| NO. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 10. | Various Catalogues of Curiosities, elegantly bound in 14 volumes, and a few loose: most of them priced, with the purchasers' names. A.D. 1721 to 1783, 8vo. | 3 | 16 | 0 |
| 55. | Two volumes of ancient and modern cards, eleg. in russia | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| [These volumes were purchased by Mr. Payne's father, and of him by Mr. Gough. At the sale of the MSS. of the latter (1810) they were purchased by Mr. Robert Triphook, bookseller, of St. James's Street; with a view of making them instrumental to a work which he is projecting, Upon the History and Antiquity of Playing Cards.] | ||||
| 86. | Broughton's Concent of Scripture: printed upon vellum | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 118. | Snelling's Silver Coinage,—1762; ditto Gold Coinage, 1763; ditto Copper Coinage, 1768; ditto Miscellaneous Views, 1769; ditto Jettons, 1769: all in folio | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| "These form a complete set of Snelling's works in folio, and are interspersed with a great number of very useful and interesting notes and observations, by Mr. Tutet." | ||||
| 126. | The Byble, &c. Printed by Grafton and Whitchurch, 1537, folio | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| [There is a note here by Tutet which does not evince any profound knowledge of English etymology.] | ||||
| 168. | Rede me and be not wroth, 12mo., no place nor date | 1 | 11 | 6 |
| 175. | Servetus de Trinitatis erroribus, cor. tur., 1531, 12mo. | 3 | 14 | 0 |
| 316. | —— de Trinitate divinâ, Lond., 1723, 4to. | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 329. | The Arte and Crafte to know well to dye. Printed by Caxton, 1490, folio | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 337. | Hautin, Figures des Monnoyes de France, 1619, folio | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 364. | Parker de Antiq. Brit. Ecclesiæ, 1572, folio. A long and curious note is here appended | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 371. | The Boke of Hawkinge, Huntynge, and Fysshynge, 1496, fol. | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 372. | Sancta Peregrinatio in Mont. Syon, &c. 1486, folio | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| ["This is the first book of travels that was ever printed. The maps are very remarkable; that of the Holy Land is above 4 feet long.">[ | ||||
| 463. | Spaccio della Bestia trionfante. Paris, 1584, 8vo. | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 477. | Expositio Sancti Jeronimi in Symbolum Apostolorum, cor. maur. Oxon., 1468, 4to. | 16 | 5 | 0 |
| 479. | Polychronycon; printed by Caxton, 1482, 4to. | 4 | 12 | 0 |
| 480. | Pfintzing (Melchoir) His German Poem of the Adventures of the Emperor Maximilian, under the name of Tewrdanckh's. Nuremb., 1517, folio | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| 481. | Initial Letters, Vignettes, Cul de Lampes, &c., 2 vols., elegantly bound in russia. [These beautiful books are now in the possession of Mr. Douce] | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 483. | Bouteroue, Recherches curieuses des Monnoyes de France: in morocco, gilt, Paris, 1666, folio | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 486. | Froissart's Chronicles; printed by Pynson, 1523, folio, 2 vols. A beautiful copy elegantly bound. | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 487. | Recule of the Hystoryes of Troye; printed by Caxton, (1471) Folio. A very fine copy, and quite complete. | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 490. | Ciceronis Officia, 1466, 4to. On paper. | 25 | 10 | 0 |
And thus we take leave of that judicious and tasteful bibliomaniac, Mark Cephas Tutet!
Three months after the sale of the preceding library, appeared the Bibliotheca Universalis Selecta of Samuel Paterson; containing a collection to be sold by auction in May, 1786. To this catalogue of 8001 articles, there is a short (I wish I could add "sweet") preface, which has been extracted in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lvi., p. 334; and in the Censura Literaria, vol. ii., p. 252—but, whatever accidental reputation the volume may have received from the notice of it in these periodical works, I deem both the preface and the work itself quite unworthy of Paterson's credit. There is an alphabetical index (not always very correct); and a few bibliographical notes are subjoined to the specification of the titles; and these considerations alone will give the book a place in the library of the bibliomaniac. The collection is, in fact, neither universal nor select: and the preface is written in the worst of all styles, containing the most commonplace observations.
The following year, was sold, in a similar way, the select and very curious collection of Richard Wright, M.D.;[396] the strength of which lay chiefly in publications relating to the Drama and Romances. It is, in my humble opinion, a most judicious, as well as neatly printed, little catalogue; and not more than a dozen copies of it, I think, were printed upon large paper. Secure this volume, Lisardo, if you wish to add to your riches in English bibliography.
[396] Lysander has not drawn too strong an outline in his picture of the Bibliotheca Wrightiana. The collection was elegant and select. Let us say a little more about it. "A Catalogue of the Library of Richard Wright, M.D. &c., consisting of an elegant and extensive collection of books in every branch of learning, &c., many of the scarcest editions of the Old English Poets, Novels, and Romances; also a most singular assemblage of Theatrical Writers, including the rarest productions of the English Drama." Sold by auction by T. and J. Egerton, April 23rd, 1787, 8vo. The volume is neatly printed, and the books in the collection are arranged in alphabetical order under their respective departments. We will now fill up a little of the aforementioned strong outline of the picture of Wright's library: which contained 2824 articles.
| £ | s. | d. | ||
| 917, | 920, 921-4-5-6-7, 931-2-3, exhibit a glorious specimen of the ancient English Chronicles—which, collectively, did not produce a sum above | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| 1223. | England's Parnassus, 1600, 8vo. | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 1333. | Churchyarde's Choice, 1579, 4to. | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| 1334. | —— first part of his Chippes, 1575, 4to. | 3 | 13 | 6 |
| 1343. | Robert Greene's Works, 2 vols., elegantly bound, 4to. (containing 17 pieces.) | 5 | 19 | 0 |
| 1374. | Shyp of Folys. Printed by Pynson, 1508, fol. | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| 1384. | Skelton's Works: 1568, 8vo. | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 1398. | Turberville's epitaphs, epigrams, songs and sonnets, 1567, 8vo. | |||
| My copy has no price to this article. | ||||
| 1493. | Thomas Nashe's Works, in three vols. 4to., containing 21 pieces | 12 | 15 | 0 |
| 1567 | to 2091, comprehends The English Theatre. |
These numbers exhibit almost every thing that is rare, curious, and valuable in this popular department. I know not how to select stars from such a galaxy of black-letter lustre—but the reader may follow me to the ensuing numbers, which will at least convince him that I am not insensible to the charms of dramatic bijoux, nos. 1567-9: 1570-6-8: 1580: 1595-6-8-9: 1606: 1626: 1636-7-8: 1712 (Dekker's Pieces: 15 in number—sold for 3l. 3s. Eheu!) 1742: 1762. (Heywood's 26 plays, 3l. 4s.) 1776.—1814: (Marston's 9 pieces, 3l. 4s.) 1843. (Tragedie of Dido, 1594, 16l. 16s. Euge!) 1850. (Middleton; 13 pieces: 4l. 5s.) 1873-5. (George Peele's: 7l. 7s.) 1902: (Sackville's Ferrex and Porrex: 2l. 4s.)—But—"quo Musa tendis?" I conclude, therefore, with the following detailed seriatim.
| 1960. | Shakspeare's Works; | 1623, folio. | First edition; bound in Russia leather, with gilt leaves. | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961. | The same; | 1632. | Second impression. | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 1962. | The same; | 1632. | The same. | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 1963. | The same; | 1663. | Third Edit. in Russia. | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964. | The same; | 1683. | Fourth Edition. | 1 | 1 | 0 |
My copy of this catalogue is upon large paper, beautifully priced by a friend who "hath an unrivalled pen in this way;" and to whom I owe many obligations of a higher kind in the literary department—but whose modesty, albeit he was born on the banks of the Liffey, will not allow me to make the reader acquainted with his name. Therefore, "Stat nominis umbra:" viz. ——!
Loren. Was Wright's the only collection disposed of at this period, which was distinguished for its dramatic treasures? I think Henderson's[397] library was sold about this time?