Some Aspects of Bibliography. By John Ferguson. (George P. Johnston,
Edinburgh )— We have never seen a more frank and serenely confident assertion that the one thing which, from the collector's point of view, does not concern a book's value is its contents. We are quite tolerant of this view. Our own is naturally different, but we quite appreciate Mr. Ferguson's, that "there are precious books that no one would dream of reading." It is true that this preciousness is apt to fluctuate. Where are now the Elzevirs on which so much money was spent fifty years ago ? The writer of this notice bought some years ago for 85. 6d. a parcel of folio classics which had fetched at the beginning of the century about £12. But, then, it may be said, the literary value fluctuates also. That, too, is true—in a way. But the really good things remain steadfast, whereas of the really good, in the book-collector's view, there are but very few. Some day the first edition of "The Compleat Angler" may go for a .E5 note,— infan.dum dictu. Meanwhile la us put up with each other's tastes.
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