10-10-2016, 08:14 AM
Diane,
as far as I remember, only you are using terms like 'less than honourable motives' and 'improper dealings'.
For me it is a simple case of cause and effect.
Is a confiscation of property by the government of a country improper? It all depends on the reasons
and motivation behind it.
Did the Society of Jesus commit any wrongdoings that would justify confiscation of their materials?
The answer clearly depends on which camp one is in, as I wrote above. I think there is a natural tendency
to sympathise with the objects of such confiscation, right or wrong.
On the other point, when it comes to keeping a collection of old books intact, just about the worst thing to
do is to sell it to a private antiquarian. This has of course been clearly demonstrated by the fate of this part
of the collection, which is now spread out over a good dozen libraries, and parts are in unknown private hands.
I can only conclude that the motivation (both for the seller and the buyer) was a financial one.
as far as I remember, only you are using terms like 'less than honourable motives' and 'improper dealings'.
For me it is a simple case of cause and effect.
Is a confiscation of property by the government of a country improper? It all depends on the reasons
and motivation behind it.
Did the Society of Jesus commit any wrongdoings that would justify confiscation of their materials?
The answer clearly depends on which camp one is in, as I wrote above. I think there is a natural tendency
to sympathise with the objects of such confiscation, right or wrong.
On the other point, when it comes to keeping a collection of old books intact, just about the worst thing to
do is to sell it to a private antiquarian. This has of course been clearly demonstrated by the fate of this part
of the collection, which is now spread out over a good dozen libraries, and parts are in unknown private hands.
I can only conclude that the motivation (both for the seller and the buyer) was a financial one.