Читать книгу The Amenities of Book-Collecting and Kindred Affections - A. Edward Newton - Страница 5

DR. JOHNSON’S CHURCH, ST. CLEMENT DANES From a pen-and-ink sketch by Charles G. Osgood

From Tregaskis I secured my “Memoirs of George Psalmanazar,” 1764, an interesting book in itself; but its chief value is the signature and note, “Given to H. L. Thrale by Dr. Sam Johnson,” I suppose about 1770. Following Mrs. Thrale’s usual practice, there are scattered through the volume a number of notes and criticisms in her handwriting. It was Psalmanazar, afterwards discovered to be a notorious old scamp, whose apparent piety so impressed Dr. Johnson that he “sought” his company; and of whom he said, “Sir, contradict Psalmanazar! I should as soon think of contradicting a Bishop.”

Side by side with this volume on my shelves stands the “Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa,” a work of sheer imagination if ever there was one.

My “Haunch of Venison,” 1776, in wrappers, uncut, with the rare portrait of Goldsmith drawn by Bunbury (he married Goldsmith’s Little Comedy, it will be remembered), also came from him, as did my “London, A poem in imitation of the third Satire of Juvenal,” and the first edition of the first book on London, Stow’s “Survay,” 1598.

From another source came one of the last books on London, “Our House.” This book, delightful in itself, is especially interesting to me by reason of the personal inscription of its charming and witty writer: “To A.E.N., a welcome visitor to ‘Our House,’ from Elizabeth Robins Pennell.”

Continuing along Holborn citywards, one comes to (and usually passes) the Great Turnstile, a narrow court leading into Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Here is another bookshop that I frequent—Hollings’s—not for the rarest things, but for the choice little bits which seem almost commonplace when you are buying them, and give so much pleasure when you get them safely on your shelves at home. I never spend a few hours with Mr. Redway, the manager, without thinking of the saying of one of our most delightful essayists, Augustine Birrell, who, to our loss, seems to have forsaken literature for politics: “Second-hand booksellers are a race of men for whom I have the greatest respect; … their catalogues are the true textbooks of literature.”

One sometimes has the pleasure of running across some reference in a catalogue to a book of which one has a better or more interesting copy at half the price. For example, I saw quoted in a catalogue the other day at eighty pounds a “Set of the Life of the Prince Consort, in five volumes, with an inscription in each volume in the autograph of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. The first volume being published before Her Majesty was proclaimed Empress of India, she signed as Queen; the other four volumes Her Majesty signed as Queen-Empress.”

In my collection there are seven volumes, the five mentioned above and two additional volumes, the “Speeches and Addresses” and the “Biography of the Prince Consort.” My copies also are signed, but note: the volume of “Speeches and Addresses” has this intensely personal inscription:—

To Major General, the Hon. A. Gordon, in recollection of his great, & good master from the beloved Prince’s broken hearted Widow

Victoria R.

Osborne

Jan: 12. 1863.

The “Biography” has this:—

To Major General, The Hon. Alexander Gordon, C.B. in recollection of his dear Master from the great Prince’s affectionate and sorrowing Widow,

Victoria R.

April, 1867.

Volume one of the “Life” is inscribed:—

To Lieutenant General, The Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon, K.C.B., in recollection of his dear Master, from

Victoria R.

January 1875.

Volume two:—

To Lieut. General, The Hon. Sir Alexander Hamilton Gordon, K.C.B., from

Victoria R.

Dec. 1876.

Volume three:—

To General, The Hon. Sir Alex. H. Gordon, K.C.B., from

Victoria R.I.

Dec. 1877.

The inscriptions in the last three volumes are identical, except for the dates. All are written in the large, flowing hand with which we are familiar, and indicate a declining scale of grief. Time heals all wounds, and as these volumes appear at intervals, grief is finally assuaged and Majesty asserts itself.