s, some prefer certain editions
which contain matter suppressed later. Others collect early children's
books, gipsy literature, Egyptology, books on inventions, ballooning,
etc. But most of these are more in the nature of sub-headings to the
subjects in our list, and offer a more restricted field of collecting.
Indeed I am in some doubt as to whether the large-paper collector should
be included here, for his penchant is as far removed from true
book-collecting as is that of the specialist in bindings. His hobby can
have nothing to do with literature, since it is only the external
characteristics of a book which appeal to him. He may be 'wise in his
generation,' but his pursuit approaches closely to bibliomania. This
objection may perhaps also be urged against one other subject in our
list, namely, privately-printed books. But here there is an ulterior
interest beyond the mere singularity of their production; for there are
very many books of great merit, chiefly memoirs and family histories,
which their authors have designed, from personal and contemporary
reasons, to come only into the hands of their own families and
acquaintances.

So here is your list, reader, take your choice. But perchance you are
already numbered among the elect, one of those _magi_ among bibliophiles
who are at once the despair of the booksellers and the wise men of their
generation? Is it not to the specialists that we owe the bulk of our
knowledge of old books--for who else is it that produce the
bibliographies, numerous but not nearly numerous enough, that delight the
heart of the collector? All praise to them, and, brother bibliophile, if
you are not yet of their number in heart at least, read through the
foregoing list once more and put a mark with your pencil against the
heading which is most to your taste. If you do not see your chosen
subject at once, a scrutiny will probably discover it for you included in
another and wider subject.[74] For example, Astronomy and Astrology,
inseparably bound up in the ancient works, are included in the heading
'Occult.' Herbals, which deal with the medicinal qualities of plants, you
will find under 'Medical.'

Is your purse a long one? Would you not like to garner folios and quartos
with weird and heavy types that speak of a craft yet in its infancy;
books that perchance have seen or even been handled by the actual
combatants of Barnet or of Bosworth Field; books with monstrous crude yet
wholly delightf