Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Heber, Richard
HEBER, RICHARD (1773–1833), book-collector, born in Westminster, 5 Jan. 1773, was the eldest son of Reginald Heber, who succeeded his eldest brother as lord of the manors of Marton in Yorkshire and Hodnet in Shropshire, and of Mary Baylie, his father's first wife. His half-brother was Bishop Reginald Heber [q. v.], a son of the second marriage. Heber received his first instruction from George Henry Glasse [q. v.] In his seventeenth year he began an edition of Persius (1790), which was never completed. He went to Oxford, was entered as a gentleman-commoner at Brasenose College, and graduated B.A. in 1796 and M.A. 1797. While at Oxford his reading was chiefly confined to Greek and Latin authors, and his views on book-collecting limited to a classical library. He projected the editing of the Latin poets not included in Barbou's collection, and published ‘Silius Italicus’ in 1792; he also printed part of an edition of ‘Claudian,’ which was completed and published after his death by H. Drury. As an undergraduate, he was an eager politician, and frequently posted to London to listen to the parliamentary debates.
From the writings and personal acquaintance of the Wartons, George Steevens, Ellis, Percy, and Malone, Heber formed a taste for the study of early English dramatic and poetical literature, but it was the accidental purchase of a copy of Henry Peacham's ‘Vallie of Varietie,’ 1638, which is said to have been the beginning of his unrivalled collection of rarities in these classes. The long and intimate friendship of ‘Heber the magnificent, whose library and cellar are so superior to all others in the world,’ with Scott (letter to Ellis in Lockhart, Life, ii. 75) began in 1800 (Life, i. 322, see also vols. iv. v. passim). The sixth canto of ‘Marmion’ is affectionately dedicated to him, and there are frequent allusions to Heber in the notes to the ‘Waverley Novels.’
On the death of his father in 1804 Heber came into the possession of the Yorkshire and Shropshire properties, which he afterwards greatly improved. Two years later he was candidate for the representation of the university of Oxford, but was successfully opposed by Lord Colchester (Diary, 1861, ii. 78). His reputation as a bibliophile and student of English literature led John Ferriar to address to him his poem, ‘Bibliomania,’ in 1809, and John Mitford his ‘Letter on Weber's Edition of Ford,’ in 1812. Soon after the peace of 1815 Heber visited France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, buying books and making new friends. In 1818 he was a member of the committee appointed to consider the purchase by the nation of Dr. Burney's library. There being a vacancy in the representation of Oxford in 1821, he again became a candidate, and was elected member for the university against Sir J. Nicholl (Lord Colchester, Diary, ii. 234). In the same year he served as sheriff of Shropshire (J. B. Blakeway, Sheriffs of Shropshire, 1831, p. 242). J. L. Adolphus addressed to him his ‘Critical Remarks on the “Waverley Novels,”’ 1821. Heber was created D.C.L. by his university, 19 June 1822. In 1824 he was one of the founders of the Athenæum Club. Although a silent member of parliament, he was constant in attendance and in his duties on committees, but while at Brussels in 1826 he resigned his seat. He remained abroad until 1831, when he returned to England; with the exception of visits to sale-rooms and booksellers' shops, he lived secluded at Hodnet or Pimlico. He died at his house at Pimlico, 4 Oct. 1833, in his sixty-first year, and was buried at Hodnet on 16 Nov. following.
In person Heber was tall, strong, and well made, and until his last illness he was of robust health. He was very near-sighted. In general society, as well as in familiar company, his manners were most winning. His literary and bibliographical knowledge was equalled by few of his contemporaries, and he had a marvellous memory. He travelled extensively, mainly in search of books. His correspondence with booksellers and auctioneers both at home and abroad was very great; but he purchased in all methods, at one time a whole library of thirty thousand books at Paris. He detested large-paper copies, as taking up too much room on the shelves. He was a born book-collector. Dibdin saw a catalogue of his books compiled at the age of eight. When ten years old he requested his father to buy some volumes at a certain sale, where ‘there would be the best editions of the classics.’ His neatly written flyleaf memoranda are familiar to all book-buyers. Specimens of his notes may be seen in a ‘Terence,’ 1567, and Daniel's ‘Poeme on the Earle of Devonshyre’ [1606], at the British Museum. He was in the habit of buying copy after copy of works which took his fancy, and was unusually generous in lending his treasures. ‘No gentleman can be without three copies of a book’ was his saying, ‘one for show, one for use, and one for borrowers.’ ‘The fiercest and strongest of all the bibliomaniacs,’ as Campbell called him (Life by Beattir, ii. 305), with ‘volumes open as thy heart’ (Scott, Introduction to Marmion), was described by Dibdin as Atticus who ‘unites all the activity of De Witt and Lomenie, with the retentiveness of Magliabecchi and the learning of Lelong’ (Bibliomania, i. 131).
He was unmarried, although there was a talk of a match between him and Miss Frances Mary Richardson Currer [q. v.] It was thought probable that a portion at least of his literary treasures would have been left to some public institution. After a long search, his will, dated 1 Sept. 1827, was found by Dibdin (see Reminiscences, i. 440–5) hidden away on a shelf. The will disposed of property valued at 200,000l., but not a word was said about the books. Yet when he died he possessed eight houses full of them, overflowing all the rooms, chairs, tables, and passages—two in London, one at Hodnet, one in the High Street of Oxford, others at Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent, besides numerous smaller hoards in other parts of the continent. Heber's enormous collections were dispersed in a memorable series of sales lasting over three years. The books in England were sold by Sotheby & Son, Evans, & Wheatley, under the superintendence of Payne & Foss, and fetched 56,774l. The catalogue is in twelve parts, 8vo, 1834–6. The fourth part contained the greater portion of his English poetry and works connected with the progress of the English language and literature. This was the feature of his library of which he was most proud. Some copies of this part were issued with a separate title and preface in 1834; the notes were written by J. P. Collier. There was also a sale at Ghent in 1835 of the books, mostly in fine condition, housed by Heber in that city. The catalogue of this sale (Gand, 1835, 8vo), and those describing the books sold at Paris in 1834 and 1835, compiled by Silvestre, are necessary to complete the set of the ‘Bibliotheca Heberiana.’ The books sold on the continent, the coins and drawings, brought about 10,000l. The total cost to Heber of all his purchases is supposed to have been about 100,000l. Dibdin estimated the total number of Heber's collections in England to have amounted to 127,500 vols. Allibone calculated more precisely that the books in England numbered 113,195 volumes, those brought from Holland 3,632 volumes, while Boulard's library, purchased and kept in Paris, included 30,000 volumes, making a total of 146,827 volumes (Critical Dictionary of English Literature, 1859, i. 816). This does not include an immense number of pamphlets and an unknown quantity of books stowed away in all quarters of Europe. Perhaps no man ever collected such vast accumulations of choice volumes.
The following were edited by him: 1. ‘Auli Persii Flacci Satyræ, with Brewster's translation,’ London, 1790, 4to (250 copies printed by Bulmer, without title-page, neither completed nor published). 2. ‘C. Silii Italici Punica,’ Londini, impensis R. Faulder excud. G. Bulmer, 1792, 2 vols. sm. 8vo. 3. ‘Cl. Claudiani Carmina,’ London, 1793–6, 2 vols. sm. 8vo (unfinished and never published, completed and published under the care of H. Drury, Londini, typis Bulmerianis [1836], 2 vols. sm. 8vo, also large paper). 4. ‘Specimens of the Early English Poets, by George Ellis. The fourth edition corrected,’ London, 1811, 3 vols. sm. 8vo. 5. ‘Caltha Poetarum, or the Bumble Bee, by T. Cutwode,’ London, Roxburghe Club, 1815, 4to (reprinted from the edition of 1599).
[Biography in Gent. Mag. January 1834, pp. 105–9, and Ann. Biog. 1835, xix. 424–9. See also T. F. Dibdin's Reminiscences, 1836, i. 429–446; Bibliomania, 1842, i. 128–32; Bibliographical Decameron, 1817, ii. 384; and Bibliophobia, 1832, pp. 37, 93; R. Southey's Life and Correspondence, 1849, 6 vols. sm. 8vo; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1888, ii. 641; Notes and Queries, 5th ser. xii. 425; Nichols's Illustr. of Lit. Hist. viii. 378; J. Mitford's Sacred Specimens from the Early English Poets, 1827, preface; J. H. Burton's Book Hunter; E. Edwards's Memoirs of Libraries, ii. 135–8; Brunet's Manuel du Libraire, 1860, i. 923; Letters of Bishop Heber to his Brother are in the Life of the Bishop by his Widow, 1830, vol. i., and Journey through the Upper Provinces of India, 1829, iii. 403. Some of Heber's rare works are described in Clarke's Repertorium Bibliographicum, 1819, pp. 276–88; Dibdin's Library Companion, 1824; Gent. Mag. January and February 1835, pp. 79, 195, January and April 1836, pp. 78, 412; and Macray's Annals of the Bodleian Library, 2nd edit., 1890.]