Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-04
NOTED R0WFANT BOOKS
Features of Locker Lampson Library Now In New York.
CONTAINS ABOUT 1000 VOLUMES.

Throughout the Book World - It's Range h From 14SO-1SSO and In- cludes Many Valuable Elizabethan v0lumes-All Are In Fine Condition. One of the most distinguished and valuable libraries that has ever been brought into the United States, the Rowfant library, collected during many years by the late Frederick Locker Lampson, the English poet and Shake spearean collector, was recently pur- chased practically en bloc by one of the big publishing firms in New York city, says the New York Post. The li- brary contains about a thousand vol umes and is known to book collectors and bibliophiles the world over. While the purchase price has not been dis closed, 1t is known to have been many thousands of dollars.
 In 1886 Locker, who died in 1895, compiled the catalogue of his books, known to collectors as the Rowfant library and named from the estate in Sussex which was the home of his second wife, the daughter of Sir Cur tis Lampson of Rowfant. It was after this marriage that Locker hyphenated his name, adding Lampson.
 The catalogue was divided into three parts-part one, English poetry and drama, 14S0 to 170O; part two, of the same general character as the first, with some prose added, 100 to 1880, and part three, American literature. Practically all of the volumes in the library are first editions and are fur ther notable on account of their i'm maculate condition, a matter of prime importance to the book collector. In the third part of the catalogue, the American books. poetry predominates. The library was purchased from the poets son, Godfrey Locker-Lampson, who married a daughter of Tennyson. After the death of his father Godfrey Locker-Lampson compiled and issued an appendix to the catalogue of the Rowfant library. This appendix noted the books which had been collected since the preparation of the first cata- logue and was likewise divided into three parts, the old portion, the modern portien and that of foreign books. The end of part three of the appendix emu, merates the valuable collection of auto graph letters and albums which the poet collected. While the entire libra ry of printed books and manuscripts was purchased, certain presentation copies of works, notably those of Ten nyson. Browning and Holmes. some drawings and pictures and personal let ters were retained by the poets family The purchase of this library Is de- clared by collectors to be of an impor- tance equal to the requirement by George H. Richmond of the remarka- ble Irwin. Lefferts and DeForest libra ries. Frederick Locker Lampson's H. brary contains many rare Elizabethan and other volumes, ill addition to inter- esting and valuable memoranda, per sonal and biographical.
 The Rowfant library catalogues are embellished with memorial verses from several hands, and the supplemental catalogue has a preface by Augustine Birrell, who married daughter of the poet. In the original catalogue these verses by Andrew Lang appear:
 THE RowTANT BOOKS.
 (Ballade en guise de rondeau.) The Rowfant books! How fair they shev, The quarto quaint. the aldlne tall Print. autograph. portfolio!
 Back froh the outer air they call
 The athletes from the tennis ball, This rhymer from his rod and hooks. Would could sing them one and all,
 The Rowfant books!
 The Rowfant books. In sun and snow They're dear, but most when tempests
 fall;
 The folio towers above the row
 As once OCT minor prophets, Saul!
 What jolly jest books and what small Dear Dumpy Twelves'' to fill the hooks! You do not find on every stall
 The Rowfant books!
 The Rowfant books! These long ago
 Were chained within some college hall; These manuscripts retain the glow
 Of many a colored capital:
 While yet the Satires keep their gall, Wnlle the HdStlSSler puZZleS COOKS,
 There is a joy that does not pall-
 The Rowfant books,
 ENVOY.
 The Rowfant books, An. magical
 As famed Armida's golden looks.
 They hold the rhymer for their thrall-
 The Rowfant books!
 Austin Dobson contributed poem of six stanzas to the catalogue. of which these are the first two:
 His books, Oh. yes. his books know {:
 Each worth a monarch's ransom.
 But now beside them. row on row.
 see. erect and handsome,
 The courtly owner. glass in eye.
 With half sad smile. forerunning
 Some triumph of an apt reply.
 Some master stroke of punning.
 When the poets son produced the supplemental catalogue Andrew Lang wrote these verses. which are interest ing in view of the recent sale:
 How often to the worthy sire
 Succeeds tn unworthy son,
 Extinguished is the ancient fire.
 Books were the idois of the squire;