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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Enemies of Books by William Blades: It is perfect, except in a most vital part, the Colophon, which has been cut
out by some barbaric "Collector," and which should read thus: "Pridie nonis
Januarii Mcccclxxvij, in Civitate Moguntina, impressorie Petrus Schoyffer
de Gernsheym," followed by his well-known mark, two shields.
A similar mania arose at the beginning of this century for
collections of illuminated initials, which were taken from MSS.,
and arranged on the pages of a blank book in alphabetical order.
Some of our cathedral libraries suffered severely from depredations
of this kind. At Lincoln, in the early part of this century,
the boys put on their robes in the library, a room close
to the choir. Here were numerous old MSS., and eight or ten
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