Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-02-10
SATURDAY, FEB, 8. 1900
SOME HISTORIC BOOKS
khe LsrEest, the Smallest and the
J Most Valuable Volumes tn
the world.

: Queen Victoria possesses the largest
bound book ever made. 1t weighs 81
pounds and Is IS inches thick.
I The most valuable book in theworld
IS the Hebraic Bible. At tho Vatican,
In 1912, the Jews tried to buy it Of
Pope Julius IA. for its weight in gold.
1t Is so large and heavy that two men
can hardly lift it, and it would have
brought 100000 IL the pope had con-
scented to part with it.
The smallest book in the world Is
not much larger than a mans thumb
nail. 1t was made in Italy. 1t is four
tenfhs OF an inch long and about a
quarter of an inch wide. 1t contains
POS pages, each having nine lines, and
from o5 to 100 letters. The text of q
letter-before unpublished written
by the famous inventor of the pendu-
lum clock to Nine. Christine. of Lcr.
raine, in 1915. The next smallest book
is an edition of Dante's Divine Com
edy," and it Is a little less than an
Inch wide, with type SO small that it
TAKES a microscope to read the letters.
When it Is finished the official his
tory of the war of the rebellion will
be the costliest book in the world.
It is being issued by the government
of the United States, and at a cost up
TO date OF about s2,oOo,O 600. 1t will
consist of 112 volumes, including an
index, and an atlas, which contains
179 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 voluminous encyclopedia
work in the world is in the Berlin An
thropological museum 1t is in 1000
volumes and Is in Chinese. It en-
braces literature, philosophy, astron-
cmy, natural science and industries.
Each volume has from 100 to $50
pages. Originally only 100 copies were
printed. and those were not put on
sale. But recently new edition was
put forth which sells at $500 for the
set 1t is splendidly illustrated with
maps and pictures.
The largest private library in this
country was owned by the historian
IA. II. Bancroft It consists Of $4,000
volumes, valued at 100000. A fine
collection of manuscripts in dialect,
and manuscripts relating to the early
settlement of the Pacific coast, OF the
Spanish colonies and of the early
Ecclesiastical missions is included in
the Bancroft library.
The highest price ever paid for q
single volume was 5000. 1t was for
a vellum misssal. which was presented
to King Henry VIII. by Pope Leo ".
THE missal was accompanied by doc
ument making King Henry the de-
fender of the faith. 1t is now in the
possession OF the German government.
Charles II. gave it to an ancestor Of
the duke of Hamilton, and it was sold
few years ago ut the sale of the
duke OF Hamilton's library.
1t was supposed that only two
copies of Washington's first essay in
authorship existed, but in 1897 third
copy came to light and was purchased
by gentleman who makes n hobby Of
collecting Westinghouse; he quite
willing paid $1,000. ''The Journal of
Maj. George Washington" appears
upon the title page. and 1t was print
ed in 1854.
In Russia miniature Bibles are often
worn an watch charms. One of these
Bibles is owned by Bostonian, who
received 1t from n friend living In Rus
ssa- 1t is about one inch hong, three
fourths of an inch wide and three
eighths of an inch thick, and contains
the first five books of the Old Tesla.
Inent, The text of the Book is In He
brew and the titles in Latin. 1t can
only be read with the help of pow
ierful magnifying glass.
J Not only in numbers, but also in
point of territory, the circulation Of
the Bible exceeds all other books. The
iAmerican Bible society has printed 4.
IN 800 tongues. Thousands of copies
even now are travelling through the
frozen polar regions to people who
have not only never heard of the book,
but to whom books are unlznown.-N.
y. Sun.