Excerpt from The Romance of Book-Collecting Extraordinary proceedings that took place at the sale of the books of Richard Davis, an ancient bookseller of Oxford, who had fallen into the clutches of the bailiffs. The auctioneer commences with a dirge said, or perhaps sung, over the miser able Davis O the vanity of human wishes O the changeableness of fate and its settled unkind ness to us, ' etc. Each book is extolled at length, and there are pages of lamentation and woe as Hobbes of Malmesbury, his Leviathan, a very large and famous beast, ' is knocked down, by mis take, for the miserable sum of five pieces of silver. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Book Fancier: Or, the Romance of Book Collecting Within the last few years there has been a revival of the old and elegant taste of the book-fancier, as well as of that passion or faith which is described with such amiable enthusiasm in the little tract of the worthy Bishop Richard of Bury. The history and pedigree of books, of printers, &c., has always been a favourite study with the learned, attested by the profound and scholarly treatises of the Panzers, Hains, de Bures, Brunets, and our own Lowndes. But this subject has its popular graces also, and there is a sort of romantic interest attached to all that is associated with books - the rare old edition, the old printer, the blear-eyed collector, the binder, the sale, and the stray survivor of a whole edition, by some miracle preserved to our time. These topics seemed to kindle such writers as the late Dr. Hill Burton - perhaps the first in our time to deal popularly with such matters; Mr. Andrew Lang being the latest to illustrate this subject from his abundant stores of knowledge. Having from the earliest date had a taste for this fascinating pursuit - and when a boy I formed a very respectable collection of Elzevirs, and looked on auction days as festivals - I have ventured to add my contribution to the rest. This little volume will be found to contain many curious and interesting things not readily accessible, and deals in some fashion with almost everything that is connected with "book." About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

"The Romance of Book-Collecting" by J. Herbert Slater. Slater, an avid book collector himself, leads readers on a literary trip that goes deep into the hearts and minds of those who are enthralled by the written word. Slater unravels the enthralling stories of legendary book collectors and their amazing discoveries in this timeless masterpiece, demonstrating the passion and intensity that define their quest. He gives historical context, anecdotes, and insights into why people collect rare and valuable books. Slater's writing not only celebrates the joy of hunting down rare books, but it also creates a clear picture of the bibliophile's real love of literature. He portrays the romance and nostalgia that accompanies the process of obtaining and conserving these treasures, allowing the reader to realize the deep bond that collectors have with their favorite books. "The Romance of Book-Collecting" is more than a guide; it is a sincere ode to books' eternal attraction and allure. It is still treasured by book lovers, providing a glimpse into the realm of bibliophilia that transcends time and connects with anybody who values the written word.

There are plenty of people-in fact, they are in the great majority even among bookish men-who regard antiquated sale-catalogues in the light of so much rubbish, and yet, when intelligently consulted, these memorials of a bygone day not only have their uses, but are positively interesting. Truly enough they are not popular, like the last new novel which, for one reason or another, has taken the town by storm, and it would not pay to reprint a single one of them, even the best or most important that has ever held the frequenters of auction-rooms spell-bound.

Excerpt from An Entire New Collection of Romances and Novels: Never Before Published, Embellished With Ten Elegant Copper-Plates Hifiory of Claris and Laris. A Romance of Chi valry. From a Munufcript in the Poffeflion of Mr. De St. Palaye, and relative to the Hifi'ory of the Twelve Worthies of the round-table. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.