The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-04

we've certain to disappear and perish
unless they Glanced, as in tins case
to be bound up in a volume WIN some
other production of the press.
1t was the late Mr.. Blades, the cele-,
brated Caxton scholar, who discovered
the existence Of this sheet IN 1893, when
he was making his first researches INTO
the life and works of the father Of Eng
lish printing l. consists of IOthlng hut
a couple of prayers, very simple IN con
ceptiOn and style, and, pre-RelOrmatioh
as they are. quite such as We might eX-
peet 20 find in some of the Occasional Ser
vices in the Prayer-boOk. The Other Two
unique volumes are samples or Il klhd OF
literature whose popularity has been us
worst enemy, the romance literature,
which, in the days of costly books ana
small editions, was read and re-read tlll
the copies were fairly worn out and dis
appeared Such has been the fate OF
The Historic of the Victorious Pnnee
Blanchardin," and Of The -Four Sons OF
Aymon," as printed by Caxton; for here
are the only two surviving copies. They
are so fine and spOtless in condition that
il is evident that they were hidden away
from the beginning and so escaped ,he vul-
gar fate of being read. We pass from
curiosity TO literature when We descend
to the shelf below the Caxtons, for
there are the four folio editions Of Shake
speare, the S0nnets Printed by q. ED
for II. r., 1909" and other books OF the
great age. The SOnnets Is a delightful
little volume, bound in peacock-blue mo-
rocco, and the foliOs are as choice eX-
ampes as one expects in such library.
The Gutenberg Bible was thought TO
be, from the point Of view OF the auction
room, tie most precious of all printed
books, until VI essrs. SOaneev sold, lew
years back a copy of the MeutZ Psalter
| for close uDDn 5000. Tn" rival claims
would have been reEcitd had not the PEE
sent purchaser stepped III and deprived
the world Of the pleasing excitement Of
an AlthOrp auction, for here are copies
| of each, supreme III condition. They
| have been seen at more than one public
exhibition, for Lord Spencer has always
lent his books as well Us his pictures very
| generously
When we pass from the sanctuary sane
forum we enter another region alto
| gethcr; we are no longer among books
! which stir the passions of the blbNOphlle,
| but rather among those which belong 70
the proyerbal 'gentleman's library"
| The vast billiard room, forty feet long
and twenty-five feet high, with gal
| lery at half its height, contains thousands
| Of such bOOks-Old tTeatises on botany
and zoology, county histories, md the
| works of voiunnnOus and forgotten dI-
vines. SO with the 'Domemchin0
! Room" so called from > "DacdaEs and
.raru5 which IS nor . romrrieLino nj
| all. but a well-knOwn picture by Van
| Gyck: here is shelf after shelf ot finely
| bound "HistOres de lUriyers' and sich
! like. with Strype, with MungO Park, with
mIltitudes of old quart0 classics. and
! with the eyer-amusing India Occidentl-
| lis" Of De Bry, Il storcEOuse of pictures
of marvellous manners and impossible
| customs. There are similar books IN the
Raphael Library. 80 called from the
| late Holy Family" over the fireplace
Then comes the last and most bcauti-
| full room of all, the Long Library. Here
| i'm a wheeled case is the manuscript cata-
| logue, perhaps the first of the slip cata-
logues which are now so general. the slips
| lightly run together in yellum-backed
| volumes The books are susandS in
| number and aSSuredly no such furniture,
| for beauty and harmony, can we'll be-
found TO take their place. There is not
much of great photographed value. but
the splendid puppies and browns and COLDS
Of the morocco aud Russian backs give
to these spacious volumes decorative
| quality which is unapproachable. The
unique glory OF the Althrop Library is
that among this multitude of books OF
| little enduring interest there are to be
| found four or five thousand volumes on
which Time. the only critic that does not
err" has placed the mark Of eyerincreas
| ing value.
This library has been purchased by
Mrs. Ryland. the widow Of John Ryland
the great Manchester merchant. WIG
started life without a penny and die'
leaving about Sl5,OO0,OOO. IL Is sai'
that the price given for the library wa'
$l,2JO,0OO, and it is Mrs Ryland IN
tention TO present it to the city of Man
chester for the use OF the citizens.