The Compleat Coueftor. Y; Amples of the Opposite Extreme

884 THE SATURDAY REVIEW OF LITERATURE, MARCH 29, 1930 pages are numbered consecutively with the other pages of the book. Tennyson's "In Memoriam" and many other books published by Moxon are ex The Compleat CoUeftor. y; amples of the opposite extreme. Fastened THE KINGDOM into some copies of these books between the first two end-papers are lists of books pub OF ST. JAMES f\ RARE BOOKS • FIRST EDITIONS • FINE TYPOGRAPHY |? lished by Moxon, with dates printed at the By Miio M. Quaife v y top. These lists form no part of the book, A narrative of the Mormons giving which is complete and perfect whether they the almost incredible story of r% ^^^^^ Q are present or not. James Jesse Strang, Alpha and Byron's "Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte" Omega of theKingdom of St, James. f\ QonduEied by Carl Purington Rollins Gf Gilbert M. Troxell. p. shows both types of advertisement. The S4.00 ".•A/*Ji^w, cheaply bought for thrice their weight in gold.' text ends on page 14.. On the following page, which is not numbered, is a list headed THE TRUTH ABOUT "Lately were published, New Editions in o^x:^;x::s^;>c^x:^;x::^x:^;xn^x:^;>c^^ Octavo of the following Poems, By the GERONIMO Right Hon. Lord Byron." This advertise By Britton Davis T T is, apparently, becoming' a custom for and is, no doubt—provided his interests lie ment is a part of the book, for not only "Arichly human and racy account ^ book-dealers to place at the beginning in those directions, to the collector of Steigel does it form part of the single sheet of oflife among the Apaches and the of their catalogues prefatory notes concerned glass or Chinese porcelains. And similarly, sixteen pages on which the book is printed, Apache scouts. An enjoyable not necessarily with the contents of the the inventor of new "points" who reads his but it also contains the imprint, "London: record of a vanished era." catalogue itself, but with various aspects of books not for pleasure but for typographical New York Evening Post Printed by W. Bulmer and Co., Cleveland collecting. Mr. Charles F. Heartman, for errors which he fondly hopes will appear Row, St. James's," at the foot of the page. $4.00 example, has at times expressed himself only in his copy, and in no other, is to be In some copies this leaf is followed by one TKe Book of frankly on the subject of some of his col regarded with equal suspicion and horror. or two additional leaves, advertising Mur leagues and the errors of their ways, and Printers make mistakes, and letters drop out, ray's publications, and printed on different CHRISTOPHER has more recently been calling attention to in spite of the most meticulous proof-read paper by another printer. The presence or items in his sales that have impressed him ing: a distinguished University press whose absence of these additional advertisements COLUMBUS as unusually important or interesting. The books are as nearly perfect as possible, once By Paul Claudel is quite immaterial, as the book is perfect latest catalogue—number 88—from N. J. mistook the author's correction of a footnote without them. Decorations by Jean Chariot in page-proofs for an additional sentence, The French Ambassador writes a Bartlett and Company, of Boston, com mences with a page headed, "1930 and the and serenely printed both the original and Advertisements which do not form part of profoundly moving drama.Through a book are valued by some collectors as con his vivid and engaging illustrations, First Edition Collector," which seems a rea the revised versions one after the other. It M. Chariot has brilliantly contribu sonable, intelligent statement of an unending is not a common custom for authors to in taining evidence of priority of issue. A first ted to anappreciationoftheplay. difficulty. "Where do we stand in 1930, sist upon the reprinting of every page that edition of Tennyson's "In Memoriam" is Limited autographed edition, we dealers in, and collectors of, the First may contain a typographical error of some often found with eight pages of Moxon's $10.00 Editions of American writers?" it asks, then sort—'they may correct misprints, or incor advertisements, dated "February, 1850," at Regular Eclition, $5.00 goes on, "For dealers and collectors have rect statements of fact, in a second edition, the beginning. The assumption is that ad witnessed in the last twelve months remark or issue, but the first issue of their books is vertisements bearing a later date would in THE EVOLUTION able increases in prices, and at the same time ordinarily allowed to remain as it reaches dicate that the copy containing them be such wide variations in prices asked for them. It seems quite unnecessary, therefore, longed to a later issue. Too much weight OF WAR copies of the same book, that the sanest have to prattle about misprints as if writers were can easily be given to evidence of this na By Maurice R. Davie stopped at the beginning of this year to ask deliberately trying, by making as many is ture, as anybody who has seen the process "A really excellent new book ... themselves this question. The unpar sues as possible of their books, to complicate of bookbinding will readily understand. Anextremelyvivid—though schol alleled demand for first editions of Ameri their bibliographies for the benefit of collec When a book is being prepared to be bound, arly and carefully documented— can writers in the original condition has had tors or permit their enthusiasm for their own the sheets of the required number of copies account of the general conditions are collected, and with them are distributed of warfare." three unfortunate results: one, the offering possessions to sweep them into the extremes New York Times by irresponsible dealers of "sophisticated" of "point"-hunting. It is high time that a number of the publisher's catalogues for insertion in the bound volumes. Perhaps the $4.00 and "made-up" copies to the too eager and some one, even the Bibliographical Society uncritical collector; two, the rush of certain of America, if it can detach itself long number of these catalogues fall short of the dealers to establish new bibliographical enough from its current craze for reference number of books to be bound, and the pub ANCIENT PAINTING "points" which have a basis less in the librarian check-lists to attend to other, lisher is asked for more. He may be able By Mary Hamilton Swindler bibliographer's soundness of judgment than slightly more important phases of its busi to furnish them, he may be content to have "The literature of fine art has been in his desire to create a new issue (for his ness, undertake the labor of creating more the volumes bound without any catalogues, enriched beyond estimate ... a particular benefit) ; three, the almost total definitive bibliographies of American au he may use old catalogues with an earlier masterly work for which many of thors, and of settling permanently the dis date, or, and this has sometimes happened, us will be ever grateful." disappearance from the market of the modest collector of lower priced "firsts." In this putes about dropped letters, wrong pagina he may use catalogues with a later date. Christian Science Monitor catalogue, we have, therefore; first, re tions, and omitted chapter headings that are Thus it is quite possible to find books pub Illustrated, $10.00 adjusted downward the prices of all books incessantly making book-collectors ridicul lished and issued in November or December here listed to what we regard as a fair and ous. The best and most intelligent dealers of any year containing catalogues dated YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS reasonable value; second, taken cognizance have done their part consistently and faith with the following year. of "points" of issue only as they have been fully, but there is no reason why they should Conclusive proof of the danger of draw NEW HAVEN • CONNECTICUT established by reliable bibliographers; third, be allowed to go on without help: after ing inferences from dates in Moxon's cata guaranteed . the correctness ... of each all, they are rather at the mercy of the logues is provided by two of his publica book here listed." idiotic demands of their customers, and can tions which we have examined. Two copies not afford always to be as independent as of Landor's "The Last Fruit Off an Old There is something rather extraordinary they desire. G. M. T. Tree," published by him in 1853, have at about such statements, especially when they the beginning "A List of Books recently come from such a source. It has, of course, The following note from the Elkin published by Edward Moxon" dated "De ALL OUR been known to sensible collectors for years Mathews catalogue, number 29, deserves to cember I, 1846," and Landor's "Imaginary that, in the absence of what Mr. George H. be quoted in full as it expresses a singularly Conversations of Greeks and Romans" pub Sargent calls "a Supreme Court of Bibliog well-informed and intelligent point of view: lished also in 1853, has at the beginning a YESTERDAYf raphy," they must in many cases depend By H. M. TOMLIMSOH Notes for Collectors list dated "February, 1850." Collectors "This book is neither novel, upon the honesty and knowledge of certain who wish for more information about inset- nor history, nor journal. It dealers not only to supply the lacks in their ADVERTISEMENTS advertisements, will find it in Mr. Michael is a strange, thrilling, bril bibliographical information, but to assure As the presence or absence of advertise Sadleir's "TroUope: a Bibliography," pages liant vision, where the them that the books they buy are right in ments in books is a matter of some concern XII-XIV.

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