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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Enemies of Books by William Blades: barbarous course:--As soon as he was in possession, he raised
the boards of the schoolroom floor, and, having carefully packed
all the books between the joists, had the boards nailed down again.
Little recked he how many rats and mice made their nests there;
he was bound to account some day for every single volume,
and he saw no way so safe as rigid imprisonment.
The late Sir Thomas Phillipps, of Middle Hill, was a remarkable instance
of a bibliotaph. He bought bibliographical treasures simply to bury them.
His mansion was crammed with books; he purchased whole libraries,
and never even saw what he had bought. Among some of his purchases
was the first book printed in the English language, "The Recuyell
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