John Hill Burton (1809–1881)

somewhat typical 19th century writing, flowery, double negatives, slow to get to the point, but with a finely developed dry sense of humor. first part-describes types of book collectors: 1. archdeacon meadow 2. Fitzpatrick-Smart 3. Inch-rule brewer 4. Lucullus. 5. Papaverius 6. Oldenbuck of Monkbarns. 7. "They (books) were accumulated, in fact, no so much as the owner might have them, as that other people might not." Classification of collectors-either prowlers or auction-hunters. come collectors make it a mission to collect books marked by peculiar mistakes or errors of the press. Grangerites, or extra-illustrators are derided. Heber's creed:"no man can comfortably do without three copies of.a book 1. a show copy 2. for personal use and reference 3. for the service of friends. dislikes reading lists, courses of reading, or any quantity of best books. these are regimens for dwarfing the mind. Dibdin's 'expatiations' are often devoid of interest is he occupied himself in a great measure with rich men, with too much emphasis on only what the book is worth in dollars and a contempt for small things. the book-hunter's main function is to be a feeder for the preservation of literature from age to age. Americana collectors pursue the early history of American settlements, but these scraps have a sadly improvised aspect compared with the luxurious stores attracted from the Old World. a book-hunter must have instinct and passion to help preserve and promulgate literature. Wars and revolutions cause the break-up of great libraries, but this is more often more visible than real, as these books have often been dispersed rather than destroyed. the most useful librarians should have book-hunter qualities, so that they are something other than a worker drone or book-keeper. the success of book clubs like Roxburghe or Grolier is to have more people wanting the book than copies made. very large and boring section on hagiography or the study of saints (pls. 352-417). Overall there are several insightful thoughts and his descriptive names are humorous.… (mer)