There is yet another byway of book-collecting which we must study before we may graduate in book-lore. To the uninitiated the word 'bibliography' conveys little more than a mere writing about books. But it is a vast study, and, if we are to become proficient in it, one that will occupy us for many years.
For the specialist there is no more delightful pursuit than the compilation of a bibliography upon the subject of his choice. Not only will it give him a sound bibliographical knowledge of the books which he desires and hopes ultimately to possess, but it will enable him to collate immediately every volume that he acquires. It will also open up a new field of interest for the young collector, for he will be constrained to study books from their material aspect; and with a knowledge of the 'natural history' of the book will come a regard for the well-being of his volumes. So also will he be brought into touch with modern methods of bibliography, and he will certainly find an additional interest in his books.
The main objects of bibliography are, briefly, to determine
(i) Whether a book is genuine.
(ii) Whether it is complete and perfect.
(iii) Whether it is in its original condition, i.e. as it issued from the press.
(iv) Whether it has been made up by the insertion of leaves or quires from another copy or edition.
(v) To provide a standard collation (i.e. an accurate description of the book in its original state) with which other copies may be compared. For the purpose of the specialist we may add
(vi) To provide a bibliographical catalogue of those books in which he is especially interested.
All this may sound very simple, but it must be borne in mind that where no standard collation is available, the only method of providing one is by a diligent, thorough, and precise study of the leaves, quires, watermarks and 'make up' of a number of copies. As these things frequently vary considerably in different copies of the same book, the task of standardising a collation is by no means an easy one. The difficulties that beset one in the case of early-printed books are immense; but with the inconstancies of incunabula we are not concerned here.
