The Harvard Magazine Author:Harvard University Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Ye /ANTIQVE BOOKE STORE. / itf vt erries Everybody knows the three Antiquarian Bookstores on Cornhill, and there are probably but few of us students who... more » . have not at some time had dealings with one of them, either as a purchaser or seller. I propose in this article to speak only of Burnham's, the Antique Bookstore par excellence. I have a reverence for the ancient, particularly for ancient books, and there are some old authors for whose works I feel so great respect, that I have not the heart to assail them rudely with such gross tools as dictionary and grammar, but prefer to treat them more gently, by means of translations. I have heard it reported that there are many antique books in our College Library ; but when I have entered Gore Hall to test the truth of this tradition, and have endeavored to penetrate its inmost recesses to get a sight of these ancient treasures of learning, I have found them so carefully guarded by prohibitions and regulations, that I should as soon think of endeavoring to obtain one of the golden apples of the Hesperides, as of obtaining one of these precious volumes. But Burnham's is an institution of a different character, and is governed by no regulations. There you are not prohibited from " entering the alcoves without permission," and do not have to stand with your hands on the rail gazing at the backs of the forbidden treasures ; nor are you obliged to violate your Yankee habit of keeping your hat on your head, and you can talk and laugh as loud as you please. Look at what books you like, read them through if you wish, only leave them where you find them, and don't bore the proprietor or any of his assistants with useless questions, and you may spend all your time there without molestation. The building is five stories in height, an...« less