which the barbarian writers have denounced the _uncut_,
and have assailed in vigorous but misguided phrases those who prefer
to have their books in that condition. Henry Stevens tells us that
even such a famous collector as James Lenox, founder of the splendid
library into whose magnificent mysteries so few of us dare to
penetrate, was misled by the word _uncut_, and chided Stevens for
buying an _uncut_ book whose pages were all open. He says: 'Again when
his tastes had grown into the mysteries of _uncut_ leaves, he returned
a very rare, early New England tract, expensively bound, because it
did not answer the description of _uncut_ in the invoice, for the
leaves had manifestly been cut open and read.' When it was explained
to him that in England the term _uncut_ signified only that the edges
were not _trimmed_, he shelved the rarity with the remark that he
'learned something every day.' . . . Perhaps the Caxton Club of
Chicago is wise in describing its productions as 'with edges
untrimmed.' Even a Philistine ought to be able to comprehend that
description, although I once knew a man who supposed that a book
'bound in boards' had sides composed of planking."

Dr. Ferriar's satirical lines in his _Second Maxim_ will find
sympathizers among admirers of uncuts:--

Who, with fantastic pruning-hook,
Dresses the borders of his book,
Merely to ornament its look--
Amongst philosophers a fop is:
What if, perchance, he thence discover
Facilities in turning over,
The virtuoso is a lover
Of coyer charms in "uncut copies."

I have been requested to "explain the reason, if there be any, for
leaving leaf-edges fastened [unopened]--even in evanescent
magazines--and why people keep books in this condition, without
looking at the contents." The reason why the binder does not open all
the leaves is that it involves additional labor and expense which the
publisher usually does not care to incur, as it does not essentially
add to the selling value. Indeed, some collectors hesitate to open the
leaves of their books with the paper-knife, for fear that the selling
price would be thereby depreciated. This is an entirely mistaken idea,
though it prevails very generally among those who do not understand
the real meaning of the term "uncut." Most booksellers prefer having
the leaves of the volumes all opened, as many buyers and readers
object to the nuisance of cutting them open. Some of the magazine