Book-Sales by Mr. Stewart.

Mr. Law's library4000
Lord Thurlow's3000
Mr. William Bryant's4500
Rev. W.W. Fitzthomas's2000
Rev. John Brand's17000
George Stubbs, Esq.1800
Three miscellaneous4300
36,600

TOTAL

Sold byMessrs. Leigh and Sotheby55500
Messrs. King and Lochée57100
Mr. Stewart36600
149,200

Such has been the circulation of books, within the foregoing period, by the hands of three Auctioneers only; and the prices which a great number of useful articles brought is a sufficient demonstration that books are esteemed for their intrinsic value, as well as for the adventitious circumstances which render them rare or curious. But prosterity are not to judge of the prevalence of knowledge in these times by the criterion of, what are technically called, book-sales only. They should be told that, within the same twelve months, thousands and tens of thousands of books of all sorts have been circulated by the London Booksellers; and that, without travelling to know the number disposed of at Bristol, Liverpool, York, Manchester, or Exeter, it may be only necessary to state that one distinguished House alone, established not quite a furlong from the railings of St. Paul's Cathedral, sold not far short of two hundred thousand volumes within the foregoing period! If learning continue thus to thrive, and books to be considered as necessary furniture to an apartment; if wealthy merchants are resolved upon procuring Large Paper copies, as well as Indian spices and Russian furs; we may hail, in anticipation, that glorious period when the book-fairs of Leipsic shall be forgotten in the superior splendour of those of London! But to return to our chronological order: The ensuing year, 1808, was distinguished for no small mischief excited in the bibliomaniacal world by the sales of many curious and detached libraries. The second part of Mr. Brand's collection which was sold in the spring of this year, has been already noticed. The close of the year witnessed the sales, by auction, of the books of Samuel Ewer, Esq. (retiring into the country), and of Mr. Machel Stace, bookseller. The former collection was very strong in bibliography; and the latter presented a singularly valuable 'Collection of rare and select' books, relating to old English Literature elegantly bound: containing 2607 articles. Mr. Stace had published, the preceding year, 'A Catalogue of curious and scarce Books and Tracts:' which, with the preceding, merit a snug place upon the bibliographer's shelf. We now enter upon a more busy year of sales of books by auction. The Bibliomania had only increased by the preceding displays of precious and magnificent volumes. And first came on, in magnitude and inportance, the sales of Alexander Dalrymple and Professor Porson. Of these in turn. A Catalogue of the extensive and valuable Library of Books: Part I. Late the property of Alex. Dalrymple, Esq. F.R.S., deceased. Hydrographer to the Board of Admiralty, and the Hon. East India Company, &c., sold by auction by King and Lochée, May 29, 1809, 8vo.—7190 articles: A Catalogue, &c., Part II. of the same: sold by auction by the same: Nov. 1809.—8897 articles. I should add that there is a stippled engraving of Dalrymple, with fac-simile of his hand-writing, which faces the title page to Part First of this extraordinary and numerous collection; of books of Geography, Voyages, and Travels. I strongly recommend copies of these catalogues to be in every library of extent and utility. We are now to notice: A Catalogue of Part of the Library of the late Richard Porson, A.M., Greek Professor of the University of Cambridge, &c.: sold by auction by Leigh and Sotheby, June 16th, 1809, 8vo.—1391 articles: amount of the books, 1254l. 18s. 6d. The subjoined is rather a rich, though brief, specimen of some of the valuable books contained in the library of this profound Greek scholar; in whom the acuteness of Bentley, and the erudition of Hemsterhusius, were more than revived.

NO. £s.d.
116.Biblia Græca, et Novum Testamentum Græce, lectionibus D.J.J. Griesbach, 2 vols., boards, uncut, MS. notes at the beginning of each vol. Hal. Sax. 1796-1806, 8vo.8150
The notes amounted to the correction of 9 typographical errors and 1 addition to a note of Griesbach's, consisting of authorities he ought to have added.
182.Athenæus, Gr. Lat., cum animadversionibus I. Casauboni, 2 vols., MS. notes, Lugduni, 1612, folio.7100
330.Chariton de Amor. Chaeræ et Callirrhoe, Gr. Lat. cum animadversionibus, J.P. d'Orville—Amst. 1750, 4to.250
Porson's note in the beginning. 'Opus plenum eruditionis, judicii et sagacitatis non item.'
559.Homeri Ilias et Odyssea (the Grenville edition) boards, uncut, with the original portrait. Oxoniæ, 4to., large paper: 4 vols.8730
601.Eustathius in Homerum, 4 vols., morocco, gilt leaves, Par. 1550, fol.5500
1078.Shakspeare's (William) Plays by Johnson and Steevens, 15 vols., boards, uncut, 1793, 8vo.12150

Anecdotes and Memoirs of Richard Porson are strewn, like spring flowers in an extensive pasture, in almost every newspaper, magazine, and journal. Among the latter, there is an interesting one by Dr. Adam Clarke in the Classical Journal, no. iv., p. 720. The hand-writing of Porson is a theme of general admiration, and justly so; but his Greek characters have always struck me as being more stiff and cramped than his Roman and Italic. I well remember when he shewed me, and expatiated eloquently upon, the famous MS. of Plato, of the 10th century. Poor Fillingham was of the party. Little did I then expect that three years only would deprive the world of its great classical ornament, and myself of a well-informed and gentle-hearted friend! We will now close our account of the book-ravages in the year 1809, by noticing the dispersion of a few minor corps of bibliomaniacal troops, in the shape of printed volumes. Bibliotheca Maddisoniana: A Catalogue of the extensive and valuable library of the late John Maddison, Esq., of the foreign department in the Post Office, &c.: sold by auction by King and Lochée, March, 1809, 8vo. A judicious and elegant collection. 5239 articles. ii. A Catalogue of a curious, valuable, and rare collection of Books in Typography, History, Voyages, Early English Poetvy, Romances, Classics, &c.: the property of a Collector well known for his literary taste, &c. Sold by auction by Mr. Stewart, April, 1809, 8vo. Some curious volumes were in these 1858 articles or lots. iii. A Catalogue of the very valuable and elegant Library of Emperor John Alexander Woodford, Esq., sold by auction by Leigh and Sotheby, May, 1809, 8vo.—1773 articles. This was a sumptuous collection; and the books, in general, brought large prices, from being sharply contended for. iv. A Catalogue of the interesting and curious historical and biographical part of the Library of a Gentleman, particularly interesting, during the reign of Elizabeth, the grand rebellion, the usurpation, restoration, and abdication, &c., sold by auction by Leigh and Sotheby, in May, 1809, 8vo. Only 806 articles; but a singularly curious and elegant collection; the catalogue of which I strongly recommend to all 'curious, prying, and inquisitive' bibliomaniacs. The first half of the ensuing year, 1810, was yet more distinguished for the zeal and energy—shall I say madness?—displayed at Book-Auctions. The sale of Mr. Gough's books excited an unusual ferment among English antiquaries: but the sale of a more extensive, and truly beautifully classical, collection in Pall Mall, excited still stronger sensations. As the prices for some of the articles sold in the Gough collection have already been printed in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxxx., pt. ii., and as those for which some of the latter collection were sold, appeared in the 4th number of The Classical Journal, it only remains for me to subjoin the following account. i. A Catalogue of the entire and valuable Library (with the exception of the department of Topography, bequeathed to the Bodleian Library) of that eminent antiquary, Richard Gough, Esq., deceased, &c., sold by auction by Leigh and Sotheby, April, 1810, 8vo.—4082 articles. The Manuscripts conclude the catalogue, at no. 4373. Prefixed to the printed books, there is an account of the collector, Mr. Gough, executed by the faithful pen of Mr. Nichols. My own humble opinion of this celebrated antiquary has already been before the public: Typog. Antiquit., vol. i., 21. ii. A Catalogue of books containing all the rare, useful, and valuable publications in every department of Literature, from the first invention of Printing to the present time, all of which are in the most perfect condition, &c.: sold by auction by Mr. Jeffery, May, 1810, 8vo.—4809 articles. Another Catalogue of the same collection, elegantly printed in royal octavo, but omitting the auctioneer's notices of the relative value of certain editions, was published by Mr. Constable of Edinburgh, bookseller: with the prices and purchasers' names subjoined: and of which it is said only 250 copies are printed. The Rev. Mr. Heath is reported to have been the owner of this truly select and sumptuous classical library: the sale of which produced 9000l. Never did the bibliomaniac's eye alight upon 'sweeter copies'—as the phrase is; and never did the bibliomaniacal barometer rise higher than at this sale! The most marked phrensy characterized it. A copy of the Editio Princeps of Homer (by no means a first-rate one) brought 92l.: and all the Aldine Classics produced such an electricity of sensation that buyers stuck at nothing to embrace them! Do not let it hence be said that black-letter lore is the only fashionable pursuit of the present age of book-collectors. This sale may be hailed as the omen of better and brighter prospects in Literature in general: and many a useful philological work, although printed in the Latin or Italian language—and which had been sleeping, unmolested, upon a bookseller's shelf these dozen years—will now start up from its slumber, and walk abroad in a new atmosphere, and be noticed and 'made much of.'

Here I terminate my annotation labours relating to anecdotes of Book-Collectors, and accounts of Book-Auctions. Unless I am greatly deceived, these labours have not been thrown away. They may serve, as well to awaken curiosity in regard to yet further interesting memoranda respecting scholars, as to shew the progressive value of books, and the increase of the disease called the Bibliomania. Some of the most curious volumes in English literature have in these notes, been duly recorded; nor can I conclude such a laborious, though humble, task, without indulging a fond hope that this account will be consulted by all those who make book-collecting their amusement. But it is now time to rise up, with the company described in the text, and to put on my hat and great-coat. So I make my bow, wishing, with L'Envoy at the close of Marmion,

To all, to each, a fair good night,
And pleasing dreams, and slumbers light.

Loren. Do you mean to have it inferred that there were no collections, of value or importance, which were sold in the mean time?