Blades also has enumerated ninety-nine productions of his press as in existence. The British Museum possesses the largest number of copies ever brought together, between eighty and ninety-of which twentyfive are duplicates. The collection of Caxtons in the Spencer Library is more complete, numbering fiftyseven separate works, of which thirty-one are perfect and three unique, namely, "The Four Sons of Aymon," "The History of Blanchardin and Eglantine," and a folio broadside of "Death Bed Prayers," which is in perfect condition, and measures 11 by 3 inches. An important relic connected with the house inhabited by our first printer, and affording the earliest known instance of a broadside printed in England, is to be seen in the Althorpe collection in the shape of an advertisement, of which only one other copy, and that an imperfect one, existed. It consists of

a single paragraph of seven lines, the longest measuring five inches, and which read as follows:-" If it plese ony man spirituel or temporel to bye ony pyes of two and thre comemoracios of Salisburi use enprynted after the forme of this present lettre which ben wel and truly correct, late hym come to Westmonester into the almonesrye at the reed pale, and he shal have them good chepe." *

*From Mr. G. Sanders's laborious MS. notes I take the following curious comparison of prices, and of the rise in prices paid for Caxtons:

"The Recuyell des Histoires de Troyes," fol. 1472, was sold by Dr. Bernard in 1698 for 35., whilst at the Roxburghe sale (1812) the Duke of Devonshire gave 1060 for a copy. "Chess Book," fol. 1475, R. Smith in 1682, 13s. 2d.; Mainwaring in 1837, LIOI. Le Recueil," fol. 1476, Eames in 1760, £2, 125.; E. Spencer in 1823, £205, 16s. ; M. Libri in 1844, 200. positio Johannis Rupell," quarto, four printed leaves, John Brand in 1807, 2, 5s.; Marquis Blandford in 1819, £126. Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers," fol. 1477, Osborne in

"Pro

The

Mr. Quaritch, the possessor of many treasures,

can of course boast some rare and choice Caxtons. Let him introduce-" The first book printed in England. Westminster, William Caxton, 1474. Caxton's 'Game and Play of Chess, Moralised' (translated 1474), first edition, folio, 65 leaves (of the 72), bound in old russia gilt. An extremely large, though somewhat imperfect copy of the first book printed in England, from Caxton's press. Mr. Blades quotes 9 copies (4 perfect, 5 imperfect), and the

1751, 1, 11s. 6d. ; Earl Spencer, £263, 10s. ; "Chaucer's Canterbury Tales," Joseph Ames in 176-, £2; Mr. Huth, £200. "Boethius," fol. 1479, Osborne in 1751, LI, IS.; Gardner in 1854 (imperfect copy), £70. Mirrour of the World," fol. 1481, R. Smith in 1682, 5s.; Duke of Devonshire in 1812, 351, 155. (it cost the Duke seven guineas). Tully of Old Age," fol. 1481, 15s. 3d.; Dr. Bernard in 1698, 4s. 2d.; Duke of Roxburghe, 115; Willett in 1812, 210; Mr. Huth in 1857, £275. Second edition "Game of Chess," Dr. Bernard in 1698, 1s. 6d. (!) Duke of Devonshire, £173, 5s. 'Godfrey of Boulogne," fol. 1481, R. Smith in 1682, 18s. 2d.; Dr. Bernard in 1698, 4s. ; Marquis Blandford, £215, 15S. 'Polychronicon," fol. 1482, Ames in 1760, 145.; Sykes, 1815, £150. "Confessio Amantis," fol. 1483, Osborne in 1745, 145.; Mead in 1755, 26s.; Duke of Devonshire in 1812, 336; Willett, 1813, 315; at Sotheby's in 1872, £670. "Golden Legend," 1484, W. Fletewode in 1774, 75.; Duc de Aumale, £230. "Troylus and Creside," fol. 1484, J. West in 1773, 10, 10S.; J. Towneley in 1814, £252, 25. King Arthur," fol. 1485, Osborne in 1748, £5: Earl Spencer in 1816, £320. Fayts of Arms, &c.," fol. 1489, Rawlinson in 1756, IIS.; Duke of Devonshire in 1812, 336; M. Libri in 1862, £255. Eneydos," fol. 1490, R. Smith in 1682, 3s.; E. Jeans in 1859, 100; B. Quaritch in 1874, 191 (copy wanting two pages), Chastising of God's Children," fol. 1491 (?), Smith, 5s.; Earl Spencer, 140. "St. Catherine," fol., Osborne, I, IS.; J. Townley in 1814, £231 (now in the Grenville or British Museum Library).

At the sale in 1773 of the curious library of James West, Esq., the following were disposed of:-"The Prouffytable Book for Man's Soul," £5 (at the Roxburghe sale sold for £140); "The Mirrour of the World," £2, 13s. (Roxburghe, £351, 15s.); "Golden Legend," 12, 16s. (Roxburghe, imperfect, "Tulle of Old Age," 5, 10s. (Roxburghe, 115; Willetts, £210);

31);

present is the tenth known copy, and is TALLER than even the Grenville-hitherto the tallest known copy; my copy measures 11 inches in height by 8 in width, whilst the Grenville body (also imperfect) is only 11 inches high. No copy of this edition has been sold for years; in 1813, Alchorne's copy, wanting first two leaves, the last two leaves, and two leaves in the second chapter of the fourth tractate, fetched at Evans's, £54, 12s. The value of this class of book has much risen since then, and may

The Boke of St. Albans," imperfect, £13 (Roxburghe, £137; 'Fayte of Arms," 10, 10s. (Roxburghe, £336); "Passe Tyme of Pleasure," £3, 3s. (Roxburghe, £81); Tragedy of Sir Rd. Grinville," 5s. (or 12s. 6d.), Bindley, £40, 195.

Here a 4to volume of theological tracts sold for £3, 3s., but in 1856 six of the lot realised respectively thirty-five times the amount, 110, 55. Caxton's "Mirrour of the World," 1481, in good condition, and for a copy of which at the Duke of Devonshire's sale in 1812 £351, 15s. was given, was purchased in 1828 of a poor illiterate widow for 2s.!

Dr. Morell tells a story "that Dickey Dalton, his Majesty's librarian, in garbling the library, threw out several Caxtons as things that might be got again every day." The most beautiful production of this press is thought to be "King Arthur," fol. 1485. The British Museum has eighty-five examples of Caxton's press, which is the largest number ever brought together; owing, however, to duplicates, the real number of works is but fifty-three. Earl Spencer's collection is therefore more complete, as it contains no less than fifty-seven separate and independent works. Cambridge has thirty-eight separate works, the Bodleian twenty-eight, and the Duke of Devonshire twenty-five. Mr. Blades gives a list of 540 extant Caxtons more or less complete, some being mere fragments. These comprise ninetyfour separate works and editions, but out of these ninety-four works no less than thirty-three are known to us by single copies or by fragments only. With respect to the sizes of early printed books, they were generally either large or small folios, or at least quartos. Caxton printed 67 folios, 23 quartos, 2 octavos, and one 12mo ("The Hcræ," a unique fragment of eight pages). His own translations into English amounted to twenty-two, containing upwards of 4500 printed pages. The total produce of his press, not reckoning the books printed at Bruges, reaches to above 18,000 pages, nearly all folio size.-From the Sanders MS.

now be considered as ten times greater." For this treasure the sum of £400 was asked. The same bookseller also offers :

66 6 'Tour - Landry.' On p. 9, leaf a i, 'Here begynneth the book which the knight of the foure made, and speketh of many fayre ensamples and thensygnementys and techyng of his doughters,' small folio, splendidly bound in dark green morocco, covered with blind tooling, joints, blue morocco linings covered with gold tooling, silk fly-leaves, gilt edges, by Lewis, from the library of the Rev. Thomas Corser."

Next followeth its history:" Excessively rare ; only three other perfect copies are known, of which two are in the British Museum and one in the library of Earl Spencer. There is besides one imperfect one which is in the Bodleian. It is easy therefore to conceive that the present perfect copy may be considered unique as far as the collector is concerned: Lord Spencer's copy is never likely to come into the market (why not? more likely than unlikely), the other two are, of course, inaccessible, and the one now described is probably the only copy that can be offered for sale within the next hundred years. Since the year 1698 only one other copy has been seen in the public auctions; it was purchased by Earl Spencer at Brand's sale in 1807. The present one was bought at the Marquis of Blandford's sale in 1819, by G. W. Taylor; from him it passed into the hands of Mr. Jolly, at the sale of whose books in 1843 it became the property of Rodd, the bookseller. Since that time it has been in the possession of the Rev. Mr. Corser." For this treasure £616 is asked. Again, let us usher in "The Mirrour of the World. Now at this tyme rudely translated out of

Ffrensshe in to Englissh by me symple p.sone William Caxton,' sm. folio, numerous fine woodcuts, editio princeps, with engravings, two leaves, and the last page in facsimile, otherwise a fine copy in brown morocco extra, gilt edges, by Bedford. Excessively rare. Mr. Blades enumerates fifteen copies, six of which are imperfect, while the other nine are locked up as follows:-in the British Museum (two), the Bodleian, and the libraries of the Duke of Devonshire, the Earl of Jersey, Earl Dysart, Earl of Macclesfield, Earl Fitzwilliam, and Earl Spencer. The Devonshire copy was acquired in 1812 at the price of £351, 15s.; and no copy of any kind has appeared in a public sale since an imperfect one was sold in 1835. Of the imperfect copies, three are safely laid away in the Cambridge, the Windsor, and the Ashburnham libraries; the other three are in private hands, and one of them is merely a fragment. The woodcuts are very remarkable as the first existing specimen of English engraving." For this £400 is asked.

He has also "Higden's Polychronicon.' A very fine and morocco copy in morocco extra, gilt edges, with joints, by Lewis, from the Dent and Perkins libraries. The last copy, even approximately perfect, which was sold, produced at Lord Charlemont's sale in 1865, the sum of £477, 15s., although it wanted two leaves. In fact, it would be difficult to name any perfect copies, except that in the Spencer library, and the fine one which is now under description.' For this £500 is demanded.

When Lord Charlemont's library was offered, this "Polychronicon" was secured by Mr. Toovey, another spirited bookseller of Piccadilly. This "wanting two leaves" offers another marvel, as we may be amazed,