The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-19 00:00:00

THE SUNDERLAND LIBRARY.

Messrs. Puttick and Simpson, who, as stated by us
a few weeks ago (says The 7imes) are about to sell
the Duke of -Marlborough's magnificent library by
auction, on the let of next month and eight following
1 days, at the rooms. in Leicester-square, London, have
just issued the first part °Ca sale catalogue of its con-
tents which is, in its way, a bibliographical curiosity,
and is published at ss.
Its preface gives a short history of the formation
'of the library in the early part of the last century by
Charles, third Earl of Sunderland, the father of the
second Duke of Malborough. It was collected, we
are informed, in the short space of 12 years in the
reigns of George I. and George IL, and when com-
pleted was deposited at Blenheim, where it has ever
since remained, though its fame is European. The
library itself is particularly rich in its Greek and
Roman classics, including " Editones Principes " of
Aschylus, Anacreon, Aristophanes, Aristotle,
.zEschines, Ccesar, Catullus, Demosthenes, Euripides,
Herodotus, Homer, Horace, Lucan, Lucian, Pindar,
Plautus, Plato, Pliny, Sophocles, Tacitus, Thucydides,
Terence, Theocritus, Varro, Xenophon, &c.
Besides the above, which are chiefly valuable as the
first productions of the presses of the early printers on
the Continent, there are also numerous other editions
of great literary value as the first editions of authentic
texts, and for the various readings, scholia, notes, and
commentaries by which they are accompanied. Next
in number and importance come the Bibles, øf which
there are almost all the rare and early editions in
Polyglott, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, English, Welsh,
French, Italian, Spanish, German, Grison, and Scla-
vonic, mostly of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Among the English Bibles are Queen Elizabeth's
own copy of the Genevan version, and James I.'s
large paper copy of the Royal version with which his
name is connected.
The
.library contains a few ancient mannscrints,
including a beautiful illuminated manuscript of the
Romance of King Arthur, a Latin Bible of the 14th
century, two comces of the Holy Gospels in Greek, of
the 12th and 13th centuries, a St. Chrysostom of the
12th century, and a St. Gregory of the 13th century.
The great Italian writers, Dante, Boccaccio,
Petrarch, Ariosto, &c., are well represented ; and as
to Boccaccio, there are first editions of nearly all his
writings, the most important being the first edition
of his Decameron with a date, printed by C. Valdarfer,
at Venice, in 1471, and celebrated throughout the
world on account of the enormous sum given some 60
years ago for the Duke of Roxburgh's copy.
The books printed on vellum in the library, are very
remarkable for their rarity and Dumber, being the
largest in any private library in Europe, and including
several which have been hitherto unnoticed by biblio-
graphers.
The following classes of books are also well repre.
sented :—Early English poets, Early English tracts
and pamphlets, county histories, controversial tracts
and pamphlets, mostly historical, relating to France
and England, the Fathers and Councils of the Church,
early chronicles, books on America, on the canon and
civil law, &c.
All the most important works mentioned in the
catalogue, which extends to 2,700 lots, have been care-
fully collated, a circumstance which must give the
catalogue a real value for the purposes of future refer-
ence, which it would not otherwise possess, for the
collations given are those of the actual copies in the'
library, and where any differences are noted by Dr.
Dibdin and the other bibliographers they are carefully
recorded.
A very considerable number of the lots comprise'
volumes containing several separate pieces bound
together, which it was found impossible to separate
without injury and loss.
The sale will probably extend to four, if not five,
portions; the second portion will probably be sold
early next April.
It only remains to atid that the general condition of
the books is excellent, very many being bound in.
morocco, and a large numb ,r in contemporary bind-
ings. Many of the books are large paper copies, and
several bear stamped on their bindings the armorial
bearings of their former Royal and noble possessors.

DREADFUL EXPLOSION IN SICILY.
The correspondent of the Standard in a telegram
dated Rome, Sunday night, says that a terrible explo-
sion of gas in a sulphur mine on Saturday morning at
Gessolungo, near Caltanisetta, in Sicilly killed forty-
eight out of a hundred who were at work, and badly
wounded forty-one more. This sad occurrence has
created a great consternation throughout the country.
The Minister of the Interior has despatched three
thousand francs for the relief of the sufferers.