HOW TO MAKE
AN INDEX

BY

HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S.A.

AUTHOR OF "HOW TO CATALOGUE A LIBRARY"

"HOW TO FORM A LIBRARY," ETC., ETC.

"M. Bochart ... me prioit surtout d'y faire un Index, etant, disoit-il, l'âme des gros livres."—Menagiana.

LONDON

ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW

1902

PREFACE.

N 1878 I wrote for the Index Society, as its first publication, a pamphlet entitled "What is an Index?" The present little book is compiled on somewhat similar lines; but, as its title suggests, it is drawn up with a more practical object. The first four chapters are "Historical," and the other four are "Practical"; but the historical portion is intended to lead up to the practical portion by showing what to imitate and what to avoid.

There has been of late years a considerable change in public opinion with respect to the difficulties attending the making of both indexes and catalogues. It was once a common opinion that anyone without preparatory knowledge or experience could make an index. That that opinion is not true is amply proved, I hope, in the chapter on the "Bad Indexer."

I have attempted to describe the best way of setting to work on an index. To do this with any hope of success it is necessary to give details that may to some seem puerile, but I have ventured on particulars for which I hope I may not be condemned.

I must also ask the forbearance of my readers for the constant use of the personal pronoun. If I could have left it out, I would gladly have done so; but to a great extent this book relates to the experiences of an old indexer. They must be taken for what they are worth, and I hope forgiveness will be extended to me for the form in which these experiences are related.

H. B. W.

CONTENTS.

HISTORICAL.

PAGE

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION

The So-called Evils of Index Learning—Glanville and Swift—Thomas Fuller's Defence of the Index—Advantages of saving the Brain by knowing where to find what is wanted—Dr. Johnson's Division of Necessary Knowledge—Gradual Introduction of the Word "Index"—Synonyms—Final Triumph of Index—Interesting Indexes—Prynne's Index to his Histrio-Mastix—Index to Richardson's Novels—David Hume an Indexer—Sir James Paget enjoyed making Indexes—Amusing Blunder in Musical Index    1

CHAPTER II.

AMUSING AND SATIRICAL INDEXES.

Leigh Hunt's Good Word for Indexes—Indexes to Tatler and Spectator, and The Athenian Oracle—Table of Contents to Shenstone's Schoolmistress—Index to Biglow Papers—Dr. William King and his Satirical Indexes—"Boyle upon Bentley"—The Royal Society and Sir Hans Sloane ridiculed—Speaker Bromley's Travels—Reprint with King's Index    25

CHAPTER III.

THE BAD INDEXER.

Some of the Worst Indexes in Periodicals—Jewel's Apology—Classified in place of completely Alphabetical Indexes—Mr. Poole's Opinion of Indexes to Periodicals—Miss Hetherington's Examples of Bad Indexes—Want of Complete Alphabetization—Confusion of u and n, and Blunders caused by it—Classification within the Alphabet—Variety of Alphabets—Want of Cross References—Useless Cross References—Amusing Mistranslations—Incorrect Filling-up of Contractions—Bad Index to Walpole's Letters—Incorrect Use of the Line for Repetition of Heading—Index to Pepys's Diary—Evil of an Indexless Book—Complaints    53

CHAPTER IV.

THE GOOD INDEXER.

Difficulties of being Exact—Value of a Good Index—Scaliger, Nicolas Antonio, Pineda, Samuel Jeake—Carlyle on Indexless Books—Macaulay's Opinion of the Aim of an Index—Official Indexes—Amount paid by Parliament for Indexes—Good Legal Indexes—Indexes to Jeremy Bentham's Works, and to Ruskin's Fors Clavigera—Dr. Birkbeck Hill's Index to Boswell's Life of Johnson—Boswell's Original Index—Issue of Revised Index to Ranke's History of England—The Indexer born and made—Characteristics of a Good Indexer    85

PRACTICAL.

CHAPTER V.

DIFFERENT CLASSES OF INDEXES.

Easiest Kinds of Indexes to make—Concordances—Scientific Books—Incompleteness of some Indexes—Indexes to Catalogues of Libraries—Proposed Subject Index to the Catalogue of the British Museum—Controversy in The Times—Mr. Fortescue's Opinion—Dictionary Catalogue    118

CHAPTER VI.

GENERAL RULES FOR ALPHABETICAL INDEXES.

Rules, with Explanations and Illustrations: (1) One Index to each Book; (2) One Alphabet; (3) Order of the English Alphabet; (4) Arrangement of Headings; (5) Arrangement of Foreign Proper Names; (6) Proper Names with Prefixes; (7) Titles of Peers rather than their Family Names; (8) Compound Names; (9) Adjective v. Substantive as a Catchword; (10) Shortness of Entries; (11) Repetition of Short Entries; (12) Abstracts of the Contents of Articles in Periodicals; (13) Authorities to be Indexed; (14) Division of the Page for Reference; (15) Use of Numerals for Series of Volumes; (16) Certain Entries to be printed in Capitals; (17) Type for Headings—Arrangement of Oriental Names—Sir George Birdwood's Memorandum    132

CHAPTER VII.

HOW TO SET ABOUT AN INDEX.

Hints as to the Making of an Index—Two Kinds