Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

98 BIBLIOMANIA.
d'Abrantes); the classics edited by Mait- on blue vellum paper, with golden letters
taire, Foulis, Barbou, Brindley, and oth- 2. YJkagna Charta, London, Whitaker,
ers, and the celebrated Bipont editions; 1816, folio, three copies upon purplewith others.-It was more customary in colored vellum, with golden letters; also,
former times than at present to make books printed from copperplates. Catacollections of books which have some- logues of these have been made by Peigthing remarkable in their history; e. g., not and others. —In France and England,
books which have become very scarce, the bibliomania often extends to the bindand such as have been prohibited. Of ing. In France, the bindings of Derome
the first sort, the collections of Engel and and Bozerian are most valued; in EngSalthon were formerly among the most land, those of Charles Lewis and Roger
considerable. The one at Dresden is Payne, several specinmens of whose skill
among the largest now existing. Books are to be seen in the library of lord Spendistinguished for remarkable mutilations cer; among others, the Glasgow edition
have also been eagerly sought for. Those of YEschylus; 1795, the binding of which
which appeared in the infancy of typog- cost ~16 7s. sterling. Payne is said to
raphy, called incunabula, fiom the Lat- have sometimes received from 20 to 30
in cunce, a cradle, principally the first guineas for binding a single volume.
editions (editiones principes) of the an- This species of luxury is carried to such
cient classics, are still in general request. a height in London, that a copy of MlIackMIuch of the value of a book, in the eyes of lin's Bible (4 vols. in folio), in red or blue
a bibliomanist, depends upon the material morocco leather, costs 75 guineas, and
of which it is composed. An enormous Boydell's large edition of Shakspeare
price is frequently given for splendid proof (9 vols. with large engravings) ~132 sterimnpressions of copperplate engravings, and ling. Even the edges of books are often
for colored impressions, for works adorned adorned with fine paintings. Many dewith miniatures and illuminated initial let- vices have been adopted to give a factitious
ters; likewise for such as are printed upon value to bindings. Jeffery, a London
vellum. (The most considerable collec- bookseller, had Fox's History of King
tion of vellum cdpies was sold at auction, James II bound in fox-skin, in allusion to
in 1815, at the sale of M1'Carthy's books, the name of the author; and the famous
in Paris. A bibliographical work upon English bibliomanist Askew even lad a
this subject is now preparing by van Praet, book bound in human skin. In the liin Paris.) —Works printed upon paper of brary of the castle of KvInigsberg are 20
uncommon materials (e. g., (Ewuvres du books bound in silver (commonly called.Marquis de Villeto, Lond. 1786, 16mo.), or the silver librar.'.) These are richly
various substitutes for paper (e. g., E. adorned with large and beautifully enBruckmann's Natural History ofAsbestos, graved gold plates, in the middle and on
upon paper made of asbestos, Brunswick, the corners. To the exterior decorations
1727. 4to.), have been much sought after; of books belongs the bordering of the
likewise those printed upon colored pa- pages with single or double lines, drawn
per. In Italy, the color of books of this with the pen (exemplaire regle), commonsort is commonly blue; in France, rose- ly of red color-a custom which we find
color; in some ancient German books, the adopted in the early age of printing, in the
color is yellow; sometimes, though rarely, works printed by Stephens. The custom
green. A list of books of this class is to of coloring engravings has been dropped,
be found in Peignot's Repertoire des Bib- except in cases where the subject partieuliographies speciales, Paris, 1810.-Other larly requires it (for instance, in works
books, inhighesteemamongbibliomanists, on natural history, or the costumes of
are those which are printed on large pa- different nations), because the colors conper, with very wide margins. True bib- ceal the delicacy of the engraving. On
liomanists often measure the margin by this account, the colored copies of Durer's
inches and lines. In English advertise- wood-cuts are esteemed less than those
mnents of rare books, some one is often which are left uncolored. The other
mentioned as particularly valuable on ac- means of idle competition being almost
count of its being 6" a tall copy." If the all exhausted, the bibliomanists have lateleaves happen to be uncut, the value of the ly hit upon the idea of enriching many
copy is much enhanced.-Other works, works by the addition of engravings, ilhighly valued by bibliomanists, are those lustrative indeed of the text of the book,
which are printed with letters of gold or but not particularly called for, and of presilver, or ink of singular color; e. g., 1. paring only single copies. Thus LongBFusti A~apolionei, Paris, 1804, 4to., a copy man, in London, offera an illustrated copy