The Holy State, Book 3 · Chapter 18
CHAP. 18. Of Books.
SOlomon saith truly, Of making many Books there is no end, so insatiable is the thirst of men therein: as also endles is the desire of many in buying and reading them. But we come to our Rules.
It is a vanity to perswade the world one hath much learning by getting a great library. Maxime 1As soon shall I believe every one is valiant that hath a well furnish'd armoury. I guesse good housekeeping by the smoking, not the number of the tunnels, as knowing that many of them (built merely for uniformity) are without chimnies, and more without fires. Once a dunce, void of learning but full of Books, flouted a library-lesse Scholar with these words, Salve Doctor sine libris: But the next day the Scholar coming into this jeerers study crowded with Books, Salvete libri (saith he) sine Doctore.
Few Books well selected are best. 2Yet as a certain Fool bought all the pictures that came out, because he might have his choice; such is the vain humour of many men in gathering of Books: yet when they have done all, they misse their end, it being in the Editions of Authours as in the fashions of clothes, when a man thinks he hath gotten the latest and newest, presently another newer comes out.
Some Books are onelyonly cursorily to be tasted of. 3Namely first Voluminous Books, the task of a mans life to reade them over; secondly, Auxiliary Books, onelyonly to be repair'd to on occasions; thirdly, such as are mere pieces of Formality, so that if you look on them you look thorow them; and he that peeps thorow the casement of the Index sees as much as if he were in the house. But the lazinesse of those cannot be excused who perfunctorily passe over Authours of consequence, and onelyonly trade in their Fables and Contents. These like City-Cheaters having gotten the names of all countrey Gentlemen, make silly people believe they have long lived in those places where they never were, and flourish with skill in those Authours they never seriously studied.
4The Genius of the Authour is commonly discovered in the Dedicatory epistle. Many place the purest grain in the mouth of the sack for chapmen to handle or buy: And from the dedication one may probably guesse at the Work, saving some rare and peculiar exceptions. Thus when once a Gentleman admired how so pithy, learned, and witty a dedication was match'd to a flat, dull, foolish book; In truth, said another, they may be well match'd together, for I professe they are nothing a kinne.
5Proportion an houres meditation to an houres reading of a staple Authour. This makes a man master of his learning, and dispirits the book into the Scholar. The King of Sweden never *Wards Animadver. of warre sect. 17. lib. 2. cap. 5.filed his men above six deep in one company, because he would not have them lie in useless clusters in his Army, but so that every particular Souldier might be drawn out into service. Books that stand thinne on the shelves, yet so as the owner of them can bring forth every one of them into use, are better then farre greater libraries.
6Learning hath gained most by those books by which the Printers have lost. Arius Montanus in printing the Hebrew Bible (commonly called the Bible of the King of Spain) much wasted himself, and was accused in the Court of Rome for his good deed, and being cited thither, *Thuanus obit. vir. Doct. Anno 1598.Pro tantorum laborum praemio vix veniam impetravit. Likewise Christopher Plantin by printing of his curious interlineary Bible in Anwerp, through the unseasonable *Idem in eodem oper. Anno 1589.exactions of the Kings Officers, sunk and almost ruin'd his estate. And our worthy English Knight, who set forth the golden-mouth'd Father in a silver print, was a looser by it.
7Whereas foolish Pamphlets prove most beneificall to the Printers. When a French Printer complain'd that he was utterly undone by Printing a solid serious book of Rablais concerning Physick, Rablais to make him recompence made that his jesting scurrilous Work which repair'd the Printers losse with advantage. Such books the world swarms too much with. When one had set out a witlesse Pamphlet, writing Finis at the end thereof, another wittily wrote beneath it,
—Nay there thou li'st, my friend,
In writing foolish books there is no end.
And surely such scurrilous scandalous papers do more then conceivable mischief. First their lusciousnesse puts many palats out of taste, that they can never after rellish any solid and wholsome Writers: secondly, they cast dirt on the faces of many innocent persons, which dryed on by continuance of time can never after be washed off: thirdly, the Pamphlets of this age may passe for Records with the next (because publickly uncontrolled) and what we laugh at, our children may believe: fourthly, grant the things true they jeer at, yet this musick is unlawfull in any Christian Church, to play upon the sinnes and miseries of others, the fitter object of the Elegies then the Satyrs of all truly religious.
But what do I speaking against multiplicity of books in this age, who trespasse in this nature my self? What was a *Erasmus in praefat. in 3. s…riem 4. Tomi Hieron. pag. 408.learned mans complement may serve for my confession and conclusion, Multi mei similes hoc morbo laborant, ut cum scribere nesciant tamen à scribendo temperare non possint.