Book Collecting: A Guide for AmateursSlater, J. Herbert (John Herbert)
History
Book Collecting: A Guide for Amateurs
Slater, J. Herbert (John Herbert)
Book collecting
One of the most beautiful little books ever issued from the Elzevir or
any other press is the _Caesar_ of 1635, which, on referring to the
table, we shall see must have been printed by Bonaventure and Abraham at
Leyden.[11] It is in 12mo, and there are no less than three editions,
the first and second being so much alike that no one could detect the
difference without the most careful of careful inspections. The "right"
_Caesar_ is the first, and may be recognised from the Buffalo's Head on a
scroll at the head of the dedication. Pages 149, 335, and 475 are
misprinted 153, 345, and 375 respectively in the first edition, and
there are 35 lines to the page. The second edition, which has not,
pecuniarily speaking, a tenth part of the value, has 37 lines to the
page, and the misprints are corrected. Another fine work, the _Comediae_
of Terence, Leyden, 1635, 12mo, passed through five editions, all of
which are very much alike. The first and "right" edition has, however,
on page 51, the word _laches_ printed in red, while page 101 is
improperly numbered 69. In the second edition _laches_ is in black, in
the fifth it changes to red again, so that the greatest caution has to
be exercised lest the first and fifth editions should be confounded. The
former is worth much more than the latter, as the unfortunate purchaser
will find to his cost when he comes to sell again.
As previously stated, the "good dates" begin from 1625, the year when
Bonaventure and Abraham went into partnership at Leyden, and any books
dated from that year to 1655, when Jean and Daniel dissolved
partnership, are most likely to be of value, provided only the right
edition is forthcoming. Daniel was, however, by far the best printer in
the family, though some make an exception in favour of Bonaventure and
Abraham; and as he continued in business at Amsterdam, either by himself
or in conjunction with Louis from 1655 to 1680, those dates must also be
considered "good". From the Amsterdam press, in 1655, issued that prize
of Elzevir collectors, the _Pastissier Francois_, and the splendid
_Virgil_ of 1676 in _grand_ as well as _petit format_, or as we should
say in English, on large and small paper. The halcyon days of the press
at Leyden date from 1625 to 1655; those of the press at Amsterdam from
1655 to 1680.
It is, of course, impossible for anyone, be he dealer or amateur, to
carry in his head all these details and distinguishing marks, and
reference in cases of doubt will have to be made to Willem's _Les
Elzevier_, a work which has superseded all others on the subject. With
this book at hand it is difficult to go wrong, as the minutest points of
difference are chronicled with great fidelity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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