The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-03
RARE BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS
R OWNED IN AMERICA


son that the gift would be acceptable
In letters to Concord he refers to my
poor Falstaff regiment Of books; or my
widows mite Of a bequest"; and speaks
OF the intention as for long years having
lowered in my thoughts as a thing r
should like to do" When the arrange
n.ent had been made he wrote that he waa
"pfously thankful that a poor little within,
which had long lain fondly in my heart.
had realized itself"
The books are full OF notes. ga fool.
ish cobblement" is his curt comment In
one. In another he writes: II used to
think this a book of some Representatives.
1t seems no better than the others; here.
abouts there is an error in almost everH
line of It," Throughout it is Carlyle In hi1
most characteristic vein.
Another collection In the Harvard library
that contains more than its share Of precis
GUS memorials of Old World life and Iitera>
ture Is that left to the college by Charles
Summer. First editions, manuscripts, ans
notated copies. early printed books abound
In 1t. Here, for instance. is q Plautus
owned by Doctor Johnson, and bearing his
autograph on the title page. Before John.
sons day 1t had belonged to the famous
scholars. Isaac and Meric Casaubon. father
ana son. and Its pages are enriched with
the notes Of the former. Another volume IL
| a Pfndar, dated 1870. which belonged to
John Milton. The margins throughout beau
his manuscript notes in Latin and Greek.
and at the end he has added an alphabetical
index. occupying two closely written pages.
of all the authors cited. with references to
the different places where they are meus
toned in the a~nnotations.
Millions autograph does not occur in thi1
volume. but may be found in the pages Of
an autograph album or visitors book, kepS
according to a custom common in the Six
teenth Century, by q Neapolitan nobleman.
amflIuS CardOyn nv mama whn reofdad IN
Geneva, from 1908 to 1910. where Milton, aps
parently, visited him. Another autograph
In this same album. among the hundreds
which 1t contains, Is that of Thomas Wents
worth, the unfortunate Earl OF STAFFORD,
Milton's signature Is dated January 10. 1859.
and is appended to q Latin motto-"t1ave1
changes ones sky but not ones mind" u
may be freely rendered-and q quotations
from his own "Comus";
II vertue feeble were
Heaven it-selfe would stoope to her.
A much-worn copy Of tho King Jamea
Bible Cambridge, 163O once belonged I'd
John Bunyan, and bears his AUTOGRAPH on
the title page to the New Testament. II
would be hard to imagine a book more gene
orally interesting. Another Bible belonged
to the French dramatist Racine. and bears
his autograph in two places. Three books
lave the autograph Of Thomas Gray, the
author Of the famous E1egy. Gray, as one
critic has said. had a competent knowledge
of all branches Of human knowledge except
mathematical, and in more than one he was
a consummate master. This learning he
displayed in the annotations which he made
in his books. many Of which are preserved
with religious care in the great public and
private libraries OF England. One Of the
Harvard valumes which belonged to him
contains only his autograph. the other two. 4
both autograph and notes, written in a.
small and fine, but wonderfully clear hand.
and showing an amount Of detailed infors
nation On the given subject which may be
called marvellous. considering the variety
Of subjects treated.
At least two Of the summer books arg
Of great painters-one with the
autograph Of Rubens, another with no less
than twenty-seven original designs by Hol-
bein on the margins. A Greek exercise book
was used by John Dryden in Westminster
School. and contains his name scrawled in
boyish handwriting on the first fyleaf. The
copy Of the first edition OF the first part
of the Essay on Man. contains Pope's
corrections. Many passages are struck
out. many transposed and couplets are
shifted whole pages to find a more appro-
pirate place, and there are. besides, a great
number Of merely verbal changes. A second
volume of interest to lovers of Pope Is a
arranged by Horace Walpole.
portraits and caricatures of the
poet, a plan OF his g~arden-with a per.
spective view" Of the famous grotto
therein. and IAN account Of all the gems,
spars and ores" Of which 1t was :
compassionate various other fugitive pieces :
Of similar character.
A Tasso. which was owned by Drummond
OF Hawthornden. a little French book
which has the autograph of Drummoud's
more famous friend. Ben Jonson, a volume
which belonged to John Gay. the friend Of
Pope and Swift, and author Of the most
popular play, The Beggar's Opera" ever
In E~ngland.-these are merely ad.
aitional examples Of the treasures to be
In this remarkable collection. But
enough has been said Of 1t as a part Of the
literary wealth of the university to show
low much Of interest and value one Amer
can library has been able to In
J field which the European and EncI,sh
exclusively.