The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-10
THE RAREST BOOKS.
QUEEN VICTORIA OWNS THE MIG
GEsT BOUND VOLUME IN EN-
ISTENCE.

The Pope is Possesser of the Most
Valuable Book, for which He Was
offered It's Weight in GoId-John
Jacob Astor's Rare Manuscripts
and the Largest Private Library in
This Country.
New York, Dec. S.-That Queen Victoria
possesses the largest bound book ever
made is perhaps an item Of interest 1t
weighs slxty-three pounds, aud Is eighteen
inches thick
The most valuable book In the world IS
the Hebralc Bible At the vatican in
1912. the Jews tried 10 buy it Of Pope Ju-
Illus II for It's weight In gold. II is so
large and heavy that two men can hardly
lift it, and 60 would have brought 100000
If the Pope had consented to part with IL.
The smallest book IN the world is not
much larger than a mans thumb nail.
II was made in Italy 1t is four-tenths
OF an inch long. and about a quarter OF
an inch wide. 1t contains pos pages. each
having nine lines and from ninety-fve 90
100 letters. The text Is lettor-before
unpublished-wriiten by the famous in
ventor of the pendulum clock TO Madame
Christine of Lorraine in 1915.
The next smallest book is an edition Of
Dantes- Divine Comedy" aud it Is a lit
Tie less than an inch wide with type so
small Thar II takes microscope to read
the letters.
When it is finished, the official history
Of our war of the rebellion viii be the cost
Hest book in the world II Is being u.s.
sued by the government OF the United
States ana al a cost up to date of about
$1,000 600. II viii consist of 1l2 volumes,
including an index, and an atlas, which
contains rs plates and maps Illustrating
the important battles of the war cam
paign, routes of march, plans of forts,
and photographs of interesting scenes,
places and persons.
The most vouminous encyclopedia work
IN the world is in the Berlin Anthropol &
zeal museum. IL is in LOO volumes In Chi-
nesc Il embraces literature. philosophy,
astronomy, natural science and industries.
Each volume has 80 to 80 pages Original
ly, only one hundred copies were printed
and these were not put on sale But re-
Gently new edition was put forth, which
sells at 90 fcr the set. II Is sp endidly IL
Illustrated with maps and pciur s.
The larg 50 private library In his coun-
iIy was owned by the his orian II. IL. BAN
croft IL consists of a0000 volumes valued
at $4,000 A tue collection Of manuscripts
in dialectan manuscripts relating 10 The
early settlement { the Racine ccasi, OF the
Spanish colonies AMI Of the early ecclesias-
teal mission are Included in the Bancroft
library.
The highest price ever paid for a single
volume was $4,000, IT was for q vellum
missall which was presented TO King Hen
ry VIII. by Pope Leo X The missal was
a.. afrar
Henry the defender Of the faith. 1t is now
In the possess. on Of the German govern
ment. Charles II gave II to nm ancestor Of
the Duke Of Iamif on, and 1t was sold q
few years ego at the sac Of the Duke Of
liamiltons library.
A valuable manuscript, II not the most
valuable one IN this country, is owned by
John Jacob Astor who gave $4,000 for It.
| II Is the Sforza missal 1t Is a manuscript
measuring 1874 inches by 93s inches 10 has
| 1874 pages OF vellum and Is bound ia red
! morocco. ii was made for Galeazzo Sforza
| by the great Florentine artist, Francesca
Flippo LipDi
Iron nails are studded all over the COW
ers OF set of missals owned by Mrs.
Samuel Browne Duryea Of Brooklyn, who
paid 5000 for the set II contains the
fun musical score used In a European
monastery-it Is a choir book
II was supposed that only two copies OF
Washington's first essay In authorship ok
sted but within the past few years, or in
1897 a third copy came to light and was
purchased by a gentleman who makes q
hobby OF collecting Washngtonians; he
quite willingly paid 81 900 The buyer rs
believed TO be Henry Havemeyer. "The
Journal of Mai George Washington" ap-
pears upon the title page, and It was
printed in 1854.
In Russia miniature Bibles are often
tat oh nf