Prices of Books Part 19

A perfect copy, very clean and large, was sold in 1844 with the library of Calwick Hall, Staffordshire, to Rodd for ?41. Thorpe gave Rodd ?94 for it, but sold it to Mr. C. Hurt for ?90. At Hurt?s sale in 1855 Sir William (then Mr.) t.i.te bought it for ?105. At his sale in 1874 it realised ?455.

A perfect copy in the original binding of oak, covered with stamped leather, and almost uncut, is in the library of the Baptist College at Bristol, having been presented by A. Gifford, D.D. It has the following notes on a fly-leaf in Dr. Gifford?s autograph:--

?Memoranda. Pd. Simco ?2 12 6 Another at Mr. Ratcliffe?s sales to perfect y^s 2 16 0 Repairing and gilding, &c. 0 2 6 ------------ 5 11 0

Mem. Mr. White gave for another perfect one at Ratcliffe?s sale ?8, 8s.

Mem. 2. No copy of this in Museum.?

The following sales, in addition to Sir William t.i.te?s, mentioned above, have taken place since the publication of Blades?s book:--

Sale at Puttick & Simpson?s (1884)--a very poor copy, wanting eleven leaves, was sold for ?8. Rev. Fuller Russell (1885), ?265 (Hibbert?s copy, which sold in 1829 for ?36, 4s. 6d.; Hibbert had given ?55, 13s. at the Marquis of Blandford?s sale in 1819).

Hardwicke (Wimpole), 1888, ?60 (with ?Cicero de Amicitia?). F.

Perkins (1889), ?100 (two leaves of Table in MS.). Birket Foster (1894), ?77 (wanting eighteen leaves).

_The History of Reynard the Fox_, first edition (32).

J. Ratcliffe (1776), ?5, 10s.--George III. J. Inglis (1826), ?184, 16s.--T. Grenville. J. D. Gardner (1854), ?195--Duke of Newcastle. (All three copies are perfect.)

---- Second edition.

One copy only--that in the Pepysian Library, Cambridge--is known to exist.

_Tully of Old Age_, etc. (33).

Dr. Bernard (1698), 4s. 2d. Francis Child bought Bryan Fairfax?s perfect copy in 1756 for 2 guineas. In 1885 this was sold at the Earl of Jersey?s sale (1885) for ?350.

Dr. Askew bought T. Rawlinson?s perfect copy in 1756 for ?1, 5s., and at Askew?s sale (1775) Willett gave 13 guineas for it.

At Willett?s sale (1813) it was sold to the Marquis of Blandford for ?210. At the Marquis?s sale (1819) T. Brockett gave ?87, 3s.

for it. At Brockett?s sale (1823) Watson Taylor bought it for ?47, 5s. Thorpe bought it at Watson Taylor?s sale (1823) for ?47, 15s. 6d. The ?Merly? copy turned up again in 1857, when it was sold to Mr. F. Huth for ?275.

The Duke of Roxburghe?s imperfect copy was bought in 1812 by the Duke of Devonshire for ?115.

Since Blades?s book was published--the Rev. T. Corser (1868), ?96 (?Old Age? only); Mr. Severne (1885), ?250 (perfect); Earl of Crawford (1889), ?320 (perfect); Earl of Ashburnham (1897), ?102--Pickering & Chatto (_Declamatio_ only).

_The Chronicles of England_, first edition (39).

R. Smith (1682), 3s. 6d.; Dr. Bernard (1691), 4s.; J. Ratcliffe (1776), ?5, 5s.; S. Alchorne (1813), ?63--Duke of Devonshire.

J. Roberts?s copy (1815) was bought for ?105 by John Milner, at whose sale in 1829 W. S. Higgs bought it for ?70, 7s.; at Higgs?s sale (1830) it realised ?73, 10s.

The following sales have taken place since the publication of Blades?s book:--

Mr. Rainy, Bath (1883), ?160--British Museum (poor copy, and imperfect). J. Hirst (1887), ?67 (imperfect). Duke of Buccleuch (1889), ?470--Quaritch (perfect, blanks excepted).

_The Chronicles of England_, second edition (43).

Bryan Fairfax?s imperfect copy was sold in 1756 to Francis Child for ?5. In 1885 it sold for ?40 at the sale of the Earl of Jersey?s library.

J. Ratcliffe?s imperfect copy was sold (1776) to George III. for ?4, 5s.

An imperfect copy was bought by the Earl of Ashburnham in 1860 for ?180. It was added to the sale after the library of E. A.

Crowninshield, of Boston, U.S., had been brought to England.

This copy, bound in new brown morocco, with ?Description of Britain? (three leaves in facsimile), sold at Lord Ashburnham?s sale (1897) for ?610--Pickering & Chatto.

Mr. Quaritch bought the Duke of Buccleuch?s copy in 1889 for ?45. This was wrongly described in the catalogue as wanting only ?fourteen leaves, of which two are blank,? whereas it not only wanted the first fourteen printed leaves as well as the two blanks, but also the last six.

_The Description of Britain_ (40).

J. Towneley?s imperfect copy was bought by George III. in 1814 for ?85, 1s.

The Duke of Buccleuch?s copy was bought by Mr. Quaritch in 1889 for ?195. It was made up from two imperfect copies, with some leaves inlaid, but otherwise complete.

_The History of G.o.dfrey of Boloyne_ (42).

R. Smith (1682), 18s. 2d--Earl of Peterborough. Dr. Bernard (1698), 4s. J. West (1773), ?10, 10s.--George III. J. Ratcliffe (1776), ?6, 16s. 6d.--W. Hunter. Dr. Vincent (1816), ?215, 5s., bought by Singer, but Blades says the Marquis of Blandford; but Mr. Norgate thinks this is a mistake, as there was no copy in the White Knights sale. Mr. Holford?s copy and that in the British Museum were the only known perfect copies until 1884, when Mr. Quaritch announced in his catalogue (No. 21,842) a ?very fine copy, quite perfect, with all the blanks, and in the original binding,? priced ?1000. Mr. Norgate suggests that this may be Dr. Vincent?s copy.

_Polycronicon_ (44).

R. Mead (1755), ?3, 13s. 6d. Joseph Ames (1760), two copies; one sold for 7s., and the other for 14s. J. West (1773), ?16, 5s. 6d.

There were three copies in Ratcliffe?s sale (1775); one sold for 3s. 3d., another for 2s. 3d., and a third for ?5, ?5s. 6d.

Heber bought S. Tyssen?s copy in 1801 for ?5; at his own sale it fetched ?10, 15s.

The White Knights perfect copy was bought by Payne in 1819 for ?94, 10s. It is now in the Grenville Library. (Blades overlooked this.)

Dent?s perfect copy was bought by Perkins in 1827 for ?103, 19s.; at the latter?s sale (1873) it was bought by Mr. Quaritch for ?365.

Lord Charlemont (1865), ?477--Walford (wanting two leaves). This copy went to New York, and was sold immediately for 6750 dollars (= about ?1380). T. Edwards (1871), wanting seven leaves, ?34--Quaritch. This copy was sold at the Earl of Aylesford?s sale (1888) for ?110, also to Mr. Quaritch. The seven leaves were supplied in facsimile. Ten were mounted, and a few others mended.

Sir W. t.i.te?s copy, with a 2, 3, 4, 8 in facsimile, realised in 1874 ?150. Ashburnham copy (1897), wanting forty-six leaves, ?201.

Other copies sold since the publication of Blades?s book were mere fragments, and only realised small sums.

_The Pilgrimage of the Soul_ (45).

R. Smith (1682), 5s. J. West (1773), ?8, 17s. 6d. J. Ratcliffe (1776), ?3, 17s. At the Marquis of Blandford?s sale (1819) Earl Spencer bought it for ?152, 5s. He perfected it with three leaves from a copy formerly belonging to Heber, and sold it in 1821, when Heber bought it again for ?26, 15s. 6d., but at his sale in 1834 it only realised 18 guineas.

_The Festial_, first edition (47).

J. Ratcliffe had two copies: J. Edwards bought one for ?3, 2s., and Dr. Farmer the other for ?3. In 1796 the latter bought Herbert?s copy for ?2, 2s., and made a perfect copy from the two. Lord Spencer bought this at Farmer?s sale in 1798 for ?5.

---- Second edition (88).

The Duke of Roxburghe?s copy was bought by Earl Spencer for ?105. Only one has occurred for sale since, viz., Rev. E. James (1854), ?27, now in the British Museum.

_Confessio Amantis_ (50).