
tells as well as man. occasionally Il
rare edition of some author will appear.
and almost Immediately disappears, and
then bibliomaniacs will spend their last
nennies 10 get copies To this class belong
the edition of Halliwelrs Shakespeare,
which Librarian Scott values at about
Il 800. These books. a dozen or moro
in number, are immense In size. one
hundred and fifty copies were printed
by subscription, in 1853. The nrst volume
contains a life of Shakespeare, when,
from a cursory glance. l judge to be al
most invaluable. Unfortunately. this set
of books is so bulky that one could
hardly read them with pleasure.
Literary cranks frequently name an
edition of books after some typographi-
cal or other error in the work. For In
stance. there is 'Vinegar" Bible in the
Virginia Library. Tais appellation
does not arise from any sourness incl
dent 10 the volume but from typo
graphical error Count on the composltot
for thatD which occurs at the top OF
one of the pages. wherein the paraDe
of the vineyard is printed "Ne' print
er's devil-or, ''ye" devil or printer
which ever il was-put the word VINE
gar for vineyard, ana tnerepy h"hss
the tale. This curious, but, perhaps paf-
donable shortcoming occurs III the cap
ton of chapter 90 Gospel OF 81. Luxe
Comparatively speaking, this vinegar
Bible" is a mere infant 1t IS only lS,
,,ears ~ age d7l7 a. D)-hardly as old
as some of our lady friends.
IL there was any money in 1t for me
could 20 on and mention hundreds OF
other curious books in the library-som'
Of them almost as old as my jokes. Inc
historical collection is fine-especlaliy II
old books pertaining to virginia anc
Colonial times.
Perhaps you may ask Of you are wo
man. which implies that you want e
know everything how the Librarian
keeps the run OF these thousands o
volumes and manages 10 prevent then
from setting him crazy. Some people
! would go mad under similar circum
stances. but Mr.. W. w. Scott Is oori
bibliophile. and his place is heavenly u
him. Nine people out of ten who desire
10 get a book consult him, and all seen
TO take II for granted that he mas rea'
each and every one of the $500 volumes
Now. TO tell the truth. he hasnt' Dut
bless my soul, I've never yet seen
work mentioned that was not IN some
way familiar to him. sometimes ne /
saw he hasn't read the work himself, bu
his wife has, and that she thinks Sc
and So" but all the same he gives yo'
the information you want. his know
ledge in this line is the result or mag
ni1cent education and years or study
Mr.. Scott, by the way. has, IN cohnec
ton with Mr.. w. G. Stanard, written
delightful little book on the Capito
of Virginia ,(what Yankees call the state
Housed and the relics therein. one o
the many features of this work IS I'M
forcible way in which it shows the ave
rage reader how little he knows abou
the history of his own State, ana nov
much the authors know.
THE IDLE REPORTER.