Ut vidi, ut perii—ut me malus abstulit error!
[441] Let us again quote a stanza from the 'Aspirant:'
FOURTH MAXIM.
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Who in all copies finds delight— The wrong not scenting from the right— And, with a choiceless appetite, Just comes to feed, ... like Soph, or Templar, Out on his iron stomach!—we Have rarities we merely see, Nor taste our Phœnix though it be ... Serv'd up in the "Unique Exemplar," Bibliosophia, p. v. |
One of the most curious proofs of the seductive popularity of unique copies may be drawn from the following excerpt from a catalogue of a Library sold at Utrecht in 1776; which was furnished me by Mr. H. Ellis from a copy of the catalogue in the possession of Mr. Cayley of the Augmentation Office.
NO. 6870. Les Avantures de Telemaque, 8o. Rotterd. av. fig. en cart. 'Cet exemplaire est tout barbouillé. Mais il est de la main de la jeune Princesse Wilhelmine Auguste de Saxe-Weimar, qui y a appris le François en 1701!!!'
I will mention a unique copy of a somewhat different cast of character. Of the magnificent and matchless edition of Shakspeare, printed by Mr. Bulmer and published by Mr. Nicols, between the years 1790 and 1805, there were one hundred copies, of the first six plays only, struck off upon imperial folio, or Colombier paper; in which the large engravings, published at the Shakspeare Gallery (now the British Institution) might be incorporated and bound up. The late George Steevens undertook the revision of the text, intending to complete the entire plays in a similar form; but the trouble and expense attending this part of the undertaking were so great that the further prosecution of it was abandoned. Mr. Bulmer preserved the whole of the proof-sheets of this partial Colombier impression; and to form a 'unique edition' (these are his own words) he bound them up in the exact order in which the plays were printed. On the margins of many of the sheets, besides the various corrections, emendations, and notes to the printer, by Mr. Steevens, there are some original sonnets, a scene for a burlesque tragedy, and other happy effusions from the pen of the same elegant and learned editor. Need I ask the reader, whether he would have the barbouillé (unique) copy of Telemaque of the young Princesse Wilhelmine Auguste de Saxe-Weimar (like the Vicar of Wakefield, I like to give the full name) or Mr. Bulmer's similar copy of Shakspeare? The difference would soon be found in King Street or the Strand! I must mention one more example—of a nature different from both the preceding—of what Lysander has above, elaborately, and perhaps, a little confusedly, described as unique copies. It is Colonel Stanley's copy of De Bry (see a superb one before noticed) which is bound in seven folio volumes, in blue morocco, by Padaloup, and is considered superior to every known copy. It contains all the maps and prints, with their variations, according to the Bibliographie Instructive, no. 4230, Cat. de Paris de Meyzieu, 1790; no. 486, Cat. de Santander, no. 3690; and Camus sur les Collections des Grands et Petits Voyages, 1802, 4to.: with both editions of the first nine parts of the West Indies, and duplicates of parts x. and xi. It has also a considerable number of duplicate plates, where a superior impression could be procured at any expense. The owner of this unique copy, of a work unrivalled for its utility and elegance, is distinguished for a noble collection, bound by our choicest binders, in whatever is splendid and precious in the Belles Lettres, Voyages, and Travels. Take two more illustrations, kind-hearted reader!——Goldsmith's Deserted Village, 1802. Mr. Bulmer printed a single copy of this beautiful poem, in quarto, upon satin—picked and prepared in a very curious manner. It was purchased by a foreigner. His impressions upon vellum are noticed, [post].——Falconer's Shipwreck, 1804, 8vo. Mr. Miller caused two copies only (is is almost unique!) of this beautiful edition, printed by Bensley, to be struck off upon satin, in imperial 8vo. One of these copies now remains with him for sale.
[442] The passage, above alluded to, is as follows:
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At ev'ry auction, bent on fresh supplies, He cons his catalogue with anxious eyes: Where'er the slim Italics mark the page, Curious and rare his ardent mind engage. The Bibliomania; v. 54. |
[443] A slight mention of Mons. Berryer, the father-in-law of Lamoignon, is made at [p. 84], ante. The reader is here presented with a more finished portrait of this extraordinary bibliomaniac: a portrait, which will excite his unbounded admiration, if not envy!—for such a careful and voluptuous collector, in regard to binding, was, I believe, never before known; nor has he been since eclipsed. 'M. Berryer, successivement Secrétaire d'Etat au Département de la Marìne, Ministre, puis Garde des Sceaux de France, s'étoit occupé pendant près de quarante années à se former un cabinet des plus beaux livres grecs et latins, anciennes éditions, soit de France, soit des pays étrangers, &c. Par un soin et une patience infatigables, à l'aide de plusieurs coopérateurs éclairés, savans même en Bibliographie, qui connoissoient ses études, délassement de ses places, il avoit recueilli les plus belles éditions; de telle sorte qu'il a toujours su se procurer un exemplaire parfait de chaque édition par un moyen simple quoique dispendieux. Si les Catalogues des ventes publiques lui apprenoient qu'il existoit un exemplaire plus beau, plus grand de marge, mieux conservé, de tout auteur, &c., que celui qu'il possédoit, il le fasoit acquérir sans s'embarrasser du prix, et il se défaisoit à perte de l'exemplaire moins beau. La majeure partie des auteurs anciens et modernes de son cabinet a été changée huit ou dix fois de cette manière. Il ne s'arrêtoit qu'après s'être assuré qu'il avoit le plus bel exemplaire connu, soit pour la marge, soit pour la force du papier, soit pour la magnificence de la conservation et de la relieure.' 'A l'égard des ouvrages d'editions modernes, même celles faites en pays étranger, M. Berryer vouloit les avoir en feuilles: il en faisoit choisir, dans plusieurs exemplaires, un parfait, et il le faisoit relier en maroquin de choix; le Ministere de la Marìne qu'il avoit rempli, lui ayant donné toutes les facilités d'en être abondamment et fidèlement pourvu dans toutes les Echelles du Levant. On collationnoit ensuite pour vérifier s' il n'y avoit ni transposition, ni omission de feuilles ou de pages?!!' Cat. M. Lamoignon, 1791. pref. p. ij. iij. Berryer was slightly copied by Caillard (of whom see [p. 76], ante) in the luxury of book-binding. 'M. Caillard avoit le soin de faire satiner presque tous livres qu'il faisoit relier, et principalement les grands ouvrages; qu'il est difficile d'avoir parfaitement reliés sans ce precedé.' Cat. de Caillard; p. x. (avertisement.) But I know not whether Caillard did not catch the phrensy from the elder Mirabeau. In the catalogue of his books, p. ii., we are thus told of him:—'l'acquisition d'un beau livre lui causoit des transports de joie inexprimables: il l'examinoit, l'admiriot: il vouloit que chacun partagêat avec lui le même enthousiasme.' His biographer properly adds: 'De quelle surprise n'auroit-on pas été, si l'on eût su que c'etoit la le même homme qui, du haut de la tribune, faisoit trembler les despotes et les factieux!' Ponder here, gentle reader, upon the effects of a beautiful book! Let no one, however, imagine that we grave Englishmen are averse or indifferent to 'le luxe de la relieure'!! No: at this present moment, we have the best bookbinders in Europe; nor do we want good authority for the encouragement of this fascinating department relating to the Bibliomania. Read here what Mr. Roscoe hath so eloquently written in commendation of it: 'A taste for the exterior decoration of books has lately arisen in this country, in the gratification of which no small share of ingenuity has been displayed; but if we are to judge of the present predilection for learning by the degree of expense thus incurred, we must consider it as greatly inferior to that of the Romans during the times of the first Emperors, or of the Italians at the 15th century. And yet it is, perhaps, difficult to discover why a favourite book should not be as proper an object of elegant ornament as the head of a cane, the hilt of a sword, or the latchet of a shoe.' Lorenzo de Medici; vol. ii., 79, 8vo. edition. Did Geyler allude to such bibliomaniacs in the following sentence? Sunt qui libros inaurant et serica tegimenta apponunt preciosa et superba. Grandis hæc fatuitas! Navicula, sive Speculum Fatuorum; (Navis Stultifera) sign. B. v. rev.