How to Make an Index

"Knaves see Words."

"Letters see Libel."

"London see Outlawry."

"Shop see Burglary."

"Sickness see Bail."

"Threats see Words."

"Westminster Hall see Contempt and Lie."

"Writing see Treason."

This arrangement of some of the cross references is perhaps scarcely fair. They are spread over several elaborate indexes in the original, and in their proper places do not strike one in the same way as when they are set out by themselves. One of the instances given by the critic in the Monthly Magazine is unfairly cited. It is there given as "Assault see Son." The cross reference really is, "Assault see Son Assault."

Hawkins's work is divided into two parts, and the folio editions have two indexes, one to each part; the octavo edition has four indexes, one to each volume.

The index to Ford's Handbook of Spain contains an amusing reference:

"Wellington, see Duke."

Besides these four divisions of the chief faults in indexing, there are many other pitfalls gaping wide to receive the careless indexer.

Names are a great difficulty, but it is not necessary to refer to these more generally here, as they are fully dealt with in the rules (see Chapter VI.)

It is not often that an English indexer has to index a French book, but should he do so he would often need to be careful. The Frenchman does not care to leave that which he does not understand unexplained. The translation of Love's Last Shift as La Dernière Chemise de l'Amour, attributed by Horace Walpole to the Dowager Duchess of Bolton in George I.'s reign, is probably an invention, but some translations quite as amusing are genuine. G. Brunet of Bordeaux, having occasion in his La France Littéraire au XV^e siècle to mention "White Knights," at one time the seat of the Duke of Marlborough, translates it into Le Chevalier Blanc. When Dr. Buckland, the geologist, died, a certain French paper published a biography of him in which it was explained that the deceased had been a very versatile writer, for besides his work on geology he had produced one Sur les Ponts et Chaussées. This was a puzzling statement, but it turned out to be a translation of Bridgewater Treatises, in which series his Geology and Mineralogy was published in 1837.

Sometimes contractions give trouble to the indexer, and he must be careful not to fill them out unless he is sure of what they mean. Many blunders have been made in this way. In the Historie of Edward IV. (1471), edited by that careful and trustworthy antiquary John Bruce for the Camden Society in 1838, there is the following remarkable statement: "Wherefore the Kynge may say, as Julius Cæsar sayde, he that is not agaynst me is with me."

This chapter might be made a very long one by instancing a series of badly indexed books, but this would be a tedious recital devoid of any utility, for the blunders and carelessness of the bad indexer are singularly alike in their futility. It is nevertheless worth while to mention the index to Peter Cunningham's complete edition of Walpole's Letters, because that work deserves a good index. We may hope that when Mrs. Toynbee publishes her new and complete edition of the Letters, she will add a really satisfactory index. The present index is very bad and most irritating to the person who uses it. Examples of most of the careless and foolish blunders in indexing are to be found here; for instance, there are long lists of references without indication of the reason for any of them. The same person is entered in two places if he is spoken of under slightly different names. The same nobleman is referred to as Lord – and as the Earl of –, while sometimes a heading devoted to Lord – contains references to two distinct men. Van Eyck has one reference under Van and another under Eyck. Mrs. Godfrey is entered under both Godfrey and La Godfrey. Many other absurdities are to be found in the index, but the extract of one heading will be sufficient to show how ill the arrangement is:

"Gower, edition of,

–– Baptist Leveson,

–– Countess of,

–– Dowager Lady,

–– Duke of,

–– Earl of,

–– John, Earl,

–– Lady,

–– Lady Elizabeth,

–– Lady Mary Leveson,

–– Lord,

–– Richard Leveson."

There is no authority at all for a Duke of Gower, and if we look up the reference (iv. 39) we find that it refers to "the late Lord G–," possibly the Earl Gower.

The confusion by which two persons are made into one has sometimes an evil consequence worse than putting the consulter of an index on the wrong scent, for the character of an innocent person may be taken away by this means. (Constance) Lady Russell of Swallowfield points out in Notes and Queries, that in the index to Familiar Letters of Sir Walter Scott (1894) there are three references under Lady Charlotte Campbell, one of which is to a Lady C–, really intended for the notorious Lady Conyngham, mistress to George IV. In another index Mary Bellenden is described thus: "Bellenden, Miss, Mistress of George II." This is really too bad; for the charming maid of honour called by Gay "Smiling Mary, soft and fair as down," turned a deaf ear to the importunities of the king, as we know on the authority of Horace Walpole.

The index to Lord Braybrooke's edition of Pepys's Diary has many faults, mostly due to bad arrangement; but it must be allowed that there is a great difficulty in indexing a private diary such as this. The diarist knew to whom he was referring when he mentioned Mr. or Mrs.–; but where there are two or more persons of the same name, it is hard to distinguish between them correctly. This has been a stumbling-block in the compilation of the index to the new edition, in which a better system was attempted.

It has been said that a bad index is better than no index at all, but this statement is open to question. Still, all must agree that an indexless book is a great evil. Mr. J. H. Markland is the authority for the declaration that "the omission of an index when essential should be an indictable offence." Carlyle denounces the publishers of books unprovided with this necessary appendage; and Baynes, the author of the Archæological Epistle to Dean Mills (usually attributed to Mason), concocted a terrible curse against such evil-doers. The reporter was the learned Francis Douce, who said to Mr. Thoms: "Sir, my friend John Baynes used to say that the man who published a book without an index ought to be damned ten miles beyond Hell, where the Devil could not get for stinging-nettles."10 Lord Campbell proposed that any author who published a book without an index should be deprived of the benefits of the Copyright Act; and the Hon. Horace Binney, LL.D., a distinguished American lawyer, held the same views, and would have condemned the culprit to the same punishment. Those, however, who hold the soundest views sometimes fail in practice; thus Lord Campbell had to acknowledge that he had himself sinned before the year 1857.

These are the words written by Lord Campbell in the preface to the first volume of his Lives of the Chief Justices (1857): "I have only further to express my satisfaction in thinking that a heavy weight is now to be removed from my conscience. So essential did I consider an index to be to every book, that I proposed to bring a Bill into Parliament to deprive an author who publishes a book without an Index of the privilege of copyright; and moreover to subject him for his offence to a pecuniary penalty. Yet from difficulties started by my printers, my own books have hitherto been without an Index. But I am happy to announce that a learned friend at the Bar, on whose accuracy I can place entire reliance, has kindly prepared a copious index, which will be appended to this work, and another for a new stereotyped edition of the Lives of the Chancellors."

Mr. John Morley, in an article in the Fortnightly Review on Mr. Russell's edition of Matthew Arnold's Letters, lifts up his voice against an indexless book. He says: "One damning sin of omission Mr. Russell has indeed perpetrated: the two volumes have no index, nor even a table of contents."11 George Selwyn and his Contemporaries, a most interesting but badly arranged book, by John Heneage Jesse, was published without an index, and a new edition was issued (1882) also without this necessary addition. The student of the manners of the eighteenth century must constantly refer to this book, and yet it is almost impossible to find in it what you want without great waste of labour. I have found it necessary to make a manuscript index for my own use.

CHAPTER IV.

The Good Indexer

"Thomas Norton was appointed Remembrancer of the city of London in 1570, and directions were given to him that 'he shall gather together and reduce the same [the Bookes] into Indices, Tables or Kalendars, whereby they may be more easily, readily and orderly founde.'"—Analytical Index to "Remembrancia," p. v.

THE acrostic

I  I

N  never

D  did

E  ensure

X  exactness

made by a contributor to Notes and Queries as a motto for an index expresses very well the difficulties ever present to the indexer; and the most successful will confess the truth that it contains, however much others may consider his work to be good.

There are many indexes which are only of partial merit, but which a little more care and experience on the part of the indexer would have made good. If the medium indexer felt that indexing was work that must be done to the best of his ability, and he studied the best examples, he would gradually become a good indexer.

The famous bibliographer, William Oldys, rated the labours of the diligent indexer very highly, and expressed his views very clearly thus:

"The labour and patience, the judgment and penetration which are required to make a good index is only known to those who have gone through this most painful, but least praised part of a publication. But laborious as it is, I think it is indispensably necessary to manifest the treasures of any multifarious collection, facilitate the knowledge to those who seek it, and invite them to make application thereof."12

Similar sentiments were expressed by a writer in the Monthly Review which have been quoted by Dr. Allibone in his valuable Dictionary of English Literature.13

"The compilation of an index is one of those useful labours for which the public, commonly better pleased with entertainment than with real service, are rarely so forward to express their gratitude as we think they ought to be. It has been considered a task fit only for the plodding and the dull: but with more truth it may be said that this is the judgment of the idle and the shallow. The value of anything, it has been observed, is best known by the want of it. Agreeably to this idea, we, who have often experienced great inconveniences from the want of indices, entertain the highest sense of their worth and importance. We know that in the construction of a good index, there is far more scope for the exercise of judgment and abilities, than is commonly supposed. We feel the merits of the compiler of such an index, and we are ever ready to testify our thankfulness for his exertions."

A goodly roll may be drawn up of eminent men who have not been ashamed to appear before the world as indexers. In the first rank we must place the younger Scaliger, who devoted ten months on the compilation of an elaborate index to Gruter's Thesaurus Inscriptionum. Bibliographers have been unanimous in praise of the energy exhibited by the great critic in undertaking so vast a labour. Antonio describes the index as a Herculean work, and LeClerc observes that if we think it surprising that so great a man should undertake so laborious a task we must remember that such indexes can only be made by a very able man.

Nicolas Antonio, the compiler of one of the fullest and most accurate bibliographies ever planned, was a connoisseur of indexes, and wrote a short essay on the makers of them. His Bibliotheca Hispana is not known so well as it deserves to be, but those who use it find it one of the most trustworthy of guides. The system upon which the authors' names are arranged is one that at first sight may seem to give cause for ridicule, for they appear in an alphabet of Christian names; but when we consider that the Spaniards and Portuguese stand alone among European nations in respect to the importance they pay to the Christian name, and remember, further, that authors and others are often alluded to by their Christian names alone, we shall see a valid reason for the plan. Another point that should not be forgotten is the number of Spanish authors who have belonged to the religious orders and are never known by their surnames. This arrangement, however, necessitates a full index of surnames, and Antonio has given one which was highly praised both by Baillet and Bayle, two men who were well able to form an opinion.

Juan de Pineda's Monarchia Ecclesiastica o historia Universal del Mundo (Salamanca, 1588) has a very curious and valuable table which forms the fifth volume of the whole set; and the three folio volumes of indexes in one alphabet to the Annales Ecclesiastici of Baronius form a noble work.

Samuel Jeake, senior, compiled a valuable work on "Arithmetick" in 1674, which was published by his son in 1696: Λογιστικηλογια; or, Arithmetick Surveighed and Reviewed. Professor De Morgan specially refers to this book in his Arithmetical Books, saying: "Those who know the value of a large book with a good index will pick this one up when they can." He praises it on account of the value of the information it contains and the fulness of the references to that information. The alphabetical table, directing to some special points noted in the precedent treatise, was probably the work of Samuel Jeake, junior. The author's epistle is dated from Rye, 1674, and one of the entries is curious:

"Winchelsea, when drowned 74."

S. Jeake being a resident at Rye had an interesting note to add to this:

"Among the records of this town of Rye is a Memorandum entered that the year old Winchelsea was drowned (1287) corn was 2s. the quarter."

Thomas Carlyle denounced the putters forth of indexless books, and his sincerity is proved by the publication in 1874 of a separate index to the people's edition of his Works. In his introduction to Cromwell's Letters and Speeches he is very severe on some of the old folios he was forced to use:

"The Rushworths, Whitelocks, Nalsons, Thurloes; enormous folios, these and many other have been printed and some of them again printed but never yet edited,—edited as you edit wagon-loads of broken bricks, and dry mortar simply by tumbling up the wagon! Not one of those monstrous old volumes has so much as an index. It is the general rule of editing on this matter. If your editor correct the press, it is an honourable distinction."

A very eminent name may be added to the list of indexers, for, when a boy of fifteen, Macaulay made the index to a volume of the Christian Observer (of which periodical his father was editor), and this he introduced to the notice of Hannah More in these words:

"To add to the list, my dear Madam, you will soon see a work of mine in print. Do not be frightened; it is only the Index to the thirteenth volume of the Christian Observer, which I have had the honour of composing. Index-making, though the lowest, is not the most useless round in the ladder of literature; and I pride myself upon being able to say that there are many readers of the Christian Observer who could do without Walter Scott's works, but not without those of, my dear Madam, your affectionate friend, Thomas B. Macaulay."

Although proud of his work, Macaulay places index-making in a very low position. In later life he used a contemptuous expression when he was describing the appearance of those who followed the lowest grade in the literary profession. The late Mr. H. Campkin, a veteran indexer, quotes this description in the preface to one of his valuable indexes—that to the twenty-five volumes of the Sussex Archæological Collections:

"The compilation of Indexes will always and naturally so, be regarded as a humble art; 'index-makers in ragged coats of frieze' are classed by Lord Macaulay as the very lowest of the frequenters of the coffee houses of the Dryden and Swift era. Yet ''tis my vocation, Hal,' and [F1: `'tis?] into very pleasant companionship it has sometimes brought me, and if in this probably the last of my twenty-five years' labours in this direction, I have succeeded in furnishing a fairly practicable key to a valuable set of volumes, my frieze coat, how tattered soever signifieth not, will continue to hang upon my shoulders not uncomfortably."

Though he did not rate highly the calling of the indexer, Macaulay knew that that lowly mortal has a considerable power in his hand if he chooses to use it, for he can state in a few words what the author may have hidden in verbiage, and he can so arrange his materials as to turn an author's own words against himself. Hence Macaulay wrote to his publishers, "Let no d– Tory make the index to my History." When the index was in progress he appears to have seen the draught, which was fuller than he thought necessary. He therefore wrote to Messrs. Longmans:

"I am very unwilling to seem captious about such a work as an Index. By all means let Mr. – go on. But offer him with all delicacy and courtesy, from me this suggestion. I would advise him to have very few heads, except proper names. A few there must be, such as Convocation, Nonjurors, Bank of England, National Debt. These are heads to which readers who wish for information on these subject will naturally turn. But I think that Mr. – will on consideration perceive that such heads as Priestcraft, Priesthood, Party spirit, Insurrection, War, Bible, Crown, Controversies, Dissent, are quite useless. Nobody will ever look for them; and if every passage in which party-spirit, dissent, the art of war, and the power of the Crown are mentioned, is to be noticed in the Index, the size of the volumes will be doubled. The best rule is to keep close to proper names, and never to deviate from that rule without some special occasion."14

These remarks exhibit Macaulay's eminently common-sense view of the value of an index, but it is evident that he did not realise the possibility of a good and full index such as might have been produced. The History of England, with all its wealth of picturesque illustration, deserves a full index compiled by some one capable of exhibiting the spirit of that great work in a brilliant analysis.

Sir George Trevelyan's delightful Life of his uncle was originally published without an index, and Mr. Perceval Clark made an admirable one, both full and interesting, which was issued by the Index Society in 1881. Mr. Clark writes in his preface:

"The single heading Macaulay of course takes up a large space of the Index, and will be found, together with a few other headings, to contain everything directly touching him. The list of his published writings refers of course only to writings mentioned by his Biographer, and lays no claim to be considered an exhaustive bibliography of his works. The books Macaulay read that were 'mostly trash' have their places in the body of the Index, while those that stood by him in all vicissitudes as comforters, nurses, and companions, have half a page to themselves under one of the sections of Macaulay. The particulars of his life and work in India are given under India; localities in London under London; various newspapers under Newspapers, and certain French and Italian towns visited by Macaulay under their countries respectively."

Just such an index one would like to see of the History of England.

It may be added that the popular edition of the Life published subsequently has an index.

A large number of official indexes are excellent, although some very bad ones have been printed. Still, it may be generally stated that in Government Departments there are those in power who know the value of a good digest, and understand that it is necessary to employ skilled labour. The work is well paid, and therefore not scamped; and plenty of room is devoted to the index, which is printed in a satisfactory manner in type well set out.

We have no modern statistics to offer, but the often quoted statement that in 1778 a total of £12,000 was voted for indexes to the Journals of the House of Commons shows that the value of indexes was appreciated by Parliament in the eighteenth century. The items of this amount were:

"To Mr. Edward Moore £6400 as a final compensation for thirteen years labour; Rev. Mr. Forster £3000 for nine years' labour; Rev. Dr. Roger Flaxman £3000 for nine years' labour; and £500 to Mr. Cunningham."

One of the most admirable applications of index making is to be found in the series of Calendars of State Papers issued under the sanction of the Master of the Rolls, which have made available to all a mass of historical material of unrivalled value. How many students have been grateful for the indexes to these calendars, and also for the aid given to him by the indexes to Parliamentary papers and other Government publications!

It is impossible to mention all the good official indexes, but a special word of praise must be given to the indexes to the Statutes of the Realm, the folio edition published by the Record Commission. I have often consulted the Alphabetical Index to the Statutes from Magna Charta to the End of the Reign of Queen Anne (1824) with the greatest pleasure and profit. It is a model of good workmanship.

The lawyers have analytical minds, and they know how important full indexes and digests are to complete their stock-in-trade. They have done much, but there is still much to be done. Lord Thring drew up some masterly instructions for an index to the Statute Law, which is to be considered as a step towards a code. These instructions conclude with these weighty words:

"Let no man imagine that the construction of an index to the Statute Law is a mere piece of mechanical drudgery, unworthy of the energy and ability of an accomplished lawyer. Next to codification, the most difficult task that can be accomplished is to prepare a detailed plan for a code, as distinct from the easy task of devising a theoretical system of codification. Now the preparation of an index, such as has been suggested in the above instructions, is the preparation of a detailed plan for a code. Each effective title, is in effect, a plan for the codification of the legal subject-matter grouped under that title, and the whole index if completed would be a summary of a code arranged in alphabetical order."15

That this question of digesting the law is to be considered as one which should interest all classes of Englishmen, and not the lawyer only, may be seen from an article in the Nineteenth Century (September, 1877) on the "Improvement of the Law by Private Enterprise," by the late Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, who did so much towards a complete digest of the law. He wrote:

"I have long believed that the law might by proper means be relieved of this extreme obscurity and intricacy, and might be displayed in its true light as a subject of study of the deepest possible interest, not only to every one who takes an interest in politics or ethics, or in the application of logic and metaphysics to those subjects. In short, I think that nothing but the rearrangement and condensation of the vast masses of matter contained in our law libraries is required, in order to add to human knowledge what would be practically a new department of the highest and most permanent interest. Law holds in suspension both the logic and the ethics, which are in fact recognised by men of business and men of the world as the standards by which the practice of common life ought to be regulated, and by which men ought to form their opinions in all their most important temporal affairs. It would be a far greater service to mankind than many people would suppose to have these standards clearly defined and brought within the reach of every one who cared to study them."