The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-06-19
LARGE PRICE
FOR A BOOK
Rare Latin Psalter Printed
in 1859 Is Now OH
Exhibition in New York
COST MORGAN $4,000
Extraordinary Value Due to
Limited Number of Copies,
. Thirteen in All, Existing

In case in one Of the small rooms in
the library of Columbia University there
is lying an open volume that is the cost
Hest book in existence.
1t is the Latin Psalter of 1459, printed
by Fust & Schoeffer, and is the second
printed book known to bibliophiles bearing
date. 1t is one of collection of early
printed books owned by ]. Pierpont Nor
gan now on exhibition in the Columbia
library. 1t cost Mr.. Morgan $4,000, he
having purchased it from Quaritch the
London dealer, about four years ago.
Quaritch bought it at the Thorold sale in
London for 1880 (s24,750), about twenty
years ago, and kept it until Mr.. Morgan
came along and purchased it at the figure
mentioned, which practically amounted to
loss for the dealer when the matter Of
interest is concerned.
The extraordinary value Of the book is
due to two things-first the extremely
limited number of copies of 1t in exist
ence, thirteen in all, eleven of which are
owned by European libraries. The Nor
gan. copy is printed on vellum, the page
lying opened showing only the slightest
marks of age and is bound in red mo-
rocco. 1t contains the first printed text of
the Athanasian creed and the initial let
ters are printed In red and blue inks.
These are said to be the most beautiful
ence All of the capital letters are print
ed in red ink. and the large initial letter
at the head Of the first page is printed in
blue with a design of a running hound
and flowers in white. Across the top or
the page is also staff with the notes OF
the Gregorian scale.
Another gem to be seen here is copy
of the Gutenberg Fust Bible, the first
printed book, and usually called the Maza-
rim Bible, on account of its having been
found In the library of the Cardinal of
that name. Mr.. Morgan's copy is on vel
lum and contains only the Old Testament
The last record price for the complete
copy of this work is $4,000. In addition
to this vellum copy Mr.. Morgan owns one
other books here are held at such sensa-
tional values as these two, there Is
copy of "Janua's Catholicon'' that sold
for $1,000 at the last public sale, twenty
five years ago. This is regarded as the
finest book issued from Gutenbergs sec
ond press, and was printed in Mentz in
1860 The title of the book Is written in
ink that has faded only a little. and the
initial letters are in red and blue, and In
green and white.
Two other rare old German books are a
Constitution of Cement ", printed by
Peter Schoeffer in Mentz in 1857, and
which has all the paragraphs marked
with the same sign In use tO-udy. Oic
of the oldest of the sources of "Parsifal'
is a copy of the first edition Of Wolfram
Won Eschenbach's "Tyturell." printed IN
.147.
Three of these volumes that will inter-
est the laymen most, owing TO their Curl
Gus and beautiful illustrations, are the
.Isolari in Versi," printed in Venice in
1878, the volume being the first special
atlas Of the Mediterranean. The Mediter-
ranean to the photographer meant Italy
evidently, for the map shows the penin-
sula dotted with little castles and single.
trees The History Of Troy" printed in
Paris In 1897, contains eighty exquisite
miniatures, this particular book having
been a presentation copy to the French
King Charles VIII A copy of ''Petrarch."
printed in Venice in 1883. has six engrav-
ings, beautifully colored by hand, of Bot
ticellfs "Triumphs." The book lies open
at the Triumph Of Love-" The last rec
ORD price of the "'Lactantus Opera" print
ed at the monastery of Subiaco in 1855,
is $40, and that was obtained at the
Ives sale. fourteen years ago.-Chicago
Chronicle.