Ilubliohjtra Ciiii^T^Iana. I
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
mmmmm 'Eie^ ilUblioHjtra Ciiii^t^iana. I ■i:/7()7Vi. JV07ES W'X^^ ^\'(>iEV^;:!;-:.'^^;f,y;fi:.V^VA\'fi DEBRY, GRANDS ET I'ETITS VOYAGES. ^mm^sm^'^W-^!^^^'^^^' 20S: /£iZ/ Bibltotfjfra lLtni)f0tana. a 331 b 11011) e r a H i n Ir t s i a n a. COLLATIONS AND NOTES. No. 3. GRANDS ET PETITS VOYAGES OF DE BRY. BY LUDOVIC, EARL OF CRAWFORD AND BALCARRES, LL.D. F.K.S. F,R.A.S. LONDON: BERNARD QUARITCH, 15 PICCADILLY. 1884. LONDON: WYMAN AND SONS, rRINTEES, OREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S-INN FIELDS. > 1959 .^ INTRODUCTION. INCE the commencement of last century, very many persons have interested themselves in gathering togetlier the different parts and editions of the great work of Theodor de Bry and the successive members of his family, the publication of which extended from the year 1590 until 1644. Some of these well-known collectors have written papers or essays on the subject of their copies, or with the view of showing what should be sought for for their completion. The most notable of these writings are :— 1. The " Observations " of the Abbe Louis d'Orleans de Rothelin, a little work of 44 pages in quarto, printed at Paris in 1742, and of which but few copies were struck off. It is now of excessive rarity, and I have not yet been able to attain possession of it. This was followed by 2. A description of what is required for a set of the Latin Version, published by De Biu^e le jeune in the first volume of the section " Histoire " of his " Bibliographic Instructive." This work formed the standard collation for many years. 3. In 1802 a volume was published, entitled " Memoire sur la Collection des Grands et Petits Voyages," &c. (Paris, 4to.), the work of M. A. G. de Camus, undertaken at the request of the Institut de France, and, so far as was then possible, admirably brought to light. M. de Camus gives, in addition to the collations of the Latin Version, an interesting sum- mary of the contents of each part, with notes as to the sources from whence the de Brys derived their translations. This so far, as an historical memoir, has not been surpassed. Up to this date no description in detail had been given of the German Version, and it remained for M. T. 0. Weigel to give to the world. 4. A carefully-prepared collation of these parts, under the title " Bibliographische Mittheilungen iiber die deutschen Ausgaben von de Bry's Sammlungen der Reisen nach dem abend- und morgenlandischen Indien" (40 pages. 8vo. Leipzig, 1845). This was published in the journal, "Serapeum"; to it should be added a supplement in 12 pages, which was published shortly afterwards. ii INTRODUCTION. 5. In 1860 was published the new edition of the well-known and invaluable " Manuel du Libraire" of M. J.-Ch.-Brunet, and in it we find no less than fifty-five columns devoted to de Bry, in which he brought together the essence of what had hitherto appeared. This portion of the "Manuel" received the honour of a "tirage a part" on large paper, twenty-five copies only being printed, of one of which I am the happy possessor. For certain additions and corrections (though not always correct), reference should also be made to the article on de Bry in the first volume of the Supplement to Brunet published in 1880, in which will be found an account of the copy sold at Leipzig in 1873, which had been formed by M. Serge Sobolewski with great care and attention, and which in the Sale Catalogue is termed " Tin exemplaire unique." 6. The late Mr. H. Huth published in 1880 a catalogue of his magnificent library, and devoted fifty-two pages to the description of his very fine series of de Bry, entering into many details which had been previously passed by. Of this article there was also a " tirage a part," limited to fifty copies, which is well worthy to rank with the others. In addition to these writings that I have enumerated, there are many notes, &c,, to be found in the pages of the journals and magazines devoted to Bibliography, giving inte- resting descriptions of different copies; also in Sale Catalogues information may be found. But I do not wish to expand these pages inordinately on this subject. Each writer has in turn left somewhat to be done by his successor, and yet, far from diminishing the interest in the collection, they seem to have incited to further deeds of daring the collectors of this class of literature, which appeals vividly both to those whose tastes lie in the region of Geographical History, and to the lovers of books illustrated and adorned by Engravings. To these must be added the class of those who buy books on no system or method, who care not for their contents, and whose sole object it is to possess a work because it is rare and difficult to procure. But, in addition to the literary value of the series, there is the pleasure of endeavouring to add to one's possession,—a task which demands patience, attention, and promptitude of action, and truly no work is more diffi- cult to complete in all its languages and editions. The Set which I have to describe is the outcome of thirty years' perseverance, and yet I cannot rest satisfied, but still seek to improve it. The composition of this collection is as follows :— The Latin Grands Voyages, in first, second, and third editions. The German Grands Voyages, in first, second, and third editions. The English Virginia, or Part I. Grands Voyages. The French Virginia, or Part I. Grands Voyages. The German Petits Voyages in their several editions. IN TE ODUC TIO N. iii The Latin Petits Voyages, first editions, and of the second editions in so far as the plates are concerned. The Abridgment by Zigler of the first nine parts of the Grands Voyages in German. The Abridgment by Gottfriedt of the first eleven parts of the Grands Voyages in German. The Abridgment by Fitzer of the Petits Voyages, also in German. The series of works in French and Latin which are enumerated by Brunet under the headings " Prima Pars" and "Vera" in all their several editions in folio. These last pieces it is desirable to add to the collection, because they contain a purer text, more matter, and fresher proofs of the engravings than are to be found in de Bry. Properly speaking, they do not belong to the work in question, but from the time of de Bure and Camus such has been the custom. It would be most interesting to endeavour to associate with a good copy of de Bry a series of the original editions of the travels which he reprinted; but, though I possess many of them, I recoil from inevitable failure, as such boldly stares me in the face at the very outset. I refer to the Harlots Virginia, Part I. Grands Voyages, of which only three copies are known: the one in the Grenville Library, British Museum; the second in the Bodleian Library at Oxford; and the third at present in the hands of Mr. Quaritch, who purchased it a short while ago for a sum more than I could afford to give. And now as to my own work. I said some few lines back that each in turn had left somewhat for a successor to note. In many parts that I have seen I found they were made up from copies of different editions, as in many cases the reprint is of such a nature that, without spoiling the sense, a leaf could be interpolated, the effect being to produce a false impression of perfection, painful to one who appreciates a genuine state. From the days of Camus to the present time, much attention has been devoted to the means of identifying inter se the various editions or issues of the plates, prefaces, &c., but no such care has been devoted to what is every whit as important, the text proper; and consequently, having a very large amount of material to work upon, the accumula- tion of years having brought together more than two hundred parts from which to select a best set, I determined to endeavour to place in the power of the inquirer the means of ascertaining accurately the constitution, page by page, of each separate part and edition. To this I have added such cases of variations or differences that I have become ac- quainted with; and these, where possible, I have tried to verify de visu, though not always as yet with success. Further to assist the work of reference, I have prepared photographs of those title- pages which are engraved, or on which appear vignettes, and I refer to these plates, instead iv INTRODUCTION. of saying "within an engraved border," or "same border as that used for Part II.," which presumes knowledge or possession of the part referred to. I should here state that I have taken these photographs from either the German versions or from the Latin, solely as a matter of convenience to myself, as I found it easiest to operate upon them, owing to the method of binding. It has been my object to offer means of collation as little irksome as possible. The title-pages will be found given in full for the First Editions, and where variations occur in the subsequent editions they will be found in the opposite column on a parallel line.