36
LITERATURE
to use his influence to effect : but in return for this obligation he was to receive booh of gram- marians and probably statues from the Alexan- drian library to embellish his own. Cicero now retires from Rome to his Ttisculantmi, and com- poses, as a means of amusin)^ his sorrows, the treatises on Old Age, on Friendship, and on JPate, beside a history of the time, called his Anecdote, which, to all lovers of literature, have perished.
43, Dec. 7. Marcus Tullius Cicero murdered near Formium, agfed 64 years. The odious mur- der of this unrivalled orator and statesman, by a blood-stained and violent faction, was the signal for a most unfeigned sorrow throughout Rome, loud, and deep, and universal.
Books were held in such estimation, that the learned thought it worthy the chief labour of their lives, either to compile, or collect those valu- able tracts, and they imagined themselves more or less distinguished above mankind, as they ex- celled in the bulk or goodness of their libraries, of which a stronger instance can not be produced than that given by Dr. Conyers Middleton, in his Life of Cicero : " Nor was he (speaking of Cicero) less eager in making a collection of Greek books, and forming a library, by the same opportunity of Atticus's help. This was Atticus's own passion, who, having free access to all the Athenian libra- ries, was employinghis slaves in copying the works of their best writers, not only for his own use,bttt for sale also, and the common profit both of the slave and the master: for Atticus was remarkable, above all men of his rank, for a family of learned slaves ; having scarce a foot-boy in his house, who was not trained both to read and write for him. By this advantage he had made a very large collection of choice and curious books, and signified to Cicero his design of selling them ; yet seems to have intimated withal, that he ex- pected a larger sum for them than Cicero would easily spare ; which gave occasion to Cicero to beg of him in several letters to reserve the whole number for him, till he could raise money enough for the purchase. " Pray keep your books," says he, " for me, and do not despair of my being able to make them mine ; which if I can compass, I shall think myself richer than Crassus, anddespise the fine villas and gardens of them all." Again, " Take care that you do not part with your library to any man, how eager soever he may be to buy- it; for I am setting apart all my little rents to Durchase that relief for my old age." In a third letter, he savs, " That he placed all his hopes of comfort and pleasure, whenever he should retire from business, on Atticus's reserving these books for him." Atticus lent him two of his librarians to a.ssist his own, in taking catalogues, and placing the books in order; which he calls "the infusion of the soul into the body of his house."
Amidst his public occupations and private studies, either of them sufficient to have immor- talised one man, we are astonished at the minute a.ttention Cicero paid to the formation of his libra- ries, and his cabmet of antiquities. — lyisraeli.
" Cicero" speaking of books, says, " These stu- dies nourish youth, delight old ag^ ; are the orna-
ment of prosperity, the solace and the refuge of adversity ; they are delectable at home, and not burthensome abroad ; they gladden us at nights, and on our journeys, and in the country."
We have unequivocal attestation of the use of glwf* in the making of books, at this time. Cicero, in a letter to Atttcus, tells him, " to send him some two of his librarians, who, among other things, might conglutinate his books."
13, March 6. The emperor Augustus assumes the office of Pontifex Maximxu, or high priest,
Xn the death of Lepidus ; and immediately r destroys 2,000 booKsof prophecy, the writers of which were either unknown or of no authority.
8, Nov. 7. Died Caius Cilnius Maecenas, the friend and counsellor of Augustus. Mtecenas was the first person to whom a book was dedicated. — After the battle of Actium, (31) Augustus, in passing home, tarried four days at Atefla, where MEBcenas was with the poet Virgil, who, assisted by his patron, read to him his (reor^io, then newly completed.
The Romans, of rank and consequence, seldom wrote their works, speeches, or even letters them- selves ; — it was customary for them to dictate to such of their slaves or freedmen, as had been liber- ally educated, who wrote the manuscript in a kind of short hand, or rather in contractions and signs. This kind of short hand is said to have been invented by Xenopbon : it was certainly much extended and improved by the Romans.
The Greek ana Roman authors adopted rather a singulai- custom, either to make their works sell after they were actually published, or, more pro- bably, to create a dLsposition to purchase them when they should come into the hands of the booksellers. We learn from Theophrastus, Juve- nal, Pliny, and Tacitus, (particularly from the last) that a person who wished to bring his writ- ings into notice, hired or borrowed a house, fitted up a room in it, hired forms, and circulated pros- pectuses, and read his productions before an audience, there and thus collected. Giraldus Cambrensis did the same in the middle ages, in order to make his works known.
It is generally believed that there were no public schools in Rome till 300 years after its foundation ; parents teaching their children the little they knew. Even after the establishment of schools, private education at home was com- mon. The teachers were generally slaves or freed- men ; and a slave always accompanied the boys of rank to school, carryinga box, containing books, paper, tablets, and instruments for writing. In learning their letters they were instructed by ano- ther boy, or usher.f Homer was taught to the
- The inventor of nuking boolu, \>j means of g-lne, was
an Athenian of the name of Phillatius and to him must the homa^ be paid of being considered as the Fathkk of BooKBiNuiNo; and we icam from Trotzios, that the Athenians positively erected a statue to the memory of that man who lx)iind tx>olcs by means of giue. — Dibdin.
Thus, upwards of 2,000 years ago, the embryo seeds of modern boolibinding may be said to have been sown ; but it must he understood, that it has reference exciusiveiy to sheets or rolls, whether of the papyrus, vellum, or cotton.
t St Aognstine, Ajchblsbop'of Canterbury and Apostle of the English, who died May 80, 604, had been an usher at Rome.
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