Bibliomania; or Book-Madness / A Bibliographical Romance

by Thomas Frognall Dibdin

Lis. Truly, I forget it. But proceed with your history, Lysander; and pardon my abruptness.

Lysand. Upon condition that you promise not to interrupt me again this evening?

Lis. I pledge my word. Proceed.

Lysand. Having dispatched our account of the sale of the last-mentioned distinguished book-collector, I proceed with my historical survey: tho', indeed, it is high time to close this tedious bibliomaniacal history. The hour of midnight has gone by:—and yet I will not slur over my account of the remaining characters of respectability.

The collections of Strange[410] and Woodhouse are next, in routine, to be noticed. The catalogue of the library of the former is a great favourite of mine: the departments into which the books are divided, and the compendious descriptions of the volumes, together with the extent and variety of the collection, may afford considerable assistance to judicious bibliomaniacs. Poor Woodhouse:[411] thy zeal outran thy wit: thou wert indefatigable in thy search after rare and precious prints and books; and thy very choice collection of both is a convincing proof that, where there is wealth and zeal, opportunities in abundance will be found for the gratification of that darling passion, or insanity, now called by the name of Bibliomania!

[410] Bibliotheca Strangeiana; A Catalogue of the general, curious, and extensive Library of that distinguished naturalist and lover of the fine arts, the late John Strange, Esq., L.L.D. F.R.S. and S.A., many years his Britannic Majesty's resident at the Republic of Venice. Comprehending an extraordinary fine collection of books and tracts, in most languages and sciences, to the number of upwards of four-score thousand, &c. Digested by Samuel Paterson. Sold by auction by Leigh and Sotheby, March 16, 1801, 8vo., 1256 articles. This is a plain, unaffected, but exceedingly well-digested, catalogue of a very extraordinary collection of books in all departments of literature. I do not know whether it be not preferable, in point of arrangement, to any catalogue compiled by Paterson. It has, however, a wretched aspect; from the extreme indifference of the paper.

[411] We will first give the title to the Catalogue of the late Mr. Woodhouse's Collection of Prints. "A Catalogue of the choice and valuable Collection of Antient and Modern Prints, &c., selected with the highest taste from all the collections at home and abroad, &c. Sold by auction by Mr. Christie; January, 1801." The first part ends with the 5th day's sale; the second commences with the sixth day's sale and concludes on the sixteenth, with the Malborough Gems. Although we may have to give specimens of some of the rare and precious prints contained in this collection, in the course of [Part VI.] of this work, yet the reader, I would fain hope, will not be displeased with the following interesting extract, with the annexed prices, of the prints from the

Marlborough Gems.

[This assemblage, the result of twenty years' collecting, contains a greater number than ever has been at one time offered to the public.—The first volume is complete, and may be accounted unique, as all the impressions are before the numbers, the artists' names, or proofs without any letters, as in the presentation copies: the subject of Cupid and Psyche is with variations, and the whole may be regarded as a great rarity. Those of the second volume are few in number, but in point of curiosity, no ways inferior.]

LOT				£	s.	d.
72.	One.	Cæsar in the Temple of Venus. Proof before anyletters.		3	13	6
73.	Two.	no. 1. no. 2.	Scipio Africanus. Lucius C. Sylla.	2	0	0
74.	Two.	no. 3. no. 4.	Julias Cæsar; caput laureatum. Marcus Junius Brutus.	5	15	0
75.	Two.	no. 5. no. 6.	Marcus Junius Brutus; cum caduceo. Lepidus; cum lituo.	2	17	6
76.	Two.	no. 7. no. 8.	Augusti caput; cum corona radiata. Augusti Pontificis maximi insign. &c.	4	14	6
77.	Two.	no. 9. no. 10.	Marcellii Octaviæ, filii Augusti nepotis caput:opus elegantissimum. Liviæ protome: cum capite laureato et velato pectore: simul Tiberiipueri prope adstantis caput arboris ignotæ foliis redimitum.	3	0	0
78.	Two.	no. 11. no. 12.	Tiberii caput juvenile. Germanici togati protome; cum capite laureato, facie plena, &c.	3	3	0
79.	Two.	no. 13. no. 14.	Agrippinæ majoris uxorisGermanici & Caligulæ matris caput laureatum; sub effigie Dianæ. Ejusdem Agrippinæ: sub effigie Cereris.	5	5	0
80.	Two.	no. 15. no. 16.	Galbæ caput laureatum. Ejusdem Galbæ caput.	1	19	0
81.	Two.	no. 17. no. 18.	Nervæ togati protome; cumcapite laureato, plena facie; opus pulcherrimum. Ejusdem Nervæ caput.	4	4	0
82.	Two.	no. 19. no. 20.	Marcianæ, Trajani sororis, caput. Sabinæ Hadriani uxoris caput.	10	10	0
83.	Two.	no. 21. no. 22.	Antinoi caput, cum pectore velato. Caracalla togati protome facie plena.	5	0	0
84.	Two.	no. 23. no. 24.	Caracallæ caput laureatum. Juliæ Domnæ, Severi uxoris, caput.	1	18	0
85.	Two.	no. 25. no. 26.	Laocoontes caput. Semiramidis, vel potius Musæ, caput cum pectore.	7	7	0
86.	Three.	no. 27.	Minervæ Alcidiæ caputgaleatum; operis egregii, edit. var.	3	8	0
87.	Two.	no. 28. no. 29.	Phocionis caput. Jovis et Junonis capita jugata.	3	3	0
88.	Three.	no. 30. no. 31.	Veneris caput. Bacchæ caput var.	4	14	6
89.	Two.	no. 32. no. 33.	Hercules Bibax, stans. Bacchus, stans.	15	4	6
90.	Two.	no. 34. no. 35.	Faunus tigridis pelli insidens, cauda, &c. Athleta, stans, qui dextra manus trigelem, &c.	9	9	0
91.	Two.	no. 36. no. 37.	Mercurius stans. Mars, stans, armatus.	4	14	6
92.	Two.	no. 38. no. 39.	Miles de rupe descendens,eximii sculptoris Græci opus. Diomedes Palladio potitus cum Ulysse altercatione contendit.	7	0	0
93.	Two.	no. 40. no. 41.	Dei Marini natantes. Miles vulneratus a militibus duobus sustentatur.	5	10	0
94.	Two.	no. 42. no. 43.	Miles militi vulnerato opitulato. Mulier stolata cum virgine.	3	3	0
95.	Two.	no. 44. no. 45.	Faunus pelle caprina exhumeris pendente vestitus; pedem super suggestum ignotæ figuræ figitet infantem genu sustinet. Alexandri magni effigies.
96.	Two.	no. 46. no. 47.	Æneam Diomedes a saxo percussum conservat. Pompeiæ cujusdam ob victoriam partam descriptio.	8	18	0
97. 98.	Two.	no. 48. no. 49.	Amazon Amazonem morientemsustinet juxta equus. Fragmen Gemmæ Bacchi, &c.	6	16	6
99.	One.	no. 50.	Nuptiæ Psyches et Cupidonis, Rariss.	4	14	6
100.	One.	no. 50.	Ditto, Ditto, Rariss.	8	8	0
101.	One.	Frontispiece to second volume; Proof, beforethe inscription on the arms; very rare.		5	5	0
102. 103.	Two.	no. 1. no. 2.	Ptolomæus. Metrodorus.	1	10	0
104.	Two.	no. 3. no. 5.	Socrates et Plato. Sappho.	3	3	0
105.	Two.	no. 8. no. 9.	Ignotum caput Scyllacis opus. Ignotum caput.	2	0	0
106.	Two.	no. 11. no. 18.	Medusa. Hercules et Iole.	3	3	0
107.	Two.	no. 19. no. 20.	L. Junius Brutus. Annibal.	2	2	0
108.	Two.	no. 22. no. 25.	Mecænes. Drusus Tiberii filius.	1	18	0
109.	Two.	no. 31. no. 36.	Caput ignotum, Antonini forsan junioris. Equi.	2	2	0
110.	Two.	no. 38. no. 40.	Mercurii templum. Coronis.	3	3	0
111.	Two.	no. 41. no. 45.	Cupidonis. Faunus.	2	12	6
112.	Three.	no. 46. no. 48.	Omphale incedens. Biga, var.	3	13	5
113.	Two.	no. 50.	Silenus, tigris, &c. var.	3	0	0
114.	Two.	The vignette to the second volume; Proof, veryfine, and etching, perhaps, unique.		7	10	0