登陆注册
14720400000005

第5章 ELZEVIRS(3)

coveted. In an early edition of the 'Manuel' (1821) Brunet says, with a feigned brutality (for he dearly loved an Elzevir), "Till now I have disdained to admit this book into my work, but I have yielded to the prayers of amateurs. Besides, how could I keep out a volume which was sold for one hundred and one francs in 1819?" One hundred and one francs! If I could only get a 'Pastissier' for one hundred and one francs! But our grandfathers lived in the Bookman's Paradise. "Il n'est pas jusqu'aux Anglais," adds Brunet--"the very English themselves--have a taste for the 'Pastissier.'" The Duke of Marlborough's copy was actually sold for 1 pound 4s. It would have been money in the ducal pockets of the house of Marlborough to have kept this volume till the general sale of all their portable property at which our generation is privileged to assist. No wonder the 'Pastissier' was thought rare. Berard only knew two copies.

Pietiers, writing on the Elzevirs in 1843, could cite only five 'Pastissiers,' and in his 'Annales' he had found out but five more.

Willems, on the other hand, enumerates some thirty, not including Motteley's. Motteley was an uncultivated, untaught enthusiast. He knew no Latin, but he had a FLAIR for uncut Elzevirs. "Incomptis capillis," he would cry (it was all his lore) as he gloated over his treasures. They were all burnt by the Commune in the Louvre Library.

A few examples may be given of the prices brought by 'Le Pastissier'

in later days. Sensier's copy was but 128 millimetres in height, and had the old ordinary vellum binding,--in fact, it closely resembled a copy which Messrs. Ellis and White had for sale in Bond Street in 1883. The English booksellers asked, I think, about 1,500francs for their copy. Sensier's was sold for 128 francs in April, 1828; for 201 francs in 1837. Then the book was gloriously bound by Trautz-Bauzonnet, and was sold with Potier's books in 1870, when it fetched 2,910 francs. At the Benzon sale (1875) it fetched 3,255francs, and, falling dreadfully in price, was sold again in 1877 for 2,200 francs. M. Dutuit, at Rouen, has a taller copy, bound by Bauzonnet. Last time it was sold (1851) it brought 251 francs. The Duc de Chartres has now the copy of Pieters, the historian of the Elzevirs, valued at 3,000 francs.

About thirty years ago no fewer than three copies were sold at Brighton, of all places. M. Quentin Bauchart had a copy only 127millimetres in height, which he swopped to M. Paillet. M.

Chartener, of Metz, had a copy now bound by Bauzonnet which was sold for four francs in 1780. We call this the age of cheap books, but before the Revolution books were cheaper. It is fair to say, however, that this example of the 'Pastissier' was then bound up with another book, Vlacq's edition of 'Le Cuisinier Francois,' and so went cheaper than it would otherwise have done. M. de Fontaine de Resbecq declares that a friend of his bought six original pieces of Moliere's bound up with an old French translation of Garth's 'Dispensary.' The one faint hope left to the poor book collector is that he may find a valuable tract lurking in the leaves of some bound collection of trash. I have an original copy of Moliere's 'Les Fascheux' bound up with a treatise on precious stones, but the bookseller from whom I bought it knew it was there! That made all the difference.

同类推荐
  • The Soul of the Far East

    The Soul of the Far East

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 家世旧闻

    家世旧闻

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 七颂堂词绎

    七颂堂词绎

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 妇人子嗣门

    妇人子嗣门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • MENO II

    MENO II

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 请保持安全距离

    请保持安全距离

    如果赵子期是扫把星,那么她唯一祸害到的人也就是顾挽白了吧。第一次相遇:车祸。第二次相遇:车祸后遗症导致的腿断。第三次相遇:飞机出故障。但是顾挽白对赵子期真是不离不弃啊,到了最后,变成了赵子期往人家身上贴。顾挽白摸着赵子期的头,轻飘飘的道:“没关系,谁让你每次都祸害我,也该我祸害你了。”
  • 我是叶良辰

    我是叶良辰

    我叫叶良辰不错!我就是叶良辰。叶良辰的“叶”,叶良辰的“良”,叶良辰的“辰”。从生下来的那一刻起,良辰就知道,良辰注定是不平凡的,总有一天良辰会在芸芸众生里脱颖而出。
  • 斯泰尔斯庄园奇案

    斯泰尔斯庄园奇案

    本书构思十分精巧,情节曲折离奇,往往使人感到异峰突起,天外飞来,却又丝丝入扣,合情合理。波洛严谨的逻辑推理,使案情分析令人信服,并能引人入胜。复杂的悬念布局,紧扣读者的心弦,让人不由自主随着书中的主人公观察、探索、分析和判断案件的发展,甚至还会误入“歧途”;而结局又出人意料,但偏偏论证确凿。
  • 乾元劫

    乾元劫

    东皇钟、乾坤壶、昊天塔、昆仑镜、天机印、轩辕剑、盘古斧、女娲石、伏羲琴、神农鼎,这十大神器自诞生以来就守护九州,压制九夷!上古人类智慧的结晶——九天算尺,便是找到十大神器的钥匙!乾元劫,《天衍》记载:乾元之劫,始于朝阳之曦!到底十大神器拥有怎么的秘密和力量?九天算尺作为上古人类智慧的结晶,其真正的功用是什么?乾元劫又将如何?一切尽在《乾元劫》!——————————————————————————————新书上传,求收藏!
  • 明末之风雨飘摇

    明末之风雨飘摇

    俗话说得天下容易,守天下难。自古开国之君,出百死,得一生,故知创业之难,无不殚精竭虑,励精图治。然而后继之君,多骄奢,享富贵,不能居安思危,以致祸患积酿,无力回天者,比比皆是。本书借天启、崇祯两朝的皇宫内事,着重描述明熹宗与明思宗,以及其后宫与众臣只见错综复杂的关系,本书会尽可能地尊重历史事实,但也不乏增添一些趣味神话传说。
  • 玄玄戒

    玄玄戒

    修真世界的强者重生在都市,古武,异能,鬼怪,僵尸,道士,蛊师,吸血鬼,狼人,圣殿骑士,神圣祭祀。一个个不为人所知的人群逐渐出现,将在这都市中,上演怎样的故事?
  • TFBOYS之我是你的四叶草

    TFBOYS之我是你的四叶草

    TFBOYS是现在当红的一个组合,我想让他们的小说流传出去,让更多人认识他们,(作品标签貌似选错了)
  • 漂洋过海来修仙

    漂洋过海来修仙

    看一代历经坎坷的警校大学生少年,漂洋过海来到武士,魔法师的世界,战魔兵,落天使,几经周转终修炼成仙。透、凡间浮华本质,破、红尘计谋人心;斩、荆棘不平乱世,创、升平秀海大千。
  • 他是皇子我是丫头:樱桃语

    他是皇子我是丫头:樱桃语

    我并不想飞上枝头变凤凰,如果不是为了帮阿玛脱罪,我宁可守着芦苇花,做一个乡下傻丫头。我这个迷糊脑袋要在深宫中生存还真不容易!还好有个他,堂堂皇子保护一个丫头简直易如反掌。都说宫中的女人命薄,难道他的爱都是泡沫吗?年华易过红颜易老,做到大宫女又能如何?奈何桥彼岸花,怪只怪,他是皇子我是丫头。
  • 魂控浩瀚

    魂控浩瀚

    一个立志要拯救苍生的少年,他是未来的皇者?还是他人手中的棋子!一本封印着无数强者的宝典,它是修士的坟墓?还是迈入成功的秘匙!且看乔楚如何笑傲天地,与幕后黑手斗智斗勇。一切精彩尽在魂控浩瀚。