Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1886 — The Classification of Book-Lovers. [ARTICLE]

The Classification of Book-Lovers.

Mr. Sala has lately made a careful division of book-lovers into four classes, and people who enjoy stocking their shelves from time to time will now be able to describe their motives in bookbuying by the use of the terms which Mr. Sala has defined with characteristic illustrations. It is a misfortune that more euphonious terms could not be compounded from the Greek to characterize two of the divisions of the great and growing army of book-lovers, but in the general interest of accuracy and conformity there will be no revolt on the part of those who find themselves described as “bibl.ognostes” and “bibliotaphe.” According to Mr. Sala, “book-lovers are either bibliognostes, bibliomanes, bibliophiles, or bibliotaphes. The biblioguoste is learned in title-pages and editions, presses, and places of issue. He knows by heart the criteria of every editio princeps; he has Brunet and Dibdin at his fingers’ ends, and can tell you at once that the ‘Aristotle’ of Manutius in good condition is worth £SO, but that a Bebal is not worth as many sixpences. The bibliomane is a mere collector who, blessed with a long purse, buys whatever comes in his way. A bit of a bibliomane was Peter the Great, who, when his shelves were built, sent for the booksellers of St. Petersburg and said : ‘Fill those with books.’ ‘With what books, your Majesty?’ was the not unnatural question. ‘With what books? Why, with big books below, and with little books above.’ The bibliophile—the true lover of books—is be who buys to read and enjoy. The bibliotaphe is he who hides his books away under lock and key or who immures them in close-fitting glass cases, and knows little of them beyond their titles and the price which he has paid for each.”— The Book-Buyer.