New-York tribune., 1871-06-15
"A BOOK SALE IN LONDON.
HR. LILLY's COLLECTION DIsPERsED-OLD AND
RARE WoRKs--BOOK CoLLECT0RS-SOME OF
TIE PRICES REALIZED.



THE PRICES REALIZED.
iFRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE
LONDON, March 25.-I asked Mr.. Lilly one
day. some three years ago, he bad any OF Mr. Buckles
books, Mr.. Buckles library OF 10000 volumes having
then lately been sold ny auction. "Oh no. sad Mr'
Liny. L don't think there anything IN my way
Mr. Buckle only bought his books TO read" Anybody
turning over the catalogue Of the portion OF Mr. Lys
books that sold by auction during the last ten
nays Will understand the force OF the old mans reply
These books not to read more than old seVres
china is TO FROM Louis Quatorze chairs 10 st ln
From beginning 10 end OF the octave catalogue OF zo
pages there scarcely title which may not he caseo
under of two heads Either the books are cary eur
lions Of authors which have since been repuohsheu IN
better form or they are valuable chiefly from their
rarity. Here is great number of DOORS tnat haNo
brought high prices purely as cufloSltleS' hdli"ui
remarks of Sir EgcrtOn Brydges's Ce"s"ra LHeF~'d'
and other collections Of scarce works. that although
Bridges was man Of considerable taste ana Judgment
not five passages prose could be produced from ms nu
erous volumes so Ear as the sixteenth century is CON
cerncd having any other merit than that OF illustrating
matter of fact, OF amusing by their oddy. lie
forgot 90 add that such volumes have one other merit "
least in the eyes OF booksellers, their high price; anu
still another in the eyes of collectors, their rarity
Ly's shop in New-st-fOr which a stranger mlgh' nun
in vain-was the headquarters of the whole "oru io
books of certain classes. suppose mofo a.
the first folio Shakespeare have passed throutn ~ 49,,
lys hands than all other booksellers "N''''
boast Of Before he came the scene the Peouii va
Tiety OF bibliomania which fourished III uie cary u'
of Dhdp the RoXburgbe sale. and the time wheh Earl
Spencer formed his library, had III great measure
passed away The rage for classics hau ueu ou'' an"
after period of comparative mdherehee' was sue
ceeded by the mania for early English DOCKS Irue'
the early printed classics the ineund6Wd OF the HI
teentb century, and the issues Of the press of the
Alduses and other famous Italian and French printers
retained and will always retain, their value But It'll
no longer Greek and Latin classics, but as specimens
of early printing that they fetch such enormous prices
The distinction may be at glance by anybody who
will open side by side say book from one of the early
Venetian presses and book published century and
half later by Elizabethan printer One is model oi
typographical execution. still unsurpassed by the most
celebrated modern presses the other is likely 10 be
hideously Imprinted book absolutely worthless rs
specimen the art yet very likely fetching more thah
its weight in gold. An immense quantity of these early
English books were dispersed at the sale oi HeberS
Hbrarya collection such never can he formed AGAIN
The mania had not then begun and books were sold for
fewer shlinCs than they would now bring pounds Ana
may he added that books did not reach anything like
their present prices TIL American buyers appeared in
London and began to sweep the market of everything
most precious. tire out the boldest bidders ana
longest purses among the equenters Of London auction
rooms.
Mr.. Lilly himself had long been known as one OF the
most formidable Of opponents every important SAFE lie
had very large collection vet few The mum
Der Of men who viii pay, Mr.. Henry Huth dd, @'7o
for collection of old ballads, very great Indeed
Mr. Huh wa latterly the most important client OF MI
Lilly and Mr.. Lily used 10 boast that he had sold Mr.
Hutb more than 10000 worth OF books. The Newest
ebop was always an interesting place to visit. The
really choice books stayed long but you might get
a look at them the wing and there was always a
great that curious, and that cOud be seen no
where else in London. The present catalogue repre-
sents the accumulation of nearly forty years In
tha hunlg WbIg
his lifetime could not sell-for he never cleared
out shelves, other booksellers often do by trans
ferrng dead stock TO the suctOnrOOm. Americans
who sent orders the faith Of the catalogue de-
scrpuous likely to experience some suEprlsf when
they 10 the actual condition of the books so
highly praised There great many made-up copies
in fine lindmgs-a favSritc method with Mr. Lilly of
working off rubbish, having been TO unite the best parts
of two or defective copies of the same book and
with the aid Bedford Rviere, or Pratt, 10 persuade
his customer that he getting good book. Never
fheess good books really getting so scarce that TINS
collection has as a whole, brought excellent prices.
There were 2714 lots in ALL The nine days. ending yes
terday afternoon. produced eG523 and estimating 5000
for to-day, which is the last, we have total of s7l23 as
the result days auction. Very few private libraries
do nearly so we'll Sir John SmeOn's, sold March l-lo
which was thought-though did not think so-a fine
collection produced for 2374 lots IN nine days. but
G3507 friend has kindly marked for me he prices OF
the more important books. Among the first Is good
illustration Of what said just now about the falling
prices OF Greek and Latin publications set OF the
Vapy Classics, 100 vols, large paper, Russia extra by
lewis sold FOR los They published at e29S 4s
unbound, and the binding cost &l2O The very rare
'Bandeo Novee 1873 vols, 4to and vol, svo, first
edition, but with leaf in fac simile brought &33 TO-
An autograph Ms. Of AddisOns Remarks on Italy, sold
for 40; Waiton.s "Biblia sacra Polyglotta," 1857
plates by Hollar. $685. "CansiOnerO General" a
collection % old Spanish ballads Anvers, 1851 823 5s
p good "Queen Elzabeths Prayer-Book lGo9, 4l5 los;
.'Boke OF Common Prayer" black letter, Edward
VIh's second boOk 1882 fil collection OF rare ana
curious tracts, in Vos the titles of which I'LL three
pages She catalOgun, various from 1854 Oack
iettcr down 10 1872 brought elJ-prObably Wen worth
the money Claude of Loranes "Liher Veritatis, &2l;
"Gutloman's Magazine" from 1871 to 1855, 2O2 vols,
half NOR, uncut from william IVth's library. $50.
"Gel's POmpe.ana" large paper, proofs, ga s.; 'De
Bry's Voyages 9 parts IN vols, folio, first editions
1850 1913, $50 5s; Dugdales works including the Mon
asticon AnglicanuD," 1855, Antiquities OF Warwick
shire" &C. in an "A vols, folio RH los; Dugdae's
MonasticOn Anglicanm,"8 vols, folio, 1917 80, large
paper picked proofs russia by Herring, History OF ST.
Paul's" added i'm all vols, s7i; A Persian Ms eab
ora;cly oruameuted said TO be fine specimen &39 only
though the binding alone, by Bedford cost a25; Foxe
Actes and Monuments of the Church Book of Mar
fyrs black letter. two wOOdcut and seven leaves of in
dex wanting title in fac .snile, l56263 first edition, OF
excessive rarity, and Of which no perfect copy is KNOWN
s45; the same second edition. end Of index wanting
1870 more rare than the first, &0no perfect copy
Is known in any library, public or private Dr.
Bryan's copy sold at Sotheby's for $780,
A long list OF Hearnes Works sold at
low prices, and American collectors ought 10 know
that these books once much sought are falling very
rapidly in value Hcath's Chronicle" including the
whole 80 portraits, 1868, SIS 2s. Cd Hor@ Beat@
Maria Virgins" NJ. on velum. 18th century, $50 Os
ethers less fine brought lOs, a2l and R22 Hosteds
History Of Kent vols. folio 1873. 93O-by no means
one Of the dear County Histories. of which sell for