The times., 1901-06-09
PRINTS OF ANCIENT DATE
Renewal of Popular Taste for Book
Styles of Long Ago. ,.
Patrons of Rare Volumes in Past
Ccnturies-High Prices Paid for
Their POsSessiOn-BenIey' Famous
BIbIe-NaIucs OF the Decamcron.

It cannot fail to be noticed that there
is growing fad among printers and pub
fishers of books and periodicals, inspired
apparently by the taste of their patrons,
for initiating the style of Typography in
vogue century or so ago. This period
was in fact, the golden age of the
printers art, and it was then that the
craze of bibliomania reached its climax.
A certain magazine, now published in
London by an English woman of title and
sold at a guinea a copy, may be cited as
an example of this growing taste for old
style printing and binding.
Bibliomania, or the rage for possessing
rare and curious books, arose, so far as
can be ascertained, in Holland in the six
teenth century, whence II extended into
England. In the latter country the fever
assumed an especial virulence at the close
of the eighteenth and the beginning of
the nineteenth century. Manuscripts and
books upon vellum we're sold by eloquent
and persuasive auctioneers to ecstatic
bibliophles for fabulous prices. In the
breasts of those imbued with the hobby,
including many of the highest noblemen
of the land, fist editions, with all the
glory of unshorn margins, awakened
the most intense delight. Persons
are described as overcome with joy
or plunged into despair by the
fateful sound of the auctioneers ham
mer; and under the impulse of this pass
! ing passion, a copy of Valdarfer's De
cameron" of the date of l471, and believed
/ to be the only complete copy In existence,
was purchased at the highest price ever
given up to that time for a printed book,
it being bought al sale in 1872 by the
Marquis of Blandford, afterward Duke
of Marlborough, for 60, ,260 (S11 300, that
nobleman carrying the treasure off in
| triumph by outbidding Lord Spencer
mere t-ife of 910. Under this
burst of fanaticism the early English
printers gained fresh renown; a copy of
Chaucer's "TroyIers and C"eside," by
CaXton, was bought for G252, while his
"Lyf Of st. Katherin of Sienne" was val
ued at e232.
A printer of that period named Bodoni
became the hero of the hour. He was a
native of Parma, but Rome entreated for
his presence, England invited him to her
| shores, Eugene Beauharnais asked him TO
Milan. Murat besought his presence in
Naples; he received gifts from Napoleon,
and the Duke of Parma to secure pos
/ session of the. coveted artist, established
him in a palace.
| English biblomaniacs boasted of the
beauty and perfection of BaskervilIe's
Horace of 1862. and decorated the Latin
| classics of FOULS. of Glasgow with the
most exquisite bindings, while Bulmer's
| "Shal1espeare's Press" was fostered by
munifcent patrons, who enjoyed the ex-
| Quisite luxury of limited editions, mag
nifcently illustrated and printed on white
satin or velIum. Bulmer thus protected,
! boldly challenged the world TO equal his
| perfect typography, and Bensley strained
every faculty to surpass nim. The clos
! ing years of the eighteenth century were
marked in England by a veritable battle
/ of the books, waged chiefly by BuImer
and BensIey. with Bewick as the chosen
| artist, while the ALTERATION was COM
pleted by the struggle centring upon
/ Bulmers "Boyden" and Bensley's Bible.
/ OF this famous Bible it is learned that
/ one, copy was insured in London Office
/ for 5000 Gl5Co0 that another was
valued at 500 guineas. and still another
1 bound for 70 guineas, while the binding
alone of one copy Of the Shakespeare
amounted to Gl32 GG60). AS a result Of
I the mania, bookbinding became a matter
! Of great importance. The names Of
/ Charles Lewis and Roger Payne were
widely known and a woman CMrs. Weir,
/ who showed especial skill in the renova-
/ tion of old books, was honored with an
admirable portrait IN copper plate. The
/ type fever, as it was called, also led 10
! the establishment of private presses.
among which those Of Hafod. Lee Priory,
/ the Grange, and Anchinleck are best
/ known, and were generally devoted to
the reproduction Of limited editions of
! rare books N the possession Of the
owner of the press.
A ROYAL RACE FOR BOOKS.
The fancy for fine printing extended to
royalty itself, and George III is quoted
for extravagant praise of Bodom and
4 BuImer while Queen Charlotte erected a
press for her own amusement at Frog
more. The Prince Regent became the
patron Of Whitaker, who achieved great
reputation by producing facsimiles of the
text Of CaXton, De Worde. and Schoeffer,
but his crowning work was the Magma
Charta from the original manuscript. 1t
was magnificently Illuminated and dedi-
Gated to the Prince Regent (afterward
King George IVD. The copies intended for
royal libraries were printed on purple sat
in and purple velium In letters Of bur
nished gold, and the binding, of purple
morocco lined with crimson silk, was
! profusely decorated with gold. The print
er OF this gorgeous work also commem-
! GRATED the coronation of his patron,
George ~, by magnificent volume in
purple and gold.
From England bibliomanla spread into
France, where the marshals Of Napo-
! Ieonic fame struggled for the possession
of Bodoni; and Murat In emulation of
| Louis XIV and his Delphini, engaged the
/ Parmese printer 10 prepare the French
/ classics for his son.
The French bookbinders of the sixteenth
century had exceIled those OF England
and all other nations in excellence of
/ workmanship, and under this revival of
| interest the names of GaScon, Desseuil,
| Pasdeloup, and Derome again arose TO
! eminence and distinction. The works Of
the early French printers with Nerard,
/ Jenson, and the family Of Estienne, be-
came naturally objects of national pride;
and collectors exhibited great enthusiasm
| for the Jest books and bureSque trea-
| tises of the sixteenth century.
The bibiiOmania excitement reached a
great height in England in the summer
of 1872, when the library Of John Ker,
third Duke of RoXburghe who had died
In 1904 was sold. This auction lasted for
ty-five days and provoked a competition
Of prices hitherto unrivaled in the annals
of bibliolatry. The original cost of the
library was estimated at about 5000,
and the proceeds Of the sale amounted
to GZ3.3il After the auction, q list Of
prices was published, both on small and
described by Dihdin in a rapture Of eulO-
! siEm. The famous rivalry for the posses
/ sion Of the Decameron was the great
| event of the sale, and simply to cOmmemO-
1 rate this event the ROxburghe Club was
| formed in London, consisting Of thirty
one of the most eminent book collectors
| IN the Kingdom. with Earl Spencer as
| president Joseph HaslcwOOd, one of the
/ founders of this club. wrote an account
of the annual festivities from 1872 to 1888
! 4f q