Œuvres de Destouches. 5 vols. 12mo.
The Works of Sir William Temple. 4 vols. 8vo.
The Works of Jonathan Swift. 24 vols. 12mo.
Dr. Johnson recommended the following list of books to the Rev. Mr. Astle, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, as a good working collection:—
Rollin's Ancient History.
Universal History (Ancient).
Puffendorf's Introduction to History.
Vertot's History of the Knights of Malta.
Vertot's Revolutions of Portugal.
Vertot's Revolutions of Sweden.
Carte's History of England.
Present State of England.
Geographical Grammar.
Prideaux's Connection.
Nelson's Feasts and Fasts.
Duty of Man.
Gentleman's Religion.
Clarendon's History.
Watts's Improvement of the Mind.
Watts's Logick.
Nature Displayed.
Lowth's English Grammar.
Blackwall on the Classicks.
Sherlock's Sermons.
Burnet's Life of Hale.
Dupin's History of the Church.
Shuckford's Connection.
Law's Serious Call.
Walton's Complete Angler.
Sandys's Travels.
Sprat's History of the Royal Society.
England's Gazetteer.
Goldsmith's Roman History.
Some Commentaries on the Bible.
It is curious to notice in both these lists how many of the books are now quite superseded.
In another place Boswell tells us what were Johnson's views on book collecting. "When I mentioned that I had seen in the King's Library sixty-three editions of my favourite Thomas à Kempis, amongst which it was in eight languages, Latin, German, French, Italian, Spanish, English, Arabick, and Armenian, he said he thought it unnecessary to collect many editions of a book, which were all the same, except as to the paper and print; he would have the original, and all the translations, and all the editions which had any variations in the text. He approved of the famous collection of editions of Horace by Douglas, mentioned by Pope, who is said to have had a closet filled with them; and he said every man should try to collect one book in that manner, and present it to a Publick Library."
Dr. Johnson's notion as to the collection of editions which are alike except in the point of paper is scarcely sound, but it has been held by a librarian of the present day, as I know to my cost. On one occasion I was anxious to see several copies of the first folio of Shakespeare (1623), and I visited a certain library which possessed more than one. The librarian expressed the opinion that one was quite sufficient for me to see, as "they were all alike."
The possessor of a Private Library can act as a censor morum and keep out of his collection any books which offend against good morals, but this role is one which is unfit for the librarian of a Public Library. He may put difficulties in the way of the ordinary reader seeing such books, but nevertheless they should be in his library for the use of the student. A most amusing instance of misapplied zeal occurred at the Advocates' Library on the 27th June, 1754. The Minutes tell the tale in a way that speaks for itself and requires no comment. "Mr. James Burnet [afterwards Lord Monboddo], and Sir David Dalrymple [afterwards Lord Hailes], Curators of the Library, having gone through some accounts of books lately bought, and finding therein the three following French books: Les Contes de La Fontaine, L'Histoire Amoureuse des Gaules and L'Ecumoire, they ordain that the said books be struck out of the Catalogue of the Library, and removed from the shelves, as indecent books, unworthy of a place in a learned Library."
At a Conference of Representatives of Institutions in Union with the Society of Arts held in July, 1855, the question of the compilation of a Catalogue of Books fitted for the Libraries of Institutions was raised, and shortly afterwards was published, under the sanction of the Council, "A Handbook of Mechanics' Institutions, with Priced Catalogue of Books suitable for Libraries, and Periodicals for Reading Rooms, by W.H.J. Traice." A second edition of this book was published in 1863. The list, however, is not now of much use, as many of the books have been superseded. Theology and Politics are not included in the classification.