and Mr. Smith, the Brighton bookseller, gives evidence thus:--


"It may be worth your while to note that the clergy of the last two
centuries ought to be included in your list (of Biblioclasts). I
have had painful experience of the fact in the following manner.
Numbers of volumes in their libraries have had a few leaves removed,
and in many others whole sections torn out. I suppose it served
their purpose thus to use the wisdom of greater men and that they thus
economised their own time by tearing out portions to suit their purpose.
The hardship to the trade is this: their books are purchased in good
faith as perfect, and when resold the buyer is quick to claim damage
if found defective, while the seller has no redress."


Among the careless destroyers of books still at work should be
classed Government officials. Cart-loads of interesting documents,
bound and unbound, have been sold at various times as waste-paper,[1]
when modern red-tape thought them but rubbish. Some of them have been
rescued and resold at high prices, but some have been lost for ever.


[1] Nell Gwyn's private Housekeeping Book was among them,
containing most curious particulars of what was necessary in
the time of Charles I for a princely household. Fortunately it
was among the rescued, and is now in a private library.


In 1854 a very interesting series of blue books was commenced
by the authorities of the Patent Office, of course paid for out