New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-11

There is a bookseller in London who Ankles
maxims Of his to the piles of books dis
played in his shop. Here is his latest deliver
ance: zone Of the last things to dawn on
Won. but one OF the first to dawn your friends.
is that you fool"
The Macmillans have brought out at last the
much needed Golden Treasury" edition Of Fitz
CeraId's translation OF "Omar Khayyam." The
book contains some interesting notes in regard
to the various preceding editions. The first
dates from 1850 the second came out In 1868,
the third is dated 1872. the fourth edition was
published in 1879, and ten years ago the
ouatrains appeared in Mr.. Adds Wright's COL
lected edition of Fitz Gerald's writings The
ouatrains were again reprinted. separately
twice in 1890 and then once in 1891. as in 1898,
1894 1895 and 1896 There were two editions
brought out in 1897. three in 1898. and two thus
far in the present year. the new volume in the
Golden Treasury" series being one of these
The last Of all these editions. published just
forty years after the first. is, OF course. the
ideal one as we have suggested more than once
In touching upon the matter Fitz Geraids
"Omar" may be said to have reached its deilni-
tive form now; all that will be needed VIII De
constant reprints in the Golden Treasury
series
Mr. Sidney Lee has not settled comfortably
down upon the repute brought 10 MIN III MS
recent Life Of William Shakespeare" leaving
10 his commentators the collection or new mat
ter. He is still busying himself with his SUD-
tect and one Of his finds is a copy OF the
First Folio In the hands of Mr. Coningsoy SID
thorn of Sudbrooke Home, Lincoln, which mas
been in the possession Of that gentleman's family
for about century. He records his discovery
nc follows in THE Cornh Magazine:
7 have lately met with copy of the First
Folio which is, beyond the shadow Of DOUBT,
one Of the very first that came from the press
of the printer William Jaggard Inc copy nd a
as far as / can learn. hitherto escaped the
notice of photographers. although IL pIess rn
features Of interest superior TO any otnef ine
title-page which bears the PORTRAY Vi SIrtir
sneare bv the youthful engraver MartiI
Droeshout, is in condition OF uhe Aaii ,.n
freshness and the engraving IS printed MN ,t T.,
Armness and a clearness that are not visible III
tho finest copies hitherto known-those peions-
ing to the Baroness Burdett-Coutts anu 'he
Duke of Devonshire IT,, .o,,c t,,ir
teen and a half inches high. and thus heaily
half an inch superior in stature 10 'na' - ,a a.
other known copy the ah naees of mmetre of
their margins. But. important as these ivae al
are In the sight of any one accustomed W t,e
oid books they are comparatively unlnlplessite
in regard to this book Far more r remains
tell The binding. rough calf, is party n,rn
and ON the title-page is a manuscript .sci,p
tion. in contemporary Handwriting oI I'VE luz,
rUtsb,a Authenticity. attesting that the copy
was a Gift TO an intimate friend by the printer
Jaggard The inscription reads th thus ;, EA uo"'
yVili. Japcard Topographic, 40. 1915
THE FRAGMENT Of the original bindlnB lsstaihPe1.
with An heraldic device. in which a mu ~ .a
bear holds banner In its left paw ans - 81
tight a sources helmet There Is cieS ,, "a
hears head above. and beneath Is scio. .p,d
the motto Augusta Vincent u. e., o,'as
things TO the conqueror) This motto pr 80
the volume The heraldc device mas oeeT pu .ui
tihtd by the principal librarian OF tle H., V,n
Nnsauno with the arms OF one Augustihe ~ !,
cant we'll known official Of the Conese ~
Arms or Heralds' College. 1t was 10 Aus trae
Vincent then that Jaggard presented a as CIV
gift what was almost certainly tne noe IRON,
e. tbe great Shakespeare folio which came IRON
his press The inscription on the .itIe ,,h Yin
have ascertained. by comparison OF ',togranh
cents handwriting. TO be In ms Iost the
Jacgard at the time appears 10 nay nay. ''
mower OF writing owing to failing sish''
Mr. Lee ,s fearful that before very long there
will be scarcely any copies OF the flrs' ro,'O
left in the libraries OF his countrymen' ana Tic
,remb,es for the safety Of that copy, to when ne
refers in the extract just quoted. He says
II Is devoutly to be wished that all English
men and women who at the plesen r,o es, vaIna-
comics Of the First Folio by far the NUS -
bIa ~ the four volumes will keep firm grip
upon them: for this country is Delne CO.
drained Of its First Folios by the Oniteu . 80 80
~ America When, in the summer OF last yea
T.ound that Tor purposes OF research 1t was de-
sirable that l should consult two copies Oh the
First Folio which reported TO possess
,,nioue features and were known TO nave peeh III
,,hraries In England a very few years ago. my
inouiries led me to the embarrassing conclusion
that If / wished to examine the copies IN Dues
tion II would be necessary for me 10 TAKE UP
81 NeuYork one of these two copies only
crossed the seas in 1897. There was third
copy. which 1 sought to trace in vain ana De-
lieve, although have no precise information on
brethren in America English booksellers make
no secret Of this fact of the growing practlce OF
exporting rare editions Of Shakespeare TO Amer
;ca MI Ouaritcb the great bookseller in Pic
cadilly wrote to me lately in reference TO the
First Folio: Perfect copies are usually sold by
us dealers to American collectors They thus
get scarcer and dearer every year.