CHAPTER I.
FIRE.
Libraries destroyed by Fire.—Alexandrian.—St. Paul's destruction
of MSS., Value of.—Christian books destroyed by Heathens.—Heathen
books destroyed by Christians.—Hebrew books burnt at Cremona.—Arabic
books at Grenada.—Monastic libraries.—Colton library.—Birmingham
riots.—Dr. Priestley's library.—Lord Mansfield's books.—Cowper.
—Strasbourg library bombarded.—Offor Collection burnt.—Dutch
Church library damaged.—Library of Corporation of London.
CHAPTER II.
WATER.
Heer Hudde's library lost at sea.—Pinelli's library captured
by Corsairs.—MSS. destroyed by Mohammed II—Books damaged by
rain.—Woffenbuttel.—Vapour and Mould.—Brown stains.—Dr.
Dibdin.—Hot water pipes.—Asbestos fire.—Glass doors to bookcases.
CHAPTER III.
GAS AND HEAT.
Effects of Gas on leather.—Necessitates re-binding.—Bookbinders.—Electric
light.—British Museum.—Treatment of books.—Legend of Friars and
their books.
CHAPTER IV.
DUST AND NEGLECT.
Books should have gilt tops.—Old libraries were neglected.—Instance
of a College library.—Clothes brushed in it.—Abuses in French
libraries.—Derome's account of them.—Boccaccio's story of
library at the Convent of Mount Cassin.
CHAPTER V.
IGNORANCE AND BIGOTRY.
Destruction of Books at the Reformation.—Mazarin library.—Caxton
used to light the fire.—Library at French Protestant Church,
St. Martin's-le-Grand.—Books stolen.—Story of books from Thonock
Hall.—Boke of St. Albans.—Recollet Monks of Antwerp.—Shakespearian
"find."—Black-letter books used in W.C.—Gesta Romanorum.—Lansdowne
collection.—Warburton.—Tradesman and rare book.—Parish Register.—Story
of Bigotry by M. Muller.—Clergymen destroy books.—Patent Office sell
books for waste.
CHAPTER VI.
THE BOOKWORM.
Doraston.—Not so destructive as of yore.—Worm won't eat
parchment.—Pierre Petit's poem.—Hooke's account and image.—Its
natural history neglected.—Various sorts—Attempts to breed
Bookworms.—Greek worm.—Havoc made by worms.—Bodleian and Dr.
Bandinel.—"Dermestes."—Worm won't eat modern paper.—America
comparatively free.—Worm-hole at Philadelphia.
CHAPTER VII.
OTHER VERMIN.
Black-beetle in American libraries.—germanica.—Bug Bible.—Lepisma.
—Codfish.—Skeletons of Rats in Abbey library, Westminster.—Niptus
hololeucos.—Tomicus Typographicus.—House flies injure books.
CHAPTER VIII.
BOOKBINDERS.
A good binding gives pleasure.—Deadly effects of the "plough" as used
by binders.—Not confined to bye-gone times.—Instances of injury.—De
Rome, a good binder but a great cropper.—Books "hacked."—Bad
lettering—Treasures in book-covers.—Books washed, sized, and
mended.—"Cases" often Preferable to re-binding.
CHAPTER IX.
COLLECTORS.
Bagford the biblioclast.—Illustrations torn from MSS.—Title-pages
torn from books.—Rubens, his engraved titles.—Colophons torn out of
books.—Lincoln Cathedral—Dr. Dibdin's Nosegay.—Theurdanck.—Fragments
of MSS.—Some libraries almost useless.—Pepysian.—Teylerian.—Sir
Thomas Phillipps.
CHAPTER X.
SERVANTS AND CHILDREN.
Library invaded for the purpose of dusting.—Spring clean.—-Dust to be
got rid of.—Ways of doing so.—Carefulness praised.—Bad nature of
certain books—Metal clasps and rivets.—How to dust.—Children
often injure books.—Examples.—Story of boys in a country library.
POSTSCRIPTUM.
Anecdote of book-sale in Derbyshire.
CONCLUSION.
The care that should be taken of books.—Enjoyment derived from them.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
SERVANT USING A "CAXTON" TO LIGHT THE FIRE —- Frontispiece,
PIRATES THROWING LIBRARY OVER-BOARD ————— page 19
FRIARS AND THEIR ASS-LOAD —————————— 35
BRUSHING CLOTHES IN A COLLEGE LIBRARY ———— 45
BOOKWORMS —————————————————— 73
RATS DESTROYING BOOKS ———————————— 99
HOUSEHOLD FLY-DAMAGE ———————————— 102
BOYS RAMPANT IN LIBRARY ——————————— 141

THE ENEMIES OF BOOKS.