New-York tribune., 1906-09-25
THE AMHERST TREASURES
Il Precious Group of Eleven
Cartons.

From The London Academy.
II is more than fifty years ago since Lord
Amherst began TO form the famous collection of
books of which he intends to sell the
''plums." He began more than ten years before
the Eshton Hall sale dS62) Of the collection of
Miss Richardson Currer. which has been de-
scribed as "a good all-round English library"
The famous Tite sale QS74), which included Sir
William T1tes CaXtons was another of his
earlier appearances as a book buyer ito be
reckoned with; and then in the eighties-that
golden decade for book collectors-he was
purchaser at the seven famous sales Of the
period: the Sunderland or Blenheim sale QSS1-
1889. the Bedford and Hamilton Palace sale
QSS2-'s4, the Syston Park (Sir j. Thorold's)
sale QsS4). the sale OF Lord Jerseys books from
Osterly Park QSS5). the Fuller Russell sale in
the same year, which was remarkable mark for its
the sale of Lord Crawford's books in 1857 and
1889. where Lord Amherst acquired a good
many OF his unique and priceless Bibles.
Since then there have been the Ashburnham
sale Qs9I-9S), with the sale of the manuscripts
in 1901. and the Mackellar sale in 1898. when
again Lord Amherst added to his theological
library. AT all these-and at Mr.. Quaritch's
where more important transactions go on even
than sales by auction-Lord Amherst was an
envied-and a e-Amercan-buyer. And now.
for reasons into which we need not enter but
which have aroused the sympathy of all good
men and booklovers. he hnds himself advised to
sell the best things in his library. Those best
things-the "plums"-are. informed
on the best authority, the Caxtons There are
seventeen of them. That sounds a small num-
ber. Eleven of these are perfect. That sounds
smaller still
dred books. OF these only thirty-eight exist IN
single copies or in fragments; and the whole
number of Caxtons in existence is estimated
by Mr.. Quaritch-roughly for until Mr.. Gordon
Duff's census OF Caxtons is complete and pub
lished only Mr.. Gordon Duff knows the exact
number-at nearly six hundred But when we
come to complete copies. the story is very DIFF
feTent 1t is in the eleven complete copies that
the unique strength Of Lord Amherst's collec-
ton consists.
What Will become OF them7 1t would be pos
sibe at the expense of no small time and trouble
11a o- gIa cad fHA
famous Libraries we have mentioned; but II ap-
pears to be the that, since the
Sunderland sale, the first in which America took
the best OF what was to be had Just at pres
ent the New York Public Library-to take a
single instance-is preparing new building,
in which Will be housed the LenOx collections
and the Astor collection, to say nothing of many
other sources; and New York is henceforth a
city that must absolutely be visited in certain
circumstances by real scholars who content
with nothing less than the unique original. Mr.. ].
Pierpont Morgan. again who bought the Bennett
collection, is the owner Of not less than thirty
Caxtons. And England, SO informed by
the highest authority. IS not keeping her place
IN the ranks OF the book collectors
A suggestion originating with Mr.. Quaritch
IS that this Amherst books should pass to Can
ada, where pictures have for some time been
eagerly acquired. while books remained COM
paratively neglected. The idea is a good
There money, enthusiasm and taste in Can
herst library. But the inhabitant Of the old
country Will hope-selfshly. perhaps, but inevi-
tably-that certain things may remain in the
island. Who could part-even to Canada-with
a book bound with the very hand of Mary Fer
rar Of Little Gliding? Thomas Wotton. again.
is name too little known, but one that all ao-
quainted with bookbinding must venerate. and
the volumes that belonged TO the English sover-
eigns. Henry VII. Edward VI Henry VIII and
Charles /, have associations that link them in
separably TO the mother country.