New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-21

after the imperfect for the perfect conv
The latter is what Locker Lampson did.
TIL the steel safes at Rowfant were filled
with treasures: and that Is what other
fastidious buyers have done. Admirable
collections have been formed by men
who bought when the chance came and
weeded out all doubtful examples when
better could be had But Mr.. Hoe was
apparently content with what he had
once acquired. His library had a great
celebrity; perhaps too great He does
not seem 10 have thought the art of
advertising wholly beneath him. I ad-
nit, of course. that Gutenberg Bibles
on vellum do not occur often. Mr..
Huntington would have preferred pre-
sumo. a perfect example. but this was
the only one likely to come into the
market
1t was NJ. Henry Stevens's opinion
that the paper copy in the Perkins sale
was a finer book than the copy on vel
lum. In the account Of the sale which l
wrote for The Tribune at the time Mr..
forth. l have not the letter, but any
body who will take the trouble 10 con-
suit il in The Tribune files will find Mr..
Stevens's explanations and final judg-
ment we'll worthy Of attention.
I have loitered through the bookshops
Of London and Paris. Of Berlin and Leip-
sic, and even of New York and once of
Chicago. during these many years past.
One and all. it is true, they offer you
books which. figuratively speaking. have
only" two pages in facsimile. or more
than two and sometimes whole volumes
in facsimile. or in counterfeit. There
must therefore, be buying public for
such wares. l used 10 wonder who the
buyers were and how often they knew
what they were buying. "Caveat
emptor" was the motto Of most Of the
second hand booksellers; and still is, of
some. don't undertake 10 fix the pro-
portion. nor do I now wonder where the
booksellers and picture sellers find their
customers for ragged treasures. But
still cling 10 my own belief that the
rapture Of possessing a precious volume
lies in the conviction that II is a perfect
volume. IF it is not perfect II is not
precious If there are two leaves IN fac
smile, they are all in facsimile. This is
a pious opinion which can do no harm 10
any owner or 10 the book owned.
book which has been sold by auction for
$4,000 is perfect because it has been
sold and bought for $4,000 The money
test is final Let the expert put away
his magnifying glass and forget his ex-
pert knowledge and make his bow 10 the
largest purse.
In the rare treatise Of Gustave MOnra-
Wit. lie Livre ct la Petite Bibliotheque
d'Amateurs." occurs a remark which
will not quote because I have no wish
TO offend the booksellers. whose virtues
IN private life and the family circle are
of a high order. I prefer 70 let the book
seller speak for himself. He shall be a
well known bookseller in Paris. A GUS
toner asks him the price of book
"Quarante francs"
"Je vous dome quarante sous"
"Prenez-le."
Then, turning 70 a bystander the book
seller observes, with complacency:
"C'est ainsi que TAI fat ma fortune"
Mr.. Huntington, the cable tells US
buys not in order 10 weed and buy
again. but in order 10 sell I do not
assume that the cable is infallible.
have used 1t enough to know that II IS
not: and 10 know that the fault does
not lie with the cable. But I could give
him the name Of an English gentleman
of position. known TO possess beautiful
things and 10 be in need Of money. who
was approached. as many others have
been approached, by a rich collector Of
the nouvelles couches sociales. He was
asked 10 set his own price upon certain
nriceless objects. He answered quite
simply:
"I am not a dealer IN bric-a- hrac."
But Mr.. Hoe would have done well TO
remember. and Mr.. Huntington will do
well 10 remember. the saying Of VI. Jules
Janin IN his sparkling little pamphlet
long since scarce, "L'AmOur des Livres'
"Au catalogue de ses livres on connait
un homme."
Not only as a man. or as reader or
books. but as buyer Of books. Would
he like his friends TO inscribe on his
tomb. "Only two leaves in facsimile?
It seems probable that in the next world
the difference between fac-simile and
genuine will be we'll understood. Or
even the difference between an early
book In it's original binding and book
which the buyer, DESTROYS Of a decorative
effect has had rebound This, we are
told. Is the fate which befell Dame
.Juliana Berners's "Boke Of ST. Adams.
from which, while Mr.. Hoe owned IT,
the original boards covered with veuum
,vere removed and the book rebound by
"The Club Bindery." And for this The
Times" calls him a vandal. OF this also
Mr.. Huntington IS reported the buyer
hasten TO add that the Gutenberg Bible
ia said 10 be still in its contemporary
oak boards covered with pigskin. with
twenty ornamental bosses and eight
clasps. Long may 1t remain 50.
G.. w. S.