BIZARRE, Bizarre, WHAT SAY YOU, MADCAP?'-Farquhar. of the largest oblong form of books. A de Bizarre. FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1853. AUTOGRAPHS. THIRD PAPER. Among modern curious assemblages of autographs, must be mentioned that confided by the Emperor Napoleon to his brother Joseph; containing all the confidential letters that had been addressed to him by the various sovereigns of Europe. This precious depot was stolen during the passage of the Channel, and the letters were afterwards disposed of separately, in London, to the ministers and ambassadors of the respective European powers, for an aggregate sum 700,000 francs, according to Mr. O'Meara. The Russian ambassador paid 250,000 francs for the letters of the Emperor, his master. An analogous event of more recent occurrence may aptly be recorded here. A very large collection of dangerous political and personal documents has, within a few months, been missed by the present Emperor, Napoleon III., the importance of which may be estimated by the large reward offered for their restoration. Their abstraction has been charged to Mrs. Howard, an American lady who, it is well known, has cohabited for many years with Louis Napoleon, but whose separation from him recent important interests rendered unavoidable. One of the autographic monuments of our epoch will be the famous copy of Ronsard, given by M. Sainte-Beuve to M. Victor Hugo, of which the latter, in imitation of the savans of the Sixteenth Century, made an album amicorum, in which all the cotemporary poets of France have inscribed something. The Duchess of Orleans composed a celebrated album of the most celebrated names. It escaped the notice of the mob, and having been found at the Tuileries some days after the 24th of February, it was unhesitatingly restored to the Duchess. But of all the collections of signatures ever made, the most important, the most precious, the richest, was lately exposed at the Great Exhibition at London by the “Societé des Gens de Lettres Français." This priceless album, in illustration of which concurred all the French writers-whether members of the Societé or not-all the members of the five classes of the Institut, the first of French artists, painters, designers, engravers, composers, musicians, etc., forms two enormous volumes tailed description of it was given in the Siecle. The taste for autographs has been greatly developed during the last few years. There are many very important collections now in Europe, and a few in this country. It will, perhaps, be interesting to give here a list of the principal collections known. And first, the ladies may be pleased to learn that Queen Victoria is one of the principal collectors of the present day. The cabinet, however, of M. Feuillet de Conches passes as the richest in the world. M. Feuillet is not, as many others, a specialist. His cabinet, which he has been thirty years in forming, and to which he consecrates a large part of his fortune, absorbs each year all the variety of the most important and precious matter which every sale offers. The principal French Collectors after M. Feuillet are MM. Boutron, d'Hauterive, d'Auffay, Chateaugiron, Lacarelle, Denis, Naudet, Martin, d'Hunolstien, de Biencourt, de Fitzjames, de Flers, Granger de la Mariniere, Chambry, Boilly, Omant, and the Baroness James de Rothschild and Mdlle. d'Henin. In London the important collectors next to the Queen are Mr. Rey, Mr. O'Callaghan, and Mr. Hervey. At Brussells, Baron Stassart. At Madrid, Count Esterhazy, Austrian Ambassador. At Turin resides the celebrated collector, Count Giberto Borromeo. At Munich, the King of Bavaria. King Maximilian, we have been informed, takes a lively interest in the collection of American autographs. To come to our own country; the finest collection, perhaps, is that of the Rev. W. B. Sprague, of Albany. It is of very great extent, and contains, among other matter of great value, a complete series of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and of the Generals of the American Revolution, the latter series having been completed a few months ago, by the acquisition, in this city, of a letter of General de Haas, which is extremely rare. Another collection of the first importance is that of Mr. J. R. Teft, of Savannah, which is equally rich in American historical papers, and general autographic varieties. At Boston are the collections of Mr. Mellen Chamberlain and Mr. James T. Fields. as Mr. Chamberlain's (entirely American,) is particularly interesting in such names Winthrop, Bradford, and others connected with the early history of Massachusetts. He has also complete sets of the “ Signers of the Declaration," "Generals of the Revolution,' Members of the Confederation, Members of the Convention which framed the Constitu tion of the United States, etc. Mr. Field's consists chiefly of autographs of literary men. At New York is the collection of Mr. Lennox, containing the original manuscript of Washington's Farewell Address. Some of the finest collections are to be found in Philadelphia. Mr. F. J. Dreer's comprises, in addition to his own varied acquisitions, all the material industriously gathered during many years by the late Mr. Robert Gilmer, of Baltimore. This compilation is particularly rich in foreign autographs, comprising numbers of the most celebrated sovereigns of Europe, and of all most distinguished generals, statesmen, naval commanders, writers, and artists. In addition to these, his series of specimens of General Washington's writing, from the earliest date to the time of his death, is remarkably complete and interesting. Mr. Henry C. Baird's collection is very full, in almost all the different classifications, of American names. His series of the officers of the General Government, comprising the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and the several cabinets from the Administration of Washington to the present day, lacks but half a dozen names of completion. His American military and naval series, is also extremely valuable, embracing a majority of the leading names of the Revolution, of the Last War with Great Britain, and of the war with Mexico. Of the naval men of the present century he possesses many letters, nearly all of which are addressed to the late Commodore Bainbridge. In addition to his regular collection of autographs, he possesses the correspondence of two officers of the army nearly entire; one of the Revolution, the other of the Last War with Great Britain,-which papers cover almost the entire period from 1768 to 1828, and which, in connection with his more orderly port-folios, constitute a corpus of the most formidable magnitude. frequently earliest proof impressions, and thus are combined in one assemblage many varieties of two passions. Besides these, in Philadelphia, are the collections of Messrs. E. D. Ingraham, Wm. Schott, J. H. Hedges, J. L. Mickley, and S. A. Allibone. At Baltimore, Dr. J. C. Cohen. At Washington, Messrs. James C. M'Guire, James H. Causten, jr., and Peter Force. Mr. McGuire's American papers are, perhaps more valuable than those in any other autograph collection in the country. He possesses an immense mass of the papers left by Mr. Madison, together with much that is of great value from the correspondence of General Knox. The remaining distinguished collections in America are those of Miss Arnold, of New Bedford, Mr. W. Mackenzie, of Toronto, Mr. John R. Thomson, of Richmond, and Capt. Furman Seymour, of West Point. The latter is a specialist, confining himself to American autographs. His sous-specialite of names connected with the Mexican war has nothing left for his further exertion. In conclusion-to analyse writings, to study their physiognomy and character,-such, we take it, is the true mission of the autographic science-will it be feared that this leaves not open a field sufficiently vast? Let us suppose, (and in our age of mechanical miracles this supposition is not chimerical,) that within a given time writing will be replaced by some mechanical accelerative process-may not electricity, photography, etc., afford some such result? would not an art, which would enable us to authenticate writings by assigning to them a date and an author, be of the greatest service to the future historian? ROMANCE OF BLOCKLEY. THE WORKSHOPS-THE WASHHOUSE-BARBER SHOP-LOCK-UP. NUMBER NINE. Dr. L. R. Koecker's porte-feuille is remarkable for its elegant and perfect specimens of of autographic letters of distinguished Americans. This nice collector is content only There is a vast amount of talent among the to add to his stock letters as perfect in their population of the Blockley Almshouse. Many appearance as upon the day when written; able workman may be found here, who in and the soiled, torn, or rumpled leaf is sub-mechanical skill will bear comparison with jected by him to every conceivable mechanical and chemical process to restore it to its original beauty. What adds greatly to the interest of this unique and coquettish collection, is its characteristic arrangement, not to mention the elegant mechanism, and artistic workmanship displayed upon the binding of the volumes embalming these precious reliquiæ of the preceding generation: (Dr. Koecker is himself the finest relieur amateur in the country,) all the letters are faced by portraits of the writers, some of which are exceedingly scarce. These engravings are also the ablest and most successful artizans, the products of whose ingenuity add so much to our domestic conveniences and household advantages. Some indeed, possess unquestionable genius. If the reader should ever visit Blockley, he will find upon entering the Steward's office, which is located in the centre of the building, a beautiful model of a ship which was executed years ago by one of the inmates since deceased. It is a perfect gem of workmanship. No sailor could fasten his eyes on it, or "clap his peepers on it," to appropriate the nautical phrase without giv |