The Enemies of Books

ae, L, e, <:>, OE, </>, '0, and n "Larsen" encodes. eS = superscripted e (16th cent. english on p9 needs proofed!) <oe > denotes words in 'olde englishe font' "Emphasis" italics_ have a * mark. Footnotes [#] have not been re-numbered, they are moved to EOParagraph. Greek letters are encoded in <gr > brackets, and the letters are based on Adobe's Symbol font.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

FIRE.

Libraries destroyed by Fire.--Alexandrian.--St. Paul's destruction of MSS., Value of.--Christian books destroyed by Heathens.--Heathen books destroyed by Christians.--Hebrew books burnt at Cremona.--Arabic books at Grenada.--Monastic libraries.--Colton library.--Birmingham riots.--Dr. Priestley's library.--Lord Mansfield's books.--Cowper. --Strasbourg library bombarded.--Offor Collection burnt.--Dutch Church library damaged.--Library of Corporation of London.

CHAPTER II.

WATER.

Heer Hudde's library lost at sea.--Pinelli's library captured by Corsairs.--MSS. destroyed by Mohammed II--Books damaged by rain.--Woffenbuttel.--Vapour and Mould.--Brown stains.--Dr. Dibdin.--Hot water pipes.--Asbestos fire.--Glass doors to bookcases.

CHAPTER III.

GAS AND HEAT.

Effects of Gas on leather.--Necessitates re-binding.--Bookbinders.--Electric light.--British Museum.--Treatment of books.--Legend of Friars and their books.

CHAPTER IV.

DUST AND NEGLECT.

Books should have gilt tops.--Old libraries were neglected.--Instance of a College library.--Clothes brushed in it.--Abuses in French libraries.--Derome's account of them.--Boccaccio's story of library at the Convent of Mount Cassin.

CHAPTER V.

IGNORANCE AND BIGOTRY.

Destruction of Books at the Reformation.--Mazarin library.--Caxton used to light the fire.--Library at French Protestant Church, St. Martin's-le-Grand.--Books stolen.--Story of books from Thonock Hall.--Boke of St. Albans.--Recollet Monks of Antwerp.--Shakespearian "find."--Black-letter books used in W.C.--Gesta Romanorum.--Lansdowne collection.--Warburton.--Tradesman and rare book.--Parish Register.--Story of Bigotry by M. Muller.--Clergymen destroy books.--Patent Office sell books for waste.

CHAPTER VI.

THE BOOKWORM.

Doraston.--Not so destructive as of yore.--Worm won't eat parchment.--Pierre Petit's poem.--Hooke's account and image.--Its natural history neglected.--Various sorts--Attempts to breed Bookworms.--Greek worm.--Havoc made by worms.--Bodleian and Dr. Bandinel.--"Dermestes."--Worm won't eat modern paper.--America comparatively free.--Worm-hole at Philadelphia.

CHAPTER VII.

OTHER VERMIN.

Black-beetle in American libraries.--germanica.--Bug Bible.--Lepisma. --Codfish.--Skeletons of Rats in Abbey library, Westminster.--Niptus hololeucos.--Tomicus Typographicus.--House flies injure books.

CHAPTER VIII.

BOOKBINDERS.

A good binding gives pleasure.--Deadly effects of the "plough" as used by binders.--Not confined to bye-gone times.--Instances of injury.--De Rome, a good binder but a great cropper.--Books "hacked."--Bad lettering--Treasures in book-covers.--Books washed, sized, and mended.--"Cases" often Preferable to re-binding.

CHAPTER IX.

COLLECTORS.

Bagford the biblioclast.--Illustrations torn from MSS.--Title-pages torn from books.--Rubens, his engraved titles.--Colophons torn out of books.--Lincoln Cathedral--Dr. Dibdin's Nosegay.--Theurdanck.--Fragments of MSS.--Some libraries almost useless.--Pepysian.--Teylerian.--Sir Thomas Phillipps.

CHAPTER X.

SERVANTS AND CHILDREN.

Library invaded for the purpose of dusting.--Spring clean.---Dust to be got rid of.--Ways of doing so.--Carefulness praised.--Bad nature of certain books--Metal clasps and rivets.--How to dust.--Children often injure books.--Examples.--Story of boys in a country library.