y scribble marginalia. Collectors love a clean book, but a book
scrawled on may have other merits. Thackeray's countless caricatures add
a delight to his old school books; the comments of Scott are always to
the purpose; but how few books once owned by great authors come into the
general market. Where is Dr. Johnson's library, which must bear traces
of his buttered toast? Sir Mark Sykes used to record the date and place
of purchase, with the price--an excellent habit. The selling value of a
book may be lowered even by a written owner's name, but many a book,
otherwise worthless, is redeemed by an interesting note. Even the
uninteresting notes gradually acquire an antiquarian value, if
contemporary with the author. They represent the mind of a dead age, and
perhaps the common scribbler is not unaware of this; otherwise he is,
indeed, without excuse. For the great owners of the past, certainly, we
regret that they were so sparing in marginalia. But this should hardly
be considered as an excuse for the petty owners of the present, with
"their most observing thumb."' Mr. Lang is the lucky owner of a copy of
Stoddart's poem, 'The Death Wake' (1831), that singular romantic or
necromantic volume, which wise collectors will purchase when they can.
It is of extreme rarity, and the poetry is no less rare, in the French
manner of 1830. On this specimen Aytoun has written marginalia. Where
the hero's love of arms and dread of death are mentioned, Aytoun has
written 'A rum cove for a Hussar,' and he has added designs of skeletons
and a sonnet to the 'wormy author.' 'A curse! a curse!' shrieks the
poet. 'Certainly, but why and wherefore?' says Aytoun. There is nothing
very precious in his banter; still it is diverting to follow in the
footsteps of the author of 'Ta Phairshon.' Mr. Lang also possesses John
Wilkes' copy of the second edition of 'Theocritus, Bion and Moschus,' in
French, with Eisen's plates; he has Leon Gambetta's copy of the 'Journee
Chretienne,' Collet's copy of his friend Crashaw's 'Steps to the
Temple,' and a copy of Montaigne, with the autograph of Drummond of
Hawthornden.

[Illustration: _The late Frederick Locker-Lampson._

From a Portrait by Mr. Du Maurier.]

The late Frederick Locker-Lampson, whose lamented death occurred whilst
the earlier pages of this book--in which he took much interest--were
passing through the press, was an ideal book-collector. He cared only
for books which were in the most perfect con