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ttbe 1tbrary Seríes

EDITED BY

DR. RICHARD GARNETT

IV
PRICES OF BOOI{S

{tbe 1Líbtat}2 Setiee

EDITED, WITH INTRODUCTIONS, BY DR, RICHARD GARNETT

I. THE FREE LIBRARY: Its History and
Present Condition, By J, J, OGLE, of Bootie
Free Library, Cloth, 6s. net.

II. LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION, ARCHITEC-
TURE, AND FITTINGS. By F, J. BUR-
GOYNE, of the Tate Central Library, Brixton,
With 141 Illustrations. Cloth, 6s, net,

III. LIBRARY AD
IINISTRATION. By J.
MACFARLANE, of the British Museum. Cloth,
6s. net.

IV. PRICES OF BOOKS, By HENRY B.
WHEA TLEY, of the Society of Arts. Cloth,
6s. net.

PRICES

OF

BOOKS

AN INQUIRY INTO THE CHANGES IN THE PRICE
OF BOOKS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED IN
ENGLAND AT DIFFERENT PERIODS

BY

HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S.A.

LONDON
GEORGE ALLEN, 156, CHARING CROSS ROAD
18 9 8
[All rigkts reserved]

Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON b> CO.
At the Ballantyne Press

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

THE history of prices is one of the lnost interesting
subjects that can engage research. As language
has been called fossil poetry, from ,vhich the primi-
tive ,vorkings of the lnind of n1an lnay be elicited,
so the story of his progress in material ,veIl-being
lies enfolded in the history of the prices ,vhich haye
at various periods been procurable for cOlnmodi-
ties, ,vhether of prime necessity, of genera] utility,
or sin1ply ornamental. The prices of books, so ably
inyestigated and recorded by 1\1r. WHEATLEY in
the follo,ving pages, are a slnall but significant de-
parhnent of a great subject. If ,ve had no record
of the price of any other article of coml11erce,
,ve should still perceiye in theln an index to the
,vorld's advance in \vealth, taste, and general inte]-
ligence. With every aIlo\vance for the fall in the
value of 111oney, it ,vould yet be manifest that prices
could no,v be afforded for books ,vhich at an earlier
period \vould have been out of the question; and
not less so that while some classes of books had risen
in ,vorth ,vith the enhanced standard of ,vealth,
others had accommodated themselves to the re-
quirements of the poor. \\Te should trace the effect
of mechanical ilnprovements in diminishing the
v

.

VI

EDITOR'S INTRODL'CTION

prices of things, and of fashion and curiosity in
augmenting them. We should see the enormous
influence of scarcity in forcing up the value of
products, ,vhile \ve should learn at the same time
that this \vas not the sole agent, but that intrinsic
merit lnust usually to some extent co-operate \vith
it, and that prices lnust bear some relation to the
inherent reason of things. It Inust, for instance,
have been entirely unforeseen by the early printers
that the books ,vhich they advertised ,vith such
exultation as cheaper than the manuscripts they
\vere superseding would in process of time become
dearer, but ,ve can discern this lnetamorphosis of
relative value to have been rational and inevitable.
Finally, the Huctuations of price \\
ould afford a clue
to the intellectual condition of the age. Observ-
ing, for exan1ple, the great decline \vhich, as a rule,
has taken place in the value of early editions of the
classics, \ve should conclude that either the classical
"Titers \vere less generally esteemed than formerly,
or that such progress had been made in their study
that the old editions had become inadequate; and
both conclusions ,vould be ,veIl founded.
Books occupy a middle position between ordi-
nary products and ,yorks of art. Like the latter,
they are in theory the offspring of an exceptional
talent. The humblest bookman vie,vs himself as
in SOlne measure the superior of his readers for
the time being; he ,vould haye no excuse for ad-
dressing them if he did not suppose himself able
to convey to them some pleasure which they could
not have attained without him, or to inform them

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

VB

of something, ho,vever insignificant, \\'hich but for
him ,vould have remained unkno,vn. But \vhereas
in the arts price is usually in the ratio of the real or
supposed inteIIectual merit of the production, in
books it lnay J.lmost be said that the reverse rule
obtains. The fine picture or statue cannot be re-
produced as an original \york; copies lnay be made
to any extent, but no amount of copying impairs
the value of the unique original. Again, such a
,york, \yhether absolutely perfect or not, once
finished is complete for all titne, and aIIo\vs of no
further improvement. But the book admits of in-
definite multiplication, and the extent to \vhich this
proceeds is comlnonly in the ratio of its inteIIectual
\vorth. It is the very greatest authors, the Homers,
the Shakespeares, that are usually the easiest and
cheapest to procure.
It apped.rs, therefore, that, although great books
unquestionably demand more intellectual po\yer
for their production than great ,vorks of art, their
very superiority tends to cheapen theln in com-
parison by encouraging their dissemination. There
could not be a stronger instance of the po\ver of
scarcity in determining price; and, in fact, the
rarity of a book is the lnost important elelnent in
its cOlnn1ercial \vorth. \Yet intrinsic desert plays
its part, though an inferior one. There are SOlne
cases ill which it utterly fails. The cOlnlnercial
value of the productions of the Dutch prototypo-
graphers, for exalnple, would probably not be aug-
mented in the least if they could be transformed
fronl fraglnents of dull lesson-books into leaves fro1l1

Vll1

EDITOR'S INTROD'CCTION

sages and poets. The Papal Bulls relating to the
Turks in Cyprus, ,vhich have the honour to be
the first doculnents to have issued cOlnplete from
an European press, \vould hardly gain in con1-
mercial yalue if they ,vere briefs announcing the
foundation of the Vatican Library, or official an-
nouncelnents of the fan of Constantinople. On the
other hand, the first edition of Virgil, one of the
rarest of books, \vottld assuredly be less valued if,
,vhile equally rare, it \vere the editio princeps of a
Latin author of inferior reputation. In general, the
celebrity of an author ,yill be found a considerable
factor in determining the value of a book; but
\vhile rarity \vithout celebrity ,vill effect lTIuch, cele-
brity ,yithout rarity, or some other adventitious
circulnstance devoid of relation to the intellectual
value of the book, ,vill effect very little.
l\Iany other circulnstances besides scarcity \vill
contribute to render a book highly prized, and con-
sequently dear. SOlne of these are obvious at once,
such as fine paper, fine print, fine binding, or the
autograph of a celebrated lnan. A book ,vill be
valued because it has been the subject of a judicial
condemnation, or because it is a copy containing a
plate in general deficient or mutilated, or perhaps
only because it has an erratum corrected in other
copies.
ir. Sidney Lee's recent discovery of a
unique peculiarity in the Baroness Burdett-Coutts'
Shakespeare folio may probably have doubled the
value of the book. SometÏ1nes such cailses are
very singular. King Charles the First dropped a
palnphlet into the mud; the stain relnains to this

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

lX

day, and centuples the value of a tract ,yhich ,vould
have been only deteriorated if it had slipped froln
the fingers of a 10rc1-in-,yaiting. Such a fact intro-
duces the element of sentiment, a po\verful factor,
and one of far-reaching influence; for the Quaker
or Freel11ason ,vho collects literature interesting to
his society, or the local patriot ,vho buys up the
books printed in his native to,vn, sets others upon
collecting them too, and raises the value all round.
N ext to scarcity and great beauty, nothing, perhaps,
ilnparts such stability to the worth of a book as to
be addressed to a small but \vell-defined circle of
readers. Books on chess and angling are fan1Îliar
instances. They are not too numerous to dismay
a collector, and everyone differs from the rest in
SOlne feature sufficient to make it indispensable to
a collector ambitious of completeness.
A certain description of books ,vould excite lively
interest if they could be identified \vith certainty,
those \vhich are not valuable no\v, but \vhich are
about to be. It Inay probably be considered that
almost any book ,vhich can manage to exist for
fi ve hundred years ,vill find itself augmented in
value at the end of this period, but some classes
,vill have proved l11uch better investments than
others. T\vo lnay be signalised ,vith considerable
confidence-illustrated books, ,vhich portray the
fashions and hUl110urs of the age for posterity, and
ne,vspapers. Nothing gro,vs in value like a ne,vs-
paper; the sheets of to-day, ,vhich, perhaps, con-
tain nothing of interest to any contelnporary reader,
,vill be priceless to the historian and antiquary of

.

x

EDITOR'S INTROD'CCTION

the centuries to come. They fructify in silence,
and ilnperceptibly lnake their possessor rich. Their
intellectual as \vell as their pecuniary value aug-
ments by lying still. Nothing so faithfully depicts
an age for its successors; they are \vorth all the
histories and all the novels. Their preservation-
\vhich involves their assemblage in one place for
the sake of accessibility and of comparison ,vith
each other and \vith books-is a momentous trust,
neglect of \vhich ,vould strike a heavy blow at his-
torical, archa
ological, and sociological research, and
inflict a grievoys injury upon the ages to come.

R. GARNETT.

111 arch 1898.

-4"

PREFACE

THE subject of the prices of books is one ,vhich
ahyavs exercises a certain fascination over the minds
of book-lovers, although some have expressed their
objection to any discussion of it, lest this should
haye the effect of enhancing prices.
In a single vohllne it is ilnpossible to deal with
so large a subject in any fulness of detail, and I
have therefore endeavoured to give a general vie,v,
merely instancing a fe'v cases in illustration of the
\yhole, but making an exception in respect of hvo
of the most interesting and high-priced classes of
books in literature, namely, the productions of the
press of Caxton, and the original editions of Shake-
speare's "yorks.
I t is necessary for the reader to bear hyo points
in lnind-
(1) That the value of lnoney has changed during
each century of our history to an extent not easy
to calculate ,vith precision, because the prices of all
articles have not been equa1ly affected. V'l e can say
generally that definite incomes a hundred years ago
were equivalent in worth to twice their nominal
xi

xu

PREFACE

alllount at the present day, and that those of t\VO
hundred years ago ,voldd be \vorth about five tilnes
as lnuch. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
money \vas ,vorth ten or t\velve times what it is
no\v, but there is SOllie difficulty in calculating
correctly the rates respectively of necessaries and
luxuries. This is a matter for experts, and cannot
be more than alluded to here, as a warning to the
reader that he must ahvays remember that a pound
or a shilling in previous centuries ,vas of more value
than it is to-day, and possessed a llluch greater
purchasing po\ver.
(2) That in dealing with prices ,ve are interested
,vith rare and specially valuable books. Ordinary
standard books, even in good editions, ,vere never
cheaper than at present.
A writer of a ,york of this kind lnust feel grateful
to predecessors, ,vho ha\Te 111ade it possible for him
to gather satisfactory lnaterial for his purpose.
Special gratitude is due to Thoillas Frognall Dib-
din, Hart\vell Horne, and WiIlian1 Clarke (author
of the RepertorÙtJJl BibliograplliClt1Jl) , ,vho \vere all
thorough \\Torkers in this field. The labours of
Dibdin have been unjustly depreciated by many
modern \vriters. His ,yorks, besides being among
the Inost beautiful books produced in Europe,
are mines of bibliographical anecdote and useful
literary infonnation. Objections may be 111ade
by some to his descriptions, but he certainly great1y

PREFACE

Xlll

influenced the bibliomania of a former age, and
made Inany sales famous ,vhich other,vise \vould
have been forgotten except by the fe\v.
There is a gap in the literature of our subject
between authors at the beginning of the century
and the modern writers, who largely obtain their
information frol11 French sources.

H. B. W.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

l' AGE

INTRODUCTION

I

CHAPTER II

SELLERS OF BOOKS

26

CHAPTER III

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS

49

CHAPTER IV

PUBLISHED PRICES .

79

CHAPTER V

AUCTION SALES IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 104

CHAPTER VI

AUCTION SALES IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY I2b

xv

XVl

CONTENTS

CHAPTER VII

PAGE

AUCTION SALES IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 147

CHAPTER VIII

PRICES OF EARLY PRINTED BOOKS .

179

CHAPTER IX

PRICES OF EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE-CAXTONS, &c. 193

CHAPTER X

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S WORKS .

223

CHAPTER XI

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS .

24 1

INDEX.

26 5

PRICES OF BOOKS

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

THE treatnlent of such a subject as the Prices of
Books necessarily obliges us to range over a ,vide
field, for books have been bought and sold far back
in the historical period, and to books, both nlanu-
script and printed, \ve have to refer largely for
records of the past. It is, however, only possible
in the space at our disposal to take a very general
vie\v of the subject; and it is to be hoped that,
in recording the nlain points in the vicissitudes
of prices, the infornlation nlay not be deenled too
desultory to be serviceable.
\tVe n1Ïght go back to the earliest titnes, even
to Job's fanlous exc]anlation, but for our present
purpose there \vould not be nluch advantage in
roan1Ïng in this early period, as the results to be
recorded ,yould partake nlore of an archæological,
than of a practical character. There is very little
chance of a copy of the first book of l\1artial's
Epigranls (which, when first conlposed by the
author, cost at Ronle about three shillings and
A

2

PRICES OF BOOKS

sixpence of our nloney) con1Ïng to auction, so that
we are not likely to be able to record its present
value.
A consideration of the subject opens up a large
nUlnber of interesting subjects, \yhich can only
casually be alluded to, such as the position of
authors, and their relnuneration.
For several centuries nlonasteries \vere the chief
producers of literature, and it seenlS probable that
it ,vas ,yorth the ,vhile of the chiefs of sonle of
these literary Inanufactories to pay a poet such as
Chaucer something for a ne,v Canterbury Tale,
,vhich they could copy and distribute over the
country. We kno,v by the number of nlanu-
scripts, and the different order in these, that
several establishnlents ,vere elnployed in the pro-
duction of the Inanuscripts, and ,ve may guess
that there ,yould probably be con1petition anlong
thenl, ,vhich ,vould naturally result in a settlelnent
of sonle terms of payment.
In the early tinles it ,vas only rich nlen ,yho
could afford to collect books. Anlongst these, one
of the nlost distinguished ,vas Richard de Bury,
Bishop of Durham, Treasurer and ChanceHor of
Edward I I I., who collected everything, and spared
no cost in the lnaintenance of a staff of copyists
and illuminators in his own household. Not only
was he a collector (,vhose books, ho,vever, have been
dispersed), but he \vas the author of an interesting
relic of that devotion to an ennobling pursuit, the
fanlous P hilobiblon. This book had neyer been
satisfactorily produced until the late i\Ir. Ernest

INTRODUCTION

3

Thonlas issued in 1888 an admirable edition, founded
on a collation of many manuscripts, and a spirited
translation. l This ,york occupied Mr. Thomas
seyeral years, and before he completed it he saw
reason to doubt the high literary position which
had been universally accorded to the author; and
his opinion was confirmed by an unpublished pas-
sage in a manuscript of the Chronicon sui te1Jtporis
of Adaln de 1\1 urimuth, to ,vhich he was referred
by Sir Ed\vard 1\launde Tholnpson, where Adam
characterised the bishop in very harsh terms. IvIr.
rrhonlas published in H The Library" (vol. i. p. 335)
an article entitled, "Was Richard de Bury an
hnpostor ? " In this he expressed the opinion that
H.ichard AungerviIle-

(I) \Vas not an excellent bishop, but an ambitious self-
seeker, who bought his way to preferment.
(2) \Vas not a scholar and patron of scholars, but merely
a collector of books, that he might appear as a
scholar.
(3) Did not bestow his collections on Durham College,
Oxford, as he expressed his intention of doing;
but that these collections were sold to pay debts
incurred by his ostentatious extravagance.
(4) Did not write P/lilobiblon. The authorship was
claimed for Robert Holkot, a Dominican: who for
some time was a member of the bishop's house-
hold.

I A still more elaborate edition was published by the Grolier Club
in 1889. This was edited by Professor A. F. \Yest, and printed in three
volumes small quarto. It was issued in a small edition, and a sight of
it is therefore difficult to obtain.

4

PRICES OF BOOKS

I t is certain that the evidence is such as to force
us to lo\ver our estimate of the prelate's nlerits, but
these four charges are certainly not all proved. He
may not have been so learned and so unselfish a
lover of books as \vas supposed, but there is no
satisfactory reason for depriving hiln of the credit
of being the author of the Philobiblo1l.
l\Ir. Thomas shows that Richard de Bury was
born on 24th January 1287, and not 1281, as stated
in the H Dictionary of National Biography." He
com pleted the jY hilobiblon, and on the 14th April of
the same year D01Jlinus Ricardus de Bury 1Jligravit
ad D01Jlinu111.
A singularly appropriate chapter from the earliest
H book about books" may here be quoted :-

"'VHAT WE ARE TO THINK OF THE PRICE IN THE
BUYING OF BOOKS.

(Chapter III. of the Philobibloll of Richard de Bury.I)

"From what has been said we draw this corollary,
welcome to us, but (as we believe) acceptable to few;
namely, that no dearness of price ought to hinder a n1an
from the buying of books, if he has the money that is
demanded for them, unless it be to withstand the malice
of the seller, or to await a more favourable opportunity of
buying. For if it is wisdom only that makes the price of
books, which is an infinite treasure to mankind, and if the
value of books is unspeakable, as the premises show, how
shall the bargain be shown to be dear where an infinite

I From Ernest C. Thomas's translation, 1888.

INTRODUCTION

5

good is being bought? 'Vherefore that books are to be
gladly bought and unwillingly sold, Solomon, the sun of
men, exhorts in the Proverbs: Buy the truth, he says, and
sell not 'lvisdom. But what we are trying to show by
rhetoric or logic, let us prove by examples from history.
The arch-philosopher Aristotle, whom A verroes regards as
the law of Nature, bought a few books of Speusippus
straightway after his death for seventy - two thousand
sesterces. Plato, before him in time, but after him in
learning, bought the book of Philolaus the Pythagorean,
from which he is said to have taken the Timæus, for ten
thousand denaries, as Aulus Gellius relates in the Noctes
Atticæ. Now Aulus Gellius relates this that the foolish
may consider how wise men despise money in comparison
with books. And on the other hand, that we may know
that folly and pride go together, let us here relate the folly
of Tarquin the Proud in despising books, as also related
by Aulus Gellius. An old woman, utterly unknown, is
said to have come to Tarquin the Proud, the seventh King
of Rome, offering to sell nine books in which (as she de-
clared) sacred oracles were contained; but she asked an
immense sum for them, insomuch that the king said she
was mad. In anger she flung three books into the fire, and
still asked the same price for the rest. vVhen the king
refused it, again she flung three others into the fire, and
still asked the same price for the three that were left. At
last, astonished beyond measure, Tarquin was glad to pay
for three books the same price for which he might have
bought nine. The old woman straightway disappeared,
and was never seen before or after. These were the Sibyl-
line books. . . ."

The destruction of libraries, \vhich ,vas C0111mOn
in the 1\Iidclle Ages, naturally caused an increase in
the value of those \vhich remained. How completely

6

PRICES OF BOOKS

these libraries passed a,vay lnay be seen by the
instance of that which was once preserved in St.
Paul's Cathedral, and is noticed by the late Dr.
Sparro,v Silnpson in his "St. Paul's Cathedral
Library" (1893). Walter Shiryngton Clerk founded
the library, the catalogue of which (1458) fills eight
fo]io pages in the first edition of Dugdale's" History
of St. Paul's." Of all the manuscripts in this cata-
logue, only three are now known to exist: one is
still at St. Paul's, the second is at Aberdeen, and the
third at Lalnbeth.
The British 1Iuseum is fortunate in possessing
the beautiful library of the l{ings and Queens of
England since Henry VII., ,vhich is full of the most
splendid specimens of artistic bindings. What the
market value of such literary genls as these may be
can scarcely be estimated, and fortunately they are
safe from the arising of any occasion which might
afford a test of their yalue. From this library \ve
are able to appreciate the good taste of J allies 1.,
\vho, whatever his faults nlay have been, ,vas cer-
tainly a true bibliophile, and to him \ve O\\Te some
of the finest books in the collection.
I t may be safely said that few collections of books
have been formed under such difficult and trying
circul11stances as the invaluable Thomason Collec-
tion of Civil \Var Tracts, now happily preserved in
the British rvluseum. :rv1r. F. l\Iadan has contri-
buted to Bibliographica (vol. iii. p. 291) a most "alu-
able article on the labours of the worthy Royalist
bookseller, George Thomason. Thomason com-
lnenced in N oyetnber 1640, when the "Long or

.

INTRODUCTION

7

I
ebel Parliament" began, his great undertaking of
collecting all the pamphlets published in England,
and he continued it until May 1661. Many of
these were prin-ted surreptitiously, and were ob-
tained ,vith the greatest difficulty; in fact, seventy-
three of these ,vere in lnanuscript, U which no man
durst then venture to publish \vithout endangering
his ruine." The I{ing and the Cavalier party knew
of the existence of the collection, but every endea-
vour ,vas lnade to keep the kno\vledge from the
other party. If it ,vere difficult to form the collec-
tion, it ,vas still lTIOre difficult to preserve it. \Ve
are told that, U to prevent the discovery of them,
,vhen the arnlY ,vas N orth,vards, he packed them in
several trunks, and, by one or Í\vo in a ,veek, sent
then1 to a trusty friend in Surrey, who safely pre-
served them, and ,vhen the army ,vas \Vest\vard,
and fearing their return that ,vay, they \vere sent
to London again; but the collector durst not keep
them, but sent them into Essex, and so according
as they lay near danger, still by titnely removing
thetn at a great charge, secured them, but continued
perfecting the ,york." After\vards, for greater
security, they ,vere lodged in the Bodleian Library,
and a pretended bargain ,yas n1ade, and a receipt
for k 1000 given to the University of Oxford, so that
"if the Usurper had found them out the U niver-
sity should claim theln, ,vho had greater po\yer to
struggle for theln than a private man."
On one occasion Charles I. ,vished to consult
a particular pamphlet, and applied to "fhomason
for the loan of it. In small quarto vol. 100 is a

.

8

PRICES OF BOOKS

Inanuscript note describing the particulars of this
interesting loan :-

"l\Iemorandum that Co!. \Vill Legg and l\Ir. Arthur
Treavors were employed by his l\Iãtie K. Charles to gett
for his present use, a pamphlet which his Mãtie had then
occasion to make use of, and not meeting with it, they
both came to me, having heard that I did employ my selfe
to take up all such things, from the beginning of that Par-
lement, and finding it with me, tould me it was for the
King's owne use, I tould them all I had were at his Mäties
command and service, and withall tould them if I should
part with it and loose it, presuming that when his Mätie
had done with it, that little account would be made of it,
and so I should loose by that losse a limbe of my collec-
tion, which I should be very loth to do, well knowing it
would be impossible to supplie it if it should happen to be
lost, with which answer they returned to his Mãtie at Hamp-
ton Court (as I take it) and tould him they had found that
peece he so much desired and withall how loath he that
had it, was to part with, he much fearing its losse; where-
upon they were both sent to me againe by his Mätie to tell
me that upon the worde of a Kinge (to use their õwn ex-
pressions) he would safely returne it, thereuppon imme-
diately by them I sent it to his l\Iãtie, who having done
with it, and having it with him when he was going towards
the Isle of Wight, let it fall in the durt, and then callinge
for the two persons before nlentioned (who attended him)
delivered it to them, with a charge, as they would answer it
another day, that they should both speedily and safely return
it to him, from whom they had received it, and withall to
desire the partie to goe on and continue what had begun,
which book together with his l\lãties signification to me by
these worthy and faithfull gentlemen I received both speedily
and safely. vVhich volume hath the marke of honor upon

INTRODUCTION

9

it, which no other volume in my collection hath, and very
diligently and carefully I continued the same, until the most
hapie restoration and coronation of his most gratious mãtie
Kinge Charles the second whom God long preserve.-
GEORGE THOMASON."

Here we have surely an interesting instance of the
poetry of bibliography.
According to
Ir.
Iadan's calculation, there are
22,834 pamphlets in about 1983 volulnes, and appa-
rently some hundred or so pieces have been lost from
the original set. The collection of these pamphlets
,vas made at very considerable expense, and Thoma-
son is said to have refused k4000 for them, It supposing
that sum not sufficient to reimburse him." On his
death in 1666 a special trust ,vas appointed under his
,vill to take charge of the collection, and Dr. Tholllas
Barlow (Bodley's librarian, 1652 to 1660) \vas one
of the trustees. In 1675 Barlow was appointed
Bishop of Lincoln, and in the following year re-
quested the Rev. George Thomason (son of the
bookseller) to take over the charge. After lnany
vicissitudes the books were bought for the absurdly
small sum of k300 for George III., ,vho presented
the collection to the British 1\1 useum. I t is im-
possible to guess at the present price of what is
practically invaluable.
The famous antiquary Elias Ashmole, ,yhose trea-
sures are now preserved at Oxford in the Ashmolean
Museum, records in his Diary some of his purchases,
as, on
1ay 1667, It I bought 1\1r. John Booker's study
of books, and gave k140 for them" ; and again, on

10

PRICES OF nOOKS

June 12, 1681, H I bought IVfr. Lilly's library of books
of his ,vido,," for [So." 1 We can judge of the char-
acter of his library by these purchases of the coHec-
tions of t\yO of his fatnous astrological friends.
Even in the seventeenth century men began to
be frightened at the increase of books, and Sir
Tho1l1as Bro,vne in his Religio Medici suggested
a system of destruction: "'Tis not a melancholy
utina1Jl of my o\yn, but the desires of better heads,
that there were a general synod-not to unite the
incompatible difference of religion, but-for the
benefit of learning, to reduce it, as it lay at first, in
a fe\v and solid authors; and to condemn to the
fire those s\varms and lnillions of rhapsodies, be-
gotten only to distract and abuse the ,,"eaker judg-
lnents of scholars, and to maintain the tra'de and
mystery of typographers." If there was reason for
this con1plaint t,,,"o centuries ago, ho\v lnnch lnore
nlust there be now! but the project is un"90rkable,
and Time takes the matter in his o\yn hand and
destroys. Fortunately the destruction chiefly takes
place among books not likely to be lnissed.
l'hree of the greatest book collectors of the
eighteenth century ,,"ere Bishop l\Ioore, the Earl
of Sunderland, and the Earl of Oxford. Bishop
l\Ioore's fine library, \\'hich consisted of about
thirty thousand vohllnes, \vas offered in 1714 to
Harley, Earl of Oxford, for [8000, but the latter
did not accept the offer because the bishop in-
sisted that the earl should pay the lTIOney at once,
although he was not to receive the books till the

I Dibdin's Bibliomania, Part V.

INTRODUCTION

II

collector's death. He \vould not really have had
long to wait, for the bishop died on July 31St of the
same year. The library, lnainly through the influ-
ence of Lord To,vnshend, ,yas purchased for f6000
by George I., \vho presented it to the University
of Cambridge. This presentation gave rise to t,vo
\vell-kno,vn epigrams, \vhich have been frequently
lnisquoted. Dr. Trapp, the first Professor of Poetry
at Oxford, expressed the disgust of his University
in these lines-

" Contrary methods justly George applies
To govern his two Universities;
To Oxford sent a troop of horse; for why?
That learned body wanted Loyalty.
To Cambridge he sent books, as well discerning
How much that loyal body wanted learning."

Sir \Villian1 Bro,vne, the physician, put the C
lln-
bridge case in a form \vhich extorted praise from
the Oxonian Salnuel J ohnson-

" Contrary methods justly George applies
To govern his two Universities;
And so to Oxford sent a troop of horse,
For Tories hold no argument but force,
To Cambridge Ely's learned troops are sent,
For \Yhigs adn1Ít no force but argument." 1

\Yhen Lord Treasurer Harley recommended
Queen Anne to purchase Sir Symonds d'E,ves'

1 The versions given in Noble's Continuation of Granger are inferior
to the above, which were taken from an old MS. by the Rev. Cecil
Moore, and are believed by him to be the originals. See" Bihlio-
grapher," vol. vi. p. 92.

.

12

PRICES OF BOOKS

manuscripts as the richest colIection in England
after Sir Robert Cotton's, and to present them to
a public library, the Queen ans\vered, H It was no
virtue for her, a \voman, to prefer, as she did, arts to
arms; but while the blood and honour of a nation
were at stake in her wars, she could not, till she had
secured her living subjects an honourable peace,
besto,v their money upon dead letters." Thereupon
the Lord Treasurer bought the collection himself
for f6000. 1 The ,vhole collection of the Harleian
1\1SS. (one of the greatest treasures of the British
1\1 useum Library), ,vhich consists of 7639 volumes,
exclusive of 14,236 original rolls, charters, deeds,
and other legal instruments, \vas purchased by
Government for fro,ooo, or only f4000 more than
the Earl of Oxford gave for Sir SYlnonds d'E,ves'
manuscripts alone.
The Earl of Sunderland's fine library was for
several years housed in the Inansion \vhich formerly
stood on the site of the Albany in Piccadilly. It
was removed to Blenheim in 1749, where it re-
Inained till the great sale of 1881-83, Oldys
reports that the l{ing of Denmark offered Lord
Sunderland's heirs f30,OOO for the library,2 and
that the great Duchess Sarah of l\Iarlborough
was in favour of the offer being accepted, but it
was not.
We learn froln Hearne's H Remains" that f3000
,vas offered by the University of Oxford for the
noble library of Isaac V ossius, the free -thinking

1 \Villiam Oldys's "Choice Notes," 1862, p. 38.

2 I bid. p. 9 2 .

INTRODUCTION

13

Canon of vVindsor, and refused. Hearne adds,
H We should have purchased them, and not stood
in such a case upon punctilio and niceties,
when \ve are so lavish of our money upon trifles
that bring dishonour on the University." The
library was taken abroad, and soon after\vards
sold to the University of Leyden for the same
amount as that previously offered by Oxford
(f 3000 ).1
Thomas Osborne, the chief bookseller of his
time, bought the great Harley library, consisting
of about 50,000 volumes of printed books, 41,000
prints, and about 350,000 pamphlets, for f 13,000.
This seems a small amount for so matchless a
collection, but it is not certain that Osborne made
a very profitable inveshnent by his purchase. vVe
shall have more to say of the bookseller and the
library in the next chapter.
As an instance of the lo\v price of books at this
tillie, the anecdote of l\Ir. David Papillon's agree-
ment with Osborne may be mentioned here. The
contract \vas that the bookseller should supply
1\lr. Papillon (\vho died in 1762) ,vith one hundred
pounds' 'North of books at threepence apiece, the
only conditions being that they should be perfect,
and that there should be no duplicates. Osborne
\vas at first pleased ,vith his bargain, and sent in a
large number of books; but he soon found that it
would be impossible to carry out the agreement
without great loss, as he ,vas obliged to send in

I Bliss's RelÙjuÙc lIearnianæ, 1869, vol. i. pp. 206, 207.

..

14

PRICES OF BOOKS

books \vorth shillings instead of pence. Long
before he had supplied the eight thousand yolumes
required, he begged to be let off the contract.
Things \vere worse in Russia, \vhere I{Jostermann,
the bookseller to the hnperial Court, sold books by
the yard (fifty to one hundred roubles, according to
binding). Every courtier \vho had hopes of a visit
froln the Empress Catharine \vas expected to have
a library, and as few of them had any literary taste,
they bought them at this rate. Sometimes \vaste-
paper books ,vere lettered \\'ith the nan1es of cele-
brated authors.
Authorship could hardly become a profession
until after the invention of printing, and even then
it ,vas long before a living could be got out of
books. Dr. Ed\vard Castell laboured for seventeen
years in the compilation of his iInmense under-
taking - the Lexicon Heþtaglotton, to accompany
\VaIton's Polyglot Bible. During this time he main-
tained at his o\vn cost as "Titers seven English-
lnen and as lnany foreigners. All of them died
before the \york \vas completed. Besides expend-
ing f 12,000 of his own money he ,vas obliged to
borro\v f2000 ll1ore, and this not being sufficient,
he petitioned Charles I I. that a prison lnight not
be the re\vard of so much labour. 1\ ohvithstand-
ing a circular letter froIn the king reconunending
the purchase of this ,vork the author ended his
days in poverty, and a great part of the iInpression
\vas thrown into garrets, \vhere many of the copies
\vere destroyed by damp or rats.
A sin1ilar case was that of Thomas l\Iadox, the

..

INTRODUCTION

IS

learned author of the Cl History of the Exchequer,"
,vho wrote to Dr. Charlett requesting him to get his
book into the College Libraries at Oxford, and ex-
plaining that the cost of the impression \yas f4 00
for paper and print, and as only 481 copies ,vere
printed, "\vhen all the books shall be sold I shall
be just able to pay the charges \vith a trifling over-
plus. . .. This affair," he adds, "has gi\"en me
much perplexity, and perfectly cured lne of scrib-
bling." 1
Thomas Hearne \vas more fortunate, and alnassed
a small fortune by his publications. One thousand
guineas ,vere found in gold in his rooms at St.
Edlnund Hall after his death. His books \vere
soon out of print, and fetched large prices even in
his o\vn lifetilne.
Lord Spencer bought the \vhole of the library
of Count Revickzky, a catalogue of which had
been privately printed by the original o\vner at
Berlin in 1784. According to Dibdin, ,yhen the
Count ,vas in England he offered his \vhole
collection to Lord Spencer for a certain round
StIlH to be paid to hin1 Ï1nnlediately, and for a
yearly SUlTI by ,yay of annuity. The offer \vas
accepted, and as the Count died soon after\vards,
Lord Spencer obtained the'library at a cheap rate.
The saIne noble collector offered the Duke di
Cassano Serra f500 for t\VO books, viz., the juvenal
of Ulric Han, and the Horace of Arnaldus de
Bruxella, Naples, 1474, but the offer ,vas not

'>.

1 "Letters from the Bodleian," vol. i. p. 214-

16

PRICES OF BOOKS

accepted. In 1820 Lord Spencer bought the whole
collection.
The 'Duke of Devonshire purchased the valuable
library of Dr. Thomas Dampier, Bishop of Ely,
for nearly [,10,000 after the bishop's death in
1812. Dr. Dibdin has printed in his Ie Relninis-
cences" (vol. i. p. 363) a list of prices at \vhich Dr.
Dampier valued the various classes of books in his
library.
Little idea of the prices of books can be obtained
from the amounts given for a whole library, but as
in future chapters particulars \vill be printed of
the great libraries that have been disposed of by
auction, it seemed \,Tell to mention here a fe\v
instances of libraries that have been sold entire.
The greatest of these is the magnificent library of
Earl Spencer, \vhich ,vas sold in 1892 to l\Irs.
Ry lands, and has been transferred from Althorpe
to 1Ianchester. The exact amount paid for this
library has not been announced, but it is supposed
to have been about a quarter of a million pounds.
In respect to the history of prices of books, there
have been times of inflation and times of depression,
just as in the history of prices generally, but it \yill
be seen that in spite of these vicissitudes scarce
books have gradually increased in value. '[he first
signs of the gro\yth of biblio1l1ania are seen in the
sales of Dr. 1Iead's and Dr. Aske,v's libraries in the
Inidc1le of the last century, ,vhich aroused a great
interest among book collectors.
During the great Napoleonic wars books became
./1t
very scarce, because Englishmen were prevented

INTRODUCTION

17

froln purchasing on the Continent, but upon the
conclusion of the peace there \vas a steady flo\v of
books into the country.
The Duke of Roxburghe's sale in 1812 was a great
event, forlning, as it did, an epoch in the history of
book collecting, and the widespread fervour of biblio-
lnaniacs lnay be dated from that period. Great
sales foIlo\yed, and then calne the sale of the
enormous Heber library, \vhich let out too many
books on the n1arket at once. After this there
follo\ved a dull tilne, but a revival came ,yith the
Bright sale in 18-1-6 and Sto,ve sale in 18-1-9, and
the Daniel and Corser sales bet\veen 1860 and 1870,
and the Henry Perkins sale in 1873, \vere great
events. The last fe\v years have been lnarked by
many great sales, those of the Sunderland, the
Beckford, and Halnilton Libraries, and the Turner,
Gaisford, Cra\vford, and Åshburnhaln collections
being alnong the lnost relnarkable. rrhe greatly
increased prices obtained for books have induced
many proprietors to sell their literary treasures.
It is well to ren1elnber that the value of all books
is not rising, but that \vhole classes have fallen in
price. Greek and ROlnan Classics, and the Fathers
and Theological Literature generally, have been
most n1arkedly depreciated in value.
Fashion guides alterations in the prices of books,
just as she does in other less itnportant lnatters.
Thus ,ve find at one tilne certain books quoted at
high prices, \vhich not Inany years after\vards have
becolne drugs in the market. StilI, a careful review
of the subject ,vill sho\\T that fashion is not nearly

B

.

18

PRICES OF BOOKS

so potent as in some other departments, say, for
instance, in the case of pictures, which certainly
vary in price more than books. In spite, therefore,
of signs of variableness, it will be seen that there
is a continuous increase of price among certain
classes of books \\'hich are sure to retain their
value, and even to be still more esteemed as time
passes.
It may be well to inquire what are some of the
causes which lead to an increase in the price, and
to distinguish between those v:hich are permanent
and those \vhich are ephemeral. The gro\yth of
book-collecting in the United States has had a most
potent influence, and large purchases lnade for
many years in England have drained off a large
number of books, low priced as ,veIl as high priced,
,vhich v.rill never return to this country. Another
cause is the increase of public libraries in Great
Britain, and ,,,hen books are bought for these
libraries they are permanently relnoved {ronl the
open lnarkct, as they are not \vhen sold to an in-
dividual, because his library ,vill n10st probably
eventually come to the hammer. These t\VO causes
\vould be sufficient in themselves to pennanently
increase the price of scarce books, but there are
still others to be mentioned. There has been of
]ate years a greatly increased interest felt in the
history of books-in printing, in binding-and in-
creased kno
Tledge has sho\\Tn the great claillls of
a large nUlnber of books to a higher appreciation
than hitherto. Then again, the class of the \yealthy
\vho can afford to collect choice libraries has largely
.,.

INTRODUCTION

19

increased; and lastly, the belief that the collecting
of books is by no means a bad investment has not
been ,vithout effect. This last point opens up a
very interesting question in ethics, Should a col-
lector look upon his collections as an investment?
The late l\Ir. J. Hill Burton argues very strongly
against this view in his cc Book-Hunter." He
\vrites-

"The mercenary spirit must not be admitted to a share
in the enjoyments of the book-hunter. . . . If [he] allows
money-making, even for those he is to leave behind, to be
combined with his pursuit, it loses its fresh relish, its
exhilarating influence, and becomes the source of wretched
cares and paltry anxieties. 'Vhen Inoney is the object,
let a man speculate or become a miser. " . . .

This is quite true, but ,ve Inust relnember that,
after all, increased price is only an out\vard mani-
festation of increased public estin1ation, and it is
at \vays satisfactory to kno\v that our opinion has
been accepted by the public. The real point seems
to be that the collector should use his judglnent
in respect to price, and not trouble hitnself ,vhether
the market value of individual books goes up or
do\vn, for he lnay be sure that if he buys \visely,
the ups and the do\vns ,vill balance each other.
If a fair-sized library is purchased \vith judgment
and kno\vledge, it cannot fail to become a profit-
able investment, because good books increase in
value by reason of their cOlnpanionship. All \vorth-
less books should therefore be ruthlessly \yeeded
out. For instance, a library of 1000 choice books

20

PRICES OF BOOKS

would probably sell for less \vith 500 books of little
value added to them than if these were ruthlessly
eliminated.
l\Ir. Andre\v Lang writes in his pretty little book,
H The Library"-

"'Vhen Osborne sold the Harley collection, the scarcest
old English books fetched but three or four shillings. If
the 'Vandering Jew had been a collector in the last cen-
tury, he might have turned a pretty profit by selling his old
English books in this age,"

But 11r. Lang did not think of a calculation, by
\vhich 1\1r. A. W. Pollard, in an interesting article
on II English Booksales, 1676-86" (Bibliograpldca,
vol. ii. p. 126), overthre\v this vie\y of the possibility
of great gains. He \\Ti tes-

"It is perhaps in accordance with precedent to remark
that, by the judicious expenditure of five-and-twenty
pounds during the ten years we have reviewed, a library
of about two hundred volunles might have been ac-
quired, which would now be cheap at .I; I 0,000. But
as the ;;25, if invested at compound interest at five
per cent., would now have amounted to nearly a million,
it is well for bookmen not to make too much of such
mercenary considerations,"

This question of price \vas formerly a delicate
one. Thus Willialn Beloe ,vas censured by SOlne
collectors for dra\ving attention to the subject in
his H Anecdotes of Literature" ; but that this objec-
tion is got over no,,, may be seen from the great
success of such a valuable annual as the U Book-

INTRODUCTION

21

Prices Current," nohvithstanding the complaints of
some second-hand booksellers of injury to their
business from its revelation of the real value of
their books!
Dibdin mentions a book-collector to \vhom he
,vas pointed out at the Roxburghe sale, ,vho ex-
claimed, H Hang hiln ! ,vhy did he not publish
his book in I810? l\Iy books ,vould have brought
double the prices." 1
Dibdin doubtless influenced the lnarket; and in
later times t,vo men have exerted a very special
influence in raising the prices of books: these are
the late !vIr. Henry Stevens and l\Ir. Bernard
Quaritch. The forn1er dre,v his countrymen's
attention to early books printed in and relating to
America, and he caused a considerable increase in
the price of Americana. But neither of these great
book-buyers could have pennanently raised the
price of books if they had not devoted their atten-
tion to books ,vhich ,vere \vell worth these advanced
prices. \Vhen \ve deal ,,,ith books of great beauty
and value, and of rare occurrence, which are ,vanted
by several rich book-collectors, it is difficult to say
\vhat price is too great for such treasures.
I t becomes, therefore, an important matter for the
book-collector to consider ,\1 hat are the rules that
guide the enhancement of price in books. It is
not easy to codify these rules, for varying circum-
stances alter cases: thus ne\v editions reduce the
value of some high-priced books, but have no effect

1 Dibdin's "Reminiscences," vol. i. p. 356 (note).

22

PRICES OF BOOKS

in the case of others; and time supersedes some
books, while it enhances the value of others. There
are, ho\vever, one or t\yO points which may be men-
tioned as regulating price, for those persons ,vho
suppose prices to be altogether erratic are certainly
wrong.
What, then, are the chief characteristics of a
book \vhich make it valuable? ", U niquity," to
use Horace Walpole's ,yord, is one of these; but
this is not ahvays sufficient to keep up the price.
Good condition is the grand enhancer of value,
and dirty copies of even scarce works are seldom
worth much. But nO\\Tadays much is done by the
artist to improve these books. The leaves can be
washed, torn pages can be mended, imperfections
can be filled up by fac-similes, and then the whole
can be handsomely bound in morocco, so that the
o,vner scarcely kno,ys his book again. Still, ho,v-
ever, one difficulty remains in the artistic lnake-up
-a short copy cannot be made into a tall one.
I t is useless for the artist to spend his labour
upon other than the best books, such as the pro-
ductions of the early presses, original editions of
masterpieces, and works of permanent value in
their best possible form, ,yith the authors' final
corrections. The only high-priced books ,vhich
can dispense ,vith interesting contents are speci-
ll1ens of fine bindings; ,vhile here again, if the
historical binding covers a really valuable book,
the two elelnents of value united will cause a
remarkable enhancement of price.
Little need be said as to those books which fetch

INTRODUCTION

23

high prices for a time, and then when fashion alters
sink to a n1uch lo,ver level, as it ,vill usually be
found that there \vas no intrinsic value attached to
these books, and therefore they \vere not such as
,vould be bought by the ,vise collector at a high
price. The fictitious value has usually been attained
by a systeln of litnited editions and of judicious
advertising. Success in these cases is attained
aillong a class outside the experts in bibliography,
and therefore there is no cause for ,yonder that
mistakes are made. SOlnetimes the depression is
caused by the unexpected appearance of several
copies of a book, of \vhich one or two copies only
,yere believed to exist.
In considering the probability of high prices
being sustained, it lnust ahvays be borne in lnind
that the peaceful and prosperous condition of the
country is taken for granted. In tin1es of national
calamity little 1110ney is available for luxuries. T\vo
other important points n1ust be relnelnbered. (I)
That it is of no llse for a book to be scarce if
nobody wants it. The money value of the pheno-
lllenally dull book Inentioned by Sir \Valter Scott
is not recorded.

"\Ve have heard of one work of fiction so unutterably
stupid that the proprietor, diverted by the rarity of the
incident, offered the book, which consisted of two volumes
duodecimo, handsomely bound, to any person who would
declare upon his honour that he had read the whole from
beginning to end. But although this offer was made to the
passengers on board an lndiaman during a tedious outward-
bound voyage, the "l\len1oirs of Clegg the Clergyman"

,

24

PRICES OF BOOKS

(such was the title of this unhappy composition) com-
pletely baffled the most dull and determined student on
board, when the love of glory prevailed with the boatswain,
a man of strong and solid parts, to hazard the atten1pt, and
he actually conquered and carried off the prize."

(2) That good books are still yery cheap, parti-
cularly those ,vhich it is necessary to possess. So
l11uch is talked about the high prices ,yhich books
fetch, that lnany are led to believe that he Inust be a
rich lnan ,vho COlnlnences to collect a library; but
this is not so, for many good books in good con-
dition can be bought for a fe\v shillings; in fact,
some of the best library books, ,veIl bound, do not
range at n10re than ten shillings pe: octavo volume,
and this cannot be called a high price. Ordinary
collectors Inust lnake up their lninds to do \vithout
l\lazarin Bibles and first folios of Shakespeare, and
they ,vill find that life can be lived \vithout these
expensive luxuries.
In conclusion, it is necessary to strike a note of
,varning respecting the bad paper ,vhich is used for
some books, and '\Thich render these books quite
\vorthless in a fe,v years. Old books were made to
last; the lnaterials used-paper and ink-,vere of
the very best, but Inany books of the present day
are made of bad materials, and contain ,vithin theln
the elelnents of decay. Lately a Gennan Con1mis-
sion investigated this subject, and for their purpose
took out frOln the Berlin Library one hundred
volulnes. They classified the paper upon \vhich
these books \vere printed under the four headings

INTRODUCTION

2S

of (1) good; (2) medium; (3) bad; (4) very bad.
About five books c
nne under the first t,vo classes,
and the relnainder were about equally divided be-
t\veen the third and fourth classes. Can ,ve ,yith
any confidence claÏtn a better average for English
books? If not, the future of our modern books is
a dark one.

CHAPTER II

SELLERS OF BOOKS

I T has been frequently relnarked that a history of
bookselling would be a valuable addition to our
literature, but such a book \vould require extensive
research. In place of this a history of SOlne book-
sellers has been produced ;..but although the vohnnes
of l\Ir. Curwen and l\Ir. Roberts are interesting in
thelnselves, they do not go far to fill the vacant
space still open for a history of bookselling. l\Ir.
G. H. Putnaln has gathered together much curious
infonnation in his U Authors and their Public in
Ancient rritnes," and U Books and their l\Iakers
during the l\Iiddle Ages," ,vhich, not,vithstanding
some errors, form certainly a useful contribution
to,yards this history. The sellers of books have
greatly changed their habits ,,,ith the altered condi-
tions of their trade. Among the Greeks there ,vere
public shops for the sale of lnanuscripts, and in them
the learned lnet together to hear the manuscripts
read. In Rome the general mart for books ,vas to
be found in the district devoted to the bibliopole,
and in his shop advertiselnents of ne\v ,vorks ,vere
stuck up.
At the break up of the ROlnan Elnpire the
producers of books \vere mostly found in the
26

SELLERS OF BOOKS

27

monasteries, and booksellers \vere sellers of Pater-
nosters, Aves, &c., as ,vell as of books.
In the thirteenth century the statiollarii not only
sold books, but accumulated lTIuch money by lend-
ing them at high rates. Bookstalls ,vere sometimes
placed in the church porch, and one of the doors of
Rouen Cathedral is still called Ie jortail des libraires.
When manuscripts \vere superseded by printed
books the business of selling books naturally be-
came a rnore important concern, although the
London company established by printers and pub-
lishers \vas called the Company of Stationers. At first
one lnan often undertook all the varieties of book
production and bookselling, but gradually the four
broad divisions of printers, publishers, second-hand
booksellers, and auctioneers calne into existence.
We kno\v but little of the early publishers, although
.
much attention is now being paid to the lives and
\vorks of the old book producers, and \ve Inay hope
to have in course of time much lnaterial for a his-
tory of them. Tþe great houses founded in the
eighteenth and at the beginning of .the present
century are still \vith us, and large additions have
been lnade of late years to the ever-increasing roll.
At all eyents, there is no sign of a failure of pub-
lished books; whether they are all \vorthy to be
published is another matter.
Great changes have been lnade in the publishing
business, and one of the chief of these is the
frequent sale of remainders of new books. It is
worth a remark in passing that good books ,vhich
have been sold off often become scarce and more

,

28

PRICES OF BOOKS

valuable than those \\'hich have only been sold in
the ordinary,vay. James Lackington was one of the
first to make a great business out of the sale of re-
mainders; he \vas follo\\"ed by 'regg, and these t\VO
lnen did much to cheapen and popularise literature.
Charles I{night ,vill ever be relnelnbered \vith
honour as the great pioneer in the cheapening
of good literature. The excellence of his shilling
yohllnes was a marvel \vhen they ,,,ere first pub-
lished, and even no\v it ,yould be difficult to find
their equal. I{night had a great belief in the
adequacy of the penny as a price for a number of
a book. He published ]arge quantities of books
at a penny a nUlnber-as one of the first cheap
periodicals-the Penny Magazi1le, and the first of
cheap encyclopædias-the Penny Cyclopædia. How
much good has been done by the large issues of
such excellent books as I{night's \veekly and lnonthly
volumes, the Libraries of Useful and Entertain-
ing I{no,vledge, Constable's l\1iscellany, 1\1 urray's
Family Library, Home and ColQnial Library, and
Bohn's Libraries !-books all of ,vhich are ,,"orthy
of a place in the library, and not like too lnany of
the cheap books of the present day, books to be
read and then thro\yn aside.
In taking note of SOlne of the old second-hand
booksellers, special lnention must be lnade of
Joseph I{irton of St. Paul's Churchyard, ,vhose
sign was II The I{ing's Arms," because he ,vas
Salnuel Pepys's bookseller-it my poor I{irton," as
the latter calls him \",hen he \vas ruined by the
Fire of London. Pepys tells us that II I{irton ,vas

SELLERS OF BOOKS

29

utterly undone by the loss of all his stock, so that
froln being \vorth seven or eight thousand pounds,
he ,vas lnade t\\.o or three thousand pounds worse
than nothing." (See Ii Diary," October 5, r666.)
The poor bookseller did not live long after his
great loss, for he died in October r667. Pepys
records an interesting instance of the rise in price
of one of the books burnt in the great fire. On
l\larch 20, r666-67 he \vrites: It It is strange how
Rycaut's i Discourse of Turky,' \vhich before the
fire I \vas asked but 8s. for, there being all but
Ì\\Tenty-hvo or thereabouts burned, I did no\v offer
20S., and he delnands 50S., and I think I shall give
it hiln, though it be only as a lnonUlnent of the
fire." On April 8, r667, he gives us SOlne fuller
particulars, \"hich are of interest: It So I a\vay to
the TClnple, to Iny ne,v bookseller's; and there I
did agree for Rycaut's late i History of the Turkish
Policy,' \vhich costs lne 55s.; \vhereas it ,vas sold
plain before the late fire for 8s., and bound and
colollred as this for 20S., for I have bought it finely
bound and truly colourecl, all the figures, of \vhich
there \vas but six books clone so, \vhereof the I{ing
and Duke of York, and Duke of l\Ionlnollth and
Lord Arlington had four. The fifth ,vas sold, and
I have bought the sixth." There is no copy of this
edition in the British 1\1 useUln.
John Dunton, the erratic bookseller and projector
of the eighteenth century, has left us in his It Life
and Errors" a most curious account of the book-
sellers of his tilne, \vho are all, oddly enough,
either handsome thel11selves or have beautiful \vives.

.

3 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

N early all are also eminent Christians; in fact, \ve
are told that of three hundred booksellers trading
in country to\vns the author kne,v not of one knave
or blockhead alnongst thenl all.
Tholnas Osborne, the most celebrated bookseller
of his day, is interesting to us as having had the
honour of being knocked do,vn by Dr. Samuel
Johnson. \\Thether or no he deserved such a SUlli-
mary punishment \ve cannot no,,, tell, but although
he appears to have been lnore of a business man
than a literary character, ""hat he did is sufficient
to place hin1 in an honourable position in the
history of English bibliography. He bought the
finest library of the titne, and sold it piecelneal at
reasonable prices. He clTIployed hvo of the lnost
capable lnen of his day- Johnson and Oldys-
to lnake a Catalogue, ,vhich does credit to all con-
cerned in its production, and he did not lnake
lnuch lnoney by the transaction. The alnount
he gave for the Harley library in 174 2 (fI3,000)
\vas less by 1;5000 than the binding of a portion
of the library had cost, but had he given Inore
he would certainly have been a loser. Osborne
projected a Catalogue, in \vhich it \vas proposed
"that the books shall be distributed into distinct
classes, and every class arranged ,vith SOllie regard
to the age of the ,vriters; that every book shall
be accurately described; that the peculiarities of
the editions shall be ren1arked, and observations
from the authors of literary history occasionally
interspersed, that by this Catalogue posterity n1ay
be informed of the excellence and value of this

SELLERS OF BOOKS

3 1

great collection, and thus promote the kno\vledge
of scarce books and elegant editions." l\Iaittaire
drew up the scheme of arrangement, and "Tote
the Latin dedication to Lord Carteret, \vho was
then Secretary of 'State. Dr. Johnson \\Tote the
" Proposals" for printing the Bibliotheca H arleiana,
\\Thich after\vards \vere prefixed to the first volume.
But in spite of having such elninent helpers,
Osborne had to give up his project of an anno-
tated Catalogue, and he inforlned the public in the
preface to the third volume of his failure-

" 1\1y original design was, as I have already explained, to
publish a methodical and exact Catalogue of this library,
upon the plan which has been laid down, as I an1 informed,
by several men of the first rank an10ng the learned. It
was intended by those who undertook the work, to make
a very exact disposition of all the subjects, and to give an
account of the remarkable differences of the editions, and
other peculiarities, which make any book eminently valu-
able; and it was imagined that some improvements might,
by pursuing this scheme, be made in Literary History.
\Vith this view was the Catalogue begun, when the price
[5s. per volume] was fixed upon it in public advertisements;
and it cannot be denied that such a Catalogue would have
been willingly purchased by those who understood its use.
But when a few sheets had been printed, it was discovered
that the schen1e was impracticable without more hands
than could be procured, or more time than the necessity
of a speedy sale would allow. The Catalogue was there-
fore continued without notes, at least in the greatest part;
and though it was still performed better than those which
are daily offered to the public, fell much below the original
intention."

3 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

The public were not very grateful for \vhat they
did receive, and resented Osborne's charge of five
shillings a volulne for the Catalogue, \vhich seems
reasonable enough no,v, but \vas then denounced
as H an avaricious innovation." In ans\ver to the
clamour the bookseller announced that H those
,yho have paid fiye shillings shall be allo\ved at
any titne \yithin three months after the day of sale
either to return them in exchange for hooks, or to
send theln back and receiye their Inoney." An-
other cOlnplaint ,yas that the books ,vere priced
too high. As this \vas a serious charge, Osborne
got Johnson to put his ans,yer into sonorous lan-
guage, that would at least n1ake the cOlnplainers
ashalnecl of themselves: H If, therefore, I have set
a high value upon books, if I have vainly itnagined
literature to be lnore fashionable than it really is,
or idly hoped to revive a taste \vell-nigh extin-
guished, I kno\v not \vhy I should be persecuted
\vith clamour and invective, since I shall only
sutler by lny lnistake, and be obliged to keep those
books \yhich I ,vas in hopes of selling."
Dibdin proves that this charge of over-pricing
is quite unjust. He \\Tites: H Whoever inspects
Osborne's Catalogue of 1748 (four years after the
Harleian sale) \vill find in it lnany of the lnost valu-
able of Lord Oxford's books; and among then1 a
copy of the Aldine Plato of 1513 struck off upon
vellum, marked at [,21 only-for this identical copy
Lord Oxford gave 100 guineas, as Dr. 1\Iead in-
formed Dr. Aske\v; froln the latter of ,vhose col-
lections it was purchased by Dr. Hunter, and is

SELLERS OF BOOKS

33

no\v in the Hunter 1\1 useum. There will be found
in Osborne's Catalogues of 1748 and 1753 some of
the scarcest books in English literature marked at
2 or 3 or 4s. for ,vhich three tÏlnes the number of
pounds is now giyen." 1 Dibclin has given a useful
analysis of the contents of the Harleian Library in
his Biblio1Jla1lia. Osborne published a large number
of catalogues full of literary curiosities, and ,,,ith
interesting notes and prefaces. In :I\1r. Thorpe's
Catalogue of 1851 there is a notice of a set of
Osborne's Catalogues from 1729 to 1768, in forty-
three volulnes octavo. This falnous bookseller died
on 27th August 1767, and he is said to haye left
behind him SOlne forty thousand pounds.
No bookseller has ever been held in higher
esteeln than Tholnas Payne, \\yho ,,,as honourably
kno\vn as "honest Tom Payne." Payne's shop at
the 1\Ie\vs Gate, ,,,here the National Gallery no\v
stands, "'as for years the great afternoon resort of
the chief book collectors. Here lnet such men as
Cracherode, George Steevens, 1\Ialone, Lord Spencer,
Grenville, Bishop Dalnpier, To,vneley, and Colonel
Stanley. Payne lived at the 1\Ie\vs Gate for forty
years, having comlnenced business as an assistant
to his elder brother, Oliver Payne. Thomas's first
catalogue, \vhen he set up for himself, is dated
1740. He removed to Pall lVlall, and retired from
business in 1790. He died in 1799, at the age of
eighty-two. He was succeeded by his son, \\Tho, in
partnership \vith Henry Foss, carried on a first-rate

1 Bibliomania, Part V.

ç

,

34

PRICES OF BOOKS

bookselling business in Pall 11 all for many years.
The catalogue of the Grenville Library \vas lnade
and published by them.
George Nicol, styled by Beloe in his Sexagena-
rian U a superb bookseller," \vas a man of great
influence in his day. He ,vas largely instrumental
in the purchase of much of t\VO magnificent libraries
-those of George I I I. and the Duke of Roxburghe-
and he ,vas highly esteemed by both his employers.
He always spoke of the I{ing as his beloved master.
It \vas he ,vho induced R. H. Evans, the bookseller,
to adopt the business of an auctioneer by offering
him the sale of the Roxburghe library.
Another bookseller \vho occupies a prolninent
position in the roll of learned and high-principled
members of the calling \vas Thomas Rodd, of Great
N e\vport Street. His catalogues 'v ere of great in-
terest, and he numbered alnong his custolners lnost
of the book-collectors of his time. Lord Campbell
referred to him in one of his books as It that very
learned and \vorthy bookseller, my friend Thomas
RodeI."
A rival of Rodd ,vas Tholnas Thorpe, ,vho con1-
menced business in Covent Garden, ren10ved to Pic-
cadilly, and in his later days returned to Covent
Garden. Thorpe \vas a lnasterful Inan, \vho carried
everything before hin1, and published a series of
valuable catalogues, fronl ,vhich n1ay be obtained
a history of prices for lnany years. Dibdin, in his
U Reminiscences" (1806), says, H I kno\v of no such
dogged, indomitable energy and perseyerance as
that of this reno\vned bihliopolist" ; and again, in

SELLERS OF BOOKS

35

the preface to his a Library Companion," he \vrites,
a l'vlr. Thorpe is indeed a Inan of lnight. His
achievements at book-sales are occasionally de-
scribed in the ensuing pages. It is his catalogues
I am here to treat. They are neyer-ceasing pro-
ductions; thronged ,yith treasures ,vhich he has gal-
lantly borne off at the point of his lance, in many
a hard day's fight in the Pall l\Iall and Waterloo
Place arenas. But these conquests are no sooner
obtained than the public receives an account of
them; and during the last year only, his catalogues
in three parts, no,v before me, cOlnprise not fe\ver
than seventeen thousand nine hundred and fifty-
nine articles. What a scale of buying and selling
does this fact alone evince! But in this present
year t".o parts have already appeared, containing
up\vards of hvelve thousand articles. N or is this
all. On the 24th day of September, in the year of
our Lord 1823, there appeared the Inost 111arvellolls
phenomenon ever ,vitnessed in the annals of biblio-
polisln. The TÙlles ne\vspaper had four of the fiye
coltll11nS of its last page occupied by an advertise-
lnent of
Ir. Thorpe, containing the third part of his
catalogue for that year. On a Inoderate computa-
tion this advertisement con1prised eleven hundred
and Ì\venty lines." Greater things have been done
sInce.
rrhe Rohns \vere lnighty booksellers in their titne
-John the father, and Henry and James the t".o
sons; but Henry Bohn n1ade the greatest nalne.
His famous Guinea Catalogue e a the guinea pig")
\vas long a lnarvel, at least in respect to thickness,

.

3 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

till l\lr. Quaritch decided to far outrival it, and
make it appear slim by the side of his huge
volumes. Henry Bohn \vas a remarkable man,
and the cultivator of lnany tastes. In later life he
neglected second-hand bookselling for publishing
and the selling of remainders. He has already
been lI1entionecl as one of the chief of those ,yho
have supplied the public \vith sound cheap litera-
ture. Bohn \vas fond of exhibiting his importance,
and \vhen at a book-sale he ,vould, catalogue in
hand, inspect the lots far ahead, and occasionally
look up and arrest the course of the sale by in-
quiring of the auctioneer ,,,hat \vas the number of
the lot then selling.
1\lr. Quaritch has outdone all previous book-
sellers by the grandeur of his catalogues. They
have gro\\'n in size and importance, until the last
General Catalogue, in seven volun1es and nine
supplements, a large paper copy of \vhich is in the
Reading-rooln of the British 1\1 useum, thro\vs all
other catalogues into the shade. The volumes con-
taining the various classes into ,vhich the catalogue
is divided each form a most valuable bibliography
and a grand record of the present prices of books.
This is not a history of booksellers, and therefore
more need not be said of them here than that a
body of men to ,\Thom book collectors are greatly
indebted may ,veIl be proud of numbering in their
ranks those already named, as ,veIl as the Pickerings,
the Lillys, the Boones, the Ellises, and the Bains,
upon whose exploits \\'e have not space to enlarge.

SELLERS OF BOOKS

37

AUCTIOXEERS

\\,Tilliam Cooper, a bookseller in a good \vay of
business at the sign of the Pelican in Little Britain,
was the first to introduce into England the practice
of selling books by auction, ,yhen in 1676 he sold

Dr. Sealnan's library, and for some years he was
the chief auctioneer in London. His first catalogue
-the first sale catalogue in England-is exhibited
in the I{ings' Library at the British 11 useum.
In 1680 Ed\vard l\Iillington, a better kno\vn lnan
and a bookseller of standing, took to auctioneering,
and he and Cooper together divided the chief busi-
ness in this departtnent. Other booksellers, such
as 1\Ioses Pitt, Zachary Bourne, Nathaniel Rane\v,
Richard Chis\vell, and John Dunsmore, Robert
Scott, &c., sold books by auction, and Oldys styles

Iarmaduke Foster, ,vho lnade the catalogue of
Thomason's Ciyil War Tracts in t,velve folio lnanu-
script volumes, an auctioneer. It is, ho\vever, of
the t\VO foremost men, Cooper and 11illington, that
,ve ,vant to kno,v lnore, and fortunately a \vit of
Christ Church, Oxford, George Slnalridge, after-
,vards Dean of Christ Church and Bishop of Bristol,
,,,as struck by the humours connected \\yith the sale
in 1686 of the stock of a bankrupt Oxford book-
seller- Richard Davis, the publisher of several of
the Hon. Robert Boyle's \vorks. Smalridge \\Tote
a skit on the proceedings, under the title of It Auctio
Davisiana Oxonii habita per Guliehnum Cooper,
Edoar. l\lillingtonum, Bibliop. Lond. . . . Londini:

3 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

,..

Prostant venales apud J acobum Tonson, 1689'"
This ,vas reprinted in lIIusarU1Jl A llgliCallar1l11l
Analccta, vol. i. 1691.1
The sale, according to Anthony à \\'T ood, took
place II in a large stone fabric opposite St. l\Iichael's
Church, in Oxon., near the north gate of the city,
called Bocardo " (a prison in the l\Iiddle Ages),
and apparently it attracted a great deal of atten-
tion on account of the novelty of the n10de of
sale. Slnalridge fastened on the salient points,
and he has thus given us information respect-
ing the conduct of a sale in the seventeenth
century which ,ve should not other\vise have pos-
sessed. l'he persons of the little dr-alna are six
Christ Church men-Arthur I{aye, \Valter Bacon,
Ed. Stradling, George Dixon, Christopher Codring-
ton, and Willian1 W ood,vard-and in the pride of
their learning they ll1ake sad fun of the pOll1posity
and ignorance of the poor auctioneers. \\r e lnust,
ho,vever, relnell1ber that this is a satire and a carica-
ture. Cooper is described as It a man of ,vonderful
and notable gravity," \vith a ll1onstrous paunch;
and l\Iillington as having a Stentor's lungs and COH-
SUlnmate ilnpudence, a very ,vindbag, ,vhose hollo\v
beIlo,ys blo,v lies.
\\r ood\\Tard took the part of Cooper, and Codring-
ton that of l\Iillington, but \vhen these characters
\vere first pressed upon theln, the latter urged that

1 An annotated translation of Auclio DavÙialla was published in
"Book-Lore," YO!. iii. p. 166; yol. ÍY. p. I. The translator possesses a
copy formerly belonging to Bishop 'Vordsworth of Lincoln, in which is
written, in a contemporary hand, ex dOllO Biblioþolæ Ric Davis.

SELLERS OF BOOKS

39

a if a book is bad, I cannot pile encomiums on it,
and prefer Wither to Virgil, or lVlerlin to the Sibyls."
We are told that bids of one penny were taken, and
that ,vhen the third blo\v of the hammer has been
struck the sale ,vas irrevocable. The auctioneers
seeln to have offended the ears of the Oxonians by
saying U 1\ epõtis" and It Stephãni." At the end of the
day Woodward is made to say, U I ha\"e spoken, I
the great Cooper, \vhose house is in Little Britain."
Codrington recites a long rhodomontade ending
thus: It I check myself and put a curb on the
runa,vay lnuses. But this Inallet, the badge of my
profession, I affix as a dedicatory offering to this
post - To Oxford and the Arts l\Iillington con-
secrates these anns." Dunton dra\vs a favourable
portrait of l\Iillington in his U Life and Errors."
He says he (( con1menced and continued auctions
upon the authority of Herodotus, \vho commends
that \vay of sale for the disposal of the lnost ex-
quisite and finest beauties to their a1J10rOSOS / and
further infonns the ,,'oriel that the sum so raised
\Yas laid out for the portions of those to \VhOln
nature had been less kind: so that he'll never be
forgotten \yhile his nalue is Ned, or he, a ll1an of
relnarkable elocution, \vit, sense, and n10desty-
characters so elninently his, that he \vould be
kno,yn by then1 alnong a thousand. l\lillington
(fron1 the time he sold Dr. Annesly's library) éX-
pressed a particular friendship to lne. He ,vas
originally a bookseller, \vhich he left off, being
better cut out for an auctioneer. He had a quick
wit, and a \vondcrful flucncy of speech. There \vas

4 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

usually as much comedy in his I once, twice, thrice,'
as can be met with in a modern play. I Where,'
said l\Iillington, I is your generous flalne for learn-
ing? Who but a sot or a blockhead ,vould have
money in his pocket and starve his brains?'
Though I suppose he had but a round of jests, Dr.
Cave once bidding too leisurely for a book, says
l\IiI1ington, I Is this your II Pritnitive Christianity?" ,
alluding to a book the honest doctor had pub-
lished under that title. He died in Cambridge, and
I hear they besto\yed an elegy on his memory, and
design to raise a monument to his ashes." Thomas
Hearne does not give him so good a character. He
,vrites under date 13th Septelnber 17 2 3 : II Though
the late l\1r. l\Iillington of London, bookseller, ,vas
certainly the best auctioneer in the world, being
a lnan of great \\Tit and fluency of speech, and a
thorough master of his trade; though, at the same
time, very impudent and saucy, yet he could not
at the end of the auction, be brought to give an
account to the persons \vho employed him, so that
by that means, he allo\ved ,vhat he pleased and no
more, and kept a great number of books that "Tere
not sold to himself. \\-Thence arose that vast stock
of books, though most of them but ordinary, that
he had ,vhen he dyed, and ,vhich, after his death,
were sold by auction." 1
H An Elegy upon the Lalnented Death of l\lr. Ed-
\vard Millington, the famous Auctioneer," alluded to
by Dunton, is printed in the II Works of
Ir. Thomas
Brown," ed. 1744, iv. p. 320, but the Rev. C. H.

1 ReHqttt"æ Hearnz'anæ, 1869, vol. ii. p. 17 2 .

SELLERS OF BOOKS

4 1

Hartshorne quotes it in his II Book Rarities of Cam-
bridge," 1829, p. 450, from Bagford's Collection,
British l\Iuseul11, Harleian 1\188., No. 5947. It reads
as follo\vs :-

"1fourn! mourn! you booksellers, for cruel death
Has robb'd the famous auctioneer of breath:
He's gone,-he's gone,-all the great loss deplore;
Great 11illington-alas! he is no more:
No more will he now at your service stand
Behind the desk, with mallet in his hand:
No more the value of your books set forth,
And sell 'em by his art for twice the worth.
Methinks I see him still, with smiling look,
Amidst the crowd, and in his hand a book:
Then in a fine, facetious, pleasing way
The author's genius and his wit display.

o all you scribbling tribe, come, mourn his death,
\Vhose wit hath given your dying fame new birth.
\Vhen your neglected works did mouldering lie
Upon the shelves, and none your books would buy,
How oft has he, with strainèd eloquence,
Affirm'd the leaves contained a world of sense,
\Vhen all's insipid, dull impertinence?
'Come, gentlemen,-come bid me what you please;
Upon my word it is a curious piece,
Done by a learned hand-and neatly bound:
One pound-once, twice, fifteen: who bids ?-a
crown ! '
Then shakes his head, with an affected frown,
And says' For shame! consider, gentlemen,
The book is sold in shops for more than ten.
Good lack a day !-'tis strange! ' then strikes the blow,
And in a feignèd passion bids it go.

.

4 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

.

Then in his hand another piece he takes,
And in its praise a long harangue he makes;
And tells them that 'tis writ in lofty verse,
One that is out of print and very scarce:
Then with high language, and a stately look,
He sets a lofty price upon the book;
'Five pound, four pound, three pound,' he cnes
aloud,
And holds it up to expose it to the crowd,
\Vith arm erect,-the bidders to provoke
To raise the price before the impending stroke;
This in the throng does emulation breed,
And makes 'em strive each other to outbid j
'Vhile he descants upon their learned heats,
And his facetious dialect repeats:
For none like him, for certain, knew so well
(By way of auction) any goods to sell.
''--ris endless to express the wa yes he had
To sell their good, and to put off their bad.
But ah! in vain I striye his fan1e to spread j
The great, the wise, the knowing man is dead.

And you in painting skill'd, his loss bewail j
He's dead I-that did expose your works to sale.
Can you forget how he for you did bawl,
'Come, put it in ?-a fine original,
Done by a curious hand :-\Vhat strokes are here,
Drawn to the life? How fine it does appear!
o lovely piece!-Ten pound,-five poundj-for
shame,
You do not bid the value of the frame.'
How many pretty stories would he tell
To enhance the price, and make the picture sell !
But now he's gone !-ah! the sad loss deplore j
Great Millington !-alas! he is no more.

SELLERS OF BOOKS

43

And you, the Muses' darlings, too, rehearse
Your sorrows for the loss of him in verse:
Mourn! mourn! together, for that tyrant death
Has robb'd the famous auctioneer of breath."

THE EPITAPH.
Underneath this marble stone
Lies the famous 11illington ;
A n1an who through the world did steer
l' th' station of an auctioneer;
A man with wondrous sense and wisdom blest,
\Vhose qualities are not to be exprest.

We have given so much space to lVIillington,
because it is interesting to see ho'v similar ,vere
the practices of auctioneers at the first institution
of the husiness to \vhat they are at the present time,
and also because l\Iillington .seelns to have been
considered the most famous of auctioneers, until
J anles Christie arose to take his place as chief re-
presentative of the profession. It 111ay be added
to his honour that he ,vas a friend of l\Iilton, \vho
lodged in his house.
Richard Chis\vell (1639-1711) \vas 1110re of a
bookseller than an auctioneer, but his nalne must
be mentioned here. He ,vas one of the four ,vho
issued the fourth folio edition of Shakespeare's
Plays, and he \\?as the official publisher of the
Votes of the IIouse. Dunton describes him as
It the Inetropolitan bookseller of England, if not of
all the ,vorld," and says that he never printed a bad
book, or one on bad paper.
Jonathan Green,vood, bookseller and auctioneer,

.

44

PRICES OF BOOKS

is described by Dunton as a worthy but unfortunate
man, It so that the chief thing he has left to boast of
is a virtuous wife and several small children." He
adds, II But he still deserves the loye and esteem
of all good men, for the worst that can be said of
him is, · There goes a poor honest man,' \vhich is
much better than · 1"'here goes a rich knave.'"
How little is kno,vn of some of these earJy auc-
tioneers may be seen from the fact that John
Bullord, \vho sold books at the end of the seven-
teenth century, is said by the careful John Nichols
to be a member of the well-known bookseJIing
family of Ballard. I cannot find any infonnation
respecting Bullord, but it is very ilnprobable that
this name \vas merely a misspelling of Ballard.
The name of Salnuel Paterson (1728-1802) will
ahvays be held in h.9nour among English biblio-
graphers, for he was one of the first to improve the
art of cataloguing, and he gained great fame frol11 his
labours in this deparhnent. He had one great fault,
ho,vever, for he was so insatiable a reader, that ,vhen
in cataloguing he came upon a book he had not seen
before, he lnust needs read the book then, and
thus his \vork was much delayed, and often his
catalogues could not be obtained until a fe,v hours
before the sale. He ,vas the son of a ,,"oollen
draper in St. Paul's, Covent Garden, but lost his
father \vhen he ,vas only twelve years old; his
guardian neglected hiln, and having involved his
property in his own bankruptcy, sent hil11 to
France. Here he acquired a considerable know-
ledge of French literature, which served hiln in

SELLERS OF BOOKS

4S

good stead through life. \Vhen little more than
t\venty years of age he opened a shop in the Strand,
opposite Durham Yard. This bookselling business
\vas unsuccessful, and he then cOlnlnenced as a
general auctioneer at Essex House. It \vas during
this period of his life that he saved the collection
of valuable lnanuscripts formerly belonging to Sir
Julius Cæsar from being sold as waste-paper to a
cheesemonger. He classified the 1\ISS., and lnade
an excellent catalogue of them, and when they
came to be sold by auction they realised :6356.
Although Paterson made an excellent auctioneer,
he v;as no more successful financially than in his
other ventures. He therefore accepted the post of
librarian to the Earl of Shelburne (afterwards first
1\Iarquis of Lansdowne); but after a fe\\? years there
'"as a quarrel, and he \vas obliged to return to the
business of cataloguing and selling of libraries.
The Rev. C. H. Hartshorne, in his "Book
Rarities," n1entions a print by Nicholls in the
British 1\luseum, called "The COlnplete Auc-
tioneer," representing a man ,\'ith spectacles on,
standing at a table covered ,,,ith books, \vhich are
lettered at the tops. Underneath are these lines-

" Come, sirs, and view this faI110US Library j
'Tis pity learning should discouraged be :
Here's bookes (that is, if they were but well sold)
I will maintain 't, are worth their weight in gold.
Then bid apace, and break me out of hand:
N e'er cry you don't the subject understand.
For this I'll say-how e'er the case may hit,-
\Vhuever buys of Ine-I'll teach 'em wit."

4 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

Although the London booksellers went into the
country to - sell books, there ,vere some local auc-
tioneers, as, for instance,
1ichael.J ohnson (the
father of Dr. Salnuel Johnson), ,vho kept a book-
stall in Lichfield, and attended the neighbouring
to\vns on nlarket days. Johnson's address to his
customers is taken from ct A Catalogue of Choice
Books, . . . to be sold by auction, or he ,vho bids
lnost, at the Talbot, in Sidbury, Worcester," and is
quoted from Clarke's ReþertorÍlt111 Bibliograþ/licltlJl
( r8r 9)-

"To ALL GENTLEMEN, LADIES, AND OTHERS IN OR
NEAR 'VORCESTER,-I have had several auctions in your
neighbourhood, as Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Evesham, &c.,
with success, and am now to address myself and try my
fortune with you,- Y ou must not wonder that I begin every
Day's Sale with small and common books; the reason is a
room is some time a filling, and persons of address and
business, seldom coming first, they are entertainment till
we are full; they are never the last books of the best kind
of that sort for ordinary families and young persons, &c.
But in the body of the Catalogue you will find Law, ]\Iathe-
maticks, History: and for the learned in Divinity there
are Drs. Souter, Taylor, Tillotson, Beveridge, and Flavel,
&c., the best of that kind: and to please the Ladies I have
added store of fine pictures and paper hangings, and, by the
way, I would desire them to take notice that the pictures
shall always be put up by the noon of that day they are to
be sold, that they may be view'd by day light. I have no
more but to wish you pleas'd and myself a good sale,
who am

Your HUlllble Servant,
]\1. JOHNSON."

SELLERS OF BOOKS

47

!he sale took place in the evening, commencing
at six o'clock and continuing till all the lots were
sold.
The existing firms of literary auctioneers,_ Sotheby,
Wilkinson & Hodge; PuUick & Simpson; Christie,
1Ianson & \\1" oods; and Hodgsons, are all of con-
siderable standing, but Sotheby's is of the greatest
antiquity. SalTIuel Baker, the founder of the
house, cOlnmenced business in 1744 ,vith sale of
Dr. Thomas Pellet's library (f8S9) in York Street,
Covent Garden. He continued sole lnelnber of the
finn till 1774, when he entered into partnership
\vith George Leigh (\vho is styled by Beloe ct the
finical bookseller "). Baker died in 1778, in his
sixty-sixth year, ,,,hen he left his property to his
nephe\v, John Sotheby, \vho in 1780 ,vas in part-
nership with Leigh. In 1800 the style \vas Leigh,
Sotheby & Son, John Sotheby's son SalTInel being
taken into partnership. In 1803 the business ,vas
removed froln \'" ork Street to 145 Strand, opposite
Catharine Street, and in 1818 to the present house
in \Vellington Street. The third and last Sotheby,
11r. Sallluel Leigh Sotheby, becan1e a partner in
1837, and in 1843 11r. John \Vilkinson entered the
linn as a partner. rrhe style \vas Sotheby and
\Vilkinson till 186-1-, \vhen 1\Ir. Ed,yard Grose
I lodge becan1c a partner, and fron1 that date the
na111e of the finn has been Sotheby, \Yilkinson, and
Hodge.
rrhe firn1 of Puttick & Silnpson dates back to the
establishment of the business by 1\1r. Ste\vart in
1794 ..LÍ 19 1 Piccadilly. fhe business \VdS bought

4 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

by Wheatley & Adlard on the retirement of Mr.
Ste\vart. For a short til11e it ,vas carried on by 1\1r.
Fletcher, \vho \vas succeeded in 1846 by l\Iessrs.
Puttick & Simpson. In 1858 the business \vas
removed from Piccadilly to -1-7 Leicester Square.
1rIr. Puttick died in 1873.
1"'he firm of Christie's \\'as established soon after
tha t of Sothe by's, and J ames Christie the elder's
(1730-1803) first sale was on the 5th Decelnber
1766, at rooms in Pall 1\lall, formerly occupied by
the print warehouse of Richard Dalton. Christie
after\vards removed next door to Gainsborough, at
Schomberg House, and died there, 8th November
1803. His son, James Christie the younger (1773-
1831), \vas born in Pall 1\1 all, and ,vas educated
at Eton. In 1824 he removed to the present pre-
nlises in l{ing Street, formerly \Vilson's European
Emporium. 1\Ir. Christie died in King Street,
2nd February 1831, aged fifty-eight. 1\Ir. George
Christie succeeded his father. 1\Ir. \Villiam l\Ianson
died in 1852, and \\Tas succeeded by his brother,
1\Tr. Ed\vard 1\Ianson. In 1859 1\Ir. James Christie,
the great-grandson of the founder, and 1\1r. Thomas
Woods, joined the firm.

CHAPTER III

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS

IN a treatise devoted to an inquiry concerning the
varying prices of books, it is necessary that at least
one chapter should be devoted to manuscripts.
There is no field of investigation \vhich offers a
more interesting subject for study, and fe\v that are
more difficult to master. 1\1anuscripts are really
more attractive than printed books, because they
are so various, and have been produced over a
lnuch longer period of the world's history. It
is therefore strange that so few authors care to
trouble themselves about theln; that this is so may
be seen from the large nUlnber of readers at the
British 1\1 useunl ,vho arc contented to quote over
and over again from the n1uch-used printed books,
and the cOlnparatively fe\v ,vho cultivate the virgin
soil of the 1\1anuscript Departn1ent, \vhcre there are
endless stores of un used lnaterials.
11anuscripts are usually sonle\vhat n1Ïscellaneous
in character, for they consist (I) of SOlne of the
finest exalnples of the pictorial art of many ages;
(2) of the originals of the great works of antiquity;
(3) of a large nUlnber of valuable ,vorks that have
never been printed; (4-) of charters, documents,
letters, Inemoranda, &c., \vhich are of great value,
49 D

,

so

PRICES OF BOOKS

but which are not books, and therefore do not
come within the scope of our present inquiry. In
respect to the prices of the manuscripts, it is very
difficult to say anything of lnuch value, because
(1) many of the most important manuscripts have
been transferred from library to library in bulk,
and it is comparatively seldom that they come up
for public sale; (2) the buyers of lnanuscripts are
fe\ver than those of printed books, and therefore it
is more difficult to arrive at a real standard price
for books ,yhich are practically unique, as there is
no ,vide public opinion upon the subject. But for
the present purpose, a stilI more itnportant reason
why this vast subject cannot be dealt ,yith in a
succinct manner is, that the materials for its history
have not yet been thoroughly investigated by ex-
perts. The relative prices at different periods are
hard to understand, even in England, ,vhere money
has been better regulated than in Inost countries;
but ,,,hen ,ve have to deal ,vith foreign countries
and foreign coins, ,ve are necessarily at a loss how
to convert into their present value coins ,vhich lnay
have been depreciated at the time "\ve are dealing
with, and have certainly been still more depreciated
since: for instance, what idea is comlnunicated to
the mind of the Inodern reader \vhen he is told that
II Borso d'Este paid forty ducats for a Josephus and
a Quintus Curtius, ,vhile his large two-volume Bible
cost him 1375 sequins" ? 1
In dealing with manuscripts, it is most impor-
tant to distinguish between plain and illuminated

1 Leader Scott's " Renaissance of Art in Italy," 1883, p- 193-

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 51
manuscripts. The neglect of this caution has led to
an exaggerated idea of the cost of books before the
invention of printing. Instances have been given
of purchases at sums equal to a king's ransom.
FIence it is supposed that books were so dear
that they ,vere quite out of the reach of any but
the richest personages. But this view is erro-
neous, for we know that by means of the slave
labour at Rome and the organised work in the
lnonasteries, plainly \vritten Inanuscripts could be
obtained at a reasonable price. We know no\\" that
transcripts of 1\188. can be had at a price ,vhich,
if dear ,vhen cOlnpared ,vith the price of a newly-
published printed book, is by no Ineans extravagant.
What could be done at a centre of civilisation like
Rome, where books were produced in large num-
bers and at lo'v prices on account of the organisation
of literary production, could be done at other places.
There is evidence that at London, and at those seats
of learning, Oxford and Calnbridge, \\"here caligraphy
\\-as a profession, books were not difficult to obtain.
Every church and chapel must have had service-
books. Probably during the l\Iiddle Ages, when
travelling ,vas arduous and expensive, persons living
in out-of-the-\vay places had to pay special prices
for their literary treasures.
The late Professor J. Henry 1\Iiddleton referred
to this matter of cost in his valuable work on II Illu-
minated l\Ianuscripts" (1892). After quoting fron1
Aulus GelIius, he wrote-
"But ordinary copies of newly-published works, even
by popular authors, appear to have been but little more

52

PRICES OF BOOKS

expensive than books of this class are at the present day.
The publisher and bookseller Tryphon could sell Martial's
first book of Eþigranls at a profit for two denarii-barely
two shillings in n10dern value (see Mart. xiii. 3)' It may
seem strange that written manuscripts should not have been
much more costly than printed books, but when one con-
siders how they were produced, the reason is evident. Atticus,
the Sosii, and other chief publishers of Rome, owned a large
number of slaves, who were trained to be neat and rapid
scribes. Fifty or a hundred of these slaves could write from
the dictation of one reader, and thus a small edition of a
new volume of Horace's Odes or Martial's Eþigrams could
be produced with great rapidity, and at very small cost"
(p, 19).

] n the fifteenth century, even, illustrated Books
of Hours ,vere produced in France, Flanders, and
Holland at a cheap rate. 1\Ir.
Iiddleton \\Tote-
"Education had gradually been extended among various
classes of laymen, and by the middle of the fifteenth century
it appears to have been usual not only for all men above the
rank of artizans to be able to read, but even women of the
wealthy bourgeois class could make use of prayer-books.
Hence arose a great demand for pictured Books of Hours,
which appear to have been produced in enormous quantities
by the trade scribes of towns. such as Bruges, Paris, and
many others. These common manuscript Hours are mono-
tonous in form and detail; they nearly always have the same
set of miniatures, which are coarse in detail and harsh in
colour" (p. 14 1 ).
Mr. Middleton gives son1e further information re-
specting the cost of production of certain service-
books taken froln SOlne church records in the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries-

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 53

"From these accounts (1379-1385) we learn that six
manuscripts were written, illuminated, and bound, one of
them with gold or silver clasps or bosses, at a total cost of
;[14, 9 s . 3d., more than ;[150 in modern value" (p. 222).
" Three Processionals only cost ;[ I, 17s. 4d., being on forty-
six quaternions of cheap parchment made of sheepskin,
which cost only 2
d. the quaternion" (p. 223).

There ,vas thus great variety of cost in the pro-
duction of the various kinds of books, but \vhen we
consider the matter, \ve shall find it impossible to do
other than believe that a demand for service-books,
the price of which \vas not prohibitive, must have
existed.
The Rev. T. Hart\vell Horne gaye in his It Intro-
duction to Bibliography" some instances of the
prices of manuscripts in the rvIiddle Ages, but as
some of these \vere evidently exceptional cases,
although they have been used by historians to draw
conclusions ,vhich we must consider as erroneous,
they need not be repeated here.
· Dr. S. R. 1\IaitIand in his adlnirable \vork on the
"Dark Ages" comlnents with lnuch acuteness on
SOl11e of these cases as quoted by Dr. Robertson,
and sho\vs that the historian has drawn a general
conclusion froln special instances, ,vhich in certain
cases have not been correctly reported. l\Iaitland
adds that some \vriter a few centuries hence might-
"Tell his gaping readers . . . that in the year 1812 one
of our nobility gave ;[2260 and another ;[1060 for a
single volume, and that the next year a Johnson's Dic-
tionary was sold by public auction to a plebeian purchaser
for ;[200. A few such facts would quite set up some

..

54

PRICES OF BOOKS

future Robertson, whose readers would never dream that
we could get better reading, and plenty of it, much cheaper
at that very time. The simple fact is, that there has always
been such a thing as bibliomania since there have been
books in the world, and no member of the Roxburghe Club
has yet equalled the Elector of Bavaria, who gave a town
for a single manuscript" (pp. 66-7).
Interesting particulars respecting the composition,
binding, and expenses of Petrarch's library \vill be
found in 1\1. de
olhac's lTIonograph on the subject.
Petrarch kept copyists in his house, \vhose short-
comings occasioned him much vexation. He be-
queathed his library to Venice, and the Venetians
are accused of having suffered it to be dispersed,
but it \vould seen1 that it never reached them.
We may judge from the immense number of
manuscripts still existing, in spite of the ,vholesale
destruction that occurred at various times, how
large \vas the output in the 1\Iiddle Ages. It is
therefore preposterous to suppose that \vhen books
were being produced in large nUlnbers in hundreds"
of monasteries in Europe they \vere only bought
by kings or great nobles.
During the troubled times of the Barons' Wars
there must have been great destruction of literary
treasures, and at the Reformation, when \vhole
libraries were destroyed and made waste-paper of,
the ignorant waste \yas appalling. "The splendid and
magnificent abbey of l\Ialmesbury, \vhich possessed
some of the finest manuscripts in the kingdom, was
ransacked, and its treasures either sold, or burnt to
serve the commonest purposes of life. An antiquary

PRICES OF l\IANUSCRIPT BOOKS S5
who travelled through that town many years after
the dissolution, relates that he saw broken \vindows
patched up with remnants of the most valuable 1\188.
on vellum, and that the bakers hadn't even then
consumed the stores they had accumulated in heat-
ing their ovens." 1 That so much is left after the
wholesale raid on the monasteries is largely due
to the sound antiquarian taste of John Leland, to
\vhom \ve of later ages are supremely indebted.
In all times of political convulsions the learning
of the world stands a bad chance of escaping great
loss, and we are told that t\venty-five thousand
manuscripts ,vere burnt during the horrors of the
French Revolution.
Carelessness and the contelnpt felt for old books
are still the great des
ructive forces in the East,
and the Hon. Robert Curzon, who travelled in
search of manuscripts, gives in his CI Visits to the
l\Ionasteries in the Levant" (1849) a lively account
of the irreparable losses that are constantly occur-
ring. (See also Archdeacon Tattam's and 1\1. Pacho's
narratives of their negotiations ,vith the monks of
the Nitrian Desert for Syrian 1\ISS., and the subse-
quent experiences of Tischendorf and 1\Irs. Le\vis.)
One of the most recent literary events is the re-
covery of a number of Jewish lnanuscripts froln a
Genizalt or storehouse of old papers and parch-
ments at Cair?, where they \vere preserved indeed,
but entirely neglected.
The late l\Ir. Thorold Rogers paid considerable
attention to the prices of books, and recorded many

1 "Letters from the Bodleian," vol. i, p. 279 (note).

56

PRICES OF
ÊOOKS

valuable facts respecting them in his important
\vork, II History of Agriculture and Prices in Eng-
land." After commenting on some prices in the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, he adds, (( such
prices indicate that \vritten literature \vas not ,vholly
inaccessible to the general public" (vol. i. p. 6-1-6).
The particulars of the cost of church books give
perhaps the best idea of prices, because these ,vere
needed by a large number of the population. Some
of them ,vere of small price, \vhile others of a more
elaborate character ,vere of great price. In the
year 1278 the bailiff of Farley spent six shillings and
eightpence for books for the church, and in 1300 the
monks of Ely paid six shillings for a Decretal, and
two shillings for SpeCUIU1Jl GregorianU7Jl. In 1329
the precentor received six sÞillings and seven pence,
\\Tith an instruction to go to Balsham to purchase
books. 1 In 134-1- a Bible cost three pounds, and in
1357 a book \vas bought for Farley church for four
shillings.
!VIr. Blades printed in his Life of Caxton an in-
ventory of the library of Jean, Duc de Berri, at the
château of l\Iohun sur Yevre, 1416. At the death
of the duke the library contained one hundred
and sixty-two volumes, valued at 14,909 livres.
In 1443 t\venty-seven volumes \vere purchased
by the authorities of I{ing's Hall, Cambridge, from
the executors of John Paston (,vho qad been their
steward), at a cost of [,8, 17s. 4d. In 14-1-7 the
same college bought a Psalter for three shillings
and eightpence, and a Donatus for one shilling.

1 Putnam's "Books and their Makers," 1897, vol. i. p. 159.

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 57
In L-t-+9 twenty ne\v Processionals cost All Souls
College one hundred and thirteen shillings and
fourpence, and in 1453 a book of Wycliffe's \vas
bought for seven shillings and sixpence, and one
written against hitn for three shillings and sixpence.!
A manuscript of 157 leayes, containing some of
the ,yorks of St. Gregory, \vas bought in L-t-55 for
[,3, 6s. 8d.
In 1459 Fastolfe's books \vere highly priced; thus
a fair l\Iass book ,vas fixed at ten pounds, and a
Holy Legend at the same sum, \vhile two ne,v great
Antiphons ,vere together [,13, 6s. 8d.
One of St. Augustine's Epistles, containing 179
leaves, sold sometime after 1468 for /;1, 13s. +d.,
and about the saine time one of St. Bernard's
Treatises, \vritten on 211 leaves, ,vas bought by
Richard Hopton from the executors of a fonner
possessor for t\\yenty shillings.
Perhaps a rather more accurate idea of the cost
of manuscript books can be obtained from a con-
sideration of the cost of materials and the pay of
the scribes, and, fortunately, particulars have come
do\vn to us ,vhich allo\v of a comparison of the
varIOUS expenses.
A pocket lectionary \vas made in 1265 for the
use of Eleanor de l\Iontfort, Countess of Leicester,
and sister of Henry I 11. T\venty dozen of fine
vellum ,yere purchased for the ,vork at the price
of ten shillings, and the ,,,riting, ,vhich ,vas executed
at Oxford, cost fourteen shillings.
Richard du
Iarche, an illuminator, was paid

J Rogers's" Agriculture and Prices," vol. iv. pp. 509-604.

"

58

PRICES OF BOOKS

forty shillings for illuminating a Psalter and a pair
of tablets for Queen Eleanor, consort of Ed\vard I.
In the same accounts of this queen an entry is
made of [,6, 13s. 4d. to Adam the royal goldslnith
for \vork done upon certain books. 1
Professor 1Iiddleton printed in his "Illuminated
Manuscripts" (pp. 220-23) extracts from the Ì\lanu-
script Records of the Collegiate Church of 81. George
at Windsor, from ,vhich it appears that John Prust
(Canon of Windsor froln 1379 to 1385) was paid
[,1.+,9 s . 3d. for six manuscripts written, illuminated,
and bound, one of them \vith gold or silver clasps
or bosses. The six books were an E vangelia1
iu.111,
a llIartyrologÙuJl, an" Antiphonale, and three Pro-
cessionals. The items of each are as follows :-

Eva ngelia riU1Jl.
19 quaternions (quires) of vellum at 8d. each
Black ink .
Bottle to hold the ink
Vermilion .
The scribe's" commons" (food) for eighteen
weeks
Payment to the scribe
Corrections and adding coloured initials
Illumination
Binding
Goldsmith's work (on the binding)

L s. d.
o 12 8
0 I 2
0 0 10
0 0 9
o 15 0
o 13 4
0 3 0
0 3 4
0 3 4
I 0 0

;[3 13 5
Two journeys to London and some smaller items
made a total of ;[3, J 5s, 8d.

1 "Manners and Household Expenses" (Roxburghe Club).

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 59

lVIartyrologiu1Il.
7 quaternions of vellum at 8d. .
Payment to the scribe
Illumination
Binding
Coloured initials

:l s. d.
0 4 8
o IS 0
0 5 10
0 2 2
0 0 8
,/;1 8 4

A 1Z tiþholla Ie.

34 quaternions of larger and more expensive
sheets of vellum at 15d.
Payments to the scribe
Adding to the musical notation.
Coloured initials
Illumination
Binding

2

2

6

3
1
o

3

o

o 6

1

o

o IS II
o 5 0
'/;7 7 I I
(Twelve quires of vellum which were in stock were also
... used for this A ntiþhollale.)

The three Processionals only cost [,1, I7 s . 4d.,
being ,vritten on forty-six quaternions of cheap
parchlnent made of sheepskin, ,vhich cost only 2 g d.
the quaternion.
l\Ir. Falconer l\Iadan tells us that II in 1453 John
Reynbold agreed at Oxford to \vrite out the last
three books of Duns Scotus's COJll1Jlentary on tlte
Sentences of Peter L01Jlbard, in quarto, for 2S. 2d.
each book," and that H a transcript in folio by this
Reynbold of part of Duns Scotus on the Sentences
is in both l\Ierton and Balliol College Libraries at
Oxford, one dated 1.+51." 1

1 "Books in Manuscript," 18 93, p. 43.

60

PRICES OF BOOKS

Sir John Fenn quotes in illustration of one of
the P aston Letters the account of Thomas, a lin1ner
or illuminator of manuscripts residing at Bury St.
Edlnunds, against Sir John Ho\vard of Stoke by
Neyland in Suffolk (afterwards Duke of Norfolk),
dated July 14 6 7.

For viij hole vynets [miniatures], prise the
vynett, xijd . VllJS
I tern, for xxj demi vynets, prise the demi
vynett, iiijd . VIJS
Item, for Psalmes lettres XV C and di', the
prise of C. iiijd .
Item, for p'ms letters IxiijC, prise of a C. jd.
I tern, for wrytynge of a quare and demi,
prise the quayr, xxd
Item, for wrytenge of a calendar
I tern, for iij qua
res of velym, pnse the
quayr, xxd .
Item, for notynge of v quayres and ij leves,
prise of the quayr, viijd
Item, for capital drawynge iijC and di', the
pnse .
I tern, for floryshynge of capytallis, V C .
Item, for byndynge of the bake.

vs ijd
vs iijd
IJS vjd
xijd
vs ...
llJS vijd
iijd
vd
XIJS
cs ijd 1

This list of charges is of great interest and of
much yalue in illustrating the cost of ilhnnination
in the fifteenth century. The price of the binding
seems to be very considerable as cOlnpared ,vith
the \vork of the illuminator, unless it included the

1 PasIon Letters, ed. Gairdner, 1874, vol. ii. p. 336.

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 6r

cost of gold or other expensive decoration. 11r.

Iiddleton gives also particulars of the cost of
\vriting, illuminating, and binding a manuscript
Lectionary, 1469-71, the total expense of which \vas
{,3, 4 s . rd. These are taken from the Parish Ac-
counts of the Church of St. E,ven, in Bristol-

14 68 - 6 9.
Item, for j dossen and v quayers of vellom
to perform the legend [i.e. to write the
lectionary on] xs vjd
Iteln, for wrytyng of the same . xxvs
Item, for ix skynnys and j quayer of velom
to the same legend . . vs vjd
Item, for wrytyng of the forseyd legend . 111JS ijd

147 0 -71.
Item, for a red Skynne to kever the legent . vd
Also for the binding and correcting of the
seid Boke . vs
Also for the lumining of the seid legent ,X11JS vjd 1

Alnong the P aston Letters is a letter from \Villiam
Ebeshaln to his "n100st ,vorshupfull lnaister, Sir
John Paston," 14 6 <) (?), asking for pa ymen t for his
labours in ,vriting, the charge for ,vhich ,,,as a
penny per leaf for verse, and t,vopence d. le
tf for
prose. Appended to this letter is the follo,,,ing
interesting account :-

1 "Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucester Archæological Society,"
vol. xv., 1891, pp. 257 and 260, quoted" Illuminated l\Ianuscripts,"
p. 223.

,

62

PRICES OF BOOKS

Folowyng apperith, parcelly, dyvers and soondry maner
of writynge, which I, William Ebesham, have wreetyn for
my gode and woorshupfull maistir, Sir John Paston, and
what money I have resceyvid and what is unpaide.
First, I did write to his maistership a little
booke of Pheesyk, for which I had
paide by Sir Thomas Leevys in \Yest-
minster xxd
I tern, I had for the wrytyng of half the Prevy
seale of Pampyng viijd
I tern, for the wrytynge of the seid hole prevy
seale of Sir Thomas . IJS
Item, I wrote viij of the \Yitnessis in parche-
ment, but aftir xiiijd a peece, for which
I was paide of Sir Thomas . xs
Item, while my seide maister over the see in
Midsomertime. Calle sett me a warke
to wryte two tymes the prevy seale in
papir, and then after cleerely in parche-
ment . . iiijs viijd
And also wrote the same tyme oon mo of
the largest witness is, and other dyvers
and necessary wrytyngs, for which he
promisid D1e xs, whereof I had of Calle
but iiijs viijd. car. vs iiij vs iiijd
I resceyvid of Sir Thomas at \Vestminster
penultimo die Oct. anno viiij . llJS iiijd
Item, I did write to quairs of papir of wit-
nessis, every quair conteyning xiiij leves
after ijd a leff . iiijs viijd
I tern, as to the Grete Booke- First, for
wrytyng of the Coronacion, and other
tretys of Knyghthode, in that quaire
which conteyneth a xiij levis and more
ijd a lef . IJS ijd

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 63

Item, for the tretys of Werre in iiij books,
which conteyneth Ix levis aftir ijd a
leaff . . xs
Item, for Othea pistill, which conteyneth
xlii j leves . . vi js iid
Item, for the Chalengs and the acts of
Armes which is xxviijti less . iiijs viijd
Item, for De Regimine Princiþum, which
conteyneth xlv ti leves, aftir a peny a
leef, which is right wele worth . llJS ixd
Item, for Rubrissheyng of all the booke . llJS iiijd 1

The CI Grete Booke," described above, is no,v
among the Lansdo,vne l\Ianuscripts (No. 285) in
the British l\Iuseum, and is fully described in the
Catalogue of that Collection, 1812 (Part 11., pp.
99- 102 ).
In quoting the foregoing particulars of the early
sale of 1188. and of the cost of production, no
attempt has been made to calculate the present
value of the amounts set down, because the data
for such a calculation are not available. It ,,,ill,
however, be well if the reader remelnbers that the
various alllounts mentioned n1ust have been equal
at the very least to ten tÏ111es these sums in the
present day. Professor l\Iiddleton multiplies by
ten, but \vhen ,ve find an expert scribe charging
one penny and t,vopence for one leaf, and the
II commons" of another is set do\vn at ten pence
per week, we may safely reckon the multiplier at
considerably more than ten in the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries.

1 Paston Letters, ed, Gairdner, 1874, vol. ii. pp. 334-35.

64

PRICES OF BOOKS

The scribes and illuminators already mentioned
were the individual ,vorkers, ,vho ,vere employed
by corporations and men of wealth to produce
books for their libraries; but the wholesale pro-
ducers of books, ,vho employed armies of scribes,
must not be overlooked in this place. Vespasiano
di Bisticci of Florence (b. 1421) ,vas the chief of
these booksellers, and he assisted to form the three
n10st famous libraries in Italy-the Laurentian in
Florence, that of the Vatican, and the library of
Federigo, Duke of U rbino, ,vhich ,vas after,vards
bought by Pope Alexander VI I. and incorporated
into the \T atican Library. Vespasiano ,vas an author
as ,yell as a bookseller, and has recorded some of his
doings in his ITite degli UOlJzÙzi Illustri. He gives a
detailed list of the \vorks he obtained for the Duke
of U rbino, \\Thich comprised all the kno\vn classics,
the Fathers, books on astrology, science, lnedicine,
art, music, and all the Italian authors and poets.
Vespasiano claimed that in this magnificent library,
which cost 30,000 ducats, every author \vas found
complete, and not a page of his \\Titings ,vas miss-
ing. Every book ,yas ,vritten on velhlln, and there
wås not a single one of ,vhich he ,vas ashamed.
Vespasiano ,vas ever ready to form a library, as the
follo\ving anecdote ,,,ill prove.
Niccolo Niccoli having spent a long life and all
his patrimony in collecting, left his books to Cosilno
to found a public library. Cosimo built the fine
pillared hall in the Convent of San l\Iarco, and then
proposed to form a worthy public library, of ,vhich
the legacy of Niccoli should be the nucleus. He sent

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 65

for Vespasiano for his advice, ,vho said, II You could
not buy books enough." II Then ,vhat would you
do ?" asked Cosimo. "Have them written," re-
plied the bookseller. On \vhich Cositno gave the
commission, and Vespasiano set forty-five scribes
and illuminators to ,york, and furnished t\VO hundred
volumes in t\'genty-hvo months. Cosimo \vas so
pleased ,vith the books, that he employed the suc-
cessful purveyor to supply the illuminated Psalters
and l\Iissals for the Church of the new Convent of
San l\Iarco. 1 K 0 ,vonder, perhaps, that Vespasiano
expresses his great dislike for the ne\v-fangled art
of printing. Every century has its o,vn social con-
vulsion, and thinks it the most ilnportant of all
tilne. We talk of the revolutionary change tnade
by the introduction of lnachinery in the nineteenth
century, but \ve seldolll realise ho,v great a change
in the occupations of the people took place in the
fifteenth century, at the period of the invention of
printing. Large nUlnbers of 111en entirely depen-
dent on their labours as scribes ,vere thro,vn _ out
of \vork. 1\Iany of these n1en \vere lnembers of in-
fluential bodies, ,vho ,yere not inclined to sit do,vn
idly under their n1isfortunes, so they petitioned
against the use of printing; but fate ,vas too po\ver-
ful for theIn, and their endeavours to boycott the
printing - press ".ere not successful, even though
V espasiano di Bisticci said that Duke Federigo
\vould have been ashalned to have a printed book
in his library.

1 Leader Scott's" Renaissance of Art in Italy," 1883, p. 19..J.
E

66

PRICES OF BOOKS

John of Trittenheiln, Abbot of Spanheim, ,vho is
kno\vn in literature as Trithelnius, said SOlne hard
things against printing in an essay, De Laude Scrip-
torulIl 1I/à1tllalz"u1Jt, th us-

"A work written on parchment could be preserved for a
thousand years, while it is probable that no volume printed
on paper will last for more than two centuries. lVlany im-
portant works have not been printed, and the copies re-
quired of these must be prepared by scribes. The scribe
who ceases to perform his work because of the invention of
printing can be no true lover of books, in that, regarding
only the present, he gives no due thought to the intellectual
cultivation of his successors, The printer has no care for
the beauty and the artistic forn1 of books, while with the
scribe this is a labour of love."

When, ho\vever, Trithemius found it necessary to
exhort his o,vn n10nks, he was not able to speak
very favourably of their love of books-

"There is, in my opinion, no manual labour more be-
coming a monk than the writing of ecclesiastical books,
and preparing what is needful for others who write them,
for this holy labour will generally admit of being inter-
rupted by prayer and of watching for the food of the soul
no less than of the body. Need, also, urges us to labour
diligently in writing books, if we desire to have at hand
the means of usefully employing ourselves in spiritual
studies. For you see that all the library of this monastery,
which formerly was fine and large, has been so dissipated,
sold, and made away with by the disorderly monks before
us, that when I came I found but fourteen volumes." 1

1 Maitland's" Dark Ages," 1844, p. 272.

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 67
Others ,vere ,yiser than to oppose the new art,
and many scribes, recognising the inevitable de-
struction of their trade, becalne printers. Caxton's
In aster, Colard 11ansion, ,vas an extensiye \vriter
of man uscri pts before he took to the business of
printing at Bruges. 11 uch has been ,vritten upon
famous collections of manuscripts, and upon the
individual ,vorks ,,,hich cOlnpose them, but it is
not often that these come to public auction, so that
the particulars of prices are c0l11paratively meagre.
The grand collections of the British 1\1 useUln and
the Bodleian 1 are preserved in safety for the use of
the learned, and \ve only kno'v that they are of the
greatest value. \Vhat they ,vould fetch if sold no\v
can only be guessed, and it \vould be n1erely frivo-
lous to inquire. 1
hree of the grandest collections
in the l\1 useum-the old Royal Library, the Cotton,
,vhich ,,,as only saved froln slo\v destruction by the
establishment of the British 1\1 useum, tå ,vhich it
was transferred, and the Harley, \yhich the nation
obtained for {; Io,ooo-must now be of untold value.
1
he purchase by the British 11 useum of the
library of Dr. Charles Burney greatly added to the
cOlnpleteness of the collections of Greek Classics.

1 Mr. :Madan has given in Appendix A to his most useful and
interesting work on "Books in 11anuscript," 1893, a list of public
libraries which contain more than 4000 M55. The largest collections
are as follows: - British Museum, 52,000, and 162,000 charters;
Bodleian Library, 31,000; Royal Library, Vienna, 20,000; Brussels,
30,000 ; Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 80,000; Royal Library,
Berlin, 16,000; Munich, 26,000; the Vatican, Rome, 23,600; Biblio-
teca N azionale, Florence, 15,000; Biblioteca N acional, l\Iadrid,
25,000.

68

PRICES OF BOOKS

Among the manuscripts is the wonderful Iliad
of Homer on vellum, formerly belonging to 11r.
To\vneley, ,yhich, although it cannot be dated
further back than the beginning of the fourteenth
century, is supposed to be of the earliest date of
the 1\188. of the Iliad kno\vn to scholars. A com-
mittee appointed to consider the purchase of the
library stated in their report: "With respect to
the value of the manuscripts, the Homer is rated
by the different \vitnesses at from [,600 to [,800,
and one of them supposed it might even reach so
high a price as [,1000 ; 1 the Greek rhetoricians are
estimated at from [,3-+0 to [,500; the larger copy
of the Greek Gospels at [,200; the geography of
Ptolelny at [,65; and the copy of Plautus at :650.
One \vitness estimates the ,vhole of the ancient
manuscripts at up\vards of [,2500, and an eminent
bookseller at [,3000." "The books ,vith lnanu-
script notes, together ,vith Dr. Burney's J 7 ariortt11l
Conzpilation, including the Frag1Jlenta Scenica Græca,
are estimated by one at tIOOO, and by another as
high as [,1340." It lDuSt be remembered that this
was ,vritten in 1818, and these prices may be multi-
plied considerably at the present day.
Even those large private collections which have
been in the lnarket of late years have mostly been
sold in bulk, so that little light has been thro,vn
upon the current value of fine n1anuscripts.
One of the best sources of information respecting
present prices is to be found in l\Ir. Quaritch's

1 Dr. Burney gave Eß20 for it at Towneley's sale, 1815.

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 69
admirable catalogues of his collections of literary
treasures.
When the treasures of Halnilton Palace were dis-
persed by public auction, the priceless collection
of manuscripts \vas sold by pri\'ate contract to
the Gennan Governn1ent. The amount paid has
never been officially announced, but it is believed
to have reached the sum of :b75,000. SOlne of
these lnanuscripts \vere not required at Berlin, and
they ,\Tere sold in l\lay 1889 by l\Iessrs. Sotheby for
:b 15, 18 9.
The gem of the collection ,vas the fifteenth-
century lnanuscript of Dante's Divina COlll1lledia,
illustrated ,vith up\vards of eighty dra,vings, attri-
buted to Sandro Botticelli. Of it a "Titer in the
TÙlles said, "This priceless yo!ulne lnay, ,vithout
exaggeration, be described as the most valuable
manuscript in existence, from its artistic interest,
for it stands alone as an exalnple of a literary
'Nork of the first order illustrated by an artist of
the highest rank."
It is ilnpossible here even to register some of the
lnany beautiful ,vorks that made the lnanuscripts
of the Duke of Halnilton so famous. Great dissatis-
faction ,yas felt by the British public \vhen it ,yas
found that these treasures ,vere to be transported
to Berlin. Before the final decision ,vas 111ade, 1\1 r.
Ruskin, in a "General statelnent explaining the
nature and purposes of St. George's Guild," \\Tote-
"I hear that the library of Hamilton Palace is to be
sold some time this spring. That library contains a col-
lection of manuscripts which the late Duke pern1itted me

7 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

to examine at leisure, now some thirty years ago. It
contains many manuscripts for which I have no hope of
contending successfully, even if I wished to do so, against
the British I\1useum or the libraries of Paris and Vienna:
But it contains also a very large number of manuscripts,
among which I could assuredly choose some for which the
partly exhausted general demand might be not extrava-
gantly outbid, and I think the English public ought to have
confidence enough in my knowledge of art and history to
trust me with a considerable sunl for this purpose."

l\1r. Quaritch, ,vho entered into l\lr. Ruskin's
plans, circulated this pamphlet, and asked for con-
tributions to be sent to him, ,vhich he ,vould for-
ward to 1\1 r. Ruskin. Had the Governlnent of this
country been of the salne mind ,vith 1\Ir. Ruskin,
these manuscripts ,yould not have been lost to the
country.
The sale of the Hamilton manuscripts to a foreign
Governn1ent naturally caused those ,vho ,vere in-
terested in these Inatters to feel great anxiety lest
the Earl of Ashburnham's manuscripts, which it
was kno,vn the o\vner wished to sell, should also be
sent abroad. This collection consisted of up,vards of
three thousand lnanuscripts in about four thousand
volumes, and were made up of purchases from the
Duke of Buckingham (Sto,ve) and 1\1. Libri; and
of an Appendix consisting of separate manuscripts
purchased from time to time by the late Lord
Ashburnham.
(I) The Sto\ye collection grew out of the library
of MSS. formed by Thomas Astle, the palæographer,
and Keeper of the Records in the Tower. Astle

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 71
directed by his ,vill that his collection should be
offered to the
1arquis of Buckinghaln on certain
specified terms, one of ,vhich ,vas the payment of the
stun of [,500. This alnount ,vas not of course any
Ineasure of their value, and the bequest \vas made in
gratitude to the Grenville falnily for favours ,vhich
Astle had received from them. À room ,vas built
at Sto\ye by 1\1r. (after,vards Sir John) Soane to
receive the collection, in ,vhich ,vere charters, regis-
ters, ,yardrobe accounts, inyentories, correspon-
dence, and many items of the greatest historical
value. O'Conor's Irish 1\1SS. and the State Papers
of Arthur Capel, Earl of Essex, Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland in the reign of Charles I I., after\vards found
a hOlne at Sto".e. In April 1849 the 1\1arquis of
Chandos ,vrote to Sir Robert Peel, stating that he
had recently had offers from private parties for the
Sto\ve Inanuscripts, and offering then1 to the British

I useUln. Sir Frederick l\Iadden valued the col-
lection at {8300, but he ,vas only authoriseù to
treat ,vith Lord Chandos for the Irish n1anuscripts
separately, and to seek for further inforn1ation
respecting other portions of the collection. In the
Ineantime, ho\vever, the "Thole ntunber ,vere sold
to Lord Ashburnham for [,8000.
(2) Libri collection. In June 1846 the Trustees of
the British 1\1 useum applied for rrreasury sanction
to the expenditure of [,9000 in the purchase of the
Libri lnanuscripts, but this ,yas refused. In Sep-
tember follo,ving rene,ved application \yas lnade
for [,6600 for the collection, less the Napoleon
papers valued at [,1000. The Treasury allo\yed

7 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

[,6000 ,vith COlnlnission to agents, but the negotia-
tion failed, and Lord Ashburnham obtained the
1\188. for [,8000.
(3) Barrois collection, chiefly consisting of French
romances and pOelTIS, was offered to the British
1\luseum in 1848 for [,6000. It ,,,as examined by
the Keeper of the 1\Ianuscripts, ,vho recomlnended
the purchase, but apparently no application 'va.s
Inade to the Treasury, and the collection ,,,as soon
after,vards sold to Lord Ashburnham for the same
amount.
(4) Appendix of 1\188. collected separately by
Bertraln, fourth Earl of Ashburnham, among ,vhich
\vere some splendid ilhllninated Inanuscripts.
With respect to some of these manuscripts a
difficulty had arisen, o\ving to 1\1. Léopold Delis1e's
clailn that a large number of the manuscripts in
the Libri collection had been stolen from libraries
in France by Libri \vhile holding the office of
Inspector-General of Libraries. 1\1. Delisle also
alleged that at least sixty of the Barrois manuscripts
,vere stolen froln the Paris National Library. In
November 1879 Lord Ashburnham offered to treat
for the sale of his library of printed books and
manuscripts \vith the Museum alone, or jointly ,vith
the French Government, nalning [,160,000 as the
price for the ,vhole, and stated that he had received
an offer to that amount II from another quarter."
The Trustees then asked ,,'hether Lord Ashburnham
,vould treat for the manuscripts alone, and his
ans\ver in January 1880 ,vas that he had ascertained
that the offer he had received of [,160,000 for the

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 73
whole library froln a private individual \vas intended
for private speculation, and that the collection was
\vorth a great deal more. This amount, \vhich
comes to about [,500 for each manuscript, seems
to be very large, but COlnpetent authorities have
agreed to the valuation. At any rate, the Treasury
\vas not prepared to buy the ,vhole at such a price,
and the Principal Librarian treated for the Sto\ve
collection alone, the price of \vhich Lord Ash-
burnham fixed at [,30,000.1 In the end these ,vere
purchased for the nation.
For lnany years the late Sir Thomas Phillipps
,vas an omnivorous collector of man uscri pts, and
his collections were vast. They are gradually being
sold by auction. Several portions have passed
under the hammer of l\lessrs. Sotheby, and others
are still to follo\v.
A very fine collection of illuminated lnanuscripts
\vas gathered in a very short period by William
1\lorris. It is fortunate that a collection lnade by
one ,,,ho kne\v so \veIl what to buy is not to be
dispersed or taken out of the kingdom. As long as
it remains intact it \vill be a ,vorthy monument of
an enthusiastic lover of art ,vho, \vhile teaching the
present age, \vas not forgetful of the history of the
earlier ,vorkers in the same spirit.
We cannot register prices of such priceless manu-
scripts as the Gospels of S1. Cuthbert, for t\VO cen-
turies at Lindisfarne, and no\v among the Cottonian
1\1SS. in the British 1\1 useum, or the Book of l{ells
at Trinity College, Dublin-both of the seventh
1 These particulars are obtained from the official reports.

74

PRICES OF BOOKS

century; but some fe\v books of great interest ,vhich
have been sold by auction may be mentioned here.
The chief of these is the splendid manuscript of the
Bible in the British 1\1 useum, said to have been pre-
sented by Alcuin to Charlemagne. The vicissitudes
of this book are very remarkable. It ,vas confis-
cated during the French Revolution, and eventually
came into the possession of 1\1. Speyr Passavant of
Basle, ,vho unavailingly offered it for a large sum to
the chief libraries of Europe. It ,vas offered to the
Trustees of the British 1\1 useun1, first for i12,000,
then for [,8000, and lastly for [,6500. The un-
founded claims of the proprietor, who appears to
have been very much of a charlatan, appear to have
damaged the repute of the 1\1S., and it remained on
his hands. On 27th April 1836 the vohune ,vas put
up to auction at Evans's rooms, and ,vas described
in six pages of a catalogue in \vhich it \vas the chief
lot. It ,vas catalogued as the Emperor Charle-
magne's Bible-a manuscript on velluln by Alcuin,
completed A.D. 800, presented to Charlelnagne A.D.
801 at the ceremony of his coronation, and men-
tioned in his ,vill. The date is not undisputed, and
it is supposed by SOllie to be of about forty years
later. The statement that this Bible is lnentioned
in the Emperor's will is absolutely denied. The
price registered in Evans's sale catalogue is [,1500,
and the purchaser is given as Scordet, but the book
,vas really bought in, and it is said that fe\v of the
biddings for it ,\.ere genuine. After this failure
fresh overtures ".ere made to the British 1\1 useum,
and in the end it was bought for that library for

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 75
[750, which must be considered a small price for
so splendid and interesting a book. There was
some correspondence on this Bible in the Gentle-
lI/an's 11Iaga/::il/e, in ,vhich Sir Frederick
Iadden
took part. These letters are reprinted in Gon1me's
Gentlelllan's ....",1 agazine Library (" Literary Curiosities,"
1888, pp. 234-64). Another historical manuscript
of particular beauty ,vhich has been several titnes
sold by auction, and no\v safely reposes at the
British 1\1 useum, is the falnous so-called Bedford
l\Iissal (really Book of Hours), ,vritten and illumi-
nated for John, Duke of Bedford, Regent of France
under Henry VI., to \vhom he presented the book in
the year 1430. It passed into the hands of Henry II.
of France, and long subsequently into those of
Lady Worsley (,vido,v of Sir Robert Worsley), from
\vhom it was purchased by the Earl of Oxford, ,vho
bequeathed it to his daughter, the Duchess of Port-
land. At the latter's sale in 1786 it \vas bought by
James Edwards the bookseller for [,213, 3s. At
Ed\vards's sale in 1815 it ,vas bought for [,687, 15s.
by the 1\Iarquis of Blandford, ,vho after,vards sold
it to 1Ir. Broadley. At Broadley's sale in 1833 Sir
John Tobin bought it for [,1100. Sir John's son
sold it to the bookselIer from \"hom the British
1\1 useum purchased it in 1852.
T\vo instances of most interesting manuscripts
sold at very inadequate prices may here be recorded.
One of the most distinguished among the Ashburn-
ham manuscripts was one kno\\
n as the Albani
rvIissal. It is a lnanuscript of offices, and \vas exe-
cuted apparently for Alemanno Salviati, gonttlonier

.

7 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

of Florence and brother - in -la\v of Lorenzo de'
l\Iedici, and given by hitn to one of his relatives
of the house of Baroncelli. This beautiful volume
contains five full-page miniatures, each the ,vork of
a master. The first is by the hand of An1ico Asper-
tini, of Bologna, the pupil of Francia; the next is
attributed to Lorenzo di Credi; the third and fourth
of high excellence, though unassigned; and the fifth
by Perugino, signed "Petrus Perusinus pinxit."
For this artistic treasure 1\1 r. James Dennistoun
gave [,20 in Rome in the year 1838. \Vhen he had
purchased it he found that opposition to its leaying
Italy \yould be lnade on the part of the Roman
authorities, so he had it unbound and divided, and
got it sent to England privately a fe\v pages at a
titne. He afterwards sold it to Lord Ash burnhan1
for [,700. These facts ,vere printed in the TÙnes in
r883 by a cousin of 1\Ir. Dennistoun.
1\1r. 1\ladan gives in his" Books in l\lanuscript,"
r893, a very interesting account of a bargain obtained
by the Bodleian Library, ,vhich account is here re-
produced in a s0111e,yhat condensed form. U Six
years ago [r887 ] a little octavo volume, in ,vorn
bro\vn binding, stood on the shelves of a small parish
library in Suffolk, but \\yas turned out and offered
at the end of a sale at Sotheby's, presulnably as
being unreadable to country folk." It ,vas de-
scribed in the catalogue as "Latin Gospels of the
Fourteenth Century, \vith English Illuminations."
For the SUln of [,6 it passed into the Bodleian
Library, and came to be catalogued as an ordinary
accession. It \vas noticed that the ,vriting \\yas of

PRICES OF MANUSCRIPT BOOKS 77
the eleventh century, and that the illuminations
\vere valuable specimens of old English work of the
same century, comprising figures of the four evan-
gelists, of the Byzantine type, ,vhich ,vas common
in the \vest of Europe; the drapery, ho\vever,
colouring, and accessories \vere purely English.
The book itself \\Tas seen to be not the complete
Gospels, but such portions as ,vere used in the
service of the l\Iass at different times of the year.
On a fly-leaf \vas found a Latin poem, describing
hO\'T the book had dropped in the \vater and ,\Tas
brought up by a soldier, \vho plunged in after it.
Surprise \vas expressed that the book \vas unin-
jured, saye a slight contraction of Ì\vo of the leaves,
and to this expression \vas added, "1Iay the king
and pious queen be saved for ever, whose book \yas
but no\v saved fron1 the \yaves !" Curiosity ,yas felt
as to the identity of this king and queen, ,vhen the
difficulty ,yas solved by a reference to Forbes-Leith's
"Life of St. l\Iargaret of Scotland," ,yhere this passage
occurs: "She had a book of the Gospels beautifully
adorned ,vith gold and precious stones, and orna-
mented \vith the figures of the four evangelists
painted and gilt. . . . She had ahvays felt a parti-
cular attachment for this book, Inore so than for
any of the others \vhich she usually read." Then
follows a story almost identical ,vith the one given
above, which proves that the identical book is no\v
preserved in the Bodleian Library.
I t is not often that bargains such as these can be
obtained, but in spite of a great rise in price large
numbers of manuscripts are still purchaseable on

7 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

reasonable t"ernlS. The late 1Ir. J. H. 1Iiddleton
\vas particularly urgent in pointing this out, and his
\vords may appropriately close this chapter-

"On the whole, a fine manuscript may be regarded as
about the cheapest work of art of bygone days that can
now be purchased by an appreciative collector, 1Iany of
the finest and most perfectly preserved manuscripts which
now come into the market are actually sold for smaller
sun1S than they would have cost when they were new, in
spite of the great additional value and interest which they
have gained from their antiquity and comparative rarity.
For example, a beautiful and perfectly preserved historical
Anglo-Norman Vulgate of the thirteenth century, with its
full nunlber of eighty-two pictured initials, written on be-
tween six and seven hundred leaves of finest uterine vellum,
can now comillonly be purchased for from ;/';3 0 to ;/';40.
This hardly represents the original value of the vellum on
which the Inanuscript is written,
"l\lanuscripts of a sin1pler character, however beautifully
written, if they are merely decorated with blue and red
initials, commonly sell for considerably less than the origi-
nal cost of their vellunl.
"A collector with some real knowledge and appreciation
of what is artistically fine can perhaps layout his money to
greater advantage in the purchase of manuscripts than by
buying works of art of any other class, either mediæval or
.
modern." 1

1 J. H. Middleton, "Illuminated l\ISS.," 1892, pp. 263-64.

CHAPTER IV

PUBLISHED PRICES

IT was ilnpossible for the scribe (ho\vever lo,v his
pay might be reduced) to cOlnpete \\'ith the printing-
press, and \ye have good authority for saying that
printed books could be obtained in the fifteenth
century for one-fifth of ,vhat ,vould have been the
cost of the salne books in manuscript. l\lr. Putnaln,
in his interesting \vork on the history of bookselling,
quotes froln Bishop John of Aleria, \vho, ,vriting
to Pope Paul I I. in 1467, said that it was possible
to purchase in Rome for 20 gulden in gold ,yorks
\vhich a few years earlier ,vould hCJve cost not less
than 100 gulden. Other books selling for 4 gulden
\vould previously have cost 20. 1\1r. Putnam also
quotes l\ladden, to the effect that ir
1470 a copy of
the forty-eight line Bible, printed on parchlnent,
could be bought in Paris for 2000 francs, ,vhile the
cost of the same text a few years earlier in manu-
script ,vould have been 10,000 francs.
It is rather curious to find that the present custoln
of fixing a published price is comparatively modern,
and that the system for which some of our present
retail booksellers yearn-that is, of buying froil1 the
publishers in bulk and retailing at their own price-
79

80

PRICES OF BOOKS

".as formerly in common use. In the old cata-
logues of English books no prices are affixed to the
various entries, and the custom of printing the prices
of books was not general until the end of the seven-
teenth century. But after all the booksellers' lati-
tude ,vas not very great, for the la\v stepped in to
limit the price of books.
\\l e lnight naturally have supposed that the in-
vention of printing \vould have 111ade a complete
break in the mode of selling books, but this was not
so. Continuity ,vas preserved, and the con1pany
to \vhich the London trade belongs is not called
after the printers, but after the older order of
stationers. In a "Note of the State of the Com-
pany of Printers, Bookesellers, and Bookebynders
comprehended under the nalne of Stacioners,"
dated 1582, ,ve are told that" in the tyme of I{ing
Henry the Eighte, there ,vere but fe\ve Printers,
and those of good credit and competent ,vealth, at
\vhiche tYlne and before there ,vas an other sort
of men that \vere ,vriters, lYlnners of Bookes and
diverse thinges for the Church and other uses,
called StacioneJs, \vhich haye, and partly to this
daye do use to buy their bookes in gïosse of the
saide Printers, bynde them up, and sell theln in
their shops, ,vhereby they ,veIl mayntayned their
families." 1
I t seems probable that the English bookselIers
before the introduction of printing experienced
little interference in their business from foreign

1 A rchæologia, xxv. 104.

PUBLISHED PRICES

81

scribes, and therefore the bringing in of printed
books froln abroad \vas distasteful to them. \\'7'hat
they particularly objected to ,vas the ilnportation
of these books bound instead of in sheets.
By II an Act touching the l\Iarchauntes of Italy"
(I I
ic. I I I. cap. 9) aliens \vere prohibited froln
itnporting certain goods into this country, but this
Act \vas not to "extend to Importers of Books, or
to any "Titer, limner, binder, or printer."
In Henry VIII.'s reign this ilnportation \vas found
intolerable, and "an Act for Printers and Binders
of Bokes" \vas passed (25 Hen. VIII. cap. IS).
I t is stated in the preamble \vhen the provision in
the Act of Richard I I I. \vas made there \vere fe\\?
books and fe\v printers in England, but that at this
time large numbers of printed books \vere brought
into the country-
\Yhereas, a great number of the King's subjects within
this realm having" given themselves diligently to learn and
exercise the said craft of Printing, that at this day there
be within this realm a great number cunning and expert
in the said science or craft of printing, as able to exercise
the said craft in all points as any stranger, in any other
realm or country, and furthermore where there be a great
number of the King's subjects within this realm which
[live] by the craft and mystery of binding of _books, . . .
well expert in the same," yet" all this notwithstanding, there
are divers persons that bring from [beyond] the sea great
plenty of printed books-not only in the Latin tongue, but
also in our maternal English tongue-some bound in boards,
son1e in leather, and some in parchment, and them sell by
retail, whereby many of the King's subjects, being binders
of books, and having none other faculty wherewith to get
F

,

82

PRICES OF BOOKS

their living, be destitute of work, and like to be undone,
except some reformation herein be had."

Then follo\y some provisions respecting the sale
of books at too high a price-

"And after the same enhancing and increasing of the
said prices of the said books and binding shall be so found
by the said twelve men or otherwise by the examination of
the said lord chancellor, lord treasurer, and justices, or
two of them; that then the same lord chancellor, lord
treasurer, and justices, or two of them at the least from time
to time shall have a power and authority to reform and
redress such enhancing of the prices of printed books by
their discretions, and to limit prices as well of the books
as for the binding of them; and over that the offender or
offenders thereof being convict by the examination of the
same lord chancellor, lord treasurer, and justices, or two
of them or otherwise, shall lose and forfeit for every book
by them sold whereof the price shall be enhanced for the
book or binding thereof, three shillings four pence."

By the first Copyright Act (8 Anne, cap. 21) any
person thinking the published price of a book un-
reasonable \vas to complain to the Archbishop of
Canterbury or other great dignitaries.
It \vollld have been enlightening if our la\vmakers
had told us \vhat \vas in their opinion a reasonable
price for a book, but they are silent on this point.
We have unfortunately no inforn1ation as to the
price for v.rhich Caxton sold his various books,
but he bequeathed fifteen copies of his "Golden
Legend" to the church\vardens of 81. l\Iargaret,
\Veshninster, ,vho succeeded in selling t\\?elve of
them bet\veen the years 1496 and 1500. For the

PUBLISHED PHICES

83

first three copies they obtained six shillings and
eightpence each, but then they had to reduce the
price to five shillings and eightpence, at \yhich price
they sold the next seven copies. The last t\yO
copies only brought five shillings and sixpence and
five shillings respectively, so that evidently there
\vas a falling lnarket.

rr. Blades Inakes the follo\ving remarks on this
point-

"The comn1ercial results of Caxton's trade as a printer
are unknown; but as the fees paid at his burial were far
above the average, and as he evidently held a respectable
position in his parish, we must conclude that his business
was profitable. The preservation of the Cost Book of the
Ripoli Press has already been noticed, and some extracts
of interest translated therefro111. 'Ve may presume that
Caxton also kept exact accounts of his trade receipts and
expenditure, and if such were extant, the many doubts
which now surround the operations of his printing-office
would be definitely solved. 'Ve should then know the
price at which he sold his books-how many pence he
asked for his small quarto' quayers' of poetry, or his pocket
editions of the' Horæ' and' Psalter'-how many shillings
were required to purchase the thick folio volumes, such
as 'Canterbury Tales,' , King Arthur,' &c. That the price
was not much dearer than that paid for good editions now
we may infer from the rate at which fifteen copies of the
'Gol
en Legend' sold between 1496 and 1500. These
realised an average price of 6s. 8d. each, or about
};2, 13S' 4d. of modern money, a sum by no means too
great for a large illustrated work. This, however, would
depend on the number of copies considered necessary for
an edition, which probably varied according to the nature
of the work. . . . Some foreign printers issued as many as

84

PRICES OF BOOKS

275 or 300 copies of editions of the Classics, but it is not
probable that Caxton ventured upon so large an impression,
as the demand for his publications must have been much
more restricted." 1

It \vill be noticed that 1\1r. Blades is \vrong in
saying that the copies of the U Golden Legend"
,vere sold at an average price of 6s. 8d., and it \vould
probably be more correct to give the equivalent
amount in Inodern money as f4, rather than
f 2, 13 s . -J.d., but this is perhaps Inore a Inatter of
oplnlon.
Several old priced lists of books haye come do\\yn
to us, and the most interesting of these are the t\VO
printed and edited by 1\1r. F. l\Iadan in the first
series of the Collectallea of the Oxford Historical
Society, and further annotated by the late 1\1r.
Henry Bradsha\v. The first of these is an inven-
tory, \\'ith prices of books received in I-J.83 for sale
by John Hunt, stationer of the University of Oxford,
from l\1agister Peter Actor and Johannes de Aquis-
grano, to \vhom he promises to restore the books
or pay the price affixed in the list; and the second
is the Day-Book of John Dorne, bookseller in
Oxford A.D. 1520. l\1r. Bradsha\v's valuable annota-
tions (U A Half-Century of Notes") \\'ere printed in
fac-sÏtnile of his hand\vriting in 1886, and after\vards
included in his" Collected Papers" (1889).
Dorne's list is of great value, as sho\ving \vhat
\vas the literature sold at a great university city at
the beginning of the sixteenth century, and \vith
the much-needed explanations of l\Iessrs. l\1adan

1 "Life and Typography of V\ 1 illiam Caxton," vol. ii, p. lix.

PUBLISHED PRICES

85

and Bradsha\v, it forms an important addition to
our kno\vledge, but there is not lnuch in it that can
be quoted here \vith advantage. Latin theology
fonns the bulk of the more itnportant books sold,
and next to that Latin classics. English books
are fe\v; an10ng the cheapest items, service-books
and ballads, Christmas carols, and ahnanacs are
cOlnmon. A large proportion of the entries are
lnarked in pence from one penny l1p\\'ards, but
some are in shillings, and the largest alnount for
one sale of several books \\'as forty-eight shillings.
Bibliographica (vol. i. p. 252) contains "T\vo
References to the English Book-Trade circa 1525."
The first, which is fron1 the "Interlude of the Four
Elements," suggests that a large amount of the
output of the English presses at the beginning of
the sixteenth century \vas' made up of ephemeral
publications-
" Now so it is in our Englyshe tonge,
Many one there is that can but rede and wryte,
For his pleasure wyll oft preSUllle an10nge
New bokys to compyle and balades to indyte,
Some of lore or other matter, not worth a rnyte."

The next is from the prologue to I<obert Copland's
"Seven SOlTO\VS that \\.,. Olnen ha\'e ,vhen theyr hus-
ban des be deade," ,vhich consists of a conversation
behveen Copland and a custolner, "Quidam"-
"Quidalll. Hast thou a boke of the wydowe Edith,
That hath begyled so many with her wordes,
Or els suche a geest that is ful of bourdes ?
Let me se, I wyll yet waste a peny
Upon suche thynges and if thou have eny.

86

PRICES OF BOOKS

Coþland. How say ye by these, wyll ye bestowe a grote?
Quidam. Ye syr so muche? nay, that I shorowe my cote,
A peny I trow is ynough on bokes,
I t is not so soone goten, as this worlde lokes."

1\1 uch infonnation respecting the prices of books
is found in the church\vardens' accounts of the
various parishes of the kingdom, and extracts from
some of these have been printed in the Gent/eJJ/an's
ill agaziJle and other places. 1\1 r. Thorold Rogers also
has given several instances in the various volumes
of his great work on "Agriculture and Prices."
Archbishop Cranmer, in his "Articles to be in-
quired of . . . \vithin the Diocese of Canterbury,"
A.D. 15-+8, asks II \\Thether in every case they have
provided one book of the \vhole Bible of the largest
volu111e in English, and the Paraphrases of Eras-
mus, also in English, upon the Gospels, and set up
the same in son1e convenient place in the church."
In 15-+8 \ve find that the church\vardens of St.
1\Iargaret's, Westminster, paid five shillings for the
half part of the Paraphrases of Erasmus, and in
1549 the church\vardens of Wigtoft, Lincolnshire,
paid seven shillings for the saIne book. Arch bishop
Parker required J e\vel's "Defence of the Apology"
to be placed in parish churches, and in 1570 the
church\vardens of Leverton, Lincolnshire, paid four
shillings for "half l\1r. J uylle's booke, called the
'Appologie of Ingland,''' and fourpence for the
carriage of the same.
From the church\vardens' accounts of the parish
of Stratton, county Cornwall, \ve learn that in 1565

PUBLISHED PRICES

87

t\VO shillings \vere "paid for ne\ve songes for the
church," and hvopence "for another lyttell boke."
In 1570 t\yelvepence \vas "paid to Nicholas Oliver
of sent tives for a song of te deum," fourpence ,vas
paid "for mendyng of John J udes bybell \vhich he
lonyd to the churche \yhen the other \vas to bynd,"
and six shillings" for a ne\ve communion book and
a psalter in the same." On the other side t\velve-
pence \vas received "for t,vo peces of old bookes
sold." 1
The church\vardens of Canterbury parish gave
forty-one shillings for a church Bible in 1586, four
shillings for a prayer-book in 1598, and three shil-
lings and fourpence for a book of statutes in 1599.
Sir John Evans cOlnnlunicated to the Archæologia 2
some Inost interesting extracts fronl the Private
Account Book of Sir William 1\1ore of Loseley, in
Surrey, in the time of Queen 11ary and Queen
Elizabeth, \vhich contains an inventory of a collec-
tion of about one hundred and t\\'enty volumes.
This inventory gives us a vivid idea of the contents
of a country gentlelnan's library in the sixteenth
century. There are the best chronicles of the time,
as Fabyan, Harding, &c., translations of the classics,
and some in their original languages, statutes, ne\v
books of justices and other legal \vorks, books of
physic, dictionaries, &c., and each of the books is
marked \yith a price. 1'he n10st expensiye books :-
Cronica CroniCarUJll, xxs; 1\1 unster's COSlIlogra.f.J'e,
xvjs; un byble, xs; a calapyne, xs [Calepino's
\T ocabulary of the Latin Tongue] ; Fabyan's Cronicle,

1 A rchæologia, xlvi. 228, 229.

2 xxxvi. 284-310,

88

PRICES OF BOOKS

vs; Statuts of Henry theight, xijs; all the Statuts
of I{yng Ed\vard the VI., ijs; all the Statuts of
the Quene, i js; Chausore, vs. There ,vere four
N e,v Testaments, "one in ffrench," xxd, t\VO "in
Italion," respectively xxjd and ijs vjd, and one" in
lattyn," xijd. The Legellda Aurea \vas priced
iijs iiijd; Tullye's Ojjicys translated, viijd; ij bokes
conteyning l'ully's Philosophy, ijs vjd ; Cezar's COUl-
u/elltary, xvjd; ij bokes of l\lachevale's \vorks in
I talion, iijs iiijd ; Hardyng's Cro1
'J!ele, ijs vjd; Utopea,
viijd. Of lo\v-priced books \ve find-A lyttle cro-
nicle, id; Lydgates' Pro' verbs, id; Alexander Barkley's
Eelogs, id; Skelton's \\"ork, iiijd; and TriulIlþh of
Peb'ark, vjd.
Sir Egerton Brydges also quoted from a House-
hold Book an interesting list of about the san1e
date as the above-

Anno 1564.
Iteme, for booke of the dysease of horses iiijd
Iteme, for printing the xxv orders of honest
men xxd
Iteme, pd for a Lytlton in English xijd
Iteme, for a diologge betwine the cap and
the heade ijd
Iteme, pd for the booke of the ij Englishe
lovers . vjd
Iteme, for a French booke called the his-
torye de noster ternes . xvjd
Iteme, pd for iij French bookes, the on
called Pawlus J ovius . xxs 1

1 Censura Literaria, iii, 370.

--

I
--.J

PUBLISHED PRICES

89

In the days before copyright acts authors and
publishers often tried to safeguard their property
by obtaining patents. These \\?ere sometimes for
a particular book, as, for instance, Richard Field,
printer, in February 1592 \vas granted the sole
licence to print "Orlando Furioso translated into
English verse by John Harrington."
Iore often,
ho\vever, patents \vere granted to printers allo\\'ing
theln the sole pri\'ilege of printing certain classes
of books. A licence 1I to imprint all manner of
books concerning the common la\vs of this realm"
\vas granted to Richard Tottell; one for pritners
and books of private prayers to \"Villiam Seres; one
to print all Inanner of songs of musick to Thomas
Tallis and \Villiam Bird; one for dictionaries gene-
rally to H. Binnelnan; and one for almanacks and
prognostications to J ames Roberts and Richard
Watkins,l Gradually by purchase or inheritance
nearly all the n10nopolies came into the possession
of the Stationers' Company. Certain printers, ho\v-
ever, Inade a practice of pirating SOl11e of the most
popular English privileged books. The Company
resisted, and Inelnorialised Lord Burghley in October
1582, \vith a complaint of the opposition Inet ,,,ith in
111aking their search in the printing-house of one
" \\'ho printed all kinds of books at his pleasure." 2
The chief leader of these invaders of privilege
\\'as John \\T olf, a freeman of the Fislunongers'

1 The late :Mr. Cornelius \Valforù contributed to the Bibliographer
some articles on Book Patents and Printing Patents, See vol. \', pp.
125,156; vol. vi, pp. 129, 17I.
2 Archll'ologia, vol. xxv. pp. lQO--112.

9 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

COlnpany. In 1583 the Stationers' Company drew
up thirteen heads of the" insolent and contemptuous
behaviour of John \V olf, printer, and his confede-
rates," \vhich they presented to the Privy Council.
From this indictment it appears that \vhen \\T oIf
was "frendly persuaded to live in order and not
print n1en's privileged copies," he ans\vered that
" he would print all their bakes if he lacked ,vork,"
and added that" it \yas lawfull for all men to print
all la\\'full bookes, \vhat cOlnll1andelnent soever her
1\Iajestie gave to ye contrary." Wolf ,vas no re-
specter of persons, and his I110ttO \vas, " I \villlive."
Being adlnonished that he " being but one so lneane
a man should not presulne to contrarie her High-
nesse Governmente," "Tush," said he, " Luther \vas
but one man, and refonned all the world for reli-
gion, and I aln that man that n1ust and ,yill reforme
the government in this trade!" The Queen appointed
a COl1ul1ission to inquire into the Inatter, but the
COlnlnissioners could make nothing of Wolf and
his party. In the end the opposition ,vas bought
off; and on 1st July 1583 \Volf \vas adll1itted a free-
Inan of the Stationers' Company by redemption,
paying the usual fees of 3s. -J.d. 1
Andre\v l\Iaunsell, a bookseller living in Loth-
bury, ,yas the first to publish (1595) a catalogue of
English books, and this book is a very satisfactory
bit of bibliographical ,vork. The compiler only pub-
lished t\yO parts, the first on theological books, and
the second on scientific books. l\Iaunsell proposed

1 Arber's H Transcript of the Registers of the Company of Sta-
tioners."

----

_J

PUBLISHED PRICES

9 1

the publication of others on more popular branches
of literature, but unfortunateJy he left his \vork in-
cOlnplete. In his dedication to Queen Elizabeth
he says-

"\Vhat great account (most gracious Soueraigne) hath
beene nlade of godly bookes, n1ay euidently appeare by
the value set uppon the bookes of curious actes brought to
the Apostles feete to be burnt. For if those bookes were
valued to two thousand markes, of what estin1ation shall
wee account the bookes whose author is God himselfe
all the goods upon the earth cannot value them."

It is remarkable ho\v difficult it must have been
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to obtain
information respecting ne,v books. There \vere no
public libraries, and the booksellers, according to
l\Iaunsell, ,,,ere not \vell acquainted \yith the titles
of the books published, and he constantly refers to
the scarceness of books issued only a fe\v years
before. He \\Tites-

"And seeing also nlany singular Bookes, not only of
Diuinitie, but of other excellent Arts, after the first impres-
sion, so spent and gone, that they lie euen as it were buried
in some few Studies. That men desirous of such kind of
Bookes, cannot aske for that they neuer heard of, and the
Bookeseller cannot shew that he hath not: I have thought
good in my poor estate to undertake this most tiresome
business, hoping the Lord will send a blessing on my
labours taken in my vocation. Thinking it as necessarie
for the Bookeseller (considering the number and nature of
them) to haue a Catalogue of our English Bookes as the
Apothecaire his Dispensatorium or the Schoolmaster his
Dictionarie. By means of which my poore trauailes I will

"--

9 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

draw to your memories Bookes that you could not re-
member and shew to the learind such Bookes as they
would not thinke were in our owne tongues, . . ."

Besides dedicating his book to Queen Elizabeth,
he addresses H the Companie of Stationers, and all
other printers and booksellers," to ,vhom he says-

"I have in my vocation laboured to do somwhat: n1Y
purpose is to shew (in such sort as I can) what we have in
print, in our own tongue, a thinge not regarded but of a
few. For some so are so hie that they looke not so low, as
on their owne countrie writers, and some regard not old
Bookes, but aske what newes? or new writers?"

To the reverend divines he says-

"The consideration whereof hath moved me (most un-
worthie and unable of many others) to undertake this trife-
ling yet n10st toyleson1e & troublesome busines, wherby the
reader shall haue this help, and he may see at home in his
Studie what Bookes are written and how many translated.
And though it be imperfect as I know not what first Booke
either of Dictionarie or H erball or such like was perfect at
the first or second edition, yet he that helpeth me to put in
one Booke that I have not seene, I hope I shall shew him
ten that he never heard of either new or old."

The second part of .l\Iaunsell's catalogue \vas
dedicated to Robert, Earl of Essex, and the scarce-
ness of books not Ì"\yenty or forty years old is again
referred to in it-

"Seeing still many excellent Bookes written and printed
in our owne tongue, and that many of them after twenty
or fortie yeares Printing are so dispersed out of Bookesellers

PUBLISHED PRICES

93

hands, that they are not ooely scarce to be found but almost
quite forgotten, I have thought it worth my poore labour,
to take some paynes heerin though that the more learnd
sort would not willingly imploy their labour in the same)
to gather a Cathalogue in suche sort as I can of the Bookes
printed in our tongue which I doe hope will be delight-
some to all English men that be learnt or desirous of
learning. "

The next bibliography of ne\v English books ,vas
\Villiam London's U Catalogue of the most vendible
Books," 1658, to \vhich hvo small supplements \yere
published, bringing the list of publications do\\'n to
1660.
R. Clavel ,vas the next to publish a catalogue of
ne,v books, and the period covered by him ,yas
froll1 1666 to 1695. To none of these books are
prices attached, but some of the books in Clavel's
supplelnent are priced; and in the n10nthly cata-
logue commenced by Bernard Lintott in 1\Iay 171-b
all the books are priced.
Bent's General Catalogue of Books, issued in
1786, contained the titles of books published since
1700, and this ,vas succeeded by the London Cata-
logue, \vhich appeared for seyeral years. The
l3ritish and English catalogues follo,ved, and the
latter is published annually.
In order to obtain SOlne idea of the varying
prices at ,vhich books have been published, it ,vill
be \vell to enUlnerate a few at different periods,
arranged under. the different sizes of books.

94

PRICES OF BOOKS

FOLIOS

Corpus Christi College, Oxford, gave seven shil-
lings in r62r for Bacon's \vork on Henry VI I., and
in r624 :63, 6s. 8d. for four VOhll11eS of "Purchas's
Pilgrims." The pubJished price of the first edition
of Shakespeare's Plays is said to have been :6r.
John Ogilby, \vho was one of the first projectors
of grand illustrated books in large folio, found
hilnself burthened \vith a heavy stock of expensive
books ,vhich did not sell, so he hit upon the expe-
dient of getting rid of them by means of a lottery,
licensed by the Duke of York and the Assistants
of the Corporation of the Royal Fishery. These
books ,vere an illustrated Bible, printed by John
Field at Calnbridge in r660, t\VO vohul1es folio; the
"Works of Virgil," translated by Ogilby, r654;
H olner' s "Iliads," translated by Ogil by, r 660 ;
Homer's" Odysseys," 1665. Pope frequently spoke
in later life of the great pleasure Ogilby's " Hon1er"
gave hin1 ,vhen a boy at school. " Æsop's Fables
paraphrased by Ogilby," r665; and Ogilby's " Enter-
tainment of Charles I I. in his Passage through the
City of London to his Coronation," 1662-a splen-
did book, which is said to have proved of great
service in succeeding coronations.
It is \vorthy of note that Salnuel Pepys ,vas a
subscriber to the lottery, and obtained the" Æsop"
and the "Coronation," ,vhich cost hÏ1n :64 (Feb.
19, r665-66). ·
Ogilby issued a Proposal for a second lottery,

PUBLISHED PRICES

95

,v h ich ,vas reprinted in the GC1l tleuzall' s AI agazine
(1814, part I, pp. 6-t-6-48).1 This is va]uable as
containing the prices at \vhich the books are valued,

VIZ.-

An imperial Bible, with chorographical and an ;:;
hundred historical sculps . 25
" Virgil," translated, with sculps and annotations 5
Homer's" Iliads," adorned with sculps 5
Homer's" Odysseys," adorned with sculps 4
" Æsop's Fables," paraphrased and sculped 3
" His Majestie's Entertainnlent" 2

In r689 St. J oh11's College, Calnbridge, gave
fIO, I5s. for David Loggan's Cantabrigia illustrata,
r688, but this probably included a present to the
author; for in 1690 Eton College paid f-t- for
Cantabrigia illustrata and Oxonia illustrata, 1675,
t\VO vohllnes together, so that ,ve may suppose the
published price of each to be f2.
1'he Rev. John Flavel's Works, in t\VO vohllnes
folio, \vas published in 1700 for forty shillings, ,yhich
sho\vs that the price of an illustrated volume in
folio \vas still about f I.
Colin Campbell's TTitruvius Britallllicus, a hand-
SOlne \vork containing a large nUll1ber of fine archi-
tectural plates, \vas published at a very reasonable
price. The first and second volumes, published
in 1715 and 1717 respectively, ,vere sold for four
guineas on imperial paper, and three guineas on
royal paper.

1 Gomme's Gentleman's fiIagtlzlIzt LibrarJ', "Literary Curiosities,"
1888, p. 79,

9 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

The price of Johnson's Dictionary of the English
Language, two volumes folio, was in 1755 four
guineas in sheets, and k4, 15s. in boards.
Folios are so completely out of fashion no\Y,
except for gorgeously illustrated books, or for fac-
similes of books and docun1ents, that it is scarcely
,vorth ,vhile to carry the inquiry to a later period.

QUARTOS
The slnall quarto vohllnes of the seventeenth
century ,vere by no means high priced, and ,ye
learn that three shillings bought l\Iilton's Cí Paradise
Lost" \vhen first published. rrhe price of the early
editions of the separate plays of the E1izabethan
dramatists, which no\v are so n1uch sought after,
was sixpence. This ,ye learn frOln the address
prefixed to the early issue of "Troilus and Cressida,"
1609, published before that play ,vas acted-

"Amongst all these is none more witty than this; and
had I time, I would comment upon it, though I know it
needs not-for so much as will make you think your testern
well bestowed,-lJut for so much worth as even poor I know
to be stuffed in it."

The poets had a profitable time ,,,hen their poems,
handsomely printed in quarto volumes, ,vere priced
so high as two guineas. Sir \Va1ter Scott lnade
great sums by these editions "Thich sold in large
numbers, but no other poet was so fortunate as he
,vas. i\Ioore did well with his poems, and in his

PUBLISHED PRICES

97

Diary (Dec. 23, I8I8) he records an amusing in-
stance of the practical appreciation of an admirer.
He writes-

"The young Bristol lady who enclosed me ;(;3 after
reading 'Lalla Rookh' had very laudable ideas on the
subject; and if every reader of 'Lalla Rookh' had done
the same, I need never have written again."

\\... ords,vorth's It Excursion" ,vas published in
I8I4, in a t\yO guinea quarto vohllne, but it took
six years to exhaust an edition of five hundred
copies. Such are the inequalities in the rate of
the relnuneration of authors.
Rees's H Cyclopædia," ,vhich ,vas published be-
t\veen I802 and I820 (in forty-five YOlUlnes and
six volumes of plates), cost in all f 8 s. The H En-
cyclopædia Britannica," \vhich has superseded it,
is published at the small price of t\yenty-eight
shillings per vohllne.
In the early part of this century, v.'hen it ,vas the
fashion to print standard ,vorks in quarto, they
,vere very high priced, thus the first edition of
It Pepys's Diary" ,vas published in t\VO vohllnes
for six guineas. N O\V the quarto is altnost as lnuch
out of date as the folio, and is confined to illus-
trated books.

OCTAVOS

'[he ordinary octavo vohllne ,vas published at
the beginning of the eighteenth century for five
or six shillings. 'rhus Boyer's translation of (( 'I'he
ingenious and entertaining l\Iell1oirs of Count
G

.

9 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

Gramont, \"ho lived in the court of I{ing Charles I I.,
and ,vas after,vards Alnbassador froln the l{ing
of France to I{ing James 11.," 17I..t-, ,,,as published
at five shillings, and George Psalmanazar's It His-
tOl ical and Geographical Description of Fonnosa"
at six shillings. Since then the price for an octavo
has gradually increased to seven shillings and six-
pence, then to ten shillings and sixpence. In the
latter half of the present century there has been a
considerable advance to hvelve shillings, to si:\.teen
and eighteen shillings, and no,v fully illustrated
books are often priced as high as one guinea a
volume. Plays, trials, and palnphlets generally
have averaged about one shilling apiece.

DUODECIl\IOS

\Valton's It Complete Angler," first published in
1653, ,vas issued at one shilling and sixpence, as
appears fron1 the follo\ving contelnporary advertise-
ment, quoted by Hone in his H Every-Day Book" :
H There is published a Booke of Eighteen-pence
price, called í 1'he Compleat Angler; or, The Con-
telnplative 11an's l
ecreation,' being a Discourse
of Fish and Fishing. Not un\vorthy the perusall.
Sold by Richard l\Iarriot at S. Dunstan's Church-
yard, Fleet Street."
In 1663 Pepys bought the first part of Butler's
U H udibras" for t,,,o shillings and sixpence, and
sold it again for one shilling and sixpence. The
l'vlaster of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, gave at

PUBLISHED PRICES

99

the salne titne one shilling for the first part and
the salne SUln for the second part, but later on
he gave half-a-cro\vn for the latter.
Ii The \\10rks of the celebrated 1\Ions. de 1\Iolière,
translated froln the last edition printed at Paris,
containing his life, all his comedies, interludes, &c.,
\\yith a large account of his life and ren1arkable
death, ,yho, as he ,yas actilig the part of Death in
one of his o\vn plays, \yas taken ill and died a fe,v
hours after. . .." This \\'as printed in six voltllnes
121no, Ii on a fine paper and Elzevir letter," and
published by B. Lintott for fifteen shillings (or
t\VO shillings and sixpence a volume) in 1\Iay 1714.
TOln D'Urfey sold his H \Vit and l\Iirth; or, Pills
to purge 1\Ielancholy," at hvo shillings and sixpence
a volulne.
Duodecin10s have no\v gone out of fashion, at
least in name, as small books are n10stly kno\vn
as post octavos, foolscap octavos, &c. The price
of these slnall handy volumes relnains much the
saIne, àS the half-cro,vn of the last century is the
equivalent of our five or six shillings.
The greatest change in price has been lnade in
poetry and novels, and six shillings has becolne a
favourite price for both. rrhe t,vo guineas for the
poeln, and the guinea and a half for the three-
YOlUlne novel, are becolne things of the past.
Although in the last century l11any books "'ere
published and sold ,vhich could not be sold at the
present tilne, it is probable that S0111e of these
books paid the publisher but badly, and it ,vas
therefore found to be a wise precaution to publish

.

100

PRICES OF BOOKS

certain books by subscription, and this plan ,vas
therefore frequently adopted.
Dr. Brian \\Talton's Polyglot Bible (six vols.
folio, 1657, flo) is often said to be the first book
printed by subscription in England; but l\linshcu's
Dictionary, in eleven languages, 1617, \vas certainly
sold by the author to subscribers. The nUlnber
of these subscribers ,vas 174, among ,vhOln are
six -viz., Sir John Laurence, Dr. Aile,vorth, l\1r.
Paul Peart, l\Ir. Brigges, Sir Henry Speltnan, and
l\Ir. Booth-,vho largely assisted the author ,vith
money to cOlnplete his great undertaking.
H The l\Ionthly Catalogue" of ne\v books com-
menced by Bernard Lintott in 1\Iay 17I..
frequently
contained lists of the books printed by subscription.
In the number for January 17Lt-15 the terms of
subscription to the \vorst edition of Chaucer's \vorks
ever published are announced-

"\Vhereas John U rry, Student of Christ-Church, Oxon,
has obtained from her late lVlajesty, Queen Anne, a Licence
for Printing the 'Vorks of the celebrated Jeffrey Chaucer,
corrected from all the printed editions, and from several
rare and ancient TvrSS. not hitherto consulted: from the
collating of which he has restored many single lines and
added several Tales never yet printed, by which alterations,
amendn1ents, and additions, the work is in a manner be-
come new. Thirty copper plates by the best gravers will
be printed before each tale; a more compleat Glossary and
Table will be added at the end. A small number will be
printed on Royal Paper at 50S. per book, and those on the
finest de my at 30s. Half to be paid in hand. Subscrip-
tions are taken in by the Undertaker, Bernard Lintott

PUBLISHED PRICES

101

between the Temple Gates, and by most Booksellers in
London and the country. N.B.-A new Black Letter,
accented, has been cast on purpose for this work, for the
ease of the Reader."

Dryden ll1ade very good terms ,vith Tonson for
the publication of his translation of Virgil, but Pope
,vas still more successful \vith the subscription to
his translation of HOlner's lC Iliad." The subscrip-
tion for six quarto volumes ,vas fixed at six guineas,
and 575 persons subscribed for 654 copies. The
booksellers eagerly lnade their offers of publication,
and the highest bidder \vas B. Lintott, \vho agreed
to supply all the subscription copies at his own
expense, and to pay :b 200 for every volulne. Pope
therefore received altogether :b5320 without any
ded uction.
Lintott engaged not to print any quartos except
for Pope, but he printed the quarto pages on small
folio, and sold each volulne for half-a-guinea. These
being cut down by some dishonest traders, \vere
sold as subscription copies.
Lintott \vas defrauded of his profit by the sale
of a duodecimo edition, printed in Holland, ,vhich
obliged hiln to print an edition in a similar form.
Of Lintott's first duodecitno edition 2500 copies
,,'ere quickly sold off. Five thousand further copies
were at once printed.
Some of Hearne's antiquarian ,,'orks ,,'ere sub-
scribed at ten shillings and sixpence per volume
for slnall paper, and one guinea for large paper.
It seen1S to have been the practice for the

102

PRICES OF BOOKS

subscriber to .a book-to pay down half the purchase-
money on sending in his name, and the other half
on publication.
Another expedient for the rapid sale of books
,vas their issue in numbers. Smollett's" History
of England" \vas published in sixpenny nlll11bers,
and had an imlnediate sale of 20,000 copies. This
itnmense success is said to have been due to an
artifice practised by the publisher. He sent do,vn
a packet of prospectuses carriage free (\vith half-a-
cro,vn enclosed) to eyery parish clerk in the king-
do 111 , to be distributed by him through the pe\\'s
of the church. This being generally carried out, a
valuable advertiselnent \vas obtained, ,yhich resulted
in an extensive delnand for the ,vork.
Books are published at an equal price, according
to size, ,vhether they are good or bad, but they find .
their leyel in the catalogues of the second-hand
booksellers. The bad soon becolne ,vaste-paper,
or are n1(}rked do,vn to very lo\v prices, \vhile the
good books increase in price till they COlne in
some cases to be marked n10re than the original
published price.
SOlnetill1es ,,,hen books are printed in lin1Ïted
nlll11bers the public ,vill give more than the pub-
lished price even before publication; thus the large
paper edition of the "Life of the Queen," by 1\1 r.
R. R. Hohnes, ,vas subscribed at f8, and the right
of receiving a copy \vhen ready is said to have been
sold for froln f20 to f2S.
Publishers occasionally reduce the price of
a book after publication, but this is seldom a

PUBLISHED PRICES

10 3

successful operation. The selling-off of remainders
has been the means of distributing books to the
public at a lo\v rate, and it ,vill often be found that
some of the scarcest and highest priced books in
the present day are those ,vhich have been sold-ûff.
These \vere good books, ,vhich sold too slo,vly, bu.t
,yhich ,vent off quickly \vhen the price \vas 10\".
\Vhen the stock is exhausted, and lnore are required,
the price naturally goes up.
A most relnarkable instance of thi
increase in
price of a sold-off book is that of Ed\yard Fitz-
gerald's \vonderful version of the Rubáiyát of Omar
Khayyam, the first edition of ,vhich \vas pub-
lished by Quaritch in r859' rfhough the number
printed ,vas fe,v, nobody bought, and eight years
afterwards the publisher, in disgust, threw the
\vhole remainder into a box outside his door, and
marked all these one penny each. It is said that
Dante Rossetti found theln there, and soon the
relnainder \vas exhausted. N o\V this penny book
is ,vorth six guineas. 1

1 This was quite true when written a few months ago, hut on the
loth February 1898 a copy with the original wrappers was sold at
Sotheby:s salerooms for {,2I. It was bought by :Mr, Quaritch, the
original publisher.

CHAPTER V

AUCTION SALES IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

THE exact date of the first introduction into
England of the convenient plan of selling books
by auction is known to us through the al11iable
,veakness of the auctioneers for ,vriting prefaces to
the sale catalogues; and this history, therefore, is
singularly unlike that of most other inyen tions and
customs, the origin of ,vhich is usually open to
dou bt, because the originators have not thought it
'\vorth \vhile to explain that they \vere doing SOlne
ne\y thing. The auctioneers, on the other hand, tell
us \vhich ,,,as the first sale, and \yhich \\Tere the
second, the third, and the fourth. After this the
freshness lnay be said to be exhausted, and ,\Te are
contented \vith less exact particulars.
The custom ,vas prevalent in Holland in the
middle of the seventeenth century, and the honour
of introducing it into England is due to William
Cooper, the bookseller of Little Britain, about
,vhom SOlne notice has been given in a former
chapter. He \vas largely interested in alchemy,
and three years before he sold his first sale he
published a "Catalogue of Chemical Books."
\Ve must not, ho\vever, suppose that this \vas the
10 4

AUCTION SALES IN SEVENTEENTH CENTUI<Y 10 5
introduction of auctions into England, for sale by
inch of candle had long been practised here, a plan
adopted by the Navy Office for the sale of their old
stores.
The earliest use of the \vord auction, quoted by
Dr. l\Iurray in the H Ne\y English Dictionary," is
from Warner's translation of Plautus, 1595 : H The
auction of l\Ienæchmus, . . . ,vhen ,vill be sold
slaves, household goods," &c.; and the next quota-
tion is frotn the Appendix to Phillip's Dictionary,
16 7 8 : H Auctz"on, a making a publick sale and selling
of goods by an outcry." \Ve shall see that the \yord
was far from falniliar to the general public, as the
auctioneers considered it ,vise to explain the ,vord,
thus: H Sale of books by ,vay of auction, or \vho
will give lnost for them." The lnore usual \yords
in old English \vere outcry, outrope (still familiar
in Scotland as roup, if. Gennan l"uf) and port sale.
The first sale by auction ,vas that of the library
of Lazarus Seaman, a lnemher of the Assembly of
Divines, and chaplain to the Earl of )J orthul11ber-
land. He \\'as also Ininister of All H allo\vs, J3read
Street, and l\Iaster of Peterhouse, Calubridge. In
the latter college a Diary ,vritten by hiln bet\veen
164-5 and 1657 is preserved. I Ie seelns to have been
an active man on his o,vn side in politics, and ,ve
find that he ,vas a melnber of the COlnlnittee for
ejecting Scandalous l\IÏnisters for London and the
Counties of Calnbridge and Huntingdon. It is
therefore not surprising to find that at the Restora-
tion he ,vas ejected both froln his living and froln
the l\Llstership of Peterhouse. I Ie died at his house

106

PRICES OF BOOKS

in Warwick Court, London, in September 1675, and
in the follo\ying year his library was sold in his
house by Cooper, ,vho Inakes the follo"\ving interest-
ing remarks in his preface-

"Reader, it hath not been usual here in England to make
sale of Books by way of auction, or who will give most for
them: But it having been practised in other countreys to
the advantage both of buyers and sellers, it was therefore
conceived (for the encouragement of Learning) to publish
the sale of these Books this manner of way, and it is hoped
that this will not be unacceptable to Schollers. . . . "

1\1r. Alfred W. Pollard, in a very valuable article
on English Book Sales, r676-80 (ßz'bliographica, vol.
i. p. 373), quotes an interesting letter froln David
l\Iillington to Joseph Hill, an English 1\ oncon-
formist minister in Holland, dated June 1697, and
no\\" preseryed in the British 1\1 useUln (Sto,ve 1\IS.,
709), in which the "\vriter tenders to the divine his
thanks for the" great service done to learning and
learned lnen in your first advising and effectually
setting on foot that adlnirable and universally
approyed way of selling librarys amongst us;"
and distinctly states that it was Hill \vho "happily
introduced the practice into England." 1\1r. Pollard
goes on to say that" Hill, "\vho from 1673 to 16 7 8 ,
owing to his publication of a pamphlet which gave
offence to the Dutch Government, ,vas resident in
England, must have advised the executors of Dr.
Seaman, a theologian of principles not wide]y
different froln his own, to adopt this method of
selling his friend's library to the best advantage."

AUCTION SALES IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 107
Seaman \vas the author of "A Vindication of the
Judgement of the Reformed Churches, &c., con-
cerning Ordination, &c.," 164-7, and the chief class of
books in his library ,vas \vhat \ve lnight expect to
find, viz., theological ,vorks that he required in his
vocation. SOlne fc\v books (such as the Eliot Bible
of 1661-63, nineteen shillings) fetched slnall prices
as cOlnpared ,vith their present value, but 1\1r.
Pollard says that" nine-tenths of the books sold for
Inore than they \vould at the present day."
The library \vas a large one, and the lots nun1-
bered behveen five and six thousand, and the
alnount realised by the sale ,vas a little over :b7oo,
,vhich lnay be roughly estin1ated at about .f3500 of
our present money.
The second auction sale (February 1676-67) ,vas
also carried out by Cooper, and consisted of the
library of Thon1as I{idner, Rector of Hitchin, in
Hertfordshire, ,vho died 31st August 1676. The
library, like that of Dr. Sealnan, consisted largely
of theological "yorks. It is evident frotH Cooper's
preface to this catalogue that Sealnan's sale had
given considerable satisfaction, although the refer-
ence to an attelnpt to stifle this manner of sale
sho,vs that there ,vere some opponents of the
systeln. Cooper \\Ti tes-
"Reader, the first attempt in this kind (by the Sale of
!)r. Seaman's library) having given great content and
satisfaction to the gentlemen who were buyers, and no
great discouragement to the Sellers, hath encouraged the
making this second trial, by the exposing (to auction or sale)
the Library of Mr. Tho. K.idner, in hopes of receiving such
..

108

PRICES OF BOOKS

encouragement from the Learned as may prevent the stifling
of this manner of sale, the benefit (if rightly considered)
being equally balanced between buyer and seller."

The third sale (February 1677-78) \vas of the
library of Thomas Greenhill, a Nonconformist
n1inister of some repute, ,vho died in 167 I, seyen
years before his books were sold. This sale is
\vorthy of note, for the auctioneer was Zachariah
Bourne, and not Cooper, as in the t\VO fOflner cases.
It took place at the Turk's Head Coffee-House in
Bread Street (in ædibus Ferdinandi Stable, Coffi-
polæ, ad insigne Capitis Turcæ). Bourne states in
his preface that-

"The attempts in this kind having given great content
and satisfaction to the gentlemen who were the buyers,
and no discouragement to the sellers, hath encouraged the
111aking this trial by exposing (to auction or sale) the
library of Mr. William Greenhil1."

The fourth sale (25th 11ay 1678) ,vas occupied
with the library of Thomas :t\lanton (1620-77), one
of the ministers appointed to ,va it upon Charles II.
at Breda. It took place at the house of the late
possessor, in I{ing Street, Covent Garden. 1Iore
English literature \yas included in this library than
in the former three. The auctioneer \vas Cooper,
and his preface is ,vorth quoting. It ,vill be seen
that the plan of allo,ving an inspection of the books
before the sale had no\v been adopted-

"Reader, we question not but that this manner of sale
by way of auction is pretty well known to the Learned, nor
can we doubt their encouragement for the advantage which
.

AUCTION SALES I
SE\"ENTEE
TH CENTURY r09
they (as well as we) may in time reap thereby. \Vherefore
we are resolved (Deo volente) to make a fourth triall
with the Library of Dr. Tho. Manton, which is not con-
temptible either for the \Talue, Condition, or Number, as will
appear upon a sight thereof, whicQ is free for any Gentle-
man that shall please to take that pains."

Cooper \vas not satisfied ,vith the catalogue,
,vhich had been made by one considered by him
to be incompetent, and of ,,,hou1 he ,vrites thus-
"This Catalogue was taken by Phil Briggs, and not bÝ
,V. Cooper, but afterwards in parts methodized by him.
'Yherefore he craves your excuse for the mistakes that have
hapned; and desires that the Saddle may be laid upon the
right horse."

..

The sale of Benjal11in Worsley's library (l\Iay
r678) is interesting, as being the first auction in
,vhich a fair representation of old English literature
occurs, in addition to the ordinary theological
,vorks. Chaucer (r602) fetched [,r, 3s. 6d.; Ben
Jonson's \Vorks (1640), [,r, r3s. 6d.; Shakespeare,
second folio, r6s., and third folio, [,r, 8s. 6d. The
auctioneers ,vere John Dunsmore and Richard Chis-
\veIl, and the sale took place over against the Hen
and Chickens, in Paternoster Ro\v. The sixth sale
consisted of the libraries of John Godolphin and
O\ven Philips, and took place in November 1678,
\vhen a Caxton-" Geffrey Chaucer's translation of
Boethius' De Consolatione Philosophiæ in English"
-fetched five shillings. We thus see that in t\\yo
years there ,vere only six sales. After this titne
they became more frequent, and in this same

110

PRI CES OF BOO I{S

lllonth of :t\ ovember 1678 an attempt \vas made at
rigging a sale; the booksellers ,yere so ,yell satis-
fied ,yith the prices obtained, that they thought it
,vould be a good stroke of business to lift SOlne of
their old stock under the cover of a good nalne.
110ses Pitt adopted this expedient, and issued a
catalogue of books described as including "the
library of a \yorthy and learned person deceased,
,,
ith a considerable nUlnber of the choice books of
most sciences, S0111e of \vhich have been bought
out of the best libraries abroad, particularly out of
the late famous and learned Gilbert \T oetius's."
· This fraud ,vas greatly resented by the book-
buyers, and it \vas felt by the other auctioneers
that a blo\y had been dealt to the ne\yly-established
systenl of sale; so \vhen in December of this salne
year the libraries of Lord War\yick and Gabriel
Sangar came to be sold at the Harro\v, over
against the College of Physicians, in \Var,vick
Lane, Nathaniel Rane,v, the auctioneer, thought it
expedient to 111ake a statelnent in the preface to
the catalogue, \vhere he inforlned his patrons that
this is "no collection lnade by any private hand
(which hath been imputed to some auctions as a
reflection), but the ,vorks \vere really belonging to
their proprietors deceased mentioned on the title-
page, and by the direction of their respective exe-
cutors exposed to sale."
1\Ioses Pitt ll1ade up another sale in February
1678-79, chiefly of books printed at the Sheldonian
Theatre, Oxford, which took place in Petty Canons
Hall, near St. Paul's Churchyard. In June 1679

AUCTION SALES IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY III

\\Tilliam Cooper sold the libraries of Stephen \\Tat_
kins and Dr. Tholnas Shirley (the catalogue of
\\Thich contained an appendix of Richard Chis,vell's
books) at the Golden Lion, over against the Queen's
Head Tavern, in Paternoster Ro,v. John Dunsn10re
sold in November 1679 the library of Sir Ed\vard
Bysshe, Clarenceux I{ing at Arms, at his house,
near the sign of the \tv 001 pack, in Ivy Lane. rrhis
library ,vas lTIOre varied in its character than many
of those that ,vere sold before it, and it contained
a considerable alnount of French, Italian, and
Spanish literature, including some early editions of
1\101ière. This catalogue is deserving of particular
attention, because the books are described as
"curiously bound and richly gilt." Hitherto no
mention had been made of bindings in the various
catalogues. This attention to binding ,vas to gro\v,
and 1'holTIaS I-Iearne protested against it some
years after. In his Inelnoranda under date 15th
February 1725-26 he "Tote respecting the sale of
John Bridges' library: "I hear they go very high,
being fair books in good condition, and n10st of
then1 finely bound. rrhis afternoon I \\'as told of
a gent1
l11an of All Souls' College (I suppose Dr.
Clarke) that gave a comn1Ïssion of eight shillings
for a HOlner in t\"\.o vols., a slnall 8vo, if not 121no.
I
ut it ,vent for. six guineas. People arc in love
\vith good binding Inore than good reading." 1
The British
I useum Library contains a valuable
collection of early sale catalogues, and one of the

1 Reliquiæ Hearn'lanæ, vol. ii. (1869), p. 243.

112

PRICES OF BOOKS

YOlUlnes, containing the first eleven sales from Sea-
man to Bysshe, is of considerable interest from
having the follo,ying note in Richard Heber's hand-
\\Titing-

"This volume, which fornlerly belonged to Narcissus
Luttrell, and since to 1\'1r. Gough, is remarkable for con-
taining the eleven first Catalogues of Books ever sold by
auction in England. "'hat renders it still more curious, is
that the prices of nearly all the articles are added in lVlS.
\Vhen it came into my possession it had suffered so nluch
from damp, and the leaves were so tender and rotten, that
every time the volume was opened, it was liable to in-
jury. This has been remedied by giving the whole a strong
coat of size. At \Villett's sale, Booth, the bookseller of
Duke Street, Portland Place, bought a volulne of old
catalogues for ;(,2, 3S. (see I\ierly Catalogue, 53 I), and
charged the same in his own shop catalogue for 18 15, ;(,21
(6823). It contained merely the eight which stand first
in the present collection, of which Greenhill's and Godol-
phin's were not priced at all j and V oet's and Sangar's only
partially. However, it enabled lne to fill up a few omis-
sions in the prices of my copy of Sangar's.-NB. The
prices of "Tillett's and the present copy did not always
tally exactly."

Heber paid six shillings for this volume at Gough's
sale in 1810, and Charles Lewis's labours in sizing
and binding in 1824 cost f2, 15s. At Heber's sale
the volume sold for f3.
In April 1680 "Tas so]d "the Library of the Right
Hon. George, late Earl of Bristol, a great part of
,vhich ,vere the curiosities collected by the learned
Sir l{enelm Digby, together with the Library of

AUCTION SALES IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 113
another Learned person." It is impossible from
the catalogue to tell ,yhich lots belonged to Sir
I{enehn; and there seems to be little doubt that
fe\v of the books \yhich he left in Paris \vhen he
came to London, and \vhich ,vere confiscated by
the French Government on his death in 1665, ,vere
included in this catalogue. According to 1\1. Léopold
Delisle, l Sir I{enelm's books eventually reached the
French national library. The proceeds of the sale
of 3878 lots \vas only f908, and this does not look
as if there were many of Digby's books, nobly
bound by Le Gascon, in this sale.
In 1681 Ed,yard 1\Iillington's name calne into
notice as the seller, in lVlay of that year, of the
libraries of La,vson, Fa,vkes, Stockden, and Brooks.
Richard Chiswell sold in 1682 the Bibliotheca
S1Jzithiana, or library of Richard Smith, Secondary
of the Poultry Compter, \vho is better kno\vn to us
as the author of the useful "Obituary" published
by the Calnden Society in 18-+9, This \vas pro-
bably the finest library brought to the hamlner up
to this date. Oldys \\Tote of the possessor, that
"for lnany years together [he] suffered nothing to
escape hinl that ,vas rare and relnarkable"; and he
added, that his "extraordinary library makes per-
haps the richest catalogue of any priyate library \ve
have to sho,v in print, making aboye four hundred
pages in
l very broad-leaved and close-printed
quarto." Richard Chis\\'ell sold the library in l\Iay

] "Sir Kenclm Digby et les anciens rapports des TIibliothèques
françaises avec la Bretagne." Quoted by :Mr. Pollard, Bibliographica,
vol. i. p, 383.

H

114

PRICES OF BOOKS

It at the auction house known by the name of the
S\\yan, in Great St. Barthololne\v's Close."
The auctioneer lnade the following ren1arks in
his Address to the Reader-

"Though it be needless to recomn1end what to all in-
telligent persons sufficiently commends itself, yet perhaps
it may not be unacceptable to the ingenious to have some
short account concerning this so much celebrated, so often
desired, so long expected library, now exposed to sale.
The gentlenlan that collected it was a person infinitely
curious and inquisitive after books; and who suffered
nothing considerable to escape him that fell within the
con1pass of his learning, for he had not the vanity of
desiring to be n1aster of more than he knew how to use.
He lived to a very great age, and spent a good part of it
almost entirely in the search of books. Being as constantly
known every day to walk his rounds through the shops as
he sat down to meals, where his great skill and experience
enabled him to make choice of what was not obvious to
every vulgar eye. He lived in times which n1inistered
peculiar opportunities of meeting with books that are not
every day brought into publick light; and few eminent
libraries were bought where he had not the liberty to pick
and choose. And while others were forming arms, and
new-modelling kingdoms, his great ambition was to become
master of a good book. Hence arose, as that vast nun1ber
of his books, so the choiceness and rarity of the greatest
part of then1 j and that of all kinds, and in all sorts of
learning. . . . Nor was the owner of them a meer idle
possessor of so great a treasure; for as he generally collated
his books upon the buying them (upon which account the
buyer may rest pretty secure of their being perfect) so he
did not barely turn over the leaves, but observed the defects
of impression, and the ill acts used by n1any; compared

AUCTION SALES IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY I IS

the differences of editions; concerning which and the like
cases, he has entered memorable and very useful remarks
upon very many ot the books under his own hand: observa-
tions wherein, certainly never nlan was more diligent and
industrious. Thus much was thought fit to be communi-
cated to public notice, by a gentleman who was intimately
acquainted both with Mr. Smith and his books."

Dibdin condemns the c0111piler of the catalogue
severely, and adds-

"A nunlber of the most curious, rare, and intrinsically
valuable books-the very insertion of which in a book-
seller's catalogue would probably now nlake a hundred
bibliomaniacs start from their homes by starlight, in order
to come in for the first picking-a number of volumes of
this description are huddled together in one lot, and all
these classed under the provoking running title of ' Bundles
of Books,' , Bundles of stitcht Books.'" 1

Smith ,vas one of the earliest collectors of Caxtons,
and eleven books produced by our first printer sold
for k3, -t- s . 2d. at his sale. But one of the greatest
points of interest connected ,vith Slnith's library is
that it included the books of Humphrey Dyson,
collected at a much earlier date. Hearne notes in
his it Collections"-

"That 11r. Rich. Smith's rare and curious collection of
books was began first by 11r. Humphrey Dyson, a publick
notary, living in the Poultry. They came to Mr. Smith by

1 Bibliomania, (The Drawing Room).

116

PRICES OF BOOKS

n1arnage. This is the same Humphrey Dyson that assisted
Howes in his continuation of Stow's 'Survey of London,'
ed. folio."

Under date 4th SepteInber 1715 Hearne says-
"Mr. Richard Smith's Catalogue that is printed contains
a very noble and very extraordinary collection of books.
It was begun first in the time of King Hen. VIII., and
comeing to 11r. Slnith, he was so very diligent and exact in
continueing and improving, that hardly anything curious
escaped him. He had made the best collection that possibly
he could of Erasmus's works." 1

In another place Hearne describes Dyson as-
"A person of a very strange, prying, and inquisitive
genius in the matter of books, as may appear from many
libraries; there being books chiefly in old English, almost
in every library, that have belonged to him, with his name
upon them," 2

The follo,ving interesting entry from Smith's
catalogue corroborates Hearne's statement as to
Smith's acquisition of Dyson's books-
" I IS. Six several catalogues of all such books, touching
the state ecclesiastical as temporal of the realm of England,
which were published upon several occasions, in the reigns
of K. Henry the VIIth and VIIIth, Philip and Mary, Q.
Elizabeth, K. James and Charles I., collected by Mr. H.
Dyson: out of whose library was gathered by Mr. Smith
a great part of the rarities of this catalogue."
This lot only fetched seven shillings and six-
pence.

1 Reliquiæ Hearlliallæ, 1869, vol. i. p. 310.
2 Peter Langtoft's "Chronicle," vol. i. p. 13.

AUCTION SALES IN SEVENTEENTH CENTtìRY 117
The number of sales seeln no,v to ha\'e increased
annually, but it ,vas SOlne years before a library that
could rank ,vith Richard Sn1ith's ,vas sold. In April
1683"'the books of Brian \VaIton, Bishop of Chester,
were sold (t\yenty-hvo years after his death) "by
Samuel Carr, at his house of the I{ing's Head in
St. Paul's Churchyard." About this til11e auction
sales took place in various parts of the country,
and Ed\yard l\Iillington ,vas largely elTI ployed as
a peripatetic auctioneer. In September 1684 he
sold books at Stourbridge Fair (Bibliotheca Sturbit-
chiana). Tn 1686 hvo sales occurred at Trun1pington
(Obadiah Sedg\yick in l\Iarch, and Willian1 \\TI1it-
wood in l\Iay) and hvo at CalTIbridge (Dr. EdlTIond
Castell in June, and Rev. J. Chalnberlaine, of St.
John's College, at Stourbridge Fair, in SeptelTIber).
v,\Then \\Te forget the change that has taken place in
the value of Inoney, and express our surprise that
rare books should only realise a fe\v shillings, \\Te
should note that the cost of the hire of thirteen
carts for conveying Dr. Castell's books froln
Elnmanuel College to the sign of the Eagle and
Child, where they \vere sold, \yas only three shil-
lings.1 In 1685 and 1686 occurred the famous sales
of the stock of Richard Davis, the Oxford book-
seller, ,vhich \vas satirised in the A llctio Da'l.J1SÙl1Zfl,
noticed in an earlier chapter.
In 1682 '\Villiau1 Cooper published a list of book-
sales up to that date, and again a fullcr list in 1687,
\vhich contained a note of seventy-four sales in the

1 Bibliograþhica, \'01. ii. p. 126,

,

118

PRICES OF BOOKS

ten years 1676-86. The folIo\"ing note is printed
on the back of page 33 of Catalogus LibroruJll Bihlio-
thccæ 'i-,iri cUJ'usdalll Literati, 14th Febr
ary 1686- 8 7-

" To gratifie those Gentlenlen whose curiosities may lead
them to make perfect their Collection, I have caused to be
printed the names of those persons whose libraries have
been sold by auction, and the series of the time when"
[1676-1686].

This list is reprinted by Hartshorne in his" Book
Rarities of the University of Calnbridge," 1829 (pp.
454-57), and it forlns the text for hyo excellent
articles by 1\1 r. A. \\1. Pollard in Bibliographica.
In 1687 1\IiIlington sold the valuable library of
Dr. Thomas J acolnb, a N onconfonnist lninister
(Bibliotheca jacolllbiana), \vhich realised [,1300; and
in February of the follo,ving year the library of a
counsellor of the Parlialnents of l\lontpelier, ,vhich
had been brought froln France to be sold in Eng-
land (Bibliotheca
I ascoviaJla).
T. Bentley and B. Walford sold in Novelnber 1687
an interesting library of an anonymous but dis-
tinguished defunct-Bibliotheca IllustrissÍ11la, \vhich
is described as follows in the Address to the
Reader-

"If the catalogue here presented were only of common
books and such as were easie to be had, it would not have
been very necessary to have prefaced anything to the reader;
but since it appears in the world with circumstances which
no auction in England (perhaps) ever had before, nor is it
probable that the like should frequently happen again, it

AUCTION SALES IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 119

would seem an oversight if we should neglect to advertise
the reader of them. The first is, that it comprises the main
part of the library of that famous secretary, 'Villiam Cecil,
Lord Burleigh: which considered, must put it out of doubt
that these books are excellent in their several kinds and
well chosen. The second is, that it contains a greater
number of rare manuscripts than ever yet were offered
together in this way, many of which are rendered the
more valuable by being remarked upon by the hand of the
said great man."

A considerable number of sales took place be-
t,yeen this date and the end of the century, but few
\vere of any particular mark until the fine library of
Dr. Francis Bernard calne to the halnmer in 1698.
l\lillington continued his travels in the country,
and sold, among others, the library of 1\lrs. Eliza-
beth Oliver at Norwich in 1689, and SOlne modern
English books at Abingdon in 1692; and John
Ho,vell sold the Rev. George Ash\vell's library at
Oxford in 1696.
Dr. Francis Bernard, physician to St. Bartholo-
mew's Hospital, ,vas also physician to J ames I I.
He ,vas a good judge of books, and collected a very
fine library, which was sold by auction in October
1698 at his late dwelling in Little Britain. Dibdin
says he \vas U a stoic in bibliography. Neither
beautiful binding nor an1plitude of margin eyer
delighted his eye or rejoiced his heart; for he \vas
a stiff and straightfor\vard reader, and learned in
literary history beyond all his contelnporaries. His
collection \vas copious and excellent."
The account given of the doctor in the Address

120

PRICES OF BOOKS

to the Reader prefixed to the catalogue IS of con-
siderable interest-

"The character of the person whose collection this was
is so well known, that there is no occasion to say much of
him, nor, to any man of judgment that inspects the Cata-
logue, of the collection itself. Something, however, it
becomes us to say of both; and this, I think, may with
truth and modesty enough be said, that as few men knew
books, and that part of learning which is called Historia
Literaria, better than himself, so there never appeared in
England so choice and valuable a Catalogue to be thus
disposed of as this before us. Certain it is, this library
contains not a few which never appeared in any auction
here before, nor indeed, as I have heard him say, for aught
he knew-and he knew as well as any n1an living-in any
printed Catalogue in the world. It was very seldom that
he bought any book without some very particular reason.
For if any man died, he certainly knew what we call the
secret history of learning so well, that if there were but
one single passage in an author for which only it was to
be valued, it never escaped him. Being a person who col-
lected his books, and not for ostentation or ornament, he
seemed no more solicitous about their dress than his own;
and therefore you'll find that a gilt back or a large margin
was very seldom any inducement to him to buy. 'Twas
sufficient to him that he had the book. . . . He himself
was not a mere nomenclator, and versed only in title-pages,
but had made that just and laudable use of his books which
would become all those that set up for collectors. . . .
Give me leave to say this of him upon my own knowledge,
that he never grudged his money in procuring, nor his time
or labour in perusing any book which he thought could be
any ways instructive to him; and having the felicity of a
memory always faithful, always officious, which never forsook

AUCTION SALES IN SEVENTEENTH CENTCRY 121

hin1, though attacked by frequent and severe sickness,
and by the worst of all diseases, old age, his desire for
knowledge attended him to the last, and he pursued his
studies with equal vigour and application to the very
extremity of his life."

He had thirteen Caxtons, ,\rhich sold altogether
for less than t\VO guineas, less than these books
fetched at Richard Smith's sale. A curious volume
of Tracts, consisting of "The Bellman's Kight
\Valks" (1632), "The Bellman of London" (1608),
"Life of Ned Bro\vne," "Cut Purse," &c., sold for
2S. 8d.; Stubbe's "Anatolnie of Abuses" (1585),
for 8d.; and Tusser's "Five Hundred Points of
Good Husbandry" (1590) for 4d. In spite of these
lo\v prices, the total amount of the sale ,vas [,1600,
the expenses of the sale-4s. in the pound = [,320-
being deducted.
The catalogue was charged 2S. 6d.
The last sale in the seventeenth century to be
recorded is that of John Lloyd, Bishop of 81.
Davids, sold in 1699 by John Bullord at Totn's
Coffee- House.
\Yhen auctions ,vere first started conditions of
sale were fOfl11ulated, and ,vith the exception of a
little elaboration, they relnain pretty n1uch ,vhclÍ
they ,vere at first; but there ,vere certain peculi-
arities \vhich are ,vorthy of lnention.
The catalogues \vere not at first divided into
day's sales, but as many lots as possible \\Tere sold
in the time fixed for the sale. The hours \vere
usually fron1 nine to t\\'elve, and froln two to six.

122

PRICES OF BOOKS

Sometimes the sales only took place in the evening.
In 1681 ,,'e learn that an average sale of 54-1- lots in
a day ,vas considered satisfactory. In the Condi-
tions of Sale printed in the Catalogue of Seaman's
library ,ve read-
"That the Auction will begin the 3 I st of October at the
Deceased Dr's house in 'Yarwick Court in 'Yarwick Lane
punctually at nine Of the Clock in the morning and two in
the afternoon, and this to continue daily until all the books
be sold."

The early hour ,vas found a disadvantage, and
books often sold for low prices at the beginning of
sales, so that Cooper ,vas forced to lnake a rule that
the sale should not be cOlnmenced unless there ,vere
t\venty present. At this tin1e biddings of a penny
\vere cornmon.
Two great evils came to light on the first institu-
tion of auctions; one ,vas due to the buyers, and
the other to the auctioneers. I t ,vas found that
in cases ,vhere the buyer thought he had given
n10re for a book than was ,vise, he often forgot to
pay and fetch away the books. 1\IiIlington refers
specially to this in 1681-
"I question not but the well disposed, and the Learned
will give us such incouragement in the Sale by Bidding in
some measure to the value of the Books so exposed, as
may further incourage and keep on foot such a conlmend-
able and serviceable a way of sale (as this of Auction is)
to the great purposes of prollloting Learning and Know-
ledge. 'Vhich, when I consider, I cannot but wonder that
so many persons have appeared at our auctions, and buy
with a great freedom to the injury of others (that are truly

AUCTION SALES IN SEYEXTEENTH CENTURY 123

conscientious to pay for, and fetch away the Books so
bought); yet in most auctions have hitherto neglected to
fetch away and pay for their own. To the end therefore
that they lnay know, we will not be damaged after so great
expences, as inevitably attends the management of an
auction; we do intend to prosecute them according to
the law if forthwith they do not send for their books, or
give us some reasonable satisfaction. To prevent any
abuses for the future that may happen to other gentlemen
who suffer by this unhandsome practice (of having Books
bought out of their hands by persons that never will, or
perhaps never designed to fetch them away), we shall, at
a convenient time, for the further satisfaction of gentlemen,
give an account of their names, and desire their absence
if any of them happen to be present." 1

The other evil ,vas the attempt of the booksellers
to get rid of some of their old stock by introducing
it into the sales of collectors' libraries. This trick
has already been alluded to.
The frequenters of auctions seem to have been
very jealous of bcing bid against by anyone in-
terested in the sale. 'fhis jealousy found voice in
thc cOlnplaints of VvT anley and others at Bridges'
sale in 1726.
The lots \vere not numbered throughout in the
catalogues, but the octavos, quartos, and folios
\vere each numbered separately, the number of
each section running on from the previous day's
sale. 1'his is very confusing, as ,,,hen you look at
the end for the purpose of finding the total ntunber

1 Millington's preface to catalogue of libraries of Lawson, Fawkes,
Stockden, and Brooks, 30th :May 1681.

12-J..

PRICES OF BOOKS

of the lots, you only find the nU111ber of folios in
the sale. l\lillington found that it \vas not advis-
able to bid for books, in case it might be supposed
that he ,vas running theln up in price, and 1\Ir.
Pollard believes that he adopted a plan of getting
men to bid for hitn.
In corroboration of this view
Ir. Pollard refers
to a copy of the catalogue of the libraries of Button,
OVlen, and Hoel, 7th N ovelnber 1681, in the British
1\1 useum ,,,hich belonged to IvIillington. I t has
t,vo receipts by persons whose nalnes are among
the bidders for lnoney received froln l\Iillington
for yarious books. "At first sight this seems a
reversal of ,vhat ,ve should expect, but after the
first fe,v sales the auctioneers had renounced the
right of lnaking bids themselves, Jest they should
be accused of running up prices, and l\Iillington
had obviously employed these friends to bid for
hiln." 1
Another evil connected ,vith auctions COlnes from
knocks out, \vhich are thoroughly dishonest, and in
fact, criminal, being, as they are, a form of conspiracy,
but the agreelnents of t\\yo persons not to bid against
one another are not necessarily to be condelnned.
1\Ir. Henry Stevens ,vas very urgent against any kind
of agreelllent, and in his ren1iniscences amusingly
describes his frustration of a knock-out; and it has
been said that \"hen the Duke of Roxburghe and
Lord Spencer ll1ade an agreen1ent, they ,vere parties
to a knock-out; but this vie,v is founded on a fallacy,

1 BibHographica, vol. ii. p. I 15.

AUCTION SALES IN SEYENTEENTH CENTURY 125
viz., that whatever price a book fetches at public
auction is the proper price. \Ve know, however,
that this is not correct; for instance, the Valdarfer
Boccaccio fetched its huge price at the Roxburghe
sale because t\VO great book-buyers with long
purses bid against one another. When one of
these buyers died and the book ,vas again in the
market, seven years after the first sale, the survivor
obtained the book at a smaller price. Hence who
is to say \vhether f2260 or f918 is the actual value
of the book!

CHAPTER \lI

AUCTION SALES IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

THE sales of the last quarter of the seventeenth cen-
tury are of the. greatest interest in the history of the
subject, but they are not of any great value as guides
to present prices, for circU1l1stances and tastes have
greatly changed. The sales ,vere ]argely those of
the \yorking libraries of theologians, and the books
which their o\vners found of use in their studies
sold \yell, ,vhile books in other classes \\'hich have
no,v taken their place in public esteeln fetched
prices ,vhich seem to us very sinall. An10ng the
nUlnber of sales noticed in the last chapter, t,vo
only stand out as the libraries of true collectors in
the modern acceptation of the term, that is, of those
,vho collect for love of the books rather than froln
an appreciation of their utility. l\Iuch the same
conditions ruled during the first quarter of the
eighteenth century, although the library of Charles
Bernard, serjeant - surgeon to Queen Anne and,
brother of Dr. Francis Bernard, previously referred
to, was sold in l\larch 1711 at the Black Boy Coffee-
House in Ave l\1aria Lane, and the sale of the vast
collection of Thomas Ra,vlinson commenced in
1721. Then followed the sale of John Bridges'
126

AUCTION SALES IN EIGHTEEXTH CENTURY 127
library in February 1726, but the middle of the
century ,vas passed ,vhen the great sale of Dr.
H.ichard l\Iead occurred. This (175-1--55), ,vhen
con1pared ,vith Aske\v's sale in 1775, lnay be said
to mark an era in bibliography. These t\yO great
physicians ,vere friends ,,,ith sitnilar tastes. We are,
therefore, able to gauge the considerable gro\yth of
the taste for book-collecting during the fe\v years
that parted these t,vo sales. Askew' bought n1any
books at 1\Iead's sale, and ,vhen the same volumes
calne to be sold at his o,vn sale they realised t,vice
and thrice the prices he had given. We shall see
in the register of the sales after Aske\v's day hO"9
the prices gradually advanced, until \ve arrive at
the culmination of the bibliomaniacal spirit in the
H.oxburghe sale of 1812.
We ,,,ill no\v enUlnerate some of the principal
sales ,vhich took place during the eighteenth cen-
tury, \\Thich led up to the long list of sales ,yhich
have fOflned so lnarked a feature of the nineteenth
century.
Charles Bernard's library, sold in 1711, ,vas said
by Oldys to contain" the fairest and best editions
of the classics." S\vift, in his" J oUfnal to Stella"
(19th l\Iarch) ,vrote, "I ,vent to-day to see poor
Charles Bernard's books, and I itch to layout nine or
ten pounds for some fine editions of fine authors" ;
and on the 29th he adds, " I ,valked to-day into the
city and ,vent to see the auction of poor Charles
Bernard's books. They were in the middle of the
Physic books, so I bought none; and they are so
dear, I believe I shall buy none."

128

PRICES OF BOOKS

The sale of the library of Thomas Britton, the ,vell-
known small-coal man of Clerken\yell, in January
1715, deserves mention on account of the \yorthi-
ness of its o,vner. The books were sold by auction
at St. Paul's Coffee-House by Thomas Ballard, and
the sale catalogue consists of forty closely-printed
pages in quarto. There ,vere 664 lots in octavo,
274 in quarto, and 102 in folio, besides 50 pamphlets
and 23 tnanuscripts. This was the second library
Britton had collected, for some years before his
death he sold the first one by auction.
Thomas Ra,vlinson (1681-1725) \vas one of the
most insatiable of book collectors, and he left the
largest library that had been collected up to his
time. His chambers \vere so filled that his bed
had to be moved into a passage, and he took Lon-
don House, in Aldersgate Street, to accolnlnodate
his ever-increasing library. Oldys says of hitn-

"If his purse had been much wider he had a passion
beyond it, and would have been driven to part with what
he was so fond of, such a pitch of curiosity or dotage he
was arrived at upon a different edition, a fairer copy, a
larger paper than twenty of the same sort he might be
already possessed of. In short, his covetousness after
those books he had not increased with the multiplication
of those he had, and as he lived so he died in his bundles,
piles, and bulwarks of paper, in dust and cobwebs, at Lon-
don House." 1

He did, in fact, commence the sale of his library
before his death, and the first part ,vas sold in

1 ":Memoir of \Yilliam Oldys," 1862, p. 101.

AUCTION SALES IN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 129

December 1721. The catalogue of the ,vhole library
occupied sixteen parts, the last being sold in 1734.
A complete set of these catalogues is very rare, and
the lists of theln in the various bibliographical ,vorks
are mostly incolnplete. There is, ho\vever, a set in
the Bodleian Library. The books in the first fiye
parts sold for 1:2-+09, and the lnanuscripts alone
took sixteen days of l\Iarch 1734 to sell, and \yent
cheap. Hearne \vrites in his Diary (9th November
1734)-

"The 1v158. in Dr. Rawlinson's last auction of his
brother Thomas's books went extraordinary cheap, and
those that bought had great penny worths. The Doctor
purchas'd many himself, at which here and there one were
disgusted, tho' all the company supported the Doctor in
it, that as a creditor he had a right equal to any other.
l\1y friend Mr. Tom Brome, that honest gentleman of
Ewithington in Herefordshire in a letter to the Doctor,
says that he cannot but wonder at the low rates of most
of the 1158., and adds' had I been in place I should have
been tempted to have laid out a pretty deal of money,
without thinking myself at an touched with biblioll1ania.'" 1

On loth Novelnber Hearne further 'v rites-

"Dr. Rawlinson by the sale of his brother's books hath
not rais'd near the money expected. For it seems they
have ill answer'd, however good books; the 1158. worse,
and what the prints will do is as yet undetermin'd," 2

It is ,vorthy of mention here that Dr. Ra,vlinson
purchased Hearne's Diaries for a hundred guineas

I Reliquiæ Hearniallæ, 1869, yoI. iii. p. 159.
2 Ibid., p. 160.

I

,

13 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

froln the ,vido\v and executrix of Dr. \Villiam
Bedford, to \VhOln they had been given by Hearne, l
and he bequeathed theln ,vith other property to the
University of Oxford. The auctioneers \vho dis-
persed Tholnas Ra\\?linson's large collections \vere
Charles Davis and Tholnas Ballard.
The sale of the valuable library of John Bridges
at his chambers in Lincoln's Inn by l\Ir. Cock, in
February 1726, ,vas an event of much literary
interest. The nUlnber of lots was 4-313, occupying
t,venty-seven days, and the total proceeds of the
sale ,vere 1:4001. This is therefore ,vorthy of note
as the first sale at ,vhich the prices averaged nearly
one pound per lot.
There ,vas much dissatisfaction alnong the buyers
at the high prices, and a conspiracy to H bull" the
market ,vas suspected.
H ulnphry Wanley expressed his opinion strongly
on this point-

"Feb. 9, 1725-6.- \V ent to 11r. Bridges's chambers, but
could not see the three fine 1188. again, the Doctor his
brother having locked them up. He openly bid for his
own books, merely to enhance their price, and the auction
proves to be, what I thought it would become, very
knavish. "
"Feb. 1 I, 1725-6.- Yesterday at five I met Mr. Noel
and tarried long with him; we settled then the whole
affair touching his bidding for my Lord [Oxford] at the
roguish auction of 11r. Bridges's books. The Reverend
Doctor one of the brothers hath already displayed himself

1 Nichols's" Literary Anecdotes/' yol. Y. p. 49 0 .

AUCTION SALES IN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 131
so remarkably as to be both hated and despised, and a
combination among- the booksellers will soon be against
him and his brother-in-law, a lawyer. These are men of
the keenest avarice, and their very looks (according to
what I am told) dart out harping-irons. I have ordered
JYlr. Noel to drop every article in my Lord's commissions
when they shall be hoisted up to too high a price. Yet I
desired that my Lord may have the Russian Bible, which
I know full well to be a very rare and a very good book." 1

The frontispiece to the sale catalogue exhibited
an oak felled, and persons bearing away the branches,
signifying that ,vhen the oak is cut do\vn every man
gets wood. Nichols, referring to the motto, LJpvòç;
7rEUOÍ)(]''T}ç; 7râç; åvr;p
vÀEúETal, speaks of it as It an
affecting lnemento to the collectors of great libraries,
,vho cannot or do not leave them to some public
accessible repository." 2
Besides the sale catalogue, there ,vas a catalogue
raisonné of Bridges's library, a large paper of ,vhich,
bound in old blue morocco, and ruled with red
lines, Dr. Gosset bought for Dibdin for four shil-
lings, and the latter styles it a happy day when he
received it.
In 1731 ,vas sold, at St. Paul's Coffee-House, the
extensive library of Anthony Collins, the falnous
freethinker and author, and a friend of Locke.
His books \vere sold in hvo divisions. Part I of
the catalogue contained 3+51 lots, and part 2, 3-++2.
The sale of Dr. Tholnas Pellet's library in 17++ is

1 \Vanley's "Diary," Lansdowne MS., 808, quoted Nichols's
" Literary Anecdotes," YO!. i. pp. 9 1-92.
2 Ibid., vol. ii.
p. 106.

13 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

of especial interest as the first undertaken by Samuel
Baker, the founder of the house of Sotheby. .
In 17-+6 t\VO sales of note took place, those of
Sir Christopher Wren and l\Iichael 1Iaittaire, the
scholar and bibliographer. The follo,ving adver-
tiselnent of the forlner is fron1 the Daily Advertiser
of 26th October 174.8-

"To be sold by auction, by
Iessrs. Cock and Langford,
in ye Great Piazza, Covent Garden, this and ye following
evening, the curious and entire libraries of ye ingenious
architect Sir Christopher \Vren, l{nt., and Christopher
\Vren, Esq., his son, late of Hampton Court; both de-
ceased. Consisting of great variety of Books of Archi-
tecture, Antiquities
Histories, etc., in Greek, Latin, French,
and English; together with some few lots of Prints. The
said books may be viewed at Mr. Cock's in ye Great Piazza
aforesaid, till ye time of sale, which will begin each evening
at 5 o'clock precisely. Catalogues of which may be had
gratis at ye place of sale aforesaid."

1\Iaittaire's library \vas sold in two parts, in
Novelnber 1748 and January 17-1-9, by 1\Ir. Cock,
and occupied forty - five evenings in the selling.
Fqr SOlne reason or other the books appear to
have been sacrificed, and they realised little n10re
than f70o. One reason ,vas, that they ,vere not
very presentab1e in appearance. The auctioneer
\yrites in the It advertisement" to the catalogue-
"Tho' the books in their present condition make not
the most ostentatious appearance, yet like the late worthy
possessor of them, however plain their outside may be,
they contain within an invaluable treasure of ingenuity and
learning. In fine, this is (after fifty years' diligent search

AUCTION SALES IN EIGHTEEXTH CENTURY 133

and labour in collecting) the entire library of Mr. 11aittaire,
whose judgement in the choice of books as it ever was con-
fessed, so are they undoubtedly far beyond whatever I can
attempt to say in their praise. In exhibiting them thus to
the public, I comply with the will of my deceased friend,
and in printing the catalogue from his own copy, just as he
left it (tho' by so doing it is more voluminous), I had an
opportunity not only of doing the justice I owe to his
memory, but also of gratifying the curious."

According to a very interesting account of the
sale in Beloe's U Anecdotes" (vol. v. pp. 3 8 9-45 2 ),
it appears that if It the curious 11 attended the sale,
they did not do lnuch to raise the prices. Beloe
,vrites, It The library of l\1ichael 1\Iaittaire ,vas of
incalculable value, froln its great variety, froln the
ntll11ber of early printed books \vhich it contained,
frol11 the extraordinary collection of Greek and
Latin tracts by the falnous French printers of the
sixteenth century, frol11 the lnost unCOlnlnon books
in criticism ,vhich it exhibited, and lastly, from the
high reputation of its possessor." And, in conclu-
sion, he says, 14 Such a collection ,vas never before
exhibited for public sale, and perhaps never ,vill
. "
agaln.
A striking instance of the absurdly lo,v prices
obtained for the books is that of HOJlleri Batracho-
lIty01JZaCllia (Venet. per Leoniculn Cretensen1, 14 86 ,
4to), \vhich sold for sixteen shillings. In this copy
a subsequent possessor "Tote the follo\ying note-

"This book is so extremely rare that I never saw any
other copy of it except that of 110ns. de Boze, who told
file he gave 650 livres for it. 11r. Smith, our consul at

134

PRICES OF BOOKS

,r enice, wrote me word that he had purchased a copy, but
that it was imperfect. Lord Oxford offered l\1r. l\laittaire
fifty guineas for this identical copy."

Aske,v's copy, supposed to be the same as this,
fetched at his sale fourteen guineas.
JWartz"alz"s, apud VilldelÙlUlll SpirellSelll-sz"lle a71llO-
,vhich is described as "one of the rarest of rare
books," only brought four shillings and sixpence.
The editz"o prZ"nceps of Plautus (Venet. per Joh. de
Colonz"a et Vz"ndelÙuuJl Spz"renSe1Jl, 14 72, folio) \vas
sold for sixteen shillings, \\9hile the Pinelli copy
fetched [36. These are no exceptions to the rule,
for Beloe Inentions a large 11111nber of rare books
,yhich only fetched a shilling or hvo shillings each.
The great library of Richard 1\Iead, l\I.D., \vas
dispersed by Salnuel Baker in November and
December 175+ and in April and 1\Iay 1755. In the
first sale there ,vere 3280 lots in 28 days, ,vhich
realised [2+75, 18s. 6d. The second sale consisted
of 67-1-1 lots in 29 days, realising [3 0 33, IS. 6d.,
making the totals for the Ì\vo sales, 57 days, 10,021
lots, alnount of sale [5509. It is usually stated
that l\Iead's library consisted of 10,000 volulnes,
but there lnllst have been at least 30,000 volumes.
The nUlnbering of lots in l\Ieacl's sale follo\ved the
confusing rule adopted at the first printing of auc-
tion catalogues, viz., the leaving three separate
nUlnberings of octavos, quartos, and folios. As
already said, this ,vas the first really reno,vned
sale that took place in England, and there can
be little doubt that the o\vner spent considerably

ACCTION SALES I:\)" EIGHTEENTH CENTCRY 13S
lnore n10ney in the collection of his books than
they realised after his death. Johnson said of
1\Iead, that he lived lnore in the broad sunshine
of life than aln10st any n1an. The dispersion of
his library ,vas a loss to the \vorld, for every scholar
had been allo\ved access to it during the o,vner's
life.
The novelist Fielding's library \vas sold by Baker
in 1755. The sale consisted of 653 lots, occupied
four nights, and realised [364-
Richard Ra\vlinson, D.D., younger brother of
Tholnas Ra,vlinson, died on the 6th of April 1755,
and his large and valuable lihrary ,vas sold by
Baker in l\Iarch of the follo\ving year. The sale of
the books lasted fifty days, and there ,vas a second
sale of palnphlets, books of prints, &c., ,vhich
occupied ten days. The prices realised for oJd
English literature ,vere very S 111 all, and the total
of the ,vhole sale \vas under [1200.
Thc year 1756 \vas ren1arkable for the sale of the
library of
Iartin Folkes by San1uel Baker. It con-
sisted of 5126 lots, and realised [,3091. 1\Iartin Folkes
occupied a prominent position in the literary and
scientific \vorIds as President of the Royal Socicty
and of the Society of Antiquaries. He \vas 1110re a
generally accomplished n1an than a n1an of science,
and it has been thc fashion to laugh at his preten-
sions to the chair of the Royal Socicty, but his COl1-
tell1poraries thought \vell of hin1. Dr. J urin, secretary
of the Royal Society, said that It The greatest t11an
that ever li\'ed (Sir Isaac N e\,'ton) singled hiln out
to fill the chair, and to prcside in thc Society ,,-hen

13 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

he hitnself \vas so frequently prevented by indis-
position; and that it ,vas sufficient to say of hiln
that he \vas Sir Isaac's friend."
Ed,vards, the ornithologist, said of Folkes-

"He seemed to have attained to universal knowledge,
for in the many opportunities I have had of being in his
company, almost every part of science has happened to be
the subject of discourse, all of which he handled as an
adept. He was a man of great politeness in his manners,
free from all pedantry and pride, and in every respect the
real, unaffected, fine gentleman."

The earliest sale recorded of Salnuel Paterson
,vas that of the library of "Orator" Henley, ,vhich
took place in June 1769, and contained some
curious books.
Joseph Slnith, British Consul at \T enice, ,vas a
cultivated book collector. He printed a catalogue
of his library in 1755, Bibliotheca S 1Jlithealla, selt
çataloglls LibrorzuJl D. Josephi SlIlithii, Angli . . .
Venetiis, typis Jo. Baptistæ Pasquali, l\IDCCLV. This
is of value as containing an appendix to "the
prefaces and epistles prefixed to those ,yorks in the
library ,vhich ,vere printed in the fifteenth century."
George III. bought the ,vhole library, and added it
to his o,vn lnatchless collection. On the sale of his
library Consul Slnith set to \vork to collect another,
and in 1773, a year after his death, this second library
was sold by auction by Baker & Leigh, occupying
thirteen days in the selling. The books ,vere de-
scribed as being" in the finest preservdtion, and
consisting of the very best and scarcest editions of

AUCTION SALES IN EIGHTEENTH CE
TURY 137
the Latin, Italian, and French authors, from the
Invention of Printing, ,vith manuscripts and Inissals
upon vellum, finely illuminated." The last day's
sale contained all the English books in black letter.
This fine library realised [2245, not so large an
alnount as n1ight have been expected. In fact,
Dibdin says in his BiblioJllania that l\Ir. Cuthell
exclaimed in his hearing that II they were given
a\vay."
In this same year, 1773, \vas sold the splendid
library of J ailles \Vest, President of the Royal
Society, the catalogue of ,yhich ,yas digested by
Salnuel Paterson. The preface inforn1s the reader
that It the folIo,ving catalogue exhibits a yery curious
and unCOlnn10n collection of printed books and
travels, of British history and antiquities, and of
rare old English literature, the most copious of any
,yhich has appeared for several years past; forn1ed
,vith great taste and a thorough kno,vledge of
authors and characters." There \vere 4633 lots,
and they occupied hventy-four clays in the selling,
the auctioneer being Langford. \Vest's large
collection of n1anuscripts ,vas sold to the Earl of
Shelburne, and is no\v in the British 1'1 useUlll.
Although this sale attracted nluch attention, and
,yas ,veIl attended, the prices did not rule high
according to our present ideas, but doubtless it
,,,as not thought then that the follo,ving Caxtons
realised less than their value : Chaucer's \V orks, first
edition by Caxton, [47, ISS. 6d.; It l'roy]us and
Cresseyde," [10, 10S.; It Book of FaIne," [4, SS.;
" Go\ver de Confessione Ainantis," I4 8 3, [9, 9 s .

13 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

Dibdin has given a very full analysis of this fine
library in his Biblio1Jlania. In contrast to this sale
may be mentioned, on account of the distinction of
the o,yner, the library of Oliyer Goldslnith, ,vhich
,vas sold on I zth July 1774- by 1\Ir. Good of Fleet
Street. There ,vere 162 lots, and l\Ir. Forster has
reprinted the catalogue in his It Life of Goldsmith"
(vol ii. p. 453).
A yery curious library ,vas sold in this san1e year
(1774-) by Paterson. The title of the catalogue
describes it as follo\vs-

"A Catalogue of rare books and tracts in various
languages and faculties, including the Ancient Conventual
Library of l\Iissenden Abbey in Buckinghamshire, together
with some choice remains of that of the late eminent
Sergeant at Law, 'Yilliam Fletewode, Esq., Recorder of
London in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; among which are
several specimens of the earliest typography, foreign and
English, including Caxton, 'Yynkyn de 'Vorde, Pynson,
and others; a fine collection of English history, some
scarce old law books, a great nun1ber of old English plays,
several choice 11:8S. upon vellun1, and other subjects of
literary curiosity. . . ."

It ,yill be seen froln this that ,vorks of our early
printers ,vere beginning to corne into vogue, but
they did not fetch very high prices, varying froln
five pounds to eight guineas. T\vo copies of the
first edition of Bacon's It Essays," 1597, ,vent for
sixpence.
In 1775 one of the finest sales of the century took
place at the auction rOOlns of Baker & Leigh,
that of Anthony Askew, l\I.D. (1722-1772), \V"hose

AUCTION SALES IN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 139
an1bition it ,vas to have every edition of a Greek
author. H is library largely consisted of classics,
and lnost of the books ,\\Tere in good condition.
There \yere 3570 lots sold in t,venty-Ì\\"O days,
,vhich realised [3993, or about [1 per lot. l\Iead's
library consisted of 10,021 lots, '\Thich realised [5509,
or a little over half the average al110unt per lot
obtained at Aske,v's sale. As the character of
l\Iead's and Aske,v's libraries ,vas sOlne,vhat similar,
the difference lnay be partly accounted for by the
increased price of good books in the interval be-
t\\Teen the t\yO sales.
l\Ir. Christie sold in l\Iarch 1776 the valuable
library of a very remarkable book-collector, John
Ratcliffe, ,vho kept a chandler's shop in the Borough.
It is said that he bought son1e of his treasures by
,veight in the \yay of his business. His skill as a
collector ,vas recognised by his brother collectors,
and on Thursday 1110rnings he ,vas in the habit of
giving breakfasts at his house in East Lane, Rother-
hithe, and to then1 Aske\y, Croft, Tophan1 Beauclerk,
J alnes West, and others, \yere constant visitors. At
these breakfasts he displayed his latest purchases.
He ,vas a very corpulent nlan, and a fe,y years
before his death, \vhen a fire happened in his
neighbourhood, and his furniture and books \\Tcre
relnoved for safety, he ,vas unable to help those ,vho
,vere engaged in the task. He stood lall1enting the
loss of his Caxtons, \vhen a sailor, ,vho heard hÏ1l1,
attell1pted to console hin1, and cried, II Bless you, sir,
I have got theln perfectly safe." \Vhile Ratcliffe
,yas expressing his thanks, the sailor produced Ì\vo

14 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

of his fine curled peri,yigs which he had saved. He
had no idea that a lnan could lnake such a fuss over
a fe,,, books.!
There ,vere nine days' sale of 1675 lots. The
Caxtons numbered thirty, and realised an average
of 1;9 each.
Tophaln Beauclerk, the fashionable friend of Dr.
Johnson, collected a yery large library, ,vhich ,vas
distributed by Paterson in 1781. There ,,,ere thirty
thousand YOIUlnes, ,vhich took fifty days to sel1.
The library ,vas rich in English plays, English
history, travels, and antiquities, but there ,vere not
lnany high-priced books.
The sale of the library of the Rev. Tholnas Crofts
in 1783, also by Paterson, ,,,as a lnuch lnore im-
portant event. It consisted of 8360 lots, distributed
oyer forty-three days, and realised 1;3453. \Ve are
told in the preface to the sale catalogue that-

"The great reputation which the late Rev. and learned
l\Ir. Crofts had acquired, with respect to bibliographical
knowledge, cannot be better established than by the follow-
ing digest of his excellent library, in which no pains have
been spared to render it worthy the character of the col-
lector, and such as he himself, it is presumed, would not
have disapproved. The collection on the 'Origin of
Letters,' and of Gramnlars and Dictionaries, is admirable,
and much fuller of curious books than is to be found in
many libraries of the first description. The theological
divisions comprehend nlany curious and valuable articles.
The classical part of the library is indeed a treasure of

1 Dibdin's " Reminiscences," vol. i. p. 327 (note).

AUCTIOX SALES I
EIGHTEEXTH CENTURY I-1-I

Greek and Roman learning, comprising many of the early
editions, almost all the Aldine editions, and those of the
best modern commentators."

Other classes \\Tell represented in the lihrary ,yere
Italian poetry, novels and plays, Spanish and Portu-
guese poetry, &c., history, topography, antiquities,
and voyages and trayels. There is a portrait of

Ir. Crofts in Clarke's Repertorizull Bibliographiclt1Jl.
In this same year, I783, ,yas sold by :\Ir. Con1pton
the elegant and curious library of an eminent col-
lector (Joseph Gulston), ,yhich contained a con-
siderable nUlnber of books printed on large paper,
and ,veIl bound. The library is described in the
catalogue as U undoubtedly the most select ever
offered to the public for beauty, scarcity, and
condition." There ,yere eleven days' sale of 2007
lots, ,yhich realised ;[I750. In I78-.J. the relnaining
portion of :\Ir. Gulston's library ,,-as sold by the
san1e auctioneer. This consisted chiefly of a fine
collection of English typography, and the 78-1- lots
occupied four days in the selling.
Dr. San1tlel Johnson's library, ,yhich \\Tas sold in
I785, 'YClS not a very valuable one. It consisted of
650 lots, \yhich sold for [IOO. Among them ,vas
the second Shakespeare folio, no,v in the possession
of Sir Henry Irving.
In I785 Dr. Aske,y's collection of 111anuscripts
,vere sold, ten years after the printed books, ,yhen
they realised ;[I827. \Yhen Aske,y died in I77-1-
they \vere offered to a collector for t"TO thous
lnd
guineas, but the price \\'as considered too large.

L.J.2

PRICES OF BOOKS

The library of 1\1ajor Thomas Pearson (174 0 -
17 81 ) ,vas sold by T. & J. Egerton in 1788. The
sale extended oyer t,venty-three days, and consisted
of 5525 lots. This library ,\Tas very rich in old
English literature, and contained Í\,.O vohnnes of
original ballads, \vhich ,vere bought by the Duke
of Roxburghe for [36, 4s. 6d., and ,vith the Duke's
additions are no,v safely preserved in the British
1\1 useum.
The famous Pinelli library, founded by John
Vincent Pinelli in the sixteenth century, and aug-
Inented by his descendants (the last possessor ,vas
1\Iaffeo Pinelli, a learned printer at Venice, \"ho
died in 1785), \vas bought in 1788 by 1\Iessrs. Rob-
son & Ed\vards, booksellers, for about [7000; and
on being brought to London \vas sold by auction
in Conduit Street in t\VO divisions-the first, in
l\Iarch and April 1789, consisted of sixty days' sale,
and the second, in February and l\Iarch 1790, of
thirty-one days. The total number of lots was
14,778, and they realised [9356, ,vhich did not
allo\v much profit to the purchasers after payment
of duties, carriage, and costs of the sale. The
library \\.as very rich in Greek and Latin classics,
and Italian literature generally. The chief lot \vas
the C01JljJlutensian Polyglot (6 vols. folio, 15 1 4- 17),
printed on vell tIm, ,vhich fetched [483.
The sale of the choice library of l\1. Paris de
l\Ieyzieux (Bibliotheca Parisina), \\Thich took place
in l\Iarch 1791, is \vorthy of special record in that
the prices realised averaged considerably n10re than
in any previous sale, and has seldom been equalled

AUCTION SALES IN EIGHTEENTH CENTL"RY 143
even in our o\vn day. The title of the English
catalogue is as follo\vs-
"A Catalogue of a Collection of Books formed by a
Gentlen1an in France, not less conspicuous for his taste
in distinguishing than his zeal in acquiring whatever of this
kind was most perfect, curious, or scarce: it includes many
first editions of the classics: books magnificently printed
on vellum with illuminated paintings j manuscripts on vel-
lum, embellished with rich miniatures j books of natural
history, with the subjects coloured in the best manner or
with the original drawings and books of the greatest
splendour and rareness in the different classes of literature.
To these are added from another grand collection, selected
articles of high value. The whole are in the finest condi-
tion, and in bindings superlatively rich."

The library ,yas bought from the executors of
1\Ions. Paris by l\1. Laurent of Paris and 1Ir. James
Ed\vards, and brought to London to be sold. There
,vere six days' sale, and the 636 lots realised
[,7095, 17s. 9d., or a little over eleven pounds per
lot. One of the# most beautiful books in the sale
,vas the Opere of Petrarch, 15 L+, printed on veIl Ul11,
,yith channing lniniatures attributed to Giulio Clovio.
Six of these \vere the 1'riumphs of Love, Chastity,
Death, Fame, rrime, and the Deity. rrhe borders
of the pages \vere ornal11ented \vith 174 exquisite
Ininiatures of birds, beasts, fishes, monsters, fabu-
lous histories, and various cOlnpositions of the
greatest ingenuity. This splendid folio voltllne
fetched [,116, I IS. A sÏ1nilar book, but apparently
llluch less elaborate, a VellU1TI Aristotle, recently
fetched [)300 at the Ashburnhan1 sale.

144

PRICES OF BOOKS

The library of !\tlichael LOft, D.D., F.R.S., was
sold by Leigh & Sotheby in this same year, 1791;
it contained a large nUlnber of interesting books,
particularly those on English history and antiquities,
many of ,vhich ,vere enriched \vith 1\IS. notes by
the Rev. George N' o1'th. There ,vere 6665 lots,
,vhich occupied hventy-fiye days in the selling, but
the amount realised ([,1269) \vas not large for so
considerable a collection.
In 1792 a great sale occurred at Dublin; it ,vas of
the library of the Right Hon. Denis Daly, and ,vas
dispersed under the hammer of J ames Vallance.
There is a good description of the library in the
GentleUtall's lJlàgagine (1792, Part I., pp. 326-28),
but although Dibdin gives in his Biblio1llauia a
notice of SOlne of the books, he does not record the
prices of several of the 1110st interesting items men-
tioned in the GentlelHan's lJl agazÙle. The number
of lots ,vas 1441, \yhich realised [,3700. The library
,vas purchased entire from the executors of 1\1r.
Daly by J Oh11 Archer and Willian1 Jones, t\VO
Dublin booksellers, and the fonner told Dibdin
that Lord Clare offered [,4000 for it before the
auction sale, but this offer ,yas refused.
The Earl of Bute's botanical library ,yas sold by
Leigh & Sotheby in 1794- for [,3470. It was a ten
days' sale.
The first part of Thon1as Allen's library ,vas dis-
persed in June 1795, and the second part in 1799,
both parts cOlning under the halnmer of Leigh and
Sotheby. There ,vere in all 34-60 lots sold during
nineteen days, ,vhich realised [5737.

ACCTION SALES IX EIGHTEEXTH CENTrRY 1.+5
rrhe sale of the library of George l\Iason com-
menced in January I798, and continued till I807,
\vhen the fifth part ,,'as sold. The first part con-
tained -t-97 lots (three days), ,\'hich realised f620;
the second part 480 lots (three days), f78-+; the
third part 5-4-7 lots (three days), f670; the fourth
part, sold in I799, 338 lots (t\\10 days), f586. All
,vere sold by Leigh & Sotheby. The four parts
contained 1862 lots, and the total an10unt of the
sale ,vas f2663. The fifth part, sold in 1807, con-
. tained fe,v lots of any importance.
The library of Richard Farn1er, D.D., sold by
l\Ir. J{ing in 1\Iay 1798, ,vas a peculiarly interesting
one, as containing a rich collection of early English
poetry, of ,vhich he \vas one of the earliest pur-
chasers. Although he employed agents to purchase
for him, he ,vas not very liberal, and is said to have
l11ade a rule not to exceed three shillings for any
book. The ntunber of lots in the sale ,vas 8I99,
and thirty-six days ,\'ere occupied in selling theine
rrhe total amount of the sale ,vas f22IO, and the
library is supposed to have cost Dr. Farmer in
collecting about f50o.
Dr. Farmer (1735-1797), author of the famous
'I Essay on the Learning of Shakspeare," and for
Í\yo-and-t,yenty years l\laster of Elnanuel College,
Calnhridge, ,vas a curious character, \\'ho "'as said
to have loved three things-old port, old clothes,
and old books. It \vas further said that there ,,'ere
three things \\'hich nobody could persuade hiln to
do, viz., to rise in the Inorning, to go to bed at
night, and to settle an account. He is said to have
K

.

I4 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

iU1bibed his passion for collecting books froln Dr.
Aske\y. Dr. Parr, \\Tho composed his Latin epitaph,
,vrote of hin1-

" How shall I talk of thee, and of thy wonderful collec-
tion, 0 rare Richard Farmer ?-of thy scholarship, acute-
ness, pleasantry, singularities, varied learning, and colloquial
powers! Thy name win live long among scholars in general,
and in the bosoms of virtuous and learned biblionlaniacs
thy memory shall ever be enshrined! The walls of Emanuel
College now cease to convey the sounds of thy festive
wit; thy volunles are no longer seen, like Richard Smith's
, bundles of stitcht books,' strewn upon the floor; and thou
has ceased in the cause of thy beloved Shakespeare to delve
into the fruitful ore of black letter literature. Peace to thy
honest spirit; for thou wert wise without vanity, learned
without pedantry, and joyous without vulgarity."

Dr. Fanner at one titne proposed to have had a
catalogue taken of his library, to \\Thich he intended
to haye prefixed the follo\\Ting advertisement-

"This Collection of Books is by no means to be con-
sidered as an essay towards a perfect Library; the circunl-
stances and the situation of the Collector Blade such an
attempt both unnecessary and impracticable, Here are
few publications of great price which were already to be
found in the excellent Library of Emanuel College; but
it is believed that not many private collections contain a
greater number of really curious and scarce books; and
perhaps no one is so rich in the antient philological
English literature,-R. FARMER."

CHAP'I'ER \'"11

AUCTION SALES IN THE XI
ETEENTH CEXTURY

THE sales of the nineteenth century are so nUlne-
rOllS, that they n1ust be treated in a more sun11nary
n1anner than those of the hvo previous centuries.
The Roxburghe sale in 1812 lnarks an era in
bibliography, and after it a series of valuable sales
occurred until about the n1Ïddle of the century,
,,,hen there ,,,as a certain period of dulness, although
great sales like those of the libraries of the Duke of
Sussex and the Duke of Buckinghan1 (Sto""e) took
place. In 186{ the fine library of George Daniel
,vas dispersed, \vhen lnany editions of Shakespeare's
plays, and luuch valuable drall1atic literclture, ,vere
sold at high prices. In 1873 ,vas the great sale of
Henry Perkins's library, in 1881-83 the Sunderland
sale, and in 1882-8-+ the Beckford and Halnilton
sales. These three sales deserve an historian, such
as the Roxburghe sale had in Dibclin; hut although
they created a great sensation, they have not been
\vritten about as the Roxburghe sale \\"clS. The
etIect of the high prices realised at these sales has
been to cause a great nUlnber of fine libraries to be
brought to the halnl11er. 'fhe century opened ,vith
the sale by
Ir. King of the valu
le library of
147

Lt 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

George Steevens, the Shakespearian cOlnlnentator,
,,"hich cOlnlnenced on 13th l\Iay 1800, and con-
tinued during the ten foIlo\ving days. There ,vere
194-3 lots, ,vhich realised [,2740. Useful lists of
some of the Inost interesting books in the sale are
given in Dibdin's BiblioJllanZa and Clarke's Reþer-
torÙt11l Bibliographic2t1Jl. The ,vhole of the library
,vas sold, with the exception of an illustrated copy
of Shakespeare, bequeathed to Earl Spencer, the
corrected copy of Steevens's edition of Shake-
speare to l\Ir. Reed, and a fine set of Hogarth's
prints, in three volulnes, to the Right Hon. Willialn
Windhaln.
The sale of the library of Greffier Fagel of the
Hague ,vas announced for sale in 1802, but instead
of cOlning to auction it \vas sold entire to Trinity
College, Dublin, for [,7000. .A catalogue, digested
by Samuel Paterson, in two parts, \vas printed in
1806.
The very valuable library of Robert Heathcote
\vas sold by Leigh, Sotheby & Son in 1802 and
1808. The first sale, on 8th April 1802 and five
follo\ving days, \vas described as U an elegant col-
lection of books, comprising a very extraordinary
assemblage of the Greek and ROlnan classics, and
other books in the English, French, and Italian lan-
guages; the greater part upon large paper, and
the ,vhole in fine condition, in n10rocco and other
splendid bindings." The nlll11ber of lots ,yas 958,
\vhich realised L33 61 .
The second part ,vas described as U a portion of
the singularlY,1felegant library, late the property of a

ACCTIO
SALES I
KIXETEE
TH CEKTURY 149
very distinguished amateur [R. H.], like,vise a fe\v
duplicates belonging to the present possessor [John
Dent]. . . . The books are almost universally bound
in different coloured lnorocco, by Roger Payne and
other eminent binders." This sale took place on
4th April IS08 and five follo\ving days, and consisted
of 858 lots, ,vhich fetched ;[2469.
The third sale took place on 2nd I\Iay IS08 and
follov.ring day, ,vhen 222 lots \vere sold for ;[1246.
The books are described as bound by It the n10st
eminent English and French binders." 1"'he totals of
the three sales \\?ere 2038 lots, ,vhich realised ;[7076.
The sale of the library of John \tV oodhouse, ,vhich
,vas carried out by Leigh, Sotheby & Son, on 12th
December IS03 and four follo,ving days, \\?as one
of great interest. The books ,vere in fine condition,
and besides ,vorks on English history, topography,
&c., there ,vas a good collection of old English
poetry and ron1ances. 1"'here ,vere S62 lots, and
the an10unt realised \vas f3I35.
J alnes Echvards, ,vho comlnenced bookselling in
Pall l\Iall about the year r78{, ,vas in 1788 the joint
purchaser ,vith J alnes Robson, bookseller, of
e,v
Bond Street, of the Pinelli library. He retired to
the 1\Ianor House, Harro,v, SOlne years before his
death, and gathered around hiln a very choice col-
lection of books. He is lnentioned in the index
to
ichols's It Literary Anecdotes" (1813) as the
pos
essor, ",vith nUlnberless other literary treasures,"
of the falnous Bedford 1\Iissal. On 25th April r80{
and three follo,ving days 1\Ir. Christie sold a selec-
tion fron1 his library, ,vhich \vas described as It a

ISO

PRICES OF BOOKS

most splendid and valuable collection of books,
superb missals, original dra,vings, &c., the genuine
property of a gentlell1an of distinguished taste, re-
tiring into the country." There \\'ere only 339 lots,
,vhich fetched f-J.640, or nearly f I-J. per lot, a very
considerable average, but then the books ,,,ere
highly distinguished. Dibdin gives, in part 5 of
his Biblio1Jla1lia, a list of SOll1e of the lnore ilnportant
. items, and in part 6 a notice of the large number of
books printed on velltlln, in the collection. Dibdin
does not, ho,vever, mention that it belonged to
J ames Ed \yards.
On 5th April 18 I 5 and fixe folIo,ving days 11 r.
Eyans sold U the valuable library of J an1es Ed\vards,
Esq., containing a splendid asselnblage of early
printed books, chiefly on vellum, highly curious
and important n1anuscripts, magnificent books of
prints," &c. I n this sale \vas the Bedford 1\1 issal,
\vhich \vas bought by the 1\larquis of Blandford for
f687. There ,,,ere 830 lots, \vhich sold for f8421,
or rather more than f 10 per lot. Echvards died
on 2nd January 1816, aged fifty-nine years.
The library of the first 1\1 arquis of Lansdo\vne
(previously Earl of Shelburne) \\?as sold by
Leigh & Sotheby in January and February 1806.
The sale occupied thirty-one clays, and contained
.6530 lots, \\?hich realised f670 I. Alnongst the
books ,vas a very rare collection of tracts, docu-
lnents, and palnphlets relating to the French
Revolution, in n10re than 280 volun1es, ,vhich sold
for fr68. In r807 the 1\larquis's collection of
111anuscripts \vere catalogued for sale, but they

A1:CTION SALES IN KIXETEENTH CENTURY 151
never came to auction, as they ,vere purchased by
Parliament for the British 1\1 useUlll for 1;6000.
The Rev. Jonathan Boucher (1738-180-+) pos-
sessed a large library, ,vhich ,vas sold by Leigh &
Sotheby in three parts for a total of 1;4510. Part I,
2-+th February 1806 and t\venty-six follo\ving clays,
66-+6 lots sold for 1;2990. Part 2, 14th April 1806
and eight follo,ving days, 1940 lots sold for 1;815.
Part 3, 29 th
lay 1809 and three foIlo,ving days,
857 lots sold for 1;704. The library \vas full of
valuable and useful books in divinity, history,
voyages and travels, poetry, classics, &c., but there
,vere fe\v books of extrelne rarity. Dibdin says in
his BiblioJJlallia-

"I attended many days during this sale, but such was
the warm fire, directed especially towards divinity, kept up
during nearly the whole of it, that it required a heavier weight
of metal than I was able to bring into the field of battle to
ensure any success in the contest." ..,

The extensive library of the Rev. John Brand
,vas sold by 1\1r. Ste\vart in hvo parts. Part I, in
1\lay and June 180 7, 86r I lots and 1\18S. 294 lots, in
thirty-seven days, sold for f4300. Part 2, February
1808, -1-06-+ lots sold for fI851. The last lot in the
first part of the sale ,vas Brand's o\vn \vork on
II Popular Antiquities," ,vith additions prepared for
republication, ,vhich, \vith copyright, sold for 1;630.
'fhe books \vere in poor condition, and had been
n10stIy bought for slnall sun1S; in addition, no
lnoney \\'as expended by the proprietor on the
binding of his books.

l5 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

On the h,yenty-fourth day's sale Dr. Gosset found
in one of the volumes of l\Ienage's French Dic-
tionary sixty-five pounds in bank-notes, and a rare
portrait of 1Iargaret Smith, engraved by W. 1Iar-
shall, \vhich \vas subsequently sold for t,venty-seven
guineas. Previous to the removal of the library
fron1 Somerset House, \vhere Brand lived as secre-
tary of the Society of Antiquaries, Ste\vart, the
auctioneer, found by accident in an old ,vaste-paper
volume seventy guineas \vrapped up in paper and
placed in various parts of the book. The money
,vas handed to 1\Ir. Brand's executor.
Isaac Reed's interesting library of old English
literature ,vas sold by I{ing & Lochée in November
and December 1807. The sale occupied thirty-nine
days, an:::l consisted of 8957 lots, ,vhich realised
.f.,t-3 86 .
A five days' sale of Lord Penrhyn's library at
Leigh & Sotheby's in 1\Tarch 1809 brought f2000.
In June 1809 Leigh & Sotheby sold the library of
Richard Porson, \vhich consisted of 1931 lots, and
realised fI254. A list of the prices given for the
principal classics in this sale is printed in the
Classical Journal (i. 385-90).
The eminent antiquary Richard Gough be-
queathed his collection of British topography to
the Bodleian Library, but the rest of his library
was sold by Leigh & Sotheby in April 1810 during
hventy days. There were 4373 lots, ,vhich sold
for .f3552.
The Rev. Benjan1În Heath, D.D., sold his very
fine library during his lifetÏ1ne to Joseph Johnson,

AGCTION SALES IN NINETEENTH CENTURY 153
bookseller, of St. Paul's Churchyard, ,vho consigned
it to 1\Ir. Jeffery in 1810 to be sold by auction.
The sale consisted of 4786 lots, and realised .f8899.
Dibdin describes this sale in enthusiastic terms in
his BiblioJJlania. He \vrites-

"Never did the bibliomaniac's eye alight upon' sweeter
copies,' as the phrase is, and never did the bibliomaniacal
barometer rise higher than at this sale! The most marked
phrensy characterised it. A copy of the editio þrinceþs
of Homer (by no means a first-rate one) brought ;{; 9 2 ,
and all the Aldine classics produced such an electricity of
sensation, that buyers stuck at nothing to embrace them!
Do not let it hence be said that black letter lore is the only
fashionable pursuit of the present age of book collectors.
This sale may be hailed as the omen of better and brighter
prospects in literature in general; and n1any a useful philo-
logical work, although printed in the Latin or Italian lan-
guage-and which had been sleeping unmolested upon a
bookseller's shelf these dozen years - will now start up
from its slumber, and walk abroad in a new atmosphere,
and be noticed and' made much of.' "

\\"re no\v arrive at the year 1812, ,vhich ,vill ever
be memorable in bibliographical annals on account
of the sale of the grand library of the Duke of
Roxburghe during forty-six days. The catalogue
was arranged hy 1\Iessrs. G. & \V. Nicol, and in
the preface \ve read-

"'Vhen literature was deprived of one of its warmest
admirers by the death of the Duke of Roxburghe, his
grace was in full pursuit of collecting our dramatic authors.
But when his collection of English plays is examined, and

15-+

PRICES OF BOOKS

the reader is informed that he had only turned his mind
to this class of literature for a few years, his indefatigable
industry will be readily adn1Ïtted."

1\1 r. Robert H. Evans, the bookseller of Pall
l\lall, \vas induced to con11nence the business of
auctioneer with his sale, and he continued to sell
by auction for over thirty years.
The Roxburghe library consisted of 10,120 lots,
which sold for [,23,397. Although one of the finest
libraries e\'er brought to the halnlner, the glory
of the rnajority of the books v{as eclipsed by the
Valdarfer Boccaccio, 1471, \vhich fetched [,2260, the
largest sum ever paid for a book up to that tilne.
I t has been said that the alnount of the Boccaccio
day's sale equalled \vhat had been given by the
Duke for the entire collection.!
Leigh & Sotheby sold in l\Iay 1812 the library of the
l\Iarquis To\vnshenc1, during sixteen days, for [,5745.
rrhe splendid library of Colonel Stanley \vas sold
by E"ans in April and l\Iay 1813, during eight days.
There \vere I 136 lots (or above 3000 vohllnes),
,vhich sold for [,8236. A unique copy of De Bry's
Voyages, \vith duplicates of parts x. and xi. and a
large nllll1ber of duplicate plates, bound in blue
n10rocco, sold for [,546. Brunet \vrote that at this
sale the thermometer of the bibliolnania reached its
highest point.
l'he library of Stanesby Alchorne, of the l\Iint,
,vas bought entire by Earl Spencer, \"ho sold at
Evans's, in 1813, the portion ,vhich he did not

1 Dibdin's " Reminiscences," vol. i. p. 369 (note).

ArCTION SALES IN NINETEEKTH CEKTURY 155
require, and added to the sale son1e of his o\\'n
duplicates. There ,vere only 187 lots in this sale,
and they sold for fI769.
Leigh & Sotheby sold the library of the Rev.
Isaac Gosset, a constant attendant on book-sales, in
1813 (the year after his death), during hventy-three
days. There \vere 57{0 lots, \vhich sold for f3 L tI.
Gosset (the Lepidus of Dibdin) ,vas much attached
to Richard Heber, \vhom he regarded as his pupil.
In this salne year (1813) the falnous l\Ierly library
(Ralph Willett) \vas sold by Leigh & Sotheby.
There ,vere seventeen days, and 2906 lots, ,vhich
sold for kI3,s08. It ,vas said at the time that if
ever there ,vas a unique collection this ,vas one.
A choice and slnall library of a \vell-kno\vn col-
lector (John Hunter) \vas sold in this san1e year by
Leigh & Sotheby, in a three days' sale, \yith 405 lots,
\vhich realised f 1344.
1Iessrs. I{ing & Lochée sold the library of John
Horne Tooke, 1813. There \\.ere four days, and
1813 lots, \vhich fetched f12S0.
In 1814 and 1815 the library of John To\vneley
\vas sold by Evans. Part I in June 1814, seven
days, 904 lots, alnount of sale fS890. Part 2, June
1815, ten days, 1703 lots, alnount of sale f2707, or
a total for the t\yO parts of f8S97' The rrO\\ïleley
11ysteries sold for f147. A sl11all relnaining portion
of the To\vl1eley library \yas sold by Evans in 1817.
:\Ir. rro,vneley's collection of dra\vings, prints,
books of prints, &c., \\Tas sold by 1Ir. l{ing in 1816
for fI4L.J., and a collection of the \\.orks of Hollar,
also by 11r. I(ing, in
Iay 1818 for h 2I08 .

.

15 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

In 1816 there \"ere several fine sales. Evans sold
Ed\vard Astle's library, \yhich occupied t,vo days'
sale, and consisted of 265 lots, realising L2366; Dr.
Vincent's, Dean of \Vestminster, library, in six days'
sale, 1 176 lots, ,yhich sold for L1390; and the library
of 1Iarshal J unot, ,\'hich consisted chiefly of books
printed on velluln-the 139 lots sold for L1397; but
this fact by itself is misleading, insomuch that the
books of ltlOre than half that value ,vere bought
in, viz., f779, lnaking those sold amount only to
f618.
1\Iessrs. Leigh & Sotheby sold in 1816 the library
of Prince Talleyrand, ,yhich ,vas described as B-ibl-io-
theca sþlend-issÙlla. There ,vere eighteen days' sale,
and the amount realised was L8399.
In this san1e year (1816) 1\Ir. J. G. Cochrane sold
the Gordonstoun library of Sir Robert Gordon.
It contained 2421 lots, occupying t\velve days in the
selling, and realising L 1539. This sale is specially
alluded to by 1\Ir. Hill Burton in his It Book-H unter"
as a remarkable exception to the rule that great
book-sales seldom "el11brace ancestral libraries
acculnulated. in old houses froln generation to
generation." This library "\vas begun by Sir
Robert Gordon, a 1\Iorayshire laird of the til11e of
the great civil ,vars of the seventeenth century.
He ,vas the author of the' History of the Earldoll\,
of Sutherland,' and a man of great political as
,veIl as literary account. He laid by heaps of the
pamphlets, placards, and other dOCUlnents of his
stormy period, and thus many a valuable morsel,
,vhich had other\vise disappeared froln the ,vorlcI,

AUCTION SALES IN XINETEE:\TTH CE
TURY 157
left a representative in the Gordonstoun collection.
I t was increased by a later Sir Robert, ,vho had the
reputation of being a \vizard. He belonged to one
of those terrible clubs froln ,vhich Satan is entitled
to take a victim annually; but ,,"hen Gordon's turn
came, he managed to get off ,vith lnerely the loss of
his.. shado\v."
\Villialn Roscoe's fine library ,vas also sold in
ISI6 by \Vinstanley of Liyerpool. There ,vere 19 15
lots, and fourteen days' sale, the alnount realised
being b5150.
It is ,vorthy of mention that in IS17 Evans sold
the library of Count BorrOlneo of Padua, and that
the books ,vere very fully described in the cata-
logue. In one instance a book ,vhich only sold
for half-a-cro\vn ,vas described in fourteen lines.
'"fhe catalogue of 32-4- lots occupied seventy-seven
octavo pages. The total proceeds of the sale \vere
k7 26 .
The cataloguing of the time was not affected by
this exalnple, and it \vas many years before full
descriptions ,vere given in sale catalogues. 11.
Libri's annotated catalogues of IS59-62 set the ne\v
fashion.
The book sales from this date become so very
numerous, that it is Ï1npossible in the space at our
disposal to register n10re than a fe\v of the lllost
Ï1nportant, and these Inust be recorded quite suc-
cinctly.
'"fhe sale of Edlnond l\Ialone's library at Sotheby's
in ISI8 occupied eight days, and hrought fI6{<).
'"fhe great sale hy Evans of J
l1nes Bindley's

15 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

library, \yhich \vas particularly rich in early English
literature, \vas spread over several years. Part I,
Deceluber 1818, t\velye days, 2250 lots, alnount of
sale f30-+6. Part 2, January 1819, t\velve days,
25 88 lots, al110unt realised f-+63I. Part 3, February
1819, eleyen days, 2321 lots [al11ount not given in
Evans's sale catalogues in the British 1\luseum.J
Part 4, August 1820, books, six days, 1132 lots,
amount f2253. [Part 5J omissions, January 1821,
five days, 1092 lots [no totals given].
Bindley's portraits, prints and dra\vings, and
luedals ,yere sold by Sotheby in 1819. Part 1,
Bindley Granger. Part 2, portraits. Part -3, prints
and dra,vings. [Part 4 J, lueda
s. These realised
f7 6 9 2 .
John North's library ,vas sold in 1819 by Evahs
in three parts. Part I, nine days, 1.-1-97 lots, f-+285.
Part 2, t\yelve days, 2175 lots, f5679. Part 3, four
days, 842 lots, f28-+2. Total, [,12,806.
Evans sold George \Vatson 1'aylor's library In
1823. Part I, six days, 965 lots, f3850. Part 2,
eight days, 1207 lots, [,..:J-926.
The great Fonthill Abbey sale (Beckford's collec-
tion) occurred in 1823. The sale occupied thirty-
seven days, of ,yhich t\venty ,vere taken up ,vith
the disposal of the library of 20,000 vohllnes. The
auctioneer \vas 1Ir. PhiUips of N e,v Bond Street,
and the place of sale ,vas the Abbey.
George Nassau's library \vas sold by Evans in
182-+. Part I, t\velve days, 2603 lots, [,4894. Part
2, eight days, 1661 lots, [,3611.
A still finer library than this \vas sold in the salne

AUCTION SALES I
NINETEENTH CENTURY 159
year by Evans, that of Sir 1\Iark 1\Iastennan Sykes,
Bart. Part I, eleyen days, 1676 lots, f9505. Part 2,
six days, 825 lots, 1;-+580. Part 3, eight days, 119 0
lots, ;[4644, making a total of 3691 lots, \vhich realised
fI8,7 2 9.
Ahl10st a riyal to this \vas the sale by Evans in
1827 of the library of John Dent, F.R.S. Part I,
nine days, 1502 lots, f6278. Part 2, nine days,
1474 lots, [87 62 . Totals, 297 6 lots, and k I 5,0-+0.
In 1827 the library of the Duke of .Y ork \vas sold
at Sotheby's for [5718.
The Earl of Guilford's library ,yas sold by Evans
in seven parts in the years 1828, 1829, 1830, and
1835. There \\'ere forty days and 851 I lots, and
the total amount realised \yas fI2,175. These totals
\\'ere Inade up as follo\vs :-Part I (1828), nine days,
17 88 lots, 1; 166 5. Part 2 ( 182 9), six days, 1459 lots,
1;1757. Part 3 ( 182 9), three days, 74 0 lots, 1;880.
1\Ianuscript (1830), five days, 679 lots, .f444I.
Library from Corfu: Part 1 (1830), five days, 112-+
lots, f998. Part 2 (1831), four days, 722 lots, f678.
Relnaining portion (1835), eight days, 1999 lots,
f 175 6 .
rrhe great sale of George Hibbert's library by
Evans \vas cOlnlnenced in 1829, forty-hvo clays'
sale,
79-+ lots, f6816.
Evans sold in 1831 the sn1all but fine library of
the Duchesse de Berri, ,vho is described on the
catalogue as an H Illustrious Foreign Personage."
There \vere five days, and 8-+6 lots, ,yhich realised
fS 160 .
In 1832 Evans sold the library of Philip H l1rd

160

PRICES OF BOOKS

for b5545. There ,vere 1464 lots, \vhich occupied
eight days in selling.
In this salne year the choicer portion of John
Broadley's library \yas sold, also by Evans. rrhere
,yere 589 lots in three days' sale, \yhich realised
[,2052. The second portion \yas sold during six
days in 1833, 1225 lots, ,yhich realised b3707.
Joseph Hasle\yood's library ,vas sold by Evans
in 1833. This ,yas an eight days' sale, consisting
of 1855 lots, which realised b247I. The amount
,vas probably more than the late proprietor expected,
as he said he \vould refuse a thousand pound cheque
in exchange for his books. Dibdin renlarks in his
It Reminiscences" on the fact that Hasle\vood ahvays
intended that his books should be sold by Sotheby.
He was in the habit of saying, It \Vhat ,vill Saln
Sotheby make of this or that after I am gone? "
In 1833 and 1834 the libra
y of P. A. Hanrott
,vas sold by Evans in five parts, and during forty-
seven days, for b22,409. There \vere 10,826 lots.
These totals are obtained as follo\vs :-Part I (1833),
Ì\yelve days, 2504 lots, b7487. Part 2 (1833), twelve
days, 2574 lots, [,5 16 1. Part 3 (183-1-), t\yelve days,
2753 lots, f57 2 7. Part 4 ( 18 34), six days, 14 8 9 lots,
[,28-1-5. Part 5 (1834), five days, 15 06 lots, [, 118 9.
The great sale of the library of Richard Heber
took place during the years 1834, 1835, and 18 3 6 .
1Ir. H. Foss has \\Titten the follo,ving totals for the
hyelve parts in a copy of the catalogue in the British
1\1 useum. T\vo hundred and Ì\\.O days of sale, 5 2 ,67 6
lots, 119,613 volumes, ,vhich sold for b56,774. The
proportionate total cost to 1Ir. Heber of the library

AUCTION SALES IN NINETEENTH CENTURY 161

is put at f77,750. The following are the particulars
of the various parts :-Part I, April and l\Iay 183.{,
sold by Sotheby & Son, t,venty-six days, 7-t-86 lots,
f5615. Part 2, June and July (Sotheby), t,venty-
five days, 6590 lots, f5958. Part 3, November
(Sotheby), seyenteen days, 5055 lots, f2116. Part
4, December, sold by R. H. Eyans, fifteen days,
3 06 7 lots, f724-8. Part 5, January and February
1835, sold hy B. \VheatIey, t,venty days, 5693 lots,
f2623. Part 6, l\Iarch and April (Evans), t\venty
days, -1-666 lots, f677I. Part 7, 1\Iay and June
(Evans), t\venty-one days, 6797 lots, f-t-035. Part
8, February and l\Iarch 1836 (Evans), hvelve days,
3 1 7 0 lots, f3955. Part 9, April (Sotheby), fourteen
days, 3218 lots, f6463' Part 10, l\Iay and June
(Sotheby), fourteen days, 3-t-90 lots, [,2117. Part I I,
manuscripts (Evans), ten days, 1717 lots, f8964.
Part 12, July (\Vheatley), eight days, 1727 lots,
f89-t-. Part 13 (and last) ,vas sold in February
1
37 by \VheatIey, six days, 155
lots, f780. 1'his
an10unt Inust be added to the totals of the t\velve
parts given above.
I n 1835 the relnarkable collection of Dr. I
loss
of Frankfort was sold by Sotheby & Son. It con-
tJ.ined lnany original and unpublished lnanuscripts
and printed books, ,vith 1\IS. annotations attributed
to Philip :\lelancthon. There \vere -t-682 lots, \\Thich
took hventy days to sell, and realised [,2261. The
catalogue "\vas the ,vork of San1uel Leigh Sothehy,
and he expended nluch labour upon it.
Evans sold in 1835 the fine library of the COlnte
de
oclilles, who is described in the catalogue as
L

162

PRICES OF BOOKS

II a distinguished collector." There ,vere 952 lots,
sold in five days for k3188.
The Hon. Baron (Sir Willialn) Bolland's library
,vas sold by Eyans .in 184-0. The sale consisted of
294-0 lots, and occupied thirteen days, realising
;;3019. In the next year ,vas sold, also by Eyans,
the library of Thol11as Hill (supposed to be the
original of Paul Pry), during seven days. There
\vere 168-+ lots, ,vhich brought k1424.
The library of George Chahners, F.R..S., was sold
by Evans in 1841 and 18..}2, and the catalogue ,yas
divided into three parts. Part 1, Septell1ber and
October 18-+1, nine days, 2292 lots, k2190. Part 2,
lVlarch 1842, six days, 15 1 4 lots, k I 9 18 . Part 3,
N ovell1ber 1842, eight days, 1966 lots, ;;2081.
Horace \Valpole's collections \vere sold at Stra\\'-
berry Hill by George Robins in April and l\Iay
18..}2, during hventy-four days. The first six days
,vere devoted to the sale of the library, ,vhich
consisted of 1555 lots, and realised k390o. It
,vas very badly catalogued, and the books and
books of prints, collection of portraits, &c., fonl1-
ing the seventh and eighth days' sale, \\Tere ,vith-
dra\vn, re-catalogued, and extended to a ten days'
sale.
The library of Lord Ber\vick ,vas sold at Sotheby's
in April and l\'1ay 18"}3 for k6726.
The great sale of the years 18.1-..} and 184-5, at
Evans's, \yas that of the extensive library of the
Duke of Sussex, ,vhich occupied sixty-one days in
selling, and consisted of 1-+, 107 lots. The total
alnount realised ,vas [19,1.+8. The sale was divided

AUCTION SALES IN NINETEEXTH CENTURY 163
into six parts, as follo\vs :-Part I, July 18++,
theology, hventy-four days, 555 I lots, f8_t-38. Part
2, July and August 18{4, manuscripts, four days,
5 10 lots, f3126. Part 3, August 18. t -t-, history, topo-
graphy, voyages and travels, six days, 1523 lots,
f2096. Part {, January and February J8. t S, Greek
classics, forcign history, &c., eleyen days, 26-1-1 lots,
f212I. Part 5, April and 1Iay 18. t S, poetry, dral11a,
polygraphy, Latin classics, belles-lettres, &c., t\velve
days, 2956 lots, f 26-+9, Part 6, August 18-1-S, four
days, 926 lots, f718.
The library of 1\lr. B. H. Bright \\9as sold at
Sotheby's in three diyisions in 18-+S, and the total
amoun t realised \vas f8997.
In 1849 ßIessrs. Southgate & Barrett tried the
experiment of selling the library of the Rev. H. F.
Lyte and J. \\/'.
I. Lyte in the eyening, but the
ne\\' departure (or rather, revival of an old practice)
did not 111eet ,vith approval, and the practice \vas
not follo\\"cd. There ,verc 4368 lots, and the sale
occupied seyenteen eyenings.
In this saIne year the ,,'orIel ,vas startled by the
dispersion of the Duke of Buckinghaln's property at
Sto\\"e House, and l\Iessrs. Sotheby sold the library
during t\venty-four days. 1'here ,vere 621 I lots, and
the total alnount realised for library and prints \\Tas
fl-+,IS5. rrhe Sto,ve 1\IS8. ,vere sold by private
contract to the Earl of Ashburnhau1 for f8000.
Since this tÌ1ne the sale of great libraries fron1 the
old falnily lnansions have been so ntlll1erOllS, that
little surprise is felt ,vhen another is added to the
long list.

16 4

PRICES OF BOOKS

l\lessrs. Sotheby sold in 1851 the library of
Granville Penn, during six days, for f78-+5; in 1851
the library of E. V. Otterson, during eight days, for
k549-+; in 18 53 the library of Da\vson Turner for
k4562, and that of Baron Taylor for 1:4087; in
1854 the private library of \\7illian1 Pickering for
f10,70o; in 1857 the library of the Earl of Shre\vs-
bury for k3250.
Behveen 1859 and 1864 \vere sold at Sotheby's the
various portions of the library of 1\lons. Gulielmo
Libri. The 1176 lots of manuscripts \vere sold in
eight days of l\Iarch and April 1859, and realised
[6783. The II choicer portion" of the library ,vas
sold in August of the same year, thirteen days, 2824
lots, 1:8822.
In 1861 the mathematical and general library
,vas sold. Part I, A to L, twelve days, 4335 lots,
f 13-1-9. Part 2, 1\1 to Z, eight days, lots -+336 to
7 268 , f 8 77.
The II reserved portion" ,vas sold in ] uly 1862,
during four days. The nUlnber of lots ,vas 713, and
these sold for the in11nense snn1 of k 10,328, or an
average of over k 14 per lot.
The library of l\IÏss Richardson Currer ,vas sold
at Sotheby's in 1862, during ten days, for k5984.
In July 186-+ ,vas sold by Sotheby, Wilkinson, and
Hodge the extrelnely interesting library of George
Daniel, \vhich \vas specially rich in old English
literature, and remarkable for the superb collection
of Shakespeare folios and quartos. The sale occu-
pied ten days, and realised k I 5, 86 5.
At the same auction rooms \vere sold in 1865 the

AUCTION SALES IN NINETEENTH .CENTURY 165
library of J. B. Nicholl, in two parts, for f6175; in
1867 the library of Sir Charles Price for fS8S8;
and in 1868 the library of l\Iacready, the actor,
for f1216.
In 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1873 ,yere sold at
Sotheby's eight portions of the unique poetical
library of the Rev. T. Corser, ,vhich realised
f I 9,7 8 I.
The library, engravings, and autographs of John
Dillon ,vere sold by the salne finn in 1869, during
t,velve days, for f870o.
The library of Lord Selsey \"as sold in 1872 for
f47S7.
rrhe sale in 1873 by 1\Iessrs. Gadsden, Ellis & Co.,
at Han\vorth Park, of the grand library of Henry
Perkins created a sensation. The late o,vner had
been a purchaser at the time of the bibliomaniacal
fever after the Roxburghe sale, and for years the
library was practically forgotten, so that the oppor-
tunity afforded to book-collectors of purchasing its
choice rarities calne as a surprise. The four days'
sale realised f2s,95-t-.
In 187-t- the choice library of Sir Willian1 Tite ,vas
sold at Sotheby's, during sixteen clays, for fI9,9-t-3.
The salne fin11 sold the library of the Rev. C. H.
Crauford, during five days, in July 1876 for f6229.
In 1878 i\lessrs. Sotheby sold the very choice
collection of books and lniniatures fonned by
Ir.
J. T. Payne, of the finn of Payne & Foss, \vhich
realised f28-t-3, or about fl6 per lot, the day's sale
consisting of only 117 lots.
In 1879, 1880, and 1881 the fine library of Dr. David

166

PRICES OF BOOKS

Laing, of the Signet Library, Edinburgh, was sold
at Sotheby's in four portions, ,vhich realised a total
of kI6,S36, the first part alone making kI3,288.
A portion of the library of Cecil Dunn Gardner
,vas sold in June 1880 at Sotheby's, during six days,
for k{734. The same finn sold in 1881 a portion
of the Earl of Clare's library for k2130, a portion
of Lord Halnpton's library for k3539, and a portion
of the library of G. L. Way for f232{; Daniel
Gurney's library, four days, k1687; library of a
collector (l\Ir. Gulston), f1173.
N ever before has there been, and probably never
again ,vill there be, t\VO such remarkable sales as
those of the Sunderland and Beckford libraries at
the salne time. The Sunderland library, the sale
of \yhich ,vas cOlnn1enced by 1\Iessrs. Puttick and
SÏ1npson in Decelnber 1881, ,yas fOflned by Charles,
third Earl of Sunderland, ,vho died on 19th April
1722, and \vas transferred frOll1 the Earl's house
in Piccadilly in 1733, ,vhen Charles, fifth Earl of
Sunderland, beCall1e Duke of l\Iarlborough. Suc-
cessive Dukes of 1\Iarlborough added a fe,v books
to the library, but it is note,vorthy, as ,ve turn over
page after page of the cata]ogue, ho,v seldoln ,ye
COlne upon a book published since 1722. On the
1st of Decelnber a large cOlnpany ,vas gathered in
the faI110us auction-rooln in Leicester Square, to
\yatch the progress of \vhat promised to be one of
the lnost remarkable sales of n10dern tÍlnes. SOlne
of those ,vho forlned this cOlnpany ,,,ere to become
duellists in the fight over the treasures arranged
upon the shelves round the room, for the fight for the

AUCTIO
SALES IN NINETEENTH CENTURY 167
chief lots ahvays resolyed itself into a duel in the end.
Tllose \vho expected the books to Blake a distin-
guished external appearance \verOe disappointed, for
more than a century's occupation of the great library
at BlenheÏ1n, \\
ith a scorching sun beating do\vn upon
the backs of the books from the huge ,vindo,vs, had
destroyed a large proportion of the bindings. \Vhen
the sale opened it ,vas seen that prices \vould rule
high; but at the saIne tilne, the character of the
library, ,vhich contained 111any books no\\" hope-
lessly out of fashio'n, "Tas lnarked by the sudden
drop in the prices from hundreds of pounds to a
shilling or so, soon again to rise to hundreds of
pounds. 1\Ir. Quaritch ,vas the hero of the sale,
and after hiln the chief combatants ,vere l\Ir. F. S.
Ellis and 1\1. Techener, ,yhile 1\Ir. Henry Stevens,
1\Ir. Pearson, l\Iessrs. Pickering, l\Iessrs. 1\Iorgand
and Fatout, and SOllie others Inacle a good fight for
the lots they required. As the bids of h 10 and
up,vards \vent on rapidly till hlooo-in some cases
IllOre-\Vere reached, the excited faces of those
around fOflned a sight "
orth seeing, for fe\v could
resist the excitellient, ,vhich found yent in applause,
\\"hen the lot \vas knocked do\vn.
Part I, DeCell1ber 1881, realisecl hI9,373. Part 2,
April 1882, h937 6 . Part 3, July, h7792. Pari {,
N ovelnber, h 10, 129. Each of these parts COll-
sisted of ten days' sale. Part 5 (and last), l\Iarch
1883, contained eleven days' sale, and realised f9908.
1'he lots \yere llulnbered throughout the parts, -and
alnounted to 13,858. The total alllount realised by
the sale ,vas h56,S81, 6s.

168

PRICES OF BOOKS

When the sale ,vas concluded l\Ir. Quaritch made
a short speech appropriate to the occasion, and said
that II This ,,,as the most \vonderfullibrary that had
been sold by auction in the present century. Fine
as the Hamilton library ,vas he could form another
like it to-lnorro,v, but nothing like the Sunderland
library \vould be seen again as a private collection.
He held its founder in the highest respect and
gratitude."
On the 30th of June 1882 the sale of the beautiful
library of William Beckford ,vas commenced at
Sotheby's by l\'Ir. Hodge. The books were in the
finest condition, and in consequence they fetched
very high prices. l\1r. Henry Bohn, ,vriting to
The TÙlles at the con11nencement of this sale, said
that Beckford ,vas the greatest book enthusiast he
evcr kne\v. He ,vas a great collector of II Aldines
and other early books bearing the insignia of celc-
brities, such as Francis I., Hei1ri et Diane, and Dc
Thou, and especially of choice old morocco bind-
ings by Deseuil, Pasdeloup, and Derolne." l\Ir.
Bohn further said that after Beckford's death, and
,vhile the books ,vere still at Bath, the Duke of
Han1ilton, Beckford's son-in-la\v, ,vished to sell the
,,,hole library. 1\Ir. Bohn offered k30,000, payable
within a \veek; but although the Duke \vould ,viIl-
ingly have accepted the offer, the Duchess \vould
not agree to the sale of her father's books. l\Ir.
Bohn estimated that the library ,vas no\v \\'orth
k50,ooo. It actually- sold for [,73,551. Part I,
June and July 1882, consisted of t,velve days' sale
and 3197 lots, which realised k3I,516. Part 2,

AUCTION SALES IN NINETEENTH CENTURY 169

December, hvelye days, 2732 lots, 1;22,340. Part 3,
July 188 3, hvelve days, 27 81 lots, f 12,85 2 . Part 4
(and last), K ovember, four days, 1127 lots, 1;68-1-3,
The total number of lots in the forty days' sale ,vas
9 8 37.
The library collected by the Duke of HalniIton
<,vhen ßlarquis of Douglas) at the same tilDe as
Beckford ,vas adding to his o,yn, \yas sold by
l\Iessrs. Sotheby, V\Tilkinson & Hodge during eight
days of 1\Iay 188-1-. There ,vere 2136 lots, \vhich
realised f 12,89 2 . The most valuable portion of
the HalniIton library ,vas the collection of lnatch-
less manuscripts, which ,vere kept distinct frOll1
the printed books, and sold to the German Govern-
men t.
During the years that the ßlenheÏ1ll and Hamilton
Palace librarics ,vere selling l11any valuable sales
took place, and since then there have been a great
nun1bcr of fine libraries dispersed. \Ve have only
space to 111ention shortly a fe,v of these; but \vith
respect to the last ten years there is the less need
for a full list, in that a valuable record of sales is
given in the annual vohllnes of Slater's H Book
Prices Current," and Tel11ple Scott's" Book Sales."
1"'he il11portant topographical library of J alnes
COlnerford ,vas sold by Sotheby, \\Tilkinson, and
Hodge in 1881. 'fhere ,vere 4318 lots, in thirteen
days' sale, \yhich realised f8327.
In 1882 the library of Frederic Ouvry, P.S.A.,
\vhich consisted of 1628 lots, in a six days' sale,
\vas sold at Sotheby's for 1;6169; and the choice
library of a gentlell1an, f3366.

17 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

In l\Iarch 1882 ,vas sold a portion of the Right
Hon. A. J. B. Beresford-Hope's library (hyo days,
[,23 16 ), and further portions ,vere sold in 1892.
The Stourhead heirloon1s (Sir Richard Colt
Hoare) \yere sold at Sotheby's in July 1883, eight
days, 1971 lots, [,10,028.
The To,yneley Hall library, consisting of 281510ts,
in an eight days' sale, realising .b4616, and the
To\yneley Hall l11anuscripts (hvo days, 235 lots,
[,-t- 0 5-t-) \\Tere both sold in June 1883 at Sotheby's,
as ,yas also the Drake library (four days, [,3 2 7 6 ).
In 1884 \vere sold at Sotheby's the library of
Francis Bedford, bookbinder (five days, 1551 lots),
for [,4867, and the Syston Park library of Sir
John Hayford Thorold, Bart. (eight days, 2110 lots),
[,28,001.
The Earl of Gosford's library ,vas sold by Puttick
and Silnpson in 188+, eleven days, 3363 lots,
1;11,3 18 .
I t is curious to COln pare the sale of a library such
as Beckford's \vith one like James Crossley. Both
,vere great collectors, and possessed many dainties;
but ,vhilst the forlner ,vas particular as to condition,
,vith the consequence that his books fetched high
prices, the latter ,vas regardless of this, and neces-
sarily his sold for small SU111S.
One portion of Crossley's library ,vas sold at
l\Ianchester by F. Tholnpson & Son (seven days,
2682 lots), but other hyo parts \yere dispersed in
London by Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge. Part 1
(1884), seven days, 2824 lots. Part 2 (r885), nine
days, 3 11 9 lots, [-t-095.

AUCTION SALES IN NI
ETEENTH CENTURY 17 1

The fine library of the Earl of Jersey at Osterley
Park ,,,as sold by Sotheby's in 1\Iay 1885 for
:613,007; ,,,here also ,vas sold, in the foIlo,ying
Inonth, the library of the Rev. J. F. Russell for
:6 86 82.
In 1885 the sale of the lniscellaneous but valuable
library of Leonard La\vrie Hartley ,yas conllnenced
by l\1essrs. Puttick & Sitnpson. Part 1 (1885) con-
sisted of 2-+75 lots, occupying ten days in the selling,
,,,hich realised [9636. Part 2 (1886), ten days' sale
of 2582 lots, :65258. Part 3 (1887), eight days' sale
of 2937 lots, :6 16 35.
In January 1886 ,,,as sold the library of l\1r. \V od-
hull, :6 11,972; and in N ovelnber of the salne year
Ed\vard Solly's, F.R.S., :615
.J4'
A selection froln the Inagnificent library of the
Earl of Cra\vford ,vas sold at Sotheby's in 1887
and 1889. Portion 1 (1887), ten days, 2146 lots,
realis
d :619,073. Portion 2 (1889), four days, 1105
lots, :6932-+.
l\1essrs. Sotheby, \Vilkinson & Hodge in 1887
and 1888 sold the ahnost equally fine library of
1\1r. Jalnes T. Gibson-Craig. First portion (1887),
ten days, 2927 lots, realised :66803. Second portion
(1888), fifteen clays, 536-+ lots, :67907. 1'hirc1 portion
(1888), three days, :6809. The total al110unt realised
for the three portions "'as :6 15,50<).
A choice portion of Baron SeiIlière's library \vas
sold in February 1887 (I -J.-J.o lots, :61-+,9+-1-), A
second portion \vas after,vards sold in Paris.
In 1888 ì\Iessrs. Christie, 1\1anson & \Voods sold
the library of th
Earl of ..\ylesford (:610,57-+); and

.

17 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

the \\Tilnpole library, ,vhich fonnerly belonged to
Lord Chancellor Hard\vicke (['32{-t).
In the same year the beautiful library of 1\1r. R.
S. Turner \vas sold at Sotheby's. Part I, June 1888,
t\velve days, 2999 lots, :6 13,370. Part 2, November
1888, fourteen days, :6287{. The total alnount
realised for the \vhole library "'as :616,244.
11r. Turner sold in Paris in 1878 a previous col-
lection of books in 774 lots, \vhich realised the large
SUln of 319,100 francs (:612,764).
In February 1889 ,vere sold at Sotheby's the Earl
of Hopetoun's library of 1263 lots for :66117, and
that of R. D. Dyneley, :63084. At the same auction
roolns, and in the saIne year, ,vere sold the library
of John 1\Iansfield 1\lackenzie of Edinburgh, remark-
able for a large number of illustrated editions of
modern authors, 2 I 68 lots, in an eight days' sale,
:67 0 7 2 ; and that of J. O. Halli\\'ell Phillipps, four
days, 1291 lots, ['2298.
Also at Sotheby's in 1889 ,vere sold the libraries
of Frederick Perkins (2086 lots, :68222); the Duke
of Buccleuch (selection), 1012 lots, :63705; \V. D.
Sahnond, :62557.
In the follo\ving year Tholnas Gaisford's library
,vas sold at Sotheby's (eight days, 2218 lots, :69236);
also that of Frederick \\Tillian1 Cosens (Ì\velve days,
4995 lots, :6557 1 ); that of Sir Ed,vard Sullivan
(choicer portion), :611,002; that of Frank 1\larshall
(six days, 1937 lots, f 2187); that of Alexander
Young, :62238; and that of T. H. Southby,
:6 22 4I.
In 1891 \\Tere sold the libraries of Cornelius Paine

AUCTION SALES IN NINETEENTH CENTURY 173

(f3 6 77); Ed\yard Hailstone of Walton Hall :-Part
I, ten days, 2728 lots, f4738. Part 2, eight days,
2904 lots, f4252 (total, f899I); \\T. H. Cra\vford
of Lakelands, county Cork, t\veh'e days, 3-+28 lots,
f21,255; J. Anderson Rose, f2-+50; and Lord Bra-
bourne, four days, 11-+9 lots, f 20 4 2 .
The remainder of Lord Brabourne's library \vas
sold by 1\Iessrs. Puttick & Sitnpson in 1893 (three
days, 995 lots, f I0 5 8 ).
In 1892 ,vere sold the libraries of John \"Ving-
field Larking (three days, 946 lots, f3925); of
Ed\vin Henry La,vrence (four days, 860 lots,
f7409); of Joshua H. Hutchinson (832 lots,
f2377); of Count Louis Apponyi, f3363; and of
"a gentleman deceased" (-t18 lots, f24II)-all at
Sotheby's.
In 1893 \vere sold at Sotheby's the Batelnan
heirloolns (\V. & T. Bateman), six days' sale, 1840
lots, f7296; of Ho\vard Wills, f8204; and of H.
G. I
eid, :Í3-+66; of Fred Burgess (dralnatic library),
[1558; also selected portion of the Auchinleck
library, f2525. At the saIne rOOlns the sale of the
Rev. W. E. Buckley's library ,vas commenced.
Part I, ten days, 355 2 lots, f4669. The second
part \vas sold in April 1893, t\velve days, 4266 lots,
f-+751. The total alnount realised by the hvo sales
,vas f 9-+ 20 .
A choice collection of books \vas sold by Sotheby
in 1894, viz., the library of Birket Foster, 1361 lots,
f5 1 9 8 .
In 1895 \vere sold at Sotheby's the libraries of
l\Ions. John Gennadius, eleven days, 3222 lots,

17-+

PRICES OF BOOKS

[5466; of Baron Larpent, [2630; of T. B. F.
Hildyard, [-+165; of the Earl of Orford, two days,
3-+0 lots, [2609; of the Rev. W. J. Ble\v (liturgical),
[2220; and of Dr. Hyde Clarke, [2598.
The library of the Rev. W. Bentinck L. Ha,v-
kins, F.I
.S., ,vas sold at Christie's in the salne
year. First portion, three days, 747 lots, [1176.
Second portion, hvo days, -+71 lots, [833. Third
and final portion, one day, 252 lots, [894. At the
same rOOlns the library of \Villiain Stuart, 215 lots,
[4 2 9 6 .
The sales at Sotheby's in 1896 \vhich realised
[2000 and up,vards ,yere those of John Tudor
Frere, [3747; Sir \V. Pole, [43-1-3; Adrian Hope,
[3551; Lord Coleridge, [28.-1-5; Sir Tholnas
Phillipps (l\ISS.), [6988; Sir E. H. Bunbury,
[2965, Lord Batelnan, f2151 ; Alfred Crarnp!on,
[2492; fine bindings of a col1ector, 1;3613;
books and 1\ISS. fron1 various collections, [8554.
rrhe chief sa]es at Sotheby's in 1897 haye been as
follows :-Sir Charles Ste\vart Forbes and others,
five days, [5146; Beresford R. Heaton and others,
three days, [405-+; Sir Cecil Don1vil1e and others,
four days, [5289.
The great sales, ho,vever, of 1897 ,\Tere those of
the first and second portions of the library of the
Earl of Ashburnhan1. In the first part 1683 Jots
,yere sold for [30,151, and in the second part 1208
lots for [18,649.

ALCTIO
SALES IX r\IXETEEXTH CEXTURY 173

LIST OF BOOK SALES IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
WHICH HA YE REALI SED OYER L 10,000.

1812.
18 I 3.
1818-2 I.
181 9.
182 5.
182 7.
1828-35.
18 33-34.
] 83-l-3 6 .
18 44-45.
18-l9.
18 53,
18 59- 6 4.
1 86-t-.
1868-73,
18 73'
18 7 -l.
18 7 8 .
I 879-8 I.
1881- 8 3.
1882- 8 3.
I 88-t-.
I 883.
1884.
I 88.t.
188 5.
188 5- 8 7.
1886.

188 7.
188 7- 8 9.
1887-88.

Duke of Roxburghe .
Ralph 'Yillett (
Ierly)
J an1es Brindley
John North
Sir ßIark ?\Iastern1an Sykes
John Dent
Earl of Guilford
P. A. Hanrott .
Richard Heber
Duke of Sussex
Duke of Buckinghao1 (Stowe) .
,,
. Pickering (private library)
Gulielmo Libri
George Daniel
Rev. T. Corser
Henry Perkins
Sir \ Yilliao1 Tite
R. S. Turner (Paris)
David Laing
Sunderland (Blcnheio1)
\Yillimll Beckford
Duke of Hamilton
Stourhead (Hoare)
Earl of Gosford
Sir J. H. Thorold (Syston Park)
Earl of Jersey (Osterley Park) .
L. L. Hartley .
F. C. Severne, :ßLP. (
Iichael
"Todhull) .
Baron Seillière
Earl of Crawford
J. T. Gibson-Craig .

lYi'er

L 23,397
13,5 08
17,5 22
12,806
18, ï 29
15,0-l0
12, 175
22,4 0 9
56, 7 7 -t-
19, 1-t- 8
14, I 5 5
10,7 00
28,159
15, 86 5
19,78 I
25,954
19,9-t-3
12,j 6 -t-
16,53 6
56,58 I
73,55 I
12,89 2
10,028
11,3 18
28,000
13,007
16,5 2 9

11,97 2
14,944
26,397
15,5 1 9

17 6

1888.
1888.
188 9.

18 9 0 .
18 91.
18 97.
18 97.

PRICES OF BOOKS

L 10,574
16,244

Earl of Aylesford .
R, S. Turner .
1\ISS. from the Duke of Hamilton's
collection (bought privately by
the Berlin Government) .
Sir Edward Sullivan
,V. H. Crawford (Lakelands)
Earl of ...\shburnham, Part 1 .
Earl of Ashburnham. Part 2 .

IS, I 89
I 1,002
21,255
3 0 ,15 1
. 18,649

I t is ,vorthy of notice in the aboye list that the
amounts realised for the Heber and Sunderland
sales ,vere altnost identical, ,vhile the totals of the
Halnilton Palace libraries ,vere larger than those
for any other English sale, viz., [86,543 (Beckford,
[73,551; Duke of Hamilton, [12,892).
In these tota]s the sales of booksellers' stocks
have not been recorded, because they do, not sell
so ,,?ell as priyate libraries, o,,?ing to a rather absurd
itnpressiol1 in the lninds of buyers that the rarer
books \vould haye sold out at the shops had they
been of special yalue; but it 111ay be noted here
that the stock of 1\Iessrs. Payne & Foss ,vas sold in
three portions in 1850 for [8645 (certainly luuch
less than its worth) by Sotheby, ,,,ho sold in
1868-70-72 1\Ir. Henry G. Bohn's stock, in three
parts, for [13,333, and 1\1r. Lilly's in 18 7 1 and 1873,
in five parts, for [13,080. In 1873 1\lr. T. H. Lacy's
stock of theatrical portraits and books \yere sold at
Sotheby's for fSI57.
1\1r. F. S. Ellis's stock ,vas sold in
ovel11ber 1885
for [15,996, and 1\Ir. Tooyey's in February 1893 for
[7 0 9 0 . The latter's sporting books realised [1031.

ACCTIO
SALES IN XINETEENTH CENTURY 177
I t is yery lnuch the fashion no\v to average the
alnounts realised at auctions, and to point out that
at such a sale the alnount obtained \vas about fIO
or lnore per lot. This is a useful generalisation so
far as it goes, hut further information is required to
enable the reader to obtain a correct idea of value.
'I'he generalisation is useful in regard to a lnass
of sales; thus ,ve lnay say broadly, that in the
last century the ordinary large and good libraries
averaged about f I per lot, ,vhile in the present
century they average at least f2 per lot.
A
ll1all and select library ,vill naturally ayerage
a 111uch higher alnount than a large library, in
\\Thich Inany conllnonplace books lnust be in-
cluded. These averages, ho,vever, \vill not help
us very lnuch to understand the relative value of
libraries.-
For instance, at the Sunderland sale SOlne lots
sold for enonnous sums, \yhile a large nun1ber fell
for a fe\v shillings; but at the Han1Ï1ton Palace sales
(\Villiam Beckford and the Duke of Halnilton)
nearly every lot ,yas of value, and although indi-
vidual lots did not reach the SU111S realised at the
Sunderland sale, the total \\Tas lnuch larger. As an
instance of ,vhat is lneant, ,ve lnay quote from the
notice of the Ashburnhan1 sale in the TÙlles-

"The 1683 lots realised a grand total of ..-630,151, 10S.,
which works out at an average of as nearly as possible
..-6 18 per lot. Hitherto the highest average was obtained
by the disposal in 188..). of the Syston Park library, where
2 I 10 lots brought..-6 28,000, or ..-613, 5s. per lot, the next
highest average being that of the Scillièrc library, sold in
1\1

.

17 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

1887,1140 lots realisingJ:14,944, or about;613, 2S. per
lot. It is scarcely fair, however, to compare the Ashburn-
ham collection with either of these two libraries, as the
Seillière was admittedly only the choice portion of the
asselnblage of the baron, whilst nearly every lot in the
Syston Park library was of importance. Eliminating fron1
the Ashburnham collection the hundreds of lots which
realised less than ;6 I each, the average would be nearer
...(40 than .;[ 18."

This is all very ,veIl in its ,yay, but one lot
fetched ;[4000, and such an amount ,vould de-
lnoralise any ayerage. Let us therefore see \"d1at
are the particular points ,yorthy of notice in the
SUlns making up this large total of ;[30,151. We
find that five lots realised [1000 and over each,
and including these five lots, forty-hvo ,yere over
[100 each. N o\\? the total for these forty-hvo lots
is [20,348, \vhich, if ,ve deduct from the grand
total, leaves 1641 lots for [9803, bringing our
average do,vn considerably.
This is not perhaps a quite fair systeln of strik-
ing an average, but it sho\vs better ho,v the prices
of the books are distributed.

CHAP'I'ER VIII

PRICES OF EARLY PRI
TED BOOKS

IT is impossible in the follo\ying chapters to do
lnore than select SOlne of the chief cla
ses of valu-
able books in order to indicate the changes that
have taken place in the prices. It \\yill be noticed
that the great enhancen1ent of prices ,,,hich is so
lnarked a feature of the present age cOlnlnenced
about the beginning of the present century.
Bibliomania can scarcely be said to have existed
in the seventeenth century, but it COlnlnenced in
the n1iddle of the next century, ,vhen the 1\Iead
library ,vas sold. Still it attracted little attention
until the sale of thc Roxburghe library in 1812,
\yhen it had becolne a po\\yer. In the lniddle of
the present century there \vas a dull titne, but
during the last quarter the succession of sales realis-
ing one, h\'o, and three thousand pounds ha\ye been
continuous, ,vith occasional sales realising l11uch
largcr alnounts. Great changes have occurred at
different times in the taste of coll
ctors for certain
classes of books.
\Ve may obtain a good idea of the public taste
in books by ancLlysing a list of the highest prices
obtained at three such representative sales as the
179

180

PRICES OF BOOKS

Sunderland, the HanliIton Palace, and the Ash-
burnhalll libraries.
At the first of these the largest prices \\.ere ob-
tained for the first editions of Bib]es, classics,
I talian poets, &c.; at the second, fine bindings
took the lead; and at the third, Bibles and Cax-
tons, and other early literature occupied the first
place.
All these classes are dealt ,yith in the follo,,,ing
chapters. In the present one, the 1110st itnportant
alnong the early Bibles, the first editions of the
classics, and early Italian literature are recorded.
These are an10ng the chief of those books ,vhich
have been steadily rising for years, and no,v stand
at enonnous prices.
I t is not safe to prophesy, but there is no reason
to doubt that if riches continue to increase these
prices ,vill also advance. As these books are placed
in great libraries they naturally becolne scarcer
each year. \\Te 111ust, ho,yever, ah\Tays bear in
111ind that the nUlnber of libraries and individuals
,,,ho can afford to spend thousands of pounds on
single books are fe\v, and if they are reduced, those
,,,ho remain in the field are likely to get books
cheaper.
\Vhile the first editions of the classics \\.ill pro-
bably ahvays keep up their price, later editions
have experienced a fall frolll \vhich they are neyer
likely to recover. Scholarship and kno,vledge of
lnanuscripts have so greatly advanced, that Inany
of the old high-priced editions are no'v hope-
lessly out of date, and good German texts, ,\'hich

PRICES OF EARLY PRI
TED BOOKS 181

can he obtained at a fe\v shillings, are naturally
preferred.
The Del phin and Oxford classics, \vhich ,vere
once so much sought after, have now sunk to a
comparatively lo\v price. The large paper copy of
Dr. Salnuel Clarke's edition of II Cæsar" (2 vols. itnp.
folio, 1712), of \vhich only hventy-five copies ,vere
printed, \vas once a high priced book. The Duke
of Grafton's copy fetched f6-t-, and Topham Beau-
clerk's f4-t-. There is a story connected ,vith the
latter, \vhich should be noted. Beauclerk gave four
guineas for his copy to the lnother of a deceased
officer, the sun1 she asked, hut \vhen he ,vas after-
,vards told by his bookseller that it \vas \vorth
seventeen guineas, he sent the additional thirteen
guineas to the lady. Certainly the Sunderland copy
fetched fl0l in 1881, but this \vas a special case,
owing to the connection of the great Duke of :\Iarl-
borough \vith the book. The Duke of Hall1ilton's
copy, \vhich had belonged to Louis XIV., sold in
1884 for f36; but Beckford's copy, bound in red
morocco, only brought f6.
l
lock books are of such excessive rarity that they
have ahvays been high priced, but like the earliest
books printed froln lnovable types, they have greatly
increased in value of late years. This is seen in the
case of the copy of the second edition of the Bib/ia
Pauþeru.lIl, \vhich fetched fl0S0 at the Earl of
Ashburnham's sale. rrhis same copy brought f2S7
at \\Tillett's sale, but at Hanrott's the price fell to
the sn1all an10unt of f36, ISS.
rfhe follo\ving are SOlne of the prices that those

182

PRICES OF BOOKS

n1agnificent books-the l\Iazarin Bible and the first
Bible \vith a date-have realised :-

Biblia Sacra Latina (l\1oguntiæ, Gutenberg et Fust, circa
145 0 -55) :-
On vellum-G. & 'V. Nicols, 1825, .;[504 (l\1essrs.
Arch for H. Perkins). H. Perkins, 1873, .;[3400.
Earl of Ashburnham, 1897, .;[4000,
On þaþer-Sykes, 1824, .;[199, 10S. (H. Perkins).
Hibbert, 1829, .;[2 15. Bishop of Cashel, 1858,
.;[595. H. Perkins, 1873, .;[2690. Thorold
(Syston Park), .;[3900. Earl of Gosford, 1884
(vol. i. in original binding), .;[500. Earl of
Crawford, 1887, .;[2650. Earl of Hopetoun,
1889 (one leaf injured, and slightly wormed),
.;[ 2000.
Biblia Sacra Latina (1\Ioguntiæ, Fust et Schoeffer,
1462) [first Latin Bible with a date] ;-
On vellu1/l-
Duc de la Valliere, 4085 francs,
Count l\facCarthy, 4750 francs.
'Vatson Taylor, 1823, .;[215.
Dent, 182 7, .;[173.
H. Perkins, 18 73, .;[780.
Earl of Crawford, 1887, .;[ 102 5.
The Lamoignon copy, bought by 1\1r. Cracherode for
250 guineas, is now in the British Museum.
Sunderland, 188 I, .;[ 1600. Thorold,.;[ I 000.
The Latin Version of the Psalms, in its second edition,
by Fust and Schoeffer, 1459 (printed on vellun1),
sold at Sykes's sale for .;[ [36, 10S. At the Syston
Park sale (Thorold) it brought .;[4950, a greater
price even than has been given for the 1\1azarin
Bible, It has been erroneously stated that this was
the J\1acCarthy copy, which was sold in 18 I 5 for

S3.n1e copy.

PRICES OF EARLY PRINTED BOOKS 183
3350 francs. The MacCarthy copy was bought by
Hibbert, and at his sale in 1829 it became the pro-
perty of Baron \Vestreenen. 1
Biblia Latina, folio Venetiis (N. Jenson), 1476, printed on
vellun1, capital letters illuminated, in red morocco,
sold at the l\Ierly sale for ;/;168. Beckford copy
(supposed to be the same copy) sold in 1882 for
;/;330. H. Perkins, 1873, ;/;290.
The first edition of the Bible in English (translated by
Coverdale), 1535 (with some leaves mended), was
sold at the Earl of Ashburnham's sale for ;/;820.
Dent's copy ;/;89 in 1827 (title and two leaves in
facsimile). Freeling's copy, ;/;34, 10S. in 1836.
Dunn Gardner's, 1854 (with title and one leaf in
facsimile), ;/;365. H. Perkins, 1873 (title and two
leaves in facsimile), ;/;400. Earl of Crawford's
(imperfect), ;/;226.
The first edition of Tyndale's New Testament (1526)
sold in Richard Smith's sale, 1682, for 6s. Ames
bought the Harleian copy for 15s. This was sold at
Ames's sale, 1760, to John \Vhite for ;/; 15, 14S. 6d.
It was sold by 'Vhite to the Rev. Dr. Gifford for
twenty guineas, and bequeathed by Gifford, with the
rest of his library, to the Baptists' library at Bristol.
The Complutensian Polyglot (6 vols. folio, 15 14-17) is
said to have cost Cardinal Ximenes ;/;40,000. Six
hundred copies were printed. The following prices
have been paid for the one vellum copy in the
market, and for some paper copies :-
Three Oil vellulIl-( I) Royal Library, l\Iadrid j (2)
l
oyal Library, rrurin j (3) supposed to have

1 F.
orgate, in TIle Library, vol. iii. p. 329.

I8-t-

PRICES OF BOOKS

been reserved for the Cardinal. Pinelli, 17 8 9,
.1:4 8 3, bought by 1\lacCarthy. MacCarthy, 1817
;[,676 (16,000 francs), bought by Hibbert. Hib-
bert, 182 9, ;[,525.
On þaþer-Harleian copy, sold by Osborne for ;[,42.
Maittaire's imperfect copy sold for 50S. Sunder-
land, ;[,195. Earl of Crawford, 1887 (general
title wanting), ;656. Beresford Hope, 1882,
};166. 'V. H. Crawford (Lakelands), 1891,
;/; 100.

'"

The vellum copy sold in the Pinelli sale was, according
to Dibdin, taken to Dr. Gosset when on a bed of
sickness, in the hopes that the sight might work a
cure on that ardent book-lover. 1

John Brocario, son of Arnoldus Brocario, the printer of
this polyglot, when a lad, was deputed to take the
last sheets to the Cardinal. He dressed himself in
his best clothes, and delivered his charge into
Ximenes' hand, who exclaimed, "I render thanks
to Thee, 0 God, that Thou hast protracted my life to
the completion of these biblical labours." He told
his friends that the surmounting of the various diffi-
culties of his political situation did not afford him
half the solace which arose from the finishing of his
Polyglot. 2 A few weeks after the noble enthusiast
died.
Plantin Polyglot Bible, 1569-72, 5 vols. Five hundred
copies printed; greater part lost at sea,
Earl of Ashburnham, 1897, on vellum (wanting the
" Apparatus "), ;[,79.

1 Dibdin's " Reminiscences," vol. i. p. 206 (note).
2 Gomecius (Gomez) de nbus gestis a Frallcisco XimÍ1tis Cislltrio,
1569, quoted in DiLdin's " Reminiscences," vol. i. p. 2 II.

PRICES OF EARLY PRINTED BOOKS J 85
'Valton's Polyglot Bible, 6 vols. folio, 1657 (with Castell's
Lexicon), does not keep up its price.
Seaman, 1676, };8, 2S. Bernard, 1698, ;{, 10. Duke
of Grafton (without Castell), ,-638, 13S. Edwards,
,-661. Heath, ;{;73, 10S. (bought by the Earl of
Essex). H. Perkins, J 873, ;{; 19, 15s. At the 'Yim-
pole library sale (Lord Chancellor Hardwicke),
1888, a copy of \Valton without Castell fetched
;{;9, 5 s . The Ashburnham copy, which had be-
longed to Henry, Duke of Gloucester, fourth son
of Charles 1., with his name on the binding, which
was in blue ll10rocco, sold in 1897 for };28.

EDITIOXES PRINCIPES OF THE CLASSICS

Æsopus. Fabulæ Latine et Italice. Neapoli, 1485;
first edition of Æsop with the Italian verSIon.
Hibbert's, }; 17; Libri, 480 francs; Earl of Ash-
burnham, ;{;203.
ANACREON. Lutetiæ, 1554, on vellum. Sunderland,
1881, ;{;221.
ARISTOTELES. Opera varia. Venetiis, 1483, 2 vols.
Earl of Ashburnham, 1897 (printed on vellum), each
volume decorated in the highest style of Italian
art of the period, fifty-nine beautiful historical and
ornamental initials, ,-6800.
CICERO. Opera Olnnia lIIediola1li, per Alex. 11inutianum
et Gulielmos fratres, 1498-99 [first edition of the
collected works], four vols. in two, folio, old yellow
morocco. Sunderland,,-6 30, 10S.
- Epistolæ ad familiares. Romæ (Sweynheym et
Pannartz), 1467, folio, the first edition and the first
book printed in H..ollle and in Roman letters.
Sunderland, );295.

186

PRICES OF BOOKS

CICERO. Epistolæ. Venetiis, a Nicolao Jenson, 147 I,
folio. l\1ead,;(, 3, 3 5 .; Askew, ;(,1 I, 16s.; Sunder-
land, ;[12.
- Orationes. Adam de Ambergau, 1472, folio.
Askew gave ;(,3, 55. for his copy, which was bought
by Dr. Hunter at his sale for ;(,12. It is now at
Glasgow University. Sunderland,
18.
CLA UDIANUS. Opera. Venetiæ, 1482, first edition. Mead,
;[2, 2S,; Askew, ;[7, 15 S .; Pinelli, ;[9, 9S.; Sunder-
land (broken binding), ;[4.
GELLIUS (AULUS). Noctes Atticæ. Romæ (Sweynheym
et Pannartz), 1469, folio, first edition. Pinelli,
;[58, 16s. (printed on vellum) j Sunderland, ;[790.
-- Noctes. Venetiis, per Nicolaum Jenson, 1472, folio.
l\Iead, ;[2, 12S. 6d. j Askew,
I I, 10S.; Sunder-
land, ;(,13, 10S.
HOMERUS. Opera Omnia. Florentiæ sumpt. Bern.
et N erii N erliorum, 1488, two vols. folio, first
edition. The British l\Iuseum copy was purchased
for ;[17; 'Vodhull,
200; Sunderland, ;[48.
- Homeri Odyssea Græce. Florentiæ, 1488, first
edition. Duke of Hamilton, 1884, very large and
fine copy, red morocco, by Clarke & Bedford, ;[25.
- On vellum (one of the four known to exist).
Dent, part I, 1827, ;(, I 42, 16s.
HORATIUS. Opera. 1470, small folio, first edition, with
a date. Sunderland,
29. The Naples edition
of 1474 is called by Dibdin "the rarest classical
volume in the world," and it was chiefly to possess
this book that Earl Spencer bought the fanlous
library of the Duke of Cassano.
]USTINUS. Venetiis, per Nicolaum Jenson, 1470, small
folio, first edition. Mead, ;/;3, 3s.; Askew,
;[13, 13 S ' (sold to the British l\luseum); Pinelli,

18, 7S. 6d.; Sunderland, ;/;15'

PRICES OF EARLY PRINTED BOOKS 187

JUVENALIS ET PERSIUS. Editio Princeps. Dr. Askew
gave ;[3 for his copy; at his sale it was purchased
by the British lVluseum for thirteen guineas.
LIVIUS. The first edition, printed at Rome by Sweyn-
heym and Pannartz; as is supposed, in 1469. The
only copy printed on vellum which is known to
exist is now in the Grenville Library (British
Museum). It was for years in the possession of
the Benedictine Library at :J\filan. It was bought
by Sykes at J. Edwards's sale ( 181 5) for ;{;9 0 3.
At Sykes's sale (1824) it was bought by Payne and
Foss for ;[472, IOS. These booksellers sold it to
Dent, and at Dent's sale (1827) 'bought it again for
Grenville for ;[262, 10S., a remarkable instance of
depreciation in price of a unique book.
The editor of this series contributed an article on
this copy to The Library (vol. i. p. 106). The arms
of the Borgia family are beautifully painted on the
first page of the text, and it has usually been sup-
posed that Cardinal Roderigo Borgia (afterwards
Pope Alexander VI.), to whom it belonged, was
Abbot of the monastery of Subiaco (where the
first productions of Sweynheym and Pannartz were
executed) at the time the book was printed. It is
proved in the article, however, that the abbey was
not conferred upon Borgia by Sixtus IV. until 1471,
so that the connection is merely a coincidence.
This magnificent volume was probably executed for
Borgia, whose character, as delineated by H..aphael
Volaterranus, is evidently imitated from Livy's
character of IIannibal.
- Venet. V indelin de Spira, 1-1- 7 0, two vols. folio,
printed on vellum. Sunderland,;[ 5 20 .
LUCANUS. Pharsalia. Romæ (Sweynheym and Pannartz),
1469, folio; fine edition, of which only 250 copies

.

188

PRICES OF BOOKS

were printed. Askew gave ;{,6, 16s. 6d. for his
copy, which was bought at his sale by De Bure for
;{, 16; Sunderland, ;{,38.
LUCIANUS. Opera. Floren tiæ, 1496, folio, first edition.
Askew gave /;2, 12S. 6d, for his copy, which was
sold at the sale of his library for ;(, 19, 8s. 6d.;
Pinelli, ;{,8, 18s. 6d.; copy on vellum in the Sun-
derland library, ;{,59.
MARTIALIS Epigrammata, Ferrara, 147 I, quarto, first
edition of Martial, and the first book printed at
Ferrara. Mead, 1:4, 14 s . 6d.; Askew, ;6'17;
Combes, ;{,60, bought for the Bodleian.
OVIDIUS. Opera. First edition. Mead,;{; 2, 12S. 6d. ;
Askew, 1: 10, 15 S .
- Romæ (Sweynheym et Pannartz), 1471, three vols.
folio, probably second edition. Sunderland, ;{;85.
- Venet. in ædibus Aldi, 1502-3, three vols. 8vo,
first Aldine edition. Sunderland, 1: 9; copy on
vellum (Askew, ;(,63) sold to Lord Spencer.
PLATO. Omnia Platonis Opera. Venet. in ædibus
Aldi, 15 13, folio, first edition. Sunderland,;{, 3 I.
Copy on vellum, Lord Orford gave ;{,105 for it;
Askew purchased it for one-fifth of that price. At
his sale it was bought by Dr. \Villiam Hunter for
;{,S2, 10S. It is now in the library at Glasgow
University.
PLINIUS. Venetiis, J oannes de Spira, 1469, first edi-
tion. The British Museum copy was purchased in
1775 for;{, 43; Sunderland, ;{,82; another copy,;{, 7 0 .
- Venetiis, Nicolaus Jenson, 1472. The British
J\Iuseum copy was bought at Askew's sale for ;{,23 ;
printed on vellum, Sunderland, ;{,2 20.
- Parmæ, 1476. Sunderland, 1:7, 15s.' Douce gave
Payne & Foss three hundred guineas for his copy
on vellum. It is now in the Bodleian Library.

PRICES OF EARLY PRINTED BOOKS r89

QUINTILIANUS. Institutionum Oratoriarum lib. xii. Romæ,
1470, folio, printed on vellum. Sunderland,;{, 29 0 .
- Institutiones Oratoriæ. Romæ (Sweynheym et
Pannartz), circa 1470, folio. Paris library, ;{,26, 5s.,
now in Cracherode library (British ]\Iuseum); Sun-
derland, ;/;26.
SALLUSTIUS. Venetiis, Vindelin de Spira, 1470, quarto
or folio. lYIead,;{ 5, 1 7S. j Askew, ;{ 14, 3s. 6d.;
Sunderland, ;[ 19, IOS.
SILIUS ITALICUS. Romæ (Sweynheym et Pannartz), 147 I,
folio, first edition. Askew gave three guineas for
his copy, which was bought for the British 11useum
at his sale for;/; I 3, 2S. 6d.; Pinelli, ;{48; Sunder-
land, ;/;20, 10S.
VALERIUS 1IAXIMUS. 1Ioguntinæ, per Petrum Schoyffer
de Gernsheim, 147 I, folio, first edition, with a date.
Askew gave
:4, 14s. 6d. for his copy, which sold at
his sale for ;{26; Sunderland, ;/;32.
--:-- Another copy, printed on vellum, sold at the
Sunderland sale for ;{ 194.
VIRGILIUS. Romæ (Sweynheym et Pannartz), 1469 (?).
Most valuable of all the first editions, Hopetoun
House, 1889, slightly damaged and slightly wormed,
;{ 2000. The previous occasion on which a copy
was sold was at the La Vallière sale, 1784, when an
imperfect copy fetched 4101 francs.
- Venet. Vindelin de Spira, 1470, folio, first edition
with a date, printed on vellum. 1\. copy sold for
twenty-five guineas at Consul Smith's sale, 1773;
Sunderland, ;/;8 10. A copy on paper was sold in
188 9. Hopetoun,;{ 590.
- Veneto in ædibus Aldi, 1501, 8vo, first Aldine
edition, and the first book printed with the italic
type invented by Aldus. Sunderland, ;{,65; copy
printed on vellun1 (Askew,
74, I IS,) now in the
Althorpe library.

19 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

ITALIAN CLASSICS

ARIOSTO. Orlando Furioso. Ferrara, 15 16, with 'Villiam
Cecil's (Lord Burghley) autograph. Sunderland,
188 J, ;[300.
BOCCACCIO. In the catalogue of the Sunderland library
(188 I) eight pages are devoted to the description of
various editions of his works. One of these, "De
la Ruine des Nobles Hon1mes et Femmes," Bruges
Colard Mansion, 1476, realised ;[92 o. An im-
perfect copy of the celebrated first edition of the
"Decameron" (C. Valdarfer, 147 I) fetched ;[585.
This was the copy possessed by Lord Blandford
when he bought the complete Roxburghe copy.
The imperfect copy was afterwards sold in the
Lakelands sale (\\T. 1-1. Crawford) for ;[230, and
is now in the British I\'Iuseum.
The latter book will always hold a high position
in the annals of bibliography, from the fact that
when a perfect copy in the Roxburghe library was
sold in 1812, it was bought by the l\larquis of
Blandford after a hard struggle with Earl Spencer
for ;[2260, the highest price ever paid for a book
up to that date, and for many years afterwards. It
had originally been added to the Roxburghe library
at a cost of one hundred guineas. Seven years after-
wards lVlessrs. Longman bought this same book at
the \Vhite Knights sale for .;[918 for Lord Spencer.
DANTE. First edition of Landino's Con1mentary,
Firenze, 148 I; very large copy, with twenty rare
engravings, purple morocco, by Lewis. Duke of
Hamilton, 1884, ;[380.
'V. H. Crawford, 1891, with the engravings by
Bacio Baldini from designs of Botticelli,
36o.

PRICES OF EAI
LY PRINTED BOOKS 19 1

PETRARCA. I Triumphi. Venetia, per Bernardino da
Novara, 1488, with two sets of six illustrations,
one on metal and one on wood. Sunderland, 1882,
..-[ 195 0 .
-- Second Aldine edition, printed on velluln, 1514.
Hanrott, ..-[73; Beckford, 1883, ;{,66.
POLIPHILI Hypnerotomachia. Venetiis (Aldus), 1499.
Sykes, part 2, beautiful copy, in yellow morocco by
Roger Payne, ..-[2 I; \Vatson Taylor (on vellum),
.1;82, 19S.; Sir C. Price, h53, 10S. j Howell \Vills,
..-[3 0 ; Luke Price, ..-[49; Beckford, 1883 (Crozat's
copy, red morocco, richly tooled), ..-[130; Duke of
Hamilton, 1884, ..-[80; Earl of Crawford, 1887,
..-[8ó; 'V. H. Crawford (Lakelands), 189 I (some of
the woodcuts partially coloured, wanting leaf with
imprint, ..-[ 19; Earl of Ashburnham, 1897 (Emperor
Charles V.'s copy, in stamped calf, with his figure in
medallion), ..-[ I 5 I.
- Hypnerotomachie,156I. [French translation.] F.
Hockley, 1887, ..-[8; \V. H. Crawford (Lakelands),
18 9 1 , ..-[6, 10S.; Earl of Ashburnham, 1897, ..-[15.
A copy bound with" Le Roy, De la Vicissitude
des Choses," 1577, in blue morQCCO, Inagnificently
tooled by Nicolas Eve for Louise de Lorraine,
realised ..-[220 at the Beckford sale, 1897.
An English translation of the first book by R. D.
was published in 1592, which is excessively scarce,
!\lr. Andrew Lang reprinted this in T\1r. Nutt's
Tudor Library, 1890, from the copy in the Bodleian
Library. There is no copy in the British T\Iuseuln,
and in the introduction to his reprint Lang tells a
story against hÎInself. lie bought at Toovey's a
poor copy of this book for ..-[ I, but shortly after-
wards he found that it wanted the last five pages,
and exchanged it for "Les l\Iemoires de la Reine

19 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

1\1arguerite," Paris, I 66 I, in yellow morocco. He
regretted his exchange when he discovered its great
rarity. M. Claude Popelin, who had long been
lying in wait for this book, bought this copy at a
London sale-room" à un de ces prix qu'on n'avoue
pas à sa ménagère."
VIGILLES des 1\10rs. Paris, par A. Verard, printed on
vellum, with thirty miniatures finely illunlinated in
gold and colours, blue morocco by De Rome. This
copy sold for 150 francs in the La .Vallière sale, for
220 francs in the l\IacCarthy, and for ;/;20 in
Hibbert's. In the fourth portion of the Beckford
library 1\1r. Quaritch bought it for ;/;345.
TRISTAN. Chevalier de la Table Ronde. Two parts in one.
Second edition, by Verard. Fine copy, with rough
leaves, mOroccO super extra by Thouvenin. Duriez,
560 francs; same copy, Prince of Essling, 505 francs;
same copy, Duke of Hamilton, 1884, ;/; I 08.
AUGUSTINUS. De Civitate Dei. Veneto Nic. Jenson,
on vellum, first page elaborately painted, and illumi-
nated initials. Sunderland, 1881, ;/;Iooo-bought
by
lr. Quaritch amid shouts of applause.

..

CHAP1
ER IX

Pl
ICES OF EARLY EXGLISH LITERATURE

No class of books has advanced in value of late
years to so great an extent as the chief exan1ples of
old English literature, and of this class the books
printed by our earliest printer, Caxton, stand in a
forelnost position. It is proposed in this chapter to
give a general idea of the variations in price of all
the books printed by Caxton ,vhich have been sold
by public auction. The nUlnber attached to each
entry is that given by 1\Ir. Blades in his great \vork,
and it is hoped that fe\v sales of these books have
been left unl11en tioned. 1
\Ve learn from 1\1 r. Blades that there ,vas no fixed
published price for these books, but the sellers
obtained the best price they could for theln. In
1-+96 the church,vardens of S1. :;'\largaret, \Vest-
minster, ,yere possessed of fifteen copies of II The
Golden Legend," bequeathed by Caxton. Ten of

1 Mr. Blades has given full particulars of all the sales in his" Life
and Typography of vVilliam Caxton" (1863); but there have beeD
many sales since the publication of his great work, and particulars of
these are given chiefly from two valuable articles, entitled Caxtoniana,
by Mr. Frederic Norgate, which were published in The Library, Nos. 8
and 9 (August and September 1889). That accurate bibliographer
has kindly allowed the author to see and use his manuscript corrections
and additions to these articles.

193

N

19-1-

PRICES OF BOOKS

these took five years to sell. In 1496 one copy \vas
sold for 6s. 8d., and in 1500 the price had gone
do\vn to 5s. In 1510 R. Johnson,
I.D., bought
five Caxtons (" Godefroy of Boleyn," Ii Eneydos,"
Ii Faytes of Anus," Ii Chastising," and Ii Book of

"'ame I') for a total expenditure of 6s. 8d. These
are now in the University Library, Call1bridge.
In the sale of 1678, to ,vhich the name of V oetius
is attached, three Caxtons sold for 7s. lode At the
sale of Secondary Richard Sn1ith's library (1682)
eleven Caxtons realised [3, 4s. 2d.; at Dr. Francis
Bernard's sale (I697), ten for [I, I5S. 4-d. There
,vere a considerable nUlnber of Caxtons in the Har-
leian Library, and several of these \vere duplicates.
They do not appear to have sold very readily, and
they occur in several of Osborne's catalogues at a
fairly unifonn price of one guinea for the folios and
I5s. for the quartos. At the Hon. Bryan Fairfax's
sale (1756) nine Caxtons sold for [33, 4 s . At J an1es
vVesfs sale (1773) the price had considerably ad-
vanced, and thirty-four Caxtons realised [361,
4s. 6d. John Ratcliffe's forty-eight Caxtons brought
[236, 5s. 6d. At Dr. Richard Farmer's sale (1798)
five sold for [19, I IS. 6d. An astonishing advance
in price is found at the Duke of Roxburghe's sale
(1812), where fourteen fine Caxtons brought [,3002,
IS. At the sale of Stanesby Alchorne's library in
1813 nine fetched [666, 15s. Ralph Willett's seven
brought in 1813 [1319, 16s. John Towneley's nine
sold in 1814 for [1127. The 1\1arquis of Blandford's
(White Knights) eighteen Caxtons brought in 1819
[1316, I2S. 6d. At Watson Taylor's sale in 1823

PRICES OF EARLY E
GLISH LITERATURE r95
nine brought [,3 r9, ;4 S . 6d.; John Inglis (r 826),
thirteen for [,43r, r5s. 6d.; John Dent (r827), four
for [,r62, 16s. 6d.; George Hibbert (r829), five for
[,339, r3 s . 6d.; P. A. Hanrott (r833), six for [,r80,
r6s.; R. Heber (r83-+), six for [,2r9, r6s.; Thon1as
Jolley (r843-5r), six for [,325, r5s.; E. V. Utterson
(r852), three for [rr6; J. D. Gardner (1854), seven
for [,739.
It ,vill be seen from these totals that the present
high prices did not rule at the sales in the middle
of the present century.
In r897 the total for the ten Caxtons in the first
portion of the Ashburnhan1 library reached [,5622,
and the six in the second portion fetched [,-+26-1-.
The follo\ying list contains particulars of the sale
prices of SOlne of the chief issues of Caxton's press :-
The Recuyell of the Histories of Troy (I).
Dr. Bernard (1698), 3S.; Bryan Fairfax (I 756),
.;[8, 8s. This perfect copy was bought by Francis
Child, and at the sale of the Earl of Jersey's library
in 1885 it was sold to 1\1r. Quaritch for
1820.
J. \Vest's imperfect copy was sold in 1773 to
George III. for .;[32, 1 IS., and it was perfected
afterwards.
J. Lloyd of \Vygfair (1816), .;[126. This copy
was bought by G. Hibbert, and at his sale in 1829
J. \Vilks bought it for
157, 10S.; at \Vilks's sale in
1847 E. V. Dtterson bought it for
165; at DUer-
son's sale in 1852 the Earl of Ashburnham bought
it for .;[S5-not .;[155, as stated by Blades. This
was described in Hibbert's and \Vilks's catalogues
as having" six whole leaves and parts of four others
supplied in facsimile," but at DUerson's salt; it was

.

19 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

stated to want no less than forty-seven leaves. At
the Ashburnham sale (part 2), 1897, it was said
to want forty-nine leaves. It fetched 1.:950.

The Game and Play of the Chess, first edition (2).
R. Smith (1682), 13s. 2d.; J. 'Vest (1773), sold
to George III. for 1.:32, os. 6d.; S. Alchorne (1813),
1.:54, 12S.-J. Inglis. J. Inglis (1826), 1.:31, 10S.
-Lord Audley. Lord Audley (1855), ;[60, 10S.
-H, Cunliffe.
'Vhite I(nights (1819), 1.:36, 15s.-Duke of
Devonshire. This copy, sold for 1.:42, was found
on collation after the sale to want three leaves
instead of only two, as statcd in the catalogue;
it was therefore returned, and sold for 1.:3 6 , 15 s .
Sir H. 1\fainwaring (1837), 1.:loI-J. Holford.
This may be the san1e copy as R. Sn1ith's, as it
has on a fly-leaf in 111anuscript, "Ex dono Thon1æ
Delves, Baronett, 1682."
Old Essex library (Lord Petre), 1886, 1.:645-
Quaritch (perfect, excepting only the bla
ks). Earl
of Hardwicke (1888), wanting the Prologue and
three other leaves, 1.: 2 60-Quaritch.
It is necessary to quote from Scott's" Antiquary"
a well-known passage, because, as 1\1r. Blades says,
"not a single statel11ent is founded on fact." The
particulars are so circumstantial, that they have
possibly deceived l11any readers, more especially as
Scott himself vouches for the anecdote as literally
true. "Snuffy Davy bought the' Game of Chesse,'
1474, the first book ever printed in England, from
a stall in Holland for about 2 groschen, or two-
pence of our money. He sold it to Osborne for
;[ 20 and as many books as came to ;[20 more.
Osborne resold this ininlÏtable windfall to Dr. Askew

PRICES OF EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE 197

for 60 guineas. At Dr. Askew's sale this inestimable
treasure blazed forth in its true value, and was
purchased by Royalty itself for one hundred and
seventy pounds." It may be added that Askew
never had a copy.

Chesse, second edition (34).
Dr. Bernard's copy (1698) sold for IS. 6d.
J. Ratcliffe's (177 6 ) was bought for ;{;16 by R.
'Villett; and at his sale in 1813, the Duke of Devon-
shire bought it for ;(; 173, ss.
Le Recueil des Histoires de Troyes (3).
James (1760), ;62, I2S. 6d.-Jacob Bryant. This
copy was presented by Bryant to George III., and
made perfect with a few leaves presented by the
Duke of Roxburghe. It was retained by George IV.
when the Kings' Library was presented to the nation,
and is now at \Vindsor Castle.
Payne, bookseller (1794), ;[ S, ss.-sold to the
Duke of Roxburghe, at whose sale in 18 I 2 it fetched
;{; 116, I IS. It has been sold several times since, each
time for less money. ...L\.mong Lord Spencer's dupli-
cates (1823), for ;{;73, IOS., to J. Dent; at Dent's
sale in 1827, for ;{; 36, IOS., to P. A. Hanrott; at
Hanrott's sale in 1833, to the Earl of Ashburnham,
for ;(; 27. Second part of Ash burnham sale (1897),
.. ;{;600. \Vanting thirty-three leaves.
G. \Vatson Taylor (1823), ;{;20S, 16s.-Earl
Spencer (perfect, and uncut).
G. Libri (1844), ;{;200 (a perfect and unusually
fine copy)-sold to British Museum.
The copy, slightly imperfect, in the National
Library, Paris, was purchased at Brussels in the
early part of the century by
L de la Serna for 15 0
francs.

19 8

PRICES OF ROOKS

Les fat's du Jason (4).
The perfect copy in the National Library, Paris,
was purchased in 1808 by 1\1. de la Serna for 2 louis
from a stranger, who had obtained it for half that
SUln.

Proþosz"tio Johannt's Russell (7).
The Althorpe copy formerly belonged to John
Brand, and at the sale of his library the Marquis
of Blandford bought it for ;{; 2, 5s. At the \Vhite
Knights sale in 1819 Lord Spencer bought it for
;{; 126. The Earl of Leicester has the only other
known copy. Both copies are perfect.

Infancia Salvatoris (8).
The only existing copy known is in the Royal
University Library, Göttingen. It was from the
Harleian Library, and was purchased from Osborne
in 1746 for 15s.

The History of Jason (9).
Richard Smith (1682), 5s. I d.; Dr. Bernard
(1698), 3s. 6d.
J . West's copy was sold in 1773 for 4 guineas to
J. Ratcliffe, at whose sale in 177 6 it fetched ;{;5, 10S.
John Erskine's copy was bought in 1817 by G.
\Vatson Taylor for ;/;162, 15s., but at his s
le in
1823 it only brought ;{; 95, I IS., Richard Heber
being the purchaser. At Heber's sale (1834) it was
bought by Payne the bookseller for ;{;87. This
uncut copy, which is the finest known, came after-
wards into the possession of the Earl of Ashburnham.
It sold at the second part of the Ashburnham sale
(1897) for ;{;2100.
The \Vhite l{nights copy (Marquis of Blandford)

PRICES OF EARLY ENGLISH
LITERATURE 199
was sold (1819) for ;[85, IS. At \V. S, Higgs's
sale (1831) it was bought by J. 'Vilks for ;[87, 3 S .,
and at his sale (1847) it was bought by J. Dunn
Gardner for ;[ 121. This copy was returned as
wanting a leaf, and resold for ;[105. Gardner
bought it afterwards from Pickering, who had in the
meantime supplied the leaf from another copy. At
Gardner's sale (1854) it was bought for 1Ir. Lenox
for ;[105.

The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosoþhers, first edition
( I 0 ).
Francis Child bought his imperfect copy at Bryan
Fairfax's sale (1756) for ;{;6. It was bound with
"Moral Proverbs," and was one of the copies from
the Harleian Library. At the Earl of Jersey's sale
(1885) it brought ;[141.
John Ratcliffe's copy was bought by Ralph
'Villett in 1776 for 15 guineas, and at his own sale
in 1813 it brought ;/;262, 10S.
Sales since the publication of Blades's book:-
Rev. T. Corser (1868), ;/;100. C. H. Crawford
(1876), ;[87 (Corser's copy). Duke of Buccleuch
(1889), ;[650. Earl of Ashburnham, 1897 (one of
four complete copies), ;/;13 20-Quaritch.

- Second edition (28).
James 'Vest (1773), :621-George III. John
Towneley (1814), ;[189 - Duke of Devonshire
(erroneously described in the catalogue as "first
edi tion ").

- Third edition (83).
John 1\lunro (1792), ;/;16, 16s. Dr. Vincent
(1816), ;/; 99, 15s.-Singer, for 1\Iarquis of Bland-
ford. In 1840 some books were turned out of the

200

PRICES OF BOOKS

Blenheim Library, and sent for sale at Oxford. The
Bodleian Library bought this copy at that sale for
;[50. Blades was misled into saying that the Bod-
leian gave ;[ 199, I ss., by the fact, in this copy some
irresponsible person has altered the price it fetched
at Vincent's sale to ,6"199, 15S. by the addition of
the figure I. Fuller Maitland (1885), ,6"165-
Quaritch (described as a second edition in the cata-
logue, three leaves in facsimile).

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, first edition (12).
J. 'Vest (1773), ;[47, 15s.-George III. J.
Ratcliffe (1776), ,6"6. White I(nights supplementary
sale (1820), ...631, los.-T. Payne (imperfect); not
recorded by Blades.
The highest price recorded by Blades is ,6"300,
given by Mr. Ruth at Lilly's sale, 1861. In 1896
two copies (both imperfect) were sold for over
,6" 1000; Mrs. Corbet's (Barlaston Hall), wanting
nineteen leaves, ,6" IC20; R. E. Saunders (wanting
only two leaves, a few wormed, lower margins in
Melibeus mended), ,6" 1880. Earl of Ashburnham
(1897), ,6"72o-Pickering & Chatto (imperfect, also
some leaves from a shorter copy).

- Second edition (57).
Brand's imperfect copy (1807) was bought by
Heber for 10 guineas; it was sold at his sale in
1834 to the Earl of Ashburnham for ,6"78, 15s.
Lord Ashburnham (1897), ,6"3oo--Pickering and
Chatto (wanting twenty-eight leaves).

Boethilts de COllsolacione Plzilosoþhiæ, translated by
Chaucer (25).
B. 'Vorsley ( 16 7 8 ), SSe J. \Vest (1773), ,6"5, 10S.
-G. :ß-lason, J. Ratcliffe (177 6 ), ,6"4, 6s.-George

PRICES OF EARLY E
GLISH LITERATURE 201

III. S. Alchorne (1813), bought by the Marquis
of Blandford (Spencer duplicate, imperfect) for
;[ 53, I IS.; sold to 'Vatson Taylor, at his sale in
1819, for ;[22, lIS. 6d.; at Taylor's sale (;[1823)
Thorpe bought it for;/; 13, 5s.
Thorpe bought a copy in old Oxford calf from
Browne 'Villis's library, "without the slightest defect
or repair," for ;[59 in July 1849, and he sold it in
December of the same year for ;[105.
The Grenville (very fine, clean, and perfect) copy
was purchased for ;[52, 10S.; Duke of. Hamilton
(1884), ;[160 (perfect, stained and mended); noble-
man (Earl of Westmoreland), 1887, ;/;156 (perfect,
excepting the blank); Earl of Ashburnham (1897),
;[510 (two leaves in facsimile).

Cordyale, or the four last things (26).
Osborne (1748), ;/;2, 2S. J. "'est (1773), ;/;14-
'V. Hunter. Stanesby Alchorne bought 'V. Flete-
wode's copy in 1774 for ;[6, 12S. 6d" and at his
sale in 1813 George III. bought it for ;[127, IS.
I)r. Valpy's copy, bought in 1832 by Henry G.
Bohn for ;[26, 15s. 6d" is not mentioned by Blades;
Valpy is said to have given ;[87 for it. Earl of
Ashburnham (1897), ;{76o-Pickering & Chatto
(wanting eight leaves).

The fiIirroltr of the TVorld, first edition (31).
R. Smith (1682), 5s. F. Child bought Bryan
Fairfax's perfect copy in 1756 for ;[3 j this was
sold to 1\lr. Quaritch at the Earl of Jersey's sale
( 188 5) for ;/;195. J. 'Vest had two copies, which
were sold in 177 3-a perfect one to George III. for
12 guineas, and a very imperfect one to Richard

202

PRICES OF BOOKS

Gough for ,;{; z, 13s. The latter sold at Gough's
sale (1810) for ,;{;4, 14S. 6d. Mr. Cracherode's
perfect copy (now in the British Museum) was
bought by him at Ratcliffe's sale (1776) for ;{; z, 15s.
The Duke of Roxburghe's fine and perfect copy,
for which he gave 9 guineas, was sold at his sale
(18IZ) to the Duke of Devonshire for ,;{;351, 15s.
The following copies (in addition to the Earl of
Jersey's, mentioned above) have been sold since the
publication of Mr. Blades's book :-
In 1877 Mr. Quaritch had a copy for sale with
a vi, a viii, and the last leaf in facsimile, which he
priced ,;{; zoo.
Sir John Thorold (1884), ,;{;335-Quaritch (per-
fect, excepting the blanks). Earl of Hardwicke
(1888), ,;{;60-Quaritch (very imperfect). \V. H.
Crawford (1891),
IÓO (perfect, with the exception
of one blank). Earl of Ashburnham (part z, 1897),

z 2 5 (leaves in facsimile).

The JJfirrour of the rVorld, second edition (84).
\Vest's perfect copy was bought by 'Villett in 1773
for ,;{;9, 15s.; at his sale (1813) it was bought for
Lord Spencer for ;{; 136, 10S.
A perfect copy, very clean and large, was sold in
1844 with the library of Calwick Hall, Staffordshire,
to Rodd for ;{; 4 I. Thorpe gave Rodd ,;{; 94 for
it, but sold it to lVIr C. Hurt for ,;{;90. At
Hurt's sale in 18SS Sir \Yilliam (then Mr.) Tite
bought it for ,;{;IOS. At his sale in 1874 it realised
;{;4SS.
A perfect copy in the original binding of oak,
covered with stamped leather, and alrrlost uncut, is
in the library of the Baptist College at Bristol,
having been presented by A. Gifford, D.D. It

PRICES OF EARLY EKGLISH LITERATURE 203

has the following notes on a fly-leaf in Dr. Gifford's
autograph :-
" l\Iemoranda, Pd. Simco . .;/; 2 12 6
Another at 1Ir. Ratcliffe's
sales to perfect t . 2 I 6 0
Repairing and gilding, &c.. 0 2 6
5 I I 0
Mem. 1\lr. \Vhite gave for another perfect
one at Ratcliffe's sale ;[8, 8s.
1Iem. 2. No copy of this in 1\1 useum."
The following sales, in addition to Sir \Villiam
Tite's, n1entioned above, have taken place since the
publication of Blades's book :-
Sale at Puttick & Simpson's (1884 )-a very poor
copy, wanting eleven leaves, was sold for ;[8. Rev.
Fuller Russell (1885), ;[265 (Hibbert's copy, which
sold in 1829 for ;[36, 4S. 6d.; Hibbert had given
;/; 55, 13 S . at the IVlarquis of Blandford's sale in
1819). Hardwicke (\Vimpole), 1888, ;[60 (with
"Cicero de .A.micitia "). F. Perkins (1889), ;[100
(two leaves of Table in 11S,). Birket Foster (1894),
;[ 77 (wanting eighteen leaves).
The History of Reynard the Fox, first edition (32).
J. Ratcliffe (177 6 ), ;[5, los.-George III. J.
Inglis (1826), ;[184, 16s.-T. Grenville. J. D.
Gardner (1854), ;(,195 - Duke of Newcastle. (All
three copies are perfect.)
- Second edition.
One copy only-that in the Pepysian Library,
Cambridge-is known to exist.

Tully of Old clge, etc. (33).
Dr. Bernard (1698), 4S. 2d. Francis Child bought
Bryan Fairfax's perfect copy in 1756 for 2 guineas.

20 4

PRICES OF BOOKS

In 1885 this was sold at the Earl of Jersey's sale
( 188 5) for .;[350.

Dr. Askew bought T. Rawlinson's perfect copy
in 1756 for .;[1, 5s., and at Askew's sale (1775)
\Villett gave 13 guineas for it. At vVillett's sale (1813 )
it was sold to the Marquis of Blandford for .;[2 10.
At the JVIarquis's sale (1819) T. Brockett gave
,;{;87, 3 s . for it. At Brockett's sale (1823) Watson
Taylor bought it for ,;{;47, 5s. Thorpe bought it
at \Vatson Taylor's sale (1823) for ,;{;47, 15s. 6d.
The "Merly" copy turned up again in 1 8 5 7, when
it was sold to Mr. F. Huth for ,;{;275.
The Duke of Roxburghe's inlperfect copy was
bought in 1812 by t
e I)uke of Devonshire for
,;{;115.
Since Blades's book was published-the Rev. T.
Corser (1868), ,;{;96 (" Old Age" only); Mr. Severne
(1885), ,;{;250 (perfect); Earl of Crawford (1889),
1.:320 (perfect); Earl of Ashburnham (1897), ;{;102
-Pickering & Chatto (Declamatio only).

The Chronicles of England, first edition (39).
R. Smith (1682), 3s. 6d.; Dr. Bernard (169 I), 4S. j
J. H..atcliffe (177 6 ), ,;{;5, 5 s .; S. Alchorne ( 181 3),
,;{;63-Duke of Devonshire.
J. Roberts's copy (1815) was bought for ..Ll05 by
John Milner, at whose sale in 1829 'V. S. Higgs
bought it for ,;(; 70, 7s,; at Higgs's sale (1830) it
realised ;{; 73, 10S.
The following sales have taken place since the
publication of Blades's book :-
1\lr. Rainy, Bath (1883), ,;{;160-British Museum
(poor copy, and imperfect). J. Hirst ( 188 7), ,;{;67
(imperfect). Duke of Buccleuch ( 188 9), ,;{;47 0 -
Quaritch (perfect blanks excepted).

PRICES OF EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE 20 5

Tile Chronicles of England, second edition (43).
Bryan Fairfax's imperfect copy was sold in 175 6
to Francis Child for ,;[5. In 1885 it sold for ,;[4 0
at the sale of the Earl of Jersey's library.
J. Ratcliffe's imperfect copy was sold (1776) to
George III. for ,;[4, 5s.
An imperfect copy was bought by the Earl of
Ashburnhan1 in 1860 for ,;[180. It was added to
the sale after the library of E. A. Crowninshield, of
Boston, U.S., had been brought to England. This
copy, bound in new brown morocco, with " Descrip-
tion of Britain" (three leaves in facsimile), sold at
Lord Ashburnham's sale (1897) for ,.6610-Picker-
ing & Chatto.
1\lr. Quaritch bought the Duke of Bucc1euch's
copy in 1889 for ,.645. This was wrongly described
in the catalogue as wanting only" fourteen leaves,
of which two are blank," whereas it not only wanted
the first fourteen printed leaves as well as the two
blanks, but also the last six.

The Descriþtioll OJ Britain (40).
J. Towneley's imperfect copy was bought by
George III. in 1814 for ,.685, IS.
The Duke of Buccleuch's copy was bought by 11r.
Quaritch in 1889 for ,.6195. It was made up from
two irnperfect copies, with son1e leaves inlaid, but
otherwise complete.

Tile History of Godfrey of j]oloyne (4 2 ).
R. Smith (1682), 18s. 2d.-Earl of Peterborough.
Dr. Bernard (1698), 4S. J. 'Vest (1773), ,.610, 10S.
-George III. J. Ratcliffe (1776), ,;[6, 16s. 6d.-
'V. Hunter. Dr. Vincent (1816),,;[2 15, 5S., bought
by Singer, but Blades says the 1\Iarquis of Bland-

.

206

PRICES OF BOOKS

ford; but Mr. N orgate thinks this is a mistake, as
there was no copy in the 'Vhite Knights sale. 1\1r.
Holford's copy and that in the British Museum were
the only known perfect copies until 1884, when Mr.
Quaritch announced in his catalogue (No. 21,842) a
"very fine copy, quite perfect, with all the blanks,
and in the original binding," priced ,;(; T 000. Mr.
N orgate suggests that this n1ay be })r. Vincent's
copy.

Polycronicoll (44).
R. 1\1ead (1755), ;/;3, 13 s . 6d. Joseph An1es
(1760), two copies; one sold for 7s., and the other
for 14S. J. 'Vest (1773),
16, 5s. 6d.
There were three copies in Ratcliffe's sale (1775) ;
one sold for 3s. 3d., another for 2S. 3d., and a third
for L5, 15 s . 6d,
Heber bought S. Tyssen's copy in 180 I for ,;{; 5 ;
at his own sale it fetched L 10, 15s.
The 'Vhite Knights perfect copy was bought by
Payne in 1819 for L94, lOS, It is now in the Gren-
ville Library. (Blades overlooked this.)
Dent's perfect copy was bought by Perkins in
1827 for ,;{;103, 19S.; at the latter's sale (1873) it
was bought by 1\-1r. Quaritch for L365.
Lord Charlemont (1865), L477-'Valford (want-
ing two leaves). This copy went to N ew York,
and was sold immediately for 6750 dollars ( = about
,;(; 1380). T. Edwards (1871), wanting seven leaves,
J;34-Quaritch. This copy was sold at the Earl
of Aylesford's sale (1888) for ,;{;IIO, also to Mr.
Quaritch. The seven leaves were supplied in
facsimile. Ten were mounted, and a few others
mended.
Sir 'V. l'ite's copy, with a 2, 3, 4, 8 in facsimile,

PRICES OF EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE 20 7
realised in 1874 ;[150. Ashburnhalll copy ( 18 97),
wanting forty-six leaves, ;[20 I.
Other copies sold since the publication of
Blades's book were n1ere fragnlents, and only realised
small SU111S.

The PilgrÍJllage of the Soul (45).
R. Smith (1682), 5s. J. \Vest (1773),1:8, 17 s . 6d.
J. Ratcliffe (177 6 ), 1:3, 17 s . At the 1Iarquis of
Blandford's sale (1819) Earl Spencer bought it for
;[ 152, 5s. He perfected it with three leaves from
a copy formerly belonging to Heber, and sold it
in 1821, when Heber bought it again for ;[26,
15s. 6d., but at his sale in 1834.it only realised 18
gUlneas.

The Festial, first edition (47).
J. Ratcliffe had two copies: J. Edwards bought
one for ;[3, 2S., and !Jr. Farmer the other for
;[3. In 179 6 the latter bought Herbert's copy for
;; 2, 2S., and made a perfect copy from the two.
Lord Spencer bought this at Farmer's sale in 1798
for ;;5.

-- Second edition (88).
The Duke of Roxburghe's copy was bought by
Earl Spencer for;; 105. Only one has occurred for
sale since, viz., Rev. E. James (1854), ;;27, now
in the British Museum.

Confessio .A mall tis (50).
F. ChUd bought B. Fairfax's beautiful and perfect
copy for 1:3 in 175 6 , and at the Earl of Jersey's
sale in 1885 it realised ..-68 10. I t is now in the
United States. George III. bought \Vest's inlper-

208

PRICES OF BOOKS

fect and cropped copy for 9 guineas. Topham Beau-
clerk's copy, wanting ten leaves, sold in 1781 for
;[2, 4s.; in 1881 it was sold at ]VIr. G. L, \Vay's sale
for ;[,77. The Duke of Roxburghe's perfect copy
was bought by the Duke of Devonshire for ;[33 6 .
\Villett's copy has been sold several times, and
each time for a lower price than before. In 1813
the l\1arquis of Blandford bought it at \Villett's sale
in 1813 for ..6315. At the vVhite Knights sale
(1819) it was described as "remarkably fine and
perfect," and was sold to G. Watson Taylor for
;[205, 16s. On being collated it was found to
want six leaves, and was consequently returned, and
resold to ]VIr. \Vatson Taylor for .;!,"13 1 , 5s. At his
sale in 1823 it only realised ;[57, 15 s .
vV. Haggard (1867), ;[,185 (wanting several
leaves). Lord Selsey's perfect copy sold in 18 7 2
for ;[670. H. Perkins (1873), ;[245 (six leaves in
facsimile). Ashburnham (part 2, 1897), imperfect,
;[188.

The Knight of the Tozoer (5 I).
R. Smith (1682), 5s. Id. J. Brand's perfect
copy was bought by Earl Spencer in 1807 for
;[,1 I I, 6s.
G. \Vatson Taylor bought the Marquis of Bland-
ford's perfect copy (without blanks) in 1819 for
;[,85, IS. At his sale in 1823 Jolley bought it for
;[ 52, 10S. Rodd bought it for Corser, at Jolley's
sale in 1843, for ;[90, At Corser;s sale (1868) ]VIr.
Quaritch bought it for ;[560.
Caton (52),
R. Smith( 1682), 4s. 2d.; Dr. Bernard ( 1698), IS. lod.
The Duke of Devonshire's fine and perfect copy
has the Earl of Oxford's autograph-" I bought this

PRICES OF EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE 20 9
book at Edinburgh and paid for it the price of
,;{; 3, 3 s . to l\1r. Alex. Seymmer Bookseller in the
parliament close May 24 1725." In another hand,
"Ex Bib: Harl: ;[1, IS., Feb. 1745." It was
bought from Messrs. Arch for ,;(; 105.
The sale of \Vatson Taylor's copy (1823) to
Barclay for ,;{;30, 19s. 6d. is not recorded by Blades.
Earl of Ashburnhan1 (1897), ,;(;295-Pickering
and Chatto (in1perfect).

The Goldell Legend, first edition (53).
\Vest's imperfect copy was bought (17 ï 3) by Dr.
Hunter for J;; 12, 15s., and is now at Glasgow.
Ratcliffe's imperfect copy was bought by George III.
(1776) for ,;{; 5, 15s. 6d. The highest price recorded
by Blades at which a copy has sold is ,;{; 230, bought by
the Duc d' Aumale in 1854 at J. Dunn Gardner's sale.
This copy wants the last leaf in the Table and Biiij,
the latter supplied in facsimile. Corser's imperfect
copy sold in 1869 for ;[147. It is now in the Huth
library. '\" H, Crawford's imperfect copy sold in
18 9 1 for ,-(465.

- Second edition (66).
There are no records of sales.

- Third edition (93)'
Printed by '\\nkyn de \Vorde.

The Order of Chivalry (56).
J. 'Vest (1773), ,;(;5, 5 s .- G . lYlason. J. Ratcliffe
(1776), L; 2, 8s.-George III. (imperfect). Lord
Lovat (1852), ;[55, los.-Earl of Ashburnham
(imperfect). Lord Ashburnham ( 18 97), ,.6345-
Pickering & Chatto (in1perfect).

o

210

PRICES OF BOOKS

Troy/us and Creside (60).
\Vest's perfect copy was bought by George III.
in I 773 for 10 guineas. Ratcliffe's large and clean,
but imperfect, copy has been sold several tilnes at
very varying prices. Herbert bought it in 1776 for
,;{;2. At Towneley's sale in 1814 the Marquis of
Blandford bought it for ;6 2 52, 2S. At the 'Vhite
K.nights sale in 1819 'Vatson Taylor gave 1;162,
15s. for it. Thomas Grenville bought it for ,;(;66, 3s.
at 'Vatson Taylor's sale in 1823,
The Life of our Lady (61).
Earl Spencer gave .1; 13:) for his in1perfect copy.
The highest sale price recorded by Blades is ,;{; 4-9
for the Duke of Roxburghe's copy. The Rev. T.
Corser's imperfect copy, for which he gave ,.632 at
Utterson'ssale in 18S2,sold for 1;113 in 1868. Sir
\Villiam Tite's very imperfect copy (wanting thirty
leaves) belonged to 'Vest, and was bought at his
sale by Herbert for 1;2, I2S. Gd. Tite bought it in
18S9 for ,;{;4I, and at his sale it sold for ,;{;54. The
Earl of Devon's quite perfect copy (with the blanks)
was bought by Mr. Quaritch for .1;880 in 1883.
The Noble Histories of King Arthur (63).
The only known perfect copy was in the Harleian
Library, and was sold by Osborne in 1748 to Bryan
Fairfax for ,;(;5. At Fairfax's sale in 1756 Francis
Child bought it for two guineas and a half, and in
1885 it was sold at the Earl of Jersey's sale to 1\lr.
Quaritch for ;61950. It is now in New York.
The Life of Charles the Great (64).
The only known copy which is perfect is now in
the King's Library, British l\luseum. Ratcliffe bought
it at \Vest's sale (1773) for ;6 I 3, and at Ratcliffe's
sale (776) George III. obtained it for 4 guineas.

PRICES OF EARLY EXGLISH LITERATURE 21 I

The Knight Paris and the Fair TTz'ellne (65)'
The only known copy, in the King's Library, is
perfect. It was bought at \Yest's sale by George III.
for ,;[ I 4.
The Royal Book (67).
\Vest's imperfect copy was bought by George III.
for ,;[10. Gustavus Brander bought Ratcliffe's im-
perfect copy in 1777 for ;{;2, 13S., but at his own
sale it only brought 15s. It was sold in 1864 to
Lilly for ;[62.
The Althorpe perfect and beautiful copy was
bought by the 1\Iarquis of Blandford at Louis
Goldsmid's sale (1815) for ,;[85, IS. At the 1\lar-
quis's sale (1819) George Hibbert bought it for
;{;73, 10S., and at Hibbert's sale (1829) Lord
Spencer obtained it for ;{; 6 I, I9s.
The Duke of Buccleuch's copy (wanting a. i,
with two very slight defects, both repaired) is not
mentioned by Blades. It was bought by 11r.
Quaritch at the Duke's sale (1889) for ;{;36S,

Sþeculum Vitæ Christi (70).
'Yest's copy was bought by Ratcliffe, who had
three imperfect copies; at his sale in 1776 George
III. bought one for ;{;3, 3s., Dr. Hunter another for
the same amount, and the third sold for ;{;3, 10S.
Earl Spencer bought two copies-one at J. Allen's
sale (J 795) for I I guineas, and the other at the Rox
burghe sale for ,;[45; he cOlnpleted the latter with two
leaves taken from the forn1er. The duplicate was sold
and came into the possession of Sir Francis Freeling ;
at his sale in 18361\lr. Corser bought it for ;{;25, 10S..
and at Corser's sale (1868) it rcalised ;{;67.
Two copies are known on velIun1-one, in very
poor condition, is in the Royal Library at \Vindsor ;

212

PRICES OF BOOKS

the other, in the British l\f useum, was bought In
1864 for /;1000.

The Doctrinal of Saþience (71).
The Duke of Devonshire gave /;78, ISS, for the
Spencer duplicate (perfect) in Alchorne's sale (1813).
Dawson Turner's copy (wanting six leaves) was
bought by T. Bateman in 1859 for /;28; at his
sale in 1893 it realised /;58. Earl of Ashburnham's
copy (first and last leaf in facsimile), 1897, sold for
/;660-Quaritch (for the British Museum). The
last Earl gave /;150 for this copy.

Servitiu1Jl de Tranifiguratione Jheslt Christi (73).
The only known copy was bought for the British
1VluseUITI at a sale at Puttick's in 1862 for /;200.
It was found in a volume of Theological Tracts
presented to the Congregational Library, Blomfield
Street, by Joshua 'Vilson of Tunbridge \Vells in 183 I.

The Fayts of Arms (74).
The largest an10unt paid for a copy at a public
sale is /;336, which the Duke of Devonshire gave
for the Roxburghe copy (with a few lines of the last
leaf in facsimile).
Bryan Fairfax's imperfect copy was bought by
Francis Child for /;1, 1 IS. 6d. At the sale of
Lord Jersey's library in 1885 it sold for /;7 I.
Libri's perfect, but mended and washed, copy,
which he had bought in very poor condition from
Mario the great tenor: was sold in 1862 to 1\1r. F.
Ruth for /;255.
Mr. Corser's perfect copy was bought in 1868 by
Mr. Quaritch for /;250.
Sir ,V. Tite's copy (with the first two leaves in
facsimile) sold in 1874 for /;190. 'This copy was

PRICES OF EARLY ENGLISH LITERATCRE 213
bought by Tite at the Rev, C, H. Crauford's sale in
1854 for L;77. Crauford bought it at \Vilks's sale
( 18 47) for L;54.
The Earl of Crawford's perfect copy, with Table
inlaid, sold in 1889 for L; 235. R. Lindsay, in
Philadelphia, had this copy in his catalogue (June
18 93) for ,-6425.

The History 0.1 Blallchardill and Eglantine (78),
The only known copy, which is imperfect, is In
the Althorpe library. This copy was bought at
Ratcliffe's sale by G. ]'\Iason for L;3, 6s. ; at 1Vlason's
sale (1799) the Duke of Roxburghe bought it for
L; 2 I. Earl Spencer gave L; 215, 5s. for it at the
Roxburghe sale.

Elleydos (8 I).
R. Snlith (1682), 3s. \Valter Rea (1682), IS. 6d.
F. Child gave 30s. for B. Fairfax's perfect copy,
which sold at the Earl of Jersey's sale (1885) for
;[ 235.
Hanrott's imperfect copy was bought in 1833 by
Lord Auckland for J;"43, IS. ; at his sale two years
afterwards H. Holland bought it for J;"24. At
Holland's sale (1860) 1\lr. H. Huth bought it for
J;" 8 4.
Mr. Quaritch had a copy in 1875 with two leaves
in facsin1ile, otherwise a fine copy, which he nlarked
J;"3 00 .
The Art and Craft to Know TVel1 to Die (86).
\rest's perfect copy was bought by Ratcliffe for
J;"5, 2S. 6d. ; at Ratcliffe's sale George III. bought
it for 4 guineas.
l\fr. C. Tutet's copy was bought in 1786 by Payne
for 2 guineas; probably this is the perfect copy

,

21-+

PRICES OF BOOKS

which Payne sold to the National Library, Paris,
for 10 guineas.

77ze Chastising of God's Children (90).
R. Smith (1682). 5s. Dr. Bernard (1698), IS. lode
Osl orne (1751), 15s.
The Roxburghe copy (perfect) was bought by
Lord Spencer for /; 140.
The Earl of Aylesford bought the Marquis of
Blandford's copy (bound with "Treatise of Love,"
No. 91) for /;32, 10S., and at his sale in 1888 it
realised /;305. F. Perkins (1889), /;100.
S. Alchorne's copy sold in 18 I 3 for /;94, 10S. ;
Valentine's copy in 1842 for /;5. Blades describes
this last in his catalogue list as Alchorne's; but this
is probably a mistake, as Valentine bought J. Inglis's
copy (1826) for /;17, 10S.
Sex þerelegantissimæ Eþistolæ (1483)'
24 leaves. The only copy known of this tract was
discovered in 1874 by Dr. G. Könnecke, archivist of
1\larburg, in an old volun1e of seventeenth-century
divinity in the Hecht- Heinean Library at Halber-
stadt. The discovery was described by 1\1:r. Blades
at the time in the AthenæU1Jl (Feb. 27,1875). This
copy was bought by the British 1\1useum in 1890
for /;250.

Ahnost as scarce and valuable as Caxtons are the
books printed at St. Albans :-

The Cllrollicle of St. A lbans (circa 1484), the second
book printed at S1. Albans, and the first edition of
the Chronicle, was sold at the Earl of Ashburnham's
sale (1897) to Messrs. J. & J. Leighton for /;180. It
was imperfect, but no absolutely perfect copy is known.

PRICES OF EARLY EXGLISH LITERATLRE 21 5
In Quaritch's catalogue, 1884 (
o. 355), a copy
with five leaves in facsimile and twenty-two others
deficient, was marked L300.

Tile Boke of St. A/balls (r 486), a copy perfected in
1S.,
was sold at the Roxburghe sale for L147. It was
resold at the \Vhite Knights sale for L84. In
rarch
1882 1\1r. Quaritch bought it at Christie's for 600
guineas. The Grenville copy now in the British
:\fuseum has gone through Inany vicissitudes, which
were graphically described by Dr. 1\Iaitland in r R..J. 7,
It appears that at the end of the last century the library
of Thonock Hall, in the parish of Gainsborough, the
seat of the Hickman family, was sorted out by an
ignorant person who threw into a condemned heap
all books without covers. A gardener who took an
in terest in heraldry begged permission to take home
what he liked from this heap, and he chose among
other books TIle Book of St. A tbans. This remained
in his cottage till June 1844, when his son's widow
sold 9 lbs. of books to a pedlar for 9d. The pedlar
sold the lot for 3s. to a chemist in Gainsborough,
who was rather struck by The Book of St. Atbans,
and tried to sell it, but the neighbours did not wish
to buy it. Eventually he obtained L 2, 2S. for it
from a man who expected to sell it to advantage.
The purchaser sold it to Stark the bookseller for
L7, 7 s . Stark took it to London and sold it to
the Right Hon. Thomas Grenville for seventy or
eighty guineas. 1'1r. Blades comn1unicated this
account to Notes and Queries (3rd Series, iv. 3 6 9).
A copy was sold at the Earl of Ashburnham's sale
(1897), which was stated to be the Roxburghe copy,
completed by the Earl froin another copy. :\1r.
Quaritch bought this for ;[385.

216

PRICES OF BOOKS

Still rarer than this is one of the treatises in a
separate forn1t- and printed in the next century :-

Juliana Barnes's Treatyse of FysshY1lge 'witlz a'll Angle.
London: \Vynkyn de \Vorde (1532). First separate
edition, unique.
In the Harleian Library, afterwards in Gulston's
collection, who sold it to J. Ratcliffe, bought at
his sale by \Vhite the bookseller, sold by hinl to Mr.
Haworth, at whose sale it sold for 19 guineas (un-
bound). Earl of Ashburnham (1897), green n1orocco,
,63 60 .

A fe,v prices may no\v be giyen of son1e of the
Inost interesting publications of the old English
press, consisting of the \vorks of poets, travellers,
&c., all of which have greatly increased in value,
and \vill probably increase still lnore :-

King Artllur, \V. Coplan de, 1557.
Dent, ,620, 9S. 6d., fine copy,. in olive morocco
by Lewis. H. Perkins (1873), ,6120 (san1e copy).
Bancroft's (T.) Two Bookes of Eþigrallll/les and li-pitaplls,
1639. R are Books and lIISS. (Sotheby, March
1897), fine uncut copy, ,642.
Barnfield's (Richard) Encomion of Lady I)ecltllia, 159 8 .
l\Ialone bought Farmer's copy for 19s. Ouvry
(1882), ,6105.
Bradshaw's (Henry) holy lyfe and history of Sa)Jllt TVer-
burghe (Pynson, 152 I, 4 0 , pp. 294).
Only three copies known: (I) Gough's, now in
the Bodleian; (2) Heber's, sold in 18 34 for ,6 19, 5 s .;
(3) copy in Longman's catalogue (Bibl. Anglo-
Poetica), 1815, marked ,663.

PRICES OF EARLY EXGLISH LITERATCRE 21 7
The prices of Caxton's hvo editions of Chaucer's
"Canterbury Tales" are recorded on a previous page
of this chapter. hnperfect copies of Pynson's first
and second editions ,vere lnarked /;25 in Longman's
catalogue (1815). The first edition (fifty-four leaves
inlaid and t\VO leaves in facsilnile) fetched at the
Heber sale /;60, I8s., and at the Earl of Ashburnham's,
/;233. The second edition (1526) sold at the Rox-
burghe sale for /;30, 9s., and an ilnperfect copy at
the Ashburnham sale for /;26.
Wynkyn de \Vorde's edition is as valuable as a
Caxton, and a fine and perfect copy sold at the
Ashburnhaln sale for /;1000.

Cutwode's (1'.) Caltha Poetarulll
' or, Bumble Bee, 1599.
Three copies only known: (I) Malone's, now in
the Bodleian j (2) Heber's, from which the Roxburghe
C]ub reprint was made, sold in 1834 for };"3, 18s. j
(3) a copy which belonged successively to Steevens,
Caldecott, and Freeling. Steevens' sale. ( I 800),
};"2, 12S. Gd.; Freeling (1836), };"IJ, 15s.
According to Ritson, this book "was staid at the
press by order of the Archbishop of Canterbury and
Bishop of London j and such copies as could be
found or were already taken were to be presently
brought to the Bishop of London to be burnt."
Dibdin gives an amusing account of the Roxburghe
Club reprint (1815) in his" Relniniscences" (vol. i.
p. 4 6 5, note) :--".A bet was laid (the winner of the
bet to give the Roxburghe Club a dinner) between
Sir
L
I. Sykes and
Ir. Dent whether the anniver-
sary meeting of 1815 was the third or fourth of the
club. 1\lr. fJent was the loser, when :l\lr. Heber
promised to present the club with a reprint of the

218

PRICES OF BOOKS

above poem at the extra dinner in contemplation.
Only nine days intervened, but within that period
the reprint was transcribed, superintended at the
press by 1\fr. Haslewood (without a single error),
bound by Charles Lewis, and presented to the
111enlbers on sitting down to dinner. Mr. Hasle-
wood was reported to have walked in his sleep with
a pen in his hand during the whole period of its
preparation. "
Drummond of Hawthornden's Forth Feasting, 161 7,
bought by Ouvry at Sotheby's in 1858 for ,-68, 15 s .
(bound in morocco), fetched ,-660 at Ouvry's sale
in 1882.
Fabyan's Chronicles (Pynson, IS 16), first edition.
Dr. F. Bernard (1698), 4S. 8d.
Roberts (1815), ,-684-North. John North (1819),
,-692, (Perfect.)
Samuel Lysons (1820), ,-635-Lord Aylesford.
Lord ,A.ylesford (1888), ,-62 50-Christie l\Iiller.
(Completed by leaves from another edition.)
Foxe's Acts alld lIIonumellts (John I)aye, 1562-63), first
edition, complete.
Earl of Ashburnham (1897), ,-615 0 .
Frobisher's Three Voyages of Discoverie, 157 8 , with
Keymis's Second Voyage to Guiana, 1596, in one
vo1., calf gilt, by Kalthoeber.
Beckford (1882), ,-63 00 .
Ouvry's copy of Frobisher, wanting the nlaps, sold
for ,-668.
Froissart's Cronycles (Pynson, 1523-25), two vols. folio.
G. Mason (1798),1:'36, 15s. Roxburghe (1812),
,-663. Towneley (1814), ,-64 2 (title of vol. i. a
reprint). ,V. H. Crawford (Lakelands), 18 9 1 , ,-625.

PRICES OF EARLY ENGLISH LITERATURE 21<)

Hakluyt's Princiþal Navigations, Voiages and DiscOl'eries
of the English Nation, 1589, with rare nlap, fine
copy, in pigskin.
J adis, L; 26, 5s. Same copy, Duke of Hamilton
( 188 4), L; 2 3.

Hariot (T.), lJferveilleux et estrange Raþþort . . . Fran-
cofurti, 1 S 9 0 .
Duke of Hamilton (1884), fine copy, in n1orocco
by Lewis, L;97.

Linschoten's Voyages into the Easte and TVest Indies,
IS98, nlaps and plates from the Dutch edition, title
inlaid, and last leaf mended.
Roxburghe, L; I 0, 1 ss. Same copy, Beckford
(1882), L; 14. Colonel Stanley, ;(,22.

Lodge's (Thomas) Rosalyllde, 1598.
Longman (18IS), L;20 (imperfect). Heber, L;5,
10S. Ouvry (1882), L;63.

Lok's (Henry) Ecclesiastes (London: Richard Field,
I S97).
Longmans (18 IS), L; 28. Sotheby's (l\larch 1817),
;6'6, 16s. G. Daniel, L;38, 109.

'fhe fìrst editions of l\IiIton's \\Torks have greatly
increased in price. Not 111any years ago a copy of
the first edition of the H Paradise Lost" could be
obtained for about five pounds, but no,v a good
copy is ,vorth at least four tilnes as lnuch. 'fhe
prices vary considerably \\'ith the date of the titIe-
page, of ,vhich there are several issues. G. Daniel's
fine copy sold in 186{ for ['28, lOSe

"

220

PRICES OF BOOKS

Milton's Maske ( Co 1Jl us ), 1637.
Losco111be, /;25. G. Daniel, /;36.

- Poems, 1645, first editioll, with portrait by Marshall.
G. Daniel, /;5, 15S. Rare Books and lIfSS.
(Sotheby, :rvlarch 1897), fine uncut copy, /;24, 10S.

Purchas his Pilgrimes, five vols., 1625-26.
Digby (1680), /;3, 5s. 6d. H. Perkins, 18 73,
fine copy, /;86. Beckford, 1883, fine copy, /;63.
Earl of Gosford (1884), /;82 (crimson morocco).
Earl of Crawford (1887), /;60.

Rhodes (Hugh), Boke of Nurture, 1577.
Steevens (1800), /;2, 2S. Longmans (1815),
,.615.

Ricraft's Peculiar Characters of tIle Oriental Languages,
sIn. 4tO.
Bindley, /; 19, 19s. Same copy, bound afterwards
in russia extra by Lewis, who charged /;1, 5s. for
the binding, sold in Beckford sale (1883) for /;8,
17s. 6d.

Scot's Discoverie of Witclzcraft, 15 8 4'
Boswell, ,.63, 3s. Comerford (188 I), /;25, 10S.
(citron morocco).

I t is interesting to notice that in the old sales of
the seventeenth century the folios of Shakespeare,
Bealllnont and Fletcher, and Ben Jonson all sold
for about the salne price. Those of the first no,v
sell for one hundred and t\VO hundred titnes ,yhat
they brought then, \vhile those of the second and
third do not bring ten tilnes.

PRICES OF EARLY E
GLISH LITERATURE 221

Beaumont and Fletcher's 'Yorks, 1647.
Sir Edward Bysshe (1679), 13s. 6d. Smallwood
(1684), 8s. A. Young and others (Puttick's), 1875,
.1;5. Alfred Crampton (1896), 10 guineas.
Jonson's (Ben) \V orks, 1640.
Benj. 'Vorsley (1678), .1;1, 13s. 6d. Sir Edward
Bysshe (1677), .1;1, 10S. Lord Baten1an (1896),
.1;8, 5 s.

Spenser's Faerie Queelle, 1590-96, first edition.
Sir Edward Bysshe (1679), 6s, 2d. Lloyd and
Raymund (1685), IS. Ouvry (1882), .1;33. Alfred
Crampton (16 I I), 1896, with additional leaves, .1;85.

\Veever's Funeral JJJ OllltllZellts, 163 I.
Two copies on large paper in Beckford's sale,
part 4 ( 188 3), olive morocco, index inlaid, }; 25 ;
blue morocco, .1:38.
\Vycliffe.
Mr. Addington bought at the l}ix sale four unique
tracts of\Vycliffe for .1:400, and expressed his opinion
that they would have been cheap at any price, but
at his own sale (1886) they only realised ..i"133-
viz., Crede, &c., .1:37; Consolation, };27; Testa-
ment of .Jvloyses, .1;36; Small Prayers to Common
People, .1:33-

A 1Jzericana is a class of book ,vhich has gro,,,n
enonnously in price. Anything published in At11e-
rica in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
no,v fetches a price.

Smith's Vir,gÙzia, 1624.
1)r. F. Bernard (1698), 4s. 2d. Hunter (1813).
.I: 27, 6s.

222

PRICES OF BOOKS

A large paper copy sold at the Beckford sale
( 188 3) for 1;605 (dedication copy to the Duchess
of Richmond, in old brown morocco, covered with
gold tooling, with the Duchess's arms forming the
centre ornaments).

Eliot Bible of 1661-63.
Dr. L. Seaman (1676), 19S. "\Vimpole library
(Lord Chancellor Hardwicke), 1888, 1;580-
Quaritch.
At this "\Vimpole sale (Christie's) a volume of
twelve tracts of the sixteenth and seventeenth cen-
turies relating to America sold for 1;55 S.

A curious incident occurred at 1\Iessrs. Sotheby's
in July 18 97, during the sale of the library of 1\1r.
Cyril Dunn Gardner. A volul11e of Sermons, ,vhich
included U A Sen110n preached at Plimmoth in N e'v
England, Dec. 9, 1621," ,vas put up, and the bidclings,
commencing at ss., were carried on till f I, 17s. ,vas
reached, ,vhen the lot ,vas knocked do,vn at that
amount. A dispute arising, it ,vas put up again,
and \yas eventually bought by l\Iessrs. H. Stevens
and Son for f87.

CHAPTER X

PHICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S \VORKS

THE first edition of Shakespeare's Plays (folio, 1623)
has been rising in price from the comlnencement of
the nineteenth century; but the enormous prices
no\v paid do not date further back than r86_h ,vhen
a specially fine copy \vas bought by the Baroness
Burdett-Coutts at George Daniel's sale for k716, 2S.
This amount ,vas paid on account of the height of
the book and of its great beauty, and possibly the
circun1stance of the year being the tercentenary of
Shakespeare's birth had sOlnething to do with it,
but this sale had the effect of raising the price of
all copies permanently.
Beloe, ,vriting in 1807 (II Anecdotes," Y01. i. p. 3 6 ),
said, II Perhaps there is no book in the English
language ,vhich has risen so rapidly in yalue as the
first edition of the ,yorks of our great national poet.
I can remelnber a very fine copy to have been sold
for five guineas. I could once have purchased a
superb one for nine guineas." 1'his statelnent can
be corroborated; for the Cracherocle copy in the
13ritish 1\luseU1TI, one of the fe\\
really fine copies,
has the price f8, 18s. 6cl. marked in it. Richard
\Yright's copy sold in 1787 for /;10, Allen's in 1795
:2:23

22-+

PRICES OF BOOKS

for 18 guineas. Fanner's copy (,vanting title, and
,vith the last leaf in i\1S.) sold for f7. Garrick
bought his copy from Payne for fI, I6s. Jolley
obtained it at Garrick's sale in 1823 for f34, 2S. 6d.,
and at Jolley's sale in 184-+ it realised f8-+. Lord
Denbigh's fine copy sold in r82S for f89, ss.,
and Broadley's in 1832 for fSI; \ViUiam COlnbes's
copy (,vanting title-page and all prefatory leaves,
but ,yith the text of the Plays complete) fetched
8 guineas in 1837; Bright's copy (r84s), ,,,ith title
repaired, verses from another edition, and some
leaves inlaid, brought f3I, IOS. The Sto\ye copy
(1849), \vith verses inlaid, f76; Ha\"trey's (1853),
,,,ith SOlne leaves mended, f63. In r82{ 1\lr. Thorpe
the bookseller advertised a set of the Jour folios-
first, f6s; second, 10 guineas; third, f2s; and the
fourth, 6 guineas, or the four for fIOO. About the
same tilne 1\1r. Pickering n1arked a sitnilar set f9s.
Copies of the first folio are so constantly sold that
one might suppose it to be a COllunon book, but this
Inay be accounted for by the fact that they are con-
stantly changing hands. There are only a few copies
absolutely perfect, but others are Inade up froln
various copies, or with pages in facsimile. This
Inakes the lnost ilnperfect copies of value, because
they can be used to perfect others.
Dibdin described thirty copies of the first folio in
his "Library Con1panion," and these he arranged
in three classes. I n the first class he placed three
copies, belonging respectively to 1\1 r. Cracherode,
the Right Hon. 'l"'homas Grenville, and 11r. Daniel
1\1 üore. 'rhe first hvo are now in the British

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S \VORKS 225
1\1 useum, and the third is the Daniel copy, for
\vhich Lilly the bookseller offered [300.

"These have size, condition, and the genuine properties
of a true copy. They are thirteen inches in height, eight
and a half in width, have the true portrait and title-page,
with the genuine verses in the centre of the leaf facing the
title-page. They have no spurious leaves foisted in from
other editions. . . . Of these three copies, that in the
Cracherode collection is the most objectionable, as the
commendatory verses of Ben Jonson, facing the title-page,
are, although genuine, inlaid."

1\1r. Grenville's copy ,yas bought at Saunders's sale
in 1818 for [121, r6s., ,vhich ,vas then thought to
be a great SUln, and Dibdin makes the unfortunate
prophecy that this \vas It the highest price ever
given, or likely to be given, for the volulne." 1\1 r.
Grenville told Dibdin that an ancestor of Sir Watkin
WillialTIs \Vynn possessed an uncut copy of the first
folio. It It ,vas lying on the table in that condition
\vhen, in a luckless Inoment, a stationer in the neigh-
bourhood of Wynnstay calne in. 1'he book ,vas
given to him to be bound, and off \vent not only
the edges, but half of the margins." Another piece
of vandalisln \vas the inlaying the lea\'es of the book
and binding theln in three volulnes. rrhis \vas
Henderson the actor's copy, \vhich sold at Reed's
sale for k38. In the second class ,vere included
some very good copies.

"Lord Spencer's copy had every leaf picked by the
experienced hands of the late George Steevens. The verses
opposite are genuine, but inlaid, and there are n1any tender
p

226

PRICES OF ROOKS

leaves throughout. There are also in the centre of son1e of the
pages a few greasy-looking spots, which might have originally
received the' flakes of pie-crust' in the servants' hall, as noti-
fied by Steevens. 1 But it is a beautiful and desirable copy."
The price lnentioned by Steevens is that \\Thich
the Duke of Roxburghe gave for his copy in 1790,
respecting ,vhich Dibdin relates an anecdote that
took his fancy so lnuch, that he tells the story both
at the beginning and at the end of his BiblioJllallia.
"A friend was bidding for him in the sale-room: his
Grace had retired to a distance to view the issue of the
contest. Twenty guineas and more were offered fron1
various quarters for the book: a slip of paper was handed
to the Duke, in which he was requested to inform his friend
whether he was 'to go on bidding.' His Grace took his
pencil and wrote underneath, by way of reply-
, Lay on, 11acduff;
And d-d be he who first cries, "Hold, enough!'"
Such a spirit was irresistible, and bore down all opposition.
His Grace retired triumphant, with the book under his arn1,"

1 Steevens's remark5, given in another page of Dibdin's "Library
Companion," are worth quoting here, more particularly as that
Shakesperian commentator gives his opinion of what was a high price
for the first folio: "I have repeatedly met with thin flakes of pie-
crust between the leaves of our author. These unctuous fragments,
remaining long in close confinement, communicated their grease to
several pages deep on each side of them. . . .
lost of the first folios
now extant are known to have belonged to ancient families resident in
the country. Since our breakfasts have become less gross, our favourite
authors have escaped with fewer injuries, . . . I claim the merit of
being the first commentator on Shakespeare who'strove with becoming
seriousness to account for the present stains that disgrace the earliest
folio edition of his plays, which is now become the most expensive
single book in our language; for what other English volume without
plates, and printed since th
year 1600, is known to have sold, more
than once, for .l35, 14 5 . ?"

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S \VORKS 227
A rather different version of this story of
icol's
purchase for the Duke is given in l\1artin's H Pri-
vately Printed Books."
This copy sold at the Roxburghe sale for f 100,
and is no\v in the Duke of Devonshire's library.
Dibdin had a commission fron1 Sir 1\1ark l\1aster-
man Sykes to giye f7S.
Hibbert's copy ,vas pronounced by l\Ir. Alnyot
to be the best copy he had seen after those placed
in the first class. It belonged to Ii Dog" Jennings,
and ,vas purchased of 1\1r. Payne for 70 guineas.
At Hibbert's sale it fetched 81 guineas, and ,vas
resold in 18-+7 at \Vilks's sale for fISS. It again
occurred at Dunn Gardner's sale (185-+), ,vhen it
,vas bought by l\Ir. H. Huth for b2SO.
Dent's copy ,vas a tall copy, identical in Ineasure-
lnent ,yith Daniel's, and ,vith some rough leaves,
but the title and verses ,vere pasted do\\.n. It
,vas bought by H. Perkins for f 110, 5s., and at
Perkins's sale it realised f58S, lOSe
John K:elnble's copy \yas inlaid on large paper,
and bound by 1\1ackinlay. It \vas purchased by
l\J r. Bos\vell for f I 12, 7s., and at his sale it brought
bIOS.
In the third class are the follo,ving :-
Steevens's copy "'as given to hiln by Jacob 'ronS011
in 1765, and it had passed through the hands of
Theobald and Dr. Johnson, the Ii latter not haying
itnproved its c01õldition." It \vants the title and
portrait, the latter being supplied by a facsin1Ïle
drawing by Steevens. 'rhe verses are froln the
second edition. Dr. Charles Burney bought this

.

228

PRICES OF BOOKS

at the sale of Steevens's library for [22. It is now
in the British 1'1 l1Selun. Nassau's copy \\yas perfect,
,vith the exception that the verses ,vere from the
second edition. It was bought by l\1r. Thorpe for
[49, 7 s .
E. V. UUerson's copy was fair, ,vith title and
portrait mounted, verses inlaid, and several leaves
mended. It sold for t49 in 1852.
Colonel Stanley's copy ,vas ill fair condition, but
\vanted the original verses and title-page. It was
bought at Stanley's sale by 1\1r. North for f37, 16s.,
and at North's sale it realised t39, 18s.
Heber gave 10 guineas for his copy, which ,vanted
verses, list of actors, &c., title a reprint froln the
second edition, some leaves stained, and others
mutilated. This sold at Heber's sale (1834) for
f57, 15 s .
_A. copy of the first folio is no\v looked upon as. a
necessary addition to a first-class library, but there
"vas no copy in the libraries of the Earl of Oxford,
Dr. 1\lead, \Vest, Aske\v, Crofts, Beauclerk, Heath,
\\Tillett, Bindley, or in the Sunderland or Hamilton
Palace libraries.
1\1r. Robert Holford is said to have given [250
for his tall copy.
'fhe follo,ving is a list of some of the copies ,vhich
have been sold since the famous Daniel copy :-
In 1882 Beresford-Hope's copy, with verses inlaid,
title repaired, in morocco by Clarke, fetched L 23 8 j
and Ouvry's sound copy, in red n1orocco by Clarke
and Bedford, sold for ,6420.
The Earl of Gosford's copy, perfect, with title

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S 'YORKS 229

and verses mounted, and margins of leaves slightly
mended, was sold in 1884 for ;/;470.
Hartley's copy was in poor condition, although
very tall (13i by 8f), title with portrait wanting. page
with verses mutilated, and some leaves mended.
It sold in 1887 for .;[25S. Hartley gave ;/;soo
for it to those who had bought it at a knock-out
for ;(;75.
The Earl of A ylesford's copy, wanting title, with
verses fron1 second edition, and five leaves stained,
sold in 1888 for ;/;200.
In 1889 F. Perkins's copy, with title and verses
mounted, sold for .;[4IS; and Halliwell Phillipps's
poor copy, with portrait, verses, preliminary and last
leaf in facsimile, for ;/;9 S.
'V. H. Crawford's imperfect copy, with title, verses,
prefatory matter, and" Cymbeline " reprinted in fac-
simile, sold in 1891 for .;[16, 10S.
In this same year Brayton I ves's copy, perfect, but
rather short, was sold in N ew York for 4200 dollars
(.;[84 0 ).
Addington's copy, with verses inlaid, in good con-
dition, but short (I 2
by 8!), fetched .;[280.
A copy, with title in facsimile, leaf containing
verses, last leaf and a few others mended in the
margin, was sold in a sale of Early English Poetry
(Sotheby, 1892) for .;6208.
Birket Foster's copy sold in 1894 for ;(2 S S ; and
1\1r. Toovey's, with title and verses in facsin1ile, for
;[ 16 9.

23 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

SECOND FOLIO, r632.

The most interesting copy of the second folio is
in the I{ing's Library. It belonged to Dr. l\Iead, at
whose sale it ,vas bought by Aske,v for /;2, r2s. 6d.
At Aske,v's sale it ,vas bought by Steevens for f5,
ros., an amount ,vhich he styled enormous. At
Steevens's sale this copy ,vas bought for George
I I I. for eighteen guineas. It formerly belonged to
Charles I., ,vho ,vrote in it, It DUln spiro spero, C.R."
The King presented it the night before his execu-
tion to Sir Thomas Herbert, ,vho had written, a Ex -
dono serenissimi Regis Car. Servo suo H umiliss.
T. Herbert." Steevens mistook the identity of
this Herbert, and ,vrote, It Sir Thomas Herbert
,vas l\Iaster of the Revels to I{ing Charles the
First." George I I I. ,vrote beneath Steevens"s
note, It This is a lnistake, he (Sir Tholnas Herbert)
having been Grooln of the Bed-Chalnber to J{ing
Charles I., but Sir Henry Herbert ,vas 1\Iaster of
the Revels."
Dibdin made the saIne mistake \\'ith respect to
this price that he did \vith respect to the price of
the Grenville first folio. He ,vrote, It [, r8, r8s.-the
largest sun1 ever given, or likely to be given, for the
book."
o,v in r895, at the Earl of Orford's sale,
the largest and finest copy kno,vn of the secònd
folio, in the original calf binding, sold for the
enormous stun of f 540. This is out of all propor-
tion to the price of the first folio, and a ridiculous
alnount to pay for a volume of little interest by

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S 'YORKS 23 I
itself, and only of value as one of the four original
editions.
The next largest price realised for a second folio
'"as ;[148 for Daniel's copy, ,vhich has some rough
lea\'es, and ,vas bought by Daniel from Thorpe, ,vho
bought it at the Nevill Holt sale for ;[28, IS.
The Earl of Aylesford's copy, ,vith title laid dow
,
and ,vithout verses (I Jr\- in. by 8! in.), sold in 1888
for ;[I{O. Brayton Ives's perfect copy ,vas sold in
N e\v York in 1891 for ..}oo dollar::; (;[80). Birket
Foster's copy sold in 189-+ for ;[56.
It is only lately that such high prices have been
obtained for this edition. The foIlo\ving is a list of
some of the prices given at an earlier date :-

B. \Vorsley (1678), 16s. Digby (1680), 14S.
Richard \Vright, M.D. (1787), h2, 9S. and hI, 6s.
Allen (1795), h4, 4S. Stanley (1813), h13, 2S. 6d.
Heber, Part I, h 10, 5s.; Part 4, wanting verses
opposite title-page, and last leaf inlaid, h 3, 7 s .
Valpy (1832), h18; resold to Broadley (1832),
h I2 ,5 s . Stowe ( 18 49), hI I, 5s.

Copies Sold 'withill the Last T'wellty-jive Years:-
H. Perkins (1873), h44 (fine copy). \Vell-
known collector (Sotheby's), 1880, hI 2, I5s. (verses
from fourth edition printed, part of title in facsimile
reprint). Ouvry (1882), h46. Beresford- Hope
(1882), h35, 10S. (title mended).
Standard English \Vorks (Puttick's), 1886, hI 9.
F. Perkins (1889), large copy, but wonn-hole through
half the volun1e, h47. \V. H. Crawford (1891),
wanting verses, h 19, 10S. Smithson and others,
18 9 6 (Puttick's), hI 8, 5s. (verses and several pages

23 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

wanting, and a few worm-holes). Jack, Halliday,
&c, (Sotheby, July 1897), ;655 (fine copy, portrait
and verses mended).
Sir Henry Irving gave ;6 100 for Dr. Johnson's
copy of the second folio, which contains many notes
in the nlargin by Theobald and Johnson. Osborn
the bookseller bought it at Theobald's death and
presented it to Johnson. Samuel Ireland gave ;(;1
for it at Johnson's sale in 1785. It wants title and
part of another leaf. l

THIRD FOLIO, r664- (solne copies dated 1663).

1'his edition is scarcer than the second, owing to
the copies having been destroyed in the Fire of
London. The title-page of r663 has the portrait,
and that of r66.{ is ,yithout it. l\1r. Thorpe, in one
of his catalogues, said that he had II refused [,10
for the title of r663." :\Ir. Quaritch gaye f r I for
one in 1895 at Sotheby's.
The folIo\ving is a list of the prices that S01l1e
copies have realised :-

B. 'Vorsley (1678),;6 I, 8s. 6d, Smallwood (168-+),
15s. 6d. Richard 'Vright, lVLD. (1787), ;61, IS.
Allen (1795), ;66, 6s. Steevens (1800), ;68, 8s.
Roxburghe (1812), ;635. Stanley ( 181 3), ;616, 16s.
Broadley (1832), ;611, 5s. \Villiam Combes (1837),
;(;5, 7 S . 6d. (some leaves inlaid). Stowe (Duke of
Buckingham), 1849, ;635 (n1argin of portrait 11lended,
title lined). Lord Stuart de Rothesay, ;650 (tall

1 "Talk auout Autographs," by George Birkbeck Hill, London,
18 9 6 , p. 69.

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S "YORKS 233
copy, with duplicate titles). Miss Currer (1862),
J;43, 10S. (original calf). Addington, J;130 (large
and fine copy). S. Daniel (1864), J;46. H.
Perkins (1873), Æ I 05 (
-inch taller than Daniel's
copy). Beresford-Hope (1882), J;72, 10S. (portrait
and title inlaid). Ouvry (1882), J;116. Earl of
Aylesford (1888), J;93 (13! in. by 8 in.). F.
Perkins (1889), J; 100. Halliwell Phillipps ( 188 9),
J; 24 (title mounted, portrait, verses, and last leaf
mounted). Brayton Ives (1891), 950 dollars (J; 1 9 0 ),
portrait from fourth edition. Hawley
18 94), J; 20 5.
Hildyard, 1895 (with two title-pages),1.:280. 11isc.
ColI. (Sotheby's), 1895, original calf, J;3S0.

FOURTH FOLIO, 1685.
Dibdin says of this that it H has little to recom-
mend it, either on the score of rarity or intrinsic
\vorth." Even no\v the prices are not very high,
and it is only required to cOlnplete the set of
folios.
The follo"ying are SOlne of the prices that this
vohnne has realised :-

Richard \Vright, 1\1.D. (1787), ;/;1, IS. Steevens
(1800), J; 2, 12S. 6d. Roxburghe (18 12), J; 6, 6s.
Broadley (1832), J;2, 2S. \Villiam Combes (1837),
;[2, 5S. Stowe (Duke of Buckingham), 18 49, J;4,
6s. Daniel (1864), J;21, 10S. H. Perkins (1873),
J;22. Beresford-Hope (1882), J;24. Ouvry (1882),
J;28. Choice library of a gentleman (1882), ;[17,
10S. Chevalier de Chatelain (1882), J;7, 5s. (in1-
perfections supplied in MS.). Addington (J 886),
J; 23, 10S. (good tall copy). Old Essex library

234

PRICES OF BOOKS

(Lord Petre), 1886, h3I, IOS. (old calf). Earl of
Aylesford (1888), h 29 (I4ì in. by 9-1 in.). F. Perkins
( 1889), hi 4 (portrait and last two leaves slightly
repaired). Halliwell Phillipps (1889), h30 (perfect
copy, in original calf). Brayton I ves (189 I), New
York, 210 dollars (h42). Early English Poetry
(Sotheby, 1892), h3I. Birket Foster ( 18 94), h25.
Alfred Crampton (1896), h4 2 (I4i in. by 91 in.).

SEPARATE PLAYS.

All's Well that Ends TVell, Antony and Cleoþatra, As
You Like It, COJfletly of Errors, Coriolanus, Cym-
beline, first editions in first folio.

Haffllet (Printed for N. L. and John Trundell), 1603, two
copies known,
(I) Duke of Devonshire, purchased of Payne and
Foss, 1825 (in vol. containing twelve early editions
of this play), for h 250 (wanting last leaf).
(2) British Museum, wanting title-page. Bought
by l\Ir. Rooney of Dublin in 1856 for small sum,
sold to Boone for h 70, purchased of them by Halli-
well Phillipps for hI20. It was sold subsequently
to the British l\:1:useum.

-- (L. R. for N. L.) 1604.
(I) Duke of Devonshire. (2) Earl Howe. (3)
H. Huth.

Henry IV., Part I (P. S. for Andrew 'Vise), 1598.
- (S. S. for Andrew 'Vise), 1599.
Steevens, h3, lOSe Roxburghe, h6, 6s. White
Knights, h18, 7S. 6d. Dtterson, hI4. Halliwell
(May 1857), h75. G. Daniel ( 186 4), hIlS, IeS.

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S \VORKS. 235
Henry I v., Part 2 (V. S. for A. 'Vise and 'V. Apsley),
1600.
Steevens, two copies (Dibdin, "Library Com-
panion," 805), ;/;3, 13s., ;/;2, 15 s . Smyth (1797),
;/;8, 8s. Roxburghe,;/; 2. 4s. Heber (Part 2), ;/;40.
Dtterson (1852), ;/;17, 10S. Halliwell Phillipps,
;/; 100 - sold to
Ir. Ruth. F. Perkins, 1889
(Heber's copy), ;/;225.

Henry v., "Chronicle History" (Thomas Creede for
T. 11illington & J. Burby), 1600.
Steevens (inlaid), ;/; 27, 6s. Kemble, resold
(Sotheby, April 182 I), ;/; 18, 7s. 6d. Heber (Part 2),
;/; 24, 3s.-bought by 1Vlr. Daniel. Bought at Daniel's
sale (1864) for 220 guineas by Lilly. (Fine copy.)

Henry VI., Parts I and 2, first editions in folio. Part 3
(" The true rrragedie of Richard, Duke of York "),
P. S. for T. Millington, 1595.
Chalmers (Part I), ;/;13 I.
-- ('V. \V. for T. Millington), 1600.
Steevens, J; I, I6s. Rhodes,;/; 5, 7S. 6d. (one
leaf MS.). Jolley, ;/;10, IOS. Halliwell (1857),
;/;60.

HelllY VIII., Julius Cæsar, King John, first editions In
folio.

True Cllrollicle Historie of King Lear (Nathaniel Butter,
St. Paul's Churchyard), 1608.
Steevens, ;/;28. Dent, ;/;14, SS. Strettell, ;/;15.
Edwards (1804), ;/;15, 4S. 6d. Heber (Part 2), ;/;32.
Halliwell (1856), ;/;22, los.-bought for 1\'1r. IIuth.
Eirket Foster (1894), ;/;100.

23 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

There were second and third editions published
in the same year with Butter's name, but without
place.

Love's Labour Lost (\V. \V. for Cuthbert Burby), 159 8 .
Dent, ;[26. Bindley, ;[40, 10S. Rhodes, ;[53,
I IS. Heber (Part 2), ;[40 (Bindley's copy) j came
into the possession of George Daniel, who valued it
at;[ 200. It sold for 330 guineas at Daniel's sale. F.
Perkins (1859), ;[70 (headlines cut into, and last
leaf mended). Thomas Gaisford (1890), ;[140.

Jlacbeth, Measure for lJfeasure, first editions in folio.

.Jferchallt of Venice (J. Roberts), 1600.
Steevens, ;[2, 25., ;[2 (two copies, both inlaid).
Roxburghe, ;[2, I4S.; resold to Jadis, ;/;6, 6s.; re-
sold to Holland (1860), ;[ IS. Heber (Part 2), ;/; 12.
Jolley, ;/;14. Dtterson (1852), ;[16. HalliweH
(1859), ;/;21. F. Perkins (1889), ;/;12 I. "V. H.
Crawford (189 I), ;/;11 I. Sir Cecil Domville, 1897,
(fine copy), ;[315.
- (J. R. for Thomas Heyes), 1600.
Duke of Grafton, ;[9, 9s. Bindley, ;/;22, IS.
Roxburghe, ;[10. Heber (Part 2), ;[33, IOS.
Field, ;/;13, I5s. Gardner (1854), ;/;32-bought by .
Mr. Tite. Halliwell (1856), ;[37-bought by Mr.
Huth. Daniel, ;/;99, I5s. F. \V. Cosens (1890),
;/; 270. \V. H. Crawford (189 I), ;/;1 I I. Birket
Foster (1894), ;/;146.

Merry TVives of TVindsor (T. C. for Arthur Johnson),
1602.
Bindley, ;[18. Steevens, ;/;28-purchased by
l\,Jalone; resold to Heber. Heber (Part 2), .;{40 ;

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S ",TORKS 237
bought by G. Daniel; sold at his sale in 1864 for
330 guineas to Lilly. Thomas Gaisford (189 0 ),
;[3 8 5.

jJferry Wives of TVindsor, for Arthur Johnston, 161 9.
Roxburghe, ;[1, 3s. Steevens,;[ I, 4S. Dent,
;[8. Heber (Part 2), ;[7. Halliwell (1856), ;[16
-bought by !vIr. Tite. HalJiwell ( 18 5 8 ), ;[[4, 5 s .

j}fidsummer -,Vight's Drea1l1e (Thomas Fisher), 1600.
Steevens (part of a leaf wanting), ;[25, lOSe
Bind]ey, ;[22, 10S. Heber (Part 2, very fine),
;[ 36-bought by Daniel; sold at his sale in 1864-
for 230 guineas to Lilly. Brayton Ives (New York),
1891, 725 dollars. Birket Foster (1894), ;[122
(large copy).
- (James Roberts), 1600.
Boswell, ;[2, 1 s. Roxburghe,;[ 3, 3s. Duke of
Grafton, ;[4, 8s, Dent, ;[4, lOSe Heber (Part 4,
fine), ;[7-bought by Daniel; sold at his sale for
;[36-bought by Lilly. Gardner (1854), ;[12, 15S.
Sotheby, 18S7 (Berry), ;[21. F. Perkins (1889),
;[61 (three headlines shaved).
Jluc/z Ado about Not/ling ('T. S. for A. \Vise and ,V.
Apsley), 1600.
Smyth (1797), ;[7, 10S. Steevens, ;[2, 12S. 6d.
Roxburghe, ;[2, 17s. Broadley (1832), ;[2, 19s.
Bindley, ;[17, 17 S .
Heber, Part 2 (finest copy known, with rough
edges), ;[ I 8-bought by Daniel; sold at his sale
( 186 4) for 255 guineas-Toovey. } [alliwell (J8S7),
;[6S-bought by Mr. Huth. Halliwell Phillipps
(1889), ;[50 (several leaves in facsimile). F. Perkins
(1889), ;[75 (headlines cut into). Thomas Gaisford
( 18 9 0 ), ..-6 I 3 0 .

23 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

Othello (N. O. for T. 'Valkley), 1622.
Steevens (with 1\1S. notes), :L 29, 8s. Gilchrist,
.f: 19, 10S. Den t, :L 22. Bindley,:L 56, 14s.; re-
sold Heber (Part 2), for .f:28 j bought by Daniel j
sold at his sale for :L 155 to Lilly. 'Villiam COlnbes
(1837), ,-[15, 5 s . F. Perkins ( 188 9), .1:13 0 .

Pericles (H. Gosson), 1609.
S teevens, .I: I, 2 s. Roxburghe,.I: I, 15 s.
Heber, Part 2, .f:18-bought by Daniel j sold at
his sale for .f:84
F. Perkins, 1889 (Steevens's copy, with his auto-
graph), .1:60. Halliwell Phillipps ( 188 9), ;{,3 0
(title reprinted, and two leaves wanting).
J. T. Frere, 18 9 6 , .f: 17 I.
Richard II. (Valentine Simmes for Andrew 'Vise), 1597.
Daniel's was the first copy brought to auction.
Bought by Lilly (1864) for 325 guineas.
- (Val. Simmes for Andrew 'Yise), 159 8 .
Steevens, .1:4, 14 s . 6d. Roxburghe, .1:7, 7 s .
'Vhite Knights, .f: 10. Heber, .1:4, 14s, 6d. Bright
(1845), .1:13, 10S. Daniel (1864), 103 guineas-
Halli ,veIl.

lÚ'chard III. (Valentine Sims for Andrew 'Vise), 1597.
Nixon (1818), .1:33; resold to Heber. Heber
(Part 2), .1:41, 9s. 6d.; bought by Daniel; sold at
his sale for 335 guineas to Lilly.
Romeo and Juliet (J ohn Danter), 1597.
Heber, Part 2 (wanting title, and cut into the
text), L I, IS.
Kemble gave Stace the bookseller ;[30 for his
copy, now in the library of the Duke of Devon-
shire.

PRICES OF SHAKESPEARE'S \VORKS 239

Romeo and Juliet, second or first con1plete edition
(T. Crede for C. Burby), 1599.
Steevens, ;[6. Roxburghe, L7, 10S. \Vhite
Knights, ;[10, lOSe Heber, ;[5, 15S. 6d. Daniel,
L52, 10S. F. Perkins (1889), ;[164 (headlines cut
into, and title 111ounted).

7l11Jling of the Shre'w, Temþest, Timo1l of Athens, first
editions in folio.

Titus Androniclts (Edward \Vhite), 161 I.
Daniel (1864), L31, I os.
F. Perkins (1889), ;[35 (margin of title re-
paired).

Troilus and Cressida (G. Eld for R. Bonian & H.
\Valley), 1609.
Boswell, 13s. Steevens, ;[5, lOS, Roxburghe,
L5, 5 S . Heber (Part 2), ;[16. Daniel (1864),
109 guineas; this fine copy, with second title,
cost him ,650. F. Perkins (1889), ;[30 (headlines
cut off).

TZiJO Gentlemen of Verona, rVinter's Tale, first editions in
folio.

Venus and Adonis (Richard Field), 1593.
Malone gave ,625 for his unique copy, now 111
the Bodleian.

- (Richard Field)
1594.
Jolley (1844), ,-{;I06 (close cut, and mended);
now in the Grenville Library. Daniel (1864),
L 2 4 0 - Lilly; finest copy known.

24 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

Venus and Adonis (R. F. for John Harrison), 1596.
Sir 'V. Bolland (1840), ;[91-Bright; Bright's
sale (1845), ;[91, los.-Daniel; Daniel's sale
([ 864), 300 guineas- Boone.

Lucrece (Richard Field for John Harrison), 1594.
Baron Bolland (1840), ;[105. Bright, .;658
(top tnargin repaired). Daniel (1864), ISO guineas
-Lilly. 'V. H. Crawford (1891), ;[250. Mr. Hol-
ford is said to have given ;[100 for his copy. F.
Perkins (1899), ;[200 (small hole burnt in two
leaves ).

Sonnets (G. Eld for T. T.), 1600.
Steevens, ;[3, 19s.; this copy cost Narcissus
LuttreI1 IS.; at Daniel's sale (1864) it realised 215
guineas. Edwards (1804), ;[8. Longman's Cata-
logue, ;[30. Roxburghe,.I; 2 I. Chalmers (184 I),
.;[105. Halliwell (1856), ;[41-bought by Mr.
Tite. Halliwell (1858), ;[154, 7s.-bought by Mr.
Huth.

Poems (Thomas Cotes), 1640.
Collins (1683), 6d. Lloyd & Raymond (1685),
6d. Field, ;[2, 5s. Nassau, ;[3, 13S. 6d. Bindley,
;[ 5, 15 s . Longman's Catalogue, ;[8, I8s. 6d.;
another copy, ;[ [0, IOS. Stowe, ;[7, 10S. Bright,
;[15. Daniel (1864), ;[44. F. \V. Cosens ( 18 9 0 ),
;[,6 I.

CHAPTER XI

PRICES OF V AI
IOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS

IN this chapter SOllie account ,vill be given of a
fe\v of the various classes of literature \vhich have
not previously been alluded to; but to give a
general idea of SOllie of these books ,vhich bring
a high price, it ,vil1 be necessary to be brief.
Oldys refers to the sale of a book \vhich he
supposes to have been erroneously valued, but
he \vas not quite correct in his statement. He
\vrote, "The atheistical book of Giordano Bruno
sold at Paul's Coffee - house for [,30 in 1709; it
has scarcely sold for so many pence since." 1
The book referred to ,vas - Giordano Bruno,
Spaccio de la Bestia TrionfilJzte. Parigi (Lonclra :
T. \Tautrollier 158-+), the sale of ,vhich is con1-
mented upon in Tlie Spectator, No. 389. The sale
at \vhich this book occurred \\'as that of Chàrles
13crnard in 171 I, and the alliount \vas really f 28.
The purchaser \vas Walter Clavel, and this copy
,vas successively in the possession of 1 ohn
Jichols,
John Alnes, Sir Peter rrholnpson, and 1\1. C. 1'utet.
At the sale of the latter's library in 1786 it ,vas
bought by Salnuel 1"yssen for seven guineas.

1 ""Memoir of \ViIJiam Olllys," 1862, p. 104.
24 1 Q

.

24 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

Another copy, ,vhich had forlned part of the library
of 1\1r. P. Le
eve, \\Tas sold at Dr. l\lead's sale
(1754) for four or five guineas. 1 rrhe price has
not gone do\vn, as Oldys supposed it would, for
at the Dunn Gardner sale (1880) a copy brought
[20, 15s., and another, at the Duke of Halnilton's
sale (188-+), sold for [18, LOSe
T'here is a larger circle of bibliophiles in France
than in England, and they are n10re \villing to pay
high prices for out-of-the-\yay books. rrhe early
editions of 1\101ière clnd Rabelais, like those of
Shakespeare, are sold for large sun1S, and early
French literature generally, like our o\yn, has
greatly advanced in price of late years.
T\vo instances of the great advance that has
occurred lnay be given :-
Perrault, COlltes de J/la lllcre LOJ1e, 1697, ,vanting
leaf of errata, a fine copy, in blue n10rocco by
Bauzonnet, sold at Charles Nodier's sale for 112
francs. The same copy at the Duke of Han1iIton's
sale brought [85.
Gringoire, Les Fantasies de 111cre Sole (Paris, 15 16 ),
a copy in blue 111orocco by Padeloup, sold at
Hibbert's sale for nine guineas. The same copy
brought the large sum of [180 at Beckford's sale.
One can understand such high prices as these,
,vhich arise frOlll the revived interest felt in this
kind of book, but the high price of Le Pastissier
FraJlfois (Amsterdam: L. & D. Elzeyier, 16 35)
seems absurd. Such a book can be of littlp

1 Nicholsls "Literary Anecdotes," vol. i. p. 593.

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS 243
interest to English buyers, although certainly l\fr.
Andre,v Lang gro\vs enthusiastic over it in his
II Books and Bookmen." In an early edition of his
Manuel (1821) Brunet wrote-

"Till now I have disdained to admit this book into my
work, but I have yielded to the prayers of amateurs.
Besides, how could I keep out a volume which was sold
for one hundred and one francs in I 8 I 9 ? "

1'he book has greatly increased in value since
then, and, as a consequence, copies not hitherto
kno\vn have come into the market. Berard only
knew of t\VO copies. Pietiers, \vriting on the EI-
zevirs in 1843, could cite only five, and in his
Annales he had found out but five lnore. Willems,
on the other hand, enumerates some thirty, not in-
cluding l\lotteley's.l l\Ir. Lang himself calculates
the number of Pastissiers now existing at forty, and
gives a good many prices to sho\v how the book
hds increased in value. A copy \vas sold in 17 80
for 4 francs. Sensièr's copy sold for 128 francs
in 1828, and for 201 francs in 1837. It ,vas after-"
\vards bound by Trautz-Bauzonnet, and sold ,vith
Potier's books in 1870 for 2910 francs. At the
Benzon sale (1875) it fetched 3255 francs, and \vas
sold again in 1877 for 2200 francs. l\Ir. Lang
further says that a copy \vas Inarked in Bclchelin-
Deflorenne's catalogue at [240, and that l\lorgand
and Fatout sold an uncut copy for [4-00. The
Earl of Orford's copy sold in 18 95 for f 100.

1 Lang's" Books and Bookmen, ,. p. I J.

244

PRICES OF BOOKS

This is one of the yery few books that are abso-
lutely valueless, except in regard to such value as it
gains from its rarity and association ,vith a great
firm of printers; yet 1\Ir. Lang says that It there are
at least four thousand people \yho ,vould greatly
rejoice to possess a Pastissier, and son1e of these
desirous ones are very \veaIthy." This is amazing,
but I suppose it \votIld scarcely be polite to refer to
Carlyle's verdict as to \\That the Inass of people are.
Another scarce book, ,vhich is stupid, and of no
interest in itself, is Horace Walpole's It Hieroglyphic
Tales" (1785). The British Museum does not possess
a perfect copy, but it has SOlne of \Valpole's o\vn
corrected proofs bound up in a volume. The Earl
of Orford's copy, interleaved and bound in n10rocco
by Roger Payne, sold in 18 95 for [,37.
County histories vary in price, but they must
ahyays hold their ground and sell \veIl, on account
of the value of the information contained in their
pages, \vhich cannot easily be found elsewhere.
They nlay be considered as eminently safe property.
The follo,ying are the prices of a fe\v of these :-

...-\tkyns's (Sir R.) Gloucestershire, folio, 17 I 2. Large paper
(first and best edition).
Bryant (1807), ;/;17, 175. Dent ( 182 7),
14,
145, Sykes, ;/; 16, Nassau, 15 guineas. H
Perkins (1873), ;/;29. Comerford (1881), ;/;4[.
Beresford-Hope (1882), ;638. Beckford (1882),
;65 2 .

Aubrey's Surrey, 5 vols., 17 19. Large paper.
Dent, ;/;19, 5s. H. Perkins ( 18 73), ;632, I os.

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS 245
Blomefield's lVorJolk, 5 vols., 1739-75.
COlnerford (1881), ,h160 (illustrated). Earl of
Gosford (1884), ,h87 (drawings by Cotman inserted).
'Villiam Brice, &c (1887), ,h20.
Drake's (T.) Eboracum, History of the Ci'ty of York, 173 6 .
Large paper, proof-plates coloured, in red morocco
,
by Kalthoe ber.
H. Perkins (1873), ,h25. Beckford (1882), ,h63-

Du
dale's (Sir 'V.) Antiquities of IVarzvickshire, 1656.
First edition, and the only one admitted as evidence
in a court of law.
Bindley, ,h I 0, 10S. Sykes,.;{; I I, 1 I s. Comer-
ford, ;[12, 10S. Beckford (1882), ,h20. Sunder-
land (1882), ,hIS.

Dugdale's 1 Varzvicksh ire, 2 vols" 1730. Large paper.
Dent, ;[33. Sykes, ;[39, 8s. IIeath, ;[64, IS.
Nassau, ,h33' 'Villett, ;652, lOSe H. Perkins
( 18 73), ;684 (red morocco by Derome).

Gough's Sepulchral.Jfollltlllents, 5 vols., 1786-96.
Fonthill, ;[92, 8s. Beckford (1882), ,h3I. (Same
copy.)

Loggan (D.), Oxollia illustrata, 1675.
Beckford (1882), ,h14 (old red morocco).

- Ca1ltabrigia illustrata, 1688.
Beckford (1882), L I 1 (old red morocco).

ichqls's Leicestershire, four vols. in eight, 1795-1815.
Large paper (original edition of vol. iv., part I), russia
extra.
I-I. Perkins (1873),.,h260. Earl of Gosford (r884),
;[275.

24 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

Ormerod's Cheshire, 3 vols., 1819' Large paper.
H. Perkins (1873), plates in three states-etchings,
proofs, and proofs on India paper, morocco extra by
Lewis, one of six copies, ;[155.
Plot's Oxfordshire, 1677. Large paper.
Beckford (1883), ;[8, 15s, (old red morocco).
- Staffordshire, 1686. Large paper.
Beckford (1883), ;[40, 10S. (old black morocco).
Thoroton's Nottingha1Jlshire, 1677.
Heber (part 9), ;[1 I, 5s. Beresford-Hope (1882),
;61 I. Beckford (1883), ;614, lOS,
First editions of our English classics have in-
creased greatly in price of late years. 1\lany of
Defoe's works are very scarce, and bring good prices.
The late l\lr. James Crossley had a fine collection
of these, but his library ,vas in such poor condi-
tion that the books did not sell well. The British
l\Iuseum bought at his sale, June 20, 1885, the auto-
graph manuscript of Defoe's U Compleat English
Gentleman," ,vhich had never been printed until
Mr. Nutt issued it to subscribers in 1890. The
lnanuscript remained in the possession of Defoe's
relations, the Baker family, for more than a hundred
years, as Da\vson Turner bought it in 1831 froln
the Rev. H. D. F. Baker, the descendant of Henry
Baker, son-in-Ia\v of Defoe, for [,69. In 1859, at
the sale of Turner's 1\188., Crossley bought the
book for [,75, 8s.

Robinson Crusoe, first edition, 2 vols., 17 1 9.
Roxburghe (1812), ;[1, 4s. Sotheby's ( 18 4 6 ), ;[4,
16s. (with "Serious Reflections," 3 vols., 17 19- 20 ).
Alfred Crampton, 1896 (3 vols.), .L 75.
Sir Cecil Domvile, 1897 (part I), .L45, lOSe

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS 247

\Valton's Angler, 1653, first edition.
Rev. J. Brand ( 180 7), ;63, 3S. (fine copy).
Hunter (1813), ;67, lOS, DUerson (1852), ;61 I,
15s. Beckford (1883), fine copy, in green lTIOrOCCO,
;687- Bain . Gibson-Craig (1887), ;6195 (morocco).
Gibson-Craig (1888), ;623 (imperfect, sold with all
faults). G. \Vood (Sotheby, 1891), ;6310 (clean,
in original sheepskin). Sotheby (December 1895),
;64 1 5.

Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield, I 766, first edition.

lansfield-l\Iackenzie (1889), ;667. T. B. T.
Hildyard (189S), ;6S6 (original calf). Alfred
Crampton (1896), ;665 (morocco extra by Bed-
ford). Rare Books and 1\1SS, (Sotheby, 11arch 1897),
;660 (original calf).

BOOKS O
VELLUM

Col1ectors have ahvays had a fancy for these very
choice books, and that the taste has not yet died
out is seen from the fact that the late vVilliam
l\Iorris printed copies of the beautiful books issued
fron1 the I{elmscott Press on velluln, and \"as parti-
cularly careful in the selection of the skins, ,vhich
he obtained at first from Italy. A complete set of
all the books on yellu111 (including Chaucer), forty-
nine YOlUlnes, \vere offered at the l{elmscott Press
for [,650, and have been sold at that price.
We can understand the early printed books being
struck off upon vel1um, as the printers appreciated
that material on account of its use by the scribes
in the production of the beautiful nlanuscripts of a

.

24- 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

fonner age, hut it is surely infinitely n10re con-
yenient to have a book pril1ted on good paper
rather than on such a refractory lnaterial as velhun.
SOlne collectors have been so infatuated as to
confine their libraries to books printed on velluln,
and the French l\Iarshal J unot ,vas one of them.
l\lodern books ,vere printed for hiu1 on this sub-
stance; but ,vhen they can1e to be sold it ,vas found
that the public did not care lnuch for his books, and
more than half of then1 ,vere bought in. One of the
lots illustrates in a relnarkable lnanner the advance
in prices at the present titne. The book \vas Lon-
gus's Pastoralia, printed by Didot in 1802. One
copy only \vas pulled on vellum for the l\Iarshal,
and this volulne contained the original dra\vings of
Proudhon, and a set of proof itnpressions of the
engravings. At the J unot sale in 1816 this book
only realised [,37, 10S.; at the Beckford sale it
brought [,900. One of the lnost channing of
J unot's books \vas the Didot Horace of 1799 folio,
a volulne \vhich contained the original dra\vings
frol11 \vhich the copperplate yignettes \yere exe-
cuted. This \\'as bought by George Hibbert for
{,14 0 .
Of old books, nlention lnay be lnade of the
dedication copy to J alnes V. of John Bellenden's
tral1
lation of Hector Boece's t( Cronildes of Scot-
land" (1536), \yhich ,vas printed on yellUll1, and
,vhich, in a fine old hinding, realised at the Duke
of Halnilton's sale (1884), [,800.
Dibdin styled this hobby of collectors the fifth
sYlnptoln of the bibliolnania, and he gave a list of

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS 24-9
the vellum-printed books in Count 1IacCarthy's
and James Ed\vards's libraries. I n the latter col-
lection ,vas a copy of l\Iartin Luther's Gennan
Bible (Augsburg, r535, t\VO vols. folio), ,vhich sold
for the reasonable price of [,52, rOSe These copies
on vellum ,,'ere printed at the charge of John
Frederick, Elector of Saxony.
Ed\\Tards employed Bodoni to print for him six
copies of the edition of the U Castle of Otran to"
(Parma, 179r) on velluln, and his o\\'n copy, lnade
up \vith a selection of the best sheets, sold at his
sale in r8 r 5 for [,29, 8s.
At Watson Taylor's sale Pope's U Essay on l\Ian"
(r8r9), printed on vellun1, sold for [,ro.
l\Iention has already been made of the grand
copies on \"ellun1 of the earliest productions of the
printing-press-the :\Iazarin Bible, &c.

ILLCSTRATED BOOKS

Good illustrated books, ,yhich are an ornan1cnt to
any library, are no,v high priced, and are not likely
to fall in value. Such books as Dibdin's biblio-
graphical ,vorks, Rògers's It Italy" and It Poen1s,"
and lnan yother books of a like kind, lnust ahvays
be a delight to the æsthetic collector.
Collections of engraved portraits have realised
great prices, such ias Holland's BasilÙJJlogili (1618),
\\"hich sold for [,600 at Christie's in 181 I ; and his
]lcymologia (1620), ,,,hich sold for [,17 at the
Beckford sale, [,28, 10S. at the Earl of Cra,vford's
sale (1887), and [,19, 15s. at \V. H. Cra\vford's

25 0

PRICES OF BOOKS

(Lakelands) sale (1891); and the superb series of
Vandyck's etchings, ,vhich sold for f2850 at the
Beckford sale.
Great prices have also been paid for extra illus-
trated books; but it is useless to record the prices
given for them, unless a list of the contents is given
also. Grangerising has been ridiculed \vith much
justice, and some of the bulky \vorks \vhich have
been produced, such as the illustrated Bibles and
Shakespeares, are instances of a very absurd lnania.
Dr. Hill Burton gave an amusing and by no
means exaggerated sketch in his H Book Hunter"
of ho\v the compiler set about his \vork. Now in
England Grangerising is mostly confined \vithin
the limits of illustrating topographical \vorks \vith
views and historical books with portraits, but in
the United States the old plan is said to be still
in force.

BINDI};GS

In no class of books have prices n10re conspi-
cuously advanced than in the case of bindings, and
in many sales that have taken place of late years
fine specimens ha\'e been brought to the hamll1er;
but no sale could cOll1pare ,vith that of the Beckford
library in this respect. Good exan1ples of the libraries
of l\largaret of \Talois, 1Iaioli, Grolier, Thuanus,
and Canevari are eagerly sought after, and the
folIo\ving prices of SOlne of the choicest of these
bindings \vill give readers an idea of the current
val ues of these charming books :-

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS 251

Marguerite de Valois. Carmina illustrium Poetarum
I talorum, 1579, 2 vols. Old brown moroccO,
covered with the arms and devices of
Iarguerite
de Valois.
Beckford (1882), ,-6242.

Diane de Poictiers. Le Livre des Statuts et Ordonances
de l'Ordre de Sainct
fichel (Paris, 1550), printed
on vellum. A beautiful specin1en of the library of
Diane de Poictiers, in old brown morocco, orna-
mented with the arms of Henry II. of France, the
crescent, bows and quivers of Diana, and fleurs
de lis.
Beckford (1882), ,-6 155.
Grolier. I. Aurelius Augurellus (Venetiis: Aldus, 1505).
Brown morocco, beautiful specimen of Grolier's
Ii brary.
Beckford (1882), .;[250.
- Lucanus cura Aldi Romani (Venetiis: Aldus, 1515).
Grolier's copy, covered with scroll tooling.
Beckford (1882), .;[290.

- Another copy, vealt fauve, with Grolier tooling,
,-6 r 20.
Grolier and Thuanus. Lucanus de Bello Civili (Lutetiæ:
R. Stephanus, 1545)' Brown morocco, covered with
Grolier tooling; apparently bound for Grolier, and
subsequently possessed by Thuanus.
Beckford (r882), ,-6135.
- Franchini Poemata (Romæ, 1554). Red morocco,
covered with Grolier tooling, and monogram of the
Marquis de 1Ienars on back, from the libraries of
Grolicr and Thuanus.
Beckford (1882), L 23 0 .

25 2

PRICES OF BOOKS

Grolier and Thuanlls. Buchanani Psalmorum Para-
phrasis Poetica (apud H. et R. Stephanum, s.a.).
Olive morocco, sides and back covered with gold
tooling in the Grolier style, the first arms of
Thuanus forming the centre ornament.
Beckford (1882), l:" 3 10.

Louis XIII. and Anne of Austria. Sainct Johan Zebedee
L'
-\.pocalypse, l\Iystère (Paris, 1541). Blue morocco,
richly ornamented with gold tooling and the crowned
cyphers of Louis XIII. and Anne of Austria, by A.
Ructte.
Beckford (1882), ;{; 255.

Demetrio Canevari, Physician to Urban VIII. Tirante
il Bianco (Vinegia, 1538). A perfect specin1en of
Canevari's library, in "\T enetian red Dlorocco, with
his device.
Beckford (1883), 1; III.

Dit Fresno)'. Lucanus de Bello Civili (Lugd. Bat., 16 5 8 ).
Red 111orocco, richly ornamented with gold tooling,
with arms and monogram of H. Petit l)u Fresnoy
stamped on the sides and back, by Boyet.
Beckford (1882), ;{;84.

.L1Iarguerite de ..Jfontmorency, Dame de Fosseteau. Du-
chesne, Histoire genealogique de la maison de
Montmorency et de Laval, 2 vols. in I (Paris,
1624). Old olive morocco, the sides and back
covered with the l\IF and device (the l\'larguerite)
of Marguerite de Montmorency.
Beckford (1882), ;{;120.

A fe\v instances of the \vork of the great French
binders follo,v, and it \vill be seen that the ,vork of

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS 253
no binder is more appreciated by collectors than
that of l\lonnier:-

Clovis Eve. Co loured Drawings of l\1aps and Plans of
places in France, executed in 1602 and 1603 for
Henry IV.'s own use. Olive morocco, covered with
fleurs de lis, the King's arms forming the centre
ornament, with his crowned H at each corner.
A magnificent specimen of Clovis Eve's art.
Beckford (1882), L;375.

B{J)'et. In the second portion of the Sunderland library
there was a small volume in old crimson morocco
(Cicero, De Officiis, Arnst. ex off. Elzeviriani, 16 77),
which was not specially described, nor the title
printed in capitals. It did not look worth many
pounds, but Mr. Quaritch obtained it after an ex-
citing contest with 1fr. l\Iorgand for ;[; 120. The
cause of the excitement was this: from the character
of the end papers it was judged that the book had
been bound by the French binder Royet. Speci-
mens of his handiwork are very rare, and hence the
great price.

Deseltil (or Du Seltil). I n the second portion of the
Beckford library was a copy of the Leyden edition
of
Iacrobius (1670), bound in red morocco doublé
by Deseuil. This fetched ;[;39, while another copy
in vellum only realised 16s.
I-lere is another instance of the increased value of
a copy of a book bound by a good binder. A copy
of l\lontaigne, Essais, 3 vols. 8vo (Arnst.: Elzevir,
1659),. bound in red morocco doublé by fJeseuil,
brought ;[;200, while another copy, bound by Roger
Payne in red morocco, only sold for ;[12, IDS.

254

PRICES OF BOOKS

A small duodecimo volume bound by Deseuil
(Longus, Les Amours Pastorales de Daphnis et
Chloe, Paris, 1788) was sold at G. Daniel's sale
in 1864 for ;(,92.

lI-fonnier. Decor Puellarum (Venetia: N. Jenson, 147 I).
Girardot de Prefond's copy, a magnificent specimen
of Monnier's binding, in blue morocco, ornamented
with flowers worked on variegated leathers, and
stamped in gold.
Beckford ( 188 3), ;6530.

- De l'lmitation de Jesus Christ traduction nouvelle
(Paris, 1690). Large paper. Citron morocco, mag-
nificent specimen of Monnier's binding.
Beckford (1882), ;(,356.

Corneille, Rodogune. Au N ord [Versailles], I 760.

Iadame de Pompadour's own copy, printed under
her eyes in a northern apartment of the Palace of
Versailles, in yellow morocco j fine specimen of
1\10nnier's binding.
Beckford (1882), ;6325.

I t has hitherto been the fine French and Italian
bindings that have fetched the high prices, but now
SOlne of the beautiful English bindings of the seven-
teenth and eighteenth centuries are coming in for
their share of consideration. At the Earl of Orford's
sale (1895) R. \Vood's "Essay on Homer" (1785),
bound by Roger Payne by order of Wood's \yidow
for presentation to Horace \Valpole, sold for ten
guineas. There is an interest in this book as having
fallen into the hands of Goethe ,vhen his powers
,vere first developing themselves, and it strongly

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS zSS
interested him. Robert \-Vood was Under-Secretary
of State in 1762, and he related an affecting anecdote
of Lord Granville, a statesman kno\vn no\v only to
the few. Wood ,vas directed to ,vait upon the
President of the Council (Lord Granville) a few
days before he died \vith the preliminary articles of
the Treaty of Paris. II I found him," he continued,
It so languid that I proposed postponing lny business
for another tilne; but he insisted that I should stay,
saying that it could not prolong his life to neglect
his duty," adding a quotation from HOlner, ,vhich
lnay be found in 1\1r. l\latthe,v Arnold's discourses
on HOlneric translations.

EARLY EDITIO
S OF MODERN AUTHORS

I'he last five-and-hventy years has seen the rise of
a new taste in early editions of the \vorks of lnodern
authors, and a ne,v class of bibliographers has arisen
to describe these books.
1\1r. 1. H. Slater (the editor of It Book Prices
Current") has published a llseful guide to this sub-
ject, entitled It Early Editions: a Bibliographical
Survey of the Works of SOll1e popular 1\lodern
Authors. London, 189-t-."
I have taken son1C particulars frolll this book,
and supplelnented theln ,vith a note of the prices
realised at the relnarkable sale of 1\1r. Alfred
Cralnpton's collection in 1896. I ha.\"e also added
a fe,v hooks sold since that date.
Alllong the first of lnodern books to sell for high
prices \\'ere the illustrated noyels of Dickens and

25 6

PRICES OF BOOKS

Thackeray, and to be valuable these must be in
perfect condition, \vith the original \\Tappers, &c.
After these come the other books illustrated by
Cruikshank, II Phiz," Leech, and others, viz., Ains-
'\'orth's and Lever's novels, Surtees' Sporting novels
-" Sponge's Sporting Tour," It J orrocks's Jaunts,"
" Handley Cross," &c.
Of poets, Shelley's pieces ,vere among the first to
attain high prices, and Byron's among the last.

Arllold.-l\Iatthe\v Arnold's "Strayed Reveller.
By A.," 1849, and" Empedocles on Etna," 1852,
have long been classed alnong the rare books. The
former was published at 4s. 6d., and its usual price
no,v is ;[4, but a copy has fetched f7. The latter
\\
as published at 6s., and is no,v valued at froln
{,3, IOS. to f6.

Beckford, Poetical Sketches.
Gaisford (1890),
40.
Blake (\V.), Songs of Innocence and of Exþerience [17 8 9].
Engraved and coloured by Blake, in green morocCO
by Lewis.
Sir ,V. Tite,
6I. Lord Beaconsfield,
85.
Beckford (1882), L"146.

- JJIiltOll.' a POeJJ1. Engraved throughout, and orna-
mented with designs by Blake, blue morocco by
l\Iackenzie.
Beckford (1882),
230.

Brow1lillg.-Robert Bro,vning's first publication,
,vhich appeared ,,,hen its author \vas in his t\,.enty-
first year, is a great rarity.

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS 257

U Pauline; a Fragment of a Confession. 'Plus ne
suis ce que j'ai été, Et ne Ie sçaurois jamais être.'
-lIIarot. London: Saunders & Otley, Conduit
Street, 1833'"
1\1r. Slater says that there are about eight copies
know11, and that it ,vas supposed to be ,vorth [40
or [50. A copy, \yith an autograph note by the
author, \vas sold at Alfred Crampton's sale for
[145. l\Ir. Tholnas J. Wise printed a facsitnile
reprint in 1886, ,vhich has been used by the forger
to deceive. 1\lr. Slater had seen a II doctored"
copy of this reprint, in \vhich Wise's title and pre-
fatory note \vere relnoved, the paper ,vas rotted to
lnake it porous, and the leaves \vere smoked to give
then1 a lnello,v appearance. 1\lr. \Vise's paper is
thicker than the original, and :\1r. Slater gives a
hint ho,v to distinguish the t\VO :-

"On the final page (7 I) appear the words-' Richmond,
October 22, 1832.' If the word 'October' is printed in
thin italics the book is without doubt a reprint. So far as
I am aware, there is no other difference between IvIr. 'Vise's
excellent reprint and the original (the paper excepted)."

Burlls.- The lnost amazing price ever realised
for a modern book ,vas that of [57 2 for II Poen1s
chiefly in the Scottish dialect. By Robert Burns.
Kil1narnock, 1786." The original price of this
octavo volulne ,vas three shillings. The history
of the very fine copy sold in Edinburgh in Feb-
ruary 1898 is traced back about eighty years by
a "Titer in Literature. ] 11 1870 it \\Tas sold for six
glllneaS to G. B. Silllpson, of I)undee, \vho sold it
H

.

25 8

PRICES OF BOOKS

in 1879, with SOine other books, to A. C. Lan1 b for
[, 124. The price of the I{ilmarnock Burns has
steadily advanced from [3, IOS. in 1858 to [,111
in 1888, and then it made the ilnmense leap to
[57 2 .

BJ'rOll.-HPoems on Various Occasions" (Ne\vark,
180 7, 8vo) sold at Alfred Cralnpton's sale for [,4-5.
H The \\Taltz" ( 181 3, pp. 27), published ,vithout a
,vrapper at 3s., sold at the salne sale for [,55. 1Ir.
Slater says that an uncut copy has been sold by
auction for [,86.
j
Icreditll.-A fine uncut copy of George 1\Iere-
dith's Poems, 1851, sold at a sale of Rare Books
and l\Ianuscripts (Sotheby, l\Iarch 1897) for [,17,
10S. Another copy \vith alterations in the author's
autograph (Sotheby, June 1897) sold for [25.
Aforris.- The beautiful issues of \VillialTI l\Iorris's
Kelmscott Press advanced in price in many in-
stances before publication, and are likely, no\v that
the supply has ceased, to ad\'ance still 11l0re; but
they vary very much according to the literary rank
of the books. The edition of I{eats, published at
30S., \\Tas sold lately for J; 12. Shelley's Poetical
Works, in three volulnes 8vo, was sold at Sotheby's
early in 1898 for [,8. Chaucer's \\T orks, folio, is
out of print, and \vas marked by l\Iessrs. J. & J.
Leighton at [,30.
Rossetti. - The first printed work of Dante G.
Rossetti is of great rarity. The poet \vas thirteen
years old when the lines were composed, and

PRICES OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF BOOKS 259
fifteen when they were printed. The title is II Sir
H ugh the Heron: a Legendary Tale, in four parts.
G Polidori's Private Press, IS Park Village East,
1843. Private Circulation only," pp. 24. A copy was
sold at Sotheby's in 1890 for f16. l\liss Christina
Rossetti's first poelns, privately printed at the same
press, have brought seven guineas.
RuskÙz.-1I Poems by J. R., collected in 1850 for
private circulation only," a foolscap octavo volulne
of 283 pages, is valued at fso or f60. The value
of his sUlnptuous books, '4 I'he Stones of Venice,"
the It Seven Lalnps of Architecture," and Ii l\Iodern
Painters," is kno\vn to all, and ,vhen in good con-
dition they look their value. The original editions
of the first, 1851 to 1853, are valued at froln [12
to f IS. rrhe first edition of the It Seven Lamps,"
18.-1-9, at f-+, and the second edition, 1855, at
f4, lOSe The II l\Iodern Painters," 5 yols., early
editions, from f 20 to E, 25.
Silelley.- The early editions of Shelley's Poen1s
and Prose 'rreatises were alnongst the first of this
class of books to attain high prices. S0111e lnay
be noted here in chronological order :-
It Zastrozzi: a Romance," 1810, ,vas published at
ss. Bound and cut copies have sold for f5, ISS.,
and fI2, SS. An uncut copy, in calf, fetched fI2,
SSe in 1890, and an uncut copy in morocco brought
tìfteen guineas in 1897 (Sir C. S. Forbes).
The n10st interesting of these palnphlets is the
one ,vhich was the cause of its author being expelled
froln University College, Oxford.

.

260 .

PRICES OF BOOKS

tt The Necessity of Atheism. \\7 orthing. Printed
by E. & W. Phillips. Sold in London and Oxford,"
n.d. [I8IIJ f. 8vo, pp. 13.
N early all the copies \vere destroyed by the
printers, and l\lr. Slater values a clean copy at
about f 20, but probably it would realise much
more than that.
"St. Irvyne," 181 I, morocco uncut, Sir C. S.
Forbes, 1897, fI6, IOS.
H An Address to the Irish People 11 (Dublin, 1812)
\vas published at Sd., and 1\lr. Slater values a copy
at f8 to f 12, but one \vas sold at Alfred Cramp-
ton's sale, 1896, for f4 2 .
"Queen lVlab," 1813, in the original boards, ,vas
sold in 1891 for f22, IOS.
"The Refutation of Deism," 1814, fetched f33 at
an auction in 1887.
The largest price, ho,vever, given for one of
these pamphlets \yas fI30 for" (Edipus Tyrannus,"
1820, at Crampton's sale. The entire impression
,vas destroyed except seven copies, only t\VO or
three of ,yhich are kno\\?n to exist, but a re-
print on vellun1 appeared in 1876. The British
11 useum possesses a copy, presented by Lady
Shelley.

Tennyson. - The first editions of Tennyson's
Poems bl ing high prices, and the scarcest is the
famous" Poems by T,vo Brothers," r827, published
for ss., and large paper for 7s. The present value
of the former is about f I 5 to f 20.
'rhe original 11S. was sold in Decelnber 1892 to

PRICES OF VARIOCS CLASSES OF BOOKS 261

1\Iessrs. 1Iaclnillan & Bo,ves of Canlbridge for {480.
After a facsimile had been taken, it ,vas resold to
an American collector.

Dickens.- u Sunday under Three Heads" ,vas one
of the first of the novelist's \vorks to sell for a high
price. As it is a very slnall book, it is not saying
llluch to describe it as sel1ing for its ,veight in gold;
in point of fact, it sells for more. 1\1r. F. C. Kitton
gives the lnarket value of the various novels in
his UN ovels of Charles Dickens," 1897. The first
edition of the "1Iemoirs of Joseph Grimaldi" sold
in July 18 97 at Sotheby's (Jack, Halliday, &c.) for
{8, 17s. 6d.

Thackeray.- Thackerayana is very high priced,
and the follo\ving hvo instances of sales in r897
sho\v that the tendency is still up\vards:- T\\To
incomplete sets of U The Snob," ten nUlnbers and
thirteen numbers, 1829-30, fetched at Sotheby's
(Parlane & Dasent) {89. The ele\"en nUlllbers
cOlnplete, ,vith seventeen nUlllbers of the uGo""ns-
lnan," sold at the Ì\lansfield-
Iackenzie sale, 1889,
for {25.
II The Fox and the Cat," final proof-sheets of a
story apparently intended for the Corn/zill Jl aga-
zÙle, but never published, revised by the author,
\\Tith numerous corrections and additions in his
autograph, sold by Sotheby's in 1\larch 1897 (Rare
Books and 1\ISS.) for {45, bought by 1\Iessrs. Smith,
Elder, & Co.

The price of the first editions of Sir \Valter Scott's

262

PRICES OF BOOKS

novels have been long in rISIng, but good fresh
copies fetch a good price no\v.
The most remarkable price for a three-volume
novel was obtained in July 1897 at Sotheby's (J ack,
Halliday, &c.), ,yhen the first edition of (( Jane
Eyre" sold for seventeen guineas.
The question naturally occurs, Will such prices
as this continue? but it is a question very difficult
to ans,ver. All that can be said is, that in this class
of books there is the Inost uncertainty as to the
high prices being sustained.

Depreciation is a factor \vhich must be taken into
consideration, but it is not at present very \vide-
spread. It is quite easy to understand ,vhy editions
of the classics and Thon1as Hearne's editions of
(( Chronicles," &c., have gone do,yn in price,
because the publication of superior texts has
partially superseded them; but one can scarcely
explain why the set of H Byzantine Historians"
should fall so n1uch in price, for these ponderous
volumes have not been superseded. At the Han1il-
ton sale in 1884- a fine large paper set of these
II Historians," 16 45- 1 777, eighteen voltunes in red
morocco by I
uelle, and five in calf, only brought
-k4, 10S.
1Iezeray's Histoire de France, 3 vols. folio, bound
in blue n10rocco by Derome, \vhich sold for-
merly for ;[105, only sold for -k33 at the Beckford
sale.
A large paper set of Hearne's \Yorks, bound in
red nlorocco, was bought at NIead's sale for fìfty

PHICES OF VAHIOUS CLASSES Ot<' BOOKS 263
guineas by an ancestor of l\Ieennan the biblio-
grapher. It continued at the Hague \yith 1\Ieer-
lnan's library until the sale of the latter in 1822,
\vhen it ,vas bought by a London bookseller for
k 200. Pickering purchased it, and sold it to
Hanrott for 1;500; at his sale in 1836 it "
as bought
by the Duke of Buccleuch for 1;400. At \Vatson
Taylor's sale a set fetched ;;200. At the Beckford
sale, the set of Hearne's Works \\Tere all on slnall
paper, \vith the exception of "Calnden," II Annates,"
1717, II Fordun's Scoticronicon," 17 22 , and II History
and Antiquities of Glastonbury," 1722. The hventy-
seven lots only brought altogether 1;41, IOS.

In conclusion, there relnain hvo points to lay
stress upon and to reiterate-
(I) That price depends largely upon condition.
This eyery one connected \vith book-buying kno\ys,
but the fact is ahnost entirely overlooked by those
who kno\v but little of books. Constantly \vhen a
very high price is announced in the papers sorne
person finds that he has a copy of the identical
book, for \vhich he expects to obtain an identical
price, and he cannot understand ,vhen he is told
that his copy is practically yalueless, because it is
in bad condition.
If a book is unique, he \vho ,vants it luust take it
as it is, and lnake the best of the n1Ïssing leaves,
the \vonu-holes, or the stained pages; but if several
copies still exist, it \vill be found that the price of
the bad copy bears 110 proportion to that of the
good one.

.

26-+

PRICES OF nOOKS

(2) The forger is abroad ,vhenever prices 1 ule
high. We have seen ho\y facsil11iles have been sold
as the originals, and bindings have often been
doctored, 1\1 aioli's and Grolier's being Inanufac-
tured for the ever greedy delTIand. Fortunately,
ho\vever cleverly the frauds l11ay be produced, the
expert is pretty sure to notice son1ething that lnakes
hin1 suspicious, and suspicion \yill soon be turned
to certainty; but the public are easily gulled by that
to ,vhich they are unaccustol11ed.
Groliers lnay be Ï1nitated to deceive even the
expert, but in respect to lTIOre elaborate toolings,
such as those of Le Gascon, ,ve are safe, because
to in1itate these successfully \yould cost so great
an expenditure of tilne, that the forgery \vould be
,\"orth aln10st as lnuch as the original.

INDEX

ADAM the royal goldsmith, 58
Æsopus (1485), 185
Albani Missal, vicissitudes of, 75
Alchorne (Stanesby), his library,
purchased by Lord Spencer, 154-
Allen (Thomas), his library, 144
Althorpe library purchased by :\Irs,
Rylands, 16
Americana, growth in valu,
, 221
Anacreon, 1554, 18 5
Apponyi (Count Louis), his library,
173
Ariosto (1516), 190
Aristoteles (1483), 185; copy on
vellum, 143
Arnold's (Matthew) poems, 256
.. Arthur (King)," 1557, 216
Ashburnham (Earl of), sale of his
library, 174, 176; Ashburnham
MSS., 70
Ashmole's (Elias) library, 9
Ashwell (Rev. George), sale of his
library, 119
Askew (Anthony), sale of his library,
13 8 ; MSS., 141
Astle (Edward), his library, 156
Atkyns's · Gloucestershire,' 244
Aubrey's 'Surrey,' 244
Auchinleck lihrary, 173
Auction, use of the word, 105
Auction sales:
In the se\'enteenth century,
10 4- 12 5
In the eighteenth century, 126-
14 6
In the nineteenth century, 1..1-7-
17 8

Auctioneer, print of, by Nicholls,
45
Auctioneers, 37-4-8
Augustinus, · De Civitate Dei,'
19 2
Aungerville (Richard) = Richard de
de Bury, 3
Authors, remuneration of, 2, I4
Averages of book sales, 177
Aylesford (Earl of), his library, 171,
176

BACO
'S Henry VII., price, 94
Baker (Samuel), auctioneer, 134
Ballard (Thomas), auctioneer, 128,
13 0
Bancroft's (T,) epigrams ( 16 39),
216
Barnes's (Juliana) · Treatyse of
Fysshynge,' 216
Barnfield's (R.) · Lady Pecunia'
(1598), 216
Barrois collection of :\fSS, , 72
Bateman (Lord), his library, 174
Bateman heirlooms, 173
Beauc1erk (Topham), sale of his
library, 140
Beaumont and Fletcher's \,orks,
221
Beckford (\Villiam), sales (1823) 158,
(1882-3) 166, 175
· Poetical Sketches,' 256
Bedford Missal, 75
Bedford (Francis), his library, 170
Beloe (William), 20
Bentley (T.), auctioneer, 118
Bent's · General Catalogue,' 93
26 5

266

Beresford-Hope (Rt. Hon. A, J. B,),
his library, 170
Berri (Jean Duc de), inventory of
his Jibrary, 56
Berri (Duchesse de), her library,
159
Bernard (Charles), sale of his library,
12 7
Bernard (Dr. Francis), sale of his
library, 119, 126
Berwick (Lord), his library, 162
Bible:
· Biblia Sacra Latina,' Guten-
berg & Fust, price of, 182
· Biblia Sacra Latina,' Fust &
Schoeffer, price of, 182
Latin version of the Psalms,
Fust & Schoeffer (1459), price
of, 182
· Biblia Latina,' N. Jensen, 183
In English, by Coverdale (1535),
18 3
Tyndale's New Testament
(15 26 ), 18 3
Complutensian Polyglot (1514-
17), 14 2 , 183
Plantin Polyglot, 184
"Vahon's Polyglot, 185
(Alcuin's), at the British
:\Iuseum, 74
(Eliot), 222
Bindings, sale of, III; specimens
of, 250-255
Bindley (James), his library, 157,
175; his portraits, &c., 158
Blake's poems, 256
Blew (Rcy. 'V, J.), his library, 174
Block books, price of, 181
Blomefield's ·
orfolk,' 245
Boccaccio, 190; Valdarfer edition
(147 1 ), 154
Boece's · Cronikles,' translated by
Bellenden, on vellum, 248
Bohn (Henry G,), bookseller, 35;
sale of his · Epoch,' 176
Bolland (Baron), his library, 162
Book-collecting as an investment,
19

INDEX

Book sales in the nineteenth century
which have realised over L 10,000,
175
Book trade circa 1525, 85
Books:
Imported into England, 81
Not to be sold at too high a
price, 82
Sellers of, 26-48
Borromeo (Count), his library, 157
Botticelli's drawings in illustration
of Dante, 69
Boucher (Rev. Jonathan), his library,
15 1
Boyet, specimens of his binding, 253
Brabourne (Lord), his library, 173
Bradshaw (Henry), · St. 'Verburghe'
(1521), 216
Bradshaw (Henry), Notes on
Dome's Day-Book, 84
Brand (Rev, John), his library, 151
Bridges (John), sale of his library,
III
Bright (B. H,), his library, 163
British Museum:
Library of the:kings and queens
of England, 6
Manuscript collections at, 67
Britton (Thomas), sale of his books,
128
Broadley (John), his library, 160
Brontë's · Jane Eyre,' 262
Browne (Sir Thomas) on the in-
crease of books, 10
Browning's (Robert) · Pauline,' 256
Bruno (Giordano), · Spaccio de la
Bestia Trionfante,' 241
Brydges (Sir Egerton), his list of
book prices (1564), 88
Buccleuch (Duke of), his library,
17 2
Buckingham (Duke of), Stowe lib-
rary, 163, 175; ÀISS, , 16 3
Buckley (Rev. \V. E,), his library,
173
Bullord (John), auctioneer, 44, 121;
confused with Ballal d by Nichols,
44

Bunhury (Sir E. H.). his library,
174
Burgess (Fred), his library, 173
Burney (Dr. Charles), purchase of
his library for the British
1useum,
67
Burns, Kilmarnock edition of his
Poems (1786), 257
Burton (J. Hill) on collecting as an
investment, 19
Bury (Richard de) and his · Philo-
biblon,' 2-5
Bute's (Earl of) botanical library,
144
Butler's' H udibras, , published price,
9 8
Byron's Poems, 258
Bysshe (Sir Edward), sale of his
library, II I
Byzantine historians, 262

, CÆSAR,' edited by Dr. Samuel
Clarke, large paper, fall in price,
181
Campbell's (Colin) 'Vitruvius Bri-
tannicus,' published price, 95
Canevari (Demetrio), specimen of
binding from his library, 252
Carr (Samuel), auctioneer, 117
Cassano library bought by Lord
Spencer, 15
Castell (Dr. Edmond), sale of his
library, 1I7 ; his · Lexicon Hepta-
glotton,' q. .
Catalogue (monthly) of books,
100
Caxton :
Changes in the value of the
productions of his press, 193-
21 4
Chaucer's translation of Boe-
thius, 109
· Golden Legend,' its original
price, 83
Caxtons, 137, 140; at Dr.
Francis Bernard's sale, 121
Chalmers (George), his library,
162

INDEX

26 7

Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales,' 2,
(Caxton) 199, (Pynson) 217,
(Wynkyn de \'Yorde) 217; sub-
scription for Urry's edition, 100
Chiswell (Richard), auctioneer, 43,
109, III, 113
Christie and :\lanson, auctioneers, 48
Church books, 86
Cicero :
· Opera Omnia' (q83), 185
'Epistolæ ad familiares' (q67),
18 5
'Epistolæ' (1471), 186
'Orationes' (1472), 186
Clare (Earl of), his library, 166
Clarke (Dr. Hyde), his library, 174
Classics, editiolles þrillciþes of the,
185; fall in the price of other
editions, 180
Claudianus (1482), 186
CIa vel's (R. ) catalogue of new books,
93
Cock (Mr.), auctioneer, 130, 132
Colard Mansion, a scribe before he
turned printer, 67
Coleridge (Lord), his library, 174-
Collins (Anthony), sale of his library,
13 1
Comerford (James), his library, 160
Cooper (William), first English auc-
tioneer, 37, 10 4, 117
Copland's (R.) reference to the price
of books, 85
Corser (Rev, T,), his library, 165,
175
Cosens (Frederick William), his
library, 172
Crampton (Alfred), his library, 174,
255
Crauford (Rey. C. H,), his library,
16 5
Crawford (Earl of), his library, 171,
175
Crawford (W. H,), Lakelands
library, 173, 17 6
Crofts (Rev. Thomas), sale of his
library, 140
Crossley (James), his library, 170

.

268

Currer (Miss Richardson), her
library, 164
Cutwode's (T.) I Caltha Poetarum,'
21 7

DALY (Right Hon, Denis), his
library, 144
Dampier's (Bishop) library bought
by the Duke of Devonshire, 16
Daniel (George), sale of his library,
16 4, 175
Dante, 190; 'Dh'ina Commedia'
illustrated by Botticelli, 69
Davis (Charles), auctioneer, 130
Davis (Richard) :
I Auctio Davisiana,' 37
Sale of his stock, 117
Defoe's · Robinson Crusoe,' 24-6
Delisle (Léopold), his claim for
stolen MSS" 72
Dent (John), his library, 159, 175
Deseuil (or Du Seuil), specimens of
his binding, 253
D'Ewes's(SirSymonds)MSS, bought
by Harley, II
Diane de Poictiers, specimen of
binding from her library, 251
Dibdin (Dr. T, F.), 21, 32
Dickens's Novels, &c., 255, 261
Digby (Sir Kenelm), sale of his
library, 112
Dillon (John), his library, 165
Domville (Sir Cecil), his library, 174
Dome's (John) Day-Book, 84
Drake's I Eboracum,' 245
Drummond of Hawthomden's
, Forth Feasting,' 218
Du Fresnoy (H. Petit), specimen of
binding from his library, 252
Dugdale's · Warwickshire,' 245
Dunsmore (John), 109, I II
Dunton's (John) account of the
booksellers of his time, 29
D'Crfey's (T.) , Pills to Purge Mel-
ancholy,' published price, 99
Dyneley (R. D.), his library, 172
Dyson (Humphrey), sale of his
books, 115

INDEX

EAST, destruction of l\ISS. in the,
55
Ebesham (William), 61
Edwards (James), llis library, 149
Ellis's (F. S,) stock, sale of, 176
Evans (Robert H.), bookseller and
auctioneer, 34, 154
E\'e (Clovis), specimen of his bind-
ing, 253

F.\BY AN'S' Chronicles,' 218
Fagel (Greffier), his library, 148
Farmer (Richard), D, D., sale of his
library, 145
Fashion in the prices of books, 17
Fastolfe's books (1459), 57
Fielding's (Henry) library, 135
Flavel's (Rey. John) Works, pub-
lished price, 95
Fletewode (William), sale of his
library, 138
Folkes (Martin), sale of his library,
135
Fonthill Abbey sale, 158
Forbes (Sir Charles Ste\vart), his
library, 174
Foster (Birket), his library, 173
Foxe's · Acts and :Monuments,' 218
Frere (John Tudor), his library, 174
Frobisher's · Three Voyages,' 218
Froissart's 'Cronycles,' 218

GAISFORD (Thomas), his library,
17 2
Gardner (Cecil Dunn), his library,
166
Genius (Aulus), 1469, 186; 1472,
186
Gennadius (John), his library, 173
Gibson-Craig (James T.), his library,
17 1 , 175
Godolphin (J ohn), sale of his library,
10 9
Goldsmith (Oliver):
Sale of his library, 138
, Vicar of \Vakefield,' 247
Gordon (Sir Robert), Gordonstoun
library, 156

Gosford (Earl of), his library, 170.
175
Gosset (Isaac), his library, 155
Gough, Richard:
His library, 152
, Sepulchral Monuments,' 245
Gramont Memoirs, published price,
97
Grangerising, 250
Greenhill (Thomas), sale of his
library, 108
Greenwood (Jonathan), auctioneer,
43
Gringoire, ' Les Fantasies de Mere
Sote,' 242
Grolier, specimens of binding from
his library, 251
Guilford (Earl of), his library, 159,
175
Gulston (Joseph), sale of his library,
1.-1-1, 166
Gurney (David), his library, 166

H.\ILSTONE (Edward), Walton Hall
library, 173
Hakluyt's ' Nayigations,' 219
Haliiwell-Phillipps (J' 0.), his lib-
rary, 177
Hamilton Palace :\ISS, sold to the
German Government, 69, 169,
17 6
Hamilton's (Duke of) library, 169,
175
Hampton (Lord), his library, 166
Hanrott (P, A,), his library, 160,
175
Hardwicke (Lord Chancellor), his
library, 172
Harleian :i\ISS, bought for the
British
luseum, 12
Harley library bought by T. Os-
borne, 13, 30
Harriot (T.), '
1erveillcux et es-
trange Rapport,' 219
Hartley (Leonard L.), his librmy,
17 1 , 175
Haslewood (Joseph), his library,
160

INDEX

26 9

Hawkins (Rev. \V. B. L.), his
library, 174
Hearne (Thomas):
His remuneration, 15
Diaries sold for a hundred
guineas, 129
Editions, original subscription,
101; depreciation in price,
260
Heath (Rev. Benjamin, D.D.), his
library, 152
Heathcote (Robert), his library, 148
Heaton (Beresford R.), his library,
174-
Heber (Richard):
Collection of early sale cata-
logues, 112
Sale of his library, 160, 175
Henley ('Orator'), sale of his library,
13 6
Henry VIII., Act respecting im-
portation of books, 81
Hibbert (George), his library, 159
Hildyard (T. B, F.), his library,
174
Hill (Thomas), his library, 162
Hoare (Sir Richard Colt), his libl ary,
17 0 , 175
Holland (Henry) :
, Basiliãlogia,' 249
· Herãologia,' 249
Holmes's · Life of the Queen,' en-
hanced price, I02
Homerus (1488), 186
Homer's ' Iliad · :
MS., 68
Subscription for Pope's transla-
tion, 101 .
, Batrachomyomachia' (q86),
sold in ì\1aittaire's library,
133
Hope (Adrian), his library, 174-
Hopetoun (Earl of), his library, 172
Horatius (1470), 186; print. d by
Didot (1799), on vellum, 248
Horne (Rev, T. Hartwel1) on L\ISS"
53
Howell (John), auctioneer, 1[9

.

27 0

Hunt's (John) inventory of books
(q83), with prices, 84
Hunter (John), his lihrary, 155
Hurd (Philip), his library, 159
Hutchinson (Joshua H.), his library,
173

ILLUSTRATED books, 2-1-9, 250
I talian classics, 190

J ACOMB (Dr. Thomas), sale of his
library, u8
James I. as a book collector, 6
Jersey (Earl of), Osterley Park
library, 171, 175
Johnson (Dr. Samuel) :
His work on the · Bibliotheca
Harleiana,' 31
English Dictionary, puLlished
price, 96
Sale of his library, 141
Johnson's (Michael) address pre-
fixed to an auction catalogue, 4 6
Jonson's (Ben) \Vorks, 221
Junot (Marshal), his library, 15 6
Justinus (1470), 186
Juvenalis et Persius, 18 7

KIDNER (Thomas), sale of his
library, 107
Kirton (Joseph), bookseller, ruined
by the Fire of London, 28
.Kloss (Dr.), his library, 161
Knight (Charles), pioneer in the
cheapening of good literature, 28
, Knocks-out,' dishonesty of, 1 2 4

LACY'S (T. H.) stock, sale of, 17 6
Laing (David), his library, 16 5, 175
Lakelands library, 173, 17 6
Lang (Andrew) on collecting as an
investment, 20
Langford, auctioneer, 137
Lansdowne (Marquis of), sale of his
library, 150; 11SS., 137, 15 0
Larking (J. Wingfield), hie;; library,
173
Larpent (Baron). his library, 174

INDEX

Lawrence (Edwin H.), his library,
173
Leicester (Eleanor de Montfort,
Countess of), pocket lectionary
made for her ( 126 5), 57
Leland (John) saved MSS. from
destruction, 55
Libraries of the :\1iddle Ages, de-
struction of, 5
Libri sales, 164, 175; collection of
lVISS., 71
Lilly's stock, sale of, 176
Linschoten's 'Voyages,' 219
Livius (1469), 187, (1470) 187
Lloyd (Bishop), sale of his library,
121
Lodge's (T,) 'Rosalynde,' 219
Loggan's 'Oxonia,' 95,245; 'Can-
tabrigia,' 95, 245
Lok's (H.) · Ecclesiastes,' 219
London's (William) · Catalogue of
Vendible Books,' 93
Longus, 'Pastoralia,' on vellum,
24 8
Lort (Michael, M,D,), sale of his
library, 144
Louis XIII. and Anne of Austria,
specimens of binding from their
library, 252
Lucanus (1469), 187
Lucianus (1496), 188
Lyte (Rev. H, F.), his library, 163

MACKENZIE (J. 1\1,), his library, 17 2
Macready (W. C.), his library,
16 5
Madan (Falconer) :
Accoun t of the Thomason
Civil \Var Tracts, 6
Account of an historical mass-
book, purchased for the Bod-
leian Library at a cheap
price, 76
His edition of Dome's Day-
Book, 84
On cost of MSS" 59
On collections of MSS, , 67
(note)

Madox's (Thomas) 'History of the
Exchequer,' 1.1-
Maitland (Dr. S, R.) on prices of
books in the Middle Ages, 53,
58
Maittaire (Michael), sale of his
library, 132
Malmesbury MSS, destroyed, 54
Malone (Edmond), his library, 157
:Manton (Thomas), sale of his lib-
rary, 108
Manuscri pt books, prices of, 49-78
Manuscripts in public libraries, 67
(note)
Marche (Richard du), illuminator,
57
Margaret (51.) of Scotland, her
historical mass-book, 77
Marguerite de 1-Iontmorency, speci-
men of binding from her library,
25 2
Marguerite de Valois, specimen of
binding from her library, 251
Marshall (Frank), his library, 172
Martialis (1471-), 188; 'Apud Vin-
delinum Spirensem,' sold in
l\laittaire's library, 134; original
MS. copies of epigrams, sold for
3s, 6d" I
IVIason (George), his library, 145
Maunsell's (Andrew) Catalogue of
English Books, 90
Mead (Richard, M.D,), sale of his
library, 134, 139
Meredith's (George) Poems, 258
Merly library, 155, 175
Mezeray, 'Histoire de France,' 262
l\Iiddleton (Prof. ]. H.) on 1\1SS"
51, 58, 61, 63, 78
Millington (Edward), auctioneer, 37,
II3, II7; elegy, 40
Milton's I Paradise Lost,' 219; pub-
lished price, 96; 'Com us,' 220;
Poems, 220
Minsheu's Dictionary, published by
subscri ption, 100
Molière's \Vorks, published price,
99

I
DEX

27 1

Monasteries as producers of books,
2
Money, change in the value of, as
a factor in the prices of books, 50,
63
Monnier, specimens of his binding,
254
Moore's (Bishop) library, 10; epi-
grams on its presentation to Cam-
bridge University, II
:\Ioore's (Thomas) Poems, profit-
able sale, 96
More (Sir William) of Loseley, his
library, 87
Morris's (\\1 illiam) Kelmscott Press
publications, 247, 258; his collec-
tion of illuminated MSS" 73

ASSAU (George), his library, 158
Niccolo Niccoli, book collector, 64
Nicholl (J. B,), his library, 165
Nichols's I Leicestershire,' 245

icol (George), bookseller, 34
Noailles (Comte de), his library,
161
North (John), his library, 15 8 , 175

OGILBY'S (John) lottery of books,
94
Oliver (Mrs, Elizabeth), sale of her
library, II9
Omar Khayyam, translated by
Fitzgerald, 103
Orford (Earl of), his lil.>t"ary, 174
Ormerod's I Cheshire,' 24 6
Osborne (Thomas), bookseller, 13
Purchase of the Harley library,
3 0
Charge of over-pricing the books
unjust, 32
Ouvry (Frederick), his library, 169
Ovidius, 188
Oxford, book-sales at, 38

PAINE (Cornelius), his library, 172
Paper, deterioration of, 24
Papil1on's (DaviJ) purchase of
books, 13

,

27 2

Paris de Meyzieux, sale of his lib-
rary, 142
Pastissier (Le) François (1655),
24 2
Paston (John), books sold by his
executors to King's Hall, Cam-
bridge, 56
'Paston Letters,' extracts from, re-
specting cost of MSS" 60, 61
Pa tents for books, 89
Paterson (Samuel), auctioneer, 44,
13 6 , 137, 13 8 , 14 0 , 14 8
Payne (J. T,), his library, 165
Payne (Roger), specimen of his
binding, 254
Payne (Thomas), bookseller, 33
Payne & Foss's stock, sale of,
17 6
Pearson (Major Thomas), sale of
his library, 142
Pellet (Dr. Thomas), sale of his
library, 131
Penn" (Granville), his library, 164
Penrhyn (Lord), his library, 152
Pepys (Samuel) :
On the increased price of books
after the Fire of London,
28
Subscriber to Ogilby's lottery,
94
Original published price of the
Diary, 97
Perkins (Frederick), his library,
17 2
Perkins (Henry), his library, 165,
175
Perrault, I Contes de ma Mere Loye,'
24 2
Petrarca, 191; I Opere' (1514), 143 ;
his library, 54
Phillipps (Sir Thomas), his collec-
tion of MSS" 73, 174
I Philobiblon,' editions of, 3
Pickering (William), his private
library, 164, 175
Pinelli library, 142
Pitt (Moses), lIO
Plato (1513), 188

INDEX

Plautus (1472), sold in Maittaire
library, 134
Plays, published price of, 96
Plinius, 188
Plot's I Oxfordshire,' 24 6 ; I Stafford-
shire,' 246
Poems printed in quarto, 96
Pole (Sir W.), his library, 17-1-
I PoIiphili H ypnerotomachia,' 19 1
Pollard (Alfred W.):
On collecting as an investment,
20
On English book-sales, 106
Pope's I Essay on l\Ian,' on vellum,
249
Porson (Richard), his library, 152
Price (Sir Charles), his library,
16 5
Prices:
Vicissitudes of, 16
Causes of increase of price, 18,
21
Cautions respecting price, 263,
26 4
Depreciation, 262, 263
Of early printed books, 179-
19 2
Of early English literature, 193-
222
Of Shakespeare's Works, 223-
24 0
Of various classes of books,
24 1 - 26 4
County histories, 24-1--2-1-6
English classics, 246, 247
Books on vellum, 247-2-1-9
Illustrated books, 249, 250
Bindings, 250-255
Early editions of modern
authors, 255-262
Prust (John), Canon of \\Tindsor,
58
Psalmanazar's (George) I Formosa,'
published price, 98
Published prices, 79-103
Publishers and stationers, 27
, Purchas his Pilgrimes,' price, 94,
220

Putnam (G, H.), his works on the
history of bookselling, 26, 79
Puttick & Simpson, auctioneers,
47

QUARITCH (Bernard), 21, 36; his
remarkable catalogues, 36; cata-
logues of MSS, , 68
Quintilianus (1470), 189

RANEW (Nathaniel), auctioneer,
110
Ratcliffe (John), sale of his library,
139
Rawlinson (Richard), sale of his
library, 135
Rawlinson (Thomas), sale of his
library, 126, 128
Reed (Isaac), his library, 152
Rees's · Cyclopædia,' published
price, 97
Reid (H. G.), his library, 173
Revicksky's (Count) library bought
by Lord Spencer, 15
Reynbold (John), scribe, 59
Rhodes (Hugh), · Boke of Nurture,'
220 ·
Richard III., Act respecting impor-
tation of books, 81
Ricraft's · Oriental Languages,' 220
Rodd (Thomas), bookseller, 34
Rogers (Thorold) on the prices of
books, 55, 86
Roscoe (\Villiam). his library, 157
Rose (J. Anderson), his library,
173
Rossetti (Dante G.), 'Sir Hugh the
Heron,' 258
· Roxburghe Ballads,' 142
Roxburghe sale, an epoch in book
collecting, 17, 147, 153, 175
Ruskin's (John) plea for the pur-
chase of the Hamilton MSS" 69;
his Works, 259
Russell (Rev. ], F.), his library,
17 1
Russia, libraries in, bought by the
yard, 14

INDEX

273

· ST. ALB.\NS, Chronicle of,' 21..1-;
· Boke of,' 215
St, Paul's Cathedral library, loss of
MSS" 6
Sallustius (1470), 189
Salmond (W. D.), his library,
17 2
San gar (Gabriel), sale of his library,
110
Scot's 'Discoverie of \Vitchcraft,'
220
Scott's (Sir Walter) Novels, 261;
published price of his Poems, 96
Seaman (Lazarus), saleofhis library,
10 5
Seillière (Baron), his library, 171,
175
Selsey (Lord), his library, 165
Shakespeare's Works:
Prices of, 223--240
First folio, 223-229
Second folio, 230-232
Third folio, 232
Fourth folio, 233
Separate plays, 234-239
Published price of separate
plays, 94-96
Poems, 239, 240
Shelley's Poems and Prose Treatises,
259
Shrewsbury (Earl of), his library,
16 4
Silius Italicus (1471), 189
Smalridge (George), I Auctio Davi-
siana,' 37
Smith (Consul Joseph), his library
bought by George ill!., 136; his
second library sold by auction,
13 6
Smith's (Capt. J.) · Virginia,' 221
Smith (Richard), sale of his library,
II3
Smollett's · History of England'
published by subscription, 102
Solly (Edward), his library, 171
Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, auc-
tioneers, 47
Southby (T, H,), his library, 17 2
S

"

27-+

Spencer (Earl), purchase of Revick-
sky and Cassano libraries, 15;
sale of Althorpe library, 16
Spenser's · Faerie Queene,' 221
Stanley (Colonel), his library, 154-
Stationers in thetime of Henry VIII"
80

tationers' Company, 89
Steevens (George), his library, 148
Stevens (Henry), 21
Stourbridge Fair, sale of books
there, II7
Stourhead heirlooms, 17 0 , 175
Stowe collection of :\ISS., 70
Stra wberry Hill sale, 162
Stuart (\Vïlliam), his library, 174
Sullivan (Sir Edward). his library,
172, 17 6
Sunderland library, 12, 166, Ì75
Sussex (Duke of), sale of his library,
162, 175
Sykes (
ir Mark :\Iasterman), his
library, 15 8 , 175
Syston Park library, 17 0 , 175

TALLEYR.\:\lD (Prince), his library,
15 6
Taylor (Baron), his library, 164-
Taylor (George \Vatson), his lib-
rary, 158
rennyson's Poems, 260
Thackerayana, 261
Thackeray's Novels, 255
Thomas (Ernest) on Richard de
Bury, 3
Thomas, the limner, 60
Thomason's (George) Collection of
Civil \Yar Tracts, 6-9
Thorold (Sir J, H.), Syston Park
library, 17 0 , 175
Thoroton's ·
ottinghall1shire, , 24- 6
Thorpe (Thomas), bookseller, 34-;
his catalogues, 35
Thuanus, specimens of binding
from his library, 25 1
lIte (Sir \Yilliam), his library, 16 5,
175
Tooke (j, Horne), his library, 155

I
DEX

Toovey's stock, sale of, 176
Towneley (John), his library, 155;
drawings, &c., 155
Towneley Hall library, 170; l\1SS"
17 0
Townshend (:\Iarquis of I, his lib-
rary, 154
· Tristan,' 192
Trithemius, his objections to print-
ing, 66; scolds his monks, 66
Turner (Dawson), his library, 164
Turner (R. S.), his library, 172, 176

UTTERSON (E, V.), his library, 164

VALERIUS :\IAXIl\IUS (Q71), 189
Vellum, books printed on, 247-249
Vespasiano di Bisticci, book pro-
ducer, 64
· Vigilles des l\Iors,' 192
Vincent (Dr.), his library, 156
Virgilius, 189
Vossius (Isaac), sale of his library, 12

WALFORD (B,), auctioneer, u8
\Valpole's (Horace) · Castle of
Otranto,' on vellum, 24-9; · Hiero-
glyphic Tales,' 244 ; library, 162
'Valton (Brian), Bishop of Chester,
sale of his library, II7; his Poly-
glot Bible published by subscrip-
tion, 100
vValton's · Angler,' published price,
98; present price, 247
v\"anley (Humphrey) on the sale
of Bridges' library, 13 0
V\ 7 arwick (Earl of), sale of his lib-
rary, 110
\Vay (G. L,), his library, 166
\Veever's · Funeral r..lonuments,'
221
West (James), sale of his library,
137; his :\IS5, sold to Lord Shel-
burne, 137
Willett (Ralph),
Ierly library, 155,
175

\Vills (Howard), his library. 173
\\'impole library, 172
\V odhull (:Michael), his liuraq, lÎl,
175
Wolf (John), a pirate bookseller, 89
'Vood's ' Essay on Homer,' 254-
Woodhouse (John), his library. 14-9
\\Tordsworth's 'Excursion,' pub-
lished price, 97

.

IXDEX

275

\\Torsley (Benjamin), sale of his
library, 109
\Vren (Sir Christopher), sale of his
library, 132
\\Tycliffe, unique tracts, 221

YORK (Duke of), his library, 159
Young (Alexander), his library,
17 2

THE END

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