The evening times., 1900-08-01
A TOME OF ANTIQUITY.
Presence Of Rare OLE Volume in
the Peabody s.ibrury.


The Peabody Library has recently Sc
cured possession of a rare and valuable
JoSephus. dating from ifS1. the second
eldest edition OF tbs famous Libri ANTI
qult&tum IUtaicarum eXrauJ which has
been placed on exhibition in the hall OF
the library with other priceless possessions
Of the Institution This latest treasure is A
folio volume translation into Latin from
the original Greek. the translation having
been the work Of the venerable pres5y-
ter Refuus." according 10 the co-oph11.
which also gives the date Of the compile
ton Of the publication as the last Gay Of
March. ISL The one older edition than
this was published II LCbeck by Lucas
Brands. about Ii75. and Is presumably an
earl print from the sane translation
The story Of the volume is not known.
Il came finally into the possession CT the
Peabody through heirs Of 2 Baitincru51
whose identity is withheld by Provost
Philip K Uhler in difference to the wishes
o: the family l. was an heirloom aad hsa
been Inherited by Two generations and
whatever may nave been known = its
ssOry ana the manner Of its reachir,, a L.
braTy in this ct, has been forgotten. Some
facts nay be guessed. however. from evi-
deHce given By the book itself.
Its antiqIFTy is apparent in every detail.
but nc feature possesses the same interest
as a JWo-inch long and half-an-iEch wide
indeatsti0n az the bottom Of C1e Of its
wooden covers marking the spot where was
metal bar. 10 which was fastened a chain.
securing the volume TO a desk No books
are more highly appreciated among COL
lcctOrs CT rare volumes than what are
known as chain books" and the number
that belongs to either public or private col
lectors in this country is very small.
That this bears unmistakabIe indication
that it at one time carried a chain indi-
Gates that it was the possession of a public
library, school. or church. since the pre-
caution OF binding with a chain indicated
that the public was 70 have access TO it.
The binding is Of morocco stretched over
oak boards, and seems 10 have at one
time or another passed through fire, since
the leather on one side is badly SCARED
The type is Latin Gothic. printed on pure
linen rag paper in that endurabie black ink
used in that day in printing the finer
classes Of books. and lost to the present,
no manufacturer having as yet solved the
nature OF the mixture
Throughout the volume blank rpaces
are left at the beginning Of new chep-
tiers, which were to have been filed in
with hand-embeIlished capitals. This
work. however. was never done As with
the books of the fifteenth century. there is
no title page. ana instead of numbered
psar at the bottom of the pages at inte--
ysls Of eight pages At the end OF the
volume or books inclI,led in the single vol
ume is given the cclcphon, Answering tie
purposes Of the title page, giving the i'm
print, printer. and date. the date OF the
month on which the book was finished be-
ing given ordinarily, accompanied by some
pious phrase indicating thanks that the
work was finally accomplished. Together
with this is the register of sheets, an in
dex giving the register letter, and appo-
site 1t an indication OF the contents OF the
sheet. The registers follow the alphabet
as has been said, at intervals of eight
pages. so tha. aay particular subject can BE
located with comparative ease, though ot
so readily. of course as by the numerical
system now In vogue
The edition of which this volume is o1e
is extremely rare, so rare in fact. that IN
limiSed money woGld hardly suffice 20 Sc
sure a volume. A fact that may have some
bearing on this degree of rarity may be the
scant and inaccurate mention made CT the
edition in the "Tresor de Livres Rares ct
Precieux," compiled by Graesse, which
merely mentions this publication, COM
menting that IL is not aScribed to any
time or date. AS a matter Of fact. the
eosophon of the volume is entirely COM
piete, giving Venice as the place OF pub
lication, March. 1881 the date of the pub
ltcatton, and RayloIdus de Novimagio, the
printer
Provost Uhler prizes the volume to the
full extent OF its wonderful interest and
value. and believes that 1T IS not fupii-
Gated in the collections Of any otEer IL
brary IN the country.