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iquary and litterateur； John Payne Collier。 In the London newspapers of Sept。 21； 1883； it was reported that ‘‘the remains of the late Mr。 John Payne Collier were interred yesterday in Bray churchyard； near Maidenhead； in the presence of a large number of spectators。'' Thereupon the Eastern daily press published the following remarkable perversion： ‘‘The Bray Colliery Disaster。 The remains of the late John Payne； collier； were interred yesterday afternoon in the Bray churchyard in the presence of a large number of friends and spectators。''
Far be it from the book…lover and the book…collector to rail at blunders； for not unfrequently these very blunders make books valuable。 Who cares for a Pine's Horace that does not contain the ‘‘potest'' error？ The genuine first edition of Hawthorne's ‘‘Scarlet Letter'' is to be determined by the presence of a certain typographical slip in the introduction。 The first edition of the English Scriptures printed in Ireland （1716） is much desired by collectors； and simply because of an error。 Isaiah bids us ‘‘sin no more；'' but the Belfast printer； by some means or another； transposed the letters in such wise as to make the injunction read ‘‘sin on more。''
The so…called Wicked Bible is a book that is seldom met with； and； therefore； in great demand。 It was printed in the time of Charles I。； and it is notorious because it omits the adverb ‘‘not'' in its version of the seventh commandment； the printers were fined a large sum for this gross error。 Six copies of the Wicked Bible are known to be in existence。 At one time the late James Lenox had two copies； in his interesting memoirs Henry Stevens tells how he picked up one copy in Paris for fifty guineas。
Rabelais' printer got the satirical doctor into deep water for printing asne for ame； the council of the Sorbonne took the matter up and asked Francis I。 to prosecute Rabelais for heresy； this the king declined to do； and Rabelais proceeded forthwith to torment the council for having founded a charge of heresy upon a printer's blunder。
Once upon a time the Foulis printing establishment at Glasgow determined to print a perfect Horace； accordingly the proof sheets were hung up at the gates of the university； and a sum of money was paid for every error detected。
Notwithstanding these precautions the edition had six uncorrected errors in it when it was finally published。 Disraeli says that the so…called Pearl Bible had six thousand errata！ The works of Picus of Mirandula； Strasburg； 1507； gave a list of errata covering fifteen folio pages； and a worse case is that of ‘‘Missae ac Missalis Anatomia'' （1561）； a volume of one hundred and seventy…two pages； fifteen of which are devoted to the errata。 The author of the Missae felt so deeply aggrieved by this array of blunders that he made a public explanation to the effect that the devil himself stole the manuscript； tampered with it； and then actually compelled the printer to misread it。
I am not sure that this ingenious explanation did not give origin to the term of ‘‘printer's devil。''
It is frightful to think What nonsense sometimes They make of one's sense And； what's worse； of one's rhymes。
It was only last week； In my ode upon spring； Which I meant to have made A most beautiful thing；
When I talked of the dewdrops From freshly blown roses； The nasty things made it From freshly blown noses。
We can fancy Richard Porson's rage （for Porson was of violent temper） when； having written the statement that ‘‘the crowd rent the air with their shouts；'' his printer made the line read ‘‘the crowd rent the air with their snouts。'' However； this error was a natural one； since it occurs in the ‘‘Catechism of the Swinish Multitude。 ‘‘Royalty only are privileged when it comes to the matter of blundering。 When Louis XIV。 was a boy he one day spoke of ‘‘un carosse''； he should have said ‘‘une carosse；'' but he was king； and having changed the gender of carosse the change was accepted； and unto this day carosse is masculine。
That errors should occur in newspapers is not remarkable； for much of the work in a newspaper office is done hastily。 Yet some of these errors are very amusing。 I remember to have read in a Berlin newspaper a number of years ago that ‘‘Prince Bismarck is trying to keep up honest and straightforward relations with all the girls'' （madchen）。
This statement seemed incomprehensible until it transpired that the word ‘‘madchen'' was in this instance a misprint for ‘‘machten；'' a word meaning all the European powers。
X
WHEN FANCHONETTE BEWITCHED ME
The garden in which I am straying has so many diversions to catch my eye； to engage my attention and to inspire reminiscence that I find it hard to treat of its beauties methodically。 I find myself wandering up and down； hither and thither； in so irresponsible a fashion that I marvel you have not abandoned me as the most irrational of madmen。
Yet how could it be otherwise？ All around me I see those things that draw me from the pathway I set out to pursue： like a heedless butterfly I flit from this sweet unto that； glorying and revelling in the sunshine and the posies。 There is little that is selfish in a love like this； and herein we have another reason why the passion for books is beneficial。 He who loves women must and should love some one woman above the rest； and he has her to his keeping； which I esteem to be one kind of selfishness。
But he who truly loves books loves all books alike； and not only this； but it grieves him that all other men do not share with him this noble passion。 Verily； this is the most unselfish of loves！
To return now to the matter of booksellers； I would fain impress you with the excellences of the craft； for I know their virtues。 My association with them has covered so long a period and has been so intimate that even in a vast multitude of people I have no difficulty in determining who are the booksellers and who are not。
For； having to do with books； these men in due time come to resemble their wares not only in appearance but also in conversation。 My bookseller has dwelt so long in his corner with folios and quartos and other antique tomes that he talks in black…letter and has the modest； engaging look of a brown old stout binding； and to the delectation of discriminating olfactories he exhaleth an odor of mildew and of tobacco commingled； which is more grateful to the true bibliophile than all the perfumes of Araby。
I have studied the craft so diligently that by merely clapping my eyes upon a bookseller I can tell you with certainty what manner of books he sells； but you must know that the ideal bookseller has no fads； being equally proficient in and a lover of all spheres； departments； branches； and lines of his art。 He is； moreover； of a benignant nature； and he denies credit to none； yet； withal； he is righteously so discriminating that he lets the poor scholar have for a paltry sum that which the rich parvenu must pay dearly for。 He is courteous and considerate where courtesy and consideration are most seemly。
Samuel Johnson once rolled into a London bookseller's shop to ask for literary employment。 The bookseller scrutinized his burly frame； enormous hands； coarse face； and humble apparel。
‘‘You would make a better porter；'' said he。
This was too much for the young lexicographer's patience。 He picked up a folio and incontinently let fly at the bookseller's head； and then stepping over the prostrate victim he made his exit； saying： ‘‘Lie there； thou lump of lead！''
This bookseller was Osborne； who had a shop at Gray's Inn Gate。 To Boswell Johnson subsequently explained： ‘‘Sir； he was impertinent to me； and I beat him。''
Jacob Tonson was Dryden's bookseller； in the earlier times a seller was also a publisher of books。 Dryden was not always on amiable terms with Tonson； presumably because Dryden invariably was in debt to Tonson。 On one occasion Dryden asked for an advance of money； but Tonson refused upon the grounds that the poet's overdraft already exceeded the limits of reasonableness。 Thereupon Dryden penned the following lines and sent them to Tonson with the message that he who wrote these lines could write more：
With leering looks； bull…faced and freckled fair With two left legs； with Judas…colored hair； And frowzy pores that taint the ambient air。
These lines wrought the desired effect： Tonson sent the money which Dryden had asked for。 When Dryden died Tonson made overtures to Pope； but the latter soon went over to Tonson's most formidable rival； Bernard Lintot。 On one occasion Pope happened to be writing to both publishers； and by a curious blunder he inclosed to each the letter intended for the other。 In the letter meant for Tonson； he said that Lintot was a scoundrel； and in the letter meant for Lintot he declared that Tonson was an old rascal。 We can fancy how little satisfaction Messrs。 Lintot and Tonson derived from the perusal of these missent epistles。
Andrew Millar was the publisher who had practical charge of the production of Johnson's dictionary。 It seems that Johnson drew out his stipulated honorarium of ei