Telegrams: "VESPUCCI, LONDON."

Telephone: Regent 3810.

Chas. J. Sawyer, Ltd.

Grafton House

12 & 13, Grafton Street, New Bond Street

CHAS. J. SAWYER and F. J. HARVEY DARTON.

With many Illustrations.

These volumes survey the written word from the inception of printing, and are designed to cover the whole ground of English Book Collecting. They show the evolution of prices through the centuries, and make special mention of the chief points of valuable books.

LIBRARIES PURCHASED.

Illustrated Catalogues issued at frequent intervals.
Reports solicited.

Correspondence invited.

Commissions executed at the principal Auction Sales.
Intelligent Appraisals for Fire Insurance,

Probate Duty & Family Division.

A

RECORD OF THE PRICES AT WHICH BOOKS

HAVE BEEN SOLD AT AUCTION,

FROM OCTOBER, 1925, TO AUGUST, 1926,
BEING THE SEASON 1925-1926,

INDEX TO

Book - Prices Current

Volumes XXI. to XXX.

For the Years 1907-1916,

FORMING A KEY ΤΟ BOOK PRICES CURRENT, AND,
INCIDENTALLY, ΤΟ ANONYMOUS, PSEUDONYMOUS,
AND SUPPRESSED LITERATURE, WITH A SUPPLEMENT
OF BIBLIOPHILES AND BIBLIOPOLES.

Uniform with Book-Prices Current." Demy 8vo.

The Clique says:—“In the course of testing a great number
of references, to see whether we could discover any errors, we
are glad to say that we can find none. This is high praise when
the author says in his preface, 'This Index contains above
one hundred thousand entries, while the numerals
employed, which closely approach a million, almost
defy counting.' Among the great advantages of the Index
may be mentioned the promptitude with which the reader may
now find and compare the relative value of any book during the
decade covered (bringing to a point the various copies sold),
enabling him to ascertain whether its value has increased or
dimished during the period. . . . The Index Volumes add
much to the permanent value of 'B.P.C.' as a
bibliographer's guide. This index is one of the largest
ever compiled, and it represents three years' work.”

The Library Association Record says:-"These volumes are
indispensable to every reference library, and add
considerably to the reputation of English Bibliography."

LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 7, Paternoster Row, E.C.

MADE IN ENGLAND.

Cout,
Sat
10-11-27
༧་༤/

INTRODUCTION.

THE sales recorded in the present volume of
BOOK-PRICES. CURRENT seem to substantiate the
often heard statement that book-collecting goes in
waves, and that the dispersal of every celebrated
library means the beginning of several new ones.
If this is so, then there must be forming many new
and fine collections of books that will eventually
come up in their turn for dispersal, and so pass
on the treasures of literature for the making of still
further libraries.

Included in the many important sales of the
season 1925-6 were two further selections from the
Britwell Court Library, March 15th and 22nd, com-
prising Early English Poetry and early English and
Scottish works on Law and History, the amounts
realised being £15,871 14s. od. and £23,741 6s. od.;
a further selection from the library of Zeals House
realised £8,979 9s. od. ; and the fine collection of
Printed Horæ and illuminated MSS. sold by
Sotheby, on May 4th, £23,801 Is. od.

A great number of notable items came up for
sale during the season, the more important being
a fine copy of Shakespeare's History of Henry IV.,
a first Folio and the Autograph MSS. of Milton's
earliest Verses; these all appeared in Sotheby's sale
of March 29th and 30th, and fetched respectively
£3,900, £3,500, and £7,200. A copy of the first
edition of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, sold by
Sotheby's on July 26th, was purchased by Quaritch
& Co. for £6,800, but proved to be a second issue
only and was returned; the same firm also secured
the Gospel Lectionary for £2,050, and J. Brereton's

A Brief and True Relation of Virginia for £2,200, this latter book was bound up with two other works. Sir Thos. Cockaine's A Short Treatise of Hunting went to Messrs. Maggs for £2,100, and Mr. Spencer secured the two copies of Blake's Songs of Innocence for £450 and £1,350 respectively, the former with only 31 plates being an unrecorded edition. The Troublesome Rayne of John King of England, the pseudo Shakesperian play, 1591, C. Brooke's Poem on the Massacre in Virginia, a volume of 13 Tracts by I. Mather, and S. Rowlands' A Theatre of Delightful Recreations, 1605, all went to the Rosenbach Co., the prices realised being £1,850, £2,700, £900, and £950.

As in previous volumes, a large amount of space has been devoted to American sales. The splendid Elizabethan and early Stuart library of Mr. J. L. Clawson needs special mention. The sale occupied four days, and realised $900,775.50. This collection contained many gems of English Literature, and in this connection it will be remembered that this is the library that was catalogued by Mr. Seymour de Ricci in 1924. Many valued and much-sought-for items changed owners under the hammer, one of the more important being J. Gower's Confessio Amantis, a first edition "Caxton," which realised $20,000.

June, 1927.

F.P.