| Rob. Crowley's Confutation and Answer to a wicked ballade of the abuse of the sacrament of the altar, 1548. Philargyne, or Covetousness of Great Britain, 1551. A Confutation of 13 articles of Nicol Sharton's, 1551. The Voice of the last Trumpet, blown by the seventh angel, 1550. Rob. Crowley's four last things. A petition against the oppressors of the poor of this realm, 1550. A supplication of the poor Commons, 1550. Piers Plowman Exhortation to the Parliament, and a New-Year's gift, 1550. The Hurt of Sedition to the Commonwealth, 1549. | s. 3 | d. 2 |
To continue the History of Book Auctions, a little further. Two years after the preceding sale, namely, in 1678, were sold the collections of Dr. Manton, Dr. Worsley, and others. In the address to the Reader, prefixed to Manton's catalogue, it would seem that this was the "fourth triall" of this mode of sale in our own country. The conditions and time of sale the same as the preceding; and because one Briggs, and not one Cooper, drew up the same, Cooper craves the reader's "excuse for the mistakes that have happened; and desires that the saddle may be laid upon the right horse." In this collection there is a more plentiful sprinkling of English books; among which, Dugdale's Warwickshire, 1656, was sold for 1l. 6s.; and Fuller's Worthies for the same sum. The "Collections of Pamphlets, bound together in Quarto," were immense. Dr. Worsley's collection, with two others, was sold two months afterwards; namely, in May, 1678: and from the address "To the Reader," it would appear that Dr. Manton's books brought such high prices as to excite the envy of the trade. Worsley's collection was sold at 9 and 2, the usual hours "at the house over against the hen and chickens, in Pater-Noster Row." The venders thus justify themselves at the close of their address: "We have only this to add in behalf of ourselves; that, forasmuch as a report has been spread that we intend to use indirect means to advance the prices, we do affirm that it is a groundless and malicious suggestion of some of our own trade, envious of our undertaking: and that, to avoid all manner of suspicion of such practice, we have absolutely refused all manner of commissions that have been offered us for buying (some of them without limitation): and do declare that the company shall have nothing but candid and ingenuous dealing from
John Dunmore.
Richard Chiswel."
At this sale, the Shakspeare of 1632 brought 16s.; and of 1663, 1l. 8s.
In the November and December of the same year were sold by auction the books of Voet, Sangar, and others, and from the preface to each catalogue it would seem that the sale of books by auction was then but a recent, yet a very successful, experiment; and that even collections from abroad were imported, in order to be disposed of in a like manner.
Lis. From what you say, it would appear to be wiser to lay out one's money at a bookseller's than at a book-auction?
Lysand. Both methods must of necessity be resorted to: for you cannot find with the one what you may obtain at the other. A distinguished collector, such as the late Mr. Reed, or Mr. Gough, or Mr. Joseph Windham, dies, and leaves his library to be sold by auction for the benefit of his survivors. Now, in this library so bequeathed, you have the fruits of book-labour, collected for a long period, and cultivated in almost every department of literature. A thousand radii are concentrated in such a circle; for it has, probably, been the object of the collector's life to gather and to concentrate these radii. In this case, therefore, you must attend the auction; you must see how such a treasure is scattered, like the Sibylline leaves, by the winds of fate. You must catch at what you want, and for what you have been a dozen years, perhaps, in the pursuit of. You will pay dearly for these favourite volumes; but you have them, and that is comfort enough; and you exclaim, as a consolation amidst all the agony and waste of time which such a contest may have cost you,—"Where, at what bookseller's, are such gems now to be procured?" All this may be well enough. But if I were again to have, as I have already had, the power of directing the taste and applying the wealth of a young collector—who, on coming of age, wisely considers books of at least as much consequence as a stud of horses—I would say, go to Mr. Payne, or Mr. Evans, or Mr. Mackinlay, or Mr. Lunn, for your Greek and Latin Classics; to Mr. Dulau, or Mr. Deboffe, for your French; to Mr. Carpenter, or Mr. Cuthell, for your English; and to Mr. White for your Botany and rare and curious books of almost every description. Or, if you want delicious copies, in lovely binding, of works of a sumptuous character, go and drink coffee with Mr. Miller, of Albemarle Street—under the warm light of an Argand lamp—amidst a blaze of morocco and russia coating, which brings to your recollection the view of the Temple of the Sun in the play of Pizarro! You will also find, in the vender of these volumes, courteous treatment and "gentlemanly notions of men and things." Again, if you wish to speculate deeply in books, or to stock a newly-discovered province with what is most excellent and popular in our own language, hire a vessel of 300 tons' burthen, and make a contract with Messrs. Longman, Hurst, and Co., who are enabled, from their store of quires, which measure 50 feet in height, by 40 in length, and 20 in width, to satisfy all the wants of the most craving bibliomaniacs. In opposition to this pyramid, enter the closet of Mr. Triphook, jun., of St. James's Street—and resist, if it be in your power to resist, the purchase of those clean copies, so prettily bound, of some of our rarest pieces of black-letter renown!
Loren. From this digression, oblige us now by returning to our bibliomaniacal history.
Lysand. Most willingly. But I am very glad you have given me an opportunity of speaking, as I ought to speak, of some of our most respectable booksellers, who are an ornament to the cause of the bibliomania.
We left off, I think, with noticing that renowned book-collector, Richard Smith. Let me next make honourable mention of a "par nobile fratrum" that ycleped are North. The "Lives" of these men, with an "Examen" (of "Kennet's History of England"), were published by a relative (I think a grandson) of the same name; and two very amusing and valuable quarto volumes they are! From one of these Lives, we learn how pleasantly the Lord Keeper used to make his meals upon some one entertaining Law-volume or another: how he would breakfast upon Stamford,[359] dine upon Coke, and sup upon Fitzherbert, &c.; and, in truth, a most insatiable book appetite did this eminent judge possess. For, not satisfied ("and no marvel, I trow") with the foregoing lean fare, he would oftentimes regale himself with a well-served-up course of the Arts, Sciences, and the Belles-Lettres!