VMs: Lessons From A Bookseller

["DANA SCOTT" <dscott520@xxxxxxx>]

The following is an extract concerning Voynich from a book titled

"Adventures Of A Bookseller" by G. Orioli
(Robert M. McBride & Co., New York, 1938, Chapter 5, pp.76-77; made in Great 
Britain by R. & R. Clark, Ltd., Endinburgh)

   "Old Gilodi had made up his mind that I was to become a boodseller like 
himself, and the day when he took me to see Voynich is a landmark in my 
life."

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   "As to Voynich--he was a Polish Jew, a bent kind of creature and getting 
on for sixty. I liked his shop in Shaftesbury Avenue; it was full of books 
and well kept, and Voynich himself was most obliging to me. He gave me one 
of his excellent catalogues to study, begging me to note the prices: 'Always 
keep the price as high as possible, if you ever have a book to sell,' he 
added. Then in a squeaky voice and in an accent which I even then recognized 
as not being English he told me that he had bought a bookshop in Florence 
called the 'Libreria Franceschini.'"
   "'I know that shop,' I said."
   "'Well, it is full of incunabula. Absolutely crammed with incunabula.'"
   "'Surely a bookshop ought to be full of books?'"
   "He laughed heartily at my ignorance, explained what incunabula were, and 
went on in his enthusiastic fashion:"
   "'Millions of books, shelves and shelves of the greatest rarities in the 
world. What I have discovered in Italy is altogether unbelievable! Just 
listen to this. I once went to a convent and the monks showed me their 
library. It was a mine of early printed books and codexes and illuminated 
manuscripts. I nearly fainted--I assure you I nearly fainted on the spot. 
But I managed to keep my head all the same, and told the monks they could 
have a most interesting and valuable collection of modern theological works 
to replace that dusty rubbish. I succeeded in persuading the Father 
Superior, and in a month that whole library was in my hands, and I sent them 
a cartload of modern trash in exchange. Now take my advice: drop your 
present job and become a bookseller.'"


Regards,
Dana Scott 
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