At a recent sale of books in London a few rarities were brought to the hammer. "The Bokes of Solomon," printed by W. Copland, 1551, a very rare little volume, sold for 26l.; a copy of Coverdale's Bible, the edition of 1560, but imperfect, sold for 31l.; a manuscript book of "Hours," with miniatures very prettily painted, sold for 19l. As if to prove that the days of bibliomania are not yet quite gone—a copy of "Barnes's History of Edward III.," which in ordinary condition is worth about 10s., sold for the large sum of 9l. 10s., simply because it happened to be in "choice old blue morocco, the sides and back richly tooled."
The election to the vacant chair of Greek in the University of Edinburgh which took place on the 2d of March, was contested with uncommon zeal. Up to a late period it seemed undecided which of the many able candidates for the office would win—but at last the choice lay between Dr. William Smith, Dr. Schmitz, Prof. Blackie, Prof. Macdowall, and Mr. Price. The election was ultimately decided by the Lord Provost giving a casting vote in favor of Prof. Blackie. In this gentleman the University has secured a man of genius, energy, and kindly feeling—and one well able to maintain its character for classical learning.
Mr. Dickens's Bleak House is producing quite a marked sensation in Germany. Half a dozen publishers at least announced the work several weeks since, and on the 30th of March the first number of Bleak House was to appear in half a dozen German translations. It remains to be seen what the German translators will do with the Court of Chancery and its technicalities.
There are now about five or six various translations of Macaulay's 'History of England' published in Germany. The number is likely to be increased by another translation, for which a Brunswick book-seller has engaged the name of Herr Beseler the Schleswig-Holstein politician of the year 1848.
Barante has published his third volume of the Histoire de la Convention Rationale, which comes down to the epoch of Carrier, at Nantes.