THE ENEMIES OF BOOKS By William Blades _Revised and Enlarged by the Author_ SECOND EDITION LONDON ELLIOT STOCK, 62 PATERNOSTER ROW 1888 Transcriber's Note: 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.