Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-13
CAN'T REPLACE LOST VOLUMES
Much Valuable Literature Has Been
Destoyed.

D0otOJOo.
Many of the greatest treasures OF
the worlds literature have totally dis
appeared. Even so late as 1852 copy
OF Canterbury Tales" valued, 1t Is
said, at $2,500, was used to light the
fire in a London church.
The last six books Of Sponsors Fac
rie Queene" were lost by one Of the
poets servants. During the French
revolution an exceedingly valuable
copy Of 1.-The Golden Legend" was used
to light a librarians fire.
Many Of the valuable letters Of Lady
Mary Wortley Montagu were destroyed
by her relatives lest Lady Mary's liter
ary honors might be gained at the cost
of disgrace to the family name.
In 1902 a servant of Warburton used
several dramas of Chapman, Green and
Massinger to clean shoes and light
fires.
After the death Of Pierese there was
found in his apartments a huge chest
filled with letters from the most emil
nent scholars Of the time. The collec-
ton was Of immense literary and his
torical value. His niece, instead OF
complying with repeated requests to
have them published. used them for
fuel in order to diminish the expense
of firewood.
In the great fire Of London In 1866
many manuscripts Of the EliZaoetnan
era were lost. Fire in the Cottonian
library, at Ashburnham House, west
minister, in 1871, destroyed 22S out OF
sss manuscript volumes. all Of which
had fallen to private hands after the
dissolution Of the monasteries half a
century before.
The burning Of the Strasburg libra
ry during the Franco -Prussian war de-
stroyed many valuable works, among
which may be mentioned the records
of the legal proceedings in the contro-
versy between Guttenburg and his as
sociates as to whether or not he IN
ented the art Of printing.
| In 1888 Gaurino, a learned ltallan'
travelled through Greece in search OF
lost manuscripts. His labors were re-
warded by the acquisition of a Valua-
BILE collection. On his return to his ma
tive land a storm overlook the Vessel
and the captain ordered the entire car
60 to be thrown overheard. Such was
his anguish at the loss that 1t Is said
his hair turned white I'm a single night.
| A similar fate befell. in 1893, a
wealthy burgomaster Of Middleoerg'
named Hudde. Prompted by literary
curiosity he betook himself to emma
disguised as a Mandarin. For thirty
years he travelled through the Celes-
tial empire, devoting his fortune to the
collection Of manuscripts. Returning
to Europe he was shipwrecked and all
his treasures were lost.
The great Pinellian library, consid-
cred at the time one Of the largest and
most valuable in the world, was pur-
chased in 1860, after the death Of Its
possessor, by a London bookseller, who
chartered three vessels to convey 1t tc
London. He was pursued by Corsairs
who captured one vessel, and finding
that it carried a cargo Of books and
manuscripts destroyed all by castlne
them into the sea, the others ESCAPED
uninjured.
The Jewish Talmud has come dowr
to us only through the heroic efforts OF
the Jews themselves and the intrepid
service Of John Reuchlin. It's reading
was condemned by various edicts OF
emperors and kings; its circulation was
prohibited by popes and theologians
Twelve thousand volumes Of this mon
umental work were burned at Cremo'
ma in 1860 and a similar fate befel
$4,000 copies Of the Koran by order OF