New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-02
HIGH PRICES FOR RARE BOOKS
REMARKABLE SALE IN LONDON.


pooxs AND BOOKS WHICH BELONGED TO ROYAL
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. HOLDING ITS OWN.
frRoM Ak OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBuhh'i
LONDON JAM 15.-" Scots wha haze WI w aliace
h,ed might have been recently paraphrased at the
Ia;nr sale by scots wha hae WI Sotheby bled,"
for il was'at the rooms of Sotheby, Wilkinson ~
Hodge where they were gathered to do battle III Tue
cause of blbliomania and it was from there they
retired battered and bleeding. and not atoge'her
like Marmion. shouting victory" ADouhdihe u,
books of Scottish origin interest association, ana
brmful of rarities of all Sorts tins sale drew To-
cether the most important competitors in the book
market. and produced results which must have
been extremely gratifying to the present owner OF
the collection The late David LANG, LII. d., OF
Edinburgh who gathered the books together was
n menber OF several learned societies, writer anu
nm editor OF number of books and at heart WAS d
thorough bbiomaniac. He succeeded. under eS'
cepionally favorable auspices in formIngSa library
NJ an unioue and remarkable character. The hrst
norton of this vast collection, consisting OF sos
lots was sold last month"; and realized the respect
able sum OF $66 410-books OF Scotch Interest lor-
ing the chef and most conspicuous feature ana
fetching the highest prices. Once on time an IN
eenious person named Tickell, author of curious
work entitled " Anticipation" in order to be log
ical anticipated his destiny by blowing out his
brains. Had some of the buyers at this sale an,ici-
pated the prices they would be called upon to pay
for their bargains, they might have been tempted
TO do the same thing, and it may be ]ustlhaDie 10
conclude that for the time being some OF them hau
actually lost their heads in giving such prices as
1915 for Skeletons Don Quixote or $3.50 Tor a
KilmarnOck Burns-and an understood copy at that
Bibliomania certainly boasts Its victims, and they
are a widening circle Ere long we shall number
amongst them tho cultured classes who are people
.atf.r and roc 10
Rocky Mountain, where. perchance, an Elzevir has
never vet penetrated and an Aldus has not so
much as been heard of These things are yet to
come but VIXEN tie day arrives that shall bring
fresh millions into the hunting grounds of old book
rarities, small indeed will be the chance OF the H.
d,yidua collector and large indeed must become his
resources. Anticipations of this kind may nave
given "A keener edge to competition wien such tarl-
ties as those of DR.. LANG were brought under the
auctioneers hammer The place of honor belonged
to and was occupied by the Scottish books. One OF
the most notable and national of them was, per-
haps, 1.-The Actys and Lyle Of Robert Bruce"
which brought $40. Beza's Confession of Faith"
the identical copy which belonged to Mary Queen
of Scots, and bound in vellum, with her name III
gold letters on tho sides, fetched $755. Elsewhere
in the catalogue several important "Confes-
sjons of Faith" were sold at good round
Law in the magical name of MARY"
copy Of james VS. Navigation Around Scot
landn went for $3.50; "The Flytng betwixt Mont
comery and Polwart." 1929, for 1862 80; "B0yds
Last Batte of the SOule in Death also for S262 80,
and Rolands Seven Sages" for $215-all three
printed by A. Hart, of Edinburgh-a name dear to
Scotchmen as that of Caxton is to Engiishmen, or
as those of Dave and Bradford are TO Americans.
Sir David Lyndsays "Aue Dialog betwixt Ex-
perence aud ane Courtroom" brought $685. and
other LINDSAY tracts from $50 to $40. "Knoxs
Admouition,' 1854, sold for 1926, and
other Knoxes were sold for $265. 1928,
800, $50, $50, etc. Six little book IN Scotch
Theology. by Alexander Haes, dating from
1888 to 1888, brought 1905 "Forme and Manner
of Examination befoir the Admission TO ye Tabill of
We Lord" 1881, SO so; HamiltoD's "Catechism,"
1852. So 40; Controversial Tracts, by Beza
Bayne etc. of early date. sold frequently for over
500 each. confession of Faith"-a rare
Elzevir 1919, unknown heretofore to photograph
ers, brought $175 Boethii, " Scotorum Histori@,'
unique copy, sold for 1885; Horn Book" of four
leaves, in black letter. printed at Aberdeen, $50
and Gowreps "Conspiracie," SIP 80. Other rare
tracts ON this conspiracy against King Jamess life
sold for high prices. Drummond of Hawthorn
denis Poems. the second edition, fetched $3.50
his "Flowres of Son." 1927 so; King James's
"Essaes of Premise IN the Divine Art of Poesie,"
frs, edition, went for $3.50. Other pieces of the
royal pedant both poetical and prose, sold for $50,
$50, $40 and $50. A collection of $50 Scotch
broadside ballads aud songs Originally hawked
about at bawbee or so apiece) went for $6G5.
set of Scotch playing cards, 1901, brought $S5.
Collectors seeking rare books. referring TO Mary
Queen of Scots had an opportunity of securing
some very interesting lots. Leslie's Defence Of
Mary's Honour" 1869, obtained for $685.
Historic ct Martyre de la Royne," 1880. for $14O
Defence of the Execution &c." 1887, for $50,
and German broadslde In relation to the execu-
ton, 1857, for $37 90.
Collectors on tho lookout for fine copies of the
rarer books in English literature, distinguished
from Scotch. were little disappointed Inferior
copies of "Honshed." Hail." and "Frolssart's
Chronicles" "Foxs Acts and Monuments" 1.-THE
famous Book of MartyrsD, The Shyp of Fooes"
really a German book and others might be noted.
Bacon's Essays" first edition, brought $50; "Har-
ripcton's Ariosto" sac: Bocha's " Fall of Princes,
r Pvpson 1890; Davison's Poems 1921, 1852 so.
BARCLAYS Eglogues." 1913, S102 so; Heywoode's
"Workes," $3.50: Homer's Works, by Chapman.
$50. Sponsors &c Faerie Queen" the first edition,
and extremely fine. brought 5000; his Shepherds
Calendar" and Complaints" $780, Millions
Poems 16i5 $1O5; Durfey's pills to Purge
Melancholy, S65: Robinson Crusoe," first edition
S155 and Gullivers Travels" first edition, sol.
A first edition of Colcridge's Ancient Mariner"
broupbt S4O one of Campbeli's Pleasures of
Hope" $47, and one of Skeletons Don Quixote,"
S275-an absurd prce.
Charles the First's copy of FolOts Exposition
and the Psalms lin Latin sold for $147 so
Charles the Seconds copy of palrymple's Institu-
fiop of the Laws of Scotland" in rich old Scotch
binding for $i,475. volume from Henry Wills
library sold for 1922 90. 1t will be remembered
that the little book by Beza, which belonged to
who sat next the throne, namely. Nine. dc POmpa-
dour celebrated for her collection of finely bound
books was i'll the Laing library bv spec
linen or two of toerable merit. One an '0yide"
with Picart's fine illustrations. and fetched $500
and Jacques de Lalaln." which went for $77 90.