HOW TO DESCRIBE A BOOK.
“If you are troubled with a pride of accuracy, and would have it completely taken out of you, print a catalogue.” (Author unknown).
Dr. Aikin used to say, that nothing is such an obstacle to the production of excellence as the power of producing what is pretty good with ease and rapidity. The Circulator [1825] quoted in the Manual of Laconics by John Taylor, 1838, p. 361.
Practice is the best, if not the only way to learn how to describe a book. Simply reading descriptions of what to do is of little use. Indeed practice is found to teach so much, that we often find authors of bibliographical books cancelling the early portions of their works in order to correct those defects and deficiencies which experience has brought forcibly to their notice. Such was the case with the first part of Quérard’s France Littéraire, which was called in and cancelled; and the Bibliotheca Cornubiensis of Boase and Courtney, published by Longmans in 1874.
Every one must be guided by their particular requirements; but must never lose sight of the absolute necessity there is of following a system rigidly, and of being accurate.
With these preliminary remarks I will now proceed to give some hints derived from my own experience.