The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1865-07-20
Extraordinary Book Sale.

Extraordinary Book Sale.
For many years it was known to the
bibliomaniacs of England that but single
copy of Christopher Valdsrfars' II De-
camerone di Boccaccio, printed in Ven.
leo in l41l, was ia existence, and many
of them used every means in their power
to discover who had possession of it, but
IN vain. At length, an ancestor of tho
Duke of Roxburghe obtained possession
of 1t for the sum of one hundred guineas.
In lapse Of time it became the property
of John, Duke of Roxburghe, the accom-.
plshed, iudefa,igablc and undaunted
bibliomaniac, after whose death his cor.
geous library was dispersed by the auc.
tioneer in the year 1911. The iuteres.
excited amongst the learned by this sale
was intense. 1t was known that the col.
lection contained the most superb speci-
mems Of every kind of ancient lore =; that
the illuminttcd manuscripts were the
most brilliant, the ballads tho most OBJ
scure, the edhioncs pri,ciipes the most
complete the world could PRODUCE that
the rarest Caxtons, the finest Pynsons,
and grandest specimens of the foreign
printers, were here to be found above
all, 1t was rumored that mysterious edi
ton of Bocccaccio's Decamcron would
become bone of contention amongst the
noblcst Of the literati. The public, learn.
ed, aud unlearned, were infected with
the mania, and the daily papers teemcd
with notices of the sale. At length the
important day arrived, tho 18th of June,
1911. St. James's Square was the place.
Mr.. Evans presided. The room was
crowded. Earl Spencer, the Marquis of
Blandford, the Duke of Devonshire, and
an agent for Napoleon, were amongst the
most prominent The book was a small
folio, in faded yellow morocco binding,
black letter. "Slence followed his (Mr.
Evans's) address, says Dibben. "On
bis ri ght hand, standing against the wall,
stood Earl Spencer; little lower down,
and standing at right angles with his
lordship, appeared the Marquis of Bland
ford. The duke, believe, was not then
present; but my Lord Althorpe stood a
little backward, to the right of his father,
Earl Spencer. Such was the ground
taken up by the adverse hosts. The
honor Of firing the first shot was due to a
gentleman Of Shropshire, unused to this
kind Of warfare, and who seemed to re-
coil from the reverberation Of the report
himself had made. 'One hundred gui-
fea; sSa sas\AAVha p,d1ESHiEA. fdsss ssHis fspS
ly to five hundred guiness. Hitherto,
however, it was manifest that the firing
was masked and desutory. At length
all random shots ceased, and the cham
pons before named stood galantly up to
each other, resolving not to finch from
trial of their respective Strengths "A
thousand gulneas' was bid by Earl Spen.
Ger; to which the marquis added ten
You might have heard pin drop. All
eyes were turned; all breathing well nigh
stopped. Every sword was put home
within its scabbard, and not piece of
steel was seen to move or to glitter save
that which each of these champions bran.
dished in his volorous hand. See, see
they parry, they lunge, they hit; yet
their strength is undiminished, and no
thought Of yielding is entertained by eli
ther. Two thousand pounds are offered
by the marquis. Then it was that Earl
Spencer, as prudent general, began to
think of an useless etlusion Of blood and
expenditure OF ammunition, seeing that
his adversary was as resclute aud fresh
E as at the onset. For quarter of min
, ute he paused, when my Lord Althorpc
advanced one step forward as if to sup
ply his father with another spear for the
purpose of renewing the contest. His
countenance was marked with fixed de.
termination to gain the prize, if pru-
dence, in its most commanding form,
and with frown Of unusual intensity Of
expression, had not bade him deSist.-
The father and son for few seconds con.
verse apart; and the biddings are resum.
ed. 'TwJ thousand two hundred and
fifty pounds, said lord Spencer. Tho
spectators are now absolutely electrified
The marquis quietly adds his usual ten,
aud there is an end of the contest. Mr..
Evans, ere his hammer fell, made due
pause, and, indeed, as if by something
prcternatural, the ebony instrument
seemed itself to be charmed or suspend
ed lin mid air However, at length,
down dropped the hammer, and. as Lis.
ardo has not merely poctically expressed
himself, the echo of the sound Of that
fallen hammer was heard 10 the libraries
of Rome. of Milan, aud Saint Mark. -
Not the least surprising incident of this
extraordinary sale is, that the marquis
already possessed copy of the work,
which wanted a few leaves at the end; he
therefore paid this enormous sum for the
honor of possessing few pages. The
prize of this contest is now in the posses.
sion OF Earl Spencer. Encyclopedia
BrittantcG.