Expert speaks on old book collection

Charles Benson, keeper of early printed books at Trinity College in Dublin, spoke Tuesday in Van Pelt Library about a rare book collection of historic importance. The collection, now housed at Trinity, was put together by Edward Worth, an Irish doctor and book collector who lived between 1678 and 1733, Benson said. His father, John Worth, had been a book collector as well, and by the time the younger Worth died, he had amassed a substantial collection of over 4000 volumes, Benson said. An energetic, humorous speaker, Benson peppered the talk with brisk witticisms, keeping the audience rapt and attentive. He illustrated his explanations by showing slides of some of the rare books. "Worth was a man of wide general culture. . . . and of very considerable means and contacts" with a particular interest in printing, Benson said. The collection consists mostly of books on medical topics, although Worth did not limit himself to works about his own narrow medical concentration. In addition to medical books, Worth had printed editions of books by Aristotle and Aristophanes dating as far back as 1495. Among the originals in the collection are books by Bodin, Descartes, Montaigne, Balzac, Milton and Addison. Upon his death, Worth bequeathed most of his collection to the hospital at which he was a physician. The collection is as well known for the quality of the binding as for the books' content. Most of the books are bound with durable leather, often embossed or engraved, Benson said. Some of the pages also had color pictures. The Worth collection is currently entrusted to Dublin's Trinity College, but a group who has recently bought the hospital is trying to obtain the books for itself. Benson is taking steps to deter this possibility, because he believes the books "should be looked into and properly appreciated." Very little is known about how Worth obtained the books. It can be assumed from various historical facts and from comments Worth jotted down in the margins of some of his books that he was somewhat of a bargain hunter. On the title page of one of his books he had written a note to himself to remember to go to a certain auction and buy, "if cheap." Worth's collection went almost unnoticed for 250 years after his death, and the books in the hospital were seldom read. This helped to preserve the books and keep them in excellent condition, but is "a sad commentary on the literary taste of the doctors," Benson said. Worth's collection is one of the most valuable of its kind. The excellent condition of the books, their high quality printing and beautifully crafted bindings all combine to make the collection extremely valuable. Some of the bindings alone are worth well over $5000. A crowd of 50 attended the lecture, consisting mostly of faculty, librarians, and members of The Friends of the Library. Arch Elias, vice president of the Friends, said he was "delighted to have Charles [Benson] -- one of the top rare book librarians in the world." Jim Greene, a member of the Library Company of Philadelphia, said of Benson's work with the collection, "This is how great libraries are built up."

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