The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-13

Ing thought and emotion tnaI lay Denlnu
his creations. The greatly enhanced val
ne, therefore, Is not without raison
! d'etre
An amusing story is told by Dibdin as
to the determination Of the Duke OF Rox-
burghe to obtain a copy in 1870. friend,
who was acting for him In the sale-room.
uncertain whether II was wise TO so be-
yond the 500 or so which had been Offer
ed. sent a slip of paper TO his Grace ask
ing whether or not he was to so on bid
ding. The Duke promptly wrote under
Meath
Lay on MacDuff,
And d be he who first cries, Hold,
en0ughr"
Opposition was, of course, OF no avail.
the duke retiring triumphantly with the
book under his arm. having paid for II
the then enormous sum Of $3.50. At the
Roxburghe sale this first folio brought
500. 1t Is accounted one Of the best spe-
cimen's extant, the present possessor be-
ing the Duke of Devonshire. Mr.. Gren-
ville's copy, now in the British Museum.
brought $500 in 1S1S-a phenomenal price
at the time, which caused Dibdin, after
stating the facts, to record the unfortu-
nate prophecy that II was 1.-THE highest
-. ever given or likely to be given
for the volume" AS an example OF the
small account in which the book used to
be held, even by persons OF education,
1t is said that an ancestor Of Sir Watkin
Williams Wynn possessed an uncut copy,
which was lying on the table in that
condition, when" says Dibdin. 'in luck
less moment stationer in the neighbor-
hood OF Wynnstay came in. The book
was given TO him to be bound. and of
went not only the edges but half the
margins" To make matters worse. the
leaves were inlaid and rebound in three
volumes.
Until quite recently, IFbelieve. the Dan
lei copy, for which the Baroness Bur-
dett-Coutts paid $35S3 in 1S6Ea sum
which remained as a record in England
until this month-was regarded not alone
as one OF the finest and cleanest. but as
among the tallest known examples AS
against the 1875 inches which last weeks
folio measured, the Daniel book Is slight
ly over thirteen inches. while in breadth
1t Is So inches, as compared with s..
inches. To those who have a passion for
book-collecting It is unnecessary to ex-
plain the satisfaction that arises from
handling a classic of this sort in an I'M
cut state. I was fortunate enough in
February last to hear Mr.. Lees admir-
able lecture at the London Institution,
and thereafter to examine in many re-
spects that most desirable of all the
Shakespeare first folios in existence-the
one which belongs TO Mr.. Coningsby Sib-
thorpe. having been in his family. I'M
known to photographers. for about CEN
fury. 1t smallest attraction. perhaps. is
that Il measures no less than 49, inches.
and here we arrive almost without doubt
at the uncut state. The engraved por-
trait OF Shakespeare is peculiarly fresh
and vivid in condition. part OF the rough
calf binding is original, and this origina!
part bears the arms of Augustine Vim
cent. an official at the College Of Arms, to
whom Jaggard gave the book as n mem
ento of the overthrow of their common
enemy, Ralph Brooke. The inscription, IN
Vincents own Handwriting, appears on
the title-page-"Ex dono VIII Jasgard.
typogrNphi. 40. 1873" Competent au-
thorities have no doubt whatever that
this was one OF the very earliest copies
printed of by Jaggard, perhaps the very
first.
The distinguished Shakespearian stu
dent, George Stevens. relates with what
frequency he met with "thin fakes of
pie-crust between the leaves os our au-
thor. These unctuous fragments, re-
manning long in close confinement, COM
municated their grease to several pages
Cd - 81 he
first fohos now extant are known 10 have
belonged to ancient families resident in
the country. Since our breakfasts have
become less gross. our favOrite authors
have escaped with fewer injuries. l
claim the merit Of being the first COM
mentator on Shakespeare who strove
with becoming seriousness to account for
the present stains that disgrace The ear
Hest folio editions of his plays. which Is
row becoming the most expensive single
book in our language; for what other
English volume. without plates. and print
ed since the year 1900 is known - have
sold, more than once. for e35 14c?" ES-
amples are not now relegated to the SER
wants hall as they were a century and a
half ago.
auction until a few days ago was, II
mistake not, when the Brayton Ives copy,
said to he perfect, although rather short.
changed hands In New York for sLelJ IN
1854 the Earl OF Gosford's example
brought $780, the title and Ben Jonson
verses here being mounted and the mar
gins Of some leaves slightly rnended The
Thorold folio. measuring 1915 inches by
So inches. realized $50. this now being
in America, while TO mention hut one
more price. a sound copy. bound in red
morocco by Clarke & Bedford. made s., 100
in 1882.
1t is hardly conceivable that during the
next century first folio Shakespeares will
register an advance in money value re-
motely equal tothat OF the last. About
enc hundred years ago the copy just sold
az Christiss. instead OF making SS.Sh.
would PROBABILITY have been procurabie for
something like 800. Here in trath we
have an example of the exci,ements. IL
not OF the romance. incident 10 book col
lecting. F. p
KEEPING TRACK OF THEM.
Governor Stanley has inaugurated a
system Whereby men are conditionally
pardoned from the penitsntiary. They
must have permanent employment In
sight and must report their progress
once month The letters they send in
are sent TO Governor Stanley and he per-
sonally writes an answer TO he men
There are on.v three out on this condi-
;ion at present OF course when the nuu..
Der increases It will Re impossible for
the governor 20 answer all the letters
himself.