New-York tribune., 1903-01-26
F4MOCS BOOKS.
n Round Hundred Of Them at the
Groiier CInb

The Grolier Clubs exhibit of ''one hundred
books famous in English literature" which is
10 remain open to TIL public until the 2lst OF
next month. brings forward q collection OF mrs,
editions such as perhaps has not before oeen
assembled. and Of which there is no dennlte
expectation of a repetition. 1t is notable that
these raritfes ranging from Caxtons issue OF
the Canterbury Tales" the fifth pook pup
lished on English soil. to Whituers SNOW
hound the property of New workers. IN
deed. Of the members Of single club with
few exceptions the books were printed In Lon
CON vet such is the westward course OF en-
rire that save with the assistance Of the Brit
ish Museum no such group could be shown TO-
day in the old capital of English letters Inc
project now achieved has not been hShtv ul-
6ertaken For scrle ten years the idea or this
exhibit has been urged and discussed bu'
hibIiophiles grapple their old friends TO thelr
souls Indeed. after the private view on 1hurs-
dav night the owner of the three oldest spect-
mems the leautiful Caxton copies OF the can
terhurv Tales Covers ''Confessio Amantls
and Nalory-s Mort d'Arthur'' rode home In his
carriage with his cherished volumes on his
knees The public will them only by their
rroxies carefully made fac SMILES OF the wen
balanced pages representing them in the empty
case. Such chariness is hardly fantastic There
are only four copies known of the "Confesslo
Amantis" and the Mallory is the better or the
only two copies in existence
The selection Of titles was the work or COM
rnirtee Of long standing, whose report was pub
Bsbed last wear as catalogue of the one hun
dred hooks which deserved TO stand in COM
Many nv themselves. Professor Woodberry.
who was chiefly responsible for the inclusion or
the American volumes, prepared a preface lot
the report This exhibit is made in illustration
of the list. In or two instances. where the
second edition OF the second impression is rarer
than the first il is shown in preference Pass
ing over the first Book Of Common Prayer,
and the first authorized edition Of the Tragedy
~ Ferrex and Porrex.' the work OF the gentle
men OF the Inner Temple who made the eS-
reriment Of using blank verse for dramatic pur
noses we come upon such a second edition in
The Mirror for Magistrates" The second edi-
don is valuable for containing Sackvines
poems Near by lie the substantial "Chron-
icies'' Of Rolinshed. upon which Shakespeare
built better than his rivals. Above them, on
the wall in the line OF rare prints which follows
the cases round the room. several copies of the
Chandos portrait sugges. The mutual debt Of the
historian and the dramatist.
The fine title page Of the First Folio lies open
further on near the King James Bible with its
handsome woodcut border Another glory Of
yhe theatre is the volume Of Comedies ana
Tragedies by Francis Beaumont and John
Fletcher" the names bracketed as in challenge
10 the attributive criticism Of later day This
hook which was never printed before" issues
from the Three PidgeOns.' in London. l641.
Applause won in the Phmnix and the Cock
nit. at Blackfriars and Drury Lane, was the
justification for the appearance of number of
books here, if there were space to note them
When one skips in this collection he must either
slight names Of the highest rank in our litera-
ture or books Of more numerous company
hut endeared by standing closer in time. Some
one ept his copies Of the Taller and the
Spectator and pasted thcm In scrapbook
form Near hese volumes. odd in their orig
inal state is Defce's Robinson Crusoe' with
The frontispiece which has served since
The type Of this castaway. The 'Elegy Wrote
in 2 Country Church Yard" bears the title
page two black rules Of dismal mortuary en-
blens. II is but few steps along the room
from .Iohnson's Dictionary ''Pickwick'
-Sonnets" by e. B. s." printed at Reading in
lS41 not for publication is first milestone
i'm the broadcasting Of 4 notable love affair
Though one may feel the closer touch of the
days not long gone by. il will not be surprising
II the visitor is tempted back to the outward
and visible record of the sOnnet's appearance in
English. and is found gazing d small volume
entitled Songs and Sonnettes Written by the
hight Honorable Lord Henry Howard late
Earle Of Surrey and Others" Such precious
arra- of presswork with all the associations
that it calls in action. will be apt TO set him
frequently TO retracing his steps. if not finally
wandering Ip and down in conflicting ad-
Irliration.