The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-15
A RARE VOLUME
AT THE PEABODY.
a Chain Folio "JOsephus' Which
Dates From I4Sl.
Baltimore American.

Baltimore American.
I The Peabody Library has recently secure!
possession CT rare and valuable Jose piliS
dating from 1881, the second oldest edition
OF TINS famous I.ibrt Antiquitaturn JUDAH
caram eNtant: which has been placed ON ex-
hibition IN the hall OF the library with
other priceless possessions Of the instltlI-
ton This latest treasure is a folio VOtum.
translation into Latin from the original
Greek, the. transla ton having been the
work OF THE venerable presbyter Rufinus -
according to the culophOn. which also gives
me date of the completion Of the pub!ica-
tion as the last day of March. 1881. The
one older edition than this was published
at Lubbock by Lucas Brands about I475
anc Is presumably an earlier print from the
same translation.
The story Of the volume IS not known. IL
came finally into the possession OF the Pea
body through heirs OF Baltimorean whose
Identity Is Withheld by Proves; Philip X.
lhier In Difference to the wishes OF the
family. II was an heirloom and had been
inherited by two generations and whatever
may have been known of its story and the
manner OF its reaching library in this city
has been forgotten. Some facts may be
the book itself
Its antiquity is apparent In every detail.
but no feature possesses the same interest
as two-inch-long and half-inch- wide in
dentation at the bottom OF one of its wood
en- covers marking the spot where was a
metal bar, TO which was fastened a chain.
securing the volume to a. desk. No books
are more highly appreciated among col
lectoIs Of rare volumes than what are
known as Chain books" and the number
that belong either to public or private col
lections In this country is very small. That
this bears unmistakabie Indication that II
at one time carried ~ chain indicates that
school or church. since the precaution of
binding with a chain indicated that the
public was to have access to il. The bind
ing is Of morocco stretched over oak
boards. and seems to have at one time or
another passed through fire. since the
le'.ther on one side Is badly Scared. The
I'm h IL. tfynt..
linen rag paper in that endurable black ink
used at that day IN printing the finer
classes of books, and lost to the present. no
manufacturer having yet solved the
nature OF the mixture.
Throughout the volume blank spaces are
left at the beginning of new chapters,
which were to have been filed IN with
hand-smbellished capitals. This work. how
ever. was never done. As with the books
of the Fifteenth Century, there Is no title
page. and instead Of numbered pages. IA
miar to-day. initial signatures appear al
the bottom of the pages at intervals or
eight pages. At the end of the volumes or
given the colophon, answering the purposes
Of the title page. giving the imprint. printer
the work was finished being given ordi-
nar.ly. accompanied with some pious ptrs Sc
indicating thanks that the work was finally
accomplished. Together with this is the
register of sheets. an index giving thu reg
lister letter. and opposite it an indication of
the contents Of the sheet. The registers
follow the alphabet, as has been said at
Intervals of eight pages. so that any par
ticular subject can be located with COM
parative ease, though not so readily, Of
course, as by the numerical System now I'm
vogue.
The edition of which this volume Is one
~ extremely rare, so rare in fact, that I'M
limited money would Hardly suffice to Sc
cure u volume. A fact that may have some
bearing on this degree OF rarity may be the
scant and Inaccurate Is3ention made OF the
edition in tho fresor de Livres Rares ct
Precieux," compiled by eiraesse. which mere
ly mentions this publication, commenting
that it is not escribed 10 any place or date.
As matter of fact the colophon of the
volume is entirely cor. ipiete giving Venice
as the place of publication March, 1881, the
date of the publication. and Raynoldus de
Novimagio. the Printer
Provost Uhler rJriZes the volume to the
full extent of Ats wonderful interest and
value and believes that 1t Is not duplicated
In the collections Of any other library in the