LOREN. All hail to thee--transcendant bibliomaniac of other times!--of times, in which my father lived, and procured, at the sale of thy precious book-treasures, not a few of those rare volumes which have so much gladdened the eyes of Lisardo.

BELIN. I presume you mean, dear brother, some of those _black-looking_ gentlemen, bound in fancifully marked coats of morocco, and _washed_ and _ironed_ within (for you collectors must have recourse to a woman's occupation) with so much care and nicety that even the eyes of our ancient Rebecca, with "spectacle on nose" to boot, could hardly detect the cunning' conceit of your binder!

LOREN. Spare my feelings and your own reputation, if you wish to appreciate justly the noble craft of book-repairing, &c.--But proceed, dear Lysander.

LYSAND. You cannot have a greater affection towards the memory of the collector of the _Bibliotheca Westiana_ than myself. Hark--! or is it only a soft murmur from a congregation of autumnal zephyrs!--but methought I heard a sound, as if calling upon us to look well to the future fate of our libraries--to look well to their being _creditably catalogued_--"For" (and indeed it _is_ the voice of West's spirit that speaks) "my collection was barbarously murdered; and hence I am doomed to wander for a century, to give warning to the ----, ----, and ----, of the day, to execute this useful task with their own hands! Yes; even the name of PATERSON has not saved my collection from censure; but his hands were then young and inexperienced--yet I suffer from this innocent error!" Away, away, vexed spirit--and let thy head rest in peace beneath the sod!

ALMAN. For heaven's sake, into what society are we introduced, sister?

All mad--book mad! but I hope harmless.

LYSAND. Allay your apprehensions; for, though we may have the energies of the lion, we have the gentleness of the "unweaned lamb."

But, in describing so many and such discordant characters, how can I proceed in the jog-trot way of--"next comes such a one--and then follows another--and afterwards proceeds a third, and now a fourth!?"

ALMAN. Sir, you are right, and I solicit your forgiveness. If I have not sufficient bookish enthusiasm to fall down and worship your CAXTONIAN DEITY, JAMES WEST, I am at least fully disposed to concede him every excellent and amiable quality which sheds lustre upon a literary character.

LYSAND. All offence is expiated: for look, the spirit walks off calmly--and seems to acknowledge, with satisfaction, such proper sentiments in the breast of one whose father and brother have been benefited by his book treasures.

The rapturous, and, I fear you will think, the wild and incoherent, manner in which I have noticed the sale of the _Bibliotheca Westiana_ had nearly driven from my recollection that, in the preceding, the same, and subsequent, year, there was sold by auction a very curious and extraordinary collection of books and Prints belonging to honest TOM MARTIN,[389] _of Palgrave_, in Suffolk: a collector of whom, if I remember rightly, Herbert has, upon several occasions, spoken with a sort of veneration. If Lavater's system of physiognomy happen to receive your approbation, you will conclude, upon contemplating Tom's frank countenance--of which a cut precedes the title-page of the first catalogue--that the collector of Palgrave must have been "a fine old fellow." Martin's book-pursuits were miscellaneous, and perhaps a little too wildly followed up; yet some good fortune contributed to furnish his collection with volumes of singular curiosity.

[Footnote 389: "Hereafter followeth" rather a rough outline of the contents of honest Tom Martin's miscellaneous and curious collection. To the IVth part I have added a few prices, and but a few. I respect too much the quiet and comfort of the present race of bibliomaniacs, to inflame their minds by a longer extract of such tantalizing sums given for some of the most extraordinary volumes in English Literature.----I. _A Catalogue of the Library of_ Mr. THOMAS MARTIN, _of Palgrave, in Suffolk, lately deceased. Lynn, Printed by W. Whittingham_, 1772, 8vo. With a portrait engraved by Lamborn, from a painting of Bardwell. 5240 articles; with 15 pages of Appendix, containing MSS.----no. 86. Juliana Barnes on Hawking, &c., black-letter, wants a leaf, folio. 56. Chauncey's History of Hertfordshire, with marginal notes, by P. Le Neve, Esq., 1700, folio. 757. Scriptores Rerum Brunsvicensium, 3 vols.

folio, 1707. ("N.B. Only 3 sets in England at the accession of Geo. III.")----II. _A Catalogue of the very curious and numerous collection of Manuscripts of_ THOMAS MARTIN, Esq., _of Suffolk, lately deceased_. Consisting of Pedigrees, Genealogies, Heraldic Papers, Old Deeds, Charters, Sign Manuals, Autographs, &c., likewise some very rare old printed books. Sold by auction by Baker and Leigh, April 28, 1773, 8vo. The MSS. (of many of which Edmonson was a purchaser) consisted of 181 articles, ending with "The 15 O's, in old English verse--St. Bridget." Among the 19 volumes only of "Scarce Printed Books" were the following:--no. 188. Edwards' Paradyse of daynty Devices, 1577. 196. The Holy Life of Saynt Werburge, printed by Pynson, 1521. The Lyfe of Saynte Radegunde, by Pynson. Lyfe of Saynt Katherine, printed by Waley, 4to.----III. _A Catalogue of the remaining Part of the valuable Collection of the late well known Antiquary_, Mr. MARTIN, _of Palgrave, Suffolk_: consisting of many very valuable and ancient Manuscripts on vellum, early printed black-letter Books, and several other scarce Books; his Law Library, Deeds, Grants, and Pedigrees; a valuable collection of Drawings and Prints, by the best masters--and his Collection of Greek, Roman, Saxon, and English Coins--with some curiosities. Sold by auction by Baker and Leigh, 18th May, 1774. 8vo. This collection consisted of 537 articles, exclusively of the coins, &c., which were 75 in number. Among the printed books were several very curious ones; such as----no. 88. The Death and Martyrdom of Campione the Jesuite, 1581, 8vo. 124.

Heywood's "If you know not me, you know nobody," 1623, 4to.

"This has a wood-cut of the whole length of Q. Elizabeth, and is very scarce." 183. Fabyan's Chronicle. This I take it was the first edition. 186. Promptuarium Parvulorum. Pynson, folio, 1499. See Hearne's Peter Langtoft, vol. ii., 624-5.

228. Dives et Pauper; yis Tretyys ben dyvydit into elevene partys, and ev'ry part is dyvidit into chapitalis. "The above extremely curious and valuable Manuscript on vellum is wrote on 539 pages. Vide Leland, vol. ii., 452: Bale, 609.

Pits, 660. MS., 4to." 236. Original Proclamations of Q.

Elizabeth, folio. "A most rare collection, and of very great value: the Earl of Oxford once offered Mr. Martin one hundred guineas for them, which he refused." Qu. what they sold for? 237. The Pastyme of the People; the Cronycles of dyvers Realmys, and most specyally of the Realme of Englond, &c., by John Rastell. An elegant copy, in the original binding, large folio, black-letter, London, 1529. "Supposed to be only two or three copies existing;" but see page 337, ante. The folio Manuscripts, extending to no. 345, are very curious; especially the first 60 numbers.----IV.

_Bibliotheca Martiniana. A Catalogue of the entire Library of the late eminent Antiquary_ Mr. THOMAS MARTIN, _of Suffolk_. Containing some thousand volumes in every Language, Art, and Science, a large collection of the scarcest early Printers, and some hundreds of Manuscripts, &c., which will begin to be sold very cheap, on Saturday, June 5 (1773). By Martin Booth and John Berry, Booksellers, at their Warehouse in the Angel Yard, Market Place, Norwich, and continue on sale only two months: 8vo. This Catalogue is full of curious, rare, and interesting books; containing 4895 articles; all priced. Take, as a sample, the following:

NO. 4071. Wynkyn de Worde's reprint of Juliana Berners' book of Hawking, &c., 1496, folio, 1_l._ 11_s._ 6_d._: no.

4292. Copland's ditto of ditto, fair 7_s._ 6_d._

4099. A collection of Old Romances in the Dutch Language, with wood-cuts, very fair, 1544 to 1556, folio 10 6

4169. Horace's Art of poetry, by Drant, 1567, 4to. 3 6

4234. A certayne Tragedye, &c., entitled, Freewil, wants title, very fair and scarce, 4to. 5 0

4254. Historie of Prince Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, 1634, 4to. 7 6

4336. The Life off the 70 Archbishopp off Canterbury presentlye sittinge, &c. Imprinted in 1574, 8vo., neat 10 6

A severe satire against Parker, Abp. of Canterbury, for which 'tis said the author was punished with the loss of his arm.

4345. Amorous Tales, by James Sanforde, very rare, printed by Bynneman, 1567, 12mo. (or small 8vo. perhaps) 5 0

4432. Hereafter followeth a little boke whyche hath to name Whye come ye not to court: by Mayster Skelton; printed by Anthony Kytson, no date. A little boke of Philip Sparrow, compiled by Mayster Skelton; printed by Ant. Veale, no date, very fair, both 8vo. 7 6

"This is a most extraordinarily scarce edition of Skelton's Pieces, and has besides these, some other fragments of his by various early printers."]

But I proceed. The commotions excited in the book world, by means of the sales of the _Bibliotheca Westiana_ and _Martiniana_, had hardly ceased, when a similar agitation took place from the dispersion of the _Monastic Library_ which once belonged to SERJEANT FLETEWODE;[390] a bibliomaniac who flourished in full vigour during the reign of Elizabeth. The catalogue of these truly curious books is but a sorry performance; but let the lover of rare articles put on his bathing corks, and swim quietly across this ocean of black-letter, and he will be abundantly repaid for the toil of such an aquatic excursion.

[Footnote 390: The year following the sale of Mr. West's books, a very curious and valuable collection, chiefly of English literature, was disposed of by auction, by Paterson, who published the catalogue under the following title: "BIBLIOTHECA MONASTICO-FLETEWODIANA." "_A Catalogue of rare books and tracts in various languages and faculties; including the Ancient Conventual Library of Missenden Abbey, in Buckinghamshire_; together with some choice remains of that of the late eminent Serjeant at Law, WILLIAM FLETEWODE, Esq., Recorder of London, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; among which are several specimens of the earliest typography, foreign and English, including Caxton, Wynkyn de Worde, Pynson, and others: a fine collection of English history, some scarce old law books, a great number of old English plays, several choice MSS. upon vellum, and other subjects of literary curiosity. Also several of the best editions of the classics, and modern English and French books. Sold by auction by S. Paterson, December," 1774, 8vo., 3641 lots, or articles. I am in possession of a _priced catalogue_ of this collection, with the names of the purchasers. The latter were principally Herbert, Garrick, Dodd, Elmsley, T. Payne, Richardson, Chapman, Wagstaff, Bindley, and Gough. The following is a specimen of some curious and interesting articles contained in this celebrated library:

NO. 172. Bale's brefe Chronycle relating to Syr Johan Oldecastell, 1544. The Life off the 70th Archbishop off Canterbury, presentlye sittinge, 1574, &c. Life of Hen.

Hills, Printer to O. Cromwell, with the Relation of what passed between him and the Taylor's Wife in Black Friars, 1688, 8vo., &c. 0 7_s._ 9_d._

Purchased by Mores.

361 to 367. Upwards of thirty _scarce Theological Tracts_, in Latin and English. 1 5 0

746 to 784. A fine collection of early English Translations, in black letter, with some good foreign editions of the classics. Not exceeding, in the whole 10 10 0

837, 838. Two copies of the _first edition_ of Bacon's Essays, 1597. MIRABILE DICTU! 0 0 6

The reader will just glance at no. 970, in the catalogue, en passant, to

1082. (1_l._ 2_s._) and 1091 (12_s._) but more particularly to

1173. The Boke of Tulle of Olde Age, &c. _Emprynted by Caxton_, 1481, folio 8 0 0

1174. The Boke which is sayd or called Cathon, &c. _printed by the same_, 1483, folio. Purchased by Alchorne 5 0 0

1256. The Doctrinal of Sapyence, _printed by the same_, 1489, folio. Purchased by Alchorne 6 6 0

1257. The Booke named the Cordyal, _printed by the same_, 1479, folio 6 12 6

But there is no end to these curious volumes. I will, however, only add that there were upwards of 150 articles of _Old Plays_, mostly in quarto. See page 73. Of _Antiquities_, _Chronicles_, and _Topography_, it would be difficult to pitch upon the rarest volumes. The collection, including very few MSS., contained probably about 7000 volumes. The catalogue, in a clean condition, is somewhat uncommon.]

You will imagine that the BOOK-DISEASE now began to be more active and fatal than ever; for the ensuing year (namely, in 1775) died the famous ANTHONY ASKEW, M.D. Those who recollect the zeal and scholarship of this illustrious bibliomaniac,[391] and the precious volumes with which his library was stored, from the choice collections of De Boze, Gaignat, Mead, and Folkes, cannot but sigh, with grief of heart, on reflecting upon such a victim! How ardently, and how kindly (as I remember to have heard one of his intimate friend [Transcriber's Note: friends] say) would Askew unlock the stores of his glittering book-treasures!--open the magnificent folio, or the shining duodecimo, _printed upon vellum_, and embossed with golden knobs, or held fast with silver clasps! How carefully would he unrol the curious _manuscript_, decipher the half effaced characters--and then, casting an eye of ecstacy over the shelves upon which similar treasures were lodged, exult in the glorious prospect before him! But death--who, as Horace tells us, equally exercises the knocker of the palace and cottage-door, made no scruple to rap at that of our renowned Doctor--when Askew, with all his skill in medicine and knowledge of books, yielded to the summons of the grim tyrant--and died lamented, as he lived beloved!

[Footnote 391: Lysander is now arrived, pursuing his chronological order, at a very important period in the annals of book-sales. The name and collection of Dr. ASKEW are so well known in the bibliographical world that the reader need not be detained with laboured commendations on either: in the present place, however, it would be a cruel disappointment not to say a word or two by way of preface or prologue. Dr. ANTHONY ASKEW had eminently distinguished himself by a refined taste, a sound knowledge, and an indefatigable research, relating to every thing connected with Grecian and Roman literature. It was to be expected, even during his life, as he was possessed of sufficient means to gratify himself with what was rare, curious, and beautiful, in literature and the fine arts, that the public would one day be benefited by such pursuits: especially as he had expressed a wish that his treasures might be unreservedly submitted to sale, after his decease. In this wish the doctor was not singular. Many eminent collectors had indulged it before him: and, to my knowledge, many modern ones still indulge it. Accordingly, on the death of Dr. Askew, in 1774, appeared, in the ensuing year, a catalogue of his books for sale, by Messrs. Baker and Leigh, under the following title: "BIBLIOTHECA ASKEVIANA, _sive Catalogus Librorum Rarissimorum Antonii Askew, M.D., quorum Auctio fiet apud S. Baker et G. Leigh, in Vico dicto York Street, Covent Garden, Londini, Die Lunae, 13 Februarii_, MDCCLXXV, _et in undeviginti sequentes dies_." A few copies were struck off on _large paper_, which are yet rather common. My own copy is of this kind, with the prices, and names of the purchasers. We are told, by the compiler of the catalogue, that it was thought "unnecessary to say much with respect to this library of the late Dr. Anthony Askew, as the collector and the collection were so well known in almost all parts of Europe." Afterwards it is observed that "The books in general are in very fine condition, many of them bound in morocco, and russia leather, with gilt leaves." "To give a particular account," continues the compiler, "of the _many scarce editions_ of books in this catalogue would be almost endless, therefore the _first editions_ of the classics, and some _extremely rare books_, are chiefly noticed. The catalogue, without any doubt, contains the best, rarest, and most valuable collection of GREEK and LATIN BOOKS that was ever sold in England, and the great time and trouble of forming it will, it is hoped, be a sufficient excuse for the price put to it." (1_s._ 6_d._ the small paper, and 4_s._ the large.) This account is not overcharged. The collection in regard to Greek and Roman literature was _unique_ in its day. Enriched with many a tome from the Harleian, Dr. Mead's, Martin Folkes's, and Dr.

Rawlinson's library, as well as with numerous rare and splendid articles from foreign collections (for few men travelled with greater ardour, or had an acuter discrimination than Dr. Askew), the books were sought after by almost every one then eminent for bibliographical research. HIS MAJESTY was a purchaser, says Mr. J. Nichols, to the amount of about 300_l._; Dr. Hunter, to the amount of 500_l._; and De Bure (who had commissions from the King of France and many foreign collectors, to the amount of 1500_l._) made purchases to the same amount; Dr. Maty was solicited by the trustees of the British Museum not to be unmindful of _that repository_; and accordingly he became a purchaser to a considerable amount. The late worthy and learned Mr. M. CRACHERODE, whose library now forms one of the most splendid acquisitions of the British Museum, and whose _bequest_ of it will immortalize his memory, was also among the "Emptores literarii" at this renowned sale. He had enriched his collection with many an "_Exemplar Askevianum_;" and, in his latter days, used to elevate his hands and eyes, and exclaim against the prices _now_ offered for EDITIONES PRINCIPES. The fact is, Dr. Askew's sale has been considered a sort of _era_ in bibliography. Since that period, rare and curious books in Greek and Latin literature have been greedily sought after, and obtained (as a recent sale abundantly testifies) at most extravagant prices. It is very well for a veteran in bibliographical literature, as was Mr. Cracherode, or as are Mr. Wodhull, and Dr.

Gosset--whose collections were, in part, formed in the days of De Bure, Gaignat, Askew, Duke de la Valliere, and Lamoignon--it is very well for such gentlemen to declaim against _modern prices_! But what is to be done? Classical books grow scarcer every day, and the love of literature, and of possessing rare and interesting works, increases in an equal ratio. Hungry bibliographers meet, at sales, with well-furnished purses, and are resolved upon sumptuous fare!

Thus the hammer _vibrates_, after a bidding of FORTY POUNDS, where formerly it used regularly to _fall_ at FOUR! But we lose sight of Dr. Askew's _rare editions_, and _large paper copies_. The following, gentle reader, is but an imperfect specimen!

NO. 168. Chaucer's Works, by _Pynson_, no date 7 17_s._ 6_d._

172. Cicero of Old Age, by Caxton, 1481 13 13 0

518. Gilles (Nicole) Annales, &c., de France. Paris, fol.

1520, 2 tom. SUR VELIN 31 10 6

647. aeginetae (Pauli) Praecepta Salubria; Paris, quarto, 1510.

On VELLUM 11 0 0

666. aesopi Fabulae. _Edit. Princeps circ._ 1483 6 6 0

684. Boccacio, il Teseide, _Ferar._, 1475. _Prima Edizione_ 85 0 0