The Project Gutenberg EBook of Enemies of Books, by William Blades

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Enemies of Books

Author: William Blades

Posting Date: August 26, 2008 [EBook #1302]
Release Date: May, 1998

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ENEMIES OF BOOKS ***

Produced by Charles Keller

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 Cas