Catalogue of the printed books preserved at Haigh Hall, Wigan, Co. Pal. Lancast > A--D

INTRODUCTION
XV
XVI
on the successors of a Collector, burdens which in a few
generations will inevitably wipe out the capital value
of a great library. Were a library or other collection a
source of income to its owner, such reasoning might be
understood, but as it is, the policy of successive Govern¬
ments appears to me to lower the dignity of the country
at large. Some measure of relief has, I understand, been
recently accorded, but in course of time these storehouses
of the learning of centuries may be seriously imperilled.
But I must get on, and not be led away from my theme
—The Catalogue.
I had early found that I must obtain external assist¬
ance. Some years previously, I had made the acquaint¬
ance of Mr. J. P. Edmond, who was in a large way of
business as a bookbinder in Aberdeen. We met over
the rebinding of a very fine copy of De Bry's " Voyages
and Travels," which I had been setting in order for my
uncle, Robert Holford of Dorchester House. The story
is worth repeating, as tliere is probalily no one now alive
who knows it. Very many years ago Mr. Holford had
the good judgment to purchase en bloc the library of
Lord Vernon, and in it was a remarkable copy of De Bry
well bound in fine blue morocco. At the time I was very
familiar with all the essentials requisite for a perfect
copy—having spent over a year in making a leaf by leaf
collation of my own copy which had been put together
jointly by my father and myself. This collection was
published originally by De Bry in parts or volumes
known'from their size as Les Grands et Les Petits Voyages.
Each appeared in German and in Latin—of each there
were two or three editions—and Part. i. was also printed
in English and in French.
The original owner of the Vernon-Holford copy had
got together a very fine series of parts, and having tied
them up for binding, but not in order, sent them through
a bookseller to a well-known binder of the day. It
unfortunately happened that there was a deadly feud
between these two. The bookseller, who believed they
were arranged in order for binding (whereas they were
merely bundled together by the owner) sent with the
parcel a letter directing the volumes to be bound as sent,
and urging the binder to be more careful than he had
been on some other matter.
This was an opportunity of revenge not to be missed.
He bound the set admirably, but just as they had been
put into the parcel.
The confusion when I came to examine it was incon¬
ceivable—parts and editions mixed up; and yet all look¬
ing beautiful.
With the help of Mr. Edmond and my collation I was
able to set all in proper order, and Mr. Edmond replaced
them in their old covers very successfully—but there was
no remedy for the mutilation caused by cutting the parts,
etc., to different heights, which was made painfully visible
by the new arrangement of the volumes.
Mr. Edmond had taken intense pleasure and interest
in this piece of work, and had most favourably impressed
me. When, therefore, I determined to take a librarian
to assist me at Haigh, I offered him the post, which he
was enabled to accept in 1891.
Following closely upon his appointment preparations
for making a proper catalogue were;commenced. Look¬
ing back upon the work of the previous eight or nine
years during which I had been elaborating a scheme, I
cannot but be sensible now, that I was much influenced
by the feeling that the catalogue of a family library made
for the use of the owner and of liis descendants, should
be of a nature such as to lend to those who were to use
it as great a measure of help and guidance as might be
possible; and by such means to interest a future owner
to take up and develop some special section or branch
of learning, the elements of which he had gathered from
the catalogne and books therein described.
The result may be termed that of an Eclectic, for I
confess that I have used methods advocated by many
writers on the science of Bibliography, choosing in turn
from one or the other what seemed to me best to fulfil
the object of my ambition.
Thus my Catalogue is formed so that it presents the
appearance of an author, subject and dictionary cata¬
logue combined. Charles Cutter's Rules for a dictionary
catalogue have practically been followed, though in the
case of pseudonymous works I enter them under the
pseudonym, instead of the real name, with a cross-refer¬
ence from the latter whenever possible. The British
Museum Catalogue has afforded many of the headings:
and again the Dewey classification system has been
largely followed.
To assist the reader I have used cross-references freely
to the various subjects, and have printed a list of these
headings which for convenience I repeat in each volume.
In the matter of collations, all Incunabula and early
printed books are very fully treated, giving accurate
descriptions of my own copy, and noting anything
wanting, according to the best authorities. Works of
minor importance have not been accorded so great
attention, as I soon found that to treat all alike, would
have extended the bulk of the volumes without adding
to their value in any material degree.
The sizes of the books have been determined from the
foldings of the paper or signatures, and the length of
the jiage from the top to the foot is given in inches.
I do not think that any abbreviations in the work
will be found which are not familiar to the general
reader, and I have seldom used contractions or shortened
forms of words.
In most large libraries worthy the name, there will
be found a number of what are often called " Collected
Works " . As a general rule their contents are lost to
all, save those who have made themselves familiar with
the mass of material they contain. I allude to such as
"Pertz," "Bouquet," " Muratori, " " Harleian Miscel¬
lany," " Bollandists," etc., as also the publications of
learned bodies, e.g. the Roxburghe, Abbotsford, Banna-
tyne, Spalding, etc. Clubs, the Surtees, the Chetham, the
Camden Societies, etc. The varied contents of these
volumes are analysed with entries made in the proper
place in the main Catalogue with cross-reference to the
volume and page of say, Pertz. I give a list of those
historians and others that have received this attention,
and it will be found at the end of my foreword.
I have always had a strong dislike to what is often
found, namely a volume of miscellaneous tracts. Un¬
less for special reasons, such for instance as a good