44 Mis. No. 48. 



too little appreciated. In truth, the neglect of them is the most fruitful 

 source of superficial, conceited, and rash authorship. On the continent of 

 Europe, however, they are held in the highest esteem. This is doubtless 

 one principal cause of the acknowledged superiority of the Germans in all 

 matters requiring wide researcii. 



f Every student worthy of the name, when about to investigate a subject, 

 •wishes to know first what has been done by others in the same field. 



Now, on almost every important branch of learning some diligent 

 scholar has collected from the whole domain of literature the books per- 

 taining thereto, arranged them for convenience of reference, analyzed their 

 contents, and described their absolute and relative merit, with their external 

 peculiarities and history. He has thus given a hibUography of that branch 

 of knowledge. Such a work should manifestly be the first to be taken 

 up, and among the last to be laid down by any one who would intelligently 

 study that subject. A collection of such works, pertaining to all depart- 

 ments of knowledge, ought to be the first purchase for every general 

 library. 



Yet there is no respectable collection of them in any of our public libra- 

 ries. The best is, I believe, that of Brown University, which contains 

 but a few hundred volumes. Without question, theretbre, by procuring 

 the book's necessary for carrying out the plan of making the library a 

 centre of bibliographical reference, we shall furnish one class of books most 

 immediately important to American scholars, as well as one most needed 

 in making judicious selections for the future, and in aiding other libraries 

 in the country in their-choice of books. 



The selection here offered is intended to cover nearly the whole ground 

 of bibliography, and is arranged under the following divisions: 



1. BiBLioTHECAE BiBLiOGRAPHicAE, or Catalogues of bibHographical 

 works. 



2. Elementary bibliography, including treatises of the origin and 

 progress of writing; of ancient manuscripts, their materials, form, orna- 

 ments, preservation, and the method of deciphering them; of printing, its 

 history, and practice; of the arts of engraving, binding, paper-making, 

 &c.; of the forms of books; of the rights of authors, publishers, and 

 readers; of the book trade; of the use and abuse of books; of libraries, 

 their history, statistics, selection, arrangement, preservation and use. 



3. Practical bibliography. Works designed to be used in the selec- 

 tion and purchase of books. These may be — 



(1.) Universal, comprising books in all languages, on all subjects, and 



of all periods. 

 (2.) Limited — 



a To particular countries or languages. 

 b To particular periods of time. 

 c To particular branches of knowledge. 



d To works classed according to some accidental peculiarity, as 



rare, anonymous, pseudonymous, polyonomous works, books 



privately printed, books prohibited, books condemned to be 



burned, &c. 



e To particular kinds of composition, as poetry, proverbs, &c. 



Under most of these heads are comprised works of several kinds, viz: 1. 



The history of the subject; 2. The bibliography, properly so called, i. e. 



the catalogue raisonne of all books relating to it; 3. The biography of its 



