Each to his taste; our book-hunter
for his part needs no second-rate illustrations to help him visualise the
glories of Childe Harold or Don Juan; and he has long since confined his
Grangerising to the sparing addition of finely engraved portraits to
biographical volumes.

FOOTNOTES:

[44] With regard to these cases, the collector will use his own judgment
as to whether they be of the 'slip-in' variety, by which means the
binding is rubbed every time that he withdraws and inserts his volume;
whether such cases be lined with velvet, and roomy enough to obviate this
friction; or whether they shall open with a flap at the side.

[45] If you are interested in the pedigrees of your volumes (by which we
mean the identification of their previous owners) you will find M.
Guigard's 'Nouvel Armorial du Bibliophile,' octavo, Paris, 1890, useful
where armorial bindings are concerned. It is an interesting volume, and
appeared first of all in four parts (large octavo, Paris), between 1870
and 1872. There are cuts of every coat of arms identified, but these are
almost entirely French. Mr. Cyril Davenport's 'English Heraldic
Book-stamps' was published in large octavo, in 1909. For early
book-plates you must consult the numerous works upon this subject that
have appeared in recent years. An excellent series of articles entitled
"Books on Book-plates," by F.C.P., appeared in 'The Bookman's Journal and
Print Collector' between February and July, 1920 (Nos. 15-18, 20-23, 25,
34, and 40). There is also 'A Bibliography of Book-Plates,' by Messrs.
Fincham and Brown, in which the plates are arranged chronologically. The
Ex-Libris Society issues a journal, and there are numerous other volumes
upon this subject, which you will find mentioned in Mr. Courtney's
'Register of National Bibliography.'

[46] Canto xviii.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VI

THE CARE OF BOOKS--(_Continued_)

'In the name of Christ all men I pray,
No wight this book doth carry away,
By force or theft or any deceit.
Why not? Because no treasure so sweet
As my books, which the grace of Christ display.'
(_Written in Latin hexameters at the end of
the Leechbook of Bald._)

THERE can be no subject of such prime importance to the collector as the
housing of his books. In most cases the books themselves have small say
in the matter, for a certain room in the house is allotted to them
without a