Next come the rivals strains of 'An Aspirant.'
FIRST MAXIM.
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Who slaves the monkish folio through, With lore or science in his view, Him ... visions black, or devils blue, Shall haunt at his expiring taper;— Yet, 'tis a weakness of the wise, To chuse the volume by the size, And riot in the pond'rous prize— Dear Copies—printed on Large Paper! Bibliosophia; p. iv. |
After these saucy attacks, can I venture upon discoursing, in a sober note-like strain—upon those large and magnificent volumes concerning which Lysander, above, pours forth such a torrent of eloquence? Yes—gentle reader—I will even venture!—and will lay a silver penny to boot (See Peacham's 'Worth of a Penny'—) that neither Dr. Ferriar nor the 'Aspirant' could withhold their ejaculations of rapture upon seeing any one of the following volumes walk majestically into their libraries. Mark well, therefore, a few scarce
Works printed upon Large Paper.
Lord Bacon's Essays; 1798, 8vo. There were only six copies of this edition struck off upon royal folio paper: one copy is in the Cracherode collection, in the British Museum; and another is in the library of Earl Spencer. Mr. Leigh, the book-auctioneer, a long time ago observed that, if ever one of these copies were to be sold at an auction, it would probably bring -00l.—! I will not insert the first figure; but two noughts followed it.——Twenty Plays of Shakspeare from the old quarto editions; 1766, 8vo., 6 vols. Only twelve copies printed upon large paper. See Bibl. Steevens: no. 1312; and [p. 581], ante.——Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays; 1780, 8vo., 12 vols. Only six copies struck off upon large paper. Bibl. Woodhouse, no. 698.——The Grenville Homer; 1800, 4to., 4 vols. Fifty copies of this magnificent work are said to have been printed upon large paper; which have embellishments of plates. Mr. Dent possesses the copy which was Professor Porson's, and which was bought at the sale of the Professor's library, in boards, for 87l., see [p. 459], ante. Seven years ago I saw a sumptuous copy in morocco, knocked down for 99l. 15s.——Mathæi Paris, Monachi Albanenses, &c.; Historia Major; a Wats; Lond. 1640; folio. This is a rare and magnificent work upon large paper; and is usually bound in two volumes.——Historiæ Anglicanæ Scriptores X; a Twysden; 1652, folio. Of equal rarity and magnificence are copies of this inestimable production.——Rerum Anglicarum Scriptores Veteres, a Gale; 1684, 91; folio, 3 volumes. There were but few copies of this, now generally coveted, work printed upon large paper. The difference between the small and the large, for amplitude of margin and lustre of ink, is inconceivable.——Historiæ Anglicanæ Scriptores Varii, a Sparke; Lond. 1723, folio. The preface to this work shews that there are copies of it, like those of Dr. Clarke's edition of Cæsar's Commentaries, upon paper of three different sizes. The 'charta maxima' is worthy of a conspicuous place upon the collector's shelf; though in any shape the book has a creditable aspect.——Recueil des Historiens des Gaules, &c., par Boucquet; 1738, 1786; folio, 13 vols. It is hardly possible for the eye to gaze upon a more intrinsically valuable work, or a finer set of volumes, than are these, as now exhibited in Mr. Evans's shop, and bound in fine old red morocco by the best binders of France. They were once in my possession; but the 'res angusta domi' compelled me to part with them, and to seek for a copy not so tall by head and shoulders. Since the year 1786, two additional volumes have been published.
We will now discourse somewhat of English books.
Scott's Discoverie of Whitcraft; 1584, 4to. Of this work, which has recently become popular from Mr. Douce's frequent mention of it (Illustrations of Shakspeare, &c., 1806, 2 vols., 8vo.), my friend, Mr. Utterson, possesses a very beautiful copy upon large paper. It is rarely one meets with books printed in this country, before the year 1600, struck off in such a manner. This copy, which is secured from 'winter and rough weather' by a stout coat of skilfully-tool'd morocco, is probably unique.——Weever's Funeral Monuments; 1631, folio. Mr. Samuel Lysons informs me that he has a copy of this work upon large paper. I never saw, or heard of, another similar one.——Sanford's Genealogical History; 1707, folio. At the sale of Baron Smyth's books, in 1809, Messrs. J. and A. Arch purchased a copy of this work upon large paper for 46l. A monstrous price! A similar copy is in the library of Mr. Grenville, which was obtained from Mr. Evans of Pall-Mall. The curious should purchase the anterior edition (of 1677) for the sake of better impressions of the plates; which, however, in any condition, are neither tasteful nor well engraved. What is called 'a good Hollar' would weigh down the whole set of them!——Strype's Ecclesiastical Memorials; 1721, Folio, 3 vols.——Annals of the Reformation; 1725, Folio, 4 vols. Happy the collector who can regale himself by viewing large paper copies of these inestimable works! In any shape or condition, they are now rare. The latter is the scarcer of the two; and upon large paper brings, what the French bibliographers call, 'un prix enorme.' There is one of this kind in the beautiful library of Mr. Thomas Grenville.——Hearne's Works—'till Mr. Bagster issued his first reprints of Robert of Gloucester and Peter Langtoft, upon paper of three different sizes—(of which the largest, in quarto, has hardly been equalled in modern printing)—used to bring extravagant sums at book-auctions. At a late sale in Pall-Mall, were the books in general were sold at extraordinary prices, the large paper Hearnes absolutely 'hung fire'—as the sportsman's phrase is.——Hudibras, with Dr. Grey's Annotations, and Hogarth's cuts; 1744, 2 vols. There were but twelve copies of this first and best edition of Dr. Grey's labours upon Hudibras (which Warburton strangely abuses—) printed upon large paper: and a noble book it is in this form!——Milner's History of Winchester; 1798, 4to., 2 vols. Of this edition there were, I believe, either twelve or twenty-four copies printed upon large paper; which brings serious sums in the present general rage for books of this description.——Kennet's (Bp.) Parochial Antiquities; Oxford, 1695, 4to. The only known copy of this work upon large paper is in the fine library of Sir Richard Colt Hoare, Bart. This copy was probably in the collection of 'that well-known collector, Joseph Browne, Esq., of Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire:' as a similar one 'in Russia, gilt leaves,' was sold in Pt. II. of his collection, no. 279, for 7l. 17s. 6d. and purchased in the name of Thornton.——The Chronicles of Froissart and Monstrelet: translated by Thomas Johnes, Esq. Hafod, 1803, 1810, quarto, 9 vols.: including a volume of plates to Monstrelet. Of these beautiful and intrinsically valuable works, there were only 25 copies struck off upon folio; which bring tremendous prices.——History of the Town of Cheltenham, and its Environs; 1802, 8vo. There were a few copies of this superficial work printed upon large paper in royal octavo, and a unique copy upon paper of a quarto size; which latter is in the possession of my friend Mr. Thomas Pruen, of the same place. A part of this volume was written by myself; according to instructions which I received to make it 'light and pleasant.' An author, like a barrister, is bound in most cases to follow his instructions! As I have thus awkwardly introduced myself, I may be permitted to observe, at the foot of this note, that all the large paper copies of my own humble lucubrations have been attended with an unexpectedly successful sale. Of the Introduction to the Classics, edit. 1804, 8vo., there were fifty copies, with extra plates, struck off in royal octavo, and published at 2l. 2s.: these now sell for 5l. 5s.: the portrait of Bishop Fell making them snapped at, with a perch-like spirit, by all true Grangerites. Of the Typographical Antiquities of our own country there were 66 printed in a superb style, upon imperial paper, in 4to.; these were published at 6l. 6s. a copy. The following anecdote shews how they are 'looking up'—as the book-market phrase is. My friend —— parted with his copy; but finding that his slumbers were broken, and his dreams frightful, in consequence, he sought to regain possession of it; and cheerfully gave 10l. 10s.! for what, but a few months before, he had possessed for little more than one half the sum! The same friend subscribes for a large paper of the present work, of which there are only eighteen copies printed: and of which my hard-hearted printer and myself seize each upon a copy. Will the same friend display equal fickleness in regard to this volume? If he does, he must smart acutely for it: nor will 15l. 15s. redeem it! It is justly observed, in the first edition of this work, that, 'analogous to large paper, are tall copies: that is, copies of the work published on the ordinary size paper, and barely cut down by the binder,' p. 45. To dwarfise a volume is a 'grievous fault' on the part of any binder; but more particularly is it an unpardonable one on the part of him who has had a long intercourse with professed bibliomaniacs! To a person who knows anything of typographical arrangement, the distinction between tall and large paper copies is sufficiently obvious. For this reason, I am quite decided that the supposed large paper copy of Scapula's Lexicon, possessed by Mr. ——, of Caversham, near Reading, is only a tall copy of the work, as usually printed: nor is this copy more stately than another which I have seen. The owner of the volume will suppress all feelings which he may entertain against my heretical opinions (as I fear he will call them), when he considers that he may dispose of his Scapula for a sum three times beyond what he gave for it. Let him put it by the side of his neighbour Dr. Valpy's numerous large paper copies of the old folio classics, and he will in a moment be convinced of the accuracy of the foregoing remark. Fine paper copies of a work should be here noticed; as they are sought after with avidity. The most beautiful work of this kind which I ever saw, was Rapin's History of England, in nine folio volumes, bound in red morocco, and illustrated with Houbraken's Heads; which Sir M.M. Sykes recently purchased of Mr. Evans, the bookseller,—for a comparatively moderate sum. A similar copy (exclusively of the illustrations) of Rapin's History of England, which was once in the library of the Royal Institution, was burnt in the fire that destroyed Covent-Garden Theatre; it having been sent to Mr. Mackinlay, the book-binder, who lived near the Theatre.
Lysand. I have little to add to what has been already said of this symptom. That a volume, so published, has a more pleasing aspect, cannot be denied. It is the oak, in its full growth, compared with the same tree in its sapling state: or, if you please, it is the same picture a little more brilliant in its colouring, and put into a handsomer frame. My friend Marcus is a very dragon in this department of book-collecting: nothing being too formidable for his attack. Let the volume assume what shape it may, and let the price be ever so unconscionable—he hesitates not to become a purchaser. In consequence, exclusively of all the Dugdales and Montfaucons, upon large paper, and in the finest bindings, he possesses the Grand Folio Classics, the Benedictine Editions of the Fathers, the County Histories, and all works, of a recent date, upon History and the Belles Lettres. In short, nothing can be more magnificent than the interior of his library; as nothing but giants, arrayed in the most splendid attire, are seen to keep guard from one extremity of the room to the other.
Lis. Who is this Marcus? I'll rival him in due time!—But proceed.