Part 8 (1/2)
(1471) is a book worth mentioning, because for beauty and grace it is unsurpa.s.sed by any of the works ever published by the first Italian printers, Sweynheim and Pannartz. The British Museum copy cost in 1775 13 2s. 6d., whilst it is now worth about 25. The superb copy in the British Museum of the _editio princeps_ Juvenal and Persius (printed at Rome about the year 1469) cost the country 13 guineas; a first-cla.s.s example is now valued at 12. On the other hand, the Aldine edition of Martial's 'Epigrammata' (1501) has gone up in value from 2 guineas to 10, or even 17 10s., according to condition. The first edition of Justin (printed at Venice, 1470) has declined, for the British Museum copy cost 13 guineas in 1775, whilst a fine copy may now be had for 10 guineas.
A very different story has to be told with reference to the books and pamphlets produced by the early English printers. Until the latter part of the last century, these items were the despised of the scholarly and aristocratic collector. A few antiquaries found them not without interest, but they had only a nominal commercial value. At the sale of Dr. Francis Bernard, at his 'late dwelling house in Little Britain,' in October, 1698, thirteen Caxtons were sold, as follows:
s. d.
'The Boke called Cathon,' 1483 0 3 0 'Chastising of G.o.ddes Chyldern' 0 1 10 'Doctrinal of Sapience,' 1489 } 'Chastising of G.o.ddes Chyldern' } 0 5 0 'Chronicle of England,' _very old_ 0 4 0 'Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers,' 1477 0 5 4 'Game and Playe of the Chesse,' 1474 0 1 6 'G.o.defroy of Boloyne,' 1481 0 4 0 'Historyes of Troy,' 1500 0 3 0 'Jason and the Golden Fleece' 0 3 6 'Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye,' 1502 0 3 0 Another copy 0 3 0 'Tullius of Olde Age' 0 4 2 ---------- 2 1 4
Eighty years later, when the library of John Ratcliffe[132:A] was sold at Christie's (March 27, 1776), a collection of upwards of thirty Caxtons came under the hammer, and of these we will only quote seven examples:
s. d.
'Chronicles of Englande,' fine copy, 1480 5 5 0 'Doctrinal of Sapience,' 1489 8 8 0 'The Boke called Cathon,' 1483 5 5 0 'The Polytique Book, named Tullius de Senectute,' 1481 14 0 0 'The Game and Playe of Chesse' 16 0 0 'The Boke of Jason' 5 10 0 'Legenda Aurea,'[133:A] 1483 9 15 0
At the Watson Taylor and Perry sales in 1823, four examples, nearly all fine copies, of Caxton's books realized a total of 239 5s., as follows:
s. d.
'The Life of Jason,' 1476-77 95 11 0 'The Boke called Cathon,' 1483 30 19 6 'Troylus and Creside,' 1484 66 0 0 Virgil's 'Eneidos,' 1490, very fine and perfect 46 14 6
[Ill.u.s.tration: _The Fifty-seven Althorp Caxtons._]
We do not think that the foregoing sets of figures call for any elaborate comment. The present value of each item may be averaged at from 250 to 300, but the majority are absolutely unprocurable at any price. The highest sum ever paid for a Caxton is 1,950, at which amount the only perfect copy known of 'King Arthur,' 1485, was knocked down at the sale of the Earl of Jersey's books in 1885. At the same sale the 'Histoires of Troy,' _circa_ 1474, realized 1,820. In 1812 the Duke of Devons.h.i.+re gave 1,060 12s. for a copy of this book, for which the Duke of Roxburghe had paid 50 a few years previously. The Syston Park copy of the 'Mirrour of the World,' 1481, sold in 1884 for 335; Higden's 'Polychronicon, 1482, is valued at 500; Lord Selsey's copy of Gower's 'Confessio Amantis,' 1483, sold in 1872 for 670; and Lord Jersey's, in 1885, for 810. The 'Hystorye of Kynge Blanchardyn and Princes Eglantyne,' 1485, imperfect, but one of the rarest of this press, realized 21 at the Mason sale, 1798-99, the purchaser being John, Duke of Roxburghe, at whose sale in June, 1812, Lord Spencer gave 215 5s.
for it. According to the latter's note in the copy, 'The Duke and I had agreed not to oppose one another at the [Mason] sale; but after the book was bought, to toss up who should win it; when I lost.' A tract of five leaves, by John Russell, 'Propositio ad ill.u.s.triss. principem Karoleum ducem Burgundie,' etc. (printed probably at Bruges, 1475), of which no other copy is known, was purchased by a bookseller in the West End of London for 2 5s. He sold it to the Duke of Marlborough for 50 guineas, and at his sale in 1819 Earl Spencer purchased it for 120 guineas. There are about 560 examples of Caxton's books in existence. Of these, about one half are in the British Museum, the Althorp or Rylands library (57), at Cambridge, in the Bodleian, and in the Duke of Devons.h.i.+re's library.
Of this total thirty-one are unique, and seven exist only in a fragmentary form. The greater number are safely locked up in public or private libraries, and are not likely, under ordinary circ.u.mstances, to come into the market. A great quant.i.ty of romance has been written respecting Caxtons. In Scott's 'Antiquary,' 'Snuffy Davy' is stated to have bought a perfect copy of the 'Game of Chess,' the first book printed in England, for about two groschen, or twopence of our money.
This he sold to Osborne for 20; it became Dr. Askew's property for 60 guineas, and at the Askew sale it realized 170, the purchaser being George III. '”Could a copy now occur, Lord only knows,” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Monkbarns, with a deep sigh and lifted-up hands--”Lord only knows what would be its ransom”; and yet it was originally secured, by skill and research, for the easy equivalent of twopence sterling.' It has been repeatedly stated that there is no foundation whatever for this anecdote; but Scott himself expressly states in a note that it is literally true, and that David Wilson 'was a real personage.' 'Snuffy Davy' has been identified with Clarke, the bookseller of New Bond Street, whose 'Repertorium Bibliographic.u.m' is a most valuable book.
However that may be, it is certain that the King did not give any such price at any such sale. The King's copy was purchased at West's sale in 1773 for 32 0s. 6d. At the Askew sale the King's purchases did not exceed 300, and the items were almost exclusively editions of the cla.s.sics. It is certain, however, that Caxton's books have experienced many ups and downs. Mr. Blades tells us of an incident in which he was personally concerned. He happened on a copy of the 'Canterbury Tales' in a dirty pigeon-hole close to the grate in the vestry of the French Protestant Church, St. Martin's-le-Grand; it was fearfully mutilated, and was being used leaf by leaf--a book originally worth 800.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _From 'Game and Play of Chesse,' by Caxton._]
Caxton's immediate successors met with a fate similar to his own. The most remarkable feature of Richard Rawlinson's[136:A] library (sold by Samuel Leigh in 1756), which contained nearly 25,000 volumes, consisted in the large quant.i.ty of Old English black-letter books, and these, of course, realized absurdly low figures, as the following list testifies:
s. d.
'The Newe Testament in English,' 1500 0 2 9 'The Ymage of both Churches, after the Revelation of St. John,' by Bale, 1550 0 1 6 'The Boke called the Pype or Toune of Perfection,'
by Richard Whytforde, 1532 0 1 9 'The Visions of Pierce Plowman,' 1561 0 2 0 'The Creede of Pierce Plowman,' 1553 0 1 6 'The Booke of Moses in English,' 1530 0 3 9 'Bale's Actes of English Votaryes,' 1550 0 1 3 'The Boke of Chivalrie,' by Caxton 0 11 0 'The Boke of St. Albans,' by W. de Worde 1 1 0
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Specimen of the type of 'The Boke of St. Albans.'_]
The very high price paid for the 'Boke of St. Albans' is noteworthy, for nearly all the other items are equally rare. In 1844, a copy of this 'boke' was sold as waste-paper for 9d., and almost immediately pa.s.sed into the possession of Mr. Grenville for 70 or guineas. Dr. Mead's copy--one of the only two known--of 'Rhetorica Nova Fratris Laurentii Gulielmi de Sacra,' printed at St. Albans, 1480, sold for 2s. At the Willett sale, in 1813, it brought 79 16s.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Specimen page of Tyndale's Testament, 1526._]
The rarity of the English translations of the Bible and New Testament arises from just the opposite cause which has operated in making the early productions of the English press so scarce. The latter were for the most part neglected out of existence, whilst the former were literally read out of it. A complete copy of the _editio princeps_ Coverdale, 1535, is, we believe, unknown. One ill.u.s.tration will sufficiently indicate the enhanced value of this book, and the ill.u.s.tration may be taken as a general one in respect to this cla.s.s of book: The Perkins copy, which realized 400 in 1873, was purchased at the Dent sale in 1827 for 89 5s. The more perfect of the only two copies known of Tyndale's New Testament, first edition, 1526, in the Baptists' Library at Bristol, is of great interest, and well deserving of a mention in this place. It has no t.i.tle-page. Underneath a portrait, pasted to the first leaf, is this inscription:
'Hoh Maister John Murray of Sacomb, The works of old Time to collect was his pride, Till oblivion dreaded his care; Regardless of friends intestate he dy'd, So the Rooks and the Crows were his heir.'
[Ill.u.s.tration: _John Murray, of Sacomb, Book-hunter._]
On the opposite leaf is a printed statement to this effect: 'On Tuesday evening (13 May, 1760) at Mr. Langford's sale of Mr. Ames's books, a copy of the translation of the New Testament by Tindall, and supposed to be the only one remaining which escaped the flames, was sold for fourteen guineas and a half. This very book was picked up by one of the late Lord Oxford's collectors ['John Murray' written in the margin], and was esteemed so valuable a purchase by his lords.h.i.+p, that he settled 20 a year for life upon the person who procured it. His Lords.h.i.+p's library being afterwards purchased by Mr. Osborne, of Gray's Inn, he marked it at fifteen s.h.i.+llings, for which price Mr. Ames bought it.' (John Murray died in 1748.) On the other side of the leaf is another note, in ma.n.u.script: 'N.B. This choice book was purchased at Mr. Langford's sale, 13th May, 1760, by me John White [for 15 14s. 6d.], and on the 13th day of May, 1776, I sold it to the Rev. Dr. Gifford for 20 guineas.' Dr.
Gifford was an a.s.sistant librarian at the British Museum, and left his library to the use of the Baptist Society at Bristol.
Before leaving the subject of Bibles, we may refer to one of the most interesting events of the book-sale season of 1836, when, at Evans's on April 27, the superb copy of St. Jerome's Bible, executed by Alcuin for Charlemagne, came up for sale. Commenced about the year 778, it was not completed till 800. When it was finished it was sent to Rome by his friend and disciple, Nathaniel, who presented it to Charlemagne on the day of his coronation; it was preserved by that monarch until his death.
Its subsequent history is full of interest, and would form an entertaining chapter in the Adventures of Books. After its first owner's death, it is supposed to have been given to the monastery of Prum in Lorraine by Lothaire, the grandson of Charlemagne, who became a monk of that monastery. In 1576, this religious house was dissolved, but the monks preserved the ma.n.u.script, and carried it to Switzerland to the abbey of Grandis Vallis, near Basle, where it reposed till the year 1793, when, on the occupation of the episcopal territory of Basle by the French, all the property of the abbey was confiscated and sold, and the ma.n.u.script in question came into the possession of M. Bennot, from whom, in 1822, it was purchased by M. Speyr Pa.s.savant, who brought it into general notice, and offered it for sale to the French Government at the price of 60,000 francs; this was declined, when the proprietor knocked off nearly 20,000 francs from the original demand, but still without effecting a sale. M. Pa.s.savant subsequently brought it to England, and offered it to the Duke of Suss.e.x, who, however, declined it. It was then offered to the British Museum for 12,000, then for 8,000, and at last for 6,500, which he declared an 'immense sacrifice.' Unsuccessful at every turn, he resolved to submit it to auction, and the precious volume was entrusted to Evans. It was knocked down for 1,500, but to the proprietor himself. After a further lapse of time, Pa.s.savant sold the volume to the British Museum for 750. This splendid ma.n.u.script is a large folio in delicate and beautifully formed minuscule characters, with the beginnings of chapters in fine uncials, written in two columns on the purest vellum. If this magnificent ma.n.u.script were now offered for sale, it would probably realize at least 3,000.
The rise in the value of the First Folio Shakespeare only dates back for about a century. Beloe, writing in 1806, states that he remembers the time when a very fine copy could be purchased for five guineas. He further observes, 'I could once have purchased a superb one for 9 guineas'; and (apparently) this 'superb' example realized 13 guineas at Dr. Monro's sale in 1792. At the end of the last century it was thought to have realized the 'top' price with 36 guineas. Dr. Askew had a fine copy of the Second Folio, which realized at his sale, in 1775, 5 10s.--it had cost 2-1/2 guineas at Dr. Mead's sale--the purchaser being George Steevens. In this book Charles I. had written these words: 'DUM SPIRO, SPERO, C. R.,' and Sir Thomas Herbert, to whom the King presented it the night before his execution, had also written: 'Ex dono serenissimi Regis Car. servo suo Humiliss. T. Herbert.' Steevens regarded the amount which he paid for it as 'enormous,' but at his sale it realized 18 guineas, and was purchased for the King's library, and is now, with some other books bought by George III., at Windsor. Steevens supposes that the original edition could not have exceeded 250 copies, and that 1 was the selling price. Its rarity ten or a dozen years after its first appearance may be gauged by the fact that Charles I. was obliged to content himself with a copy of the Second Folio; its rarity at the present moment will be readily comprehended when it is stated that during the past ninety years only five or six irreproachable examples have occurred for sale. The copy for which the Duke of Roxburghe gave 34 guineas, realized at his sale 100, and pa.s.sed into the library of the Duke of Devons.h.i.+re. The example in the possession of the Baroness Burdett-Coutts is a very fine one; it was formerly George Daniel's copy, and realized 682 guineas at his sale in 1864. Height makes a great difference in the price of a book of this sort. For example, a good sound example measuring 12-1/4 inches by 8 inches is worth about 136; another one measuring 13-1/8 by 8-3/8 inches would be worth 300, and perhaps more. Dibdin, with his usual prophetic inaccuracy, described the amount (121 6s.) at which Mr. Grenville obtained his copy as 'the highest price ever given, or likely to be given, for the volume.' As a matter of fact, the time must come when it will be no longer possible to obtain a perfect copy of this volume, which to English people is a thousand times more important than the Gutenberg Bible or the Psalmorum Codex.
The following list is believed to contain all the finest examples known at present: