MR. Ogilby’s Lottery of Books opens on Monday the 25th instant, at the old Theatre between Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Vere street, where all Persons concerned may repair on Monday May 18, and see the Volumes, and put in their Money.

But the business being much better than was anticipated, the drawing had to be postponed, and so in the number of the Gazette for May 25 there is this:—

MR. Ogilby’s Lottery of Books (Adventurers coming in so fast that they cannot in so short Time be methodically registered) opens not till Tuesday the 2d of June; then not failing to draw; at the old Theatre between Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Vere street.

Ogilby had had a venture before this, about which there seems to have been some little difficulty, as in his “Proposal” for this same lottery he refers to aspersions which have been made. A correspondent of the Gentleman’s Magazine of nearly a hundred years ago gives as a curiosity even then a copy of this “Proposal,” which, though rather long, is very interesting, and so we subjoin it:—

A SECOND PROPOSAL, by the Author, for the better and more speedy Vendition of several Volumes, (his own Works,) by the way of a standing Lottery, licensed by his Royal Highness the Duke of York, and Assistants at the Corporation of the royal Fishing.

WHEREAS John Ogilby, esq., erected a standing Lottery of Books, and completely furnished the same with very large, fair, and special Volumes, all of his own Designment and Composure, at vast Expense, Labour and Study of twenty Years; the like Impressions never before exhibited in the English Tongue. Which according to the appointed Time, on the 10th of May, 1665, opened; and to the general Satisfaction of the Adventurers, with no less Hopes of a clear Despatch and fair Advantage to the Author, was several Days in Drawing: when its Proceedings were stopt by the then growing Sickness and lay discontinued under the Arrest of that common Calamity, till the next Year’s more violent and sudden Visitation, the late dreadful and surprising Conflagration, swallowed the Remainder, being two Parts of three, to the Value of three thousand Pounds and upward, in that unimaginable Deluge. Therefore, to repair in some Manner his so much commiserated Losses, by the Advice of so many his Patrons, Friends, and especially by the Incitations of his former Adventurers, he resolves, and hath already prepared, not only to reprint all his own former Editions, but others that are new, of equal Value, and like Estimation by their Embellishments, and never yet Published; with some remains of the first Impressions, Relics preserved in several Hands from the Fire; to set up a second standing Lottery, where such the Discrimination of Fortune shall be, that few or None shall return with a dissatisfying Chance. The whole Draught being of greater Advantage by much (to the Adventurers) than the former. And accordingly, after Publication, the Author opened his Office, where they might put in their first Encouragements (viz.) twenty Shillings, and twenty more at the reception of their Fortune, and also see those several magnificent Volumes, which their varied Fortune (none being bad) should present them.

[43] But the Author now finding more difficulty than he expected, since many of his Promisers (who also received great Store of Tickets to dispose of, towards promotion of his Business) though seeming well resolved and very willing, yet straining Courtesy not to go foremost in paying their monies, linger out, driving it off till near the time appointed for Drawing; which Dilatoriness: (since Despatch is the soul and life to his Proposal, his only Advantage a speedy Vendition:) and also observing how that a Money Dearth, a Silver Famine, slackens and cools the Courage of Adventurers: through which hazy humours magnifying medium Shillings loome like Crowns, and each forty Shillings a ten Pound Heap. Therefore, according to the present Humour now reigning, he intends to adequate his Design; and this seeming too large-roomed, standing Lottery, modelled into many less and more likely to be taken Tenements, which shall not open only a larger Prospect of pleasing Hopes, but more real Advantage to the Adventurer. Which are now to be disposed of thus: the whole Mass of Books or Volumes, being the same without Addition or Diminution, amounting according to their known Value (being the Prices they have been usually disposed at) to thirteen thousand seven hundred Pounds; so that the Adventurers will have the above said Volumes (if all are drawn) for less than two-thirds of what they would yield in Process of Time, Book by Book. He now resolves to attempter, or mingle each Prize with four allaying Blanks; so bringing down, by this Means, the Market from double Pounds to single Crowns.

THE PROPOSITIONS.—First, whosoever will be pleased to put in five Shillings shall draw a Lot, his Fortune to receive the greatest or meanest Prize, or throw away his intended spending Money on a Blank. Secondly, whoever will adventure deeper, putting in twenty-five Shillings, shall receive, if such his bad Fortune be that he draws all Blanks, a Prize presented to him by the Author of more value than his Money (if offered to be sold) though proffered ware, &c. Thirdly, who thinks fit to put in for eight Lots forty Shillings shall receive nine, and the advantage of their free Choice (of all Blanks) of either of the Works complete, viz. Homer’s Iliads and Odysses, or Æsop the first and second Volumes, the China Book, or Virgil. Of which,

The First and greatest Prize contains
1 Lot, Number 1.
An imperial Bible with Chorographical and an hundred historical Sculps, valued at25l.
Virgil translated, with Sculps and Annotations, val.5l.
Homer’s Iliads, adorned with Sculps, val.5l.
Homer’s Odysses, adorned with Sculps, val.4l.
Æsop’s Fables paraphrased and Sculped, in Folio, val.3l.
A second Collection of Æsopick Fables, adorned with Sculps, never
[Rest imperfect.]
His Majestie’s Entertainment passing through the cityof London, and Coronation. These are one of each, of all the Books contained in the Lottery, the whole value51l.
The Second Prize contains
1 Lot, Num. 2.
One imperial Bible with all the Sculps, val.25l.
Homer complete, in English, val.9l.
Virgil, val.5l.
Æsop complete, val.6l.
The Description of China, val.4l.
In all 49 Pound.
The Third Prize contains
1 Lot, Num. 3.
One royal Bible with all the Sculps10l.
Homer’s Works in English, val.9l.
Virgil translated, with Sculps and Annotations, val.5l.
The first and second Vol. of Æsop, val.6l.
The Description of China, val.4l.
Entertainment, val.2l.
In all 36 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 4.
One imperial Bible with all the Sculps, val.25l.
Æsop’s Fables the first and second Vol. val.6l.
In all 31 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 5.
One imperial Bible with all the Sculps, val.25l.
Virgil translated, with Sculps, val.5l.
In all 30 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 6.
One imperial Bible with all the Sculps, val.25l.
And a Description of China, val.4l.
In all 29 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 7.
One imperial Bible with all the Sculps and a new Æsop, val.28l.
1 Lot, Num. 8.
One imperial Bible with all the Sculps, val.25l.
1 Lot, Num. 9.
A royal Bible with all the Sculps, val.10l.
A Description of China, val.4l.
And a Homer complete, val.9l.
In all 23 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 10.
A royal Bible with all the Sculps, val.10l.
A Virgil complete, val.5l.
Æsop’s Fables the first and second Vols. val.6l.
In all 21 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 11.
One royal Bible with all the Sculps, val.10l.
And a Homer’s Works complete, val.9l.
In all 19 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 12.
One royal Bible with all the Sculps, val.10l.
And both the Æsops, val.6l.
In all 16 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 13.
One royal Bible with all the Sculps, val.10l.
A Virgil complete in English, val.5l.
In all 15 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 14.
One royal Bible with all the Sculps, val.10l.
A Description of China, val.4l.
In all 14 Pound.
[No. 15 imperfect.]
1 Lot, Num. 16.
One royal Bible with all the Sculps.10l.
The second Volume of Æsop, val.3l.
In all 13 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 17.
One royal Bible with all the Sculps, val.10l.
And an Entertainment, val.2l.
In all 12 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 18.
One royal Bible with all the Sculps, val.10l.
1 Lot, Num. 19.
One royal Bible with Chorographical Sculps, val.5l.
One Virgil complete, val.5l.
In all 10 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 20.
One royal Bible with Chorographical Sculps, val.5l.
And a Homer’s Iliads, val.5l.
In all 10 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 21.
One royal Bible with Chorographical Sculps, val.5l.
And a Homer’s Odysses, val.4l.
In all 9 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 22.
One royal Bible with Chorographical Sculps, val.5l.
And a Description of China, val.4l.
In all 9 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 23.
One royal Bible with Chorographical Sculps.5l.
And Æsop complete, val.6l.
In all 11 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 24.
A royal Bible with Chorographical Sculps, val.5l.
And Æsop the first Volume, val.3l.
In all 8 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 25.
A royal Bible with Chorographical Sculps, val.5l.
And Æsop the second Volume, val.3l.
In all 8 Pound.
1 Lot, Num. 26.
A royal Bible, ruled, with Chorographical Sculps, val.6l.
1 Lot, Num. 27.
A royal Bible, with Chorographical Sculps, ruled, val.6l.
1 Lot, Num. 28.
One royal Bible with Chorographical Sculps, val.5l.
10 Lot, Num. 29.
Each a Homer complete, val.9l.
10 Lot, Num. 30.
Each a double Æsop complete, val.6l.
520 Lot, Num. 31.
Each a Homer’s Iliads, val.5l.
520 Lot, Num. 32.
Each a Homer’s Odysses, val.4l.
570 Lot, Num. 33.
Each a Virgil complete, val.5l.
570 Lot, Num. 34.
Each a China Book, val.4l.
570 Lot, Num. 35.
Each the first Volume of Æsop, val.3l.
570 Lot, Num. 36.
Each the second Volume of Æsop, val.3l.

The whole Number of the Lots three thousand, three hundred, and sixty-eight. The Number of the Blanks as above ordered; so that the Total received is but four thousand, one hundred, and ten Pounds.