NOTES ON BOOKS, CATALOGUES, SALES, ETC.
The Work of Walter Mapes, "De Nugis Curialium," respecting which we inserted a Query from the Rev. L.B. Larking, in our last number, is editing for the Camden Society by Mr. Wright, and will form one of the next publications issued to the members.
Messrs. Sotheby and Co., of Wellington Street, Strand, will be occupied during the week commencing on Monday, the 17th instant, with the sale of "the third portion of the stock of the late eminent bookseller, Mr. Thomas Rodd, comprising rare and valuable works of the early English poets and dramatists; facetiæ, romances, and novels, and other departments of elegant literature."
Mr. Rodd's knowledge, great in all departments of bibliography, was particularly so in that of our early poetical and dramatical writers; and although the numerous commissions he held for such rarities in it as he secured, necessarily prevented their being left upon his shelves, the present collection exhibits a number of articles calculated to interest our bibliographical friends, as the following specimens of a few Lots will show:—
578 Dedekindus (Fred.) School of Slovenrie, or Cato turned Wrong Side Outward, in Verse, by R.F. Gent. very rare, original binding: sold at Perry's sale for £11 11s. 1605
591 De Soto (Barahona) Primera Parte de la Angelica blue morocco, rare Granada, 1586
No more than the first portion of this poem, which is in continuation of the Orlando of Ariosto, ever appeared. Cervantes notices it with great praise in his Don Quixote.
747 Jests and Jeeres, Pleasant Taunt and Merry Tales (wants all before B 2), VERY RARE.
One of these Jests mentions Shakspeare by name.
1211 MARIE of EGYPT, a sacred Poeme describing the Miraculous Life and Death of the Glorious Convert of, in verse. rare, russia, gilt edges no date (1650)
1212 MARKHAM (Robert), THE DESCRIPTION OF THAT EVER TO BE FAMED KNIGHT SIR JOHN BURGH, fine copy, with port. by Cecill 1628
A POEM OF GREAT RARITY: the Bindley copy, afterwards Mr. Heber's, sold for £15.
1345 SHAKESPEARE (W.), COMEDIES, HISTORIES, AND TRAGEDIES, FIRST EDITION, wanting the title and four leaves at the end, soiled folio, 1623
1451 Polimantcia, or the Means Lawfull and Unlawfull to judge of the Commonwealth, rare 4to. 1595
Notice is made of Shakespeare (R 2), Spenser, Sir D. Lyndsay, Harvey, Nash, &c.
1606 SCOTLAND:—A VERY CURIOUS AND RARE SERIES OF LATIN POEMS (BY ALEXANDER JULIUS) on the Marriage or Deaths of some Scottish Nobles, as the Marchioness of Huntley, Edin. 1607—Countess of Argyle, ib. 1607—Earl Keith, ib. 1609—Earl of Montrose, ib. 1609—Prince Henry, ib. 1612—Fredericke Prince Palatine, ib. 1614—Earl of Lothian; with the author's Sylvarum liber, 1614
Of these rare poetical pieces four are unnoticed by Lowndes; five of them are published anonymously; but their similarity to those with an author's name testifies the source from which the others emanated.
The collection contains a good deal of early Dutch poetry, well deserving attention for the lights which we are sure may be thrown from it upon our own early national literature.
Miller, of 43. Chandos Street, has issued his December Catalogue, comprising, among other articles, "Books on Freemasonry, Poetry, and he Drama, Histories of Ireland and Irish Antiquities," which he states to be "mostly in excellent condition and good binding," and, he might have added, "at reasonable prices."