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before the book was knocked down to him at 2690 pounds。
A scene like this has really very little to do with book…collecting。 The
beginner must labour hard to distinguish different kinds of printing； he
must be able to recognise at a glance even fragments from the press of
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Caxton。 His eye must be accustomed to all the tricks of the trade and
others； so that he may tell a facsimile in a moment； or detect a forgery。
But now let us return to the distinctive marks of early printed books。
The first is； says M。 Rouveyre； …
1。 The absence of a separate title…page。 It was not till 1476…1480
that the titles of books were printed on separate pages。 The next mark is
…
2。 The absence of capital letters at the beginnings of divisions。 For
example； in an Aldine Iliad； the fifth book begins thus …
＇Greek text＇
It was intended that the open space； occupied by the small epsilon
（＇epsilon symbol＇）； should be filled up with a coloured and gilded initial
letter by the illuminator。 Copies thus decorated are not very common；
but the Aldine 〃Homer〃 of Francis I。； rescued by M。 Didot from a rubbish
heap in an English cellar； had its due illuminations。 In the earliest books
the guide to the illuminator； the small printed letter； does not appear； and
he often puts in the wrong initial。
3。 Irregularity and rudeness of type is a 〃note〃 of the primitive
printing press； which very early disappeared。 Nothing in the history of
printing is so remarkable as the beauty of almost its first efforts。 Other
notes are …
4。 The absence of figures at the top of the pages； and of signatures at
the foot。 The thickness and solidity of the paper； the absence of the
printer's name； of the date； and of the name of the town where the press
stood； and the abundance of crabbed abbreviations； are all marks； more or
less trustworthy； of the antiquity of books。 It must not be supposed that
all books published； let us say before 1500； are rare； or deserve the notice
of the collector。 More than 18；000 works； it has been calculated； left the
press before the end of the fifteenth century。 All of these cannot possibly
be of interest； and many of them that are 〃rare；〃 are rare precisely because
they are uninteresting。 They have not been preserved because they were
thought not worth preserving。 This is a great cause of rarity； but we must
not hastily conclude that because a book found no favour in its own age；
therefore it has no claim on our attention。 A London bookseller tells me
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that he bought the 〃remainder〃 of Keats's 〃Endymion〃 for fourpence a
copy！ The first edition of 〃Endymion〃 is now rare and valued。 In
trying to mend the binding of an old 〃Odyssey〃 lately； I extracted from the
vellum covers parts of two copies of a very scarce and curious French
dictionary of slang； 〃Le Jargon； ou Langage de l'Argot Reforme。〃 This
treatise may have been valueless； almost； when it appeared； but now it is
serviceable to the philologist； and to all who care to try to interpret the
slang ballades of the poet Villon。 An old pamphlet； an old satire； may
hold the key to some historical problem； or throw light on the past of
manners and customs。 Still； of the earliest printed books； collectors
prefer such rare and beautiful ones as the oldest printed Bibles： German；
English；as Taverner's and the Bishop's；or Hebrew and Greek； or the
first editions of the ancient classics； which may contain the readings of
MSS。 now lost or destroyed。 Talking of early Bibles； let us admire the luck
and prudence of a certain Mr。 Sandford。 He always longed for the first
Hebrew Bible； but would offer no fancy price； being convinced that the
book would one day fall in his way。 His foreboding was fulfilled； and he
picked up his treasure for ten shillings in a shop in the Strand。 The taste
for incunabula； or very early printed books； slumbered in the latter half of
the sixteenth； and all the seventeenth century。 It revived with the third
jubilee of printing in 1740； and since then has refined itself； and only
craves books very early； very important； or works from the press of
Caxton； the St。 Albans Schoolmaster； or other famous old artists。 Enough
has been said to show the beginner； always enthusiastic； that all old books
are not precious。 For further information； the 〃Biography and
Typography of William Caxton；〃 by Mr。 Blades （Trubner； London； 1877）；
may be consulted with profit。
Following the categories into which M。 Brunet classifies desirable
books in his invaluable manual； we now come to books printed on vellum；
and on peculiar papers。 At the origin of printing； examples of many
books； probably presentation copies； were printed on vellum。 There is a
vellum copy of the celebrated Florentine first edition of Homer； but it is
truly sad to think that the twin volumes； Iliad and Odyssey； have been
separated； and pine in distant libraries。 Early printed books on vellum
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often have beautifully illuminated capitals。 Dibdin mentions in
〃Bibliomania〃 （London； 1811）； p。 90； that a M。 Van Praet was compiling a
catalogue of works printed on vellum； and had collected more than 2000
articles。 When hard things are said about Henry VIII。； let us remember
that this monarch had a few copies of his book against Luther printed on
vellum。 The Duke of Marlborough's library possessed twenty…five books
on vellum； all printed before 1496。 The chapter…house at Padua has a
〃Catullus〃 of 1472 on vellum； let Mr。 Robinson Ellis think wistfully of
that treasure。 The notable Count M'Carthy of Toulouse had a wonderful
library of books in membranis； including a book much coveted for its
rarity； oddity； and the beauty of its illustrations； the 〃Hypnerotomachia〃 of
Poliphilus （Venice； 1499）。 Vellum was the favourite 〃vanity〃 of Junot；
Napoleon's general。 For reasons connected with its manufacture； and
best not inquired into； the Italian vellum enjoyed the greatest reputation
for smooth and silky whiteness。 Dibdin calls 〃our modern books on
vellum little short of downright wretched。〃 But the editor of this series
could； I think； show examples that would have made Dibdin change his
opinion。
Many comparatively expensive papers； large in format； are used in
choice editions of books。 Whatman papers； Dutch papers； Chinese
papers； and even papier verge； have all their admirers。 The amateur will
soon learn to distinguish these materials。 As to books printed on
coloured papergreen； blue； yellow； rhubarb…coloured； and the like； they
are an offence to the eyes and to the taste。 Yet even these have their
admirers and collectors； and the great Aldus himself occasionally used
azure paper。 Under the head of 〃large paper；〃 perhaps 〃uncut copies〃
should be mentioned。 Most owners of books have had the edges of the
volumes gilded or marbled by the binders。 Thus part of the margin is lost；
an offence to the eye of the bibliomaniac； while copies untouched by the
binder's shears are rare； and therefore prized。 The inconvenience of
uncut copies is； that one cannot easily turn over the leaves。 But； in the
present state of the fashion； a really rare uncut Elzevir may be worth
hundreds of