Evening star., 1936-11-22

canine state of existence; books that
relate the first voyages of man across
untraveled oceans or outline the au-
thority of ancient kings. Letters
from the saints, formulas of the magi,
literature, philosophy, secular and
canon law, science. history, medicine,
philology, can be read from the very
pages that might have been turned
by the hands that originated them.
The irresistible charm of this library
is indeed the knowledge that one is
handling the actual book of the day
the volume that came from some
primitive press and has been passed
down through centuries of time for
his pleasure and enlightenment.
In many cases one can actually
peruse the personal observations of
ancient scholars set in their own
hands along the margins of a page.
For example, the priceless volume of
Pliny's Natural History" belonging
to the incompatible collection of in
cunabula, or fifteenth century books,
bears inscribed along its margins the
personal observations of numerous
scholars who studied its pages. Some
times these pen and ink notations are
accompanied by crude drawings of
the subject under discussion. The
great diversity of these marginal no.
tations and their voluminous nature
indicate the reason why so many of
those books Of the cradle" days Of
printing bore wide white margins
They had utilitarian as well as an
artistic value.
ONE entire room, its shelves we'll
laden, is devoted to the collection
of incunabula, some 5000 volumes in
all. This collection contained as
well, it will be remembered, the price,
less Gutenberg Bible, said to be the
rarest book in the world, and this
volume. together with the 5000 sep
arate items, were purchased from DR..
Otto Vollbehr for $500, 600 by a
Government wise and far-seeing
enough to appreciate the value Of
Nch a purchase.
Only now. Mr.. Parma states, are
they beginning to realize the true value
Of this collection of books printed
throughout the l400s. for painstak-
ingly each volume is being examined
and recorded. and in some instances
translated for the use of scholars This
careful study on the part of the cura-
tor and others is revealing many
valuable facts in connection with the
Vollbehr collection. Ancient manu-
scripts, in the handwriting of famous
ancient scholars, have been found
tucked between pages of certain books.
Sometimes the librarian has come un-
expectedly upon a charming poem OF
bit of prose written by hand on the
final page or title page of book that
has enhanced the volumes intrinsic
value.
One instance of this was in the case
of volume printed in 1466-Ciceros
Oficia ct Paradoxa, of which the rare
book collection is fortunate enough
to possess two copies-one printed on
vellum and the other printed on paper.
In the back Of the vellum copy Mr..
Parma came upon q manuscript writ
ten by hand in pen and ink. in which
some loving father. long since turned
TO dust, extolled the virtues of educa-
ton to his son in lengthy poem.
On another occasion the head Of the
Carmelite order of monks made his
way from Wurtzberger to the rare
book room of the Library of Congress
for the purpose of ascertaining If
there might be found in its wonderful
collection any records of his order.
Mr.. Parma not only found q book OF
the time that was Of interest to the
good father, but tucked away between
the pages he came upon blank, bound
sheets that had been filled in by hand
in almost microscopic writing in Latin.
Upon examination, these proved to be
Q daily recorded history Of the Carme-
lite institution, penned by some an
cient historian Of the order and con-
stituting q hrst-hand record.
ON OCCASION the curator Of this
~ fascinating collection has known
the thrill of discovering some curious
thing in connection with the books
that has given an insight into the
minds and manners of the times, and
because of its direct and intimate ma
ture, has served to bridge centuries,
bringing us almost startlingly into