New-York tribune., 1902-01-10
LITERARY RELICS.
SONAL SOUVENIRS AND MANU-
SCRIPTS.
From Chambers's Journal.

SONAL SOUVENIRS AND MANU-
SCRIPTS
From Chambers's Journal
Although in some particular instances prices
have ruled high, as a general rule the relic
which one would naturally expect in the case of
an author to be the most eagerly sought after
py his admirers-namely, his pen-comma nds
but a modest figure; as witness Sir Walter
Scott's pen which was sold AT the Dalhonsie
sale couple of years ago for eight and half
guineas. or about two-ninths Of the sum paid a
year last March i@r the Wizard Of the North S
walking stick. a sto.' ashplant culled from the
woods Of Abbotsford, but twice much as a
case Ietched Why, by the way. should Scott S
lock sell for only four guineas, while strand of
Oliver Goldsmiths hair realized ten? Can it
De because in the latter instance the author s
coffin was specially opened TO obtain it, or be-
cause his head covering was more scanty?
The silver taper stand which Sir Walter Scott
bought with his first fee as an advocate-f5 5s
and gave to his mother, which realized f72
the other day, had one advantage over a Dick
ems relic that was sold in December. 1899; il
was decidedly less cumbrous. The relic in ques-
tion was originally one Of the stone balustrades
OF old Rochester Bridge, and was afterward
converted by BOZ" into a sun dial When on
ths death Of the author the dial came into the
possession of Mr.. Creighton. of Rochester. he in
scribed it with the words: These relics of
Gadshiu Place and old Rochester Bridge are
placed here in sincere regard for Charles Dick
ems" This souvenir of the great author was
eventually knocked down for $50 los.
What becomes of the original manuscripts Of
the countless books published year by year by
comparatively unknown authors are unable
to say We have a strong suspicion that they
are sold by the pound avoirdupois to the paper
maker, or reappear as papier nache teatrays; II
particularly heavy. perhaps railway carriage
wheels. In that case there are doubtless some
Of these useful articles extant that would. If
they could but be restored TO their original
form. be worth their weight in gold, or as in the
|, ease Of Keats's manuscripts. considerably more
4 These manuscripts were sold rather three
years ago for $685. and 1905, respectively The
former sum given for the manuscript Of
Endymion," which averaged out at f3 les Cd
NUh he aiaif xrrrfrr
leaves that eventually more valuable than
If they had been f10 Bank Of England notes. for
the manuscript fetched I'll las. I'd. for each of
its twenty-siX pages.
Manuscripts written by Burns command
prices that very few authors of to-day could
AFFORD 10 refuse for the production Of original
work Scots, wha hae" for instance sold in
May, 1880, for go, and three years ago last
June his Commonplace Book fetched a sum
equal to - Us. a page. or probably a shil-
ling a word-a rate which most authors would
find very acceptable. Those collectors who as
pire to possess Scott manuscripts at the
same time be prepared to dip somewhat deeply
into their pockets. Certainly f62 purchased an
Introductory essay in his own handwriting some
little time ago, but $40 square inches of t5
Bank Of England nOtepaper. f106, was re-
Quired for portion only of Tales Of a Grand
father'-a which only f14 less than
paid for a seat used by Shakespeare. For
the manuscript OF "Old Mortality which was
sold on the first occasion for a column of
ereigns only two inches high. 1888 ten and
quarter pounds avoirdupois Of gold, or f60O. was
given recently. What it will fetch in a few
years time dare not conjecture.
We afraid that certain of our readers
would prefer f12 los quarter more than
the manuscript OF THE Lady of the Lake"
which realized, when last sold the sum of fl 800
amount that could be easily invested so as to
insure that income; and some, perhaps. there are
who would rather have four and quarter
used by the author of The Last Days of
Pompeii."
When. in 1859, Wilkie Collins penned the
pages Of THE Woman in White" he undoubt
edly recognized that he had finished a very
notable work; but he can never have imagined
that one year after his death the manuscript
alone would fetch, when put up to auction 1920;
but such was the case. This sum, by the way,
20 more than was given two years ago for
couple of manuscripts written by Gilbert
White, Of Selborne.
One can hardly conceive a more consummate
irony OF fate than for young author to sell the
copyright Of book for a sum which years later
collectors Of manuscripts were willing TO null
uply by nineteen in order TO become the owners
Of the mere writing and paper. The instance
we have in mind is reported 10 have been the
tate ~ HoI1 ieinS @ SON VINO Is sald 10 nave SOLO
the copyright OF The Poems OF Two Brothers
TO a Louth bookseller for f25 the original
manuscript was sold by auction years after
ward for f4S0.
II is said that American gentleman who
purchased the original manuscript of "TriIby"
written in a series of little copybooks after
ward refused an offer of fourteen feet seven
inches of soVereigns, or 200. for his bargain
during the height of the boom" Perhans he
had particular reasons for valuing the manu-
script OF the work at higher price: otherwise
one would imagine that he would lose through
not taking advantage Of the great popularity
enjoyed by the book on its first appearance.
We close with a glance at of the results
OF the sales OF 1901, which show a few
startling prices. For example, Bunyan's Pill
srirn's Progress" first edition, first part only
and the only copy known to have come to
auction. brought fl.475. An illuminated manu-
script the "Evangelia Quatuor," which once
belonged to the Abbey of Lindau, changed
hands for 10000 The covers studded with
precious stones, however. An edition of Dante's
'Commedia," of the fourteenth century, brought
1890. and Titus Andronicus' $500. A first
folio or Shakespeare sold in 1899 for Fl
and another in 1901 for II ,720. Milton's Bible
05SS). with autographs CT himself and his third
wife, was sold for f225. A first edition of
Crays 'Odes. with manuscript notes. brought
f310, and the Poems" f195 Thackeray's
VANITY Fair" in the original parts. sold for
f46 Shelleys "Alastor." first edition, went for
f66; Meredith's Poems" first edition. f16:
Alice in Wonderland" first edition, IS; Du
Maurier's Trflby," with ffty-eight pages of
the original manuscript, fla; while two letters
Of Tennyson were sold. the for Ell los,
and the other for f31.