ld not
be clerical characteristics, might also be most important, as well to
books as to scholars, who, as often as they perceive defects in books,
should attend to them instantly, for nothing enlarges more quickly than
a rent, as a fracture neglected at the time will afterwards be repaired
with increased trouble."--Philobiblion, p. 101.]

I have recourse to our old friend Monkbarns again for a brilliant
description of the prowler among the book-stalls, in the performance of
the function assigned to him in the dispensation of things,--renewing my
already recorded protest against the legitimacy of the commercial part
of the transaction:--

"'Snuffy Davie bought the game of Chess, 1474, the first book ever
printed in England, from a stall in Holland, for about two groschen, or
twopence of our money. He sold it to Osborne for twenty pounds, and as
many books as came to twenty pounds more. Osborne resold this inimitable
windfall to Dr Askew for sixty guineas. At Dr Askew's sale,' continued
the old gentleman, kindling as he spoke, 'this inestimable treasure
blazed forth in its full value, and was purchased by royalty itself for
one hundred and seventy pounds! Could a copy now occur, Lord only
knows,' he ejaculated, with a deep sigh and lifted-up hands,--'Lord only
knows what would be its ransom!--and yet it was originally secured, by
skill and research, for the easy equivalent of twopence sterling. Happy,
thrice happy, Snuffy Davie!--and blessed were the times when thy
industry could be so rewarded!'"

In such manner is it that books are saved from annihilation, and that
their preservers become the feeders of the great collections in which,
after their value is established, they find refuge; and herein it is
that the class to whom our attention is at present devoted perform an
inestimable service to literature. It is, as you will observe, the
general ambition of the class to find value where there seems to be
none, and this develops a certain skill and subtlety, enabling the
operator, in the midst of a heap of rubbish, to put his finger on those
things which have in them the latent capacity to become valuable and
curious. The adept will at once intuitively separate from its friends
the book that either is or will become curious. There must be something
more than mere rarity to give it this value, although high authorities
speak of the paucity of copies as being everything. David Clement, the
illustrious French bibliograph