The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-13 00:00:00

SALE OF THE LIBRARY OF THE LAT.

MR. HEBER

Mr. Evans, of Pall-Mall, has been selling, during the
week, the books which form the fourth part of the library
of the late Richard Heber. The sale commenced on Mon-

day last, and is to occupy fourteen days. The catalogue
contains some very curious books on English, Scotch, and
Irish history, and some rare French romances. It also con-
tains the larger portion of the collection of English poetry
and of authors connected with the commencement and pro-
gress of the English language and literature. This is the
part of his library of which we are told " Mr. Heber was
the most proud, and which he laboured for nearly forty
years, with unceasing perseverance, and equally constant
pleasure, to enrich and complete." The sale of yesterday
contained some very rare and curious specimens of early
English poetry, and some exceedingly curious and valuable
metrical tracts. The room, however, was but thinly
attended, and with the exception of the " trade," very few
bidders were present : of course there was but little emu-
lation in keuping up the prices of the lots, and many of
them were knocked down at little more than one-
third the prices they cost the collector. The " Tragi-
call and true Historic, which happened betweene two
English Lovers," written by Bernard Garter, and " im-
prynted in. Flete-strete, within Temple-lane, at the signe
of the Hande and Starre. by Richard Tottyli" almost a
unique copy, was knocked down for 171. " Eclogs, Epytaphes,
and Sonnettes, newly written by Barnabe Googe," 1563,
one of the scarcest books in the English language, and
never met with by Farmer, Warton, or Reed, fetched
161. ss. The first book of the " Famous Historye of
Penardo and Laissa," printed in 1615, at Dordt, by Geo.
Waters, of which only two copies are known, was sold for
121. ss. This same copy was purchased at Pinkerton's
sale for 211. The " Notable Discovery of Coosenage,"
1592, by Greene, who appears to have dedicated his muse to
the task of exposing the ehelts of the day, produced 2/. 3s.
" Conny-catching,' 1592, by the same author, 4/. 10s.
Another copy 4/. 12s. Another tract by Greene, entitled
" A Disputation between a bee Conny-catcher and a shee
Conny-catcher," and said to be the rarest of all his pro-
ductions, 41. 10s. " A pair of Turtle Doves," by the same
author, and of which only one other copy is known, fetched
4/. 14s. 6d., being little more than half of what it produced
at the last sale of Sir M. Sykes. There were many other
tracts of Greene, but those enumerated are amongst the
most valuable. " Guy of Warwick," black letter, brought
only 25/. : this copy was formerly in the possession of
West, Pearson, Stevens, and the Duke of • Roxburghe,
at whose sale it was bought by Mr. Heber for 43/. Is.
" The Chronicle of Englande," by John Hardyng, 1543,
brought 13/. 35., being the precise sum given for it
by Mr. Heber ; this copy has the autograph of
the celebrated John Dee. ‘."l'he Temple of Glas," stated
in the catalogue as the work of Stephen Hawes, but
written by Lydiat, fetched 14/. ; this copy was purchased
by Boswell at Malone's sale for 461. 10s. The " Passe-
tyme of Pleasure," by Hawes, Wynkin de Worde, 1517,
21/. 10s. This work fetched at the Roxburghe sale 84/.
and at the sale of Sir M. Sykes 421., and will furnish some
notion of the depreciation of this sort of property. Ten
books of " Homer's 'Hades," translated from the French by
A. Hall, black letter, 1581, 5/. 10s. It was sold at White
Knights for W. In this curious work Ajax is made to
speak of the Bastile, and to quote the Bible as the stan-
dard of truth. It would be endless to mention all the rare
volumes which were yesterday submitted to the public by
Mr. Evans, but we must not omit to notice the " Chrony-
des of the Londe of Englond," printed at Andewarpe,"

1493, by Gerard de Leew. This rare.book was knocked
down to Mr. Thorpe for 371. 16s. and is, we believe, with
the exception of one in the library of Lord Spencer, the
only copy in existence. The " Chronycle of Englonde,"
printed by " me Wynkyn de Worde, 1502," fetched
171. 10s. This was Mr. Dent's copy, and cost Mr. Heber
381. 17s. " Dives et Pauper," " emprynted by me, Rich-
arde Pynson, at the Temple Barre, 1493," being the first
book printed by Pynson, 211.